Heat exchanger system

Abstract

A method la proposed for producing a plate heat exchanger with flow channels through which a first and a second medium flow, the flow channels formed for the first medium between individual plates joined together to form a pair of plates, and for the second medium between pairs of plates joined together to form a stack of plates. For a cost-effective production of countercurrent flow plates and cross flow plates within a single manufacturing plant, the individual plates are produced from a non-pressed plate blank, wherein first a tool is converted with exchangeable mold members for producing cross flow plates or countercurrent flow plates, and subsequently, the plate blank is pressed by the converted tool into a cross flow plate or a countercurrent flow plate, thereby forming corresponding edges and/or contact surfaces as well as inflow and outflow cross-sections.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a plate heat exchanger comprising flow channels through which a first and a second medium flows, which flow channels are formed for the first medium between individual plates ( 1 ) joined together to form in each case a pair (P) of plates, and for the second medium between pairs (P) of plates joined together to form a stack (S) of plates, wherein the individual plates ( 1 ) and the pairs (P) of plates are connected to each other at edges ( 12 ) and/or support surfaces ( 13 ) running in each case parallel to the main flow direction, wherein in the main flow direction of the first medium, each individual plate ( 1 ) comprises corresponding inflow and outflow cross-sections (Z 1 , A 1 ) for the first medium, and in the main flow direction of the second medium, comprises corresponding inflow and outflow cross-sections (Z 2 , A 2 ) for the second medium, the method comprising:
 producing the individual plates ( 1 ) from a non-pressed plate blank by first converting a tool with exchangeable mold members to a converted tool adapted to produce cross flow plates or adapted to produce countercurrent flow plates and, subsequently, pressing the plate blank with the converted tool into a cross flow plate or a countercurrent flow plate, thereby forming corresponding edges ( 12 ) and/or contact surfaces ( 13 ) as well as inflow and outflow cross-sections (Z 1 , Z 2 , A 1 , A 2 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the individual plates ( 1 ) are cross flow plates, wherein the cross flow plates are positioned at such a distance from each other that with regard to the first and the second medium, substantially identical heat transfer coefficients are obtained on both sides of a cross flow plate. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the distance between adjacent individual plates ( 1 ) is determined, by the length of knobs ( 31 ,  32 ) arranged on one or both individual plates ( 1 ). 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein on the individual plate ( 1 ), one or a plurality of separation embossments ( 7 ) are provided which run parallel to the main flow direction of the medium. 
     
     
         5 . A pressing tool for pressing individual plates ( 1 ) for plate heat exchangers, the pressing tool comprising a plurality of exchangeable mold members, the mold members including first mold members for producing cross flow plates as well as second mold members for producing countercurrent flow plates. 
     
     
         6 . A system for producing individual plates ( 1 ) for plate heat exchangers, the system comprising a plurality of plate blanks of predetermined width suitable for producing countercurrent flow plates as well as cross flow plates, and further comprising a pressing tool having a plurality of exchangeable mold members, the mold members including first mold members for producing cross flow plates as well as second mold members for producing countercurrent flow plates.