Interlocking Plate Heat Exchanger Assembly for Thin Lightweight Cores
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional casting methods for heat exchanger components are time-consuming and expensive, resulting in larger, heavier components that are not ideal for applications where space and weight are critical, such as aerospace.
Innovation Solution
The method involves machining heat exchanger plates to precise dimensions with interlocking ribs and flow passages, allowing for smaller, lighter components, and using diffusion bonding or braze to join the plates, which reduces material thickness and weight while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If casting is used to make heat exchanger components, then the components can be produced with complex internal structures, but the production time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple thin plates that can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. Each plate can be produced using rapid manufacturing techniques, avoiding the need for complex tooling required for casting entire assemblies. This segmentation allows parallel production of multiple plates, significantly reducing overall production time while maintaining complex internal flow passage structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment features are pre-formed on the plates during the rapid manufacturing process, ensuring proper positioning before assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming alignment and adjustment during assembly, reducing both production time and cost while maintaining manufacturing complexity.
2Strength
If casting is used to make heat exchanger components, then components can be produced with required structural integrity, but the components become larger and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is segmented into thin plates with optimized thickness, reducing the amount of material required compared to traditional cast components. The plates are joined through interlocking ribs and bonding, maintaining structural integrity while minimizing weight. This segmentation allows for optimized material distribution, placing material only where structurally necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimensional parameters of the components, using thin plates with thickness optimized for both structural integrity and weight reduction. The interlocking rib dimensions and bonding parameters are specifically designed to maintain strength while minimizing material usage, achieving lighter weight without sacrificing structural integrity.
3Strength
If casting is used to make heat exchanger components, then components can be produced with required structural integrity, but production time increases due to tooling preparation
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the heat exchanger into plates enables parallel production of multiple plates simultaneously, increasing productivity. Each plate can be manufactured independently using rapid manufacturing techniques that do not require extensive tooling preparation, reducing overall production time while maintaining structural integrity through controlled bonding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment features are preliminary-formed during plate manufacturing, ensuring proper positioning before assembly. This preliminary action eliminates time-consuming alignment operations during assembly, increasing productivity while ensuring the structural integrity of the final assembled heat exchanger.
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 approach significantly reduces production time and costs while enabling the creation of smaller, lighter heat exchanger components with improved flow characteristics and structural robustness, suitable for space-sensitive applications.
Implementation Method 1
joining the at least two ribs of the trimmed heat exchanger plate and the ribs of the further heat exchanger plate together
Implementation Method 2
applying braze to at least one of the at least two ribs of the trimmed heat exchanger plate and the ribs of the further heat exchanger plate
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making a heat exchanger includes machining a plate of material having a starting thickness and at least one alignment feature, the machining including machining down the starting thickness to produce a heat exchanger plate having at least one flow passage segment, and at least two ribs arranged extending along each side of the at least one flow segment; removing the at least one alignment feature to provide a trimmed heat exchanger plate; stacking the trimmed heat exchanger plate with a further heat exchanger plate with the at least two ribs interlocked with ribs of the further heat exchanger plate, and the at least one flow segment aligned with a flow segment of the further heat exchanger plate; and joining the at least two ribs of the trimmed heat exchanger plate and the ribs of the further heat exchanger plate together. The at least two ribs can be configured to interlock with ribs of an adjacent plate. Resulting heat exchangers can be produced wherein the plates define parting plate thicknesses that are thin and useful in space and weight constrained locations.