Low-cost flexible plastic heat exchanger

• US 4,213,498 A
• Filed: 11/15/1978
• Issued: 07/22/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sealed Air Corporation US (Sealed Air)
• Original Assignee: American HCP
• Inventors: Vandenbossche, Benjamin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Sheldon
• Application Number:
  US05/960,829
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 165/46, 165/135, 165/136, 165/168, 165/169, 165/170
• US Class Current: 165/136
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/06 with the heat-exchange conduits forming part of, or being attached to, the tank containing the body of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/065 the heat-exchange apparatus employing plate-like or laminated conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/067 Details

Abstract

A modular plastic heat exchanger includes at least one thermal exchange element having parallel outer and inner plastic sheets separated by a plurality of parallel ribs extending between said sheets and connected thereto to form a plurality of channels generally rectangular in cross-section with a plastic insulating foam sized to be co-extensive with said outer sheet and secured to the exterior surface of said outer sheet, and a pair of cylindrical manifolds, each having a large central flow tube oriented normal to such channels in said thermal exchange element and fixedly secured to said thermal exchange element on opposite edges thereof, each of said manifolds being operably connected to fluidly communicate said channels to its flow tube at the ends of said channels, whereby the inner sheet can be tightly faced against a cylindrical member to be thermally controlled and temperature controlled fluids can be passed from one manifold to the other to control the temperature of the member.

Claims

1. A heat exchange tank system comprising:

3. The heat exchange tank system defined in claim 1 wherein the modular plastic heat exchanger includes an insulating foam layer co-extensive with the outer sheet means and sealingly adhered to its exterior surface.

5. The modular heat exchanger defined in claim 3 which includes fitting means employing O-rings received in the ends of the central flow tube of each manifold means and screw retaining means to lock said fitting means therein for communicating fluids to and from said manifold means.

2. a cylindrical tank having a smooth exterior surface;

at least one modular plastic heat exchanger circumferentially disposed around the outer circumference of said tank, said modular plastic heat exchanger including at least one thermal exchange means composed of parallel inner and outer plastic sheet means separated by a plurality of parallel flat ribs oriented normal to said sheet means and fused to said sheet means to form a plurality of parallel channels;

a first manifold means having a central large flow tube and a distributor means operably connected to said thermal exchange means at one edge so said flow tube is normal to the longitudinal axes of said channels and to fluidly communicate said channels with said flow tube; and

a second manifold means having a large central flow tube and a distributor means operably connected to the edge of said thermal exchange means opposite said first manifold means so said flow tube is normal to the axes of said channels and to fluidly communicate said channels with its flow tube, whereby fluids can enter one flow tube and simultaneously pass through said channels of said thermal exchange means to the other flow tube;

clamping means operably connected between said first and second manifold means to tension said thermal exchange means so its inner sheet means is forced tightly against said smooth surface of said tank; and

fitting means connected to said flow tube means to operably communicate them with fluid ingress and egress lines for heating or cooling said tank by pumping the appropriate fluids therethrough.

4. A modular plastic heat exchanger comprising:

at least one thermal exchange means composed of parallel inner and outer plastic sheet means separated by a plurality of parallel flat ribs oriented normal to said sheet means and fused to said sheet means to form a plurality of parallel channels;

an insulating foam layer co-extensive with the outer sheet means and sealingly adhered to one of its exterior surfaces;

a first manifold means having a central large cylindrical flow tube and a distributor means operably connected to said thermal exchange means at one edge so said flow tube is normal to and disposed tangentially to the longitudinal axes of said channels and arranged to fluidly communicate said channels with said flow tube; and

a second manifold means having a large central cylindrical flow tube and a distributor means operably connected to an edge of said thermal exchange means opposite said first manifold means so said flow tube is normal to and disposed tangentially to the longitudinal axes of said channels and arranged to fluidly communicate said channels with its flow tube and clamping means operable to engage said first and second manifold means to secure said thermal exchange means against a surface to be thermally controlled, whereby fluids can enter one flow tube and simultaneously pass through said channels of said thermal exchange means to the other flow tube.