“Stacked” type heat exchanger

Details “Stacked” type heat exchanger “Stacked” type heat exchanger

2000-05-16

2001-07-17

Leo, Leonard (Department: 3743)

Heat exchange

Expansion and contraction relieving or absorbing means

Relieving or absorbing means supports temperature modifier...

C165S081000, C165S149000, C165S153000, C165S167000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06260612

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a “stacked” type heat exchanger having a core consisting of a plurality elements and having a core support, and, more particularly, to a “stacked” type heat exchanger having a simple structure for absorbing or reducing a thermal stress that may be induced between the elements and the core support.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A “stacked” type heat exchanger comprises a core and a core support. The core is in the form of a stack of elements, each element consisting of a pair of dish-like plates that are placed one on top of the other, each plate having communication apertures formed at opposed ends thereof. The pair of plates are joined together at their peripheries in a liquidtight fashion to form an element, and a plurality of elements are stacked in a liquidtight fashion by way of the communication apertures. The core support is joined to one end of the stack of the elements in the stacked direction. The core support has at its opposed ends a pair of port openings that are joined to the communication apertures in the elements in a liquidtight fashion. By way of example, a high-temperature fluid flows through the interior of the elements, and a cooling water is passed through the exterior of the elements.
Due to the presence of difference of temperature between a first fluid flowing through the interior of each element and a second fluid passing through the external surface of the core support, there may arise a difference of thermal expansion between the elements and the core support. This may possibly result in an occurrence of cracks at the peripheries of the commutation apertures that are junctions between the elements and the core support.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a “stacked” type heat exchanger having a less tendency to cause any cracks.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a “stacked” type heat exchanger comprising a core including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements consisting of a pair of plates, each of the plates having communication apertures formed at opposed ends in the longitudinal direction, at least one of the plates being shaped into a dish, the plates being placed one on top of the other with their peripheries being jointed together in a liquidtight fashion, the plurality of elements being joined together in a liquidtight fashion by way of the communication apertures at the opposed ends, to thereby form the core; and a planar core support adapted to be joined to one end of the core, the core support having a pair of port openings that are in alignment with the communication apertures at the opposed ends; wherein the core support includes a plurality of slits that are disposed between the pair of port openings so as to intersect an imaginary line joining the pair of port openings, the plurality of slits being slightly deformable when a thermal stress is applied to regions between the pair of port openings.
Each of the plurality of elements and the core support may have elongated planar surfaces. The plurality of slits may include a first slit formed in the core support so as to extend from one edge in its transverse direction up to a position beyond the central portion in the transverse direction of the core support; and a second slit formed in the core support so as to extend from the other edge in its transverse direction up to a position beyond the central portion in the transverse direction of the core support.
The plurality of slits may include a pair of arcuate edge slits formed circumferentially around the port opening in the elongated core support, the pair of edge slits extending from adjacent edges of the core support toward each other; and an arcuate central slit formed concentrically with respect to the pair of edge slits, but with a slight radially inward offset relative to the pair of edge slits, the central slit having opposed ends that extend up to the vicinity of the adjacent edges.
The plurality of slits further may includes a pair of auxiliary edge slits extending from the adjacent edges concentrically with respect to the central slit, but positioned radially opposite to the pair of edge slits with respect to the central slit.
The above and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:


REFERENCES:
patent: 4917181 (1990-04-01), Kiernan, Jr. et al.
patent: 5186239 (1993-02-01), Young et al.
patent: 5582241 (1996-12-01), Yoho et al.
patent: 5584340 (1996-12-01), Derosier
patent: 3408867 (1985-09-01), None
patent: 2-50088 (1990-02-01), None

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