Plate Heat Exchanger Profiled Inlets for Lower Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers in turbomachines experience significant pressure losses and inhomogeneous flow distribution due to abrupt changes in passage cross-sections, leading to energy loss and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger incorporates profiled elements with sawtooth-shaped cross-sections at the inlet and outlet of circulation passages to guide the fluid flow with progressive acceleration and deceleration, minimizing recirculation areas and optimizing flow distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional heat exchangers use parallel plates with fins to define circulation passages, then thermal exchange performance is achieved, but pressure losses increase due to abrupt cross-section changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing abrupt angular transitions with rounded profiled elements at the inlet and outlet of circulation passages. These curved elements create progressive cross-section changes that guide fluid flow smoothly, reducing turbulence and pressure losses while maintaining effective thermal exchange surfaces through the finned plate structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the circulation passages by introducing profiled elements with varying cross-sectional areas along the flow direction. This creates progressive acceleration and deceleration zones that optimize fluid dynamics, reducing pressure losses without compromising thermal exchange performance
2Device complexity
If abrupt cross-section reductions are used at the inlet of circulation passages, then device complexity is reduced, but flow distribution becomes inhomogeneous
Solution Approach 1:
The profiled elements incorporate curved transition zones that progressively modify the cross-sectional area of circulation passages. This curvature-based design guides fluid flow uniformly across all passages, ensuring homogeneous distribution while adding minimal structural complexity to the overall heat exchanger design
3Loss of energy
If profiled elements with sawtooth cross-section are used to guide fluid flow progressively, then pressure losses are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inlet and outlet regions of circulation passages by introducing discrete profiled elements with sawtooth cross-sections. These segmented elements create localized flow guidance zones that reduce pressure losses through progressive cross-section changes, while the modular nature of the segments keeps overall device complexity manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The profiled elements are applied locally only at critical inlet and outlet zones where flow transitions occur, rather than throughout the entire heat exchanger. This localized application reduces pressure losses at key points while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
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 significantly reduces pressure losses and improves flow distribution, enhancing overall thermal performance and reducing the mass of the distributor and manifold while maintaining equivalent thermal efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
these first profiled elements being located at the level of each of the plates, at the entry to said passage, so as to define a first convergent path for guiding said first fluid in this passage, and/or second profiled elements for the outlet of the first fluid from said circulation passage... so as to define a first convergent path for guiding said first fluid in this passage, and/or second profiled elements for the outlet of the first fluid from said circulation passage, these second profiled elements being located at the level of each of the plates, at the outlet of said passage, so as to define a second divergent path for guiding said first fluid outside this passage
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger is installed in a turbomachine to allow a transfer of thermal energy from one fluid towards another
Implementation Method 3
a series of fins arranged substantially perpendicular at the level of each of the plates, so as to define a series of conduits for the circulation of the first fluid in said circulation passage
Data Source
AI summary
A plate heat exchanger, in particular for an aircraft turbo machine, between a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being intended to circulate in a first direction and the second fluid being intended to circulate in a second direction different from the first direction, the heat exchanger having stacked stages for circulation of the first fluid, and profiled elements at the inlet and outlet of the stages, the profiled elements having a sawtooth-shaped cross-section and defining channels converging at the inlet of the stages and diverging at the outlet of the stages.