Plate heat exchanger

Abstract

A plate heat exchanger including a plurality of heat transfer plates stacked in a first direction; first and second fluid channels formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from each other, and fluid barrier structure, which forms an isolation area in the first fluid channel so that the isolation area of the first fluid channel is fluidly isolated from the remaining areas of the first fluid channel. By adopting the fluid barrier structure, the performance of the plate heat exchanger is improved.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plate heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of heat transfer plates stacked in a first direction;   
       first and second fluid channels formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from each other; and
 fluid barrier structure, which forms an isolation area in the first fluid channel so that the isolation area of the first fluid channel is fluidly isolated from the remaining areas of the first fluid channel. 
 
     
     
         2 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid barrier structure is configured to surround the isolation area in the first fluid channel, or surround the isolation area in the first fluid channel together with an edge of the first fluid channel. 
     
     
         3 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid channel is configured to have two edge areas opposite to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,
 the plate heat exchanger further comprises:
 two first ports formed in the heat transfer plate on two opposite sides of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, respectively, and fluidly communicated to the first fluid channel; and 
 two first annular sealing portions formed on the heat transfer plate around the two first ports, and an outer periphery of each of the two first annular sealing portions is configured to have an outer peripheral portion proximate to in the second direction a middle of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, and 
   wherein the fluid barrier structure comprises a first fluid barrier structure that is disposed in the first fluid channel on a side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer periphery of one of the two first annular sealing portions far away from the other one of the two first annular sealing portions in the second direction so that a corresponding one of the two edge areas is formed as an isolation area.   
     
     
         4 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the second direction is a vertical direction and the corresponding one of the two edge areas of the first fluid channel is a bottom or top area of the first fluid channel in a state where the plate heat exchanger is being used. 
     
     
         5 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the fluid barrier structure further comprises a second fluid barrier structure that is disposed in the first fluid channel on a side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer periphery of the other one of the two first annular sealing portions far away from the one of the two first annular sealing portions in the second direction so that the corresponding other one of the two edge areas is formed as an isolation area. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid barrier comprises a barrier strip disposed between two adjacent heat transfer plates in the first fluid channel. 
     
     
         10 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid barrier comprises two strip-shaped protrusions that protrude towards each other from two adjacent heat transfer plates defining the first fluid channel, respectively, and that are connected to each other. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The plate heat exchanger according to claim  14 , wherein the at least one portion of the fluid barrier is at an angle of 80-90 degrees relative to the second direction. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein a top of the strip-shaped protrusion is configured to have a recess. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid barrier comprises a portion partially surrounding the one of the two first annular sealing portions. 
     
     
         21 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the plate heat exchanger is positioned such that the second direction is the vertical direction, and an upper edge of the first fluid barrier structure is lower than a bottom outer peripheral portion of the outer periphery of the one of the two first annular sealing portions, or the upper edge of the first fluid barrier structure is aligned with the bottom outer peripheral portion of the outer periphery of the one of the two first annular sealing portions in the second direction in a state where the plate heat exchanger is being used. 
     
     
         22 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the plate heat exchanger is positioned such that the second direction is the vertical direction, and the fluid barrier comprises a portion partially surrounding the one of the two first annular sealing portions and a portion with an upper edge higher than the bottom outer peripheral portion of the outer periphery of the one of the two first annular sealing portions in a state where the plate heat exchanger is being used. 
     
     
         23 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third fluid channel formed between the adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from the first and second fluid channels;   two second ports formed in the heat transfer plate on two opposite sides of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, respectively, and fluidly communicated to the second fluid channel; and   two third ports formed in the heat transfer plate on two opposite sides of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, respectively, and fluidly communicated to the third fluid channel.   
     
     
         24 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third fluid channel formed between the adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from the first and second fluid channels;   two second ports formed in the heat transfer plate on two opposite sides of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, respectively, and fluidly communicated to the second fluid channel;   two second annular sealing portions formed on the heat transfer plate around the two second ports, respectively;   two third ports formed in the heat transfer plate on two opposite sides of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, respectively, and fluidly communicated to the third fluid channel; and   two third annular sealing portions formed on the heat transfer plate around the two third ports, respectively;   wherein the plate heat exchanger is positioned such that the second direction is the vertical direction, and the fluid barrier comprises a portion partially surrounding the one of the two first annular sealing portions, a portion partially surrounding a corresponding one of the two second annular sealing portions, a portion partially surrounding a corresponding one of the two third annular sealing portions, and a portion with an upper edge higher than a bottom outer peripheral portion of the outer periphery of the one of the two first annular sealing portions in a state where the plate heat exchanger is being used.   
     
     
         25 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a discharge hole formed in the heat transfer plate in the second direction on the side of the fluid barrier away from the other one of the two first annular sealing portions and being in fluid communication with the first fluid channel and fluid isolation from the second fluid channel.   
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid barrier structure comprises a filling material. 
     
     
         28 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 two strip-shaped recesses that are recessed in a direction away from each other from two adjacent heat transfer plates defining the second fluid channel, respectively, and wherein the strip-shaped recesses of two adjacent heat transfer plates form a guiding channel.   
     
     
         29 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a strip-shaped recess formed by the strip-shaped protrusion of the heat transfer plate in the second fluid channel, and wherein the strip-shaped recesses of two adjacent heat transfer plates form a guiding channel.   
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 28 , wherein the at least one portion of the guiding channel is at an angle of 80-90 degrees relative to the second direction. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The plate heat exchanger according to  claim 28 , wherein the strip-shaped recess is configured to have a plurality of portions with different widths.