Heat exchanger

• US 9,182,176 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sei, Chugen
• Original Assignee: Sei, Chugen
• Inventors: Sei, Chugen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROJOHN III, CLAIRE E
• Application Number:
  US13/396,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20120261099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 165/166, 165/104.34, 165/164, 165/165
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0012 the apparatus having an annular form

Abstract

A low cost heat exchanger exhibits high performance in relation to heat resistance, pressure resistance, prevention of fluid leakage, and heat exchange efficiency. The heat exchanger is equipped with a stacked plate assembly having a plurality of stacked plates, and a hollow tubular casing, which accommodates the stacked plate assembly and extends in the stacking direction. The stacked plate assembly includes the plurality of plates, sealing members for preventing leakage of fluid from fluid paths, and a fixing tool fastening together the plural plates at a position along the central axis thereof. In the heat exchanger, two types of fluids that undergo heat exchange flow in arcuate paths in the interior of hollow portions formed between two adjacent plates, without causing mutual mixing to occur between the two fluids. Adjacent hollow portions are connected in series through bypasses.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising:

a stacked plate assembly having n stacked plates, where n is a natural number constant satisfying the relation 5≦

n;

on each of two mutually adjacent plates from among said n plates, hollow portions are formed between said two plates;

among at least one first hollow portion, which is formed between a Hth plate, where H=2x−

1, and a Ith plate, where I=2x, counting in a direction from one end to another end in the stacking direction of said n plates, where x is a natural number variable satisfying the relation 2x ≦

n, a closest first hollow portion to said one end in said stacking direction comprises a first outlet port that communicates with an exterior of said stacked plate assembly;

among said at least one first hollow portion, a closest first hollow portion to said other end in said stacking direction comprises a first inlet port that communicates with the exterior of said stacked plate assembly;

a first bypass is provided that interconnects each of two mutually adjacent first hollow portions from among two or more first hollow portions for forming a single flow path for fluid from the first inlet port to the first outlet port through the two or more first hollow portions sequentially;

among at least one second hollow portion, which is formed between a Jth plate, where J=2y, and a Kth plate, where K=2y+1, counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in the stacking direction of said n plates, where y is a natural number variable satisfying the relation 2y+1≦

n, a closest second hollow portion to said one end in said stacking direction comprises a second inlet port that communicates with the exterior of said stacked plate assembly;

among said at least one second hollow portion, a closest second hollow portion to said other end in said stacking direction comprises a second outlet port that communicates with the exterior of said stacked plate assembly;

a second bypass is provided that interconnects each of two mutually adjacent second hollow portions from among two or more second hollow portions for forming a single flow path for fluid from the second inlet port to the second outlet port through the two or more second hollow portions sequentially;

said first hollow portion and said second hollow portion are separated mutually from each other, so that fluid does not flow between said first hollow portion and said second hollow portion;

each of said at least one first bypass is arranged along an outer side surface of a second hollow portion that is positioned between two first hollow portions which are connected mutually by said first bypass in said stacking direction; and

each of said at least one second bypass is arranged to penetrate through an inner side of a first hollow portion that is positioned between two second hollow portions which are connected mutually by said second bypass in said stacking direction, each of said at least one second bypass being performed by a partition wall separating the second bypass from the first hollow portion.

2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a hollow cylindrical casing which extends in the stacking direction and accommodates the stacked plate assembly in an interior thereof;

hollow portions of said casing are separated by said stacked plate assembly into a hollow portion positioned on said one end side and a hollow portion positioned on said other end side in said stacking direction;

said first outlet port is connected to the exterior of said casing through a third bypass that penetrates through a wall surface of said casing;

said first inlet port is connected to the exterior of said casing through a fourth bypass that penetrates through a wall surface of said casing;

said second inlet port is opened with respect to the hollow portion positioned on said one end side from among the hollow portions of said casing; and

said second outlet port is opened with respect to the hollow portion positioned on said other end side from among the hollow portions of said casing.

3. A heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a portion of a wall surface of each of said at least one first bypass constitutes a wall of said casing.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a fan is provided inside said casing that causes the fluid to flow in said stacking direction.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a tubular body is provided, which forms a separate fluid path that penetrates in the stacking direction in the interior of said stacked plate assembly communicating between the hollow portion positioned on said one end side and the hollow portion positioned on said other end side among the hollow portions of said casing, such that fluid does not flow through any of said first hollow portions, said first bypasses, said second hollow portions, and said second bypasses, except for said second hollow portion that is connected via said fourth opening.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein an adjacent two plates from among at least two Vth positioned plates, where V=2p−

1 and p is a natural number variable satisfying the relation 2p−

1≦

n, counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in the stacking direction of said n plates have the same shape; and

said two plates, which have the same shape, are stacked in a condition of being rotated through a predetermined angle about a common axis that extends in the stacking direction from a position at which the shapes thereof are in agreement as viewed in said stacking direction.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least an adjacent two plates from among at least two Wth positioned plates, where W=2q and q is a natural number variable satisfying the relation 2q≦

n, counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in the stacking direction of said n plates have the same shape; and

said two plates, which have the same shape, are stacked in a condition of being rotated through a predetermined angle about a common axis that extends in the stacking direction from a position at which the shapes thereof are in agreement as viewed in said stacking direction.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein, in relation to each of said n plates, shapes in which outer edges of said plates are projected in the direction of said common axis are of the same shape before and after being rotated through said predetermined angle about said common axis.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein

n=2m, where m is a natural number variable satisfying the relation 2≦

m;

said first hollow portion is formed by mutually securing together a Cth positioned plate, where C=2r−

1 and r is a natural number variable satisfying the relation r≦

m) counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in said stacking direction of said two plates, and a Dth positioned plate, where D=2r, counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in said stacking direction of said two plates, thereby constituting each of respective rth positioned plate sets counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in said stacking direction; and

said second hollow portion is formed by disposing a sealing material between an sth positioned plate set, where s is a natural number variable satisfying the relation s+1≦

m counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in said stacking direction of said plate sets, and a Tth positioned plate set, where T=s+1, counting in a direction from said one end to said other end in said stacking direction of said plate sets, and pressing the two plate sets with respect to the sealing material.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein, in relation to at least one of said first hollow portion and said second hollow portion, a partition plate is provided that impedes flow a fluid in a longitudinal direction from a center of the hollow portion to an outer edge thereof.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein a fan is provided inside said casing that causes the fluid to flow in said stacking direction.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein a structure is adopted in which, in relation to each of said n plates, shapes in which outer edges of said plates are projected in the direction of said common axis are of the same shape before and after being rotated through said predetermined angle about said common axis.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a longitudinal axis of the stacked plate assembly;

a first plate, the first plate being one of the n stacked plates;

a first left partition wall and a first right partition wall of the first plate, the first right partition wall generally positioned clockwise, relative to the longitudinal axis, from the first left partition wall;

a third plate, the third plate being one of the n stacked plates;

a third left partition wall and a third right partition wall of the third plate, the third right partition wall generally positioned clockwise, relative to the longitudinal axis, from the third left partition wall;

wherein the third left partition wall is generally positioned clockwise, relative to the longitudinal axis, from the first right partition wall.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 13, further comprising:

a second plate, the second plate being one of the n stacked plates;

a second flat body of the second plate;

a second right partition wall of the second plate, the second right partition wall generally aligned adjacent to the first right partition wall;

wherein the first left partition wall, the first right partition, the second right partition, and the second flat body form the second bypass.