Titanium Heat Exchanger Plate Surface Geometry Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat-exchanging plates, particularly those made of titanium, face challenges in achieving high heat conductivity and press formability due to material anisotropy, leading to poor deformation behavior and increased risk of breakage during processing.

Innovation Solution

A titanium plate material with fine recessed and projecting parts formed on its surface, where the shape parameter (Rz × L/P) is 12 µm or smaller, allowing for improved heat conductivity and press formability, with the projecting parts arranged in a staggered manner and height optimized to prevent stress concentration and breakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fine recess and projections are formed on the surface of titanium flat plate material to improve heat conductivity, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but press formability deteriorates due to material anisotropy and stress concentration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidpress formability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the surface structure by defining a specific shape parameter (Rz×L/P ≤ 12 µm) that controls the relationship between projection height, recess width, and pitch. This parameter optimization ensures that the surface structure provides sufficient heat transfer enhancement while maintaining press formability by preventing excessive stress concentration during deformation processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The fine recess and projecting parts are formed on the titanium plate surface before press working is performed. This preliminary formation of surface structure allows the plate to undergo subsequent press forming operations with chevron-shaped grooves without causing breakage, as the optimized shape parameter prevents stress concentration that would otherwise occur during deformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Strength

If titanium is used as plate material to ensure corrosion resistance and strength, then material performance is improved, but press formability deteriorates due to anisotropy and seizure tendency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial strength and corrosion resistanceVSAvoidpress formability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the surface structure (Rz, L, P) to create a shape parameter (Rz×L/P) that is 12 µm or smaller. This parameter control allows titanium plates to maintain their inherent strength and corrosion resistance while significantly improving press formability by reducing stress concentration and preventing seizure during forming operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If projection height is increased to enhance heat conductivity, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but stress concentration increases leading to breakage during press working

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidresistance to breakage during processing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention establishes an optimized relationship between projection height (Rz), recess width (L), and pitch (P) by defining the shape parameter Rz×L/P ≤ 12 µm. This parameter optimization ensures that projection height is sufficient to enhance heat conductivity through increased surface area, while simultaneously maintaining the plate's resistance to breakage by preventing excessive stress concentration during press working operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2565575B1Original plate material for heat-exchanging plate, and method for fabricating original plate material for heat-exchanging plate
Publication Date: 2017.12.13 KOBE STEEL LTD
  • EP2565575B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(d)
  • EP2565575B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP2565575B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Provided is an original plate material for a heat-exchanging plate fabricated by press working, and also provided is a method for fabricating the original plate material. An original plate material (2) for a heat-exchanging plate (4) is a flat plate material (1) made of titanium on the surface of which convex parts and concave parts are formed, and the heat-exchanging plate (4) is then fabricated by press working the original plate material (2). The convex parts (5) and the concave parts (6) are formed in a manner such that the shape parameter defined by (Rz × L/P) is 12 µm or less, where Rz (µm) denotes the height of the convex parts (5), L (µm) denotes the width of the concave parts (6), and P (µm) denotes the pitch between neighboring convex parts (5).