EP2161526A2 - Method for manufacturing a plate heat exchanger and plate heat exchanger manufactured according to this method - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves arranging multiple heat exchanger plates (2) one above the other, such that the heat exchanger plates form an intermediate chamber flow throughable to a fluid carrying heat. The spacer sleeves are placed in openings of the heat exchange plates. The spacer sleeves form the connecting channel in the openings aligned with each other, if the heat exchanger plates are pressed together. An independent claim is included for a plate heat exchanger, which comprises a cover plate and multiple heat exchanger plates.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a plate heat exchanger, and a plate heat exchanger produced by this method.

State of the art

Plate heat exchangers made of metal are well known and are used for a wide variety of applications. They serve to achieve good heat transfer between two media flowing separately from each other.

Plate heat exchangers known in the art consist of a plurality of contiguous, profiled plates of metal having specially shaped sections in the form of upwardly or downwardly directed ribs. The plates, also referred to as plates, are arranged so that the ribs of two superimposed plates between the plates form flow channels for one of the two media used. In order to achieve a required, absolute tightness of the flow levels against each other, the ribs are additionally soldered. When assembling the pallet heat exchanger, a metal foil, in particular a copper or nickel foil is placed between two sheets. The complete plate heat exchanger is soldered in a special oven. The soldering also serves to increase the stability of the flow channels at the high levels that occur Press and to ensure forces in the passage of the media. For example, when used in automotive comparatively high pressures occur when, for example, referred to as cooling water coolant and the engine oil of an internal combustion engine, the two media that flow through the plate heat exchanger.

The fact that in each case a solder foil must be inserted between two sheets of such a plate heat exchanger, the production of such a plate heat exchanger is very complicated and expensive, because it must be handled a variety of separate parts, and the materials of the solder foil are - for example, due to a high copper content - expensive. In addition, there are the energy costs to heat the entire plate package in a soldering oven to the required soldering temperature.

Other plate heat exchangers additionally each have an outer cover plate and a bottom plate. Co-aligned passage openings provide straight-line channels, which are referred to in the context of the present proposal as connecting channels and through which extend screws. In these plate heat exchangers can be dispensed with the soldering of the ribs of the flow channels. Instead, the heat exchanger plates are screwed together with the top and bottom plates. A sealing of the different flow levels is achieved in that each sheet is provided before screwing with at least one circumferential seal. The screw is used in this case, on the one hand to press the peripheral seals close to the sheets and, secondly, to prevent deformation of the flow channels at the high pressures and forces occurring in the passage of the media.

The plates of the plate heat exchanger have through openings, which are referred to as flow channels in the context of the present proposal, because these passages form in the composite plate heat exchanger, the channels for supplying or discharging one of the two media and are connected to the inlet or outlet of the respective flow level. To the channels can also, z. B. on the cover plate and / or the bottom plate, connecting elements, such as flanges or threads, eg by screws or welding or the like, to ensure proper supply and discharge of the media.

The fact that in each case a circumferential seal must be inserted between two sheets of such a plate heat exchanger, the production of such a plate heat exchanger is complicated and expensive, because it must be handled a variety of separate parts. Since the tightness of the plate heat exchanger depends on the correct preload of the screws, the bolted plate heat exchangers must be regularly checked and maintained, whereby the cost is further increased.

To create heat exchangers of different power, either different sized plates must be used, or different numbers of metal plates, which then requires the use of different length screws. Any large protrusions of the screws are inadmissible, on the one hand because of injury to persons or damage to the heat exchanger, and on the other hand due to the often tight installation options, for example in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle.

From the EP 0 774 637 A2 is a generic manufacturing process and a plate heat exchanger produced thereafter known. Household appliances are provided as an area of application, in particular laundry dryers, in order to condense moisture-laden air called steam. The known from the automotive industry temperature and pressure loads do not occur.

From the pamphlets US 1 961 660 A . JP 57 210 294 AA . US 4,398,596 A . DE 2 320 024 A . DE 10 2006 040 851 A1 and US 2005 026 90 58 A1 each heat exchanger are known in each of which components made of plastic are used, and also the common use of components made of metal and plastic is known from these documents.

task

The invention has for its object to provide a plate heat exchanger, which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture and maintenance-free, and also allows a simple and economical adaptation to different desired benefits.

solution

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 for producing a plate heat exchanger and by a plate heat exchanger according to claim 9 produced accordingly.

The subclaims contain advantageous and expedient developments of the invention.

The proposed plate heat exchanger has a plurality of profiled plates stacked one on top of the other, which can be made of metal economically and in terms of heat transfer properties, and which have specially shaped regions. The top and bottom of these plates are called cover plate and bottom plate. All plates can be configured identically, but preferably deviating from the other plates designed cover and bottom plates may be provided which differ, for example, with regard to the profiling, the material thickness or the number of openings from the other plates.

The above-mentioned specially shaped areas of the sheets may be in the form of upwardly and downwardly directed ribs or beads be executed. The plates are placed on top of each other in such a way that the specially shaped regions of two superimposed plates running around through openings delimit flow channels for one of the two media used.

The construction of a proposed plate heat exchanger is similar to the construction of the screwed plate heat exchangers described above, however, it is proposed to use no fixed fasteners, such as screws, rivets o. The like. Instead, a plastic rivet is used in a connecting channel, which is not available as a prefabricated component in a solid form but rather is injected into the connection channel.

In this way, a production of plate heat exchangers of different performance by using different numbers of plates and, accordingly, of different sized plate heat exchangers can be carried out particularly economically: a storage of different sized plates or different sized fasteners is not proposed as required. Rather, the production of different sized plate heat exchangers can be done within a very short time, for example by a production in which larger and smaller plate heat exchangers are produced in mixed succession, for example, in an extreme case, a production in which no two identical plate heat exchangers are produced sequentially.

According to the proposal, the arrangement of sleeves is provided in the mutually aligned through openings, which form a connecting channel. These sleeves may for example have a sealing function, so that a solderless construction of the plate heat exchanger is supported. In addition, the sleeves are designed as spacers, so consist of a relatively strong, pressure-stable material, so that they cause a certain distance between adjacent plates to each other. This also supports a solderless construction of the plate heat exchanger: the individual plates Thus, they do not have to have bent-over edge regions which, after soldering, ensure a tightness between the two adjacent plates of the heat exchanger. Rather, other, solderless sealing elements can be used, and instead of the individual plates of the heat exchanger abut directly against one another and thus ensure the prescribed distance of the individual plate planes to each other, this distance is ensured by the aforementioned spacers.

Advantageously, it can be provided in a manner known per se that the heat exchanger plates are made of metal. As a result, on the one hand good stability of the plate heat exchanger and on the other hand a good heat transfer between adjacent media of different temperature is possible.

Advantageously, a special plate may be provided as a cover plate and / or a special plate as a bottom plate of the plate heat exchanger in a conventional manner. These plates differ from the other plates in the interior of the plate heat exchanger, for example, by means of a special number of passage openings or by molded-on elements, such as an integrally formed tab, by means of which the plate heat exchanger can be mounted in its place of use.

Furthermore, these deck and / or floor panels may differ from the remaining panels by their material thickness: If the panel heat exchanger carries media under a relatively high pressure, the individual panels within the panel heat exchanger are exposed to this pressure on both sides, or at least slightly different pressures, so that the resulting pressure load of the plate transverse to its plate plane is comparatively low or even completely eliminated. On the other hand, the two outer plates are exposed to pressure on their side facing the interior of the plate heat exchanger, while on their outer upper side they are only loaded by the ambient pressure.

Therefore, it may be advantageous to design the deck and floor slabs particularly stiff and pressure-stable, for example, by a greater material thickness compared to the other plates.

Advantageously, the seal between the individual heat exchanger plates can be carried out by an elastomer layer, so that the plate heat exchanger can be designed solderless.

Advantageously, it may be provided to deform the sheets of the plate heat exchanger three-dimensionally, that is to create deformed areas in the form of elevations and / or depressions. Firstly, the sheets can be supported against the forces resulting from the operating pressure by abutting one another at contact points made possible by the deformed areas. Secondly, an increased surface area of the sheets is produced in this way, whereby the heat exchange performance is improved. The heat exchanger plates can be configured as identical parts, so that by appropriate alignment and arrangement of the heat exchanger plates, the deformed areas of two adjacent heat exchanger plates abut each other and create the Kontakstellen.

In particular, the deformations can be carried out as hexagonal honeycomb structure: it has been found that this structure provides both an optimal geometric shape for absorbing the forces and a very good surface shape for the heat exchange process.

Particularly advantageously, the attachment of the plastic elements, for example, the spacers and the elastomer layer, take place in that these plastic elements are not present as prefabricated molded components, but as well as the above-mentioned Verbindungsniet be molded from flowable material. In this way, the handling of a plurality of individual components can be avoided; instead a heat exchanger plate is instead inserted into an injection mold, which has the required cavities, so that then the plastic can be injected into these cavities and, accordingly, the desired, made of plastic components of the plate heat exchanger forms, which are also firmly connected in the same operation with the corresponding plate of the heat exchanger.

In favor of this fixed connection can be particularly advantageously provided that in the injection mold, the cavities are provided on both sides of the heat exchanger plate and the heat exchanger plate has openings so that upon injection of the plastic passes this on both sides of the heat exchanger plate. In this way, a veritable positive engagement can be achieved, which reliably holds the molded plastic areas on the sheet, that holds on the relevant heat exchanger plate.

The seals, which are to separate the individual layers of the heat exchanger in the region of the flow channels, are subject to changing pressure stresses. They can be pressed by the fluids both radially from the inside to the outside, and vice versa. There is a risk that these seals deform so much that they lose their sealing properties. Advantageously, it can therefore be provided to improve the adhesion of the plastic to the plate of the heat exchanger plate by special measures.

An additional intensification in the adhesion of the plastic to the plate of the heat exchanger plate can be achieved that the coming into contact with the plastic surfaces of the corresponding plates, ie the cover plate of the bottom plate or the heat exchanger plates are prepared by means of a treatment which improves the adhesion of the plastic , For example, such a treatment may take the form of a plasma treatment.

In a particularly simple manner, a more intensive adhesion of the plastic to the sheet of the heat exchanger plate can be achieved in that the sheet metal plate itself forms tabs which extend into the material of the molded-on seal on the sheet metal. These tabs can be formed, for example, in the course of the punching process, if those passages are created in the metal plates through which the flow channels later extend. By means of a subsequent bending operation, the tabs initially formed by the stamping contour of the sheet and projecting into the passage opening can be bent over the sheet, so that a large free cross section of the passage opening is created.

The bent out of the plate tabs not only create a mechanical bond with the sealing material and a larger contact surface between the sheet and sealing material, but also support the molded Dichtungswerkststoff from, radially in both directions and in the axial direction of the through hole or the through a plurality of passage openings extending flow channel.

A Verbindungsniet or a spacer sleeve are each mechanically heavily loaded components. It can therefore be advantageously provided that these components made of plastic are improved in their mechanical properties that they contain reinforcing materials. For example, fibers, in particular glass fibers or carbon fibers, can be used as reinforcing materials, since these allow a high degree of reinforcement, with glass fibers being comparatively inexpensive.

Depending on the application, it may be advantageous to effect the highest possible integration density of functions in the components used. For example, in the application in the automotive industry, where within the engine compartment of a motor vehicle can be tightly cramped installation conditions, It may be advantageous that the available space is optimally utilized. This can be advantageously supported, for example, by the fact that the plate heat exchanger has additional functional elements which are not themselves useful for the plate heat exchanger itself, for example, its installation on site or serve the heat transfer between the two heat transfer media.

Such a functional element may for example be designed as a tab or sleeve to hold, for example, in the engine compartment of the motor vehicle cables, hose lines o. The like., For example, can also be kept such hose lines leading to the inlet and outlet openings of the plate heat exchanger itself.

The proposed plate heat exchanger can be advantageously prepared in a workflow that provides the handling of as few individual components. For example, it may be provided that initially the plurality of heat exchanger plates are arranged one above the other in a manner known per se so that the mutually aligned through openings create on the one hand the flow channels and on the other hand the connection channels. The heat exchanger plates are provided with elastic sealing material, which has been injected onto the relevant heat exchanger plates. In addition, the heat exchanger plates are provided with spacers, which may preferably also be molded onto the respective heat exchanger plates, so that almost exclusively liquid materials are processed except the metal plates used and in this way the handling of a variety of items is avoided, which the production of the plate heat exchanger strong simplified.

The proposed production method of the plate heat exchanger and its individual, explained in the claims method steps will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment.

The plastic gating in particular the mechanically stronger components such as fasteners or spacers can be advantageously carried out so that supply and discharge elements or the additional functional elements mentioned above are injected directly, so are not designed as separate components, but by the molded plastic of the spacers or the connecting elements are formed. As a result, the production cost is significantly reduced and the plate heat exchanger particularly economical to produce. The position and geometry of the supply and discharge elements can be chosen particularly variable, so that the plate heat exchanger can be optimally adapted to the respective installation situation.

For the construction of a particularly advantageous embodiment of the plate heat exchanger is provided that two different types of heat exchanger plates are installed alternately. In this case, a first type of heat exchanger plates is provided with plastic elements, which are provided on a metal plate, wherein particularly advantageously the plastic can be molded onto the metal plate. A second type of heat exchanger plates consists of a simple sheet metal plate, without such plastic elements. In this way, half of the heat exchanger plates used can be made as a simple stamped sheet metal parts, and it must be provided in additional manufacturing steps with the plastic elements only half of the heat exchanger plates used.

However, other variants in the construction of a plate heat exchanger are also possible, and it may be advantageous from a production point of view to manufacture, handle and assemble only one and the same type of heat exchanger plates, with the exception of possibly provided cover and bottom plates:

In these cases, all heat exchanger plates are each provided with plastic elements. For example, the plate of the heat exchanger plate both on the top than Also be provided on the bottom with the plastic to form spacers and seals. The desired distance of the sheets of two adjacent heat exchanger plates is achieved by an appropriate choice of the layer thickness, which have the spacers and the seals above and below the heat exchanger plate. For example, half the layer thickness can be used in comparison to the embodiment in which only every second heat exchanger plate has plastic elements.

A further variant may be to spray on the plate of the heat exchanger plate only on one side plastic for the formation of spacers and seals, and also in this case - with the exception of any proposed deck and floor panels - to use only similar heat exchanger plates.

If plastic elements are provided on both sides of the sheet, the attachment of the plastic can be effected in that the plastic flows through openings on the other side of the sheet, so that the plastic must be supplied only from one side of the sheet and the KunststoffSpritzform accordingly simple and can be designed inexpensively. Alternatively it can be provided that plastic is injected from two sides of the sheet of the heat exchanger plate, so that fewer or smaller openings can be provided, which can improve the stability of the sheet with the same material thickness, for example.

Advantageously, the water flow can be deflected within a plane of the heat exchanger, so that there is a much longer path, the heat transfer medium must cover between the exchange levels. The so-called thermal length and thus the efficiency of the heat exchanger can be improved in this way, so that the same exchange performance, a heat exchanger with comparatively smaller physical dimensions and correspondingly lower material costs and lower weight can be achieved.

The deflection can be effected in a simple manner in that a heat exchanger plate not only has a peripheral seal at the edge, but also in the middle of its surface has one or more sealing ribs, which prevent a flow short circuit between an inlet and the outlet opening of this heat exchanger plate and the flow Rather, in an arc substantially U-shaped lead, or lead in several sheets substantially S-shaped or meandering. The sealing rib extends, for example, from the edge, that is from the peripheral seal, to which it connects tightly, and it ends at a distance in front of the opposite portion of the peripheral seal, so that here between the free end of the sealing rib and the circumferential seal a passage remains for the medium. The choice of the deflection can be made in adaptation to the desired heat exchanger capacity, the available installation space and the permissible flow resistance of the heat exchanger. Depending on the course of the deflection, a correspondingly adapted positioning of the passageways creating the flow channels is provided so that these passage openings can be arranged, for example, closely adjacent, or diagonally opposite, or at the two ends of one side of the heat exchanger plate.

embodiment

Fig. 1

einen Plattenwärmetauscher in perspektivischer Ansicht,

Fig. 2

eine Platte, welche frei von angespritzten Distanzhülsen und Dichtungen bleiben soll,

Fig. 3

eine Platte, an welche Distanzhülsen und Dichtungen angespritzt werden sollen,

Fig. 4

eine Platte mit angespritzten Distanzhülsen,

Fig. 5

eine Platte mit angespritzten Distanzhülsen und an-gespritzten Dichtungen,

Fig. 6

einen vertikal geschnittenen Plattenwärmetauscher in isometrischer Ansicht,

Fig. 7

eine Ansicht auf die Schnittfläche von Fig. 6 in dem-gegenüber größerem Maßstab,

Fig. 8

einen Ausschnitt einer Wärmetauscherplatte im Be-reich einer Durchtrittsöffnung, in perspektivischer An-sicht,

Fig. 9

den in Fig. 8 perspektivisch dargestellten Bereich in Draufsicht, und mit einer an die Wärmetauscherplatte angespritzten Dichtung,

Fig. 10

einen Querschnitt durch den Bereich von Fig. 9,

Fig. 11

einen Querschnitt durch zwei mit einer Erhöhung bzw. Vertiefung versehenen Wärmetauscherplatten im Be-reich einer Kontaktstelle,

Fig. 12

einen Ausschnitt einer mit einer Erhöhung versehe-nen Wärmetauscherplatte in perspektivischer Ansicht,

Fig. 13

eine Draufsicht auf den Bereich von Fig. 12, und

Fig. 14

eine Draufsicht auf eine mit einer Dichtungsrippe ver-sehene, die Strömung umlenkende Wärmetauscher-platte.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the purely schematic representations. Showing:

Fig. 1

a plate heat exchanger in perspective view,

Fig. 2

a plate, which should remain free of injection-molded spacers and seals,

Fig. 3

a plate to which spacers and gaskets are to be molded

Fig. 4

a plate with molded spacers,

Fig. 5

a plate with molded spacers and molded seals,

Fig. 6

a vertically cut plate heat exchanger in isometric view,

Fig. 7

a view of the cut surface of Fig. 6 in the opposite, larger scale,

Fig. 8

a detail of a heat exchanger plate in the area of a passage opening, in perspective view,

Fig. 9

the in Fig. 8 perspective area shown in plan view, and with a molded-on to the heat exchanger plate seal,

Fig. 10

a cross section through the range of Fig. 9 .

Fig. 11

a cross section through two provided with a recess or recess heat exchanger plates in the region of a contact point,

Fig. 12

a detail of a versehe-NEN heat exchanger plate in perspective view,

Fig. 13

a top view of the area of Fig. 12 , and

Fig. 14

a plan view of a provided with a sealing rib, the flow deflecting heat exchanger plate.

In Fig. 1 1 is a total of a plate heat exchanger shown, which consists of a plurality of individual heat exchanger plates 2, which are referred to simplifying as plates or sheets. The two outer plates can - for stability reasons, for example - be designed differently from the other plates. Notwithstanding the illustrated embodiment may therefore be provided that the plate heat exchanger 1, for example, a cover plate 3 and a bottom plate, each having a greater material thickness than the other, inner heat exchanger plates. 2

For reasons of clarity, the individual plates are each shown in the present drawings with a smooth surface. In fact, however, the heat exchanger plates 2 and the top and bottom plates can advantageously be provided with profilings, for example to create flow paths between the adjacent plates for the heat transferring media, which support optimum heat transfer, or where the profiling serves to mechanically stabilize the individual plates.

In the cover plate 3 inlet and outlet openings are provided, and it can be seen that the underlying heat exchanger plates 2 having aligned openings so that a total flow channels 4 are created through which the two different media flow into the plate heat exchanger 1 and can flow out again ,

Furthermore, the plates of the heat exchanger 1 are interconnected by a plurality of connecting elements 5, wherein on the upper side of the cover plate 3 each of the heads of the connecting elements 5 are visible.

The structure and manufacture of the plate heat exchanger 1 will now be explained in more detail. Already off Fig. 1 is apparent from the design of the edge of the plate heat exchanger 1 that alternately plates of different external dimensions are installed.

Fig. 2 shows a first plate type, namely a heat exchanger plate 2, which has a plurality of passage openings 6. While the reference numeral 6 in each case is characteristic of all passage openings, different groups of passage openings 6 are distinguished: The larger passage openings 6s serve to form the flow channels 4, ie represent flow openings, so that they are identified by the letter "s". The smaller passage openings 6v are provided so that in the finished stack of plates, the connecting elements 5 extend through these passage openings 6 and thus provide connection openings so that they are marked with the letter "v".

Fig. 3 shows the second plate type, namely a heat exchanger plate 2, which has the same passage openings 6s and 6v as the other heat exchanger plate 2 according to Fig. 2 , And in the same places, so that superimposed plates of these two plate types have aligned through openings 6. In addition, the in Fig. 3 represented heat exchanger plate 2 particularly small passage openings 6h, which are respectively adjacent to the medium-sized passage openings 6v, and which may be referred to as holding openings, so that they are marked with the letter "h", and whose purpose will be explained later.

The in Fig. 3 shown type of heat exchanger plates 2 is provided with plastic elements, as will be explained in more detail below: Fig. 4 shows this plate type the Fig. 3 , wherein the illustrated heat exchanger plate 2 is provided with a plurality of spacers 7. These spacers 7 can be used in principle as prefabricated components in the corresponding openings 6v. Preferably, however, the spacer sleeves 7 are molded from liquid plastic to the heat exchanger plate 2.

For this purpose, the heat exchanger plate 2 is inserted into an injection mold, which has on both sides of the heat exchanger plate 2 cavities, ie cavities, in which liquid plastic can be injected. A core in the cavity ensures that the passage openings 6v are not completely filled with plastic, but rather that the central cavity, which each spacer sleeve 7 has, is created. The spacers 7 then extend on both surfaces of the heat exchanger plate 2 as an annular bead around the corresponding passage opening 6v around and also a little radially into the passage opening 6v in, so that the two above-described annular beads by plastic with each other are connected and also the free diameter of the passage opening 6v has been reduced by the now molded spacer sleeve 7.

Fig. 5 then shows the heat exchanger plate 2 after the next manufacturing step: The previously provided with the spacers 7 heat exchanger plate 2 is inserted into a next injection mold, in which other cavities are provided, which are now filled with a different plastic. While the spacers 7 are to hold adjacent plates at a predetermined distance from one another and are therefore designed to be pressure-stable and therefore comparatively hard, the plastic to be injected in each case will form a seal 8. It may therefore be advantageous in this plastic to an elastomer. With regard to the layer thickness is preferably provided that the seal 8 on the top of the heat exchanger plate 2 projects beyond the spacers 7 upwards and projects beyond the spacers 7 down on the bottom, so that when pressing two adjacent heat exchanger plates 2, a compression of the elastomeric seals 8 is ensured and thus a good sealing effect when the spacers 7 "go to block", ie the next adjacent components under pressure.

In the Fig. 5 shown outside circumferentially, large seal 8 allows a diagonal flow through the plate heat exchanger by two of the large passage openings 6s a flow connection to the center of the heat exchanger plate 2 is released, while for the other heat exchanger medium, the associated passage openings 6s are surrounded by the seal 8, ie of the middle flow region of the heat exchanger plate 2 are separated. On the underside of the same heat exchanger plate 2, the conditions are exactly reversed: there, this large seal 8 runs differently and allows a flow to the plate center of the passage openings 6s, which are sealed on the top of the plate to the center of the plate. Thus, the known per se, "floor-by-floor alternating" Flow through the plate heat exchanger 1 with the two media allows.

Also around the medium-sized passage openings 6v, which are arranged along the central axis of the heat exchanger plate 2 and provided for receiving connecting elements, extending seals. 8

As from the comparison with the Fig. 4 becomes clear, the seals 8 cover the particularly small openings 6h. When injecting the sealing material into the cavity of the injection mold, this sealing material flows namely through the passage openings 6h on the other side of the heat exchanger plate 2. Thus, a proper form fit between the sheet of the heat exchanger plate 2 and the material of the seal 8 is created. The passage openings 6h are also referred to as holding openings, since they effect a good grip of the seal 8 on the sheet even without a special surface treatment of the sheet, which would improve, for example, the adhesion of the sealing plastic. The position of the respective seal 8 is thus reliably fixed by simple means.

Fig. 6 shows in a view similar to that of Fig. 1 the assembled heat exchanger 1 in a cut state. It can be seen that a plurality of heat exchanger plates 2 is arranged one above the other in the stack and is connected to each other by connecting elements 5, wherein the connecting elements 5 are each configured as a plastic rivet and each form a head on the two outer plates of the plate heat exchanger 1, the one reliable positive connection between the connecting element 5 and the plate stack causes.

The plate stack is alternately through the provided with plastic elements heat exchanger plates 2 according to Fig. 5 and through the heat exchanger plates 2 according to Fig. 2 formed, which are free of plastic elements.

Notwithstanding this embodiment, it may be provided in favor of an advantageously simple and unified manufacture and in favor of reducing the number of differently ausgestalteter components all heat exchanger plates 2 each with seals 8 and spacers 7 to design, in which case the layer thickness of the individual plastic elements in comparison to the illustrated embodiment can be reduced.

In the illustrated embodiment is advantageous that in contrast results in a reduction of the interfaces, since fewer seals and spacers are used as if each heat exchanger plate 2 would have such seals and spacers. Due to this reduction of the interfaces, the illustrated plate heat exchanger 1 offers a higher security against leaks.

Fig. 7 shows the structure of the plate stack more accurate and in opposite Fig. 6 larger scale: The connecting elements 5 are highlighted by a hatching with greater line width particularly clearly. Behind lying, partially hidden, an upper circumferential collar 9 of a large passage opening 6s of a flow channel can be seen. In the case of the other connecting elements 5, a head of a connecting element 5 can be seen in the upper region behind the heads of the connecting elements 5 shown cut, which is arranged offset to the connecting element 5 shown cut.

The connecting elements 5 fill each, since they have been injected from liquid plastic, a connecting channel, which is formed by stacked spacers 7. Since the spacer sleeves have at their two ends inside circumferential oblique chamfers, resulting in each of the connecting elements 5 a plurality of circumferential ribs.

Each spacer sleeve 7 surrounds in cross-section approximately C-shaped, the respective heat exchanger plate 2 at the edge of a passage opening 6v.

Around the spacers 7 around the material of the seal runs 8. Right above is in Fig. 7 indicated that the material of the seals 8 extends through passages 6h through both sides of the respective heat exchanger plate 2. The passage openings 6h thus cause a positive connection between the material of a seal 8 and the sheet of the respective heat exchanger plate. 2

In Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a section of a heat exchanger plate 2, which has a passage opening 6. In the production of the passage opening 6, for example by a punching operation, retaining tabs 10 have been created due to the punching contour used, which are formed by the sheet of the heat exchanger plate 2. The retaining tabs 10 have been bent either during the punching process or in a subsequent processing step so that they now, as out Fig. 8 seen, no longer protrude into the free cross section of the passage opening 6.

Fig. 9 shows the same section of the heat exchanger plate 2 from above, wherein in the illustration of Fig. 9 Also, a seal 8 can be seen, which has been molded onto the heat exchanger plate 2. By this injection process, the retaining tabs 10 have been overmolded with the sealing material.

Fig. 10 shows the situation of Fig. 9 It can be seen that the space enclosed by the curved retaining tabs 10 space is filled with material of the seal 8, so that a proper mechanical bond between the seal 8 and the heat exchanger plate 2 through the Retaining tabs 10 is created. In addition, the retaining tabs 10 extend over substantially the entire height of the seal 8. The retaining tabs 10 are only through a minimal thin skin the sealing material covers, as out Fig. 9 due to the dashed line representation of the retaining tabs 10 can be seen. In any case, support the retaining tabs 10 by their height the function of the seal 8 insofar as the seal 8 in addition to their sealing effect also forms a spacer for the two adjacent, stacked heat exchanger plates 2. In addition, the retaining tabs 10 also support the sealing function of the seal 8, since they prevent a displacement of the seal, for example due to the pressure of the media flowing in the plate heat exchanger 1.

In Fig. 11 is a section of the plate heat exchanger 1 is shown in a cross-sectional view, in which two adjacent, one above the other arranged heat exchanger plates 2 form a contact point 11. For this purpose, the two heat exchanger plates 2 have two deformed regions 12, which are configured in the upper heat exchanger plate 2 as a recess and in the lower heat exchanger plate 2 as an upwardly projecting projection, so that the two heat exchanger plates 2 abut each other with these two deformed regions 12 and Form contact point 11.

With a corresponding configuration of the heat exchanger plates 2, these can be configured as identical parts. So it can be provided that z. B. every second of these always identically designed heat exchanger plates 2 is rotated by, for example, its longitudinal axis or its vertical axis by 180 °. Then, in this alternate orientation, the two heat exchanger plates 2 are placed on top of each other, so that not two equally aligned deformed areas are superimposed, so for example two elevations or two wells are superimposed, but rather that a survey coincides with a depression, as is the case Fig. 11 is apparent.

From the FIGS. 12 and 13 is a section of a heat exchanger plate 2 with a deformed region 12 can be seen, once in perspective view Fig. 12 and once in plan view according to Fig. 13 , where it can be seen that the deformed Areas are each designed in the form of a hexagonal deformation.

In Fig. 14 a heat exchanger plate 2 is shown in plan view, so that the passage openings 6s for creating the flow channels and the passage openings 6v for receiving the connecting elements in this illustration are also visible, as the molded onto the plate of the heat exchanger plate 2 seal. 8

In the embodiment in Fig. 14 the seal 8 is not only circumferentially and in each case provided around the passage openings 6v around, but it forms a free-ending sealing rib 14. The sealing rib 14 connects on the one hand to the circumferential seal 8 and ends on the other free. The sealing rib 14 is arranged so that it prevents a flow short circuit between the two provided for the flow passages openings 6s and causes a flow deflection. Compared to, for example, a diagonally opposite arrangement of the two passage openings 6s, a substantially longer flow path between the two flow channels 4 is ensured by the substantially U-shaped deflection of the flow, with a correspondingly greater thermal length of the plate heat exchanger 1.

Claims (23)

A method for producing a plate heat exchanger (1), wherein a plurality of heat exchanger plates (2) are arranged one above the other such that they each form a space between two adjacent heat exchanger plates (2) permeable by a heat transfer fluid gap, and that passage openings (6) in the Heat exchanger plates (2) are provided, aligned with each other, and wherein adjacent heat exchanger plates (2) are fluid-tightly sealed against each other, and wherein connecting elements (5) through the passage openings (6) are guided and keep the heat exchanger plates (2) in their defined distance from each other, and wherein a flowable connecting material is introduced into the connecting channel, while the heat exchanger plates (2) are pressed against one another, which subsequently hardens connecting material and forms the connecting element (5), characterized in that in through openings (6) of the heat exchanger plates (2) spacer sleeves (7) are introduced before the heat exchanger plates (2) are arranged one above the other, wherein the spacer sleeves (7) aligned passage openings (6) provide the connection channel when the heat exchanger plates (2) pressed together. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that a reinforced plastic is injected into the communication channel as a connecting material. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spacer sleeves (7) are introduced into the passage openings (6) by flowable plastic is injected onto the edge of the respective passage openings (6), such that it is radially from the edge extends into the interior of the passage opening (6) and on both sides of the heat exchanger plate (2) forms an around the edge of the passage opening (2) encircling bead. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that for the creation of the spacers (7) a reinforced plastic to a heat exchanger plate (2) is molded. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that adjacent heat exchanger plates (2) are sealed by means of a flowable sealing material against each other by the sealing material is applied to a heat exchanger plate (2), that it delimits the fluidizable rotatable plate surface, and then the sealing material up to one for assembly sufficient hardness is cured, and then the adjacent heat exchanger plates (2) pressed together and fixed by means of the connecting elements (5). Method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the injection mold on both sides of the heat exchanger plate (2) has a cavity and plastic on both sides of the heat exchanger plate (2) flows. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that plastic from one side of the heat exchanger plate (2) is injected into the cavity of the injection mold and flows through at least one passage opening (6) on the other side of the heat exchanger plate (2). The plate heat exchanger (1) produced according to the method described in one of the preceding claims, having the following features: ■ a plurality of heat exchanger plates (2) is arranged as a stack, The heat exchanger plates (2) have passage openings (6) and are arranged such that they respectively form flow spaces between two adjacent heat exchanger plates (2) for at least two different and separate heat-transferring fluids, Some of the passages (6) are aligned with one another and create a connecting channel, A connecting element (5) extends through the connecting channel and fixes the heat exchanger plates (2) in their stacked arrangement, ■ the connecting elements (5) are designed as plastic rivets injected into the passage openings (6), And in the mutually aligned passage openings (6), which form the connecting channel, sleeves are provided, which are designed as spacers (7). Plate heat exchanger according to claim 8, characterized in that the sleeves are formed as molded onto a heat exchanger plate (2) sleeves made of plastic. Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized by the bottom or top of the stack of heat exchanger plates (2) limiting bottom or top plate (3), which is configured differently to the other, in the interior of the plate heat exchanger (1) arranged heat exchanger plates (2) , Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that two adjacent heat exchanger plates (2) are sealed against each other by a seal (8) made of an elastomer material. Plate heat exchanger according to claim 13, characterized in that the seal (8) is designed as a molded onto a heat exchanger plate (2) layer. Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that coming into contact with the plastic surfaces of the cover plate (3), the bottom plate and / or the heat exchanger plates (2) by means of a plastic the adhesion of the treatment are prepared. Plate heat exchanger according to claim 15, characterized in that the cover plate (3), the bottom plate and / or the heat exchanger plates (2) by means of a Plasma treatment pretreated. Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that the plastic used for the plastic rivets and / or the spacer sleeves (7) contains reinforcing materials. Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized by additional functional elements in the form of separate components, which serve for a purpose other than for heat transfer in the plate heat exchanger (1) or for its assembly. Plate heat exchanger according to claim 16, characterized in that a functional element is designed as a tab or eye. Plate heat exchanger according to claim 16, characterized in that a functional element is designed as a holder for supply and discharge elements such as a hose or a pipe. Plate heat exchanger according to claim 16, characterized in that a functional element is designed as a supply or discharge element. Plate heat exchanger according to claim 16, characterized in that a functional element is designed as a molded-on plastic to the other plate heat exchanger (1). Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that retaining tabs are provided, which are formed by the heat exchanger plate (2) itself and in the on the Heat exchanger plate (2) molded material extend. Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized by a heat exchanger plate (2) having deformed regions (12) in the form of depressions and / or elevations. Plate heat exchanger according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that a heat exchanger plate (2) is provided, which has a sealing rib (14), which interrupts the direct flow path between the inlet and outlet, causing a flow deflection.

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