Curved Heat Exchanger Header Structure for Water Hammer Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchanger headers are prone to flexural deformation and stress concentration due to water hammer, leading to increased production costs and weight when attempting to enhance durability.
Innovation Solution
The header design features curved or protruding walls to distribute water pressure more evenly, reducing the likelihood of deformation and stress concentration, while maintaining a thin structure to minimize production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of the header is increased to enhance strength against water hammer, then the durability and strength are improved, but the production cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The header incorporates a curved surface design instead of a flat plate structure. The curved surface distributes water pressure more effectively across the header body, reducing stress concentration and preventing flexural deformation during water hammer events. This allows the header to maintain adequate strength without requiring increased thickness, thereby avoiding additional weight and production costs.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the thickness of the header is increased to prevent flexural deformation, then the stiffness is improved, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The curved surface configuration inherently provides structural stiffness and resistance to flexural deformation. The geometry of the curved surface acts as a structural reinforcement, distributing loads more evenly and preventing localized deformation. This design achieves the required stiffness without increasing material thickness or complexity, maintaining ease of manufacture and controlling production costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A header of a heat exchanger including a first wall connected with a plurality of heat transfer tubes of the heat exchanger, a second wall facing the first wall with an interval therebetween, and a circumferential wall connecting outer circumferential edges of the first and the second walls in such a manner that an area between the first and the second walls constitutes a chamber for inflow of fluid, the chamber communicating with each of the heat transfer tube. At least one of the first and the second walls is configured to curve in such a manner that a central area of the wall is positioned close to an inside of the chamber than an outer circumferential area of the wall. The thickness of the header is reduced and enough strength of the header is obtained, thereby preferably enduring repeating water hammer.