A port connection includes a first element, a second element, and a seal. The first element has a first sleeve and a first flange. The first sleeve is configured to slide into a port disposed through a pressure plate of the plate heat exchanger and the first flange having a first bearing surface to bear upon a first face of the pressure plate. The second element has a second sleeve and a second flange. The second sleeve is configured to slide into the port and the second flange having a second bearing surface to bear upon a second face of the pressure plate. The seal is generated in response to the first sleeve telescoping into the second sleeve.

A heat exchanger that is constructed with a heat exchanger shell having inlet and outlet plenums and fluid inlet and outlet ports, and a tube sheet construction disposed in the heat exchanger shell. The tube sheet construction includes at least two separate tube sheets and a plurality of tubes that extend between the separate tube sheets. Each tube sheet includes at least two planar tube sheet segments and a interstitial layer disposed between the at least two tube sheet segments, and at least one sensor element supported by each of the interstitial layers. A control monitor controls flow through the shell by a feedback control from the sensor to an inlet control valve and/or a stimulus device excites the media layer. In an alternate embodiment opposed position sensor elements may be provided at opposite sides of the tube sheet construction.

A phase change material container assembly for use in a thermal energy storage system. The container assembly includes a plurality of containers (plates, wedges . . . etc.) where the containers are generally flat and each approximating a segment of a ball or it may be a single device including features of a plurality of component containers as previously described. The components may be spherical segments, spherical wedges (ungula), hemispheres, spherical sectors, spherical caps or any combination. The plurality of containers are assembled to approximate a sphere's external perimeter. The plurality of containers are spaced apart to allow water, or other fluids, to flow between the plurality of containers.

A three-way heat exchanger includes panel assemblies arranged in series. Each panel assembly includes a frame defining a heat transfer fluid channel and a vapor-permeable membrane positioned on the frame to define a desiccant channel separated from the heat transfer fluid channel. The three-way heat exchanger also includes clamping assemblies for exerting a clamping force on the panel assemblies. Each clamping assembly includes a tie rod extending through the frames of the panel assemblies and including opposite ends, retainers connected to the opposite ends of the tie rod, and a resilient element positioned between one of the retainers and one of the panel assemblies at one of the ends of the tie rod. The resilient element is deformable to accommodate size variations of the panel assemblies.

A frame for a plate heat exchanger includes a head and a follower, a plurality of rib assemblies, and a plurality of tie bar assemblies. Each of the head and the follower includes a plurality of interlocking rib cutouts. Each rib assembly includes a pair of ribs. Each rib includes a first grip disposed at a first end of the rib, a second grip disposed at a second end of the rib, a first cradle disposed at the first end of the rib, and a second cradle disposed at the second end of the rib. Both the first cradle and the second cradle include a cradle bearing surface. Each tie bar assembly includes a tie bar, a nut, and a tie bar bearing surface to bear upon the cradle bearing surface.

A heat exchanger comprises a plurality of cells formed by a stack of alternate planar flow-guide plates (1) and heat transfer plates (2), each heat transfer plate having at least three apertures (3, 4, 6) therethrough, each aperture defining a part of a respective one of at least three fluid flow paths in the heat exchanger. Each flow-guide plate has apertures therethrough corresponding to at least two of the flow paths and a larger aperture (5, 7, 8) therethrough configured to guide fluid in the remaining flow path across the face of the heat transfer plates between which the flow-guide plate is located, each successive flow-guide plate in the stack forming part of a different flow path from the preceding one in the stack.

Methods and devices heat or cool viscous materials, such as meat emulsions useful for producing food and other products. The devices have a heat exchanger including a first plate, a second plate attached to the first plate, and a first spacer and a second spacer arranged between the first plate and the second plate. The first plate, the second plate, the first spacer, and the second spacer define at least one temperature controlled passage for a product to pass through the heat exchanger.