Checkered-Channel Heat Exchanger for Low Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers face challenges in maximizing thermal contact between fluids while minimizing flow resistance and pressure losses, often requiring a balance between competing design factors such as surface area, size, weight, and material usage.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring a central body with channels forming a checkered pattern, transitioning into a line pattern through inner and outer transition portions, which maximizes heat transfer while minimizing pressure losses and flow resistance by ensuring channels on opposite sides of walls and eliminating the need for clamping or welding systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If channels are arranged in a checkered pattern to maximize thermal contact between fluids, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but flow resistance and pressure losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the channel arrangement from a two-dimensional checkered pattern in the central body to a three-dimensional staggered configuration in transition portions. Channels are shifted in the third dimension (along the longitudinal direction) to create a staggered arrangement that reduces flow resistance while preserving thermal contact efficiency. This dimensional transformation allows fluid to move more smoothly between channels without sacrificing heat transfer performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The channel configuration is made dynamic through the transition portions where channels progressively shift from a checkered to a staggered arrangement. This gradual transformation allows the system to adapt the flow pattern dynamically, optimizing both heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics across different sections of the heat exchanger.
2Temperature
If channels are arranged in a checkered pattern to maximize surface area for heat transfer, then thermal contact between fluids is improved, but the size and complexity of the heat exchanger increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is segmented into distinct functional portions: a central body with checkered channel arrangement for maximum thermal contact, and transition portions with staggered arrangements for flow optimization. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function while reducing overall complexity through modular design.
3Strength
If traditional connection methods (clamping or welding) are used to join heat exchanger components, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transition portions serve as integrated components that combine multiple functions: they provide structural connection between the central body and end portions, enable channel pattern transformation, and eliminate the need for separate clamping or welding systems. This merging of functions reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity.
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 achieves efficient heat transfer with reduced pressure losses and flow resistance, allowing for a compact, lightweight heat exchanger that can withstand high pressures, using materials like titanium alloys for corrosion resistance and additive manufacturing for complex shapes.
Implementation Method 1
maximize the thermal contact between the relatively hot and cold fluids
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a central body with a first set of channels and a second set of channels extending along a main direction through the central body, wherein, in the central body, in any cross-section across the main direction, the channels of the first and second sets form a checkered pattern in said cross-sections, wherein the heat exchanger further includes two inner transition portions, wherein, in respective inner transition portion, among the rows extending along a first direction, are every second, counted along a second direction, row provided with channels being along the main direction increasingly shifted in position in a first direction relative to the other channels such that the checkered pattern of channels is transformed into a line pattern.