Cooling Plate Recess Assembly for Leak-Tight Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling plates used in bio-pharmaceutical production suffer from liquid-tightness issues due to numerous welds, leading to leakage and corrosion, and have geometrical inaccuracies that affect heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cooling plate design featuring a plate body with recesses in two component parts that attach to form the cooling channel, reducing the number of components and potential leaks, while ensuring full material contact for improved precision and corrosion resistance, using mechanical connections and adhesive bonds for secure assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple panels are welded together to form cooling channels, then the cooling plate can be assembled from separate components, but liquid-tightness deteriorates due to numerous welds causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate panels into a single monolithic plate body where cooling channels are formed by recesses within the same continuous material structure. This eliminates the need for welding multiple panels together, thereby maintaining liquid-tightness while still allowing modular assembly through attachment of component parts with corresponding recesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate body is segmented into component parts that can be separately manufactured and then attached, each part containing recesses that together form the complete cooling channel network. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and assembly while maintaining integrity through the recess-based design rather than weld-based joints.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple panels are welded together to create cooling channels, then the plate can be constructed from separate pieces, but corrosion increases due to numerous weld joints
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the cooling channel formation into recesses of a monolithic plate body rather than welding separate panels, the patent eliminates numerous weld joints that are susceptible to corrosion. The continuous material structure provides uniform corrosion resistance throughout the entire cooling plate.
3Manufacturing precision
If panels are welded with high accuracy to ensure plane surfaces, then contact area with containers is maximized, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the surface formation process into the monolithic plate body manufacturing, where plane surfaces are created as integral features rather than requiring post-welding surface preparation. This eliminates the complexity of achieving high welding accuracy while maintaining the desired surface quality for optimal contact area.
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses and plane surfaces are formed during the initial manufacturing of the plate body and component parts, before assembly. This preliminary formation of precise geometries eliminates the need for high-precision welding to achieve surface accuracy, as the surfaces are already prepared in advance.
4Reliability
If fewer component parts are used to form the plate body, then assembly is simplified and potential leak points are reduced, but manufacturing of each component becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The plate body is divided into component parts that can be manufactured using standardized processes for creating recesses, then assembled through attachment rather than welding. This segmentation reduces the number of critical joints while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through repeatable recess formation and attachment procedures.
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 enhances liquid-tightness, reduces corrosion, and achieves precise geometrical shapes, resulting in improved heat transfer efficiency and reduced risk of leakage and deformation.
Implementation Method 1
Heat from the liquid is then conducted into the cooling medium, thereby cooling the liquid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
Cooling plate comprising a plate body (2) and at least one cooling channel (3) which is disposed inside the plate body (2) and which is at least partly delimited by the plate body (2), wherein the plate body (2)comprises - a first component part (4) with a at least one first recess (5), and - a second component part (6) with at least one second recess (7), which second recess (7) geometrically corresponds to the first recess (5), wherein the first component part (4) and the second component part (6) are attached to each other such that the at least one first recess (5) and the at least one second recess (7) face each other and such that the at least one first recess (5) and the at least one second recess (7) together realise at least part of the at least one cooling channel (3) inside the plate body (2).