Plate heat exhanger arrangement, use of it in exhaust gas heat recovery and method for recovering heat from exhaust gas
A plate heat exchanger arrangement ( 1 ), which comprises a flow channel structure ( 2 a, 2 b ) having an inlet connection ( 3 ) and an outlet connection ( 4 ) for a medium flowing in the flow channel, and at least one plate pack module ( 5 ) and a frame structure ( 6 ) to which the plate pack module is removably arranged and which frame structure ( 6 ) is arranged as a part of the flow channel structure. A plate heat exchanger arrangement ( 1 ) is used in exhaust gas heat recovery by arranging a plate heat exchanger arrangement as a part of the exhaust gas channel.
1 . A plate heat exchanger arrangement comprising:
a flow channel structure formed of walls of a flow channel and having an inlet connection and an outlet connection for a medium flowing in the flow channel;
at least one plate pack module; and
a frame structure to which the at least one plate pack module is removably connected, the frame structure being configured as a part of the flow channel structure, the frame structure comprising a framework formed of upright support beams in corners of the frame structure and horizontal support beams connecting the upright support beams, side surfaces of the framework disposed against the flow channel structure being open, the walls of the flow channel structure being attached to the frame structure,
wherein the at least one plate pack module comprises
a plate pack of elongated rectangular heat exchanger plates having openings and disposed on top of each other, the plate pack having a height direction, the elongated rectangular heat exchanger plates being attached to each other as plate pairs in the plate pack, inner parts of the plate pairs being disposed in connection with each other via additional flow channels defined by the openings of the elongated rectangular heat exchanger plates,
an inlet connection and an outlet connection for a heat transfer fluid, the inlet and outlet connections being disposed in connection with the additional flow channels and the inner parts of the plate pairs of the plate pack,
support end plates disposed on both ends of the plate pack,
side support plates disposed on both side end surfaces of the plate pack, the side support plates substantially covering the side end surfaces of the plate pack in the height direction of the plate pack, and
an end plate at one end of the plate pack, the at least one plate pack module being detachably fixed to a flange of the frame structure by the end plate,
wherein the at least one plate pack module is disposed in relation to the flow channel structure such that the height direction of the plate pack formed of the elongated rectangular heat exchanger plates is perpendicular to a flow direction of a medium flowing in the flow channel, the width direction of the elongated rectangular heat exchanger plates is in the flow direction of the medium flowing in the flow channel.
2 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated rectangular heat exchanger plates have curved ends.
3 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the side support plates are bent at least partly to large side surfaces of the plate pack.
4 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the side support plates of the plate pack extend from one of the support end plates to another of the support end plates of the plate pack.
5 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one plate pack module is welded to form a pressure-tight, self-supporting structure.
6 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the frame structure further comprises a flow guide plate.
7 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one plate pack module comprises two or more plate pack modules with the respective frame structures disposed side-by-side in a flow direction of medium into the flow channel.
8 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one plate pack module comprises two or more plate pack modules with the respective frame structures disposed one on top of the other into the flow channel.
9 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two plate pack modules comprise two plate pack modules with the respective frame structures disposed end-to-end against each other, the inlet and outlet connections of a first plate pack module of the two plate pack modules and the inlet and outlet connections of a second plate pack module of the two plate pack modules being in different sides of the flow channel structure.
10 . A method comprising:
recovering exhaust gas heat with the plate heat exchanger arrangement according to claim 1 .
11 . A method for recovering heat from exhaust gas, the method comprising:
recovering the heat by arranging the plate heat exchanger arrangement according to claim 1 , as a part of the exhaust gas channel.