Welded Ceiling Cooling Element for Efficient Tube-to-Plate Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning elements for heating and cooling ceilings face challenges in achieving optimal heat transfer between pipes and base plates while being cost-effective, adaptable to varying geometries, and maintaining noise-damping properties.
Innovation Solution
The air-conditioning element features a perforated metal plate with flanges, a meandering metal tube, and thin sheet metal base plates connected via ultrasonic or laser weld seams, ensuring efficient heat transfer and economical production without compromising mechanical robustness or aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tube is embedded in graphite foam to improve flexibility and heat transfer, then adaptability to geometry is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and mechanical robustness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is segmented into multiple individual base plates, each associated with a straight section of the tube. This segmentation allows each base plate to be independently positioned and welded, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining adaptability to the tube's meandering geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from graphite foam to thin sheet metal (maximum 1.2 mm thickness). This parameter change maintains flexibility and adaptability while significantly simplifying manufacturing and improving mechanical robustness
2Temperature
If conventional connecting elements with channels and glued surfaces are used to ensure heat transfer, then heat transfer is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex channel structure and glued surfaces from the connecting element. Instead, it uses a simple thin sheet metal base plate that directly contacts the tube, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining effective heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The thin sheet metal base plate (maximum 1.2 mm thickness) serves as a simple, inexpensive connecting element that achieves the required heat transfer function without the need for expensive complex structures
3Strength
If weld seams are applied on the front side of base plates to ensure connection, then connection strength is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the location of the weld seams from the front side to the rear side of the base plates. This allows the weld seams to remain on the visible front side for strength while being hidden on the rear side for aesthetic purposes, or vice versa depending on the specific embodiment
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 configuration provides excellent heat transfer performance, economic value, and simplicity in production, enhancing the energy efficiency and mechanical robustness of air-conditioning elements.
Implementation Method 1
The weld seams 5, 6 are preferably made entirely by ultrasonic welding, e.g. as described in WO 2011/128118 A1, but they can also be made by laser welding
Implementation Method 2
The weld seams 5, 6 are preferably made entirely by ultrasonic welding, e.g. as described in WO 2011/128118 A1, but they can also be made by laser welding
Implementation Method 3
each of the straight sections rests against a rear side of a flat, strip-shaped, in particular rectangular base plate 4, which in turn rests on a flat rear side of the perforated plate 1 and can be connected to it there
Data Source
AI summary
A tube (3), through which a heat transfer medium flows, and a perforated plate (1) are connected to produce good heat transfer in that straight sections of the tube (3) are each welded along a weld seam (5th ) are welded to a rear side of a rectangular base plate (4) made of sheet aluminum. The front sides of the base plates (4) lie on the rear side of the perforated plate (1) and are connected to it by weld seams (6), which are also made longitudinally by means of ultrasonic welding or laser welding and which run parallel to the pipe (3) on both sides of the straight sections run, welded.