US3054598A - Cooler mechanisms - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 18, 1962 w. DISLER COOLER MECHANISMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1960 INVENTOR.

FIG.

LOYD w. DlSLER ATTORNEY Sept. 18. 1962 w. DISLER COOLER MECHANISMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1960 EM 14m BM KLJ wil FIG. 4

IN V EN TOR.

LOYD W. DISLER ATTORNEY 3,054,598 COOLER MEQHANISMS Loyd Warner Disler, Tulsa, Gkita, assignor to Disler Engineering Corporation, a corporation of ()lrlahoma Filed Feb. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 7,909 3 Claims. (ill. 257-137) This invention relates to improvements in cooler mechanisms, and more particularly to improved side panel designs for cooler mechanisms.

This invention may be described as a cooler mechanism, comprising: a base; side panels supported substantially perpendicularly to said base; a back panel; integrally formed angular portions extending the length of one end of each of said side panels adaptable to receiving and supporting said back panel; headers supported substantially perpendicularly on said base; integrally formed angular portions extending the length of the other end of each of said side panels adapted to receive and support said headers; a fan bonnet; bonnet portions extending substantially perpendicular to said side panels and integrally formed therewith intermediate said ends adaptable to receive and support said fan bonnet; and inlet plenum portions integrally formed in said side panels extending from said bonnet portions to said angular portions engaging said headers.

An object of this invention is to provide a cooler mechanism having side panels formed in a novel manner whereby said side panels provide greatly improved structural rigidity to the mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel cooler mechanism including an improved side panel design wherein the construction materials required are materially reduced.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel side panel designed for cooler mechanisms wherein the mechanism will be more economical to manufacture and assemble.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel side panel design for a cooler mechanism permitting ample space for flanged nozzles and whereby the nozzles are not required to be off-Set to permit flange clearance.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cooler mechanism having novel side panel designs whereby all piping connections to the cooler mechanisms may be maintained in straight lines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel side panel design for cooler mechanism having improved air flow characteristics.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel side panel design for a cooler mechanism wherein mounting means for the fan bonnet are integrally provided.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel side panel design for cooler mechanisms which will be sufficiently rigid as to eliminate the requirement for Welded braces and which thereby will be more streamlined in appearance in that the buckling and warping encountered in welding will be eliminated.

These and other objects, and a better understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a cooler mechanism having the novel side panel design of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the side panel design of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cooler mechanism taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the side view of a cooler mechanism is shown. The coo er mechanism is supsenses Patented Sept. 18, 1962 ported on base channels 10. Headers 12 are also supported on the base channel and engage side panels 14. Provided as a means of conducting gases which are to be cooled into the cooling mechanism, nozzles 16 are affixed to headers 12, usually by welding.

On the ends of the nozzles 16, as a means of connecting the cooler mechanism in the field, are flanges 18. When the cooler mechanism is positioned on its permanent location in the field, pipes 20, with pipe flanges 22, are connected to flanges 18 to provide a means of conducting gas into and away from the cooler mechanism.

A fan sheave 24, aflixed to fan shaft 26, is provided whereby a prime mover (not shown) may be connected by belts to the cooler mechanism. 1

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the novel side panel de sign of the invention is best disclosed. The cooler mechanism functions to move air past finned tubes 28 through which the gas to be cooled is passing. The finned tubes 28 (the fins are not shown) are connected from header 12A to header 1213. The gas to be cooled enters one side of the cooler mechanism, for instance through nozzle 16A and to header 12A. The gas then flows through the multitude of finned tubes 28 to the other header 123 where it is removed through nozzle 16B. The heat of the gas traveling through the multiplicity of finned tubes 28 is conducted by the finned tubes 28 to the air so that heat contained by the gas temperature is reduced.

In order to expose the interior of finned tubes 28 to permit them to be cleaned of any deposits which may occur, brass plugs 30 are provided in headers 12A and 1213 in direct line with each of the finned tubes 28. By removing brass plugs 30, direct passage is available for inserting a cleaning tool into each finned tube 28 to remove any deposits.

Air is moved through or past the finned tubes 28 by a fan 32 which is rotated by fan shaft 26. Fan shaft 26 is supported by shaft bearings 34 which are in turn supported by bearing supports 36. Bearing supports 36 are mounted on base channels 10, as best shown in FIG- URE 4.

Air which is drawn past finned tubes 28 is expelled out the open top of the cooler mechanism. Fins 38, shown in dotted lines of FIGURE 1, are provided to smoothly direct the air upward which helps eliminate turbulence that would reduce flowing efliciencies.

The cavity contained within the cooler mechanism may be divided generally into two portions. First, there is the inlet plenum portion indicated generally by the numeral 40, and second, the outlet plenum portion, indicated generally by numeral 42. The division between the inlet plenum portion 40 and outlet plenum portion 42 is the fan 32. During operation, the air pressure within inlet plenum chamber 40 will be below atmospheric pressure, whereas air pressure in the outlet plenum chamber 42 will be above atmospheric pressure.

Nozzle flange 18 and pipe flange 22 are considerably larger in diameter than nozzles 16 and pipe 20. The large diameter of flanges 18 and 22 is necessary to provide leak proof seals at the high gas pressures encountered in industry. The large diameter of flanges 18 and 22 introduces problems in the design of cooler mechanisms. As can be seen in FIGURE 2, if the side panel 14 extended straight back from its point of juncture with headers 12A and 12B, there would not be clearance for flanges 18 and 22. To overcome this problem one method which has been continuously used for many years is to provide oflset nozzles 16 having double angular turns, for instance two degree turns, allowing room for flanges 18 and 22. This procedure naturally increases the expense of construction of the cooler mechanism, impairs the overall appearance, and increases the required floor space area. Another means of solving the problem of providing clearance for flanges 1'8 and has been to provide an angular bracket (not shown) adjacent the headers 12 so that the side panel 14 is set in, permitting nozzle 16 to be straight and yet leave clearance for flanges 18 and 22. However, this system has a disadvantage in that the total effective area of the finned tubes 28 is reduced, which reduces the overall cooling efficiency of the mechanism. The novel design of the side panels 14 of this invention is such that clearance is provided for flanges 18 and 22 without reducing the effective area of the finned tubes 28.

Side panels 14 of FIGURE 2 are integrally formed from continuous single sheets of steel. They can be divided, for purposes of clarity, into two major portions, consisting of first, the outlet plenum chamber portions 44 and second, the inlet plenum chamber portions 46. Fan bonnet portions 48 serves to connect the inlet plenum chamber portions 46 with the outlet plenum chamber portions 44. It will be noted that the inlet plenum chamber portions 46 are angled so that the total width between the side panels 14 at the point where flanges 18 and 22 are positioned is materially reduced. This permits clearance for flanges 18 and 22. I

The angular configuration whereby inlet plenum chamber portions 46, outlet plenum chamber portions 44, and fan bonnet portions 48 are integrally formed has many advantages which may not be first observable. The angular position of inlet plenum chamber portions 46 forms an improved airfoil design whereby air entering inlet plenum chamber 40 through finned tubes 28 is conducted more smoothly and efiiciently to the fan 32. The fan bonnet portion 48, being substantially perpendicular to outlet plenum chamber portion 44, serves to add a great degree of rigidity to side panel 14 so that no additional bracing or reinforcing is necessary in the construction. Also of great importance is the provision of fan bonnet portion 48 as a mounting surface to which fan bonnet 50 may be supported to side panels 14. Fan bonnet 50 consists of two portions. First there is a flat steel element 50A having an opening slightly larger than the diameter of fan 32. Second, an articulated steel element 50B is welded to the opening in fan bonnet element 50A. In the previous means of constructing cooler mechanisms wherein straight sheets of metal were used for side panels 14, it was necessary to weld an angular brace along the side panel 14 to provide a means for supporting fan bonnet 50. Thus the configuration of side panel 14 of FIGURE 2 eliminates the necessity of the material re quired to construct a bracket to support fan bonnet 50 and also of course, eliminates the time and labor involved in providing this element.

To further increase the economy and structural advantages of the side panel design of this invention, front and back angular portions '52 and 54 are provided. Back angular portions 54 are integrally formed in the side panels 14 by rolling or bending the material to a 90 degree angle, and front angle portions 52 are rolled or bent to parallel back angular portions 54. Front angular portion 52 provides a fiat surface against which headers 12A and 12B may be easily and rigidly supported. Back angular portions 54 provide a smooth and convenient surface for mounting back panels 56. In previous means of constructing cooler mechanisms wherein flat sheet material was used for side panels 14, it was necessary to provide an angular brace at the front and back end to which the back panel 56 and the headers 12 could be welded. By the provision of this invention wherein the front angular portions 52 and back angular portions 54 are integrally formed the necessity for the angular braces is eliminated thereby effecting a great saving in time, labor and expense, and also providing side panels 14 which are much more rigid.

It is noted that fan 32, surrounded by fan bonnet 50', is set back away from finned tubes 28 a distance. This forms inlet plenum chamber 40 and has the advantage that the vacuum or suction created by the movement of fan 32 is distributed evenly over the total area of finned tubes 28. If fan 32 was set too near the finned tubes 28 only the area approximating the diameter of fan 32 would be subjected to movement of air which would reduce the efiective area of the rectangular configuration of finned tubes 28.

Referring to FIGURE 3, an alternate embodiment of the novel side panel design of this invention is shown. In this arrangement inlet plenum chamber portions 46 are paralleled with outlet plenum chamber portions 44. Fan bonnet portions 48 are provided to integrally connect the inlet and outlet plenum chamber portions 44 and 46. The total width of the cooler mechanism between the outlet plenum chamber portions 44 of side panels 14 is such that ample clearance is provided for flanges 18 and 20. Front angular portions 52 and back angular portions 54 are also integrally formed in the design of FIGURE 3.

The design of FIGURE 3 incorporates all of the advantages and improvements before mentioned for the design of FIGURE 2 with the exception of the improved airfoil feature. For this reason the design of FIGURE 2 is considered to be the more optimum embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4 shows the arrangement of the fan 32, surrounded by fan bonnet 5.0 in relation to the side panels 14 of this invention. The bolt holes 58 in flange 22 are shown as a means whereby flanges 18 and 22 are supported together.

It can be seen that the novel features of the side panel design of this invention permits the construction of cooler mechanisms requiring a great deal less structural members and consequently less welding and labor time. It is well known that when any relatively large flat area of steel is to be welded the heat imparted in the welding process causes the flat material to warp and buckle. Due to the configuration of the side panels 14 of FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3, very little welding is required to support the elements of the cooler mechanism together, and consequently it is possible to produce a finished cooler mechanism of greatly improved appearance and rigidity.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A heat exchanger, comprising, in combination; a base; a first and a second hollow header member vertically supported on said base in a spaced relationship with each other; a multiplicity of ,hollow finned tubes extendingrsubstantially horizontally from said first to said second header member, each of said finned tubes com municating at one end with said first header member and at the opposite end with said second header member; a vertical back panel supported on said base parallel to and in a spaced relationship with said header members, said back panel having an opening therein; a first and a second side panel vertically supported on said base in a spaced relationship with each other and perpendicularly to said back panel, each of said side panels having an integrally formed vertical angular portion extending the length of each end thereof, one of said angular portions of said first side panel engaging and supporting said first header member and the otherof said angular portions of said first side panel engaging and supporting said back panel, one of said angular portions of ,saidsecondside panel engaging and supporting said second header member and the other of said angular portions of said second sidepanel engaging and supporting said back panel, each of said panels having integrally formed vertical fan bonnet portions extending the length thereof, said fan bonnet portions extending substantially perpendicularly of said side panels and in a spaced relationship from said header members; a vertical fan bonnet member supported on said base and aihxed at each end thereof to said fan bonnet portion of each of said side panels whereby a first plenum chamber is provided between said fan bonnet member and said finned tubes extending between said header members and a second plenum chamber is provided between said fan bonnet member and said back panel, said fan bonnet having a circular opening therein and an articulated steel element welded to said fan bonnet member at the total circumference of said opening and extending perpendicularly to said fan bonnet member; at least two bearing supports supported on said base within said second plenum chamber having shaft bearings thereon; a shaft rotatably supported by said shaft bearings, said shaft extending through said opening in said back panel; a fan afiixed to said shaft adaptable upon rotation of said shaft to rotate within said articulated steel element welded to said fan bonnet member; and means affixed to said shaft exterior of said back panel to impart rotary energy to said shaft to rotate said fan whereby air is pulled through said finned tubes and into said first plenum chamber and from said first plenum chamber past said fan into said second plenum chamber and out the top of said second plenum chamber.

2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein each of said integrally formed vertical fan bonnet portions of said side panels extend inwardly from said side panels and in a direction towards each other and wherein the portion of each of said side panels extending from said integrally formed fan bonnet portions to said integrally formed vertical angular portions engaging said header members is parallel to each other and of a greater distance apart than the portions of: said side panels extending from said integrally formed bonnet portions to said integrally formed angular portions engaging said back panel.

3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein each of said integrally formed vertical fan bonnet portions of said side panels extend outwardly from said side panels and in a direction away from each other and wherein the portion of each of said side panels extending from said integrally formed bonnet portions to said integrally formed vertical angular portions engaging said header members are at an angle with each other and wherein the distance between said side panels at said integrally formed vertical angular portions engaging said header members is substantially equal to the distance between the portions of said side panels extending between said integrally formed fan bonnet portions and said integrally formed vertical angular portions engaging said back panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,754,642 Modine Apr. 15, 1930 2,004,151 Angstman June 11, 1935 2,043,450 Simmons June 9, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 451,061 Canada Sept. 7, 194 8

Images