Intermediate seal for plate-fin heat exchangers

Abstract

This utility model provides an intermediate seal for plate-fin heat exchangers, relating to the field of heat exchangers. It includes a symmetrical, elongated seal body; a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the seal body; a recess is provided on the lower surface of the seal body; both the left and right surfaces of the seal body are planar; the axis of symmetry of the protrusion coincides with the vertical center line of the seal body; the protrusion is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a first arc-shaped surface; the first arc-shaped surface protrudes away from the seal body; the axis of symmetry of the recess coincides with the vertical center line of the seal body; the recess is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a second arc-shaped surface; the second arc-shaped surface protrudes towards the seal body. The intermediate seal for plate-fin heat exchangers provided by this utility model solves the problem in the prior art that seals for plate-fin heat exchangers are difficult to simultaneously resist media impact and retain media, reducing impact damage at the inlet and reducing flow resistance at the outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of heat exchangers, and more particularly to an intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers. Background Technology

[0002] Plate-fin heat exchangers are commonly used industrial equipment. They typically have multiple parallel baffles with two different temperature channels on either side of the baffles. Cold and hot media contact the two sides of the baffles respectively, and heat exchange occurs on the baffles. Sealing strips are installed at the edges of the gaps between the baffles to form tubular spaces. Cold and hot media flow through these tubular spaces on either side of the baffles; the tubular space through which the cold media flows is the cold flow channel, and the tubular space through which the hot media flows is the hot flow channel. End caps are installed at the inlet and outlet of all the tubular spaces through which the cold and hot media flow, respectively, for convergence. The cold media enters from the cold flow end cap, disperses into the cold flow channel, and finally flows out from the cold flow end cap outlet; the hot media does the same. Fins are installed in the cold and hot flow channels to guide the media and provide structural support between adjacent baffles (the sealing strips also serve as structural support between adjacent baffles). For example, the heat exchanger core that is easy to disassemble and assemble disclosed in Chinese patent application number 202223462645.6 explains the positional relationship between the sealing plate, sealing strip and fins of the plate-fin heat exchanger.

[0003] In practical applications, pumps are typically used to provide initial velocities to both the cold and hot media to ensure smooth heat exchange through the heat exchanger. The seal, as a structure located at the edge of the cold and hot flow channels, is continuously impacted by the initial velocities of the cold and hot media during heat exchanger operation. To prevent leakage due to these impacts, existing technologies have implemented measures to optimize the seal structure. For example, the seal disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 202220921485.8 for plate-fin heat exchangers addresses the issue of blockage caused by slower flow rates. The seal designed for plate-fin heat exchangers exhibits characteristics distinct from the former: the former has a concave center on the side facing the media, while the latter has a convex center. Both designs effectively solve the practical problem.

[0004] However, this presents a paradox. To ensure the smooth flow of a dense fluid like hot oil, the user needs to provide a high initial velocity when entering the heat exchanger. This high initial velocity, combined with the kinetic energy generated by impacting the seal, will continuously impact the seal. If the latter type of seal is used throughout, the weld between the seal and the baffle will be subject to high kinetic energy impacts, making it prone to leakage. Conversely, as the hot oil passes through the heat exchanger to the rear, its flow rate will be slowed down by the friction generated by contact with the seal fins. If the former type of seal is used throughout, the former seal will concentrate and absorb the impact force, reducing the kinetic energy of the hot oil and thus its speed, making it more prone to stagnation.

[0005] To optimize the location of external pipelines for hot and cold media, some heat exchangers in the prior art utilize intermediate seals to guide the flow of the media. For example, Chinese Patent Application No. 202021378841.3 discloses a plate-fin heat exchanger with an internal seal, which employs an intermediate seal. The principle of guiding the media is illustrated below. Figures 1 to 2 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cold medium layer. The cold medium inlet 01 and the cold medium outlet 02 are both located on the same side of the heat exchanger. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heat medium layer. The heat medium inlet 03 and the heat medium outlet 04 are both located on the same side of the heat exchanger. The above-mentioned cold medium layer and the heat medium layer are separated and guided by the intermediate seal 05, so that the heat medium inlet and outlet are connected to the outside on the same side, and the cold medium inlet and outlet are connected to the outside on the same side. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers provided by this utility model can reduce impact damage at the inlet and reduce flow resistance at the outlet.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: The present invention provides an intermediate sealing strip for a plate-fin heat exchanger, comprising a symmetrical, elongated sealing strip body; a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the sealing strip body; a recess is provided on the lower surface of the sealing strip body; the left and right surfaces of the sealing strip body are both planar; the protrusion is symmetrical; the axis of symmetry of the protrusion coincides with the vertical center line of the sealing strip body; the protrusion is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a first arc-shaped surface; the first arc-shaped surface protrudes away from the sealing strip body; the recess is symmetrical; the axis of symmetry of the recess coincides with the vertical center line of the sealing strip body; the recess is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a second arc-shaped surface; the second arc-shaped surface protrudes towards the sealing strip body.

[0008] The intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers provided by this utility model preferably has a through hole in its body; the through hole is formed along the elongated extension direction of the sealing strip body.

[0009] The intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers provided by this utility model preferably has the first arc surface curvature less than π / 2 rad and the second arc surface curvature less than π / 2 rad.

[0010] The intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers provided by this utility model preferably has a rectangular through hole; the cross-section of the through hole in the strip extension direction of the sealing strip body is rectangular, and the long side of the rectangle is perpendicular to the left surface; the length of the long side of the rectangle is 1 / 2 of the distance between the left and right surfaces of the sealing strip body.

[0011] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects: This utility model provides an intermediate seal for a plate-fin heat exchanger, relating to the field of heat exchangers. It includes a symmetrical, elongated seal body; a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the seal body; a recess is provided on the lower surface of the seal body; both the left and right surfaces of the seal body are planar; the protrusion is symmetrical; the axis of symmetry of the protrusion coincides with the vertical center line of the seal body; the protrusion is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a first arc-shaped surface; the first arc-shaped surface protrudes away from the seal body; the recess is symmetrical; the axis of symmetry of the recess coincides with the vertical center line of the seal body; the recess is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a second arc-shaped surface; the second arc-shaped surface protrudes towards the seal body. The intermediate seal for a plate-fin heat exchanger provided by this utility model solves the problem in the prior art where the seal of a plate-fin heat exchanger is difficult to simultaneously resist media impact and retain media, reducing impact damage at the inlet and reducing flow resistance at the outlet. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The present invention, its features, shape, and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the drawings. The drawings are not intentionally drawn to scale; the focus is on illustrating the gist of the invention.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the medium flow path of a cold medium layer with an intermediate seal, provided by the background technology of this utility model.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the flow path of the heat medium layer with an intermediate seal, provided by the background technology of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the intermediate seal for a plate-fin heat exchanger provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the protrusion and the recess when the intermediate seal of the plate-fin heat exchanger is in the cold medium layer, as provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Example 1: The intermediate sealing strip for a plate-fin heat exchanger provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model, such as Figures 3 to 4 As shown, the sealing strip includes a rectangular body 1 that is symmetrical from left to right; a protrusion 11 is provided on the upper surface of the sealing strip body 1; a recess 12 is provided on the lower surface of the sealing strip body 1; the left surface 13 and the right surface 14 of the sealing strip body 1 are both planar; the protrusion 11 is symmetrical from left to right; the axis of symmetry of the protrusion 11 coincides with the vertical center line of the sealing strip body 1; the protrusion 11 is connected to the left surface 13 and the right surface 14 respectively through a first arc-shaped surface 2; the first arc-shaped surface 2 protrudes away from the sealing strip body 1; the recess 12 is symmetrical from left to right; the axis of symmetry of the recess 12 coincides with the vertical center line of the sealing strip body 1; the recess 12 is connected to the left surface 13 and the right surface 14 respectively through a second arc-shaped surface 3; the second arc-shaped surface 3 protrudes towards the sealing strip body 1.

[0018] The sealing strip body is a structural component used in plate-fin heat exchangers. Specifically, the sealing strip body is installed in the core structure of the plate-fin heat exchanger by having its left surface 13 and right surface 14 abutting against the upper and lower partitions respectively; at the entire cold medium layer, the protrusion 11 faces the medium outlet, and the recess 12 faces the medium inlet; if a medium channel is provided in the structure of this embodiment (… Figure 4 As shown in the figure; unlike the prior art, this embodiment has a recessed portion 12 on the side facing the medium at the medium inlet. When the medium enters the heat exchange core from the end cap, it has a high initial velocity to ensure that the medium can flow smoothly through the heat exchange core. Therefore, the medium initially has high kinetic energy. The medium with high kinetic energy will impact the seal body 1. This impact force will directly act on the recessed portion 12 of the seal body 1, thereby decelerating it. The medium is guided by the side wall of the recessed portion 12 to the bottom end of the recessed portion 12, thereby reducing the impact on the weld at the connection between the seal body 1 and the partition. Afterwards, the medium continues to flow along the extension direction of the seal body. The medium is decelerated due to the friction generated by the continuous contact with the partition, fins and seal body, and turns at the end of the seal body 1. In this embodiment, by providing a protrusion 11 on the other side of the recessed portion 12 of the seal body 1, the flow channel towards the heat exchange core outlet is contracted, thereby increasing the flow rate and reducing the problem of medium retention at the heat exchange core outlet due to low flow rate.

[0019] The intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model solves the problem that the sealing strips of plate-fin heat exchangers in the prior art are difficult to balance resistance to media impact and media retention. It can reduce the impact damage at the inlet and reduce the flow resistance at the outlet.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment, in this embodiment, a through hole 15 is provided inside the seal body 1; the through hole 15 is provided along the elongated extension direction of the seal body 1.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first arc surface has an arc radius of less than π / 2 rad; the second arc surface has an arc radius of less than π / 2 rad. The arc surface with an arc radius of less than 90° (45°~60° arc surface) makes the transition between the upper and lower surfaces of the seal and the side surfaces smoother, reducing the centrifugal force when the fluid changes direction, thereby promoting the stable flow of the fluid toward the outlet of the heat exchange core.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment, in this case, the through hole 15 is rectangular; the cross-section of the through hole 15 along the strip-like extension direction of the seal body 1 is rectangular, and the long side of the rectangle is perpendicular to the left surface 13; the length of the long side of the rectangle is half the distance between the left surface 13 and the right surface 14 of the seal body. The through hole 15 can serve as a stress relief channel, reducing the internal stress generated by welding thermal deformation and cooling shrinkage, and lowering the risk of weld cracking; and the through hole 15 can absorb the deformation stress generated by the impact of the medium.

[0023] In summary, this utility model provides an intermediate sealing strip for a plate-fin heat exchanger, relating to the field of heat exchangers. It includes a symmetrical, elongated sealing strip body; a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the sealing strip body; a recess is provided on the lower surface of the sealing strip body; both the left and right surfaces of the sealing strip body are planar; the protrusion is symmetrical; the axis of symmetry of the protrusion coincides with the vertical center line of the sealing strip body; the protrusion is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a first arc-shaped surface; the first arc-shaped surface protrudes away from the sealing strip body; the recess is symmetrical; the axis of symmetry of the recess coincides with the vertical center line of the sealing strip body; the recess is connected to the left and right surfaces respectively via a second arc-shaped surface; the second arc-shaped surface protrudes towards the sealing strip body. The intermediate sealing strip for plate-fin heat exchangers provided by this utility model solves the problem in the prior art that the sealing strip of plate-fin heat exchangers is difficult to simultaneously resist media impact and retain media. It can reduce the impact damage at the inlet and reduce the flow resistance at the outlet.

[0024] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An intermediate seal for a plate-fin heat exchanger, characterized in that, Includes a long, rectangular seal body that is symmetrical on both sides; The upper surface of the seal body is provided with a protrusion; the lower surface of the seal body is provided with a recess; the left and right surfaces of the seal body are both flat. The protrusion is symmetrical from left to right; the axis of symmetry of the protrusion coincides with the vertical center line of the seal body; the protrusion is connected to the left surface and the right surface respectively through a first arc-shaped surface; the first arc-shaped surface protrudes away from the seal body; The recessed portion is symmetrical from left to right; the axis of symmetry of the recessed portion coincides with the vertical center line of the seal body; the recessed portion is connected to the left surface and the right surface respectively through a second arc-shaped surface; the second arc-shaped surface protrudes towards the seal body.

2. The intermediate sealing strip for a plate-fin heat exchanger as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The seal body has a through hole; the through hole is opened along the elongated extension direction of the seal body.

3. The intermediate sealing strip for a plate-fin heat exchanger as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first arc surface has a radius of less than π / 2 rad; the second arc surface has a radius of less than π / 2 rad.

4. The intermediate sealing strip for a plate-fin heat exchanger as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The through hole is rectangular; the cross-section of the through hole in the strip-shaped extension direction of the seal body is rectangular, and the long side of the rectangle is perpendicular to the left surface; the length of the long side of the rectangle is 1 / 2 of the distance between the left and right surfaces of the seal body.

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