Heat Exchanger Plate Rolling With Synchronized Patterned Rolls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing plate parts for heat exchangers, such as cold working and rolling, face challenges in achieving accurate profile patterns due to misalignment and bending of rolls, leading to inconsistent heat exchange properties.

Innovation Solution

A method and device utilizing synchronized rolls with a common synchronization gear and disk pack or gear couplings to ensure precise rotation and minimize backlash, allowing for accurate formation of profiled plate parts with geometrically correct patterns across the entire surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the rolling method is used with separate driving mechanisms for the rolls, then the manufacturing cost is reduced compared to cold working, but the synchronization accuracy of the rolls deteriorates leading to profile pattern inaccuracies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidprofile pattern accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the driving mechanisms of the two rolls into a single common driving mechanism with a synchronization gear. This combines the separate driving systems into one unified system that ensures both rolls rotate at the same speed, maintaining profile pattern accuracy while keeping manufacturing costs low compared to cold working methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The synchronization gear acts as an intermediary mechanism between the motor and the two rolls. It mediates the power transmission to ensure that both rolls receive equal rotational force and maintain synchronized rotation, preventing the profile pattern inaccuracies that would otherwise result from separate driving mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the rolls are not properly synchronized, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the profile pattern consistency across the plate surface deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesynchronization mechanism complexityVSAvoidprofile pattern consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the synchronization function into the common driving mechanism itself, rather than adding separate synchronization devices. The synchronization gear is integrated into the power transmission system, maintaining profile pattern consistency without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If heavy plane tools are used for cold working, then the profile pattern accuracy is maintained, but the manufacturing cost and tool weight increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprofile pattern accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the cold working mechanical pressing system with a rolling system. Instead of using heavy plane tools that press the profile into the plate, the invention uses rotating rolls with surface patterns that roll-form the profile. This substitution maintains profile accuracy while dramatically reducing tool weight and manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

The solution enables the production of plate parts with consistent profile patterns, reducing manufacturing costs and improving the quality of heat exchangers by minimizing the effects of rolling forces and ensuring synchronized rotation of rolls, thus enhancing heat exchange efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the rolls are synchronized to rotate at substantially same rate by controlling the rotation of them in relation to each other with a common synchronization gear, which gear is coupled to the rolls by means of shafts with disk pack or gear couplings so that the backlash is less than 0.1 mm

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBacklash: Backlash

Implementation Method 2

The method according to the invention is cold working method for manufacturing profiled plate parts for the plate pack of the heat exchanger

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCold working: Cold-forming

Implementation Method 3

a sheet material in the form of continuous sheeting is worked between two rolls with opposite surface patterns to form profiled plate part blanks into the sheet material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlasticity: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11253897B2Method and device for manufacturing plate parts for a heat exchanger

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 VAHTERUS OY

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and a device for manufacturing plate part blanks for a heat exchanger. A sheet material (2) in the form of continuous sheeting is worked between two rolls (5, 6) with opposite surface patterns (7, 7′, 8) to form profiled plate part blanks (3, 3′,3″) into the sheet material (2) so that the rolls (5, 6) are synchronized to rotate at substantially same rate by controlling the rotation of them in relation to each other with common synchronization gear (9), which gear is coupled to the rolls (5, 6) by means of shafts (10, 11) with disk pack or gear couplings.