Heat exchanger, method for forming thereof and use thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers face conflicting requirements of efficient heat transfer, low pressure losses, simple construction, and cost-effective production, while also needing to be easily cleanable and maintainable, especially in central heating and tap water systems.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger features a central body with protruding parts connected to the housing, forming a meandering outer channel that enhances heat transfer and allows for optimized flow characteristics of both media, with a structurally simple design using fewer components and materials like stainless steel or titanium, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional heat exchangers are designed with multiple plates welded together to achieve efficient heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple separate plates into a single integrated central body with protruding parts. The central body combines the heat transfer surface with flow channel definitions, eliminating the need for multiple separate plates and complex welding assemblies, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The central body is segmented into functional zones through protruding parts that extend into the housing, creating distinct inner and outer channels. This segmentation allows optimized flow paths for both media while maintaining a simple monolithic structure, resolving the contradiction between efficient heat transfer and construction simplicity
2Loss of energy
If heat exchangers are designed with complex flow channels to optimize heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Complex flow channel geometries are integrated directly into the central body design rather than requiring separate components. The protruding parts create meandering flow paths within the central body itself, allowing complex fluid dynamics to be achieved through simple additive manufacturing or casting processes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing approach from traditional welding and assembly to modern fabrication methods like additive manufacturing or single-piece casting. This allows complex geometries to be produced as monolithic structures, dramatically simplifying manufacturing while enabling optimized flow channel parameters for enhanced heat transfer
3Reliability
If heat exchangers use traditional welding construction to ensure structural integrity, then reliability is improved, but ease of repair and cleaning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed as a separable component from the central body, with the central body acting as a removable insert. This segmentation allows the central body to be easily extracted for cleaning or replacement without damaging structural welds, maintaining both reliability and ease of repair
Solution Approach 2:
The central body with its complex flow channels is extracted as a separate removable component. This allows the intricate internal geometry to be manufactured as a single reliable piece while enabling easy removal for maintenance, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and serviceability
4Ease of manufacture
If heat exchangers are designed with uniform plate structures to simplify manufacturing, then ease of manufacture is improved, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates due to poor flow distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The central body incorporates locally varied geometries through protruding parts that create different flow channel configurations in different regions. This allows optimization of flow distribution and heat transfer in specific zones while maintaining a relatively simple overall monolithic structure, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and heat transfer efficiency
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 achieves efficient heat transfer by influencing the flow behavior of both media, preventing uncooled parts and ensuring effective heat distribution, while being cost-effective and easy to manufacture and maintain, with the ability to handle varying temperature differences and flow directions.
Implementation Method 1
Heat exchangers are applied in many fields in order to transfer heat from a medium with relatively high temperature to a medium with relatively low temperature
Implementation Method 2
the media thus have to be able to flow through the channels properly... and be brought into intensive contact with each other
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat exchanger (10), comprising a hollow central body (1) which is received in a housing (2) and defines an inner channel (3) for a first medium (Ml), wherein a space (4) surrounding the central body (1) in the housing (2) defines at least one outer channel for a second medium (M2), wherein the central body (1) has on either side parts (5) which protrude from a main plane thereof and the central body (1) comprises at least two substantially parallel profiled plates (13,14) connected loacally to each other, and the parts (5) and are connected to mutually opposite parts of the housing (2) and which bound the outer channel such that the outer channel has a meandering form substantially parallel to the main plane of the central body (1). The invention further relates to a method for forming such a heat exchanger, and to a method for use thereof.