Plate heat exchanger with improved connection strength of adjacent heat exchange plates

Abstract

A plate heat exchanger includes a number of first heat exchange plates and a number of second heat exchange plates. The first heat exchange plate includes a first wave crest and a first wave trough. The second heat exchange plate includes a second wave crest and a second wave trough. Along a thickness direction, a maximum distance between the first wave crest and the first wave trough is h. In a direction of a shortest line connecting tops of adjacent first wave crests, a minimum connecting width of the first wave trough and the second wave crest is W1, and a minimum connecting width of the first wave crest and the second wave trough is W2. At least one of a ratio of W1/h and a ratio of W2/h is within a range of 0.25 to 2.5 to ensure the connection strength between adjacent heat exchange plates.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plate heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of first heat exchange plates, the first heat exchange plate comprising a first corrugation, the first corrugation comprising a first wave crest and a first wave trough; and   a plurality of second heat exchange plates, the second heat exchange plate comprising a second corrugation, the second corrugation comprising a second wave crest and a second wave trough;   wherein the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate are stacked alternately along a stacking direction which is the same as a thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger;   at least part of the second wave crest of the second heat exchange plate is in contact with a corresponding first wave trough of an adjacent first heat exchange plate which is located adjacent to the second heat exchange plate; at least part of the second wave trough of the second heat exchange plate is in contact with a corresponding first wave crest of another adjacent first heat exchange plate which is located adjacent to the second heat exchange plate;   along the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger, a maximum distance between the first wave crest of the first heat exchange plate and the first wave trough of the first heat exchange plate is h; and   in a direction of a shortest line connecting tops of adjacent first wave crests, in adjacent first heat exchange plate and second heat exchange plate, a minimum connecting width of the first wave trough and the second wave crest is W 1 , and a minimum connecting width of the first wave crest and the second wave trough is W 2 ; wherein at least one of a ratio of W 1 /h and a ratio of W 2 /h is within a range of 0.25 to 2.5.   
     
     
         2 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein along the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger, a maximum distance between the second wave crest of the second heat exchange plate and the second wave trough of the second heat exchange plate is h;
 in the direction of the shortest line connecting the tops of the adjacent first wave crests, an outer width of a bottom of the first wave trough connected to the second wave crest is greater than or equal to W 1 , an outer width of a top of the second wave crest connected to the first wave trough is greater than or equal to W 1 , an outer width of a top of the first wave crest connected to the second wave trough is greater than or equal to W 2 , and an outer width of a bottom of the second wave trough connected to the first wave crest is greater than or equal to W 2 ; wherein at least one of a ratio of W 1 /h and a ratio of W 2 /h is within a range of 0.3 to 1.   
     
     
         3 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein in the direction of the shortest line connecting the tops of the adjacent first wave crests, the outer width of the bottom of the first wave trough connected to the second wave crest is W 1 , the outer width of the top of the second wave crest connected to the first wave trough is W 1 , the outer width of the top of the first wave crest connected to the second wave trough is W 2 , and the outer width of the bottom of the second wave trough connected to the first wave crest is W 2 ; and
 wherein W 1  is the same as W 2 .   
     
     
         4 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein at least part of a top surface of the first wave crest of the first heat exchange plate is located in a first plane P 1 , at least part of a bottom surface of the first wave trough is located in a second plane P 2 , the first plane P 1  is parallel to the second plane P 2 , and a distance from the first plane P 1  to the second plane P 2  is the same as h;
 at least part of a top surface of the second wave crest of the second heat exchange plate is located in a third plane P 3 , at least part of a bottom surface of the second wave trough is located in a fourth plane P 4 , the third plane P 3  is parallel to the fourth plane P 4 , and a distance from the third plane P 3  to the fourth plane P 4  is the same as h; 
 the third plane P 3  of the second heat exchange plate coincides with the second plane P 2  of the adjacent first heat exchange plate, and the fourth plane P 4  of the second heat exchange plate coincides with the first plane P 1  of the another adjacent first heat exchange plate; 
 the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger is perpendicular to the first plane P 1 . 
 
     
     
         5 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the top of the first wave crest, a top of the second wave crest, a bottom of the first wave trough and a bottom of the second wave trough are straight portions; a contact surface of the straight portion is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger;
 the first wave crest, the second wave crest, the first wave trough and the second wave trough further comprise a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion; in the direction of the shortest line connecting the tops of the adjacent first wave crests, one side of the straight portion is connected to the first side wall portion, and another side of the straight portion is connected to the second side wall portion; an included angle a is formed between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, where 120°≤α≤135°.   
     
     
         6 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the second corrugation further comprises at least one convex ridge which is distributed along a direction of a shortest line connecting tops of adjacent second wave crests of the second heat exchange plate;
 along the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger, a top of the convex ridge is located between the top of the second wave crest and a bottom of the second wave trough; along the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger, volumes of inter-plate channels on two sides of the convex ridge of the plate heat exchanger are different;   the top of the convex ridge of the second heat exchange plate is located in a fifth plane P 5 , the fifth plane P 5  is located between a third plane P 3  and a fourth plane P 4  of the same second heat exchange plate;   the fifth plane P 5  is parallel to the third plane P 3 , a height d of the convex ridge is a distance from the fifth plane P 5  to the fourth plane P 4 , where d=(0.4˜0.75)*h; and   wherein h is 1˜2 mm.   
     
     
         7 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one convex ridge is arranged between adjacent second wave crests, at least one second wave crest is arranged between adjacent convex ridges;
 the inter-plate channels of the plate heat exchanger comprise at least one first channel and at least one second channel; the first channel is located between the second heat exchange plate and the adjacent first heat exchange plate; the second channel is located between the second heat exchange plate and the another adjacent first heat exchange plate; the first channel and the second channels are located on two sides of a same convex ridge, respectively, along the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger; volumes of the first channel and the second channel are different;   the first channels communicate with each other, the second channels communicate with each other, and the first channel and the second channel do not communicate with each other.   
     
     
         8 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein both the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate comprise two short sides and two long sides; the first corrugation comprises a first flow guiding section; the first flow guiding section comprises at least one first flow guiding subsection and at least one second flow guiding subsection; adjacent first guiding subsection and second guiding subsection are connected to form an opening angle β 1 , where 90°≤β 1 ≤135°;
 the first guiding section and the second guiding section are symmetrical about a center line l, and the center line l is perpendicular to the two short sides; 
 the second corrugation comprises a second flow guiding section; the second flow guiding section comprises at least one third flow guiding subsection and at least one fourth flow guiding subsection; adjacent third flow guiding subsection and fourth flow guiding subsection are connected to form an opening angle β 2 , where 90°≤β 2 ≤135°; 
 the opening angle β 1  of the first flow guiding section is the same as the opening angle β 2  of the second flow guiding section; a direction of the opening angle β 1  of the first flow guiding section is opposite to a direction of the opening angle β 2  of the second flow guiding section. 
 
     
     
         9 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange plate is opened with four first ports, in which two first ports are in a same plane as a bottom of the first wave trough of the same first heat exchange plate, and another two first ports are in a same plane as the top of the first wave crest of the same first heat exchange plate;
 the four first ports are located at four corners of the first heat exchange plate, respectively;   the second heat exchange plate is opened with four second ports, in which two second ports are in a same plane as a top of the second wave crest of the same second heat exchange plate, and another two second ports are in a same plane as a bottom of the second wave trough of the same second heat exchange plate;   the four second ports are located at four corners of the second heat exchange plate, respectively;   positions of the second ports of the second heat exchange plate correspond to positions of the first ports of the adjacent first heat exchange plate;   in adjacent first heat exchange plate and second heat exchange plate, two pairs of corresponding first ports and second ports are fitted together, and another two pairs are arranged at intervals with gaps;   the two pairs of fitted first ports and second ports are diagonally distributed.   
     
     
         10 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein in the first port and the second port arranged at intervals with gaps, the first heat exchange plate is provided with a first support portion at a corner where the first ports are located, and the second heat exchange plate is provided with a second support portion at a corner where the second ports are located; both the first support portion and the second support portion protrude toward the gap and abut against each other;
 an outer periphery of the first heat exchange plate is provided with a first skirt, an outer periphery of the second heat exchange plate is provided with a second skirt, the first skirt of the first heat exchange plate is at least partially overlapped with the second skirt of an adjacent second heat exchange plate so as to surround a corresponding inter-plate channel;   the plate heat exchanger further comprises connecting pipes and blocking elements, the first port or the second port on one side of the plate heat exchanger along the thickness direction of the plate heat exchanger is respectively connected with one connecting pipe; the first port or the second port on another side is provided with one blocking element.   
     
     
         11 . A plate heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of first heat exchange plates, each first heat exchange plate comprising a first corrugation, the first corrugation comprising a plurality of first wave crests and a plurality of first wave troughs; and   a plurality of second heat exchange plates, each second heat exchange plate comprising a second corrugation, the second corrugation comprising a plurality of second wave crests and a plurality of second wave troughs;   wherein the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate are stacked alternately along a first direction of the plate heat exchanger;   at least part of the second wave crests of the second heat exchange plate are fixed to corresponding first wave troughs of an upper adjacent first heat exchange plate; at least part of the second wave troughs of the second heat exchange plate are fixed to corresponding first wave crests of a lower adjacent first heat exchange plate;   along the first direction of the plate heat exchanger, a maximum distance between the first wave crest of the first heat exchange plate and the first wave trough of the first heat exchange plate is h;   a top of the first wave crest and a bottom of the first wave trough are flat, and a top of the second wave crest and a bottom of the second wave trough are flat;   in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in adjacent first heat exchange plate and second heat exchange plate, a minimum connecting width of the first wave trough and the second wave crest is W 1 , and a minimum connecting width of the first wave crest and the second wave trough is W 2 ; wherein at least one of a ratio of W 1 /h and a ratio of W 2 /h is within a range of 0.25 to 2.5.   
     
     
         12 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein along the first direction of the plate heat exchanger, a maximum distance between the second wave crest of the second heat exchange plate and the second wave trough of the second heat exchange plate is h;
 in the direction of a shortest line connecting the tops of the adjacent first wave crests, an outer width of a bottom of the first wave trough connected to the second wave crest is greater than or equal to W 1 , an outer width of the second wave crest connected to the first wave trough is greater than or equal to W 1 , an outer width of the first wave crest connected to the second wave trough is greater than or equal to W 2 , and an outer width of a bottom of the second wave trough connected to the first wave crest is greater than or equal to W 2 ; wherein at least one of a ratio of W 1 /h and a ratio of W 2 /h is within a range of 0.3 to 1.   
     
     
         13 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein in the direction of the shortest line connecting the tops of the adjacent first wave crests, the outer width of the bottom of the first wave trough connected to the second wave crest is W 1 , the outer width of the second wave crest connected to the first wave trough is W 1 , the outer width of the first wave crest connected to the second wave trough is W 2 , and the outer width of a bottom of the second wave trough connected to the first wave crest is W 2 ; and
 wherein W 1  is the same as W 2 .   
     
     
         14 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein at least part of a top surface of the first wave crest of the first heat exchange plate is located in a first plane P 1 , at least part of a bottom surface of the first wave trough is located in a second plane P 2 , the first plane P 1  is parallel to the second plane P 2 , and a distance from the first plane P 1  to the second plane P 2  is the same as h;
 at least part of a top surface of the second wave crest of the second heat exchange plate is located in a third plane P 3 , at least part of a bottom surface of the second wave trough is located in a fourth plane P 4 , the third plane P 3  is parallel to the fourth plane P 4 , and a distance from the third plane P 3  to the fourth plane P 4  is the same as h; 
 the third plane P 3  of the second heat exchange plate coincides with the second plane P 2  of the adjacent first heat exchange plate, and the fourth plane P 4  of the second heat exchange plate coincides with the first plane P 1  of the another adjacent first heat exchange plate; 
 the first direction of the plate heat exchanger is perpendicular to the first plane P 1 . 
 
     
     
         15 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein the second corrugation further comprises at least one convex ridge which is distributed along a direction of a shortest line connecting tops of adjacent second wave crests of the second heat exchange plate;
 along the first direction of the plate heat exchanger, a top of the convex ridge is located between the top of the second wave crest and a bottom of the second wave trough; along the first direction of the plate heat exchanger, volumes of inter-plate channels on two sides of the convex ridge of the plate heat exchanger are different;   the top of the convex ridge of the second heat exchange plate is located in a fifth plane P 5 , the fifth plane P 5  is located between a third plane P 3  and a fourth plane P 4  of the same second heat exchange plate;   the fifth plane P 5  is parallel to the third plane P 3 , a height d of the convex ridge is a distance from the fifth plane P 5  to the fourth plane P 4 , where d=(0.4˜0.75)*h; and   wherein h is 1˜2 mm.   
     
     
         16 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein at least one convex ridge is arranged between adjacent second wave crests, at least one second wave crest is arranged between adjacent convex ridges;
 the inter-plate channels of the plate heat exchanger comprise at least one first channel and at least one second channel; the first channel is located between the second heat exchange plate and the adjacent first heat exchange plate; the second channel is located between the second heat exchange plate and the another adjacent first heat exchange plate; the first channel and the second channels are located on two sides of a same convex ridge, respectively, along the first direction of the plate heat exchanger; volumes of the first channel and the second channel are different;   the first channels communicate with each other, the second channels communicate with each other, and the first channel and the second channel do not communicate with each other.   
     
     
         17 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein both the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate comprise two short sides and two long sides; the first corrugation comprises a first flow guiding section; the first flow guiding section comprises at least one first flow guiding subsection and at least one second flow guiding subsection; adjacent first guiding subsection and second guiding subsection are connected to form an opening angle β 1 , where 90°≤β 1 ≤135°;
 the first guiding section and the second guiding section are symmetrical about a center line l, and the center line l is perpendicular to the two short sides; 
 the second corrugation comprises a second flow guiding section; the second flow guiding section comprises at least one third flow guiding subsection and at least one fourth flow guiding subsection; adjacent third flow guiding subsection and fourth flow guiding subsection are connected to form an opening angle β 2 , where 90°≤β 2 ≤135°; 
 the opening angle β 1  of the first flow guiding section is the same as the opening angle β 2  of the second flow guiding section; a direction of the opening angle β 1  of the first flow guiding section is opposite to a direction of the opening angle β 2  of the second flow guiding section. 
 
     
     
         18 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein the first heat exchange plate is opened with four first ports, in which two first ports are in a same plane as a bottom of the first wave trough of the same first heat exchange plate, and another two first ports are in a same plane as the top of the first wave crest of the same first heat exchange plate;
 the four first ports are located at four corners of the first heat exchange plate, respectively;   the second heat exchange plate is opened with four second ports, in which two second ports are in a same plane as a top of the second wave crest of the same second heat exchange plate, and another two second ports are in a same plane as a bottom of the second wave trough of the same second heat exchange plate;   the four second ports are located at four corners of the second heat exchange plate, respectively;   positions of the second ports of the second heat exchange plate correspond to positions of the first ports of the adjacent first heat exchange plate;   in adjacent first heat exchange plate and second heat exchange plate, two pairs of corresponding first ports and second ports are fitted together, and another two pairs are arranged at intervals with gaps;   the two pairs of fitted first ports and second ports are diagonally distributed.   
     
     
         19 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , wherein in the first ports and the second ports arranged at intervals with gaps, the first heat exchange plate is provided with a first support portion at a corner where the first ports are located, and the second heat exchange plate is provided with a second support portion at a corner where the second ports are located; both the first support portion and the second support portion protrude toward the gap and abut against each other;
 an outer periphery of the first heat exchange plate is provided with a first skirt, an outer periphery of the second heat exchange plate is provided with a second skirt, the first skirt of the first heat exchange plate is at least partially overlapped with the second skirt of an adjacent second heat exchange plate so as to surround a corresponding inter-plate channel;   the plate heat exchanger further comprises connecting pipes and blocking elements, the first port or the second port on one side of the plate heat exchanger along the first direction of the plate heat exchanger is respectively connected with one connecting pipe; the first port or the second port on another side is provided with one blocking element.   
     
     
         20 . A plate heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of first plates, the first plate having a first corrugation comprising a first wave crest and a first wave trough; and   a plurality of second heat exchange plates, the second heat exchange plate having a second corrugation comprising a second wave crest and a second wave trough, the first heat exchange plates and the second heat exchange plates being stacked alternately along a height direction of the plate heat exchanger;   wherein at least part of the second wave crest of the second heat exchange plate is in contact with a corresponding first wave trough of an adjacent first heat exchange plate located adjacent to the second heat exchange plate, at least part of the second wave trough of the second heat exchange plate is in contact with a corresponding first wave crest of another adjacent first heat exchange plate located adjacent to the second heat exchange plate;   the plate heat exchanger defines a plurality of first channels and a plurality second channels disposed alternately along the height direction, the first channel is located between the second heat exchange plate and the adjacent first heat exchange plate, the second channel is located between the second heat exchange plate and the another adjacent first heat exchange plate, and volumes of the first channel and the second channel are different; and   a minimum connecting width of the first wave trough and the second wave crest is W 1 , a minimum connecting width of the first wave crest and the second wave trough is W 2 , and values of W 1  and W 2  are different.