Hydraulic Closure Unit and Retrofit System for a Plate Heat Exchanger

Abstract

A plate heat exchanger includes a frame, a set of plates disposed in the frame between a head and a follower, and a closure unit. The closure unit includes a drive mechanism and a power unit. The drive mechanism is configured to urge the follower to move towards the head to compress the set of plates and configured to urge the follower to move away from the head to release the set of plates. The power unit is configured to selectably connect to and disconnect from the drive mechanism and to provide power to the drive mechanism. The power unit is configured to compress the set of plates in response to a controller receiving a close command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plate heat exchanger comprising:
 a frame;   a set of plates disposed in the frame between a head and a follower; and   a modular closure unit including:
 a drive mechanism operable to be added onto the frame while the plate heat exchanger is idle and while the plate heat exchanger is working, the drive mechanism is operable to be sanitarily housed and the drive mechanism is configured to urge the follower to move towards the head to compress the set of plates and configured to urge the follower to move away from the head to release the set of plates; and 
 a power unit configured to be selectably connected to and disconnected from the drive mechanism and provide power to the drive mechanism, wherein the power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to compress the set of plates between the follower and the head in response to a controller receiving a close command and wherein the power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to move the follower away from the head in response to a controller receiving an open command. 
   
     
     
         2 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to automatically stop compressing the set of plates in response to the follower arriving at a predetermined closed position and wherein the power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to automatically stop moving the follower away from the head in response to the follower arriving at a predetermined open position. 
     
     
         3 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further including a position sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically position the follower to a predetermined closed position in response to receiving the close command. 
     
     
         4 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further including a load sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically load the follower to a predetermined compression load in response to receiving the close command. 
     
     
         5 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic motor disposed in the drive mechanism configured to rotate a set of spindles to urge the follower to move. 
     
     
         6 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , further comprising a hydraulic pump disposed in the power unit configured to provide hydraulic power to the hydraulic motor. 
     
     
         7 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , further comprising a three position hydraulic switch having an open position, a closed position and a bypass position to control a flow of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor. 
     
     
         8 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface to receive the close command from a user and to display information to the user. 
     
     
         9 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , further comprising a data chip disposed on the drive mechanism and configured to intercommunicate with the user interface, the data chip being configured to store one or more of: a last position reached by the follower, a compressed pitch design for the plate heat exchanger, a fully opened position, arrangement of a plurality of plates, a number of the plurality of plates, a thickness and a number of a plurality of grids, and a thickness and number of another component within a plate pack. 
     
     
         10 . A plate heat exchanger system comprising:
 a plurality of plate heat exchangers, each plate heat exchanger including:
 a frame; and 
 a set of plates disposed in the frame between a head and a follower; and 
   a modular closure unit including:
 a plurality of drive mechanisms, each drive mechanism being operable to be added onto the respective frame of the plurality of plate heat exchangers, the drive mechanism is operable to be sanitarily housed and the drive mechanism is configured to urge the follower to move towards the head to compress the set of plates and configured to urge the follower to move away from the head to release the set of plates, wherein each drive mechanism is operable to be coupled to a respective plate heat exchanger while the plate heat exchanger is idle and each drive mechanism is operable to be coupled to the respective plate heat exchanger while the plate heat exchanger is operational; and 
 a disconnectable power unit configured to provide power to the plurality of drive mechanisms, wherein the disconnectable power unit is configured to be disconnected from one of the plurality of drive mechanisms and connected to another to control the respective drive mechanism to compress the set of plates between the follower and the head in response to a controller receiving a close command and wherein the disconnectable power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to move the follower away from the head in response to a controller receiving an open command. 
   
     
     
         11 . The plate heat exchanger system according to  claim 10 , wherein the disconnectable power unit is configured to control the respective drive mechanism to automatically stop compressing the set of plates in response to the follower arriving at a predetermined closed position and wherein the disconnectable power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to automatically stop moving the follower away from the head in response to the follower arriving at a predetermined open position. 
     
     
         12 . The plate heat exchanger system according to  claim 10 , further including a position sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically position the follower to a predetermined closed position in response to receiving the close command. 
     
     
         13 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , further including a load sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically load the follower to a predetermined compression load in response to receiving the close command. 
     
     
         14 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , further comprising a hydraulic motor disposed in the drive mechanism configured to rotate a set of spindles to urge the follower to move. 
     
     
         15 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 14 , further comprising a hydraulic pump disposed in the disconnectable power unit configured to provide hydraulic power to the hydraulic motor. 
     
     
         16 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , further comprising a three position hydraulic switch having an open position, a closed position and a bypass position to control a flow of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor. 
     
     
         17 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , further comprising a user interface to receive the close command from a user and to display information to the user. 
     
     
         18 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , further comprising a data chip disposed on the drive mechanism and configured to intercommunicate with the user interface, the data chip being configured to store one or more of: a last position reached by the follower, a compressed pitch design for the plate heat exchanger, a fully opened position, arrangement of a plurality of plates, a number of the plurality of plates, a thickness and a number of a plurality of grids, and a thickness and number of another component within a plate pack. 
     
     
         19 . An aftermarket modular closure unit for an existing plate heat exchanger having a frame and a set of plates disposed in the frame between a head and a follower, the aftermarket modular closure unit comprising:
 a drive mechanism operable to be added onto the frame without disruption of the operation of the existing plate heat exchanger, the drive mechanism is operable to be sanitarily housed and the drive mechanism is configured to urge the follower to move towards the head to compress the set of plates and is configured to urge the follower to move away from the head to release the set of plates; and   a power unit configured to be connected to and disconnected from the drive mechanism without disruption of the operation of the existing plate heat exchanger, the power unit being configured to provide power to the drive mechanism, wherein the power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to compress the set of plates between the follower and the head in response to a controller receiving a close command and wherein the power unit is configured to control the drive mechanism to move the follower away from the head in response to a controller receiving an open command.   
     
     
         20 . The aftermarket modular closure unit according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an auto-stop mechanism configured to control the drive mechanism to automatically stop compressing the set of plates in response to the follower arriving at a predetermined closed position and the auto-stop mechanism is configured to control the drive mechanism to automatically stop moving the follower away from the head in response to the follower arriving at a predetermined open position.   
     
     
         21 . The aftermarket modular closure unit according to  claim 19 , further including a position sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically position the follower to a predetermined closed position in response to receiving the close command. 
     
     
         22 . The aftermarket modular closure unit according to  claim 19 , further including a load sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically load the follower to a predetermined compression load in response to receiving the close command. 
     
     
         23 . The aftermarket modular closure unit according to  claim 19 , further comprising a hydraulic motor disposed in the drive mechanism configured to rotate a set of spindles to urge the follower to move.