Method for producing a microchannel bundle heat exchanger

• US 11,135,688 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2020
• Issued: 10/05/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Englmeier, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Jason L
• Application Number:
  US16/747,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20200238450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/06 of metal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/562 spirally
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/523 by dipping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5227 for forming multi-tubular articles by longitudinally joining elementary tubular articles wall-to-wall (e.g. joining the wall of a first tubular article to the wall of a second tubular article) or for forming multilayer tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/08 PI, i.e. polyimides or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/18 Heat-exchangers or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/602 composed of several elementary tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/008 for vehicles for aircrafts F28D2021/0021
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/16 the conduits being arranged in parallel spaced relation F28D7/0008 - F28D7/0058 take precedence; F28D7/02 - F28D7/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/062 the heat-exchange apparatus employing tubular conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/083 from stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/02 Flexible elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2260/02 having microchannels

Abstract

A method for producing a microchannel bundle heat exchanger (1) includes providing a multiplicity of tubular microchannels (2); incorporating the microchannels (2) in a weaving device; interweaving the tubular microchannels (2) with a plurality of warp wires (3) in the weaving device, and generating at least one heat exchanger mat (4) from the tubular microchannels (2) which are connected to one another by means of the warp wires (3); shaping at least one heat exchanger pack (8) from the at least one heat exchanger mat (4), in particular by folding and/or rolling up the heat exchanger mat (4); and adhesively bonding the tubular microchannels (2) at two mutually opposite end sides (9, 10) of the heat exchanger pack (8).

Claims

1. A method for producing a microchannel bundle heat exchanger, comprising:

providing a multiplicity of tubular microchannels;

incorporating the microchannels in a weaving device;

interweaving the tubular microchannels with a plurality of warp wires in the weaving device, and generating at least one heat exchanger mat from the tubular microchannels that are connected to one another by the warp wires;

shaping at least one heat exchanger pack from the at least one heat exchanger mat by folding and/or rolling up the heat exchanger mat;

adhesively bonding the tubular microchannels at opposite ends of the heat exchanger pack by applying adhesive to end regions of the microchannels and curing the adhesive;

forming at least one radial groove laterally in each of the adhesive at each of the opposite ends of the heat exchanger pack; and

disposing sealing elements respectively in each of the grooves.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein that the tubular microchannels are twice entwined by the warp wires during the interweaving in the weaving device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a tightly packed heat exchanger pack is generated from the tubular microchannels by the shaping of the planar heat exchanger mat.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adhesively bonding the tubular microchannels at opposite ends of the heat exchanger pack comprises dipping the heat exchanger pack into an epoxy adhesive bath.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tubular microchannels are made from plastic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tubular microchannels are made from stainless steel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tubular microchannels have an external diameter between 0.3 mm and 3 mm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the warp wires have a thickness of approximately 50 μ

m.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising accommodating the heat exchanger pack in a heat exchanger housing so that the sealing elements engage inner surface regions of the heat exchanger housing.