Staggered Tube Protrusions for Compact Heat Exchanger Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers face a challenge in maintaining heat exchange efficiency when the gaps between heat transfer tubes are narrowed, leading to reduced flow path cross-sectional areas for the second fluid, which decreases the overall heat exchange performance.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring a flow path forming portion that creates small flow path portions between adjacent heat transfer tubes, with protrusion portions on the outer surfaces of the tubes, arranged in a zigzag pattern and shifted positions, to enhance contact surface area and flow velocity of the second fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the gaps between heat transfer tubes are narrowed to reduce heat exchanger size, then the device volume is reduced, but the flow path cross-sectional area for the second fluid decreases leading to reduced heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path between adjacent heat transfer tubes is segmented into multiple small flow path portions by the flow path forming portion. This segmentation increases the total contact surface area between the second fluid and the heat transfer tubes, compensating for the reduced gap width and maintaining heat exchange efficiency despite the narrowed overall gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path forming portion protrudes from the outer surface of the heat transfer tubes in the radial direction, creating three-dimensional small flow path portions. This dimensional addition increases the effective heat transfer surface area without requiring larger gaps between tubes, thus resolving the contradiction between compact size and heat exchange efficiency.
2Productivity
If fins are provided to heat transfer tubes to increase heat exchange efficiency, then the heat exchange efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path forming portion is integrated directly into the heat transfer tubes, merging the heat transfer function and the flow path formation function into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate fin structures while achieving enhanced heat exchange efficiency, thus improving productivity without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path forming portion is provided locally at specific positions on the heat transfer tubes where it protrudes to create small flow path portions. This localized modification enhances heat exchange efficiency only where needed, avoiding the complexity of comprehensive fin coverage while maintaining effective heat transfer.
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 increases the heat exchange efficiency by ensuring a larger contact surface area and higher flow velocity of the second fluid, thereby improving the heat transfer performance compared to conventional designs.
Implementation Method 1
a flow path forming portion that forms a plurality of small flow path portions between the heat transfer tubes that are adjacent to each other at closest positions in the plurality of heat transfer tubes, in which the second fluid flows between the plurality of heat transfer tubes in the closed space in a direction opposite to a flow direction of the first fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a pipe main body forming a flow path to which a first fluid is supplied, a pair of partition plates defining an enclosed space, a plurality of heat transfer tubes, a supply portion configured to supply a second fluid into the enclosed space, a discharge portion configured to discharge the second fluid in the enclosed space, and a flow path forming portion forming a plurality of small flow path portions between the heat transfer tubes adjacent to each other. The second fluid flows between the plurality of heat transfer tubes in the enclosed space in a direction opposite to the flow direction of the first fluid. The plurality of small flow path portions are disposed at positions different from each other in an extension direction when viewed from a position where the discharge portion is disposed.