Variable Height Collar for Oval Tube Heat Exchanger Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat exchangers with oval or elongated section tubes face suboptimal sealing due to non-homogeneous force distribution, leading to potential leaks and corrosion issues, as the minor axis is less resistant and prone to deformation under compression.
Innovation Solution
The collector plate's collar height is increased in zones offering least resistance, with a maximum height on the minor axis and a minimum height on the major axis, creating an evolving shape to balance compression forces and enhance sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a seal with circular section is used for oval or elongated tubes, then the sealing structure is simple, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates due to non-homogeneous force distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where the thickness varies along the peripheral direction to match the tube's cross-sectional shape. This local variation in thickness compensates for the non-homogeneous force distribution in oval or elongated tubes, ensuring uniform contact pressure and effective sealing without requiring complex external adjustment mechanisms.
2Productivity
If the tube wall thickness is reduced to improve heat exchange performance, then heat exchange efficiency improves, but the tube resistance to compression deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the seal, specifically the thickness distribution along the peripheral direction. By adjusting the seal thickness to be non-uniform and matching the tube's cross-sectional characteristics, the seal can effectively compress the tube ends even with reduced wall thickness, maintaining both heat exchange efficiency and compression resistance.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform seal compression is applied to oval tubes, then the sealing process is simple, but gaps form between the seal and tube due to non-homogeneous force distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The seal incorporates local quality variations through non-uniform thickness distribution. The thicker regions correspond to areas where the tube offers less resistance to compression, while thinner regions align with areas of higher resistance. This design achieves uniform contact pressure and eliminates gaps without requiring complex multi-step compression processes or adjustable mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a collector plate (14) for a heat exchanger capable of receiving a cover for a collector housing of said heat exchanger, said collector plate comprising at least one hole (18) for the passage of a tube of said heat exchanger, said hole (18) having a periphery provided with a collar (20), and said collar (20) having a height (H1, H2), characterized in that the height of said collar (20) is variable on the periphery of the hole (18) for the passage of said tube. The invention also relates to a heat exchanger provided with such a collector plate.