Piggable plate heat exchanger assembly

Abstract

Piggable plate heat exchanger assemblies enable piggable cleaning of interior surfaces thereof. Piggable plate heat exchanger assemblies include an inner plate member and first and second channel forming members with adjacently positioned first and second channel forming extension plates to enclose the inner plate member to form first and second channels for first and second fluid flow. Other piggable plate heat exchanger assemblies include plate members and first and second end members in conjunction with corresponding plate members positioned at first and second ends of corresponding plate members to form first and bypass channels to flow first and second fluids. Still other piggable plate heat exchangers include a plurality of plate members and a plurality of end members forming in conjunction with the plate members a first channel and a second channel in an interweaving relation for flow of a first fluid substantially normal to flow of a second fluid.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A piggable plate heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 an inner plate member having a generally wavy configuration;   at least one first channel forming member having a plurality of adjacently positioned first channel forming extension plates, the at least one first channel forming member having an open end and a closed end formed in conjunction with a corresponding pair of the first channel forming extension plates, the closed end connecting the corresponding pair of the first channel forming extension plates; and   at least one second channel forming member having a plurality of adjacently positioned second channel forming extension plates, the at least one second channel forming member having an open end and a closed end formed in conjunction with a corresponding pair of the second channel forming extension plates, the closed end connecting the corresponding pair of the second channel forming extension plates,   wherein the plurality of first channel forming extension plates are respectively positioned in alternating opposing relation to the plurality of second channel forming extension plates to enclose the inner plate member to form a first channel to flow a first fluid and a second channel to flow a second fluid in the piggable plate heat exchanger assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner plate member and the at least one first channel forming member comprise the first channel and the inner plate member and the at least one second channel forming member comprise the second channel. 
     
     
         3 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one first channel forming member has a closed end having a generally dome configuration and the at least one second channel forming member has a closed end having a generally dome configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one first channel forming member has a closed end having a generally flat configuration, and the at least one second channel forming member has a closed end having a generally flat configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first channel forming member has a closed end having a generally dome configuration and the at least one second channel forming member has a closed end having a generally dome configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first channel forming member has a closed end having a generally flat configuration, and the at least one second channel forming member has a closed end having a generally flat configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner plate member, the at least one first channel forming member and the at least one second channel forming member are respectively joined to a first cover plate and a second cover plate to seal the first channel to flow the first fluid and to seal the second channel to flow the second fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 7 , wherein at least one rail is operatively connected to at least one of the first cover plate or the second cover plate to facilitate movement of a pig cleaning device through the piggable plate heat exchanger assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first channel or the second channel is adapted to receive a pig cleaning device for selective cleaning of the corresponding at least one of the first channel or the second channel. 
     
     
         10 . A piggable plate heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 a plurality of plate members arranged in a generally parallel spaced relation;   a plurality of first end members respectively positioned in conjunction with corresponding plate members at first ends of corresponding plate members and at second ends of corresponding plate members to form a first channel in the piggable plate heat exchanger assembly including the plurality of plate members and the plurality of first end members to flow in the first channel a first fluid, the first ends of the plate members being in opposing relation to the second ends of the plate members; and   a plurality of second end members respectively positioned in conjunction with corresponding plate members at the first ends of corresponding plate members and at the second ends of corresponding plate members, the plurality of second end members having a portion positioned in an interior relation to a corresponding first end member and another portion positioned in an exterior relation to at least one corresponding first end member to form a plurality of second bypass channels in the piggable plate heat exchanger assembly including the plurality of plate members and the plurality of second end members to flow in the plurality of second bypass channels a second fluid.   
     
     
         11 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of second end members further comprises a plurality of bypass members respectively coupled to adjacent second bypass channels to facilitate transfer of the second fluid from one second bypass channel to another second bypass channel. 
     
     
         12 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10 , wherein at least the first channel is in conjunction with at least one rail to facilitate movement of a pig cleaning device through at least the first channel of the piggable plate heat exchanger assembly. 
     
     
         13 . A piggable plate heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 a plurality of plate members arranged in a generally parallel spaced relation, the plurality of plate members forming a portion of a first channel to flow a first fluid and a portion of a second channel to flow a second fluid;   a plurality of first end members respectively positioned in conjunction with corresponding plate members at first ends of corresponding plate members and at second ends of corresponding plate members, the first ends of the plate members being in opposing relation to the second ends of the plate members, the plurality of first end members having a plurality of first channel first ends and a plurality of second channel first ends positioned adjacent to at least one corresponding first channel first end, the first channel first ends forming a portion of the first channel and the second channel first ends forming a portion of the second channel;   a plurality of second end members respectively positioned at the first ends of corresponding plate members and at the second ends of corresponding plate members, the plurality of second end members being respectively positioned in spaced relation within corresponding first channel first ends and forming a portion of the first channel and a portion of the second channel, the first channel comprising the plurality of plate members, the plurality of first end members and the plurality of second end members;   a plurality of third end members respectively positioned in conjunction with corresponding plate members at third ends of corresponding plate members and at fourth ends of corresponding plate members, the third ends of the plate members being in opposing relation to the fourth ends of the plate members, the plurality of third end members having a plurality of second channel second ends and a plurality of first channel second ends positioned adjacent to at least one second channel second end, the second channel second ends forming a portion of the second channel and the first channel second ends forming a portion of the first channel; and   a plurality of fourth end members respectively positioned at the third ends of corresponding plate members and at the fourth ends of corresponding plate members, the plurality of fourth end members being respectively positioned in spaced relation within corresponding second channel second ends and forming a portion of the second channel and a portion of the first channel, the second channel comprising the plurality of plate members, the plurality of third end members and the plurality of fourth end members.   
     
     
         14 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first end members and the plurality of second end members are positioned in a generally perpendicular relation to the plurality of third end members and the plurality of fourth end members. 
     
     
         15 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the flow of the first fluid in the first channel is in a direction substantially normal to the flow of the second fluid in the second channel. 
     
     
         16 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the flow of the first fluid in the first channel is in a direction substantially normal to the flow of the second fluid in the second channel. 
     
     
         17 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first channel or the second channel is in conjunction with at least one rail to facilitate movement of at least one pig cleaning device through at least one of the first channel or the second channel. 
     
     
         18 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are arranged in a generally interweaving relation to each other. 
     
     
         19 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first channel or the second channel is adapted to receive a pig cleaning device for selective cleaning of the corresponding at least one of the first channel or the second channel. 
     
     
         20 . The piggable plate heat exchanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein
 the first channel and the second channel are each adapted to receive a corresponding pig cleaning device, and   one pig cleaning device can travel generally horizontally through the first channel and another pig cleaning device can travel generally vertically through the second channel.