Heat exchange – Flow passages for two confined fluids – Interdigitated plural first and plural second fluid passages
Patent
1998-12-31
2000-08-08
Leo, Leonard
Heat exchange
Flow passages for two confined fluids
Interdigitated plural first and plural second fluid passages
165153, 165165, 165176, 165DIG399, F28F 300
Patent
active
060987065
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INVENTION
THIS INVENTION relates to a heat exchanger and is more specifically concerned with one preferably made of metal although plastics material could be used, and which is designed for transferring heat between two gas streams which flow through primary and secondary passages of the heat exchanger in a largely or substantially counterflow manner.
STATE OF THE ART
In my Australian Patent No. 660,781 is described a counterflow heat exchanger of composite construction. It utilises a sinuously wound metal foil having moulded plastics baffle plates located in pockets provided between adjacent sections of the foil. Each baffle plate provides a set of largely parallel gas-flow paths extending between gas inlets and gas outlets. The inlets and outlets of each gas flow path are respectively arranged in separate lines at the sides of the pockets. This enables simple manifold connections to be made individually to each of the inlets and outlets. Such an arrangement of manifold connections is described in my Australian Patent No.637,090.
Although the above described heat exchanger can be made easily and reliably and has a high thermal efficiency, it relies on the use of plastics mouldings and these can only be made cheaply on a mass-production basis if relatively expensive production equipment is used. Also, as thermoplastics material are preferably used for the plates, the temperature of gases passed through the heat exchanger is naturally limited. Finally, the speed of production is restricted as a moulding technique is used.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An objection of this invention is to provide a heat exchanger having basically counterflow characteristics and which is capable of being manufactured and assembled more quickly than is possible with a heat exchanger of composite construction.
THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention a heat exchanger has a stack of parallel pockets each formed between superimposed plates each providing a set of ribs having parallel straight sections connected by parallel curved sections, each pocket having the ribs of one flanking plate slightly offset with respect to the ribs of the other flanking plate so that the ribs of one plate provide spacers holding the flanking plates apart while dividing the pockets into substantially parallel U-shaped flow gas flow paths which extend between a gas inlet, provided along one corner region of the stack, and a gas outlet provided along a different corner region of the stack, the ribs of alternate plates being in registration with one another and being almost in registration with the ribs of the remaining plates which are also in registration with one another so that the corresponding parallel U-shaped gas flow paths in all of the pockets are in substantial registration with one another over the greater part of their lengths.
PREFERRED FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
The plates may be separate from one another. However it is preferred that they comprise rectangular stamped areas of a metal strip which is folded back and forth in concertina fashion to provide the pockets in the folds.
Conveniently, the plates are stamped in pairs with the ribs of one plate projecting from the opposite side of the plate, before it is folded, to the ribs on the other plate of the pair. This increases the rate of production of the stamped plates.
In one arrangement of heat exchanger made by the invention, the return bends of the ribs lie adjacent one face of the heat exchanger which is sealed by being immersed in a shallow tray of hot glue. The glue hardens quickly when the face of the heat exchanger is lifted from the tray, and forms a continuous wall which seals the face and traps the edges of the plates side-by-side in their required positions.
The two parallel sides of the stack adjacent the glued face may have flat windowed plates placed firmly against them so that the pockets in the stack are closed adjacent the face but are open at the opposite two corner regions of the stack remote from the glued face. This enables gas to pass
REFERENCES:
patent: 2596642 (1952-05-01), Boestad
patent: 2940736 (1960-06-01), Odman
patent: 3258832 (1966-07-01), Gerstung
patent: 3508607 (1970-04-01), Herrmann
patent: 3734178 (1973-05-01), Soudron
patent: 4219080 (1980-08-01), Chaix et al.
patent: 4407357 (1983-10-01), Hultgren
patent: 5443116 (1995-08-01), Hayashi et al.
patent: 5507338 (1996-04-01), Schornhorst et al.
patent: 5810077 (1998-09-01), Nakamura et al.
Eco Air Limited
Leo Leonard
LandOfFree
Heat exchanger does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Heat exchanger, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Heat exchanger will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1140976