Heat exchanger for high purity fluid handling systems

• US 6,782,195 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Integrated Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Applied Integrated Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Abras, Alexei D., Taghipour, Saeed
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, THOR S
• Application Number:
  US10/116,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 392/480-485, 392/465, 392/466, 392/494, 165/148, 165/150, 165/168-171
• US Class Current: 392/480
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/162 using electrical energy supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 4/02 Water heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0034 using liquid heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/0041 the conduits for only one medium being tubes having parts touching each other or tubes assembled in panel form F28D7/0008, F28D7/0058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/062 the heat-exchange apparatus employing tubular conduits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A novel heat exchanger includes a thermal reservoir and a tube, the tube having straight sections and corrugated bends, and being in thermal contact with the thermal reservoir. The thermal reservoir has a first plate and a second plate fixed to the first plate. The first plate has a channel formed therein with straight sections to receive the straight sections of the tube, and curved sections for receiving the corrugated sections of the tube. The second plate has a channel formed therein as well that is complementary to the channel of the first plate. The heat exchanger is heated by one or more cartridge heaters. In a particular embodiment, two thermal reservoirs are fixed to one another and the cartridge heaters are disposed in channels formed therebetween. Optionally the thermal reservoirs can be heated or cooled by thermoelectric chips, and can include one or more heat sinks.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, comprising:

a first plate having a first surface with a tube-receiving channel formed therein;

a second plate coupled to said first plate, said second plate having a first surface, a second surface, a complementary tube-receiving channel formed in said first surface, and a heater-receiving recess formed in said second surface;

a tube disposed between said tube-receiving channel of said first plate and said complementary tube-receiving channel of said second plate;

a third plate coupled to said second plate, said third plate having a first surface, a second surface, a complementary heater-receiving recess formed in said first surface, and a tube-receiving channel formed in said second surface;

a fourth plate coupled to said third plate, said fourth plate having a complementary tube-receiving channel formed in a first surface thereof; and

a second tube disposed between said tube-receiving channel of said third plate and said complementary tube-receiving channel of said fourth plate.

2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said tube and said second tube is formed from a plastic.

3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said tube and said second tube id formed from perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) plastic.

4. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said tube and said second tube maintains structural integrity at temperatures exceeding 250 degrees Celsius.

5. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said tube and said second tube is chemically inert.

6. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said tube and said second tube comprises a plurality straight sections and a plurality of corrugated sections.

7. A heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein said straight sections of said at least one of said tube and said second tube are disposed parallel to one another.

8. A heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the spacing between adjacent edges of two of said parallel straight sections of said at least one of said tube and said second tube is less than or equal to 1.5 times the diameter of said at least one of said tube and said second tube.

9. A heat exchanger according claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said tube receiving channel of said first plate and said tube-receiving channel of said third plate comprises a plurality of straight sections and a plurality of curved sections; and

an associated one of said complementary tube-receiving channel of said second plate and said tube-receiving channel of said fourth late comprises a plurality of straight sections an a plurality of curved sections.

10. A heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein:

at least one of said tube and said second tube have corrugated bends formed therein; and

said curved sections said tube-receiving channel and said complementary tube-receiving channel associated with said at leas one of said tube and said second tube having corrugated bends have a larger diameter than said straight sections to accept said corrugated bends of said at least one of said tube and said second tube.

11. A heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein said straight sections of said at least one of said tube-receiving channel and said complementary tube-receiving channel are formed parallel to one another.

12. A heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the spacing between two of said parallel straight sections of said at least one of said tube-receiving channel and said complementary tube-receiving channel is less than or equal to 1.5 times the diameter of said at least one tube-receiving channel and said complementary tube-receiving channel.

13. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said heater-receiving recess of said second plate and said complementary heater-receiving recess of said third plate define a bore between said second plate and said third plate.

14. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a cartridge heater disposed between said heater-receiving recess and said complementary heater-receiving recess.

15. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of thermoelectric chips thermally coupled to a second surface of said first plate.

16. A heat exchanger according to claim 15, further comprising a heat sink coupled to said first plurality of thermoelectric chips.

17. A heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein said heat sink comprises a cooling plate adapted to facilitate a cooling fluid flowing therethrough.

18. A heat exchanger according to claim 15, further comprising a first plurality of thermoelectric chins in thermal contact with said thermal reservoir, disposed on a side of said first plate opposite of said channel of said first plate;

and a second plurality of thermoelectric chips thermally coupled to a second surface of said fourth plate.

19. A heat exchanger according to claim 18, further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to at least a portion of said first or said second plurality of thermoelectric chips.

20. A heat exchanger according to claim 19, wherein said heat sink comprises at least one cooling vessel, said cooling vessel adapted to facilitate a cooling fluid flowing therethrough.

21. A heat exchanger according to claim 20, wherein said heat sink comprises:

a first cooling vessel coupled to said first plurality of thermoelectric chips; and

second cooling vessel coupled to said second plurality of thermoelectric chips.

22. A heat exchanger according to claim 21, wherein said first cooling vessel is in fluid communication with said second cooling vessel.

23. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said tube is in fluid communication with said second tube.

24. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said second plate and said third plate formed integrally as a single plate.

25. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate and said fourth plate have a second surface with a heater-receiving recess formed therein.

26. A heat exchanger according to claim 25, further comprising a fifth plate coupled to said at least one of said first plate and said fourth plate, said fifth plate having a first surface, a second surface, a complementary heater-receiving recess formed in said first surface, and a tube-receiving recess formed in said second surface.

27. A heat exchange according to claim 26, further comprising:

a sixth plate coupled to aid fifth plate, said sixth plate having a complementary tube-receiving channel formed in a first surface thereof; and

a third tube disposed between said tube-receiving channel of said fifth plate and said complementary tub receiving channel of said sixth plate.

28. A heat exchange according to claim 26, further comprising:

a first cartridge heater disposed between said heater-receiving recess of said second plate and said complementary heater-receiving recess of said third plate; and

a second cartridge heater disposed between said heater-receiving recess of said at least one of said first plate and said fourth plate and said complementary heater-receiving recess of aid fifth plate.

29. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said complementary tube-receiving channel of said fourth plate is complementary to said complementary tube-receiving channel of said second plate.

30. A heat exchange according to claim 1, wherein said tube-receiving channel of said third plate is complementary to said complementary tube-receiving channel of said second plate.

31. A heat exchange according to claim 1, wherein said second plate is substantially identical to said third late.

32. A heat exchange according to claim 31, wherein at least one of said first plate and said fourth plate is substantially identical to said third plate.

33. A heat exchanger, comprising:

a thermal reservoir including at least one plate having at least one channel formed therein, said channel having a plurality of straight sections and a plurality of curved sections; and

a tube in thermal contact with at least a portion of said channel, said tube having corrugated bends formed therein; and

wherein

said curved sections of id channel have a larger diameter than said straight sections to accept said corrugated bends of said tube.

34. A heat exchange according to claim 33, wherein said straight sections of said channel are formed parallel to one other.

35. A heat exchange according to claim 34, wherein the spacing between two of said parallel straight sections of said channel is less than or equal to 1.5 times the diameter of said channel.

36. A heat exchanger, comprising:

a thermal reservoir including a first plate with at least one channel formed therein and a second plate coupled to said first plate, said second plate having at least one channel complementary to said channel of said first plate formed therein; and

a tube in thermal contact with said thermal reservoir, said tube having corrugated bends formed therein; and

wherein

said channel and said complementary channel thermally engage at least a portion of said tube;

said complementary channel of said second plate comprises straight sections and curved section; and

said curved sections of said complementary channel have a larger diameter than said straight sections of said complementary channel to accept said corrugated bends of said tube.