Heat exchange – Flow passages for two confined fluids – Interdigitated plural first and plural second fluid passages
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-02-13
Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Flow passages for two confined fluids
Interdigitated plural first and plural second fluid passages
C165S157000, C029S890030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186223
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to heat exchangers and more specifically to improvements in heat exchange devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In heat exchangers where parallel or counter flow operation of two isolated fluids (e.g., a refrigerant and air) is used, the inlet and outlet ports of the heat exchanger for these flows are disposed inward of the extreme ends of the heat exchanger vessel. Furthermore, where these heat exchangers use internal parallel plates for performing the heat exchanging between the flows, the ends of the plates are disposed at the ends of the heat exchanger. Thus, it is very important that the extreme ends of the heat exchanger vessel, including the plate ends, need to be thoroughly sealed to maintain the isolation of the two fluids. Although end caps may be brazed, or through-welded, to the ends of the heat exchanger to provide thorough sealing, the dispersed plate ends do not provide a readily dense surface to which the end caps can seal thoroughly. Thus, there remains a need for an improved manner of thoroughly sealing the extreme ends of such heat exchangers that maintains the requisite fluid isolation, that is more resistant to internal pressure forces and that is more cost effective.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide an invention that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for thoroughly sealing the extreme ends of a corrugated folded heat exchanger.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that thoroughly seals the extreme ends of a corrugated folded heat exchanger in order to maintain the isolation of the two heat exchanging fluids.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that thoroughly seals the extreme ends of a corrugated folded heat exchanger in order to improve the resistance to internal pressure forces.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that improves the quality of the sealing of the extreme ends of a corrugated folded heat exchanger.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that reduces the manufacturing costs for thoroughly sealing the extreme ends of a corrugated folded heat exchanger.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method that utilizes welding, rather than brazing, in order to thoroughly seal the extreme ends of a corrugated folded heat exchanger.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for maximizing the density of the corrugated folded core of the heat exchanger in order to thoroughly seal the extreme ends of the heat exchanger.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
These and other objects of the instant invention are achieved by providing a heat exchanger that comprises:(a) an elongated housing (e.g., stainless steel, etc. that has a thickness to withstand high, internal pressure) having a first set of inlet and outlet ports for circulating a first medium (e.g., air) through the housing and a second set of inlet and outlet ports for circulating a second medium (e.g., refrigerant) through the housing and where the housing has an interior wall and two extreme ends; and (b) a core comprising a continuous sheet (e.g., a corrosion-resistant, temperature resistant, low cost material such as stainless steel, titanium, etc.) having corrugations running angularly to the direction of the sheet and wherein the sheet is folded such that each of the folds is in contact with the interior wall to form alternating isolated channels within the housing. The alternating isolated channels comprise a first set of channels that is in fluid communication with the first set of ports and a second set of channels that is in fluid communication with the second set of ports and wherein the first and second media form parallel flows within the respective sets of channels. The continuous sheet comprises ends that are disposed at the extreme ends of the housing and wherein each of the extreme ends are compressed to maximize the density of the core and to form a respective seam in said housing at each of said extreme ends that is welded closed.
These and other objects of the instant invention are also achieved by providing a heat exchanger that comprises:(a) an elongated housing (e.g., stainless steel, etc. that has a thickness to withstand high, internal pressure) having a first set of inlet and outlet ports for circulating a first medium (e.g., air) through the housing and a second set of inlet and outlet ports for circulating a second medium (e.g., refrigerant) through the housing and where the housing has an interior wall and two extreme ends; and (b) a core comprising a continuous sheet (e.g., a corrosion-resistant, temperature resistant, low cost material such as stainless steel, titanium, etc.) having corrugations running angularly to the direction of the sheet and wherein the sheet is folded such that each of the folds is in contact with the interior wall to form alternating isolated channels within the housing. The alternating isolated channels comprise a first set of channels that is in fluid communication with the first set of ports and a second set of channels that is in fluid communication with the second set of ports and wherein the first and second media form parallel flows within the respective sets of channels. The continuous sheet comprises ends that are disposed at the extreme ends of the housing and wherein each of the extreme ends are tapered down to maximize the density of the core and to form a reduced opening in said housing at each of the extreme ends that is welded closed.
These and other objects of the instant invention are also achieved by providing a method for providing a heat exchanger for supporting heat exchange between two fluid media. The method comprises:(a) providing a continuous sheet (e.g., a corrosion resistant, temperature resistant, low cost material such as stainless steel, titanium, etc.) having corrugations running angularly to the direction of the sheet and wherein the continuous sheet has a first end and a second end; (b) providing a first elongated housing shell having a first set of input and output ports for a first medium flow and a second elongated housing shell having a second set of input and output ports for a second medium flow and wherein the shells (e.g., stainless steel, etc. that has a thickness to withstand high, internal pressure) have side edges for joining together to form a housing having an interior wall and a hollow interior and wherein the housing comprises two extreme ends; (c) folding the continuous sheet, excluding the ends, into a plurality of folds such that each one of the plurality of folds is in contact with the interior wall when the folded sheet is positioned in the hollow interior; (d) positioning the folded continuous sheet into the first elongated housing shell so that each one of the ends of the continuous sheet is positioned on a respective side edge of the first elongated housing shell and wherein the first and second ends of the folded continuous sheet are coincident with a respective one of the two extreme ends; (e) joining (e.g., welding) the second elongated housing shell to the first elongated housing shell along their side edges; (f) compressing each of the two extreme ends to maximize the density of the folded continuous sheet and to form a seam in the housing at each of the extreme ends; and (g) welding each of the seams closed.
These and other objects of the instant invention are also achieved by providing a method for providing a heat exchanger for supporting heat exchange between two fluid media. The method comprises:(a) providing a continuous sheet (e.g., a corrosion-resistant, temperature resistant, low cost material such as stainless steel, titanium, etc.) having corrugations running angularly to the direction of the sheet and wherein the co
Bergh Charles J.
McKee Peter J.
Caesar Rivise Bernstein Cohen & Pokotilow Ltd.
Flanigan Allen
Zeks Air Drier Corporation
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