Heat Exchange Core With Concentric Flow Paths for Stress Equalization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers face issues with stress concentration due to asymmetrically arranged plates, leading to maintenance challenges from gasket usage and potential damage, and uneven fluid flow rates affecting efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchange core with concentrically arranged flow path groups for the first and second fluids, formed through additive manufacturing, which ensures uniform stress distribution and fluid flow, eliminating the need for gaskets and enhancing maintenance efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gaskets are used to seal spaces between plates, then sealing function is achieved, but maintenance becomes troublesome and maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the gasket component from the heat exchanger structure. By forming sealing ribs directly on the plates during molding, the sealing function is integrated into the plate structure itself, removing the need for separate gasket components and their associated maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function with the plate structure by integrating sealing ribs directly into the plates. This combination eliminates the need for separate gasket components, creating a unified structure where the plate itself provides both structural and sealing functions.
2Reliability
If plates are arranged asymmetrically to optimize heat transfer area, then heat exchange efficiency improves, but stress concentration occurs in the heat exchange core
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies asymmetry in the arrangement of flow paths within the plates while maintaining overall symmetry in the stacking pattern. The flow paths are designed with different configurations for different fluids, optimizing heat transfer while the symmetric stacking arrangement distributes stress evenly across the heat exchange core.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements local quality optimization by designing different flow path configurations in different regions of the plates. The flow paths are tailored to local requirements for heat transfer efficiency while the overall symmetric stacking maintains uniform stress distribution throughout the structure.
3Reliability
If different plate areas are used to equalize flow rate per unit heat transfer area, then heat exchange efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the flow paths into multiple channels within each plate, allowing different flow rates to be distributed across multiple smaller paths rather than requiring large area variations. This segmentation achieves flow rate equalization while maintaining more uniform plate dimensions and simpler stacking arrangements.
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 solution achieves uniform fluid flow and stress distribution, improving reliability and heat exchange performance while reducing the size of the heat exchanger and minimizing maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
The first fluid and the second fluid exchange heat through the plates
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a technique to achieve equalization of stress in a heat exchange core. The heat exchange core which performs heat exchange between a first fluid and a second fluid includes a circular first cross-section in which a first flow path group for the first fluid and a second flow path group for the second fluid are positioned. First flow paths included in the first flow path group and second flow paths included in the second flow path group are annularly arranged in the first cross-section. The first flow path group and the second flow path group are concentrically arranged as a whole in the first cross-section. Each of the first flow paths and the second flow paths is divided into a plurality of sections in a circumferential direction of the heat exchange core.