A type of herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler

Abstract

This invention provides a herringbone-shaped W-type plate oil cooler, relating to the field of heat exchange equipment technology. It includes a heat exchange core, which is constructed by stacking multiple herringbone-shaped W-type heat exchange plates, sealing gaskets, and upper and lower sealing plates. The multiple herringbone-shaped W-type heat exchange plates are arranged in alternating layers, dividing the core cavity into independent and staggered oil flow channels and refrigerant flow channels. The two heat exchange media exchange heat in a counter-current convection manner within the heat exchange core. The alternating stacking of the herringbone-shaped W-type heat exchange plates, with their special corrugated structure, forcibly disturbs the oil and refrigerant fluids, disrupting the laminar boundary layer and significantly improving turbulence. Simultaneously, it expands the effective heat exchange area and reduces thermal resistance. Under the same external dimensions, the heat exchange efficiency is far higher than that of ordinary straight plates and single herringbone corrugated plates, solving the problems of high thermal resistance and small effective heat exchange area in traditional straight plate heat exchange plates, and weak disturbance, numerous flow dead zones, and low heat exchange area utilization in single herringbone corrugated plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchange equipment technology, and in particular to a herringbone W-type plate oil cooler. Background Technology

[0002] Plate oil coolers, as core heat exchange equipment in refrigeration units, wind turbine gearboxes, and large hydraulic equipment, primarily rely on heat exchange between low-temperature refrigerant and high-temperature lubricating oil to rapidly reduce the operating temperature of the lubricating oil, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the unit's lubrication system. Currently, the heat exchange cores of mainstream plate oil coolers on the market are generally formed by stacking straight plates or single-herringbone corrugated plates, relying on sealing gaskets to separate the flow channels of the oil and refrigerant heat exchange media to complete the heat exchange. However, existing products have the following inherent defects under actual long-term operating conditions: Traditional straight-plate heat exchangers have flat surfaces, which easily form a stable laminar boundary layer when fluid flows through them, resulting in high thermal resistance and limited effective heat exchange area per unit volume. Herringbone corrugated plates have weak corrugation disturbance capability, which can only slightly increase the degree of fluid turbulence. There are a lot of dead zones in the flow channel, resulting in low heat exchange area utilization. At the same time, most conventional oil coolers adopt a co-current heat exchange layout, with lubricating oil and refrigerant flowing in the same direction. The temperature difference between the hot and cold media continues to decrease along the way, resulting in low heat transfer utilization. The high-temperature lubricating oil cools down slowly, and the unit is in a state of high oil temperature for a long time, which accelerates the wear of bearings, gears and other moving parts, and shortens the service life of the whole machine.

[0003] The existing plate oil cooler is fixed at the bottom by flange bolts alone, without any real-time monitoring mechanism for bolt tightness. Continuous vibration of the unit will cause the flange bolt preload to decrease and the threads to slip and loosen. There is no automatic warning mechanism for loose bolts, and it relies solely on manual periodic inspections. Manual inspections are prone to omissions, delays, and failure to identify minor looseness. Over time, minor looseness can lead to secondary major failures such as heat exchange core displacement, tearing of connecting pipes, large-area media leakage, and complete failure of heat exchange function. Conventional anti-loosening washers and anti-loosening marking paint can only passively slow down bolt loosening and cannot provide real-time feedback on the tightness failure status, thus lacking early warning capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention relates to a herringbone corrugated W-type plate oil cooler, which solves the problems of high thermal resistance and small effective heat exchange area of ​​traditional straight plate heat exchangers, weak disturbance of single herringbone corrugated plates, many flow dead zones and low heat exchange area utilization. In addition, the conventional oil cooler's co-current arrangement leads to continuous attenuation of medium temperature difference, poor heat exchange efficiency, slow cooling of lubricating oil, and long-term high unit oil temperature, which aggravates wear of moving parts and shortens the overall life of the machine.

[0005] This invention provides a herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler, specifically comprising: a heat exchange core, wherein the heat exchange core is composed of multiple herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates, sealing gaskets, and upper and lower sealing plates stacked together; the multiple herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates are arranged alternately to divide the inner cavity of the core into independent and staggered oil flow channels and refrigerant flow channels, and the two heat exchange media exchange heat in a counter-current convection manner inside the heat exchange core; the herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates are provided with four medium flow holes as guide channels for the medium to enter and exit the core; The medium flow hole on the top left side of the heat exchange core is connected to an electronic expansion valve, which is connected to the refrigerant flow channel. The medium flow hole on the top right side is connected to an oil cooler female connector, which is connected to the oil flow channel. A bottom mounting block is fixedly installed at the bottom of the heat exchange core. Two bottom holes are opened on the bottom end face of the bottom mounting block. The two bottom holes are aligned and connected to the two corresponding medium flow holes at the bottom of the heat exchange core. One hole is connected to the refrigerant flow channel, and the other hole is connected to the oil flow channel.

[0006] Furthermore, the bottom mounting block has a mounting hole extending through its bottom end face at the edge of its top surface; a circular receiving groove is formed on the bottom end face of the bottom mounting block relative to the axis of the mounting hole, and the diameter of the circular receiving groove is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole.

[0007] Furthermore, a loosening warning switch is fixedly installed on the top surface of the inner end of the circular storage groove. The loosening warning switch is a tactile switch with the button end facing downwards.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottom mounting block is equipped with a microcontroller electrically connected to the loosening warning switch, and a buzzer electrically connected to the microcontroller is mounted on the side end face of the bottom mounting block. The microcontroller inside the bottom mounting block is connected to the same power supply line as the electronic expansion valve.

[0009] Furthermore, when the loosening warning switch is in the pressed-on state, the loosening warning switch sends a feedback signal to the microcontroller, which then controls the buzzer to start.

[0010] Furthermore, a mating sleeve is slidably inserted into the mounting hole, and a flange bolt is inserted into the mating sleeve; an annular sliding block is fixedly installed on the outer circumferential surface of the mating sleeve; an annular sliding groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole, and the annular sliding block is slidably installed inside the annular sliding groove.

[0011] Furthermore, a spring reset component is sleeved around the outer periphery of the fitting sleeve. The bottom end of the spring reset component is fixedly connected to the top surface of the annular sliding block, and the top end of the spring reset component is in contact with the top surface of the inner end of the annular sliding groove. An annular pressure plate is fixedly installed at the bottom of the outer peripheral surface of the fitting sleeve. In its natural state, the top surface of the fitting sleeve is two millimeters higher than the top surface of the bottom mounting block.

[0012] Furthermore, an annular silicone pressure pad is fixedly bonded to the top surface of the annular pressure plate; in the natural state of the spring reset component, the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad is in contact with the button end of the loosening warning switch, at which time the loosening warning switch is in the pressed start state.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the annular pressure plate is provided with a mating notch a; the outer circumferential surface of the annular silicone pressure pad is provided with a mating notch b, and the mating notch b corresponds to the position of the mating notch a; when the mating notch a corresponds to the position of the loosening warning switch, the positions of the annular silicone pressure pad and the loosening warning switch are offset, and in the natural state of the spring reset component, the button end of the loosening warning switch does not contact the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad; The bottom end face of the mating sleeve has a hexagonal twisting slot at its axial center.

[0014] This invention provides a herringbone W-type plate oil cooler, which has the following beneficial effects: The heat exchange core of this invention uses alternating stacked W-shaped heat exchange plates with a special corrugated structure to forcibly disturb the oil and refrigerant fluids, disrupting the laminar boundary layer and significantly improving turbulence. Simultaneously, it expands the effective heat exchange area and reduces thermal resistance. Under the same external dimensions, its heat exchange efficiency is far higher than that of ordinary straight plates or single-sided corrugated plates, resulting in better lubricating oil cooling. The oil flow channels and refrigerant flow channels are arranged independently and interleaved, allowing for counter-current convection heat exchange between the lubricating oil and the low-temperature refrigerant. This maximizes the utilization of the temperature difference between the hot and cold media, ensuring sufficient heat transfer and rapidly reducing the temperature of the high-temperature lubricating oil, thus guaranteeing stable operation of the unit's lubrication system.

[0015] This invention integrates a bottom-mounted block with a spring reset component, a matching sleeve, an annular silicone pressure pad, and a loosening warning switch. It eliminates the need for regular manual inspections and allows real-time monitoring of the flange bolt tightness. If a flange bolt loosens, the spring automatically rebounds, triggering an alarm and a continuous buzzer sound. This provides immediate warning of potential installation failure, alerting staff to loose oil cooler installations and preventing major secondary failures such as pipe tearing, media leakage, core displacement, and heat exchange failure caused by prolonged vibration. The matching sleeve has a hexagonal twisting slot at its bottom. During shutdown maintenance, a hexagonal tool is used to rotate the sleeve, aligning the notch of the annular pressure plate and the annular silicone pressure pad with the loosening warning switch. The annular silicone pressure pad and the loosening warning switch are misaligned, temporarily shutting off the buzzer alarm. Disassembly and assembly operations are not disturbed by continuous ringing, avoiding false alarms. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below.

[0017] The accompanying drawings described below are only related to some embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0018] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the top isometric structure of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the bottom isometric structure of the present invention is shown; Figure 3 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the herringbone W-type heat exchange plate structure of the present invention is shown; Figure 5 This diagram shows a partially enlarged top view of the flange bolt, mating sleeve, annular silicone pressure pad, and spring reset component of the present invention in a disassembled state. Figure 6 This diagram shows a partially enlarged view of the bottom end of the flange bolt, mating sleeve, annular silicone pressure pad, and spring reset component in a disassembled state, according to the present invention. Figure 7 This diagram shows a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the mounting hole portion of the present invention in the flange bolt locked state; Figure 8 The present invention is shown Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure with flange bolts removed and in the locked state; Figure 9 A system composition block diagram of the present invention is shown; List of reference numerals 1. Heat exchanger core; 101. Electronic expansion valve; 102. Oil cooler female connector; 2. Bottom mounting block; 201. Buzzer; 202. Bottom hole; 203. Mounting hole; 204. Annular sliding groove; 205. Circular storage groove; 206. Loosening warning switch; 207. Microcontroller; 3. Flange bolts; 4. Mating sleeve; 401. Annular sliding stop; 402. Annular pressure plate; 403. Torsion slot; 404. Mating notch a; 5. Annular silicone pressure pad; 501. Mating notch b; 6. Spring return component. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Example: Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 : This invention proposes a herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler, comprising: a heat exchange core 1, which is composed of multiple herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates, sealing gaskets, and upper and lower sealing plates stacked together; the multiple herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates are arranged alternately to divide the inner cavity of the core into independent and staggered oil flow channels and refrigerant flow channels, and the two heat exchange media exchange heat in a counter-current convection manner inside the heat exchange core 1; the herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates are provided with four medium flow holes as guide channels for the medium to enter and exit the core; The medium flow hole on the top left side of the heat exchange core 1 is connected to an electronic expansion valve 101, which is connected to the refrigerant flow channel. The medium flow hole on the top right side is connected to an oil cooler female connector 102, which is connected to the oil flow channel. A bottom mounting block 2 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the heat exchange core 1. Two bottom holes 202 are opened on the bottom end face of the bottom mounting block 2. The two bottom holes 202 are respectively aligned and connected to the two medium flow holes at the bottom of the heat exchange core 1. One of them is connected to the refrigerant flow channel, and the other is connected to the oil flow channel.

[0020] The bottom mounting block 2 has a mounting hole 203 extending through its bottom end face, adjacent to its edge at the top surface. A circular receiving groove 205 is formed on the bottom end face of the bottom mounting block 2 relative to the axis of the mounting hole 203, with a diameter larger than that of the mounting hole 203. A loosening warning switch 206 is fixedly mounted on the top surface of the inner end of the circular receiving groove 205. The loosening warning switch 206 is a tactile switch, with its button facing downwards. The bottom mounting block 2 also has an internal connection to the loosening warning switch 206. The connected microcontroller 207 has a buzzer 201 electrically connected to it mounted on the side of the bottom mounting block 2. The microcontroller 207 inside the bottom mounting block 2 shares the same power supply line as the electronic expansion valve 101, eliminating the need for a separate dedicated power supply circuit for alarms, simplifying the internal wiring harness layout, and reducing the risk of short circuits and insulation damage caused by messy wiring. When the loosening warning switch 206 is in the pressed start state, the loosening warning switch 206 sends a feedback signal to the microcontroller 207, and the microcontroller 207 controls the buzzer 201 to start.

[0021] The mounting hole 203 has a sliding sleeve 4 inserted inside, and a flange bolt 3 is inserted inside the sleeve 4. An annular sliding stop 401 is fixedly installed on the outer circumferential surface of the sleeve 4. An annular sliding groove 204 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 203, and the annular sliding stop 401 is slidably installed inside the annular sliding groove 204. A spring return member 6 is sleeved around the sleeve 4, with its bottom end fixedly connected to the top surface of the annular sliding stop 401, and its top end contacting the top surface of the inner end of the annular sliding groove 204. 4. An annular pressure plate 402 is fixedly installed on the bottom of the outer periphery; in the natural state of the spring return component 6, the top surface of the mating sleeve 4 is two millimeters higher than the top surface of the bottom mounting block 2. Therefore, when the flange bolt 3 is inserted into the mating sleeve 4 and tightened to the mounting end face, the end face of the flange bolt 3 will press down on the mating sleeve 4, so that the top surface of the mating sleeve 4 and the top surface of the bottom mounting block 2 are at the same level; an annular silicone pressure pad 5 is fixedly bonded to the top surface of the annular pressure plate 402; in the natural state of the spring return component 6, the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad 5 and the loosening warning switch 206 are in contact. When the button end of the loosening warning switch 206 is pressed into contact with the button end, the switch is in the pressed-on state. The annular silicone pressure pad 5 is set to press against the button end of the loosening warning switch 206 to avoid hard pressure on the button end. A mating notch a404 is provided on the outer circumference of the annular pressure plate 402; a mating notch b501 is provided on the outer circumference of the annular silicone pressure pad 5, and the mating notch b501 corresponds to the mating notch a404. When the mating notch a404 corresponds to the position of the loosening warning switch 206... At this time, the annular silicone pressure pad 5 and the loosening warning switch 206 are misaligned. In the natural state of the spring reset piece 6, the button end of the loosening warning switch 206 does not contact the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad 5. The bottom end face of the sleeve 4 has a hexagonal twisting slot 403. When the machine is stopped for maintenance, a hexagonal tool can be inserted into the twisting slot 403 to rotate the sleeve 4 so that the mating notch a404 of the annular pressure plate 402 and the mating notch b501 of the annular silicone pressure pad 5 are aligned with the position of the loosening warning switch 206.

[0022] The working principle of this embodiment: The low-temperature refrigerant and high-temperature lubricating oil are circulated independently, relying on W-shaped heat exchange plates with a herringbone pattern to achieve counter-convective heat transfer and complete the cooling of the lubricating oil. The specific process is as follows: The low-temperature refrigerant is introduced into the electronic expansion valve 101 from the top left side of the heat exchange core 1. After being throttled and depressurized by the valve port of the electronic expansion valve 101 and cooled twice, it flows directly into the refrigerant flow channel in the heat exchange core 1. The bottom mounting block 2 is provided with a bottom hole 202 corresponding to the refrigerant passage. The heated refrigerant after absorbing heat is discharged from the bottom hole 202 and reconnected to the whole machine refrigeration system for circulation. High-temperature lubricating oil is introduced from another bottom hole 202 of the bottom mounting block 2 and enters the independent oil flow channel inside the heat exchange core 1. After the lubricating oil completes heat release and cooling in the channel, it flows out through the female connector 102 of the top oil cooler on the right side of the heat exchange core 1 and flows back to the unit's lubricating oil circuit to achieve lubricating oil circulation cooling. The heat exchange core 1 consists of multiple alternating W-shaped heat exchange plates with herringbone corrugations, which, along with sealing gaskets, completely separate and stagger the oil flow channels and refrigerant flow channels. The two media do not come into contact with each other, and the metal plates serve as the heat transfer interface. The oil and refrigerant flow in opposite directions within the flow channels. The herringbone W-shaped corrugated structure can significantly improve the fluid turbulence, increase the effective heat exchange area, and reduce the heat exchange thermal resistance. The heat carried by the high-temperature lubricating oil is transferred to the low-temperature refrigerant through the heat exchange plates. The temperature of the lubricating oil itself decreases, and the refrigerant absorbs heat and rises in temperature, thereby continuously completing the oil-cooled heat exchange function.

[0023] This invention can monitor the installation and tightness of the oil cooler in real time, and automatically provide an audible and visual alert when flange bolt 3 becomes loose. The working logic is divided into three operating conditions: Normal locking condition: The flange bolt 3 is inserted into the mating sleeve 4 and tightened to fix it to the mounting end face. The end face of the flange bolt 3 presses down on the mating sleeve 4, causing the annular sliding block 401 on the outer periphery of the mating sleeve 4 to slide down along the annular sliding groove 204. The tension spring reset piece 6 and the annular pressure plate 402 slide down synchronously. The annular silicone pressure pad 5 is completely separated from the button of the loose warning switch 206. The loose warning switch 206 is in the off state. There is no signal input to the microcontroller 207, and the buzzer 201 does not start. Loosening fault condition: When flange bolt 3 loosens due to long-term vibration, the clamping force of flange bolt 3 on mating sleeve 4 disappears, the stretched spring return piece 6 rebounds, pushing mating sleeve 4 to slide upward as a whole, and the annular pressure plate 402 and annular silicone pressure pad 5 move upward simultaneously. At this time, the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad 5 will press against the button end of the loosening warning switch 206, the loosening warning switch 206 is turned on and sends a trigger signal to the microcontroller 207; the microcontroller 207 controls the buzzer 201 to sound continuously, reminding the staff that the oil cooler installation and fixation has failed and needs to be dealt with in time; Temporary shielding operation: During shutdown maintenance, a hexagonal tool can be inserted into the hexagonal twisting slot 403 at the bottom of the mating sleeve 4 to rotate the mating sleeve 4, so that the mating notch a404 of the annular pressure plate 402 and the mating notch b501 of the annular silicone pressure pad 5 are aligned with the position of the looseness warning switch 206. At this time, the positions of the annular silicone pressure pad 5 and the looseness warning switch 206 are offset from each other. Even if the spring reset part 6 moves the mating sleeve 4 upward, the annular silicone pressure pad 5 cannot press the looseness warning switch 206 button, the alarm circuit is disconnected, and the buzzer prompt can be temporarily turned off, which is convenient for disassembly and maintenance.

Claims

1. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler, characterized in that, include: The heat exchange core (1) is composed of multiple herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates, sealing gaskets, and upper and lower sealing plates stacked together. The multiple herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates are arranged alternately to divide the inner cavity of the core into independent and staggered oil flow channels and refrigerant flow channels. The two heat exchange media exchange heat in the heat exchange core (1) in a counter-current convection manner. The herringbone W-shaped heat exchange plates are provided with four medium flow holes as guide channels for the medium to enter and exit the core. The medium flow hole on the top left side of the heat exchange core (1) is connected to the electronic expansion valve (101), which is connected to the refrigerant flow channel. The medium flow hole on the top right side is connected to the oil cooler female connector (102), which is connected to the oil flow channel. A bottom mounting block (2) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the heat exchange core (1). Two bottom holes (202) are opened on the bottom end face of the bottom mounting block (2). The two bottom holes (202) are respectively aligned and connected to the two medium flow holes at the bottom of the heat exchange core (1). One of them is connected to the refrigerant flow channel, and the other is connected to the oil flow channel.

2. The herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom mounting block (2) has a mounting hole (203) that penetrates its bottom end face at the edge of the top surface; the bottom mounting block (2) has a circular storage groove (205) at the axial part of the bottom end face relative to the mounting hole (203), and the diameter of the circular storage groove (205) is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole (203).

3. The herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 2, characterized in that, A loosening warning switch (206) is fixedly installed on the top surface of the inner end of the circular storage groove (205). The loosening warning switch (206) is a tactile switch, and the button end of the loosening warning switch (206) faces downward.

4. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom mounting block (2) is equipped with a microcontroller (207) that is electrically connected to the loosening warning switch (206). A buzzer (201) that is electrically connected to the microcontroller (207) is installed on the side end face of the bottom mounting block (2). The microcontroller (207) inside the bottom mounting block (2) is connected to the electronic expansion valve (101) via the same power supply line.

5. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the loose warning switch (206) is in the pressed start state, the loose warning switch (206) sends a feedback signal to the microcontroller (207), and the microcontroller (207) controls the buzzer (201) to start.

6. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 5, characterized in that, A fitting sleeve (4) is slidably inserted inside the mounting hole (203), and a flange bolt (3) is inserted inside the fitting sleeve (4); an annular sliding block (401) is fixedly installed on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting sleeve (4); an annular sliding groove (204) is opened on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole (203), and the annular sliding block (401) is slidably installed inside the annular sliding groove (204).

7. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 6, characterized in that, A spring reset member (6) is sleeved around the outer periphery of the fitting sleeve (4). The bottom end of the spring reset member (6) is fixedly connected to the top surface of the annular sliding block (401). The top end of the spring reset member (6) is in contact with the top surface of the inner end of the annular sliding groove (204). An annular pressure plate (402) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the outer periphery of the fitting sleeve (4). In its natural state, the top surface of the fitting sleeve (4) is two millimeters higher than the top surface of the bottom mounting block (2).

8. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 7, characterized in that, The top surface of the annular pressure plate (402) is fixedly bonded with an annular silicone pressure pad (5); in the natural state of the spring reset component (6), the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad (5) is in contact with the button end of the loosening warning switch (206), and at this time the loosening warning switch (206) is in the pressed start state.

9. A herringbone W-shaped plate oil cooler according to claim 8, characterized in that, The annular pressure plate (402) has a mating notch a (404) on its outer circumferential surface; the annular silicone pressure pad (5) has a mating notch b (501) on its outer circumferential surface, and the mating notch b (501) corresponds to the mating notch a (404) in position; when the mating notch a (404) corresponds to the position of the loosening warning switch (206), the annular silicone pressure pad (5) and the loosening warning switch (206) are misaligned, and in the natural state of the spring reset member (6), the button end of the loosening warning switch (206) does not contact the top surface of the annular silicone pressure pad (5); The bottom end face of the fitting sleeve (4) is provided with a hexagonal twisting slot (403).

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