GB1302516A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1302516 Plate heat exchangers UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY 19 April 1971 [30 Jan 1970] 4695/70 Heading F4S In a heat exchanger plate stack, in which heat transfer plates 1 of plastics or aluminium foil are spaced apart by sealant ring elements 4 of annular or rectangular form, each fluid passage defined between adjacent plates by a ring element 4 contains a filamentary grid 2 of wire or synthetic plastics material comprising two layers of filaments with the filaments of one layer lying at an angle (e.g. 90 degrees) to those of the adjacent layer. The grid supports the plates 1 against differential fluid pressures, and also turbulates the fluid flowing in said passage. As shown, the plates 1 have apertures 7a, 7b therein and the space within each ring element 4 is divided by a sealant partition 5. In use, the apertures and partitions are suitably arranged by appropriate disposition of adjacent plates and ring elements to provide flow paths for the heat exchanging fluids through the plate stack as indicated by the arrows A, B. The plate stack is held together between end plates 10 (and 10<SP>1</SP> Fig. 2) by bolts (9). In a modification the stack comprises a plurality of units each consisting of a grid separating two sheets of foil which are joined together at two of their opposite edges, and adjacent units in the stack are spaced by a further grid from one another. In a further modification, a sheet of foil is folded in zig-zag or concertina fashion and a grid is placed between adjacent folds of the foil.