Method Of Making A Heat Exchanger And Heat Exchanger Obtained According To This Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for producing a heat exchanger comprising banks 2, 3, 4 each defining a fluid flow, each bank comprising two solid plates 11, 12 and spacer pieces to hold the two plates in position. The method is characterized in that, in order to produce at least one of the banks, there are five steps: A producing an insert plate 20 comprising strips, bridges of weakness 35, 36, 37 connecting the strips and capable of breaking under tension, and orifices separated by the walls 28, 29 and delimiting two lanes 31, 32; B interposing the insert plate 20 between the two plates 11, 12; C inserting a binder 41, 42 between the face 33 of the lanes 31 and the face 1-12 of the plate 11, and between the face 34-1 of the lanes 32 and the face 1-12 of the plate 12; D applying a force to bring the two plates 11, 12 into contact with the insert plate 20; E applying a force to part the two, upper and lower, plates 11, 12, to break the bridges 36, 37, 38 and bend the dividing walls 28, 29 so that, together with the two lanes, they form a Z shape. Another subject of the present invention is a heat exchanger produced according to the method of the invention.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to methods for producing a heat exchanger and also to heat exchangers produced according to said methods, emphasizing that said heat exchangers can be used in a particularly advantageous manner within the field of heat exchangers that use gaseous liquids, such as air or similar.

[0002] Heat exchangers exist that comprise a plurality of interconnecting banks each defining a fluid flow, each bank comprising at least two solid plates produced in an impervious material and kept at a spacing from one another by different types of spacing means.

[0003] However, the known exchangers of this type are relatively expensive and do not perform overly well, which has meant that they have not been able to reach a wider audience and be used in all types of technical areas, for example in the ventilation of residential buildings and/or industrial buildings and/or commercial buildings for the recovery of heat-energy conveyed, for example, using equipment known by the initials VMC.

[0004] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,918 is known, relating to a compact "fin-plate" heat exchanger and to a method for producing such an exchanger. The exchanger comprises, for example, three flat metal sheets, for example made in titanium, stacked one above the other, interconnected in a partial manner by means of an adhesive so as to allow the two outer sheets to be moved apart when a pressurized gas is introduced between the sheets. The intermediate sheet is produced in a super-plastic material which meets a precise technical definition that can be summed up by a material with a large plastic deformation phase at high temperature allowing for large elongation at break. Once the outside sheets have been moved apart, the intermediate sheet is deformed so as to define two liquid flow channels on both sides of said intermediate sheet, and between the two outside sheets of the stack, respectively.

[0005] US 2006/0070728 is also known and relates to a heat exchanger intended for a ventilation system for a structure so as to optimise the replacement of the inside air by the outside air. This document notably describes a conventional exchanger which includes a plurality of thin flat laminated plates between which are disposed respectively smooth pleated plates. The outside air passes between the pleats formed by a pleated plate between two flat plates, forming a bank of air flow, whilst the inside air passes between the pleats formed by the adjacent pleated plate of a similar adjacent bank. Two adjacent banks form two air flows, the inside flow and the outside flow respectively, in accordance with two senses of direction at 90.degree.. The invention according to this document consists in replacing the smooth pleated plates by drilled pleated plated so as to increase the air turbulence when it flows through the exchanger, and thus to improve the output of this latter. In addition, the pleats can advantageously be disposed offset with regard to the direction of the air flow. The sheets of the exchanger can be produced in aluminium or paper and the intermediate drilled sheets can be produced in a porous resin film.

[0006] It is also an object of the present invention to implement a method for producing a heat exchanger which, at least to a great extent, alleviates the disadvantages referred to above of heat exchangers of the prior art.

[0007] More particularly, it is the object of the present invention to implement a method for producing a heat exchanger that weighs less than exchangers of the prior art, with reduced pressure loss in the fluid flows and costing less to produce, whilst at the same time improving heat exchanges between the banks, throwing off the dimensional restrictions imposed by the prior art and increasing resistance to pressure differences between the banks of fluid flow.

[0008] More precisely, the object of the present invention is a method for producing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of interconnecting banks each defining a fluid flow, each bank comprising two solid plates, respectively the top plate and the bottom plate produced in an impervious material, and spacing means to keep the two solid plates at a spacing one from the other, characterized in that the production of at least one of the said banks includes the following steps:

[0009] (A) producing an insert plate comprising: [0010] a plurality of strips, [0011] bridges of weakness interconnecting said strips such that they are parallel to each other, said bridges of weakness being capable of breaking under tension, and [0012] a plurality of openings produced in each strip such that said openings, along the two longitudinal edges of each strip, delimit two continuous lanes, respectively the left lane and the right lane, the openings being separated from each other by partition walls that connect the two lanes, each lane having a top face and a bottom face, [0013] (B) interposing said insert plate between the two solid impervious plates, i.e. the top and bottom plate, [0014] (C) interposing binding means between, on the one hand, the top face of each left lane of all the strips and the bottom face of the top plate, and, on the other hand, the bottom face of each right lane of all the strips and the top face of the bottom plate, [0015] (D) applying a first force to bring the two plates, the top and bottom plate, into contact with the insert plate, such that all the top faces of the left lanes adhere to the bottom face of the top plate and all the bottom faces of the right lanes adhere to the top face of the bottom plate, and [0016] (E) applying a second force to part the two plates, i.e. the top and bottom plate one from the other in such a manner that the bridges of weakness are broken and until the partition walls between the openings form a non zero angle with the two plates, the top and bottom plates.

[0017] The object of the present invention is also a heat exchanger obtained with the method defined above.

[0018] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the following description given with respect to the drawings provided for illustrative purposes only but being in no way restrictive, in which:

[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 represent two schematic views, a side view and top view respectively of an embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the invention, and

[0020] FIGS. 3 to 5 represent respectively three steps of the implementation of the method according to the invention for producing a heat exchanger according to the invention in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0021] First of all it must be stated that in the Figures the same references designate the same elements, whatever the Figure on which they appear and whatever form of representation these elements may take. In the same way, if elements are not referenced specifically on one of the Figures, their references can be easily found by looking at another Figure.

[0022] It must also be stated that these Figures represent essentially one single embodiment of the object according to the invention, but there may be other embodiments that meet the definition of this invention.

[0023] It must also be stated that when, according to the definition of the invention, the object of the invention includes "at least one" element with a given function, the embodiment described can comprise a plurality of said elements. Reciprocally, if the embodiment of the object according to the invention such as is illustrated comprises a plurality of elements with an identical function and if, in the description, it is not specified that the object according to this invention must, in an obligatory manner, comprise a specific number of said elements, the object of the invention can be defined as comprising "at least one" of said elements.

[0024] Finally it must be stated that when, in the present description, one expression on its own, with no specific particular mention concerning it, defines a set of structural characteristics, these characteristics can be taken, for the definition of the object of the protection requested, when this is technically possible, either separately or in total and/or partial combination.

[0025] First of all it must be pointed out again, by referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, that a heat exchanger 1 according to the invention comprises a plurality of interconnecting banks 2, 3, 4, each bank defining a fluid flow 5, 6 and comprising two solid plates, respectively the top plate 11 and bottom plate 12 produced in an impervious material, and spacing means 14 to keep the two solid plates at a spacing one from another. These spacing means 14 also allow the flow of the fluid 5, 6 to be divided with the aim of contributing better to the heat exchanges via the top and bottom plates 11, 12 between the two fluids flowing in two consecutive banks. As is shown in FIG. 2, the fluid flows 5, 6 between two juxtaposed banks are advantageously counter-current so as to participate in the improvement in the heat exchange output between the two banks.

[0026] The method according to the invention is characterized essentially in that the production of at least one of the banks 2, 3, 4 includes the five steps A to E defined below.

[0027] The first step A, more particularly with reference to FIG. 3, consists in producing an insert plate 20 that comprises a plurality of strips 21, 22, 23, bridges of weakness 35, 36, 37 that connect said strips 21, 22, 23 such that they are parallel to one another, it being noted that said bridges of weakness are capable of breaking under tension, and a plurality of openings 25, 26, 27 that are produced in each strip such that, along the two longitudinal edges of the strip, they delimit two continuous lanes 31, 32 as represented, or discontinuous lanes (not represented), respectively the left lane and the right lane; the openings 25, 26, 27 being separated from each other by partition walls 28, 29 that connect the two lanes, each lane having a top face 33, 33-1 and a bottom face 34, 34-1.

[0028] It must be noted that the insert plate 20 can be in the form of a draughtboard (not represented), the squares of one of the colours of the draughtboard would in fact be the openings and the squares of the other colour on the draughtboard would be produced from material, these latter being connected by corners constituting in this way notably the bridges of weakness described above. Thus, each of the strips 21, 22, 23 described above would be constituted on their respective edges by two alignments of discontinuous squares, defining the two lanes 31, 32 along the two longitudinal edges of the strip, these two discontinuous lanes 31, 32 being interconnected by an alignment of offset discontinuous squares defining the partition walls 28, 29 described above and therefore connecting the two lanes. According to this alternative embodiment, the two lanes 31, 32 and the partition walls 28, 29, forming a determined strip, and the two similar adjacent strips on both sides of the same, would be connected by the corners of the squares of the draughtboard constituted by material, and forming the bridges of weakness.

[0029] These bridges of weakness can be constituted in different ways, for example by tabs connecting the strips as illustrated in the Figures, or by one single continuous tab between two strips that can be obtained by producing a groove or a furrow in the intermediate plate 20, or also by joints in the material between two corners of two squares of a draughtboard as described above.

[0030] The second step B consists in interposing the insert plate 20, which has the characteristics defined above and is obtained during step A, between the two solid impervious plates, the top plate and the bottom plate, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0031] A third step C consists in interposing the binding means 41, 42 between, on the one hand, the top face 33 of each left lane 31 of all the strips 21, 22, 23 and the bottom face 1-11 of the top plate 11, and, on the other hand, the bottom face 34-1 of each right lane 32 of all the strips 21, 22, 23 and the top face 1-12 of the bottom plate 12.

[0032] However, it is stipulated that said third step C can be executed before of after the first step A or after the second step B defined above, although, according to an advantageous characteristic of the method given below, this third step C is preferably executed before the first step A or before the second step B.

[0033] In FIG. 4, the binding means 41, 42 are represented pre-positioned on the faces 33 and 34-1 respectively of the lanes 31, 32, but it is certainly clear that they can also be pre-positioned directly on the bottom face 1-11 and top face 1-12 respectively of the two plates 11, 12 in the locations where the top and bottom faces of the lanes come into contact with the bottom and top faces of the two plates, as explained below during the description of the following steps in the implementation of the method according to the invention.

[0034] As for the fourth step D, it consists in applying a first force, indicated in FIG. 4 by the arrows F, to bring the two plates, the top 11 plate and the bottom 12 plate, into contact with the insert plate 20 such that all the top faces 33 of the left lanes 31 adhere fixedly 41 to the bottom face 1-11 of the top plate 11 and all the bottom faces 34-1 of the right lanes 32 adhere fixedly 42 to the top face 1-12 of the bottom plate 12.

[0035] According to the nature of the binding means 41, 42, the stack of three plates may be submitted to adapted heating.

[0036] The fifth step E of the method is executed when the adherence between the lanes 31, 32 and the plates 11, 12 has been completely obtained. It consists, with reference to the schematic FIG. 5, by applying a second force (in effect a force in the opposite direction to the first force defined above and indicated by the arrows F in FIG. 4) to part the two plates, the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12, one from the other in such a manner that the bridges of weakness 36, 37, 38 are broken and until, by folding, the partition walls 28, 29 between the openings 25, 26, 27 form an non zero angle with the two plates, the top plate and the bottom plate 11, 12.

[0037] In a preferred manner, to obtain a rigid heat exchanger that is not, for example, capable of vibrating and/or deforming notably by swelling when put into operation in the fluid flow, the method consists in parting the top plate and the bottom plate 11, 12 one from the other by applying a second force to them, until the partition walls 28, 29 between the openings form an angle approximately equal to ninety degrees with the two plates, the top plate and the bottom plate 11, 12.

[0038] At the end of executing the fifth step E, the heat exchanger is provided as schematically illustrated in the side view represented in FIG. 5, in which are visible the broken bridges of weakness 35, 36, 37, the spacing means 14 separated by the width of the openings 25, 26, 27 and which are provided approximately in the form of a "Z" with their two horizontal bars at right angles to their vertical bar, the horizontal bars corresponding to the two lanes 31, 32 and the vertical linking bars corresponding to the partition walls 28, 29 of the openings 25, 26, 27.

[0039] It must be noted that the two fold lines of the Z-shaped strips are obtained on the two imaginary lines 101, 102 represented by the broken lines that go through the two edges 51, 52 of the openings that delimit the left and right lanes 31, 32. These folds are promoted by the very existence of the openings and the small width and thickness of the partition walls 28, 29 between said openings. In fact, these two fold lines are made automatically when the second force is applied.

[0040] According to a preferred characteristic of the method, the openings 25, 26, 27 in each strip 21, 22, 23 are produced such that their edges 51, 52 referred to above are co-linear 102, 102 and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lanes, with the aim of making folding into a Z-shape as defined above easier to accomplish.

[0041] The counter-current fluid flow between two juxtaposed banks is advantageously established in the direction of the two imaginary lines 101, 102 corresponding to the two fold lines of the Z-shaped strips, and between the adjusted strips 21, 22, 23. The width of the openings 25, 26, 27 of each strip 21, 22, 23 allows the flow of a fluid 5, 6 to be controlled such that it is rather channeled between the strips 21, 22, 23 of one bank when this width is small, or can also be distributed across the openings 25, 26, 27 of each strip 21, 22, 23, in a diverging manner, then a converging manner, between the entry 5.sub.en, 6.sub.en and the exit 5.sub.ex, 6.sub.ex of the fluid for each bank considered.

[0042] As represented in FIG. 2, the counter-current character of the relative flow of the two fluids 5, 6 of two adjacent banks, is obtained, in co-operation with the guiding of the fluid flow between the strips 21, 22, 23, by the symmetrical entries and exits between the two banks, with respect to a plane at right angles to the strips 21, 22, 23 and to the plane of the bank: for example, in FIG. 2, the entry 5.sub.en of the fluid into a bank 3 is at the bottom right-hand side of the surface of the bank 3 and the exit 5.sub.ex at the top left-hand side of the surface of the bank; and the entry 6.sub.en of the fluid into an adjacent bank 2 is at the top right-hand side of the bank 2 and the exit 6.sub.ex is at the bottom left-hand side of the bank 2 (the positional references are given with respect to the view in FIG. 2).

[0043] It must be noted that, in a known manner, the counter-current character of the flow of the fluids between two adjacent banks, will be all the more efficient given that, with respect to FIG. 2, the distance between the entries 6.sub.en and 5.sub.en or between the exits 6.sub.ex and 5.sub.ex will be large in relation to the distance between the entry 5.sub.en and the exit 6.sub.ex or between the entry 6.sub.en and the exit 5.sub.ex such that the length of the channels of fluid flow defined between the spacing means 14 is large in relation to the width of the bank defined by the juxtaposition of these flow channels, forming the width of the sides of the bank corresponding to the walls 70-3 or 70-4 of the housing 70.

[0044] The method according to the invention is particularly interesting in terms of the goals to be obtained defined in the preamble of the present description, i.e. notably to obtain an exchanger that allows for very good heat exchanges whilst at the same time not being too expensive to produce and or being too heavy, as it is possible to use plates 11, 12, 20 that are approximately between thirty and a thousand microns thick, produced in materials such as aluminium, copper, aluminium-base alloys or copper-base alloys, or any other material that is a good heat conductor.

[0045] As for the binding means 41, 42, they can be of different types. However, they will preferably be selected from those that operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding.

[0046] In addition, still with the aim of obtaining the lowest possible production cost, said binding means 41, 42 shall be selected from those that can be applied by seriography or by micro projection, for example flat, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes 33, 34-1, the bottom face 1-11 of the top plate and the top face 1-12 of the bottom plate 12; it is well known that said application techniques can easily be applied in an automated manner.

[0047] With the same objective, the production of the openings 25, 26 27 can be effected according to at least one of the following techniques: micro cutting, stamping, laser cutting, pressurized water jet spray which can easily be automated, chemical milling or electrochemical milling.

[0048] It has been mentioned, and can be seen in FIG. 3, that it is possible to leave a middle zone 60 without any openings on at least one of the two lateral strips 21 of the insert plate 20 with the aim, for example, of sealing at least partially at the side, the bank produced with such an insert plate 20 between the two plates 11, 12.

[0049] This middle zone 60 without any openings, in spite of everything, can be edged at each of its ends by at least one opening 25-26 to constitute the entry and the exit of the bank, FIG. 2.

[0050] It is also possible for at least one of the two lateral strips 21 not to have an openings, this allows, for example, a flow bank totally sealed on one side and partially on the other to be obtained, the entry and exit being on the same side in this embodiment.

[0051] Although, on FIG. 3, the openings are all the same length, it is possible to produce the openings 25, 26, 27 with different lengths, and even to start producing the openings from a very edge of the insert plate 20, as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the opening 1-25, with the aim, for example, of coping with distribution buffer volumes of the fluid until it flows into the part of the bank comprising the spacing means 14.

[0052] To facilitate bending the strips 21, 22, 23 into a Z-shape as defined above, the method consists in producing the openings 25-26 with one of the following forms: rectangular, square, triangular, trapezoidal, round, oval.

[0053] To avoid the appearance of tears in the intermediate plate 20 when adjusting the partition walls 28, 29, it is advantageous to produce the openings 25, 26, 27 with the edges not having any sharp rims following a direction at right angles to the plane of the intermediate plate 20. In the case, for example, of the possible forms mentioned above, it is advantageous for the openings to have rounded corners.

[0054] A method of implementing the method according to the invention has been described above to produce one of the banks of the heat exchanger according to the invention, but it is very clear that all the banks of a same exchanger can be produced in the same way, and at the same time, emphasizing that one of the two solid plates delimiting one bank is used as one of the two solid plates for the consecutive bank, and so on.

[0055] In this case, all the banks 2, 3, 4 will be produced at once. Such an embodiment is in the field of expertise of the expert who, having become familiar with the description given above, will know how to implement the method to produce an exchanger according to the invention with a plurality of banks. The implementation of the method to produce an exchanger according to the invention with a plurality of banks will therefore not be described in any more detail here purely with the aim of trying to simplify the present description.

[0056] In this case, however, as is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 and is more visible in FIG. 5, the method according to the invention shall consist in an advantageous manner in producing the insert plates 20 and in fitting them one relative to the other between the bottom plate and the top plate 11, 12 such that, when the top and bottom plates 11, 12 delimiting at least two consecutive banks are parted one from the other, the partition walls 28, 29 between the openings 25, 26, 27 of one bank are respectively situated in the same plane as the partition walls 28, 29 between the openings 25, 26, 27 of the other bank.

[0057] It is of course the same for all the insert plates 20. That is to say all the partition walls 28, 29 between the openings 25, 26, 27 of one bank will be respectively situated in the same plane as all the partition walls 28, 29 of all the other banks.

[0058] The exchanger 1, obtained in this manner, will be more resistant to pressure both outside and inside, with the partition walls 28, 29 one above the other aligned forming the individual spacer units for all the banks. These individual spacer units prevent, for example, the top and bottom plates 11, 12 from deforming at the ends of the partition walls 28, 29, which could occur if they were, for example, offset staggered in rows.

[0059] This advantageous configuration with a plurality of banks is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1 and 5.

[0060] However, in an advantageous manner, the method can comprise a supplementary sixth step F which consists, after producing a plurality of interconnecting banks, in enclosing this plurality of banks 2, 3, 4 in a housing 70, FIGS. 1 and 2, that includes the partition walls 70-1, 70-2, 70-3, 70-4 that partially seal at least one of the sides of the banks, the entries and exits 5.sub.en, 6.sub.en, 5.sub.ex 6.sub.ex for each bank 2, 3, 4 of fluid flow 5, 6 also being defined in the wall of the housing.

[0061] For reasons, for example, of integration in more complex systems, certain ends of the banks can be sealed by fixed or detachable plugs so as to facilitate cleaning of the same.

[0062] The present invention also relates to a heat exchanger 1 produced according to the method described above.

[0063] In the above description, it emerges that the method according to the invention for producing a heat exchanger is very economical as, apart from the fact that it can be implemented with little material, nearly all of the stages of the different steps can be easily automated, for example by using robots with grippers (no-load suction cups) notably to handle the plates 11, 12, 20, cutting robots and robots for applying the binding means 41, 42, functioning according to the techniques mentioned throughout the present description explaining the different steps of the implementation of the method according to the invention.

[0064] Finally, it must be stated and emphasized that, in terms of the present description, the adjectives "top" and "bottom", "right" and "left" are only used to facilitate differentiation, purely with respect to the plane of the Figures, of the positions of the two solid plates 11, 12 one with respect to the other, the respective positions of the lanes 21, 32 of a same strip, and the respective faces of the lanes. In no way, for example, must the adjectives "top" and "bottom" be understood purely as defining a position of the horizontal plates 11, 12 at the respective levels in accordance with a vertical. These plates 11, 12 can be positioned according to any direction whatsoever with respect to the ground.

[0065] Translation on FIG. 2 [0066] 5.sub.so has been translated as 5.sub.ex [0067] 6.sub.so has been translated as 6.sub.ex

Claims

1. Method for producing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of interconnecting banks each defining a fluid flow, each bank comprising two solid plates, respectively the top plate and the bottom plate produced in an impervious material, and spacing means to keep the two solid plates at a spacing one from the other, characterized in that the production of at least one of the said banks includes the following steps: (A) producing an insert plate comprising: a plurality of strips, bridges of weakness interconnecting said strips such that they are parallel to each other, said bridges of weakness being capable of breaking under tension, and a plurality of openings produced in each strip such that said openings, along the two longitudinal edges of each strip, delimit two continuous lanes respectively the left lane and the right lane, the openings being separated from each other by partition walls that connect the two lanes, each lane having a top face and a bottom face, (B) interposing said insert plate between the two solid impervious plates, i.e. the top and bottom plate, (C) interposing binding means between, on the one hand, the top face of each left lane of all the strips and the bottom face of the top plate, and, on the other hand, the bottom face of each right lane of all the strips and the top face of the bottom plate, (D) applying a first force to bring the two solid plates, the top and bottom plate, into contact with the insert plate, such that all the top faces of the left lanes adhere to the bottom face of the top plate and all the bottom faces of the right lanes adhere to the top face of the bottom plate, and (E) applying a second force to part the two plates, i.e. the top and bottom plate one from the other in such a manner that the bridges of weakness are broken and until the partition walls between the openings form a non zero angle with the two plates, the top and bottom plates.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the openings in each strip are produced such that their edges delimiting the left and right lanes are co-linear and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said lanes.

3. Method according to, characterized in that said method consists in using plates that are approximately between thirty and a thousand microns thick.

4. Method according to, characterized in that the binding means operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in producing said openings according to at least one of the following techniques: micro cutting, stamping, laser cutting, pressurized water jet spray, chemical milling or electrochemical milling.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in leaving a middle zone without any openings on at least one of the two lateral strips of the insert plate.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in producing the openings with one of the following forms: rectangular, square, triangular or trapezoidal.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in producing the openings with edges that do not include sharp rims following a direction perpendicular to the plane of the intermediary plate.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in producing the plates (11, 12, 20) in at least one of the following materials: aluminium, copper, aluminium-base alloy, copper-base alloy.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method consists in parting the two plates, the top plate and the bottom plate, from one another by applying a second force to them until the partition walls between the openings form an angle approximately equal to ninety degrees with the two plates, the top plate and the bottom plate.

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method includes a sixth step (F) that consists in producing a plurality of interconnecting banks and in enclosing the plurality of banks in a housing that includes the walls that seal partially at least one of the sides of said banks, entries and exits for each bank of fluid flow also being defined in the walls of the housing.

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the inset plates are arranged one in relation to another such that when the bottom and top plates delimiting two consecutive banks are parted from each other, the partition walls between the openings of one bank are respectively situated in the same plane as the partition walls between the openings of the other bank.

14. Heat exchanger, characterized in that said heat exchanger is produced according to the method in accordance with at least claim 1.

15. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said method consists in using plates that are approximately between thirty and a thousand microns thick.

16. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the binding means operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding.

17. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the binding means operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding.

18. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate.

19. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate.

20. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate.