Patent ID: 7343965
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: F25B,F28D

Abstract:
1. A transcritical cooling system comprising: a working fluid flow loop; a compressor connected to the working fluid flow loop to receive the working fluid therefrom and to compress the working fluid to a supercritical pressure for delivery to the working fluid flow loop; and a brazed plate heat exchanger connected to the working fluid flow loop to receive the working fluid therefrom and return the working fluid thereto, the brazed plate heat exchanger including a plurality of brazed, stacked plate subassemblies that define high pressure flow paths for the working fluid, the brazed plate subassemblies interleaved with a second set of flow paths for another fluid to transfer heat between the working fluid and the second fluid; wherein the brazed plate heat exchanger comprises: a plurality of plate pairs defining said subassemblies, each plate pair enclosing a plurality of flow channels extending from a first inlet opening to a first outlet opening, each of the flow channels having a hydraulic diameter less than 1 mm, the plate pairs arranged as a stack with the first inlet openings being aligned with each other to define a first inlet manifold for distributing the first fluid to the flow channels, and the second openings aligned with each other to define a first outlet manifold for collecting the first fluid from the flow channels; a plurality of turbulator plates interleaved between the plate pairs to define said another set of flow paths for the second fluid, each of the turbulator plates sandwiched between the plate pairs to provide structural support thereto; and reinforcements extending between each of the plate pairs, aligned with the first inlet and outlet openings, and defining the first inlet and outlet manifolds between the plate pairs.