Clamped Heat Exchanger Elements for High-Temperature Leak Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchanger devices face challenges in withstanding high temperatures and preventing fluid leakage, especially in high-temperature industrial processes such as micro gas turbines and solid oxide fuel cells, where they often distort or leak due to temperature-related stresses and expansions.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger device design where multiple heat exchanger elements are clamped between two connecting elements, with a clamping axis perpendicular to the heat exchanger elements, allowing for optimized flow guidance and leak-free fluid supply and discharge, using high-temperature sealing materials and force transmission elements to minimize warping and stress overlay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat exchanger elements are fixed rigidly to withstand high temperatures, then temperature resistance is improved, but distortion and leakage occur due to thermal expansion stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting elements are designed with elastic deformation capability, allowing them to flexibly adapt to thermal expansion of heat exchanger elements at high temperatures. This dynamic flexibility prevents distortion and leakage while maintaining secure connections, resolving the contradiction between rigid temperature resistance and reliable leak-free operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple heat exchanger elements are clamped between connecting elements, then structural stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger device is divided into modular components: multiple heat exchanger elements stacked between two connecting elements. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using simple processes, then assembled into a stable modular structure, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple heat exchanger elements are combined into a single stack unit that functions as one integrated component. This merging provides structural stability equivalent to a single large element while maintaining the manufacturing simplicity of producing multiple smaller, identical elements that can be stacked and secured between connecting elements.
3Temperature
If heat exchanger elements are designed for high-temperature operation, then temperature resistance is improved, but fluid leakage increases due to material expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting elements are designed with altered mechanical parameters including elastic modulus and yield strength, enabling them to maintain appropriate clamping force across a wide temperature range. This parameter optimization ensures the connecting elements remain sufficiently rigid to prevent leakage at high temperatures while allowing controlled elastic deformation to accommodate thermal expansion, resolving the contradiction between high-temperature operation and leakage prevention.
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
The design ensures the heat exchanger device remains stable and leak-free at high temperatures, maintaining efficiency in high-temperature industrial processes by preventing distortion and fluid leakage, while allowing for countercurrent operation and a space-saving design.
Implementation Method 1
Heat transfer device and method for manufacturing a heat transfer device... in which heat is transferred from a flue gas to a process gas
Implementation Method 2
the multiple heat exchanger elements are clamped between the two connecting elements of the connecting device... An effective force, by which the multiple heat exchanger elements are clamped between the two connecting elements
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a heat exchanger device that is as simple to manufacture as possible, can withstand high temperatures, and exhibits a high degree of tightness, particularly against fluids, even at high temperatures, it is proposed that the heat exchanger device comprise one or more heat exchanger elements for transferring heat from a hot fluid to a cold fluid and a connecting device. The one or more heat exchanger elements have two opposing sides, one of which forms an inlet side for the hot fluid and the other, different from the other, an outlet side for the hot fluid, and/or one of which forms an inlet side for the cold fluid and the other, different from the other, an outlet side for the cold fluid.The connecting device comprises two connecting elements. Each of the two connecting elements engages one of the two opposite sides of the one or more heat exchanger elements. The one or more heat exchanger elements are clamped between the two connecting elements.