Plate heat exchanger

Abstract

A plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer plates; a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from each other; an upstream outlet port and a downstream inlet port formed in each of the heat transfer plates; and a fluid communication device. The first fluid channel includes a fluid channel upstream portion and a fluid channel downstream portion that are separated from each other. The upstream outlet port is communicated to the fluid channel upstream portion of the first fluid channel, while the downstream inlet port is communicated to the fluid channel downstream portion of the first fluid channel. The upstream outlet port and downstream inlet port are fluidly communicated with each other through the fluid communication device. By adopting the plate heat exchanger according to the present disclosure, a number of parts may be reduced.

1 . A plate heat exchanger wherein:
 a plurality of heat transfer plates;   a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from each other, wherein the first fluid channel comprises a fluid channel upstream portion and a fluid channel downstream portion that are separated from each other;   an upstream outlet port formed in each of the heat transfer plates and communicated to the fluid channel upstream portion of the first fluid channel, and a downstream inlet port formed in each of the heat transfer plates and communicated to the fluid channel downstream portion of the first fluid channel; and   a fluid communication device, through which the upstream outlet port and the downstream inlet port are fluidly communicated with each other.   
     
     
         2 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an end plate disposed on an outer side of an outermost heat transfer plate and having an end plate outer recess that is recessed in a direction away from the outermost heat transfer plate, wherein the end plate outer recess is configured to form a chamber as the fluid communication device with a portion of the outermost heat transfer plate corresponding to the end plate outer recess.   
     
     
         3 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a sealing plate comprising:   first and second openings; and   first and second annular protrusions respectively surrounding the first and second openings and protruding towards their sides facing away from the end plate; and   wherein the sealing plate is disposed between the end plate and the outermost heat transfer plate.   
     
     
         4 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein an annular edge surface portion of the sealing plate on a side of the sealing plate facing the end plate is in contact with an annular surface portion of the end plate surrounding the end plate outer recess so as to form a seal between the annular edge surface portion of the sealing plate and the annular surface portion of the end plate, and the first and second annular protrusions of the sealing plate are in contact with a first annular surface portion around the upstream outlet port of the outermost heat transfer plate and a second annular surface portion around the downstream inlet port of the outermost heat transfer plate, respectively, so as to form a seal between the first annular protrusion of the sealing plate and the first annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate and a seal between the second annular protrusion of the sealing plate and the second annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate, respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the outermost heat transfer plate is configured to have first and second heat transfer plate recesses recessed towards its side facing away from the end plate, and the first annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate is disposed in a bottom of the first heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate, and the second annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate is disposed in a bottom of the second heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         6 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a sealing plate comprising:   an opening; and   an annular protrusion protruding surrounding the opening and protruding towards its side facing away from the end plate; and   wherein the sealing plate is disposed between the end plate and the outermost heat transfer plate.   
     
     
         7 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein an annular edge surface portion of the sealing plate on a side of the sealing plate facing the end plate is in contact with an annular surface portion of the end plate surrounding the end plate outer recess so as to form a seal between the annular edge surface portion of the sealing plate and the annular surface portion of the end plate, and the annular protrusion of the sealing plate is in contact with the annular surface portion around the upstream outlet port and downstream inlet port of the outermost heat transfer plate so as to form a seal between the annular protrusion of the sealing plate and the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         8 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the outermost heat transfer plate is configured to have a heat transfer plate recess that is recessed towards its side facing away from the end plate, and the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate is disposed in the bottom of the heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         9 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the end plate is configured to further have a step portion surrounding the end plate outer recess and recessed in a direction away from the outermost heat transfer plate, and the annular surface portion of the end plate surrounding the end plate outer recess is disposed on the step portion. 
     
     
         10 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the sealing plate is formed of metal and connected to the end plate and the outermost heat transfer plate through brazing respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein the annular surface portion of the end plate surrounding the end plate outer recess is in contact with the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate around the upstream outlet port and downstream inlet port so as to form a seal between the annular surface portion of the end plate and the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         12 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein the outermost heat transfer plate is configured to have an annular heat transfer plate recess around the upstream outlet port and downstream inlet port and recessed in a direction away from the end plate, and a bottom of the annular heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate is in contact with an adjacent heat transfer plate so as to form a seal between the bottom of the annular heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate and the adjacent heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         13 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein the outermost heat transfer plate is configured to have a plurality of separated heat transfer plate recesses around the upstream outlet port and downstream inlet port and recessed in a direction away from the end plate, and bottoms of the plurality of separated heat transfer plate recesses of the outermost heat transfer plate are in contact with an adjacent heat transfer plate respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate is located on an inner and/or outer side of the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         15 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an end plate disposed on an outer side of the outermost heat transfer plate and having an opening; and   a chamber plate comprising:   an annular plate portion disposed between the annular plate portion of the end plate surrounding the opening of the end plate and the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate around the upstream outlet port and downstream inlet port so as to form seals between the annular plate portion of the end plate and the annular plate portion of the chamber plate, as well as between the annular plate portion of the chamber plate and the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate; and   a chamber plate recess recessed to an outer side of the end plate through the opening of the end plate from the annular plate portion of the chamber plate in a direction away from the outermost heat transfer plate, the chamber plate recess and a portion of the outermost heat transfer plate corresponding to the chamber plate recess forming a chamber as the fluid communication device.   
     
     
         16 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein the outermost heat transfer plate is configured to have a heat transfer plate recess that is recessed towards its side facing away from the end plate, and the annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate is disposed in a bottom of the heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         17 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an end plate disposed on an outer side of the outermost heat transfer plate and having a first through hole communicated to the upstream outlet port and a second through hole communicated to the downstream inlet port.   
     
     
         18 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , wherein the end plate is configured to have first and second end plate inner recesses that are recessed to its side facing towards the outermost heat transfer plate respectively, and the first and second through holes of the end plate are respectively disposed in a bottom of the first end plate inner recess and a bottom of the second end plate inner recess of the end plate, a first annular bottom surface of the bottom of the first end plate inner recess of the end plate around the first through hole and a second annular bottom surface of the bottom of the second end plate inner recess of the end plate around the second through hole are in contact with a first annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate around the upstream outlet port and a second annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate around the downstream inlet port, respectively, so as to form a seal between a first annular bottom surface of the bottom of the first end plate inner recess of the end plate and the first annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate, and a seal between a second annular bottom surface of the bottom of the second end plate inner recess of the end plate and the second annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate, respectively. 
     
     
         19 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , wherein the outermost heat transfer plate is configured to have a first heat transfer plate recess and a second heat transfer plate recess, the first annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate is disposed in a bottom of the first heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate, and the second annular surface portion of the outermost heat transfer plate is disposed in a bottom of the second heat transfer plate recess of the outermost heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         20 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , wherein the fluid communication device comprises a communicating tube connected to the end plate so as to connect the first through hole with the second through hole through the communicating tube. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled)