Spiral Heat Exchanger Layout for Low-Resistance Parallel Flow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional spiral heat exchangers face issues with high flow resistance, particularly for gaseous fluids, and require frequent maintenance due to the complex fluid channel structure, which affects heat exchange efficiency and operational reliability.
Innovation Solution
A spiral heat exchanger design featuring a mandrel with a heat conduction thin tape wound in a spiral shape, supported by baffle ribs, forming separate and staggered hot and cold fluid flow channels with distinct inlets and outlets, reducing flow resistance and facilitating independent maintenance of each channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a traditional spiral plate heat exchanger uses a double-helical cylinder structure to ensure sufficient heat transfer area, then the heat transfer area is improved, but the flow resistance becomes large due to continuous direction changes of fluids in spiral channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the continuous spiral fluid channel into multiple independent straight parallel channels. Each channel consists of straight sections connected by transition sections, eliminating continuous directional changes. This segmentation reduces flow resistance while maintaining heat transfer area through multi-channel parallel configuration.
2Device complexity
If a traditional spiral plate heat exchanger uses a single continuous fluid channel to achieve compact structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases because blockage in one position affects the entire channel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates multiple independent parallel fluid channels instead of a single continuous channel. Each channel is isolated from others, so blockage in one channel does not affect fluid flow in other channels. This segmentation improves reliability while maintaining relatively simple channel structures within each parallel path.
3Volume of stationary object
If a traditional spiral plate heat exchanger uses spiral coil shaped fluid channels, then the volume is reduced, but the maintenance frequency increases due to high flow resistance and blockage susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple independent parallel channels with straight sections and transition sections. This design reduces flow resistance and blockage susceptibility compared to continuous spiral channels, thereby reducing maintenance frequency. The compact volume is maintained through the parallel channel arrangement within a compact housing structure.
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 design achieves low flow resistance for gas-gas and gas-liquid heat exchanges, reduces maintenance frequency by allowing blockages in one channel to not affect others, and enhances heat transfer efficiency through optimized fluid flow and channel configuration.
Implementation Method 1
a heat conduction thin tape having a spiral shape wound around the periphery of the mandrel
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention application relates to a spiral heat exchanger and a manufacturing method therefor. The spiral heat exchanger comprises: a mandrel (1) having an axis extending in the direction of left and right; and a heat-conducting thin strip (2) spirally wound around the periphery of the mandrel (1) for at least three laps. The heat-conducting thin strip (2) of any two adjacent laps are spaced apart by a certain distance; baffle ribs (3) extending in the direction of left and right are supported between the heat-conducting thin strip (2) of any two adjacent laps; the baffle ribs (3) are arranged in sequence along a radial direction of the mandrel (1), so as to form a plurality of hot fluid flow channels (4) and a plurality of cold fluid flow channels (5) which are arranged alternately along the radial direction of the mandrel (1); each cold fluid outlet (5b) is provided with a first blocking bar (6) for blocking a portion of the cold fluid outlet (5b); each of the fluid outlet (4b) is provided with a second blocking bar (7) for blocking a portion of the hot fluid outlet (4b); the first blocking bars (6) are arranged in sequence along a first radial direction (R1), and the second blocking bars (7) are arranged in sequence along a second radial direction (R2). The spiral heat exchanger is compact and ingenious in structure and with a small flow resistance, has a large heat exchange area and high heat exchange efficiency, and is quite suitable situations both for gas-gas heat exchange and gas-liquid heat exchange.