Plate heat exchanger with 3d circulation of fluid

Abstract

A heat exchanger has first and second heat-exchange modules including first and second fluid-circulation systems, partition plates sandwiched between first and second heat-exchange modules and each fluidically disconnecting the first and second fluid-circulation systems from one another. At least one of the heat-exchange modules includes a stack of shaped plates superposed along a longitudinal axis, and each consisting of at least one hollowed-out zone passing through it and of a surrounding solid zone of constant thickness, the corresponding fluid-circulation system being defined by the hollowed-out zones of the stack and extending between the adjacent partition plates, at least part of the hollowed-out zone of one of the shaped plates being superposed with a solid zone of another shaped plate adjacent to it, and vice versa.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising, superposed longitudinally on one another:
 a plurality of first and second heat-exchange modules in which first and second fluid-circulation systems are formed, for circulating first and second fluids respectively, and   a plurality of partition plates each sandwiched between adjacent first and second heat-exchange modules and in contact with the adjacent first and second heat-exchange modules, each partition plate fluidically disconnecting the first and second fluid-circulation systems from one another,   at least one of the first and second heat-exchange modules comprising:   a stack of shaped plates superposed on one another along the longitudinal axis, each shaped plate consisting of at least one hollowed-out zone passing through the entire thickness of the shaped plate and of a surrounding solid zone of constant thickness, the corresponding fluid-circulation system being defined by the hollowed-out zones of the stack and extending longitudinally between the partition plates adjacent to the corresponding heat-exchange module,   at least part of the hollowed-out zone of one of the shaped plates of the stack being superposed with a solid zone of another shaped plate adjacent to it in the stack, and vice versa,   the heat exchanger comprising a frame plate comprising an aperture passing through the entire thickness of the frame plate, the stack of shaped plates being arranged wholly in the aperture, the thicknesses of the frame plate and of said stack being equal.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the fluid-circulation system having, in at least a longitudinal plane of section, different profiles at least at two different positions along the transverse axis of said plane of section, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 2 , the profile at a position along the transverse axis comprising the rank of the hollowed-out zone or zones in the stack and/or the height of the fluid-circulation system at said position and/or the number of hollowed-out zones at said position. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the fluid-circulation system comprising portions which extend along different axes. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the fluid-circulation system comprising at least two portions which extend along axes contained in a transverse plane and which are different than one another. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the fluid-circulation system comprising at least two portions which extend along axes contained in a longitudinal plane and which are different than one another. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the fluid-circulation system comprising at least a main path which splits upstream into a plurality of secondary paths which recombine downstream. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the fluid-flow system comprising, when observed in a longitudinal plane of section, a meandering portion extending between the adjacent partition plates. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the length and/or the width of the shaped plates and of the partition plates being equal. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , the hollowed-out zone being formed by cutting.