Patent ID: 7032654

Claim:
A plate heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of plates, each plate having opposed surfaces and perimeter flanges, for providing at least one flow path for each of at least two fluids, wherein facing surfaces and perimeter flanges of a pair of adjacent plates of the plurality of plates define a flow path for each fluid of the at least two fluids, and wherein opposed surfaces of at least one plate of each pair of adjacent plates provides a flow path boundary for two fluids of the at least two fluids, the at least one plate having a high thermal conductivity and providing a portion of the flow path boundary for two fluids of the at least two fluids, thereby providing thermal communication between the two fluids on the opposed surfaces of the plate; an inlet and outlet for each fluid of the at least two fluids, the inlet and outlet for each fluid being in fluid communication with each flow path for said fluid; at least one insert member having a plurality of surface microfeatures, the plurality of microfeatures includes a plurality of apertures formed therein, each aperture corresponding to a nodal contact between facing surfaces of the adjacent plates of the plurality of plates, the at least one insert member disposed in fluid communication with at least a portion of at least one flow path for at least one fluid, facing surfaces of the at least one insert member and one of the pair of adjacent plates of the plurality of plates being substantially immediately adjacent, the plurality of surface microfeatures for providing enhanced heat transfer between the at least two fluids, the at least one plate forming a portion of the flow path boundary.