Spacer Piece For Holding Open The Passages Of A Brazed Plate And Fin Exchanger

Abstract

A method for producing a plate heat exchanger, and a plate heat exchanger produced on the basis of such a method of production is provided.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a plate heat exchanger of the type comprising a plurality of plates which, together with side bars arranged on the plates, define paths for the flow of fluids, comprising at least the following successive steps:
 providing a stack of a plurality of plates separated by side bars, at least two of which plates are separated by side bars by a separation e;   providing at least one removable spacer piece, comprising two first extremities spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to or greater than e and two second extremities spaced apart by a distance smaller than e, the spacer piece being shaped in such a way as to permit a rotation between two plates spaced apart by a separation e about a longitudinal axis situated in the middle of the line joining said extremities;   introducing said removable spacer piece between said plates which are spaced apart by a separation e in such a way as to present the thickness equal to the distance between the two second extremities so that said second extremities do not contact said plates simultaneously;   rotating said removable spacer piece about said longitudinal axis in such a way that said first extremities of said removable spacer piece contact said plates;   brazing said heat exchanger; and   removing said removable spacer piece.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein before the step in which said removable spacer piece is removed, the method includes a step in which said removable spacer piece is rotated about said longitudinal axis in such a way that neither the first nor the second extremities of said removable spacer piece contact said plates simultaneously. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the removable spacer piece is of essentially constant cross section along said longitudinal axis of said spacer piece and in that this cross section is essentially in the shape of a polygon, two points of said polygon forming the first extremities spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to e. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polygon is a lozenge, of which one diagonal has between the first extremities approximately a length e and the other diagonal between the second extremities a length less than e. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the polygon is a hexagon with two parallel main sides and four small segments connected in pairs so that each forms a point at each extremity of the main sides, the distance between said points being equal to or greater than e. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the removable spacer piece is of essentially constant cross section along said longitudinal axis of said spacer piece and in that this cross section is of essentially elliptical shape, the two extremities of the major axis of the ellipse forming the first extremities which are spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to e. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising a step in which said removable spacer piece is selected in such a way that it is made of one or more materials whose melting point is 900° C. or above. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the two first extremities spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to e. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein two first extremities spaced apart by a distance greater than e.