Patent ID: 7607472

Claim:
A system for exchanging heat between two fluids, one of which is a vapor to be cooled to form a condensed vapor and the other of which is a liquid that is warmed by heat from the vapor, comprising sources for the vapor and the liquid that exchange heat in a plate heat exchanger, collectors for the condensed vapor and the warmed liquid that leave the plate heat exchanger, and the plate heat exchanger comprising a number of heat transfer plates, each having an essentially rectangular outer periphery, and being symmetric about its longitudinal axis, and having, within said outer periphery, a first port portion which is disposed in one edge portion of the heat transfer plate, a second port portion which is disposed in a second edge portion of the heat transfer plate, and a heat transfer portion which is disposed between said port portions and extends between side outer peripheral edges of the heat transfer plate and which has a heat transfer surface across substantially its entire width and length wherein the first port portion comprises a circular vapor inlet port and extends over essentially the whole width of the plate, the second port portion comprises at least one first outlet port which is relatively smaller than the first vapor inlet port and is for condensed vapor, the first port portion further comprises a second outlet port which is disposed between said vapor inlet port and the second port portion for the warmed liquid, the second port portion further comprises a second inlet port for the liquid to be warmed, which is arranged between said at least one first outlet port for condensed vapor and the first port portion, and the second inlet port has a port area that is 10-50% of the corresponding port area of said vapor inlet port.