RU2568230C2 - Heat exchanger with secondary folding - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: heating.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to systems for heat transfer between fluid media. A heat exchange element includes a folded plate repeatedly bent and having the first edges connected to each other on the first end and the second edges connected to each other on the second end with formation of an inner volume. The inner volume has the inlet main line near the first end, the outlet main line near the second end and a hole opposite to secondary folding on the folded plate. The folded plate includes hollow ribs, a flow divider located in the inner volume between the inlet main line and the outlet main line; internal apexes of hollow ribs contact the flow divider, and a basic element connected to the perimeter of the hole of the inner volume. The basic element includes an inlet and an outlet, which are interconnected as to fluid medium with the inlet main line and the outlet main line respectively.

EFFECT: improvement of efficiency of flow distribution devices inside each element of the heat exchanger.

30 cl, 46 dwg

Description

Cross reference to "related" applications

The application claims priority to Provisional application US No. 61/425840, filed December 22, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for transferring heat between fluids and, in particular, to heat exchangers adapted for transferring heat between continuous flows of two fluids.

State of the art

Industrial processes and consumer products often operate by transferring heat between two fluids. An example is a domestic refrigerator, in which, in a very simplified form, the circulating refrigerant absorbs heat from the refrigerated space and then removes heat to the surrounding air. The heat exchange parts of conventional heat transfer systems typically have those as shown in FIG. 1A and 1B, ribs attached to pipes containing refrigerant. These types of heat exchangers can be difficult to manufacture and have a performance limit, which is determined by the area of the inner surface of the pipe and the average path by which heat must pass from the fluid to the air.

Tubes having circular corrugations are often used to allow metal pipe systems to accommodate deflections and angular displacements. In FIG. 1C shows a typical flexible pipe section having circular corrugations. Since the corrugations are oriented perpendicular to the flow through the pipe, the fluid inside the corrugations of the corrugations can stagnate or create significant resistance to the flow of fluid through this section.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One of the disadvantages of conventional heat exchangers is that the cooled fluid is open only on a limited surface area, usually the inner surface of a smooth cylindrical pipe. Another disadvantage is the difficulty of attaching the ribs to the pipe, carrying the fluid to be cooled in order to improve the thermal connection of the pipe and the outside air. The ribs can be made separately and then placed around the pipe, which can provide a good thermal connection between the ribs and the pipe, or the ribs can be soldered or otherwise thermally bonded to the pipe during the secondary stage. On the other hand, the heat exchanger can be made of a thick-walled pipe with ribs machined directly on the pipe or formed by spiral co-extrusion of the ribs on the pipe with a central flow, both of which provide high-quality thermal connection between the pipe and the ribs, however, the high cost of these technical solutions their use is usually limited only to the aerospace industry, in which performance improvements are worth the increment in costs. In addition, the performance of a finned heat exchanger of the type shown in FIG. 1A and 1B are limited by the long middle path through which heat must pass from the inner wall of the pipe through the fins to reach air or other cooling fluid.

The heat exchange element and heat exchangers described herein eliminate the disadvantages of conventional heat exchangers by providing large surface areas in contact with the fluid to be cooled, and / or a surface area in contact with the cooling fluid and a short average heat path between the two fluids environments. Heat exchangers containing the described heat exchange elements may be less expensive to manufacture and may have higher performance than conventional heat exchangers.

In some embodiments, a heat exchange element is described that includes a folded sheet re-bent and joined along the first edge and along the second edge to form an internal volume having an inlet pipe near the first edge, an outlet pipe near the second edge and an opening opposite to the secondary folding on the folded sheet. The folded sheet contains many hollow ribs. The heat exchange element also includes a flow divider located in the internal volume between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. The plurality of interior vertices of the plurality of hollow edges are in contact with the flow divider. The heat exchange element also includes a base element connected to the perimeter of the opening of the internal volume. The base element contains an input and an output in fluid communication with the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, respectively.

In some configurations, a plurality of hollow ribs are crimped along the first edge and the second edge so as to respectively form a first flat edge and a second flat edge, and the folded sheet is joined along the first flat edge and the second flat edge to form an internal volume. In some configurations, the first and second flat edges are parallel and offset relative to a plane passing through the plurality of interior vertices of the plurality of hollow edges. In some configurations, the connection of the first and second flat edges is performed by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, soldering, low-temperature soldering and crimping. In some configurations, the flow divider is spaced apart from the first and second edges, and the space within the internal volume between the flow divider and the first edge forms the inlet line, and the space within the internal volume between the flow divider and the second edge forms the exhaust line. In some configurations, the flow divider comprises first and second surfaces that are substantially planar and parallel to each other, and the interior vertices of the plurality of hollow ribs are substantially in constant contact with the flow divider along the entire length of the flow divider. In some configurations, the plurality of hollow ribs and the flow divider form a plurality of isolated passages from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold, and essentially the entire flow path from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold goes through the multiple passages in the ribs. In some configurations, each passage contains an internal height and an internal width of the base, with most of the multiple passages having a first height and a first width of the base, and the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 0.5. In some configurations, the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 1.0. In some configurations, the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 2.0. In some configurations, each of the hollow ribs contains a pair of side walls, the side walls of most hollow ribs are generally parallel to each other, thus forming a generally rectangular passage having a width, and the ratio of the height of the rectangular passage to the width of the rectangular passage exceeds 2.0.

With some configurations, a pleated heat exchanger is described for transferring heat from a first fluid to a second fluid. A heat exchanger contains a plurality of heat exchange elements. Each heat exchange element includes a folded sheet with secondary folding, repeatedly bent and connected along the first edge and along the second edge to form an internal volume having an inlet pipe near the first edge, an outlet pipe near the second edge and an opening opposite to the secondary folding sheet. The folded sheet contains many hollow ribs. Each heat exchange element also includes a flow divider located in the internal volume between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. The plurality of interior vertices of the plurality of hollow edges are in contact with the flow divider. Each heat exchange element also includes a base element connected to the perimeter of the opening of the internal volume. The base element contains an input and an output in fluid communication with the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, respectively. The first edge of the first heat exchange element is not bonded to the first edge of the adjacent second heat exchange element.

In some configurations, a plurality of hollow ribs are crimped along the first edge and the second edge so as to respectively form a first flat edge and a second flat edge, and the first flat edge and the second flat edge are connected to form an internal volume. In some configurations, the first and second flat edges are parallel and offset relative to a plane passing through the plurality of interior vertices of the plurality of hollow edges. In some configurations, the connection of the first and second flat edges is performed by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, soldering, low-temperature soldering and crimping. In some configurations, the flow divider is spaced apart from the first and second edges, and the space within the internal volume between the flow divider and the first edge forms the inlet line, and the space within the internal volume between the flow divider and the second edge forms the exhaust line. In some configurations, the flow divider comprises first and second surfaces that are substantially planar and parallel to each other, and the interior vertices of the plurality of hollow ribs are substantially in constant contact with the flow divider along the entire length of the flow divider. In some configurations, the plurality of hollow ribs and the flow divider form a plurality of isolated passages from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold, and essentially the entire flow path from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold goes through the multiple passages in the ribs. In some configurations, each passage contains an internal height and an internal width of the base, with most of the multiple passages having a first height and a first width of the base, and the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 0.5. In some configurations, the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 1.0. In some configurations, the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 2.0. In some configurations, each of the hollow ribs contains a pair of side walls, the side walls of most hollow ribs are generally parallel to each other, thus forming a generally rectangular passage having a width, and the ratio of the height of the rectangular passage to the width of the rectangular passage exceeds 2.0.

With some configurations, a method for forming a heat exchange element is described. The method includes the steps of folding a sheet of material to form hollow ribs across the width of the sheet to form a folded sheet, flattening the first edge and the second edge of the folded sheet to appropriately form the first and second flat edges, raising a portion of the first edge and part of the second edge, folding the folded sheet again so that the first part of the folded sheet is close to the second part of the folded sheet to form a folded sheet with secondary folding, the connection of the first flat edge and the second plane the second edge of the folded sheet with secondary folding to form an internal volume containing an inlet pipe next to the first flat edge and an exhaust pipe next to the second flat edge, and an opening opposite to the secondary folding on the folded sheet, and attaching a base element containing an input and output above the hole so that the inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, respectively.

In some configurations, the connection of the first and second flat edges is performed by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, soldering, low-temperature soldering and crimping. With some configurations, the joining step is performed by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, low-temperature soldering and crimping. In some configurations, the method also includes pre-welding the first flat edge and the second flat edge. With some configurations, the method also comprises inserting a flow divider into the internal volume between the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold. In some configurations, the folding step comprises forming hollow ribs having an inner height and width of the inner base, and the ratio of the inner height to the width of the inner base exceeds 0.5. With some configurations, this ratio is greater than 1.0. In some configurations, the folding step comprises forming generally rectangular hollow ribs containing an inner width, where the ratio of the inner height to the inner width exceeds 2.0.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included here in order to provide a better understanding, form part of the present description, illustrate the described configurations and together with the description serve to explain the described configurations.

In FIG. 1A-1B illustrate conventional heat exchangers;

in FIG. 1C shows a conventional flexible pipe segment;

in FIG. 1D and 1E show a conventional corrugated heat exchanger;

in FIG. 1F depicts a conventional corrugated heat exchanger manufacturing process;

in FIG. 2A depicts a typical primary surface of a heat exchanger that contains a plurality of heat exchange elements according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 2B is a view of the lower side of the primary surface of the heat exchanger of FIG. 2A according to some aspects of the description;

in FIG. 3A-3B show structural details of a typical primary surface of a heat exchange element according to certain aspects of the description;

in FIG. 3C-3G illustrates a typical manufacturing process of a primary surface of a heat exchange element according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 4A-4E show another configuration of a primary surface of a heat exchange element according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 5A-5C depict another configuration of a primary surface of a heat exchange element according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 6 schematically shows the flow of two fluids relative to the primary surface of the heat exchanger of FIG. 2A according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 7A depicts two examples of rolled-up heat exchangers made from the primary surface of heat-exchange elements according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 7B-7C illustrate a first configuration of a primary surface of a heat exchanger, where the ribs are straight according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 7D-7E illustrates a second configuration of a primary surface of a heat exchanger, where the fins are wavy in accordance with certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 7F shows the height and width of the base of the flow path in a conventional corrugated heat exchanger;

in FIG. 7G depicts the height and width of a generally rectangular passage inside a rib on the primary surface of a heat exchange element according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 8A depicts a typical manufacturing process of an example of a sheet heat exchange element with fins according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 8B-8C show structural details of a heat transfer sheet fabricated using the process of FIG. 8A, in accordance with certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional perspective view of another configuration example of a sheet heat exchange element with fins according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 10A-10B show structural details of a sheet heat exchanger with fins as shown in FIG. 9, according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 11A-11B illustrate a heat exchanger comprising heat exchange elements of a primary surface according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 12A depicts an exemplary heat exchange system comprising a folded heat exchanger according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 12B shows the operation of the heat exchange system of FIG. 12A according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 13A-13C illustrate the construction of a large heat exchange system comprising heat exchange elements according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 14 shows a typical process for manufacturing a primary surface heat exchange element according to certain aspects of this description;

in FIG. 15 depicts a typical process for manufacturing a sheet heat exchange element with fins according to certain aspects of this description.

Detailed description

The following description includes examples of heat exchange elements having a ribbed wall providing improved thermal communication between fluids from opposite sides of the wall. The walls of these heat exchangers are folded to form a series of hollow fins having a relatively large height to width ratio compared to conventional heat exchangers and therefore a larger surface than a round pipe having the same cross-sectional area.

One general type of heat transfer elements described herein, referred to herein as “primary surface” heat transfer elements, is designed so that fluids are only separated by a wall thickness that is made up of a series of hollow ribs. The fluid inside the heat exchange element flows primarily through the passages in the hollow ribs, thus forming a very short average heat path between the fluids. The primary surface heat exchanger is more than 11 times more efficient on a volumetric base than a conventional shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The manufacturing process of the heat exchange element of the primary surface can be easily modified to form fins having different heights, widths and separations, as well as produce heat exchange elements having different widths in the direction of flow, and thus allowing the heat transfer characteristics to be easily adapted to different applications. The use of equipment of certain sizes is reduced or eliminated, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and the replacement process for the reconstruction of the production line in order to produce a heat exchange element of other sizes.

Another common type of heat exchange element, referred to here as sheet heat exchange elements with fins, has a dividing wall with ribbed heat transfer walls attached and thermally bonded to one or both sides, thereby increasing the surface area exposed to the fluid on this side of the dividing wall. Since heat transfer through the interface from the fluid to the wall is a limiting factor for the efficiency of the heat exchanger, the additional surface area formed by the heat-transmitting walls improves the heat transfer rate. A sheet heat exchanger with fins can be more than 4 times more efficient on a volumetric base than a conventional shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Like a primary surface heat exchanger, the manufacturing process of a sheet heat exchange element with fins can be easily modified to produce heat exchange elements with a wide range of widths, lengths and sizes of fins, which provides a wide range of performance characteristics.

The heat exchangers built on each side of the heat exchanger element are block and extendable, providing direct activity to produce heat exchangers with a wide range of sizes and capabilities, as shown here. Improved characteristics of the primary surface or sheet heat exchangers with fins allow the use of a heat exchanger in a given area, the order of magnitude of which is less than that of a conventional device.

The following detailed description sets forth numerous specific details in order to provide an understanding of the present description. It should be clear to any person skilled in the art, however, that the configurations of the present description may be practiced without some of the specific details. In other examples, well-known structures and processes are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the description.

The method and system described herein are countercurrent heat exchangers adapted to transfer heat from a first fluid to a second fluid. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the heat exchangers described herein can be used in other types of heat exchangers, such as immersion heat exchangers, in which the external fluid does not actively circulate. In addition, heat transfer elements are presented as being made of sheet metal during a sequential molding process, while it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the structures described can be made of other materials and / or using other processes, such as plastic extrusion . Nothing in this description should be construed, unless it is specifically indicated as limiting the use of any method or system described herein for a particular material, form factor or manufacturing process. Other configurations of heat transfer systems are known to those skilled in the art, and the application of the components and principles described herein to other systems will be apparent.

In FIG. 1A and 1B illustrate conventional heat exchangers 10 and 20. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a conventional heat exchanger 10 having a central pipe 12 and radial ribs 14 attached to the outer wall of the pipe 12. The ribs 14 can be separate generally flat ribs or one or more spiral ribs running continuously along the pipe 12. FIG. 1B shows a heat exchanger 20 having fins 14 arranged longitudinally along a smooth-walled pipe 12 similar to the pipe 12 of FIG. 1A.

In FIG. 1C shows a conventional flexible pipe segment 22. The pipe 15 has a series of circular corrugations made on the side wall. The circular corrugations 16 are intended solely to allow the pipe 15 to bend to the sides without flattening the pipe 15 or without reducing the cross-sectional area. Circular corrugations 16 can create additional flow resistance when the flow path through the pipe 15 is perpendicular to the corrugation 16.

In FIG. 1D and 1E depict a conventional corrugated heat exchanger described in published US patent application No. 2005/0217836. In FIG. 1D shows an internal structure 23 made of a continuous corrugated sheet 24 folded in a zigzag shape with corrugated shaped sheets 25 inserted between each fold. The corrugations of the continuous sheet 24 and cut sheets 25 are made in both cases in a zigzag pattern at an angle of 45 °, i.e. with alternating straight sections, where each straight section is at right angles to both adjacent straight sections. Four molded holders 26 are connected to the four corners of the inner structure 23, as shown in FIG. 1D.

In FIG. 1E, an assembled conventional corrugated heat exchanger is shown in which the inner structure 23 is shown to be sealed at both ends and open sides by a sealing compound 27. A pair of holders 26, 26 ′ are fluidly connected on each side so that stream 28 will flow into the front holder 26 on the right side and exit the output holder 26 ′ on the right side. Since the width of the sheets 25 is equal to the width of the continuous sheet 24, there is no internal collector space at either end. The stream 28 must zigzag through the corrugations on the cut sheets and the transversely oriented corrugations of the continuous sheet 24 in order to reach the far side of the internal volumes connected to the holder 26. While the stream 28 is shown as a separate line with angled turns, in reality, the stream 28 is diffuse flow, which extends from the holder across and down and then converges to the output holder 26 ′. Similarly, a separate stream 29 entering the inlet holder from the back and to the left will flow in the form of a diffuse pattern through the gaps between the cut sheets 25 and the continuous sheet 24 and then exit the outlet holder 26 ′ in front on the left side.

The heat exchanger of FIG. 1D and 1E can be difficult to manufacture, because the holders 26, 26 ′ are either stamped and rolled from sheet metal, or pressed into a final shape, however, in any case, there are four additional products that need to be formed, stored in stock, delivered and secured to the internal structure 23. In addition, the use of the sealing composition 27 is a complex task, and it may be difficult to carry out without leakage. In addition, while the streams 28 and 29 are shown in countercurrent in the internal structure 23, the winding path between the inlet holder 26 and the outlet holder 26 ′ does not provide efficient use of the entire enclosed volume, and some parts of the internal volume, such as corners, may be dead spaces.

In FIG. 1F depicts a conventional process described in US Pat. No. 6,915,675 for the manufacture of corrugated heat exchange material. A sheet 211 of moldable material is fed into a pair of joined corrugating rolls 214, 215, which form corrugations on the sheet 211. These corrugations are limited in shape to the profiles of uncut gear teeth. This limits the characteristic relationship, i.e. the ratio of the height of the corrugations to the width of the base of the corrugations. The plunger 216 is adapted to extend at a time when smooth sections of the sheet 211 are placed under the plunger 216, thereby forming a connected sequence of corrugated folded sections 230.

In FIG. 2A shows a typical folded heat exchanger 30 with secondary folding, which comprises a plurality of heat exchange elements of the primary surface 32 according to certain aspects of this description. With this configuration, the heat exchange elements 32 are made of a continuous sheet of rolled metal, i.e. a sheet having a series of ribs made by folding a smooth sheet, which is then subjected to secondary folding to form walls 40 and ends 42 on each of the heat exchange elements. The design of the primary surface heat exchange element 32 is discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 3A-3G.

In FIG. 2B is a bottom view of the secondary folding heat exchanger 30 of FIG. 2A according to certain aspects of this description. A base element comprising panels 34A, 34B and 34C is connected to holes formed by a folded metal sheet with secondary folding to form inlets 36 and 38 in all heat exchange elements 32.

In FIG. 3A-3B show structural details of a typical primary surface heat transfer element 32 according to certain aspects of this description. In FIG. 3A, part of the walls 40 and end 42 is removed in order to make the internal volume 44 visible and to show how the flow divider 46 is placed in the internal volume 44. You can see how the ribbed sheet of the wall 40 extends from the lower edge of both walls with a 180 ° bend for forming walls of adjacent heat exchange elements 32 (not shown) so as to jointly form a heat exchanger 30 with secondary folding, such as that shown in FIG. 2A.

In FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the end face 42 of the heat exchange element 32, illustrating how the fins 45 described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3D and 4D, of the two walls 40 are flattened to form flat edges 42A, 42B that are sealed together to form an end face 42. In some configurations, the flat edges 42A, 42B are offset from the plane bounded by the vertices of the ribs 45 of the walls 40. For some configurations, the flat edges 42A , 42V are welded together. In some configurations, the flat edges 42A, 42B are welded together. In some configurations, the flat edges 42A, 42B are soldered by low-temperature soldering. In some configurations, the flat edges 42A, 42B are bonded to each other.

In FIG. 3C-3G illustrates a typical manufacturing process 80 of a primary surface heat exchange element 32 according to certain aspects of the description. In FIG. 3C shows the entire production line 80, starting from rolls 82 of sheet metal or other formable material, for example thermoformed plastic. In some embodiments, the sheet material is a metal foil with a thickness in the range of 0.003-0.010 inches (0.076-0.25 mm). The unformed continuous sheet 83A is fed from the roll 82 to the rib forming machine 84, which in this example forms a sequence of ribs over the entire width of the sheet 83A, thereby producing a folded sheet 83B. In some embodiments, the folded sheet 83B has 20-45 ribs per inch (25.4 mm). The folded sheet 83B is passed through a pair of edge shapers 86 (only the near shaper 86 is visible in FIGS. 3C and 3E), which flatten the ends of the ribs 45 to form a flat edge 42C and form / raise the flat edge 42C along the edge of the folded sheet 83B to form a molded folded sheet 83C having an offset flat edge 42C, as seen in FIG. 3F, along each edge.

The formed pleated sheet 83C is further folded into a consecutive row of two-ply panels. In FIG. 3G shows the process of additional bending in a device remote for clarity. After the process of additional bending, the adjacent edges of the two-layer panels are connected (the connecting device is not shown in Fig. 3C) to each other, for example, by welding, soldering, low-temperature soldering, adhesive bonding or other joining technology. In some embodiments, the free edges of the sheet 83C are pre-welded, i.e. melted to form a weld metal along the free edge. In some embodiments, pre-welding is performed using a standard welding / heating process, such as electric arc welding, inert gas tungsten electrode welding, and laser welding. This pre-welding consolidates the flattened portion of the offset flat edge 42C, adding strength and ease of handling to the sheet 83C. In some embodiments, additional material, such as a strip of foil, is placed along the edge before the pre-welding process and melted, turning into a weld metal, thereby increasing the stiffness of the edge of the sheet 83C. In embodiments where the edges of the additionally folded two-layer panels are welded together, the quality of the welds is improved by pre-welding the edges.

The base element, in this example, continuous sheets of metal obtained from rolls 90A, 90B and 90C, are connected (a connecting device not shown in Fig. 3C) with the lower side of the connected (embedded) two-layer panels to form panels 34A, 34B and 34C, observed on FIG. 2B, to form inputs 36 and outputs 38 (not visible in FIG. 3C, but also visible in FIG. 2B) and to obtain continuous sequences of heat exchange elements 32. The connected sequence of heat exchange elements of the primary surface is separated (the process in FIG. 3C is not shown) into groups for forming heat exchangers 30 with secondary folding or other configurations of heat exchangers with secondary folding. In another aspect, production line 80 includes an installation portion (not shown in FIG. 3C) between molding tools 88 and the addition of panels 34A, 34B and 34C for installing flow dividers 45 in the interior space 44 of each two-layer panel.

In FIG. 3D is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a dashed 3D rectangle in FIG. 3C. In this example, sheet 83A is folded into ribs 45 having rounded vertices and bases with a primary width of 92 and a secondary width of 94 with a height of rib 96. In some examples, the vertices and bases of the ribs 45 have rounded profiles. The widths 92, 94 may be equal in some cases, while in other cases the widths 92, 94 are different. The widths 92, 94 determine the number of fins per inch (FPI) of the heat exchanger with a secondary crease 30. In some cases, the height of 96 fins 45 may vary along the length of the sheet 83B and in the heat exchangers 32.

In FIG. 3E is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by the dotted rectangle 3E in FIG. 3C. A sheet 83B having ribs made across the sheet to its full width is fed to an edge forming apparatus 86, which flattenes or creases the ribs along the edge to form a flat edge 42C to form the sheet 83C.

In FIG. 3F is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the dotted rectangle 3F in FIG. 3C showing the flat edge 42C and the center ribs 45 previously shown in FIG. 3A and 3B. It can be seen that the flat edge 42C is offset from the base of the ribs to the center of the sheet 83C.

In other aspects of the present description, the flat sheet 83A can be made with corrugations across only the central part of the sheet (not shown), leaving portions 42C along each edge, thereby eliminating the need for a flat edge from the ribbed profile. The ability to configure a sheet 83C having ribs in the center and flat edges depends at least in part on the material and thickness of the sheet 83A.

Other manufacturing processes may include stamping (not shown) metal or plastic sheets to directly form continuous sheets or individual panels (not shown) having ribs 45 and flat edges 42C of molded folded sheet 83C, as well as vacuum molding, pressure molding or hydroforming (all not shown) of ribs 45 and edges 42C. In some cases, the upper edges and / or lower edges of the individual panels can be connected to the holder and / or bases (not shown) to form heat exchange elements 32. In some cases, side elements (not shown) can be used instead of flattened portions 42C to connect the side edges of the individual two-layer panels. In some cases, the bulk material, such as a thermosetting resin, may be molded, such as injection molding or injection molding, to directly shape it to a ribbed sheet 83C of suitable dimensions to form the side walls 40 of the heat exchange element 32.

In FIG. 3G is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the dotted rectangle 3G in FIG. 3C showing the folding of the molded folded sheet 83C with a bending device removed to manifest the molding process. You can see how the flat edges 42C of the two-layer panel are placed next to each other for fastening together, for example, solder to form the edges 42 of the heat exchange element 32. These continuous sequences of heat exchange elements 32 can be divided into groups so as to obtain heat exchangers with secondary folding 30 as shown in FIG. 7A.

In FIG. 4A-4E show a configuration of primary surface heat exchange elements 32A according to certain aspects of this description. With this configuration, the flow divider 46 is omitted and the inner vertices 56 and ribs 45 of the two walls 40A and 40B are in contact. In FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a heat exchange element 32A where the inner surface of the wall 40A is visible. At each end, portions 42 that are bonded to proximal wall 40B (removed in this image) are shown as shaded portions 42 on the left and right edges of wall 40A. The adjacent portions 48B and 48C, shaded at an angle opposite to the hatching of the ends 42, are volumes with smooth walls that form the inlet line 48B and the outlet line 48C. In the middle of the heat exchange element 32A, ribs 45 extend from the intake manifold 48B to the exhaust manifold 48C. The edges of the lower panels 34A, 34B and 34C are visible along the base of the wall 40A.

In FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the entire heat exchange element of the primary surface 32A taken along the section line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. The walls 40A and 40B are smooth with the full width of the heat exchange element 32A separating the walls 40A, 40B so as to form an inlet line 48B. A seam 42d between the flanges 42A and 42B is visible in FIG. 4B as a vertical line on the inner surface of the end 42.

In FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the entire heat exchange element of the primary surface 32A taken along the section line 4C-4C in FIG. 4A. Ribs 45 on walls 40A and 40B may be seen as touching each other. The shaded areas indicate the internal volume of the heat exchange element 32A, which should be wetted by the fluid contained in the internal volume 44. You can also see how the ribbed sheet forming the wall 40A is folded at an angle of 180 ° to form a vertex 43 and then continue as part of the wall 40B.

In FIG. 4D is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 4C closed in dashed circle 4D. You can see how the sequence of hollow ribs 45 is formed as a sequence of convex bends 52, which alternate with concave bends 54. Convex and concave bends 52, 54 are alternately connected to the side walls 58. Each concave bend 54 has a vertex 56 on the side facing the inner volume 44. Each rib has an inner passage 44A bounded by a convex fold 52, two side walls 58A and 58B connected to a convex fold 52, and a plane connecting the vertices 56A, 56B of two concave folds 54A, 54B connected to the corresponding ovymi walls 58A, 58B. Returning to FIG. 4C, it can be seen that the flow paths from the inlet line 48B to the outlet line 48C pass through one of the inner passages 44A in a plurality of ribs 45 formed by ribbed ribs of the walls 40A or 40B.

In FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view of the entire heat exchange element of the primary surface 32A taken along the section line 4E-4E of FIG. 4A. A two-stage displacement in the areas of the intake and exhaust lines 48B, 48C forms a flow space after the narrow section in order to allow the fluid to pass along the outside of the fins 45 while the two heat exchange elements 32A are placed next to each other with the fins 45 in contact . You can see how the internal passages 44A of any of the walls 40A and 40B are the only fluid paths between the intake manifold 48B and the exhaust manifold 48C.

In FIG. 5A-5C depict another primary surface configuration of the heat exchange element 32B according to certain aspects of this description. In FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional side view of a heat exchange element 32B in which a flow divider 46 and an inner surface of a wall 40A are visible. With this configuration, the ribs 45 extend from one end 42 to the other end 42. With this configuration, the flow divider 46 is located in the internal volume 44 between the input 36 and the output 38.

The flow divider 46 serves to direct essentially the entire fluid flow from the inlet line 48B to the outlet line 48C through the passages 44A formed inside the hollow ribs 45, thereby increasing the length of time that each fluid element is in close proximity to the wall 45, and thereby improving heat transfer from the fluid to the wall 45. In some embodiments, the flow divider 46 comprises a solid portion having two parallel planar solid surfaces, such as shown in FIG. 3A. In some embodiments, a flow divider 46 comprises foam material. In some embodiments, the flow divider 46 comprises a coating over a foam core. In some embodiments, the flow divider 46 comprises a metal that is hollow or solid. The flow divider may be in the form of any structure that blocks the flow of fluid between the intake manifold 48B and the exhaust manifold 48C outside the internal passages 44A.

In FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the entire heat exchange element of the primary surface 32A, taken along the section line 5B-5B through the inlet pipe of FIG. 5A. You can see how the vertices 56 of the walls 40A and 40B are separated by a distance equal to the thickness of the flow divider 46 shown by the dotted line in FIG. 46A in FIG. 5B.

In FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the entire heat exchange element of the primary surface 32A taken along the section line 5C-5C of FIG. 5A. It can be seen that the flow divider 46 fills the inner volume 44, and the vertices 56 of the ribs 45 are in contact with the flow divider 46. As previously shown with respect to the heat exchange element 32A in FIG. 4A-4E, it can be seen that the internal passages 44A of any of the walls 40A or 40B are the only fluid path between the inlet line 48B and the outlet line 48C.

In FIG. 6 schematically shows the flow of two fluids 50 and 60 relative to the heat exchange element with secondary folding 32 of FIG. 2A according to certain aspects of the description. In FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a heat exchange element 32B in which a flow divider 46 and an inner surface of fins 45 of a wall 40A are visible. The fluid 50 is in contact with the outer surfaces of the heat exchanger element 32 while the fluid 60 enters the inlet 36 and is removed from the outlet 38 through an external channel (not shown in FIG. 6). The fluid flows from right to left, as seen in FIG. 6, and is in contact with the outer surfaces of the ribs 45 and the visible wall 40A and the remote wall 40B. The fluid 60 enters through the inlet 36 to the intake manifold 48B, which serves to distribute the fluid across the plurality of ribs on both walls 40A and 40B. The fluid 60 flows through the internal passages 44A of the plurality of ribs 45 and enters the exhaust manifold 48C. The presence of open inlet and outlet lines 48B, 48C serves to evenly distribute the flow across all passages 44A, i.e. no difference in pressure drop from the inlet to each of the inner passages 44A, so that the overall performance of the primary surface heat exchange element 32B is improved. The fluid in the exhaust manifold exits through the outlet 38. It can be seen that the heat exchanger element 32 is formed as part of the heat exchanger in countercurrent, in which the flow direction of the fluid 60 inside the heat exchanger element 32 is opposite to the flow direction of the fluid 50. In some configurations, the fluid 60 is a refrigerant heat-transferring fluid 50. In some configurations, the fluid 50 is a gas. In some configurations, the fluid 50 is ambient air. In some configurations, the fluid is a fluid.

In FIG. 7A depicts two examples of secondary folding heat exchangers 30D and 30E made from configurations 32D and 32E, respectively, of primary surface heat exchange elements 32 according to certain aspects of this description. A comparison of the two heat exchangers 30D and 30E with secondary folding shows how the height of the heat exchange elements 32 can be easily changed according to the needs of a particular application. Similarly, the width of the heat exchange elements, the separation of the heat exchange elements, the height and width of the ribs 45 can easily vary to adapt the design to a specific application. It can be seen that the fins 45 of the heat exchangers 30D and 30E are made in a wavy pattern along the length of the fins 45. This pattern is preferred in order to prevent the fins 45 from being attached to the adjacent heat exchange elements 32, as discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 7B and 7C.

In FIG. 7B-7C illustrate a first configuration example of a heat exchange element 32 of a primary surface in which the ribs 45 are straight, i.e. without the wave pattern observed in FIG. 7A, according to certain aspects of this description. In FIG. 7B, the ribs of the first heat-exchange element 32 are placed with the peak of each rib 45 placed as indicated by solid lines 65. The ribs 45 of the second adjacent heat-exchange element 32 are placed so that the peaks of the ribs of the second adjacent heat-exchange element 32 are placed as indicated by dashed lines 64. If two groups of ribs 45 are pressed against each other, ribs 45 of two heat exchange elements 32 become intermittent.

In FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view of the rib arrangement of FIG. 7B, made along the cut line 7C-7C. In FIG. 7C shows how the ribs 45 can be nested when the peaks 66, 67 are offset relative to each other with straight ribs 45. This offset can reduce the efficiency of the heat exchanger 30 and possibly damage the heat exchange elements 32.

In FIG. 7D-7T illustrates a second configuration example of a heat exchange element 32 of a primary surface in which the fins 45 are made in a wavy pattern, as shown in FIG. 7A, according to certain aspects of this description. Like the illustration in FIG. 7B, the peaks of each rib 45 of the first heat-exchange element 32 are placed as indicated by solid lines 67. The peaks of the ribs 45 of the adjacent heat-exchange element 32 are placed as indicated by dashed lines 66. It can be seen that the waveform is reversed and therefore lines 66 and 67 intersect again along the length of the heat exchange element 32. If two groups of ribs 45 are pressed against each other, the ribs 45 of the two heat exchange elements 32 cannot be nested with each other.

In FIG. 7E is a cross-sectional view of the rib arrangement of FIG. 7D made along the cut line 7E-7E. In FIG. 7E, the arrangement of the ribs 45 on the plane of the transverse section 7E-7E is shown with shading, while part of the same ribs 45 is shown dark gray further from the plane of the transverse section 7E-7E. It can be seen that the dark portions of the ribs 45 associated with curves 66 overlap the dark portions of the ribs 45 associated with curves 67, as shown in FIG. 7D, by the intersection of lines 66 and 67. Two groups of edges 45 cannot be nested. This reversal of curves 66, 67 is the result of the continuation of the ribbed sheet that forms the ribs 45 extending over the apex 43 of the heat exchange element 32 so that the curves on one side of the heat exchange element 32 are reversed with respect to the curves on the other side of the same element 32 and the adjacent element 32.

In FIG. 7F shows the height H1 and the width of the base W1 of the flow path in a conventional corrugated heat exchanger, as can be seen in FIG. 1D. The triangular corrugations on the continuous sheet 24 are perpendicular to the triangular corrugations on the shaped sheets 25, forming a flow area 17 at each peak of the trim sheet 25. The height H1 and the width of the base W1 are outlined for this flow area 17, as shown in FIG. 7F. Since the folds of the sheet 24 have an approximately right angle, the ratio of H1 to W1 is 0.5.

In FIG. 7G depicts a height H2 and a width W2 of a generally triangular passage 44A inside a rib of a heat exchange element 32 of a primary surface according to certain aspects of this description. In some embodiments, the sides of the ribs 45 are parallel and form a generally rectangular passage 44A. While the apex of the rib 45 is rounded and the lower corners are beveled in the outer direction, where they connect to adjacent ribs 45, the passage 44A is still considered generally rectangular with a width of W2 and a height of H2. In this example, it can be seen that the ratio of H2 to W2 is greater than 1.0, and can be approximately 4.0 in the example of FIG. 7G. In some embodiments, when the walls of the rib 45 can be placed at a slight angle based on the elasticity of the material from which the walls of the rib 45 are made, or the gap between the tool and the workpiece, the passage can still be considered generally rectangular if the angles are not too large. If the walls become significantly tilted and cannot be considered to form a generally rectangular passage 44A, a base width similar to that shown in FIG. 7F is used to estimate the passage ratio 44A.

In FIG. 8A depicts a typical manufacturing process of an example of a sheet heat exchange element 120 with fins according to certain aspects of this description. In this process, a sheet 102 of a material, such as aluminum or copper, or another material or metal alloy, is brazed on both sides using spray guns 103A and 103B. In some configurations, brazing alloy contains flux. In some configurations, brazing alloy is applied as a film without spraying. Additional sheets of material, such as aluminum or copper, or another material or metal alloy, are fed from rolls 101A and 101B and passed through forming ribs of device 104A and 104B, respectively. In this example, the forming ribs of the device 104A and 104B stack sheets from rolls 101A, 101B into the ribs 45 over the entire width of the folded sheets 105 and 106, respectively. The folded sheets 105, 106 are brought into contact with the two surfaces of the sheet 102, and in this example are passed through a brazing furnace 110. In the brazing furnace 110, the brazing alloy previously deposited on the sheet 102 melts and holds together three sheets 102, 105, 106. Bonded sheets pass through edge forming devices 112, which in this example form and bias the edges of the center sheet 102 to give them a smooth S-shape, and thus complete the manufacture of the heat transfer sheet 100. Additional details of the heat transfer sheet 100 are discussed from ss Referring to FIG. 8B. The continuous sheet of the heat transfer sheet 100 is re-folded during step 114 (the secondary folding device is not shown in FIG. 8A) to form two-layer panels which, when bonded together, form sheet heat transfer elements 120 with ribs, which are discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. . 9.

In FIG. 8B-8C illustrate structural details of a heat transfer sheet 100 fabricated using the process of FIG. 8A, according to certain aspects of this description. In this example, the vertices of the ribs 45 of the sheets 105, 106, which are in contact with the sheet 102, are at least partially soldered to the sheet 102. In FIG. 8B shows a perspective view of the proximal edge of the heat exchanger sheet 100. It can be seen that the width of the upper folded sheet 105 is less than the width of the central sheet 102, and the portion of the central sheet 102 that extends beyond the folded sheet 105 is S-shaped, that is, with this configuration offset by a distance that is equal to the height of the rib made on the lower folded sheet 106. You can also see that the width of the folded sheet 106 is less than the width of the ribbed sheet 105. In some embodiments, the folded sheet 106 is located p the center of the sheets 102, 105, so that two equal spaces 108 are formed at each end. In some embodiments, the folded sheet 106 is located between the ends of the sheets 102, 105 and is offset from the center in the direction of one side, so that uneven spaces 108 are formed at each end. The ribs 45 of the sheets 105, 106 are open at each end.

In FIG. 8C shows an end view in cross section of a heat transfer sheet 100 at a point in a production line. In this example, the central sheet 102 is S-shaped at each end, and the folded sheets 105 and 106 are located in the center of the sheet 102. Gaps 108A, 108B are provided at each end of the folded sheet 106.

In FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional perspective view of another configuration example of a sheet heat exchange element 120 with fins according to certain aspects of this description. With this configuration, the heat transfer sheet 100 is re-folded as shown at the end of process 8A, so that the vertices of the ribs 45 of the sheet 106 are in contact. In FIG. 9, it can be seen that at least some of the vertices of the sheet 106A of the first side wall 122A of the heat exchange element 100 are in contact with the vertices of the ribs 45 of the sheet 106B of the second side wall 122B. When the heat transfer sheet 100 is re-folded to form the heat exchanger 120, the vertices of the ribs 45 of the sheets 105 are also in contact with the vertices of the adjacent ribs of the sheets 105B. In some configurations, the ribs 45 of the sheets 105 and / or 106 are given the wavy shape shown in FIG. 7A-7C so as to reduce the tendency to insert and thereby maintain the gap formed by the vertices between the sheets 105 and 106 shown in FIG. 9. The base element 124 is bonded to the lower folds of the heat exchange element 100 so as to form a sealed internal volume inside one sheet of heat exchange element 120 with ribs. As shown in FIG. 9, several parallel heat exchangers 120 may be formed from a continuous heat exchange element 100.

In FIG. 10A-10B show additional details of the sheet heat exchange element 120 with fins shown in FIG. 9, according to certain aspects of this description. In FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional end view of a sheet heat exchange element 120A with ribs and parts of adjacent sheet heat exchange elements with ribs 120B and 120C. The center sheet 102 of FIG. 8B forms a partition wall 132 that interacts with the base member 124 (not visible in FIG. 10A, shown in FIG. 9) to form an internal volume 126, shown as a darkened section in this view in cross section. The folded sheet 106 forms a first heat transferring wall 136 containing, in this configuration, a series of ribs 130 similar to the ribs 52 of the heat exchange element 32 of the primary surface shown in FIG. 4D. Similarly, the folded sheet 105 forms a second heat transferring wall 135 containing ribs 130 in this example. The vertices of the fins of the heat transferring wall 136 are in contact with the vertices of the fins 130 of the heat transferring wall 136, and the vertices of the fins 130 of the heat transferring wall 135 of the heat exchange element 120A are in contact with the tops of the ribs of adjacent heat exchange elements 120B and 120C. A first fluid 126A, such as a mixture of propylene glycol and water, fills the volume 126, including both the inner passages of the ribs 130 and the gaps between the ribs 130. The outer volume 128, i.e. the space outside the partition wall 102 is filled with a second fluid 128A, such as air, which fills the inner passages of the ribs 130 of the folded sheet 105, as well as the gaps between the ribs 130 of the sheet 105.

In some embodiments, the exhaust manifold 148C is larger, i.e. longer in the direction of flow than the intake manifold 148B in order to perceive the expansion of the fluid when it receives heat while flowing through the fins 130 of the heat transferring wall 136. This causes a pressure drop along the exhaust manifold 148C, which is approximately equal to the pressure drop along the intake manifold 148B, although the volume of the fluid passing through the exhaust manifold 148C is larger than the volume of the fluid passing through the intake manifold 148B. Similarly, output 38 may be greater, i.e. longer in the direction of flow than the inlet 36, so as to obtain approximately the same pressure drop.

In an example where the first fluid 126A in the volume 126 is hotter than the second fluid 128A in the volume 128, heat is removed from the first fluid 126A both directly to the partition wall 132 and the heat transfer wall 136. Since the heat transfer wall is thermally conductive, the heat received from the first fluid 126A passes into the separation wall 132. The presence of the heat transfer wall 136 effectively increases the surface area of the separation wall 132 in contact with the first fluid 126A. When heat transfer through the boundary layer of the first fluid 126A formed on the surface is a limiting factor in heat transfer, the heat transfer wall 136 can improve the overall heat transfer performance of the heat exchanger 120 with secondary folding. Similarly, the heat transfer wall 135 receives heat from the separation wall 132 and transfers this heat to the second fluid 128A in parallel with the direct transfer of heat from the separation wall 132 to the second fluid 128A. This effectively increases the surface area of the separation wall 132 and reduces the effect of any boundary layer of the secondary fluid 128A on the surface of the heat transfer wall 135 and the separation wall 132.

In FIG. 10B shows a top sectional view of a sheet heat exchange element 120A with fins along the dotted line 10B-10B of FIG. 10A. In this image, the intake manifold 148B and the exhaust manifold 148C formed by the gaps 108 in FIG. 8B, in a heat transfer sheet 100, are shown at each end of the heat transfer wall 136 inside the partition walls 132. The S-shaped portions of the central wall 102 are interconnected to form flanges 146 that form part of the casing of the volume 126. With this configuration in FIG. 10B, similar to FIG. 6, the first fluid 126A and the second fluid 128A are shown as flowing past and through the heat transferring walls 106 and 105, respectively, in opposite directions, so that the sheet heat exchange element 120A with fins acts as a heat exchanger in countercurrent.

In FIG. 11A-11B depict a heat exchanger 30E comprising primary surface heat exchange elements 32A according to certain aspects of this description. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 30E comprises sheet heat exchange elements 120. The heat exchange elements 32E are radially arranged around a central opening 31 so that with respect to this configuration in the configuration of FIG. 10A-10B, the second fluid passes axially through the heat exchanger 30E, as shown by arrows 128A, while the fluid 126A enters through the inlet 126 and is received from the outlet 38 in the opening 31.

In FIG. 11B, it is shown that each of the heat exchange elements 32E is curved, while the heat exchange elements 32 and 32A are generally flat. The separation between adjacent heat exchange elements 32E around the inner edge 140 of the opening 31 is less than the separation of the same heat exchange elements 32E on the outer edge 142 of the heat exchanger 30E. The curvilinear profile of each heat exchange element 32E increases the length of each heat exchange element 32E compared to a flat profile placed in a radial pattern. This leads to the filling of the entire toroidal area with an axial cross section and improves efficiency, i.e. heat transfer capacity per unit volume of the heat exchanger 30E compared to a design that uses radial planar heat transfer elements 32 (not shown). The heat exchange elements 32E are in other respects substantially the same as the heat exchange elements 32 or 32A.

In FIG. 12A depicts an exemplary heat exchange system 150 comprising a secondary folding heat exchanger 30 according to certain aspects of this description. With this configuration, the secondary folding heat exchanger 30 is configured essentially as shown in FIG. 2A comprising a plurality of heat exchange elements 32 of a primary surface. In some configurations, the heat exchanger 30 comprises sheet heat exchange elements 120 with fins. The inlet 36 and outlet 38 (not visible in Fig. 12A) of the heat exchanger 30 are placed above the flow channels of the outer pipe 158 so that the inlet 160 and the outlet 162 of the outer pipe 156 are in separate communication with the fluid with the inlet 36 and the outlet 38, respectively. The casing of the stream 156 is placed above the heat exchanger 30 with an inlet 164 and an outlet 166 (not visible in Fig. 12A).

In FIG. 12B shows the operation of the heat exchange system of FIG. 12A according to certain aspects of this description. In this example, with reference to the fluids of FIG. 6, the first fluid 60 is initially colder than the second fluid 50. The “cold” first fluid 60 is supplied to the inlet 160. The “hot” second fluid is supplied to the inlet 164 of the first flow casing 156. In this example, the flow direction of the first fluid in the heat exchanger 30 is opposite the direction of flow of the second fluid past the outer surfaces of the heat exchanger 30. When the second fluid 50 passes through and around the heat exchanger 30, heat is transferred to the material of the heat exchanger 30 and then the fluid 60. all at once, the first fluid coming out of the outlet 62 is warmer than the fluid 60 coming in to the inlet 160, and the fluid 50 leaving the outlet 166 is colder than the fluid 50 coming in in 164. With some configurations, the first fluid warmer than the second fluid and heat transfer occurs in the opposite direction, i.e. from the first fluid 60 to the second fluid 50.

In FIG. 13A-13B illustrate the construction of a heat exchange system 200 comprising heat exchange elements 30 according to certain aspects of this description. In FIG. 13A shows an assembly of two heat exchangers 30 with an outer pipe 158A, which is a two-sided version of the outer pipe of FIG. 12A, forming a heat exchanger subassembly 170. The inlet 160 and outlet 162 of the double-sided outer pipe 158A are individually and respectively connected to the inlets 36 and 38 of the individual heat exchangers 32. The heat exchanger subassembly 170 has a sliding structure, i.e. the heat transfer power of the subassembly 170 is a function of the length L, the width W and the height H of the heat exchangers 30, as well as the number of heat exchangers. In some embodiments, this function is linear in a certain range of proportions between L, W, and H. In some embodiments, the subassembly 170 comprises heat exchange elements 32 of the primary surface. In some embodiments, the subassembly 170 comprises sheet heat exchange elements 120 with fins.

In FIG. 13B, a higher-level subassembly 180 is illustrated comprising several subassemblies 170 connected to a central pipe 181. The central pipe 181 is internally divided into two paths 186 and 188 and comprises a plurality of double holes 182, 184 located along the length of the central pipe 181, the holes 182 communicating in fluid with flow path 186, and openings 184 are in fluid communication with flow path 188. With this configuration, while sub-assemblies 170 are connected to center pipe 181, openings 182 are connected to inlets of sub-assemblies 170 and openings 184 c connected to the outputs 162, so that the flow path 186 is a common input for all subnodes 170, and the flow path 188 is similarly a common output for all subnodes 170 connected to a central pipe 181.

In FIG. 13C illustrates a top-level heat exchange system 200 comprising a plurality of sub-nodes 180 of FIG. 13B, designated as subassemblies 180A-180D. With this configuration, the ends of the center tubes 181 of the plurality of subassemblies 180A-180D are connected in series so that the inlet paths of the stream 186 are fluidly coupled and the outlet paths of the stream 188 are also fluidly coupled. The ends of the flow paths 186 and 188 at the end of the subassembly 170A, respectively, form the entrance to the system 202 and exit from the system 204. The first fluid entering the inlet of the system 202 will flow along the flow paths 186 of all the subassemblies 180A-180D, then flow to the inlets 160 of each from the subassemblies 170 and then to the inlets 36 of each of the heat exchangers 30. When the first fluid passes through each heat exchanger 30 and exits the exits 38, the first fluid collects in the flow channels of the external pipelines 158A and passes through the exits 162 into the flow path 188 of the subassemblies 180 and then out through you system stroke 204. The rear opening in the central pipe 181 of the sub-assembly 180D may be covered by a lid, making the system 200 a separate system, or connected further to another heat exchange system 200.

In FIG. 14 is a flowchart 300 of a typical manufacturing process of a primary surface heat exchange element 32 according to certain aspects of this description. Block diagram 300 relates to manufacturing equipment 80 shown in FIG. 3C. At step 305, a sheet of material 83A having a first edge and a second edge is folded to form a sequence of hollow ribs 45, for example with the rib configuration shown in FIG. 3D, thus forming a pleated sheet 83B. At 310, the ends of the ribs 45 are flattened along the first and second edges to form a flat edge 42C on each side. At step 315, the flat edges are raised or biased so that the flat edge 42C is parallel, being biased, as shown in FIG. 3F, relative to the plane that passes through the inner vertices (not visible in FIG. 3F) of the ribs 45. At step 320, a portion of the flat edge 42C is pre-welded to consolidate the flattened material and adds strength and hardenability to the edge 42C. The folded sheet is then further folded during step 325, as shown in FIG. 3G, and the edges are joined (closed) during step 330. If the connection process includes welding or soldering, the strength and quality of the connection are improved by including the pre-welding step 315. At step 335, a flow divider 46 is inserted into the internal volume 44 formed by the connected (closed) secondary folding sheet. The base element containing sheets of rolls 90A, 90B and 90C is then connected to the perimeter of the opening of the inner volume 44 in step 30, thereby forming an inlet 36 and an outlet 38 and completing the manufacture of the heat exchange element 32 of the primary surface.

In FIG. 15 is a flowchart 400 of an exemplary process for manufacturing a sheet heat exchange element 120 with fins according to certain aspects of this description. Block diagram 400 relates to the manufacturing equipment shown in FIG. 8A. At step 405, sheets of material from one or both of the rolls 101A or 101B are folded to form hollow ribs, thereby forming one or both folded sheets 105 and 106. The sheets 105 and 106 are bonded on opposite sides of the center sheet, which forms a partition wall 102 to form a heat exchange walls 100. The edge of the separation wall 102 is raised or displaced in step 415 by the offset distance, which in the example of FIG. 8A is equal to the height of the ribs of the heat transferring wall 106. The heat exchange wall 100 is then further folded in step 420, as shown in paragraph 114 in FIG. 8A, and the edges of the partition wall 102 are joined (sealed) in step 425. Then, a base element (not shown in FIG. 8A) similar to the base element in FIG. 3C, coupled for embedding, the heat exchange sheet with secondary folding 100 forms a sheet heat exchange element 120 with ribs.

The principles set forth herein provide a system and method for efficiently transferring heat from a first fluid to a second fluid through heat exchangers that comprise fins in contact with one of the fluids. In some configurations, the ribs are in contact with the first fluid on one surface and in contact with the second fluid on a second surface opposite the first surface. In some configurations, the heat exchangers comprise an internal flow divider adapted to cause the internal fluid to flow substantially through the internal passages formed by the ribs. In some configurations, the heat exchangers comprise a separation wall with ribbed heat transfer walls thermally connected to one or both sides of the separation wall, thereby increasing the thermal bond between the fluids and the separation wall by increasing the effective contact area between the fluids and the separation wall.

The previous description is given in order to enable an ordinary person skilled in the art to practically use the various aspects described herein. While what has been described as being considered the best option and / or other examples has been described above, it is understood that various modifications of these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles set forth herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims should not be limited to the aspects shown here, but should correspond to the full volume that matches the language of the claims, where the reference to the element in the singular should not mean "one and only one", unless otherwise specified, but rather "one or more". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the terms “group” and “some” refer to one or more. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the scope of the description.

It is understood that a specific order or hierarchy of steps in the described processes is an illustration of typical approaches. Based on the design preferences, it can be understood that a certain order or hierarchy of stages in the processes can be transformed. Some of the steps can be performed simultaneously. The accompanying method claims the present elements of the various steps in the order of the sample, which does not mean that it is limited to the particular order or hierarchy presented.

Terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “front side”, “back side” and the like, used in this description, should be understood as referring to an arbitrary coordinate system than to the usual gravitational coordinate system. So, the upper surface, lower surface, front surface and rear surface can extend up, down, diagonally in the gravitational coordinate system.

A phrase such as “aspect” does not imply that such an aspect is inherent in the technology in question or that such an aspect is applicable to all configurations of the technology in question. The description pertaining to the aspect can be applied to all configurations or to one or more configurations. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. Such a phrase as “configuration” does not imply that such a configuration is inherent in the technology in question or that such a configuration is attached to all configurations of the technology in question. The description related to the configuration can be applied to all configurations or to one or more configurations. A phrase such as a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa.

The word "typical" is used here to mean "serving as an example or illustration." Any aspect of the construction described herein as “generic” need not be construed as preferred or improved over other aspects or designs.

All structural and functional equivalents of elements of various aspects described herein that are known or will become known later to any person skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are encompassed by the claims. In addition, none of the described here is intended to be published, regardless of whether the present description is unambiguously repeated in the claims. No element of the claims shall be construed in accordance with the provisions of 35 U.S.C §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is specifically mentioned using the phrase “means for” or in the case of a claim to the method, the element is not mentioned using the phrase “step for”. In addition, to the extent that the term “includes,” “has,” and the like is used in the description or in the claims, such a term is intended to be included in the same way that the term “contains” as “contains” is interpreted when used as transition word in the claims.

Claims (30)

1. A heat exchange element containing
a folded sheet re-bent and having first edges interconnected at the first end, and second edges interconnected at the second end to form an internal volume having an inlet line near the first end, an outlet line near the second end and an opening opposite secondary folding on said folded sheet, wherein said folded sheet comprises hollow ribs,
a flow divider located in the internal volume between the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, the inner vertices of the hollow ribs being in contact with the flow divider, and
a base element connected to the perimeter of the hole of the internal volume, and the base element contains an input and an output in fluid communication with the intake manifold and exhaust manifold, respectively. 2. The heat exchange element according to claim 1, in which
hollow ribs are crimped along the first edges and second edges with the formation, respectively, of the first flat edges and second flat edges, while
the folded sheet is joined along the first flat edges and the second flat edges to form an internal volume. 3. The heat exchange element according to claim 2, in which the first and second flat edges are parallel and offset relative to the plane passing through the inner vertices of the hollow ribs. 4. The heat exchange element according to claim 2, in which the connection of the first and second flat edges is made by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, soldering, low-temperature soldering and crimping. 5. The heat exchange element according to claim 1, in which
the flow divider is spaced from the first and second edges,
the space in the internal volume between the flow divider and the first edges forms the intake manifold, and
the space inside the internal volume between the flow divider and the second edges forms the exhaust manifold. 6. The heat exchange element according to claim 5, in which
the flow divider comprises first and second surfaces that are substantially planar and parallel to each other, and
the inner vertices of the hollow ribs are essentially in constant contact with the flow divider along the entire length of the flow divider. 7. The heat exchange element according to claim 6, in which
a plurality of hollow ribs and a flow divider form isolated passages from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold, and
the entire flow path from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold goes through the passages in the ribs. 8. The heat exchange element according to claim 7, in which
each passage has an internal height and internal width of the base,
most passages have a first height and a first base width, and
the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 0.5. 9. The heat exchange element according to claim 8, in which the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 1.0. 10. The heat exchange element according to claim 9, in which the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 2.0. 11. The heat exchange element according to claim 9, in which
each of the hollow ribs contains a pair of side walls,
the side walls of most hollow ribs are parallel to each other with the formation of a rectangular passage having a width, while
the ratio of the height of the rectangular passage to the width of the rectangular passage exceeds 2.0. 12. Folded heat exchanger with secondary folding, designed to transfer heat from the first fluid to the second fluid, containing heat exchange elements, each of which contains
a folded sheet re-bent and having first edges interconnected at the first end, and second edges interconnected at the second end to form an internal volume having an inlet line near the first end, an outlet line near the second end and an opening opposite secondary folding of the folded sheet, and the folded sheet contains hollow ribs,
a flow divider located in the internal volume between the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, the inner vertices of the hollow ribs being in contact with the flow divider, and
a base element connected to the perimeter of the opening of the internal volume, and containing an input and an output in fluid communication with the intake manifold and exhaust manifold, respectively,
moreover, the first edges of the first heat-exchange element are not connected to the first edges of the adjacent second heat-exchange element. 13. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 12, in which
hollow ribs are crimped along the first edges and second edges with the formation, respectively, of the first flat edges and second flat edges, while
the first flat edges and the second flat edges are connected to form an internal volume. 14. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 13, wherein the first and second flat edges are parallel and offset relative to a plane passing through the inner vertices of the hollow ribs. 15. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 13, wherein said joining of the first and second flat edges is made by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, soldering, low-temperature soldering and crimping. 16. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 12, in which
the flow divider is spaced from the first and second edges,
the space within the internal volume between the flow divider and the first edges forms an intake manifold, and
the space inside the internal volume between the flow divider and the second edges forms the exhaust manifold. 17. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 16, in which
the flow divider contains the first and second surfaces, which are essentially flat and parallel to each other, while
the inner vertices of the hollow ribs are essentially in constant contact with the flow divider along the entire length of the flow divider. 18. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 17, in which
the hollow ribs and the flow divider form isolated passages from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold, while
the entire flow path from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold goes through the passages in the ribs. 19. A folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 18, in which
each passage contains the internal height and internal width of the base,
most passages have a first height and a first base width, and
the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 0.5. 20. A folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 19, in which the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 1.0. 21. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 20, in which the ratio of the first height to the first width of the base exceeds 2.0. 22. The folded heat exchanger with secondary folding according to claim 20, in which
each of the hollow ribs contains a pair of side walls,
the side walls of most hollow ribs are parallel to each other with the formation of a rectangular passage having a width, while
the ratio of the height of the rectangular passage to the width of the rectangular passage exceeds 2.0. 23. A method of forming a heat exchange element, the method comprising the steps of
bending a sheet of material to form hollow ribs across the width of the sheet to form a folded sheet,
flatten the first edge and the second edge of the folded sheet for the corresponding formation of the first and second flat edges,
re-folding the folded sheet so that the first part of the folded sheet is close to the second part of the folded sheet to form a folded sheet with secondary folding,
connecting parts of the first flat edge to each other and parts of the second flat edge to each other with the formation of the internal volume containing the inlet pipe next to the first flat edge and the exhaust pipe next to the second flat edge, and the holes opposite to the secondary folding on the folded sheet, and
attach the base element containing the inlet and outlet above the hole, providing them with fluid communication with the intake manifold and exhaust manifold, respectively. 24. The method according to p. 23, wherein the connection step is performed by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, soldering, low temperature soldering and crimping. 25. The method according to p. 23, wherein the connection step is performed by one of the methods included in the group comprising welding, low temperature soldering and crimping. 26. The method according to p. 23, which includes the step of pre-welding the first flat edge and the second flat edge. 27. The method according to p. 23, which includes the step of inserting a flow divider into the internal volume between the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold. 28. The method of claim 23, wherein the folding step comprises forming hollow ribs having an inner height and a width of the inner base, wherein the ratio of the inner height to the width of the inner base exceeds 0.5. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the ratio is greater than 1.0. 30. The method according to p. 28, wherein the folding step comprises forming rectangular hollow ribs having an inner width, wherein the ratio of the inner height to the inner width exceeds 2.0.

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