Modine Manufacturing Company

Reinhard Wehrmann

Jens Nies

Ralf Beck

Klaus Feldmann

Andreas Koepke

Jim Patterson

The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger, composed of trough-shaped heat exchanger plates which are stacked one in the other and whose edges bear against one another. The plates can have flow ducts, located between the heat exchanger plates for a cooling fluid and for another fluid. The flow ducts are fitted with inserts in the form of turbulator plates. The heat exchanger can include at least four inlet and outlet openings in the corners of the heat exchanger plates which form two vertical ducts for the cooling fluid and two vertical ducts for the other fluid in the stack. The inserts in the flow ducts for the cooling fluid are embodied in one part or a plurality of parts. The flow ducts for the cooling fluid are equipped, in the regions around the openings, with plate-like inserts which have guide ducts with a width, and are provided with the turbulator plate in a central region between the plate-like inserts. The openings can be arranged right in the corners in such a way that only a narrow strip remains, which is occupied by a guide duct which is formed in the plate-like inserts and which has a significantly smaller width than the width of the other guide ducts.

Plate heat exchanger

A plate heat exchanger that is provided with an internal insert located between plates that form a channel. The insert takes the form of an additional plate that has guide channels with at least one inlet and one outlet which lead from one flow channel of one medium to another flow channel of the same medium. Sections of the additional plate that are free of guide channels are metallically connected to an adjacent heat exchanger plate. The guide channels are metallically connected to the other adjacent heat exchanger plate of the same channel.

Space and weight constraints on heat exchangers performing heat exchange operations between three or more fluids are eliminated in a structure including a plurality of plates (10, 12) arranged in a stack (13). Collars (36, 38) about openings (30, 32) the plate (10, 12), divide the spaces between the plates (10, 12) into two different types of spaces (44, 46). A connecting flange (50) with a tube (46) and a separator element (64) cooperates with holes (54) and (56) within the plates that (10, 12) to isolate certain of the spaces (44) from other of the spaces (44) providing a means for flowing different heat exchange fluid through different ones of the spaces (44) while flowing still another heat exchange fluid through the spaces (46), all in a single structure.

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Reutlingen, Germany

Reinhard Wehrmann