Corrugated-surface heat exchange element

Claim 1

A corrugated core structure for a heat exchanger, said core structure comprising: a plate having parallel rows of corrugations, the walls of the corrugations defining passages for streams of a heat-transfer agent to flow therethrough, pairs of opposed projections and recesses successively separated by smooth wall portions, the pairs of projections and recesses being arranged in opposition to one another so as to form divergent-convergent portions of the passages and having a length sufficient to intensify the heat transfer process; the smooth portions of the passages alternating with said divergent-convergent portions such that, in combination, they provide for successive throttling of the flow of the heat-transfer agent to intensify the heat transfer process, each said smooth portion of the passage having a length essentially below five values of the hydraulic diameter of said smooth portion in the passage; the vertices of said corrugations being bent on a radius, the value of which is essentially below a difference between one fourth of the pitch of said corrugations and one-half the wall thickness thereof.