Heat Exchange Element With Integral Sheet And Ribs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional heat exchange elements face challenges in maintaining stable heat exchange efficiency due to deformation caused by humidity and structural issues, leading to reduced effective heat transfer areas and inefficient airflow direction changes.

Innovation Solution

A heat exchange element design featuring opposed and orthogonal flow configurations with shielding and dividing ribs, where the heat transfer sheet is wound perpendicular to airflow, and ribs are used to maintain sheet integrity and correct deformations, enhancing bonding strength and reducing pressure loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the interval between plates is reduced to increase heat transfer area, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but bond portions between plate and fin increase reducing effective heat transfer area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange efficiencyVSAvoideffective heat transfer area
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the adhesive bonding structure entirely by using a unit structure where the plate and fin are integrally formed as a single piece. This extraction of the bonding function eliminates the need for adhesive agents and bond portions, thereby preserving the full effective heat transfer area while maintaining structural integrity through the integral design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The plate and fin are merged into a single integral unit structure, eliminating the interface between separate components. This merging removes the bond portions that would otherwise reduce effective heat transfer area, allowing the full plate surface to contribute to heat exchange while maintaining the structural relationship between plate and fin through integral formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Strength

If adhesive agent is used to bond plate and fin, then structural integrity is maintained, but adhesive overflow reduces effective heat transfer area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoideffective heat transfer area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive bonding function is extracted and replaced by integral formation. The plate and fin are manufactured as a single piece, eliminating the need for adhesive agents entirely. This removes the source of adhesive overflow that would contaminate and reduce the effective heat transfer area, while maintaining structural integrity through the monolithic structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Stability of the object's composition

If fin thickness is increased to maintain structure, then structural stability is improved, but bonding precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidbonding precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The plate and fin are merged into an integral unit, eliminating the bonding interface where precision issues occur. Since there is no separate bonding process, variations in fin thickness do not affect bonding precision. The integral structure ensures that structural stability and manufacturing precision are both maintained without the trade-off present in bonded constructions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of manufacture

If heat transfer sheet is made from hoop material, then material availability is improved, but sheet deformation occurs due to humidity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial availabilityVSAvoidsheet dimensional stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The plate and fin are merged into an integral structure that is manufactured as a single piece from hoop material. This integral formation eliminates the separate heat transfer sheet that would be susceptible to humidity-induced deformation. The monolithic structure maintains dimensional stability while preserving the ease of manufacture associated with hoop material processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

5Ease of manufacture

If plate deformation occurs due to humidity, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but heat exchange efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidheat exchange efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The plate and fin are merged into an integral unit structure that is manufactured as one piece. This integral construction eliminates the separate plates that would deform due to humidity. The unified structure maintains manufacturing simplicity while preventing deformation-induced efficiency loss, as the monolithic design does not have separate components that can shift or warp relative to each other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 stabilizes heat exchange efficiency by minimizing airflow drift and maintaining sheet integrity, even under deformation, thereby improving heat transfer performance and reducing leakage.

Implementation Method 1

heat transfer sheet in each of a supply air passage and an exhaust air passage, in which supply air and exhaust air flow opposite to each other with the heat transfer sheet therebetween

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2131133B1Heat exchange element
Publication Date: 2015.05.06 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP
  • EP2131133B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2131133B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2131133B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A supply air passage and an exhaust air passage alternately formed between heat transfer sheets laminated on each other with a predetermined interval; an opposed part formed in a center of the heat transfer sheet in each air passage, in which supply air and exhaust air flow opposite to each other with the heat transfer sheet therebetween; an orthogonal part formed in each end portion of the heat transfer sheet in each air passage, in which supply air and exhaust air flow orthogonal to each other with the heat transfer sheet therebetween; and a shielding rib preventing airflow leakage from regions other than inlet and outlet ports of supply and exhaust air are included. The heat transfer sheet is disposed so that a direction in which the heat transfer sheet is wound up is perpendicular to the direction in which supply air and exhaust air are allowed to pass through in the opposed part. Even when the heat transfer sheet is deformed by humidity, structural problem, and the like, high heat exchange efficiency performance can be obtained stably.