Chart Heat Exchangers Limited

Chart Industries, Inc.

Chart Heat Exchangers Limited Partnership

Keith Thomas Symonds

Brian Keith Watton

Steven Paul Symonds

A stacked assembly of plates is provided, a first portion of the length of the assembly being formed of one or more first perforated plates, with a central open region enclosed by inner annulus and limbs from the outer diameter of the inner annulus to the inner diameter of an outer peripheral annulus, whereby the first plate has a central passageway for the first fluid inside the inner annulus and a plurality of outer frusto-annular passageways for the second fluid, and, at one end of the first portion, a second portion of the length of the assembly formed of one or more second perforated plates of similar construction to the first plates, each second plate differing from the first plate in that its outer peripheral annulus has one or more discontinuities to provide an inlet or an outlet into the outer frusto-annular passageways of the second portion.

Heat exchanger

A compact heat exchanger and/or fluid mixing means comprises a bonded stack of plates, the stack comprising at least one group of plates, the group comprising one or more perforated plates () sandwiched between a pair of primary separator plates (), characterised in that each perforated plate () has perforations () arranged in rows across the plate in a first direction, with a land () between each adjacent pair of perforations () in a row and with ribs () between adjacent rows, the lands () forming barriers to flow in a first direction across the plate and the ribs () forming barriers to flow in a second direction across the plate, the second direction being normal to the first direction, the ribs () having vents () through a portion of their thickness, the vents () extending from one side of a rib () to the other side in the second direction, whereby flow channels are provided through the vents () and the flow channels lying between each adjacent pair of lands () provide a flow passage to cross the plates in the second direction, the passageways in the group of plates being separated from passageways in any adjacent group of plates by one of the separator plates ().

The invention provides an improved heat exchanger of the so-called 'pin-fin' type. The heat exchanger comprises a stack of parallel perforated plates, each plate of the stack having perforations, characterized in that the perforations define an array of spaced column precursors, of thickness equal to the plate thickness, the column precursors being joined together by ligaments, each ligament extending between a pair of adjacent column precursors, the ligaments having a thickness less than the plate thickness, the column precursors of any one plate being coincident in the stack with the column precursors of any adjacent plate whereby the stack is provided with an array of individual columns, each column extending perpendicularly to the plane of the plates, whereby fluid flowing through the stack is forced to follow a tortuous flow path to flow around the columns.

The invention provides an improved heat exchanger and/or fluid mixing means which comprises a bonded stack of plates, the stack comprising at least one group of main perforated plates, wherein at least two adjacent plates of the group of main perforated plates have their perforations aligned in rows with continuous ribs between adjacent rows, and the adjacent plates are aligned whereby the rows of perforations in one plate overlap in the direction of the rows with the rows of perforations of an adjacent plate and the ribs of adjacent plates lie in correspondence with each other to provide discrete fluid channels extending across the plates, a channel corresponding to each row of perforations, the channels together forming one or more fluid passageways across the plates and the passageway(s) in the group of main perforated plates being separated from passageway(s) in any adjacent group of perforated plates by an intervening plate.

Heat exchanger and/or fluid mixing means

A compact heat exchanger and/or fluid mixing means comprises a bonded stack of plates, the stack comprising at least one group of plates, the group comprising one or more perforated plates ( ) sandwiched between a pair of primary separator plates ( ), characterised in that each perforated plate ( ) has perforations ( ) arranged in rows across the plate in a first direction, with a land ( ) between each adjacent pair of perforations ( ) in a row and with ribs ( ) between adjacent rows, the lands ( ) forming barriers to flow in a first direction across the plate and the ribs ( ) forming barriers to flow in a second direction across the plate, the second direction being normal to the first direction, the ribs ( ) having vents ( ) through a portion of their thickness, the vents ( ) extending from one side of a rib ( ) to the other side in the second direction, whereby flow channels are provided through the vents ( ) and the flow channels lying between each adjacent pair of lands ( ) provide a flow passage to cross the plates in the second direction, the passageways in the group of plates being separated from passageways in any adjacent group of plates by one of the separator plates ( ).

The invention provides an improved heat exchanger and/or fluid mixing means which comprises a bonded stack of plates, the stack comprising at least one group of main perforated plates ( , P, R), wherein at least two adjacent plates (P, R) of the group of main perforated plates have their perforations ( ) aligned in rows with continuous ribs ( ) between adjacent rows, and the adjacent plates (P, R) are aligned whereby the rows of perforations ( ) in one plate (P) overlap in the direction of the rows with the rows of perforations ( ) of an adjacent plate (R) and the ribs ( ) of adjacent plates lie in correspondence with each other to provide discrete fluid channels ( ) extending across the plates, a channel ( ) corresponding to each row of perforations ( ), the channels together forming one or more fluid passageways ( ) across the plates and the passageway(s) ( ) in the group of main perforated plates being separated from passageway(s) ( ) in any adjacent group of perforated plates by an intervening plate (TS).

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Staffs, United Kingdom

Keith Thomas Symonds