Interlaced Heat Exchanger Design for Full Surface Area Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing environmental control systems with multiple heat exchangers often leave a portion of the heat exchange surface area unused during partial load conditions, reducing efficiency and increasing costs due to the need for divider panels and complex fan control algorithms.
Innovation Solution
An interlaced heat exchanger design where microchannel coils or tubes from separate working fluid circuits are arranged in an alternating pattern, allowing all airflow to participate in heat exchange with operational circuits without divider panels, and simplifying fan control by ensuring all airflow engages with operational heat exchange surface area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple heat exchangers are separated by divider panels or arranged side-by-side, then circuit separation is achieved, but heat exchange surface area is unused during partial load conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple heat exchanger circuits into a single integrated heat exchanger assembly where multiple sets of tubes are interleaved within the same structure. This allows all heat exchange surfaces to remain accessible to airflow even when only one circuit is operational, eliminating the waste of surface area that occurs with separate heat exchangers or side-by-side arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is segmented into multiple independent tube sets that can be selectively activated. Each tube set corresponds to a separate circuit but all are positioned to expose their external surfaces to the same airflow path, enabling partial load operation without leaving surface area unused.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heat exchangers are arranged side-by-side or stacked, then capacity is increased, but device complexity and cost increase due to divider panels and complex fan control
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heat exchanger circuits are combined into a single integrated structure with interleaved tube sets sharing common airflow passages and a unified support structure. This eliminates the need for divider panels and simplifies fan control by providing a single heat exchange assembly rather than multiple separate units that would require coordinated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The single heat exchanger assembly serves multiple functions by accommodating multiple independent circuits within one structure. The interleaved tube sets can be selectively activated to provide different capacity levels, making the device adaptable to various load conditions without requiring multiple separate heat exchangers or complex control systems.
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 interlaced heat exchanger increases efficiency by utilizing all available heat exchange surface area, even when one circuit is non-operational, and simplifies fan control algorithms, reducing costs and improving thermal energy distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that is configured to exchange thermal energy, such as heat, between a working fluid flowing through conduits or coils of the heat exchanger and an airflow flowing across the conduits or coils
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a climate management system that includes a heat exchanger having a first set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a first circuit of the climate management system and a second set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a second circuit of the climate management system, where the first circuit and the second circuit are fluidly separate from one another, and where the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are interlaced in the heat exchanger.