Flat Plate Heat Exchanger Adjustable Spacers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat heat exchanger plates for bulk materials tend to accumulate material residue in depressions and seam welds, reducing efficiency and requiring frequent shutdowns for cleaning, leading to production losses.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of adjustable, smooth spacers near the edges of heat exchanger plates to form consistent, reducing, or increasing volume channels, allowing for unobstructed material flow and easy maintenance, with options for angular adjustment and extension pieces to optimize plate spacing and thermal transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If heat exchanger plates are constructed with depressions, dimples, and seam welds to resist internal pressure, then the structural strength is improved, but material accumulates on these surface deformities reducing heat transfer efficiency and requiring frequent cleaning shutdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is segmented into multiple sections with raised ridges that create distinct flow channels. These ridges divide the material flow into multiple pathways, preventing accumulation in single locations and improving overall heat transfer efficiency while maintaining structural integrity through the segmented ridge design
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating depressions and dimples to resist pressure (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by creating raised ridges and protrusions that actively direct material flow. This inversion prevents material accumulation by keeping the surface elevated rather than depressed, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency while maintaining pressure resistance
2Speed
If material flow is restricted at the outlet to control flow rate, then the flow rate is controlled, but material accumulates and bridges between opposing pillows restricting or preventing material flow
Solution Approach 1:
The plate features localized raised ridges and protrusions at specific positions to create flow channels with varying resistance. This local quality variation allows different sections of the plate to control flow rates differently, preventing material accumulation and bridging while maintaining overall flow control through the outlet restriction
3Productivity
If the heat exchanger is shut down for cleaning to remove material residue, then the heat transfer efficiency is restored, but production downtime and losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The raised ridges and protrusions create a self-cleaning effect by directing material flow to continuously scour the plate surfaces. This self-service mechanism prevents material accumulation and reduces the frequency of manual cleaning shutdowns, thereby restoring heat transfer efficiency without requiring production downtime
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 enhances material flow and thermal efficiency, reduces accumulation, and simplifies maintenance, minimizing production downtime and losses by allowing for adjustable configurations to accommodate different materials and flow characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange medium, such as water, oil, glycol, air, gas or the like is caused to flow through the plates. During the progression of the material through the heat exchanger, the material is caused to contact the walls of the plates thereby effecting heat transfer between the material and the plates
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a heat exchanger apparatus, comprising flat heat exchange plates positioned parallel to each other, and adjustable spacers provided near each vertical edge of the flat heat exchange plates to form a material flow channel. In an embodiment, each adjustable spacer is configured to be adjustable via one or more angular adjustment mechanisms to form a material flow channel with one of a consistent volume channel, a reducing volume channel, and an increasing volume channel. The adjustable spacers are configured to receive spacer extensions to adjust the width of the spacers. The spacer extensions form extend the face of the spacers with a flat or profiled material contact face.