Plate heat exchanger

Abstract

A high-pressure plate heat exchanger comprising a casing that has a shell, a top cover and a bottom cover that are joined to form an enclosure, a stack of heat transfer plates is arranged within the enclosure, the heat transfer plates having openings in form of through holes in the heat transfer plates, the openings forming a space in the plate stack in which a first fluid flows, wherein a reinforcement element extends through the openings in the heat transfer plates and is connected to each of the top cover and the bottom cover for supporting the covers when the plate heat exchanger is subjected to a pressure from any of the first fluid and a second fluid that flows through the plate heat exchanger.

1 . A high-pressure plate heat exchanger comprising
 a casing that has a shell, a top cover and a bottom cover that are joined to form an enclosure,   a number of heat transfer plates that are permanently joined to each other to form a plate stack that is arranged within the enclosure and has alternating first and second flow paths for a first fluid and a second fluid in between the heat transfer plates,   the heat transfer plates having
 openings in form of through holes in the heat transfer plates, the openings forming a space in the plate stack in which the first fluid flows, 
 first sections that act as a fluid entries for the second fluid, and second sections that are opposite the first sections and act as fluid exits for the second fluid, 
   a reinforcement element extending through the openings in the heat transfer plates, from the top cover to the bottom cover, the reinforcement element being connected to each of the top cover and the bottom cover for supporting the covers when the plate heat exchanger is subjected to a pressure from any of the first fluid and the second fluid.   
     
     
         2 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , comprising a flow divider that is located in the space in the plate stack, the flow divider comprising a first section from which the first fluid may flow into the first fluid path in the plate stack, and a second section into which the first fluid may flow from the first fluid path in the plate stack. 
     
     
         3 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement element comprises elongated bars that extend through the space in the plate stack and are connected to the top cover and to the bottom cover. 
     
     
         4 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement element comprises a pipe that extends through the space in the plate stack and is connected to the top cover and the bottom cover. 
     
     
         5 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement element comprises the flow divider and is separated into the first section from which the first fluid may flow into the first fluid path and the second section into which the first fluid may flow from the first fluid path. 
     
     
         6 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first section of the flow divider faces fluid inlets at the openings of a set of heat transfer plates in the stack and the second section of the flow divider faces fluid outlets at the openings of the same set of heat transfer plates in the stack. 
     
     
         7 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first section of the flow divider faces fluid inlets at the openings of a first set of heat transfer plates in the stack and the second section of the flow divider faces fluid outlets at the openings of a second set of heat transfer plates in the stack. 
     
     
         8 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the
 openings in the heat transfer plates that form the space in the plate stack comprises a first set of openings, the heat transfer plates having a second set of openings that form a second space in the plate stack.   
     
     
         9 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein the reinforcement element comprises a first pipe that extends through the first set of openings, and a second pipe that extends through the second set of openings, each of the pipes being connected to the tope cover and the bottom cover. 
     
     
         10 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement element is welded to the top cover and to the bottom cover. 
     
     
         11 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement element comprises an elongated opening that acts as a fluid outlet from the reinforcement element, to let the first fluid flow into interspaces between the heat transfer plates. 
     
     
         12 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the plate heat exchanger is configured to withstand a pressure of at least 5 MPa. 
     
     
         13 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the casing is a pressure vessel. 
     
     
         14 . A plate heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the casing is configured to withstand a pressure of at least 5 MPa.