Heat exchanger with an improved configuration of passages, associated methods for exchanging heat

Abstract

A heat exchanger having a plurality of plates parallel to a longitudinal direction and together defining a first series of passages for the flow of at least one refrigerant configured to exchange heat with at least one calorigenic fluid, at least one passage of the first series defined between two adjacent plates

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of plates parallel to a longitudinal direction and together defining a first series of passages for the flow of at least one refrigerant configured to exchange heat with at least one calorigenic fluid, at least one passage of the first series defined between two adjacent plates comprising:
 a refrigerant inlet configured to introduce the refrigerant into a portion of said passage and a refrigerant outlet configured to discharge the refrigerant from the portion,    wherein the at least one passage of the first series further comprises:   at least one other refrigerant inlet configured to introduce another refrigerant into another portion of said passage and at least one other refrigerant outlet is configured to discharge the other refrigerant from the other portion,   
       said other inlets and outlets being arranged so that said at least one passage of the first series is divided, in the longitudinal direction, into at least said portion for the flow of the refrigerant and said other portion for the flow of the other refrigerant. 
     
     
         14 . The exchanger as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of passages of the first series each comprises at least one inlet, one outlet, one other inlet and one other outlet for refrigerant, said inlets being fluidly connected to the same inlet manifold, said other inlets being fluidly connected to another identical inlet manifold, said outlets being fluidly connected to an identical outlet manifold and said other outlets being fluidly connected to another identical outlet manifold. 
     
     
         15 . The exchanger as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising a first end, in the vicinity of which, during operation, the temperature is the lowest of the exchanger, and a second end, in the vicinity of which, during operation, the temperature is the highest of the exchanger, said second end being arranged downstream of the first end in the longitudinal direction, the portion for the flow of the refrigerant being arranged alongside the first end and the other portion for the flow of the other refrigerant being arranged between the portion and the second end. 
     
     
         16 . The exchanger as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the plates together define a second series of passages for the flow of at least one calorigenic fluid, at least one passage of the second series being adjacent to said at least one passage of the first series and being configured so that, when a stream of calorigenic fluid circulates in said passage, said stream of calorigenic fluid exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the vicinity of at least part of the portion and with the other refrigerant in the vicinity of at least part of the other portion. 
     
     
         17 . The exchanger as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein at least one passage of the second series comprises, in the vicinity of the second end of the exchanger, a calorigenic fluid inlet configured to distribute the calorigenic fluid in said at least one passage and, in the vicinity of the first end of the exchanger, an outlet configured to discharge the calorigenic fluid from said at least one passage. 
     
     
         18 . The exchanger as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said at least one passage of the first series comprises at least two other inlets is configured to respectively introduce at least two other refrigerants into at least two other respective portions of said passage and two other outlets configured to respectively discharge the at least two other refrigerants from the at least two other portions, said two other inlets and two other outlets being arranged so that said at least one passage of the first series is divided, in the longitudinal direction, into at least said portion and into said two other portions. 
     
     
         19 . A method for exchanging heat implementing a heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 13 , the method comprising:
 i) introducing a stream of calorigenic fluid into at least one passage of a second series of passages defined between the plates of the exchanger;   ii) introducing a refrigerant via the inlet of at least one passage of the first series;   iii) discharging the refrigerant introduced in step ii) via the outlet of said passage;   iv) introducing at least one other refrigerant via the other inlet of said passage;   v) discharging the other refrigerant introduced in step iv) via the other outlet of said passage,   
       said stream of calorigenic fluid exchanging heat at least with the refrigerant and with the other refrigerant. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the refrigerant discharged in step iii) exits the exchanger at a first temperature and the other refrigerant introduced in step iv) enters the exchanger at a second temperature, with the second temperature being lower than the first temperature. 
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the second temperature is at least 1° C. lower than the first temperature.