Integral Sealing Device for Heat Exchanger Process Holes
Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiency in sealing process holes in heat exchangers, particularly in micro-channel/parallel-flow evaporators and heat pumps, leads to low processing efficiency and potential leakage due to independent, unassociated metal plugs that can fall out during welding.
Innovation Solution
An integral sealing device comprising alternately connected continuous collars and plugs, with each collar featuring ribs and loops, and plugs designed as U-shaped elements, which are fitted into process holes and secured by welding to prevent leakage and improve installation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple independent metal plugs are used to seal process holes, then each hole can be sealed individually, but processing efficiency is low and plugs can easily fall out during welding causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent metal plugs into a single integral sealing device consisting of a continuous collar with multiple loops and connecting parts. This merging approach allows multiple process holes to be sealed simultaneously by one unified structure rather than multiple separate plugs, thereby improving processing efficiency while maintaining sealing reliability through the integrated design that prevents individual plugs from falling out during welding
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple independent metal plugs are used to seal process holes, then each hole can be sealed individually, but one or more plugs can easily fall out during welding causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate plugs into one integral sealing device with a continuous collar structure that includes multiple loops and connecting parts. This unified structure ensures that all plugs are associated with each other and cannot fall out independently during welding, thereby improving sealing integrity while maintaining ease of manufacture through the integrated design
3Quantity of substance
If many process holes need to be sealed, then corresponding number of plugs are needed, but this increases device complexity and reduces processing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the function of multiple separate plugs into a single integral sealing device. The continuous collar with multiple loops and connecting parts can seal multiple process holes simultaneously, thereby reducing the quantity of separate plug components needed and simplifying the overall sealing structure while improving processing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The integral sealing device with its continuous collar and multiple loops serves multiple sealing functions simultaneously. One unified structure can seal multiple process holes in different locations, providing multi-functionality that reduces device complexity compared to using multiple independent plugs
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger and an integral sealing device (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) used for a manifold (10, 10′) in the heat exchanger. The manifold (10, 10′) on one side of the heat exchanger includes two pipelines (11, 12, 11′, 12′) which are parallel to each other and communicated with each other. A first bore (13) and a second bore (14) are formed in two pipelines (11, 12, 11′, 12′) due to a drilling process. The first bore (13) is used for enabling refrigerant to flow from a cavity of one of two pipelines (11, 12, 11′, 12′) into a cavity of the other pipeline. The second bore (14) is a process hole left by the drilling process, and the integral sealing device (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) seals the process hole.