Nested Finned Plate Heat Exchanger Frame Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heat exchangers are inefficient in terms of energy and material usage, requiring increased costs and material quantities, and existing finned plate designs do not provide optimal thermal and energy performance.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring two finned plates with a unique configuration of fins distributed over parallel bands, where adjacent bands are separated by flat strips, and each fin has oblique or curved parts for flexibility, allowing for a reduced material usage while maintaining effective heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional finned plate designs are used to increase heat exchange surface, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but material quantity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing fins inside the cavities formed by adjacent fins of the other plate. Specifically, fins from one plate are positioned within the spaces between fins of the opposing plate, creating a nested configuration that maximizes heat exchange surface area within the available volume without requiring additional material quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension (depth/volume) by arranging fins in a nested three-dimensional configuration rather than only in parallel two-dimensional layers. This allows the heat exchange surface to extend into the depth of the heat exchanger assembly, effectively increasing the heat exchange area without proportionally increasing the footprint or material usage.
2Temperature
If more fins are added to increase heat exchange surface, then thermal performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural functions of both plates by interlocking their fin structures. The fins of one plate are positioned within the cavities of the other plate, creating a unified nested structure where both components work together synergistically. This merging approach increases thermal performance while the regular, repeating pattern of the nested structure keeps manufacturing complexity manageable.
3Use of energy by moving object
If traditional fin arrangements are used, then manufacturing is simple, but energy efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat exchanger into repeating modular units where each unit contains the nested fin configuration. This segmentation allows the complex nested structure to be manufactured using standardized processes applied repeatedly to each module, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving high energy efficiency through the optimized nested geometry.
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 design enhances thermal and energy performance while minimizing material usage, reducing pressure losses and operational energy costs, and offering environmental and economic advantages.
Implementation Method 1
each module comprising a circulation cell for a fluid to be cooled F1, in particular a liquid, and a circulation cell for a cooling fluid F2, for example a gas, particularly air, the two cells being thermally coupled to each other
Implementation Method 2
a plate having a plurality of fins with substantially rectangular profile distributed in parallel bands joined to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said bands
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A fin plate (20) comprises a base (22) and a plurality of heat exchanger fins (30) extending from said base, said fins (30) being distributed in fin strips (34) parallel to each other. According to the invention, two neighbouring fin strips (34) are separated, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said fin strips, by at least one flat strip having no fins (32). Two fin plates (20) of this type can be assembled to form a frame, in particular suitable for being incorporated into a heat exchanger.