HEAT EXCHANGER PLATE WITH OPTIMISED OPENING

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger (20) plate (1, 2a) intended to delimit at least one channel (30, 30a, 30b) for circulation of a fluid, the circulation plate (1) being provided with a bottom (3) and a raised rim (5, 5a-5h) that surrounds the bottom (3), the circulation plate (1) comprising at least one opening (7, 7a-7d) through which a fluid can enter the channel (30, 30a, 30b), characterized in that the opening (7, 7a-7d) is delimited by at least one at least partially rectilinear edge (9a). Application to the field of heat exchanges.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger plate configured to delimit at least one channel for circulation of a fluid, the circulation plate comprising: a bottom and a raised rim that surrounds the bottom; and at least one opening through which a fluid enters the at least one channel, wherein the at least one opening is delimited by an at least partially rectilinear edge.

2. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rectilinear part of the edge forms part of the bottom.

3. The plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least partially rectilinear edge forms a first edge, the opening being delimited by a second edge that forms part of the raised rim.

4. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least partially rectilinear edge forms a first edge, the opening being delimited by a second edge that forms part of the bottom.

5. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom comprises a rib arranged such that the channel has a U-shaped profile.

6. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the opening is at least partially surrounded by a shoulder which protrudes from the bottom and at least one top side of which extends in a plane substantially parallel to a plane in which the bottom extends.

7. The heat exchanger plate as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rectilinear part of the edge is formed on the top side of the shoulder.

8. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate has a rectangular shape and comprises a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end, a first opening that does not have a shoulder being provided at the first longitudinal end of the circulation plate, while a second opening having a shoulder is provided at the second longitudinal end of the plate.

9. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom comprises at least one disruptor for the flow of the fluid.

10. A heat exchanger comprising; at least one plate that is a closure plate of the heat exchanger or a circulation plate of the heat exchanger, the plate comprising: a bottom and a raised rim that surrounds the bottom, and at least one opening through which a fluid enters the at least one channel, wherein the at least one opening is delimited by at least one partially rectilinear edge.

Description

[0029] Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from reading the description given below by way of indication and with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to the invention.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of a stack of three constituent circulation plates of the heating body of a heat exchanger according to the invention.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a circulation plate of a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a close-up view of a circulation plate of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a circulation plate of a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0035] It should first of all be noted that the figures set out the invention in detail for implementing the invention, it being, of course, possible for said figures to serve to better define the invention if necessary.

[0036] In the rest of the description, the designations longitudinal or lateral, top, bottom, front, rear refer to the orientation of the plates according to the invention. A longitudinal direction A corresponds to the main axis of the plates along which they mostly extend, while the lateral orientations correspond to concurrent straight lines, that is to say straight lines which cross the longitudinal direction, notably perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the plates. This is for example the lateral direction B or the stacking direction d. The longitudinal direction A is parallel to a longitudinal axis l of a trihedron l, v, t, while the lateral direction B is parallel to a transverse axis t of the trihedron, the stacking direction being parallel to a vertical axis v of the trihedron.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a heat exchanger 20 according to the invention.

[0038] The heat exchanger 20 implements an exchange of heat energy between a first fluid and a second fluid. The first fluid is for example a refrigerant and the second fluid is for example a heat-transfer liquid.

[0039] The heat exchanger according to the invention is configured such that the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid exchange heat energy without coming into contact. This feature will be described in more detail later on in the detailed description.

[0040] The heat exchanger 20 comprises a heating body 15 where the exchange of heat between the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid takes place. The heating body 15 is formed by a superposition of plates in a stacking direction d. The plates according to the invention are the circulation plates 1 and at least one closure plate 2a, which is intended to close the upper part of the heating body 15 in a sealed manner in the stacking direction d. This closure plate 2a is positioned on top of the set of circulation plates 1 of the heating body 15, in the stacking direction d.

[0041] The closure plate 2a and the circulation plate 1 are subsumed under the term plate in the present document, and the feature(s) described in relation to this term apply identically to the closure plate 2a and to the circulation plate 1.

[0042] The heat exchanger 20 also comprises a closure endplate 2b intended to close the lower part of the heating body 15 in a sealed manner in the stacking direction d. This closure endplate 2b is positioned underneath the set of circulation plates 1 of the heating body 15, that is to say on the opposite side from the closure plate in the stacking direction d with respect to the circulation plates 1.

[0043] The circulation plates 1, the closure plate 2a and the closure endplate 2b exhibit a configuration in the form of a trough. A rim of the plate according to the invention, that is to say at least the circulation plate 1 or the closure plate 2a or the closure endplate 2b, is a raised rim 5 that surrounds a bottom 3, thereby forming a bottom of the trough. The bottom 3 of the plate has a rectangular shape with rounded rims. The raised rim 5 of the plate according to the invention, which surrounds the bottom 3, extends continuously all around the bottom 3 and has longitudinal and lateral rectilinear parts that are joined by curved parts provided at each corner of the plate according to the invention.

[0044] The closure plate 2a and at least one circulation plate 1 comprise at least one opening 7. According to the example in FIG. 1, the closure plate 2a and the circulation plate comprise four openings referenced 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d. The first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d are positioned at a first longitudinal end 110 of the plate. The second opening 7b and the third opening 7c are positioned at a second longitudinal end 120 of the plate according to the invention.

[0045] The first opening 7a, the second opening 7b, the third opening 7c and the fourth opening 7d each have an elongate shape in this FIG. 1. The term elongate is understood as meaning a shape that is longer than it is wide. This elongate shape can be seen in a plane AB of the plate in question.

[0046] Thus, the first opening 7a has a side that extends in the longitudinal direction A of the circulation plate 1 or closure plate 2a and follows a part of the raised rim 5 provided at the first longitudinal end 110 of the plate. This feature also applies to the second opening 7b, third opening 7c and fourth opening 7d.

[0047] The closure endplate 2b positioned under the stack of circulation plates 1 in the direction d does not have any openings, so that the heat-transfer liquid and the refrigerant do not escape from the heating body 15.

[0048] The heat exchanger 20 extends in the longitudinal direction A and, for its part, also comprises a first longitudinal end 110 and a second longitudinal end 120, the first longitudinal end 110 being on the opposite side from the second longitudinal end 120.

[0049] The heat exchanger 20 has four headers 8, a first header 8a, a second header 8b, a third header 8c and a fourth header 8d. The first header 8a and the fourth header 8d are each positioned in a corner of the first longitudinal end 110 of the heat exchanger 20. The second header 8b and the third header 8c are each positioned in a corner of the second longitudinal end 1 of the heat exchanger 20.

[0050] The first header 8a, the second header 8b, the third header 8c and the fourth header 8d are volumes that extend in the stacking direction d of the heating body 15. The function of these headers is to distribute or collect the heat-transfer liquid or the refrigerant in the first channels 30a and in the second channels 30b (visible in FIG. 2). A header 8 volume is delimited on one side by the opening 7 in the closure plate 2a, by the closure endplate 2b and by each of the openings 7 in the circulation plates 1, as will be described in more detail below.

[0051] The heat-transfer liquid and the refrigerant circulate separately in the heat exchanger 20. The first header 8a and the fourth header 8d are the headers 8 reserved for distributing or collecting the heat-transfer liquid in the heating body 15.

[0052] For their part, the second header 8b and the third header 8c are the headers intended to distribute or collect the refrigerant in the heating body 15.

[0053] The first header 8a is the inlet for the heat-transfer liquid into the heating body 15 and the fourth header 8d is the outlet for the heat-transfer liquid from the heating body 15. In an equivalent manner, the second header 8b is the inlet for the refrigerant into the heating body 15 and the third header 8c is the outlet for the refrigerant from the heating body 15.

[0054] FIG. 2 presents a lateral cross-sectional view of a stack of circulation plates 1 according to the invention, on a plane B, d in FIG. 1.

[0055] The superposition of the circulation plates 1 delimits channels 30 which are separate from one another. A first channel 30a is designed for the refrigerant to pass through and a second channel 30b is designed for the heat-transfer liquid to pass through. The heating body is organized so as to have an alternation of first channel 30a and second channel 30b in the stacking direction. The refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid therefore flow in the heating body alternately between the first channel 30a and the second channel 30b.

[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates the presence of disruptors 13 for the flow of the fluid that are provided on the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1. The disruptors 13 extend above a plane of overall extension of the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1, protruding above the bottom 3 in the channel.

[0057] The function of the disruptors 13 is to disrupt the boundary layer of the heat-transfer liquid and/or of the refrigerant in the first channel 30a and in the second channel 30b, respectively. Thus, the disruptors 13 maximize heat exchanges between the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid.

[0058] The circulation plate 1 in FIG. 2 comprises the raised rim 5, the latter being divided into a first longitudinal raised rim 5a, a second longitudinal raised rim 5b, a first lateral raised rim 5c and a second lateral raised rim, which is not visible in this figure. These longitudinal and lateral raised rims are joined by curved raised rims 5e, 5f, 5g and 5h, as is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5.

[0059] The raised rim 5 comprises an upper face 38 and a lower face 39. A part of the lower face 39 of the raised rim 5 of a first circulation plate 1 comes into contact with a part of the upper face 38 of the raised rim 5 of a second circulation plate 1. This contact between walls, which is realized around the entire perimeter of the raised rim 5, creates a seal between two circulation plates 1, so as to form the first channel 30a or the second channel 30b. This feature applies to all of the raised rims of the circulation plates 1, of the closure plate 2a and of the closure endplate 2b of the heat exchanger 20 of the invention.

[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the raised rim 5 of the circulation plate 1 ends with a peripheral flange 50. This peripheral flange 50 extends in a plane parallel to the plane of the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1 and extends all around the circulation plate 1. It will be noted that the peripheral flange 50 of a first circulation plate 1 is at a distance from the peripheral flange 50 of the second circulation plate 1, which is nested in the first circulation plate 1. This feature applies to all of the raised rims of the circulation plates 1 of the heat exchanger 20.

[0061] The circulation plate 1 has a bottom 3 having an upper face 100 and a lower face 101. The stack of the circulation plates 1 in the stacking direction d is characterized by the fact that the lower face 101 of the bottom 3 of a first circulation plate 1 faces and is at a nonzero distance from the upper face 100 of the bottom 3 of a second circulation plate 1 that is immediately adjacent to the first circulation plate 1. In this way, the first channel 30a and the second channel 30b are created.

[0062] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate three embodiments of the circulation plates 1 according to the invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a circulation plate 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0063] The circulation plate 1 is in the form of a trough, meaning that it comprises the bottom 3, surrounded continuously around its periphery by the first longitudinal raised rim 5a, the second longitudinal raised rim 5b, the first lateral raised rim 5c, the second lateral raised rim 5d, a first curved raised rim 5e, a second curved raised rim 5f, a third curved raised rim 5g and a fourth curved raised rim 5h.

[0064] The curved raised rims are disposed at the corners of the plate according to the invention and join a longitudinal raised rim to a lateral raised rim.

[0065] The circulation plate 1 extends in the longitudinal direction A between the first longitudinal end 110 and a second longitudinal end 120, the first longitudinal end 110 being at the opposite end from the second longitudinal end 120 with respect to the bottom 3.

[0066] Each circulation plate 1 comprises at least one opening 7. In the example in FIG. 3, the circulation plate 1 comprises four openings 7, a first opening 7a, a second opening 7b, a third opening 7c and a fourth opening 7d. The first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d are positioned at the first longitudinal end 110 of the circulation plate 1. The second opening 7b and the third opening 7c are positioned at the second longitudinal end 120 of the circulation plate 1.

[0067] In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3, the first opening 7a, the second opening 7b, the third opening 7c and the fourth opening 7d in the circulation plate 1 have an elongate shape, as seen in the plane AB. The opening 7 is therefore longer than it is wide, and this elongation is realized in the transverse direction B.

[0068] The first opening 7a, the second opening 7b, the third opening 7c or the fourth opening 7d in the circulation plate 1 have the rectilinear first edge 9a that is parallel to the lateral raised rim 5c, 5d. The opening in question is also delimited by the second edge 9b, which follows the lateral raised rim 5c, 5d and the curved raised rim 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h.

[0069] The rectilinear first edge 9a and the second edge 9b form an edge face of the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1. The second edge 9b that delimits the opening 7 illustrated in this FIG. 3 has a first portion, which is parallel to the lateral raised rim 5c, 5d, and a second portion, which follows the curvature of the curved raised rim 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h.

[0070] According to FIG. 3, two openings situated at one and the same longitudinal end of the circulation plate 1, for example the second opening 7b and the third opening 7c, are each surrounded by a shoulder 10. The shoulder 10 is a hump which protrudes from the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1. The shoulder 10 is made up of a top side 10a and of a second shoulder part 10b. The top side 10a extends above the plane AB of the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1, and parallel thereto, while the second shoulder part 10b joins the bottom 3 to the top side 10a.

[0071] It will be noted that only the second opening 7b and the third opening 7c at the second longitudinal end 120 are provided with a shoulder, the first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d at the first longitudinal end 110 not having a shoulder. The first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d are thus made directly in the bottom 3.

[0072] In order that the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid circulate alternately in the first channel and in the second channel, it will be understood that, in the stack of circulation plates 1, one circulation plate 1 will comprise at least one shoulder positioned on at least one opening 7 at a first longitudinal end 110 and the adjacent circulation plate 1 in the stack will comprise at least one shoulder on at least one opening 7 at a second longitudinal end 120. Put another way, the heating body comprises a plurality of circulation plates 1 in which at least one shoulder is formed alternately at one longitudinal end of the heating body or at the other longitudinal end of the heating body.

[0073] All of the features of the openings 7 in the circulation plate 1 that are described in FIG. 3 apply to the plurality of circulation plates 1 of the heat exchanger.

[0074] According to one feature of the invention, each pair of openings 7 positioned at the first longitudinal end 110 and at the second longitudinal end 120 of the circulation plate 1 correspond separately to an inlet and to an outlet for the refrigerant or for the heat-transfer liquid. According to one nonlimiting example, the first opening 7a corresponds to an inlet for the heat-transfer liquid and the fourth opening 7d corresponds to the outlet for the heat-transfer liquid. The second opening 7b corresponds to the inlet for the refrigerant, while the third opening 7c corresponds to the outlet for the refrigerant.

[0075] The circulation plate 1 also comprises a rib 11, which protrudes from the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1 and extends in the longitudinal direction A. This rib 11 starts at the first lateral raised rim 5c, between the first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d, and extends in the direction of the second longitudinal end 120 of the circulation plate 1. The rib 11 ends at a nonzero distance from the second lateral raised rim 5d and thus divides the volume delimited by two circulation plates 1 to form the U-shaped channel.

[0076] This feature will be understood as meaning that the circulation of the fluids along the circulation plates 1 takes place with a U-shaped circulation, meaning that the heat-transfer liquid or the refrigerant will enter the channel in question through an opening 7 disposed at one longitudinal end of the circulation plate 1, will follow the rib 11 and then pass around it, in order to exit through another opening 7 disposed at the same longitudinal end of the circulation plate 1.

[0077] In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1 is provided with disruptors 13 for the flow of fluid. These are disposed in mutually parallel rows that are aligned parallel to the transverse direction B. At least one of these rows of disruptors 13 is parallel to the rectilinear edge 9a. These rows are offset in the transverse direction B, such that the disruptors 13 are disposed in a staggered manner from one row to the next, thereby forming tiers of disruptors 13 parallel to the longitudinal direction A.

[0078] FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the circulation plate 1 according to the invention. For the elements of the circulation plate 1 that are common to the previous embodiment, reference will be made to FIG. 3 and to the detailed description thereof.

[0079] FIG. 4 presents the first longitudinal end 110 of the circulation plate 1. The first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d are delimited by a rectilinear first edge 9a and by a curved second edge 9b, which follows the curvature of the curved raised rim 5e, 5h of the circulation plate 1. The opening in question is thus delimited entirely by the rectilinear first edge 9a and by the curved second edge 9b.

[0080] According to the example in FIG. 4, the rectilinear first edge 9a extends in a direction which is transverse to the longitudinal direction A and to the transverse direction B. The direction in which the rectilinear part of the first edge 9 extends forms an angle with the longitudinal direction A of the circulation plate 1 of between 30 and 60°, advantageously 45°. It will be noted that the direction in which the rectilinear part of the first edge 9 extends intersects the lateral raised rim 5c, between the rib 11 and the curved raised rim 5°, and also intersects the longitudinal raised rim 5a, between two curved raised rims that are situated on either side of the longitudinal raised rim 5a.

[0081] Although not shown, a shoulder can be formed around these openings 7 of triangular shape.

[0082] The opening 7 delimited by this rectilinear first edge 9a and by this curved second edge 9b is provided in the bottom 3. The rectilinear first edge 9a and the curved second edge 9b are therefore edge faces of the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1.

[0083] The opening(s) 7 illustrated in this FIG. 4 has/have a triangular shape, as seen in a plane AB, with rounded corners.

[0084] The circulation plate 1 according to the variant illustrated in FIG. 4 has disruptors 13 on its bottom 3. In contrast to FIG. 3, the triangular nature of the openings 7 allows disruptors 13 to be disposed in the vicinity of the first longitudinal end 110 of the circulation plate 1. Thus, the circulation plate 1 comprises disruptors 13 that are provided between the rib 11 and the opening 7. A line of disruptors 13 is parallel to the rectilinear part of the first edge 9a.

[0085] FIG. 5 presents a third embodiment of the invention. For the elements of the circulation plate 1 that are common to the previous embodiments, reference will be made to the detailed description of FIG. 3 or 4.

[0086] Four openings 7 can be seen therein, made up of the first opening 7a, the second opening 7b, the third opening 7c and the fourth opening 7d. The first opening 7a and the fourth opening 7d have a rectilinear first edge 9a formed by the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1. The rectilinear first edge 9a is an edge face of the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1 and the rectilinear part is parallel to the first lateral raised rim 5c. The second opening 7b and the third opening 7c, for their part, also have a rectilinear first edge 9a formed by the shoulder 10 that protrudes from the bottom 3 of the circulation plate 1, as described in detail in FIG. 3. The rectilinear first edge 9a that delimits this second opening 7b or this third opening 7c is an edge face of this shoulder 10 and the rectilinear part is parallel to the second lateral raised rim 5d.

[0087] The opening(s) 7 illustrated in this FIG. 5 also has/have a second edge 9b, a first portion of which is parallel to the lateral raised rim 5c, 5d, and a second portion of which follows the curvature of the curved raised rim 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h.

[0088] The second edge 9b, in particular its first portion and its second portion, is part of the raised rim 5. More specifically, the first portion of the second edge 9b is an edge face of the lateral raised rim 5c and the second portion of the second edge 9b is an edge face of the curved raised rim 5e, which adjoins the lateral raised rim 5c.

[0089] It will be understood from the above that the opening(s) 7 in the third embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, extend(s) in the plane of the bottom 3 and also in a plane that follows the profile of the raised rim 5. As such, the opening 7 in question has an L-shaped section, as seen in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction A and perpendicular to the bottom 3.

[0090] The above description of the opening 7 applies, of course, to the openings 7c, 7d that are surrounded by the shoulder 10, such as those provided at the second longitudinal end 120. In such a case, the first edge 9a and the rectilinear part thereof belong to the shoulder 10, while the second edge 9b is part of the raised rim 5.

[0091] Although these openings 7 are delimited by the raised rim 5, the latter nevertheless maintains a sufficient height for leaktight contact to be made between the raised rim of a first circulation plate and the raised rim of a second circulation plate.

[0092] The invention thus achieves its stated objective by improving the distribution of the fluid over the width of the channel, thereby improving the uniformity of temperatures over this width.

[0093] The invention is not intended to be limited to the means and configurations exclusively described and illustrated, however, but also applies to all equivalent means or configurations and to any combination of such means or configurations. In particular, while the invention has been described here in its application to a heat exchanger involving refrigerant and heat-transfer liquid, it goes without saying that it applies to any shape and/or size of plate or to any type of fluid circulating along the plate according to the invention.