Bridging Header Design for Heat Exchanger Pressure Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing heat exchangers with corrugated sheets in the bridging header face deformation under refrigerant pressure, limiting the number of heat transfer tubes and reducing design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring a bridging header with a flat base, a corrugated sheet, and a covering plate. The corrugated sheet forms flow passages between the heat transfer tubes, and the covering plate presses the corrugated sheet against the base, preventing deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the corrugated sheet is thickened to prevent deformation under refrigerant pressure, then the strength and reliability of the bridging header is improved, but the design flexibility and number of heat transfer tubes that can be inserted is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bridging header is segmented into three functional parts: a base plate for structural support, a corrugated sheet for flow passage formation, and a covering plate for pressure resistance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the base plate provides insertion holes for heat transfer tubes, the corrugated sheet creates efficient flow passages, and the covering plate prevents deformation under pressure, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and design flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bridging header are given different properties: the base plate is designed with insertion holes for tube placement, the corrugated sheet is shaped to form flow passages between heat transfer tubes, and the covering plate is positioned to press against the corrugated sheet for structural stability. This local differentiation allows the structure to simultaneously achieve pressure resistance and design flexibility without requiring uniform thickening
2Adaptability or versatility
If the corrugated sheet is made thin to maintain design flexibility, then the number of heat transfer tubes and spacing can be adjusted freely, but the corrugated sheet deforms under refrigerant pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate acts as an intermediary between the corrugated sheet and the external environment. It provides a rigid foundation that supports the corrugated sheet's flow passage structure while allowing the corrugated sheet itself to remain thin and flexible for design adjustments. The covering plate then acts as a second intermediary that distributes and resists refrigerant pressure, preventing deformation of the thin corrugated sheet
3Stability of the object's composition
If the corrugated sheet is thickened to prevent deformation, then the structural integrity is improved, but the region for heat transfer tube insertion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bridging header is divided into functional zones: the base plate contains insertion holes for heat transfer tubes, the corrugated sheet forms flow passages in the central region, and the covering plate provides overall structural support. This segmentation ensures that the insertion region area is maximized in the base plate while structural integrity is maintained by the covering plate, eliminating the need to reduce insertion area for structural reasons
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design allows for adjustable placement and number of heat transfer tubes, enhancing design flexibility without the need for thickening the corrugated sheet, thus maintaining efficient refrigerant flow.
Implementation Method 1
a covering plate covering the corrugated sheet and pressing the corrugated sheet toward the base
Implementation Method 2
the corrugated sheet forming, between the corrugated sheet and the base, a header flow passage, through which refrigerant flows
Implementation Method 3
a fin provided on the heat transfer tubes and facilitating heat exchange between refrigerant flowing inside the heat transfer tubes and air
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A heat exchanger has: a heat transfer tube group made up of plural heat transfer tubes each of which has, inside the heat transfer tube, a flow passage through which refrigerant flows, the plural heat transfer tubes that are arranged in a lateral direction being arranged in a longitudinal direction so as to form plural rows; a fin provided on the heat transfer tubes and facilitating heat exchange between refrigerant flowing inside the heat transfer tubes and air; and a bridging header into which end portions of the heat transfer tubes are inserted and that causes refrigerant to flow between the heat transfer tubes arranged in a lateral direction of the heat transfer tube group. The bridging header has a base having a flat plate shape and having insertion holes into which respective ones of end portions of the plurality of heat transfer tubes are inserted. The bridging header also has a corrugated sheet being a plate having a shape of a wave in which crest portions and valley portions are continuously formed, each of the crest portions being provided so as to cover a pair of the insertion holes arranged in a lateral direction, the valley portions being in contact with the base on both sides of each of the insertion holes in a longitudinal direction of the base, the corrugated sheet forming, between the corrugated sheet and the base, a header flow passage, through which refrigerant flows, for every the heat transfer tubes arranged in a lateral direction of the heat transfer tube group. The bridging header also has a covering plate covering the corrugated sheet and pressing the corrugated sheet toward the base.