Spiral-Flow Heat Exchanger Structure for Air Bubble and Scale Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers face inefficiencies due to air bubble adhesion on heat-transfer surfaces, leading to reduced heat exchange efficiency and scale precipitation, which complicates the configuration and increases costs with the need for additional components like pressure sensors and solenoid valves.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring an inner pipe with a spiral flow path and thickness projections that increase flow speed and shearing stress, using centrifugal force to wash away air bubbles and prevent their re-adhesion, thereby enhancing heat exchange efficiency and suppressing scale formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pressure control methods are used to remove air bubbles, then air bubble removal is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger structure itself generates the necessary shearing stress through its geometric design (thickness projections in the flow path) to remove air bubbles, eliminating the need for external pressure sensors and solenoid valves. The system serves its own air bubble removal function through passive structural features rather than active control components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the flow path (cross-sectional area, flow velocity, shearing stress distribution) by introducing thickness projections at specific locations. This geometric parameter modification creates localized high shearing stress regions that passively separate and remove air bubbles without requiring additional control systems.
2Reliability
If conventional pressure control methods are used to remove air bubbles, then air bubble removal is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger structure itself generates the necessary shearing stress through its geometric design (thickness projections in the flow path) to remove air bubbles, eliminating the need for external pressure sensors and solenoid valves. The system serves its own air bubble removal function through passive structural features rather than active control components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive electronic control components (sensors, valves, controllers) with a simple geometric feature (thickness projections) that can be integrated into the heat exchanger manufacturing process at minimal additional cost.
3Productivity
If air bubble adheres to heat-transfer surface, then heat exchange efficiency deteriorates, but scale precipitation also increases locally
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the harmful effect of high-velocity flow (which could cause erosion) by directing it through thickness projections to create controlled shearing stress zones. This converts potentially damaging high-velocity flow into a beneficial force that removes both air bubbles and prevents scale formation at critical locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness projections are strategically placed at specific locations where air bubbles tend to accumulate and where scale precipitation is most problematic. This creates localized zones of high shearing stress precisely where needed to remove air bubbles and prevent scale, without affecting the overall heat transfer surface area.
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 achieves high heat exchanging efficiency while simplifying the configuration and reducing costs by effectively removing air bubbles and preventing scale precipitation, thus improving the heat exchanger's performance.
Implementation Method 1
since centrifugal force is applied to the first fluid which flows through the spiral flow path, air bubble having smaller density than that of the first fluid is washed away relatively toward the shaft
Implementation Method 2
flow speed and shearing stress of the first fluid can be increased at predetermined intervals. Therefore, it becomes easy to wash away air bubble which is precipitated on and adhered to a wall surface of the spiral flow path
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger which exchanges heat between low temperature liquid and high temperature liquid
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
The present invention provides a heat exchanger (32) including: an inner pipe (1); an insertion body (2) inserted into the inner pipe (1); and at least one or more outer pipes (3) provided around an outer periphery of the inner pipe (1) and through which second fluid flows, wherein the insertion body (2) is formed from a shaft (21) and a projection (22) formed on an outer surface of the shaft (21), first fluid flows through a spiral flow path (23) formed from at least an inner surface of the inner pipe (1) and the projection (22), and a plurality of thickness projections (22b) are provided on the spiral flow path (23) at predetermined intervals in a flowing direction of the first fluid, and a flow path area of the spiral flow path (23) is made small at the predetermined intervals in the flowing direction of the first fluid by each of the thickness projections (22b). According to this, the heat exchanger (32) can suppress the local precipitation of scale by simple means and heat exchanging efficiency can be enhanced.