Compact plate-fin heat exchanger utilizing an integral heat transfer layer

1. A heat exchanger, comprising:

a housing;

a first section having a first plate-fin configuration maintained by said housing and having a first inlet and a first outlet;

a second section having a second plate-fin configuration maintained by said housing and having a second inlet and a second outlet; and

a plurality of heat exchanger layers, wherein each said heat exchanger layer comprises at least one conductive plate extending between said first section and said second section and positioned in proximity to said first and second plate-fin configurations, wherein said at least one conductive plate has internally disposed integral buttons that are in a contacting relationship with said first and second plate-fin configurations, and wherein said buttons are surrounded by a graphite-based heat transferring material, wherein each said heat exchanger layer transfers heat from a fluid flowing in one of said sections to another fluid flowing in the other of said sections, and wherein said sections are positioned such that the fluids' flow is non-intersecting.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein said respective inlets are substantially opposite said outlets.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the fluids' flow is coplanar or co-curvilinear.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a divider bar disposed between each of said first and second plate-fin configurations positioned side-by-side.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein said heat exchanger layer further comprises a foil sheet disposed on each upper and lower surfaces of said first and second plate-fin configurations.

6. A heat exchanger, comprising:

at least one temperature conductive plate;

a first plate-fin configuration disposed adjacent a portion of said at least one temperature conductive plate and on one side thereof;

a second plate-fin configuration disposed adjacent another portion of said at least one temperature conductive plate and on said one side;

a separator bar disposed between said first and second plate-fin configurations and on said one side of said at least one temperature conductive plate; and

a pair of foil separator sheets, wherein a foil separator sheet is disposed on each side of said at least one temperature conductive plate so that said first and second plate-fin configurations and said separator bar are on a side of one of said pair of foil separator sheets opposite said at least one temperature conductive plate, and wherein said at least one temperature conductive plate has internally disposed integral buttons surrounded by a graphite-based heat transferring material that are in a contacting relationship with said first and second plate-fin configurations.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6 , wherein said pair of foil separator sheets, said first and second plate-fin configurations with said separator bar therebetween, and said temperature conductive plate collectively form an exchanger layer, and wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of said exchanger layers.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein each of said first plate-fin configurations have a first inlet on one side and a first outlet on an opposite side, and wherein said second plate-fin configurations have a second inlet on one side and a second outlet on an opposite side.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8 , wherein a fluid flows into said first inlet and out said first outlet and another fluid flows into said second inlet and out said second outlet so that said exchanger layers transfer heat between said fluid and said another fluid.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 9 , wherein said fluid flows are non-intersecting.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 9 , wherein said fluid flows through said exchanger layers is either coplanar or co-curvilinear.