Heat Exchanger Sub-Chamber Inserts for Flow Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tube and chamber heat exchangers face limitations in surface area for heat transfer, structural rigidity, and manufacturing complexity, particularly in high-pressure applications, leading to increased costs and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The enhanced tube and chamber heat exchanger design features a main chamber with sub-chambers and a medium directing insert, providing a larger surface area for heat transfer, improved structural rigidity through bonding, and simplified assembly by using cladded materials and brazing technology, along with adhesive bonding of the medium directing insert to sub-chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If flat-tube design with corrugated fins is used to increase surface area, then heat exchange performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into modular sections with distinct functional components: tube sections for fluid flow, corrugated fin sections for heat transfer enhancement, and header sections for medium distribution. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using optimized processes, then assembled together, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining high surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugated fin material is nested between pairs of extruded tubular materials, creating a compact multi-layer structure. The fins are interposed within the tube assembly, maximizing surface area within a limited volume while simplifying the overall configuration compared to external fin attachments.
2Weight of stationary object
If tube wall thickness is made thinner to reduce weight, then heat exchanger weight is reduced, but pressure resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger employs composite construction with aluminum alloy tubes combined with corrugated fin materials having different material properties. The corrugated fins provide structural reinforcement to thin-walled tubes, creating a composite structure that maintains both lightweight characteristics and adequate pressure resistance through the synergistic combination of materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugated fin material introduces curved surfaces and rounded transitions throughout the heat exchanger structure. These curved geometries distribute stress more evenly compared to sharp corners, improving pressure resistance in thin-walled sections while maintaining the lightweight advantage of reduced material thickness.
3Device complexity
If serpentine tube design is used to eliminate headers, then device complexity is reduced, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger incorporates header sections that divide the flow into multiple parallel tube paths. This segmentation allows the serpentine tubes to be arranged in parallel branches, reducing the length of individual tube paths and minimizing pressure drop while maintaining the simplified single-piece tube construction that eliminates the need for separate header assemblies in some configurations.
4Ease of manufacture
If extruded tubular materials are used for flat tubes, then manufacturing ease is improved, but material selection is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger utilizes aluminum alloy materials with specific compositional parameters (such as 6061 or 6063 aluminum alloys) that balance extrudability with required mechanical properties. By selecting appropriate alloy compositions and heat treatment parameters, the system achieves both ease of extrusion manufacturing and adequate strength characteristics for the application.
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 enhances heat transfer efficiency, reduces material and packaging costs, and allows for use in high-pressure applications with improved assembly ease and reduced component fragility.
Implementation Method 1
the heat exchange medium is forced to travel in a turbulent flow
Implementation Method 2
heat is desired to be added or removed
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchange medium flowing within a heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanging device has a main chamber, two sub-chambers, an inlet and an outlet. The sub-chambers extend outwardly from both planar walls of the main chamber. Disposed within main chamber and the sub-chambers is a medium directing insert. The insert has an angled surface on ends facing the inlet and the outlet, first directing the flow of the heat exchange medium into the main chamber, so that the heat exchange medium is dispersed within the main chamber, then directing the heat exchange medium out of the device through the outlet. The medium directing insert is bonded to the lateral walls of the sub-chambers to enhance the structural integrity of the device. The lateral walls of the medium directing insert cooperate with the planar and lateral walls of the main chamber to form channels for directing flow of the heat exchange medium within the device.