Heat exchanger

• US 4,384,611 A
• Filed: 10/28/1980
• Issued: 05/24/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HXK Incorporated
• Original Assignee: HXK Incorporated
• Inventors: Fung, James Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cline, William R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Streule, Jr., Theophil W.
• Application Number:
  US06/201,600
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 165/157, 165/166, 165/167
• US Class Current: 165/166
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0025 the conduits being formed by zig-zag bend plates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/044 the deformations being pontual, e.g. dimples
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/399 Corrugated heat exchange plate

Abstract

A heat exchanger core is formed from a single foil strip folded into successive U-bends to define alternate fluid passages, with even-numbered passages being for hot fluid and odd-numbered passages being for cold fluid. The folded foil thus defines three walls of each passage with the remaining fourth side open. Top and bottom plates cover and close the open sides of all the hot and cold passages respectively. The ends of certain passages remain open; the ends of other passages are selectively closed by pinching together the ends of adjacent foil walls which define the passages. A pre-formed end plate has apertures between deformable ribs; the apertures are aligned with the ends of open passages, and the ribs overlie and are joined with the pinched ends of the closed passages.

Claims

1. In a heat exchanger including a housing and a core part having a plurality of generally parallel partitions defining between them fluid fow passages which are alternately spaced as even-numbered and odd-numbered passages respectively for relatively hot and cold fluids to flow in counter-flow heat exchanger relationship, the improvement wherein said core part comprises:

(a) a continuous metal strip folded in successive reverse bends thereby defining said partitions and intermediate strips between and connecting said partitions, whereby each two adjacent partitions and intermediate strip define walls of one of said passages with a remaining open side and opposite edge ends,

(b) first side closure means for closing a portion of said open sides on said one side of said core,

(c) second side closure means for closing a portion of the open sides on said other side of said core,

(d) first edge end closure means for closing adjacent edge ends of partitions on one end of said core for establishing between said closed adjacent edge ends openings to said passages,

(e) second edge end closure means for closing adjacent edge ends of partitions on the opposite end of said core for establishing between said closed adjacent edge ends openings to said passages,

(f) whereby said first and second side closure means together with said first and second edge end closure means establish said passages into a counter-flow system of said even-numbered and odd-numbered passages, and

(g) partition spacing means for spacing adjacent partitions which define the walls of a passage to permit angular fluid flow comprising a plurality of separated projections which project from a partition surface toward the adjacent partition which forms the passage, said projections being arranged in a pattern providing for angular fluid flow between projections so that fluid flows angularly throughut the entire passage.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each end of said passages is defined by edges of said adjacent partitions extending in the same direction, and each of said first and second edge end closure means comprises a sealing junction of said edges for the part of each end that is closed.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said sealing junctions has opposite sides generally parallel to said partition, and each of said first and second edge end closure means for a typical junction comprises a seal strip of deformable material overlying and folded and crimped about both sides of said junction.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said seal strip is generally V-shaped in cross-section before being crimped onto one of said junctions.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said first and second edge end closure means is an end plate comprising a frame and a plurality of said seal strips traversing said frame and spaced apart distances corresponding to the spacing of said passages whose ends are to be closed.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said seal strips are separate components having ends which are secured to said frame.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said end plate comprises a single piece of sheet metal die-punched and cut to define a plurality of said strips with a slot defined between each two adjacent strips as an aperture for fluid flow into or out of one of said passages.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, described with said passages oriented to extend generally from left to right, the improvement wherein each end of a passage has upper and lower portions, said first edge end closure means closes the right end upper portions and said second edge end closure means closes the left end lower portions of the even-numbered passages, and said first edge end closure means also closes the right end lower portions and said second edge end closure means also closes the left end upper portions of the odd-numbered passages, thereby providing an "X-Series" counter-flow system, whereby hot fluid may flow from the upper left to the lower right of the even passages and cold fluid may flow from upper right to lower left of the odd passages.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, described with said passages oriented to extend generally from top to bottom, and said open sides of the passages facing forward and rearward and having upper and lower portions adjacent said top and bottom ends respectively, the improvement wherein, for said even-numbered passages, said third closure means closes the top ends thereof and said first closure means closes the lower portions of the front sides of these passages, and for said odd-numbered passages, said fourth closure means closes the bottom ends thereof and said second closure means closes the upper portions of the rear sides of these passages, thereby providing an "H-Series" counter-flow system, whereby hot fluid may flow into the bottom of the even-numbered passages and out of the front upper portions thereof, and cold fluid may flow into the top of the odd-numbered passages and out of the rear lower portions thereof.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, described with said passages oriented to extend generally from top to bottom, and said open sides of the even-numbered passages facing rearward and of the odd-numbered passages facing forward, with upper and lower portions of said open front side adjacent said top and bottom ends respectively, the improvement wherein, for said even-numbered passages, openings are maintained in the top and bottom ends thereof and said first closure means closes the rear open sides, and for said odd-numbered passages, said third and fourth closure means close both ends thereof and said second closure means closes the front sides intermediate said upper and lower portions thereof, thereby providing a "K-Series" counter-flow system, whereby hot fluid may flow into the bottom and out the top of the even-numbered passages, and cold fluid may flow into the upper portion of the front side and out of the lower portion of the front side of the odd-numbered passages.

11. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein said continuous metal strip comprises sheet metal which is bendable to form the partitions which define between them fluid flow passages, said strip being die-punched to define in the surface thereof adjacent partitions separated by bend lines extending transversly of the length of the strip, and to further define in each partition a pattern of depressions extending donward and projections extending upward in the surface theroef, said depressions and projections comprising spacers of said partition spacing means for adjacent passages, and to still further define in each partition stiffening ribs, said stiffening ribs comprising first elongated stiffening ribs extending generally parallel to and adjacent said bend lines and second elongated stiffening ribs extending diagonally relative to said bend lines, said second elongated stiffening ribs defining Xs with said first elongated stiffening ribs and said spacers being situated between the arms of the Xs, said patterns of ribs and spacers in one partition being essentially the same as the pattern in the adjacent partition, except that where ribs extend upward in one partition the corresponding ribs in the adjacent partition extend downward, and where a spacer extends upward in one partition the corresponding spacer in the adjacent partition extends upward also, and similarly corresponding spacers extend downward in adjacent partitions, whereby for typical adjacent partitions folded with their up sides facing each other, corresponding upward extending spacers will extend toward each other for keeping the partitions apart, and corresponding stiffening ribs will have essentially the same spacing between them as the space between the partitions so as not to restrict fluid flow between said partitions.

12. In a heat exchanger according to claim 1, the improvement wherein said core part is formed into one of said "X-, H- and K-Series" counter-flow heat exchange system configurations according to the parts of said open sides and edge ends of the passages which are closed.

13. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein said continuous metal strip comprises sheet metal which is bendable to form the partitions which define between them fluid flow passages, said strip being die-punched to define in the surface thereof adjacent partitions separated by bend lines extending transversely of the length of the strip, and to further define in each partition a pattern of depressions extending downward and projections extending upward in the surface thereof, said depressions and projections comprising spacers of said partition spacing means for adjacent passages, and to still further define in each partition stiffening ribs, said patten of ribs and spacers in one partition being essentially the same as the pattern in the adjacent partition, except that where ribs extend upward in one partiton the corresponding ribs in the adjacent partition extend downward, and where a spacer extends upward in one partition the corresponding spacer in the adjacent partition extends upward also, and similarly corresponding spacers extend downward in adjacent partitions, whereby for typical adjacent partitions folded with their up sides facing each other, corresponding upward extending spacers will extend toward each other for keeping the partitions apart, and corresponding ribs will have essentially the same spacing between them as the space between the partitions so as not to restrict fluid flow between said partitions.