Heat Exchanger Plate Beam Angles for Porthole Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat exchanger plates face strength issues due to varying loads and irregular contact zones around portholes, leading to potential material cracks and uneven load distribution, particularly at the thinnest ends of beams where material is deformed.
Innovation Solution
The beams in the porthole areas are inclined at an acute angle relative to the radial line, forming contact zones away from the ends, ensuring uniform strength and load distribution around the portholes by crossing each other at a consistent distance from the beam ends, and being equidistantly spaced to avoid material thinness at the ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the contact zones are located at the end portions of the beams, then the structure is simpler, but the strength of the porthole area decreases due to material thinness and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the contact zone from the beam end portion and relocates it to an intermediate position. This separation removes the harmful effect of placing contact zones at the thinnest material section, allowing the beam ends to maintain their structural integrity while the contact zone performs its load-bearing function at a location with sufficient material thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing contact zones at the natural endpoint of the beams as conventionally done, the invention inverts this arrangement by positioning contact zones at intermediate locations. This inversion transforms the beam end portions from load-bearing contact zones to structural reinforcement zones, eliminating the strength problem while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Ease of manufacture
If the beams continue in the same direction into the porthole area, then the manufacturing is easier, but the contact zones become irregularly positioned leading to uneven load distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by differentiating the function of different beam sections. The beam continues from the heat exchanger area into the porthole area maintaining manufacturing simplicity, but the contact zone is specifically positioned at an intermediate location with optimized geometric properties. This local differentiation ensures uniform load distribution at the contact zone while maintaining overall beam continuity for ease of manufacture.
3Strength
If the contact zones are positioned away from the beam ends, then the strength of the porthole area improves, but the beam structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies partial action by having the beam extend further than minimally required - the beam continues into the porthole area beyond where a contact zone would be necessary. This excessive extension provides the flexibility to position the contact zone at the optimal intermediate location, improving strength without requiring complex beam configurations or additional structural elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger plate comprises a heat exchanger area, at least two portholes each having a diameter, and at least two porthole areas. Each of the portholes is surrounded by a respective one of the porthole areas. The porthole areas are separated from each other. Each porthole area comprises a corrugation of beams. Each of the beams has an end and extends along a respective extension direction towards the porthole. The extension direction of each of the beams forms an acute angle to a radial line through the end of the beam.