High-Pressure Heat Exchanger Manifold With Variable Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure fluids in heat exchangers with flat tubes pose a challenge due to the need for increased mechanical resistance, as the distance between slots in the manifold becomes too small, compromising structural integrity under high pressure conditions.
Innovation Solution
A high-pressure heat exchanger design featuring a manifold with variable thickness, including a header with locally thinner areas around slots, and internal plates to create robust flow paths, allowing for greater tube density and improved mechanical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of tubes is increased to improve heat exchange efficiency, then the heat exchange performance is improved, but the distance between consecutive slots in the manifold decreases, compromising mechanical resistance under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold header employs variable thickness design where the first area adjacent to slots has a first thickness w1 and the second area surrounding it has a second thickness w2 greater than w1. This local quality differentiation provides mechanical strength where needed (in areas away from slots) while maintaining slot accessibility for tubes, resolving the contradiction between tube density and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold is divided into distinct functional areas: a first area adjacent to slots for tube insertion, and a second area surrounding it with greater thickness for structural reinforcement. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its properties independently - the first area facilitates tube placement while the second area provides the necessary mechanical resistance under high pressure.
2Strength
If the manifold thickness is increased to improve mechanical resistance, then the structural integrity is improved, but the complexity of manufacturing and material usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly increasing the entire manifold thickness, the invention applies greater thickness only to the second area surrounding the first area, creating a localized reinforcement zone. This approach improves mechanical resistance where needed while avoiding unnecessary material usage and manufacturing complexity throughout the entire component.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold design incorporates variable thickness parameters - a first thickness w1 in the area adjacent to slots and a second thickness w2 in the surrounding area. This parameter change allows optimization of mechanical properties in specific zones without proportionally increasing overall component complexity or material consumption.
3Quantity of substance
If the distance between slots is decreased to accommodate more tubes, then the tube density and heat exchange surface area are increased, but the mechanical resistance of the manifold under high pressure is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold header is segmented into a first area adjacent to slots with smaller thickness w1, allowing close spacing of slots for high tube density, and a second area surrounding it with greater thickness w2, providing structural reinforcement. This segmentation enables both high tube quantity and adequate mechanical resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a two-dimensional planar view to a three-dimensional variable thickness structure. By adding the thickness dimension with different values (w1 and w2) in different zones, the design accommodates both high slot density and sufficient mechanical strength, effectively resolving the contradiction in a higher dimensional space.
Data Source
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AI summary
A high pressure heat exchanger (100) comprising a first manifold (101) and a second manifold connected fluidly by a plurality of tube sets (20) arranged in a spaced manner along the manifolds, wherein at least one of the manifold comprises a rear cover (102), a header (103) with slots (104) receiving tube end sections (11b) of the tube sets and several internal plates (105) interposed between the header and the rear cover and configured to create a flow path within the manifold, this flow path being in fluid connection with the tubes to allow a circulation of a refrigerant in the tubes and the manifold, and wherein the header (103) has preferably at least a first area (110) adjacent to at least one of the slots and having a first thickness w1 and at least a second area (111) surrounding at least partially the first area and having a second thickness w2, first thickness w1 being smaller than second thickness w2.