GB2089961A

GB2089961A - Heat Exchanger Panel Connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2089961A
Application number: GB8136799A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Estel Hoesch Werke AG
Current assignee: Estel Hoesch Werke AG
Priority date: 1980-12-19
Filing date: 1981-12-07
Publication date: 1982-06-30
Also published as: DE3048007C2; GB2089961B; NL8105163A; DE3048007A1

Abstract

Partially hollow heat exchanger panels (11) are connected together in a stack by sleeves (13) extending therefrom and tubular connector elements (12). At least two of the connections so formed between each adjacent pair of panels connect together the interiors (20) of the panels. The sleeves may be welded or soldered to the panels and be provided with a screw thread which co-operates with screw threads in the connector (12). The screw threads in the connector are reversed so that on turning it is screwed into the sleeve (13) of the upper panel (11) and by the same rotation also into the sleeve of the panel below. The connector may be provided with means to aid the tightening thereof, such as a hexagonal flange (18). The connection between adjacent panels may be made fluid-tight by sealing means (21). The connector element may lie within the sleeve (13) or surround it externally. A friction fit instead of screw threads may be used to attach the sleeves to the connectors. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Heat Exchanger Description The invention relates to a heat exchanger.

Ambient air heat exchangers for heat pump heating comprise at least approximately horizontally or vertically extending at least partially hollow panels through which a heat carrying fluid can flow, the panels being located in adjacency in the form of a stack or block free on all sides for air to flow through the intermediate spaces between the panels.

It is known to mount the panels in a supporting framework, in which the panels can be spaced apart during assembly according to the intermediate spacing desired. The intermediate spaces are chosen so that they can be traversed for example by air moved by the wind for its warmth to be given up to the panels, whereby they effect a heat pump heating on the heat exchange fluid. The panels must moreover be connected with one another by a special pipe connection, that the heat exchanger fluid can flow from panel to panel.

In known constructions, the members of the framework hinder the airflow. Moreover the framework contains relatively many individual parts, which can be put together at the construction site only with considerable expense.

In addition, connections for the heat exchange medium have to be made.

The invention accordingly provides a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of at least partially hollow panels through which a fluid heat exchange medium can flow, and sleeves projecting from the panels for connecting together adjacent panels and/or the interiors thereof either directly or by means of connector elements, the panels being stacked together in a stack allowing ambient fluid to flow freely from all sides of the stack in the spaces between the panels.

The sleeves, which may be welded or soldered to the metal plates of which the panels are made, can be provided with a screw thread and each aligned pair of sleeves of adjacent panels, on stacking of the panels together, can be connected together with the help of an intermediate connector piece provided with a co-operating screw thread.

In this way the panels can be secured together not only in the desired stacked relationship but also against lifting by strong winds. Moreover, the interiors of at least two sleeves of each panels can be arranged to communicate with the interior of the panel through which the heat exchange fluid flows. The connector piece for these sleeves is then formed as a tube, and the connection between the lower sleeve for example of one panel of an adjacent pair, and the upper sleeve of the panel lying thereunder in the stack, is effected in fluid tight manner.

By these means the underneath support for receiving the weight of the panels lying thereabove is used at the same time for connecting together the hollow interiors of the panels.

The invention will thus be seen to provide a heat exchanger the panels of which can be readily assembled in a manner providing advantageous exposure to ambient air on all sides.

The invention is further described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ambient air heat exchanger for heat pump heating in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a partial sectional side view of the heat exchanger; Figure 3 is a side view of a connector piece used in the heat exchanger; Figure 4 is a partial sectional side view of a modified form of the heat exchanger of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a side view of a connector piece used in the heat exchanger of Figure 4.

The heat exchanger shown in Figure 1 comprises a plurality of at least approximately horizontally stacked heat exchange plates or panels 11. The panels 11 are generally rectangular and each comprises a pair of metal places connected together at their peripheries and shaped so as to be otherwise spaced apart.

At more closely spaced portions adjacent the peripheries, the panels 11 are provided with axially aligned sleeves 1 3 welded externally on the plate elements to extend at right angles to the general plane of the panel. The sleeves 13 are provided at the corners and positions spaced along the longer sides. The panels 11 are assembled together by means of the sleeves 13 and connector pieces 12 into the rectangular stack or block shown in Figure 1. Feet 14 are screwed or otherwise received instead of the intermediate connector pieces 12 used above.

It very many or very long panels 11 are to be assembled together in this way, the feet 14 screwed into the sleeves 1 3 are not sufficient for supporting the weight. It is then advantageous if the outer edge of the lowest panel 11 rests on a bar-shaped underframe 1 5 and this underframing 1 5 is connected with the feet 14. The underframe 1 5 advantageously also includes crossbars 1 6.

This construction provides beneath the lowest panel 11 a shallow, easily assembled frame, which is only slightly obstructive to airflow beneath the stack.

The panels 11 are held by the sleeves 13 at an appropriate spacing one from another as is shown in Figure 2. The sleeves 13 are provided with internal screw-threads. The connector piece 12 is provided from one end to the middle with a righthand thread and from its other end to the middle with a matching left-hand thread, so that on turning it is screwed into the sleeve 1 3 of the upper panel 11 and by the same rotation also into the sleeve 1 3 of the panel 11 lying thereunder.

The connector piece 12 can be of solid material, and so that it can be easily rotated, it is provided at one end with a hexagonal recess 17, so that assembly can be effected by means of an inserted hexagonal key. The piece 12 can also be provided with an outwardly extending hexagonal flange 1 8 for producing the turning, as is shown in Figure 3.

At at least two positions on the panel 11 the connector piece 12 is tubular and the sleeves 13 communicate in region 1 9 with the hollow interiors of the panels 11. In this case it is advantageous to locate sealing means such as a packing 21 between the upper and the lower sleeves, so that the connection effected by the tubular connector piece 12 between the interiors 20 of the two panels 11 is made fluid tight.

Where the connector piece 12 takes the form of a tube with the packing 21, the resulting connection is too long by the thickness of the packing as compared with a connection with the sleeves 1 3 of lying directly one on another, if all the sleeves are of equal length. This can be adjusted in that the sleeves 13 which communicate with the interiors 20 are made shorter than the other sleeves by about the thickness of the packing 21. With sleeves 13 of generally equal length the adjustment can be obtained in that the sleeves 13 do not lie directly one against the other but are held off from each other by the intermediate piece 12 for example to about the thickness of the packing 21.

The tubular connector piece 12 can be provided internally on one end with a groove or with small notches for receiving a rotating work tool.

A fluid tight connection, which also withstands tensile and compressive forces, can be produced with any other known kind of sealing as for example by soldering or by cementing. The sleeves 13 3 and by the connector pieces 12 should be capable of resisting considerable compressive forces, and also tensile forces, which can be experienced in strong gales.

As shown in Figure 4, it is possible for the connector piece to surround the sleeves 13 externally and the sleeves at the upper side of the panel 11 are provided externally with a right-hand thread and the sleeves 13 at the under side of the panel 11 are provided externally with a left-hand thread. This has the advantage that the tubular distance piece 12 shown in Figure 5 can be screwed into place with a simple pipe wrench.

It is also possible to combine this last construction with the first described construction, so that the tubular connector piece 12 secured internally in the sleeves 13 is employed only where connection to the hollow space between the panels 11 is to be effected.

There are also possible combinations of connector pieces 12 and sleeves 13, in which neither possessed threads and the intermediate piece 12 is received in the sleeves 1 3 or surrounds them only loosely or with a friction fit.

It is usually sufficient if only four connector pieces situated in the edge region of a rectangular panel 11 are effective against tensile forces and two of these four connector pieces are formed as tubes for connecting together the interiors 20 of the two panels 11 lying one above the other.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of at least partially hollow panels through which a fluid heat exchange medium can flow, and sleeves projecting from the panels for connecting together adjacent panels and/or the interiors thereof either directly or by means of connector elements, the panels being stacked together in a stack allowing ambient fluid to flow freely from all sides of the stack in the spaces between the panels.

2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one pair of the co-operating pairs of sleeves between adjacent panels are screwthreaded, and are connected together by a screwthreaded connector element.

3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 wherein the arrangement of the screw threads is such that rotation of the connector element in one direction effects entry thereof into both cooperating sleeves.

4. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the connector element is received within the co-operating sleeves.

5. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the co-operating sleeves are received within the connector element.

6. A heat exchanger as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the connector element has the form of a tube.

7. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein each sleeve communicates with the interior of the associated panel, and the connection between the sleeves and the connector is fluid-tight.

8. A heat exchanger as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein at least two of the connected pairs of sleeves between adjacent panels provide for fluid communication between the interiors of the panels.

9. A heat exchanger as claimed in any preceding claim wherein panels are supported on an underframe to extend at least approximately horizontally.

10. A heat exchanger substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, Figures 1 and 3 or Figures 1, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.