Heat Exchanger Collar Brazing for Production Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current brazed heat exchanger production is limited by the need to braze connections and plates together in the same process, reducing production capacity and requiring multiple variants of heat exchangers due to the height of connections, which increases costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The use of outwardly extending collars on the cover plates for connection ports, with connection tubing brazed using a lower melting point material than the heat exchanger plates, allowing for separate brazing operations and enabling flexible production of a single heat exchanger type with various connections applied post-production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If connections are brazed to cover plates in the same process as heat exchanger plates, then reliable joints are achieved, but production capacity is reduced due to limited oven volume
Solution Approach 1:
The brazing process is divided into two separate operations: first brazing the heat exchanger plates to cover plates, then separately brazing connections to collars on cover plates. This segmentation allows plates to be brazed in bulk without connections occupying oven space, while connections are added afterward to meet various customer requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Collars are预先 formed on cover plates during plate brazing, preparing the structure for subsequent connection attachment. This preliminary preparation enables efficient two-stage production where the main heat exchanger assembly is completed first, then connections are added as needed.
2Ease of operation
If connections extend outward from cover plates, then fluid connection is enabled, but the number of heat exchangers that can be brazed simultaneously is reduced by half
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure is segmented into two parts: a collar integrated with the cover plate and a separate connection tubing. The collar remains compact during plate brazing, allowing maximum oven utilization, while the connection tubing is attached afterward to provide the necessary fluid connection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection tubing is extracted from the plate brazing process and attached separately to the collar. This removes the volume-consuming connections from the critical plate brazing operation, doubling the number of heat exchangers that can be processed simultaneously in the oven.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple variants of heat exchangers are produced to meet different connection requirements, then customer needs are satisfied, but production costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A universal collar design is used on all heat exchanger cover plates, which can accommodate different types of connections (suction, discharge, service ports, etc.). This single collar type serves multiple functions and adapts to various customer requirements without requiring different heat exchanger variants.
Solution Approach 2:
While the collar design is standardized, the connection tubing can be customized locally to meet specific customer needs for different ports. This allows customization at the connection level without affecting the overall heat exchanger design or requiring multiple heat exchanger variants.
4Temperature
If high melting point brazing material is used for heat exchanger plates, then high temperature resistance is achieved, but connection brazing becomes more difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Different brazing temperature parameters are used for different operations: high temperature brazing material for heat exchanger plates requiring temperature resistance, and lower temperature brazing material for connections where high temperature resistance is not critical. This parameter differentiation simplifies connection brazing while maintaining overall system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different brazing material properties are applied locally: high melting point material where high temperature resistance is needed (heat exchanger plates), and lower melting point material where ease of brazing is prioritized (connections). This localized material selection optimizes both temperature resistance and manufacturing ease.
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 approach increases production capacity, reduces the need for multiple variants, and allows for cost-effective and flexible manufacturing, while ensuring reliable joints and easier customer connection options using copper connections.
Implementation Method 1
the heat exchanger plates are fixedly attached by brazing to each other and to the front cover plate and the rear cover plate
Implementation Method 2
the brazing material having a lower melting point than the brazing material for the heat exchanger plates
Implementation Method 3
The connection is preferably applied with induction brazing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
Heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of heat exchanger plateshaving a corrugated pattern, a front cover plate and a rear cover plate, where the heat exchanger plates are fixedly attached to each other and to the front cover plate and the rear cover plate, and where the front and/or rear cover plate comprises a plurality of connection ports, wherein a connection port in a cover plate comprise an outwardly extending collar shaped from the same material as the cover plate. The advantage of this heat exchanger is that the manufacturing process is more effective and that only one variant of the heat exchanger must be stocked.