Multipass Heat Exchanger Venting Valve for Rapid Fluid Emptying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multipass heat exchangers face challenges in rapid emptying and refilling due to long tubes, leading to potential freezing of the heat transfer medium, especially in frost-prone regions, and existing single-pass systems have lower cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger arrangement with a multipass design featuring a first and second distributor, a tubular diverter distributor, and a valve in the vent opening to control fluid flow, ensuring complete filling and emptying by matching the tube cross-section with the valve flow cross-section to accommodate fluid volume and ventilate air, while inclining tubes for gravity-assisted flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multipass heat exchangers are used to improve cooling efficiency, then cooling performance increases, but the time required for emptying and refilling increases due to long tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple passes with intermediate distributors that create separate flow paths. This segmentation allows the fluid to be distributed across multiple tubes simultaneously, enabling faster emptying and refilling while maintaining high cooling efficiency through the multipass configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical inclination of tubes in addition to the horizontal multipass arrangement. This dimensional change utilizes gravity to accelerate fluid flow during emptying and refilling operations, reducing the time penalty associated with long tube lengths while preserving the cooling performance benefits of the multipass design.
2Loss of time
If single-pass heat exchangers are used to enable rapid emptying, then emptying time decreases, but cooling efficiency reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The single-pass design is segmented into multiple passes with intermediate distributors. Each pass can be quickly emptied, but the multipass configuration maintains high cooling efficiency by providing multiple heat exchange pathways simultaneously, thus resolving the trade-off between emptying speed and cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the rapid emptying capability of single-pass designs with the high cooling efficiency of multipass systems. By merging these concepts through intermediate distributors that enable simultaneous multi-path flow, the system achieves both fast emptying and high cooling performance.
3Loss of substance
If valve flow cross-section is reduced to control fluid flow, then fluid loss during filling decreases, but air venting capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate distributors act as intermediary components between the main fluid line and individual tube passes. They provide localized flow control and air venting capabilities at multiple points within the heat exchanger, allowing precise fluid management without compromising overall air venting efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates vertical inclination of tubes to utilize gravity for air bubble removal. This dimensional change provides an additional mechanism for air venting that operates independently of valve flow cross-section, allowing small valves to control fluid flow effectively while gravity assists in air removal through the inclined tube configuration.
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 high cooling performance, rapid and complete emptying, and refilling of the heat exchanger, preventing fluid loss and ensuring efficient operation in frost conditions by allowing simultaneous fluid flow through all tubes, enhancing both efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
at least one vent opening (10) is arranged in the diverter distributor to equalize pressure with the surroundings
Implementation Method 2
inclining tubes for gravity-assisted flow
Implementation Method 3
a fluid—in particular, water—is able to flow through the tubes
Implementation Method 4
at least one multipass heat exchanger, which comprises a first and a second distributor... wherein a fluid... is able to flow through the tubes
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat exchanger arrangement having at least one multipass heat exchanger, which comprises a first distributor (1), a second distributor (2) and at least one tubular diverter distributor (4) having a predefined tube cross-section (AU), and a tube arrangement (25) having a plurality of tubes (5) which are at least substantially parallel to one another and have a predefined tube cross-section (AR), through which a fluid—particularly, water—can flow and which are arranged in the tube arrangement (25) in columns with a predefined number of columns (n), wherein the first distributor (1) and the second distributor (2) are arranged at one end (A) of the heat exchanger arrangement and the diverter distributor (4) is arranged at the opposing end (B), and the tubes (5) extend from the one end (A) to the opposing end (B) and are connected to the diverter distributor (4) and the first or the second distributor (1, 2), and at least one vent opening (10) is arranged at a highest point (T), or at least in the vicinity of the highest point (T), of the diverter distributor (4) to equalize the pressure with the surroundings. In order to enable rapid filling of the heat exchanger arrangement with the fluid, a valve (11) is arranged in the at least one vent opening (10). When the valve (11) is fully opened, a flow cross-section (d) is clear for the passage of air, and the pipe cross-section (AU) of the diverter distributor (4) and the flow cross-section (d) of the valve (11) are the same as or greater than a minimum cross-section (Dmin), which is calculated from the product of the number of columns in the tube arrangement (25) and the pipe cross-section (AR) of the tubes (Dmin=n AR).