U.S. patent application number 13/318247 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-08 for device for exchanging heat comprising a plate stack and method for producing said device.
This patent application is currently assigned to SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT. Invention is credited to Norbert Hubert, Michael Meinert, Armin Rastogi, Karsten Rechenberg.
Application Number | 20120055659 13/318247 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42932582 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120055659 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hubert; Norbert ; et
al. |
March 8, 2012 |
DEVICE FOR EXCHANGING HEAT COMPRISING A PLATE STACK AND METHOD FOR
PRODUCING SAID DEVICE
Abstract
A device for exchanging heat has a plate stack of at least a
first, a second, and a third plate. The three or more plates are
stacked one on top of the other and have recesses which are
arranged in a regular pattern on a plane of the respective plates.
The first and the second plates as well as the second and the third
plates are stacked in such a manner that each adjacent plate forms
at least one common cooling channel, which is accessible to a
fluid, running in a direction on the plane of plates. The two or
more cooling channels are formed by way of recesses, which
partially but not entirely overlap, in the adjacent plates. The one
or more cooling channels of the first and second plates are
entirely spatially separated from at least one cooling channel of
the second and third plates.
Inventors: |
Hubert; Norbert; (Erlangen,
DE) ; Meinert; Michael; (Erlangen, DE) ;
Rastogi; Armin; (Hagenbuechach, DE) ; Rechenberg;
Karsten; (Dormitz, DE) |
Assignee: |
SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
MUENCHEN
DE
|
Family ID: |
42932582 |
Appl. No.: |
13/318247 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
April 15, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2010/054947 |
371 Date: |
October 31, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/170 ;
29/890.03 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 3/086 20130101;
Y10T 29/4935 20150115; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L 2924/0002
20130101; H01L 23/473 20130101; H01L 2924/0002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/170 ;
29/890.03 |
International
Class: |
F28F 3/08 20060101
F28F003/08; B21D 53/02 20060101 B21D053/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 29, 2009 |
DE |
10 2009 019 356.1 |
Nov 9, 2009 |
DE |
10 2009 052 489.4 |
Claims
1-16. (canceled)
17. A device for exchanging heat, the device comprising: a plate
stack having at least a first plate, a second plate and a third
plate, said at least three plates being stacked above one another
and having recesses formed therein and embodied to run through an
entire thickness of a respective plate and disposed in a plane of
said respective plate in a shape of a regular pattern, said first
and second plates, as well as said second and third plates,
adjacent to each other in each case, being stacked above one
another such that adjacent plates each embody a cooling channel
accessible for a fluid along a direction in a plate plane, said
recesses in said adjacent plates disposed partly but not completely
overlapping, and said cooling channel of said first and second
plates being completely spatially separated from said cooling
channel of said second and third plates.
18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said recesses have an
identical shape.
19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said recesses have a
Y shape composed of identical pieces rotated by 120 degrees in each
case.
20. The device according to claim 18, wherein said recesses have a
Y shape and are disposed in said adjacent plates, and only overlap
in an area of ends of said Y shape.
21. The device according to claim 20, wherein each end of said
recesses is disposed overlapped with an end of said Y-shaped recess
of said adjacent plate.
22. The device according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said
plates is constructed from a number of identically-shaped part
plates stacked to cover a same area above one another.
23. The device according to claim 17, wherein said plates each have
a thickness ranging from 0.5 to 20 millimeters and said channels
have a thickness ranging from 1 to 30 millimeters.
24. The device according to claim 17, wherein said plates are made
of a metal.
25. The device according to claim 17, further comprising cover
plates made of a metal and disposed adjacent one of said plates,
said plates made of a material selected from the group consisting
of plastic and containing a plastic.
26. The device according to claim 17, wherein said recesses have a
Y shape.
27. The device according to claim 20, wherein each end of said
recesses is disposed overlapped with precisely one end of said
Y-shaped recess of said adjacent plate.
28. The device according to claim 17, wherein said plates each have
a thickness ranging from 50 micrometers to 1 millimeter and said
channels have a thickness ranging from 0.1 to 5 millimeters.
29. The device according to claim 17, wherein said plates are made
of a material selected from the group consisting of magnetizable
iron, aluminum and copper.
30. The device according to claim 25, wherein said metal is
selected from the group consisting of aluminum, and copper.
31. A method for producing a device, which comprises the steps of:
stacking at least three plates above one another to form a plate
stack such that at least a first cooling channel is formed running
right through a first and a second plate of the plate stack and at
least one second cooling channel is formed, completely separated
spatially from the first cooling channel, passing right through the
second and a third plate of the plate stack, the cooling channels
being formed in at least one direction in a plate plane by recesses
formed in the at least three plates and the recesses of adjacent
plates being disposed to partly, but not completely, overlap.
32. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises
forming the recesses by a method selected from the group consisting
of punching, drilling, milling, etching and lasing the plates.
33. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises:
forming the recesses in each of the plates in one plane of a
respective plate in a form of a regular pattern, and that the first
and the third plate are embodied with a same pattern rotated in
relation to each other by 90 degrees, and that the second plate
disposed between the first and the third plate is embodied with a
pattern which is produced by overlaying a pattern of the first
plate with a pattern of the third plate, with a displacement of the
two patterns in relation to one another.
34. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises
disposing all of the plates of the plate stack so that the recesses
of adjacent plates mutually overlap and are not disposed to cover a
same area.
35. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises
joining the plates by at least one of gluing, by a snap-lock
connection, by soldering or by screwing.
36. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises
flowing a fluid through the cooling channels formed by the
recesses.
37. The method according to claim 31, wherein the at least two
cooling channels each have a fluid flowing through them, whereby
the two fluid flows differ in temperature and an exchange of heat
between the fluid separated from one another takes place via the
plates.
38. The method according to claim 36, which further comprises
selecting the fluid from the group consisting of air and water.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a device for exchanging
heat and to a method for producing said device. The device features
a plate stack comprising at least a first, a second and a third
plate. The at least three plates are stacked above one another and
have recesses which are embodied to run right through the entire
thickness of the respective plate.
[0002] The recesses are arranged in one plane of the respective
plate in the shape of a regular pattern.
[0003] In many applications, such as obtain in many electrical
machines for example, heat occurs during the transport and
conversion of electrical current. The heat can have a negative
effect on the operation of the electrical device and under some
circumstances can result in the destruction of the device. In order
to prevent this, facilities for dissipation of the heat are
provided in the devices. One possible facility is provided by
cooling plates, as are known from DE 10 2006 036 833 A1 for
example. The cooling plates consist of a stack of plates, which is
constructed from at least two plates with recesses. The plates are
arranged such that some of the recesses overlap and form a cooling
channel. A fluid, e.g. water which flows through the cooling
channel, cools the plate and transports superfluous heat out of the
device.
[0004] A problem with the facility described is the temperature
distribution within the cooling plate. This means that a wide
temperature difference prevails between the entry and the exit of
the cooling fluid into and out of the cooling plate. With
temperature-sensitive devices this can have a negative effect on
their correct operation.
[0005] The object of the present device is to specify a cooling
device in which the aforementioned problems are at least
ameliorated. A particular object is to specify a device for
exchanging heat which makes it possible to make the temperature
more uniform in a device. It is also an object of the invention to
specify a method for producing the device.
[0006] The specified object is achieved in relation to the device
for exchanging heat with the characteristics of claim 1 and in
relation to the method for producing the device with the
characteristics of claim 11.
[0007] Advantageous embodiments of the inventive device and of the
method for producing the device emerge from the assigned dependent
subclaims in each case. In this case the features of the
subordinate claims can be combined with features of a respective
assigned subclaims or preferably also with features of a number of
assigned subclaims.
[0008] The inventive device for exchanging heat has a plate stack
comprising at least a first, a second and a third plate. The at
least three plates are stacked above one another and have recesses
which are embodied to run right through the entire thickness of the
respective plates. The recesses are arranged in one plane of the
respective plate in the shape of a regular pattern. The first and
the second plate as well as the second and the third plate adjoin
each other and/or are stacked above one another so that the
adjacent plates each embody at least one cooling channel accessible
for a fluid in one direction in the plate plane. The at least two
cooling channels are embodied with the aid of recesses arranged to
overlap partly, but not completely in the adjacent plates. The at
least one cooling channel of the first and the second plate is
completely spatially separated from the at least one cooling
channel of the second and the third plate.
[0009] The embodiment of separate cooling channels enables a fluid
to be introduced from different sides of the device and to remove
heat in a contraflow principle from the device for example. The
inflow of the fluid for cooling from different sides achieves an
evening-out of the cooling effect. A temperature gradient between
entry and exit of the fluid in the device is reduced. The device is
cooled more evenly in its spatial extent. As an alternative, with a
contraflow principle, the device can be used as a heat exchanger
between two fluids at different temperatures.
[0010] Preferably the recesses of the plate can have an identical
shape, especially a Y shape. In such cases the Y-shape can be
composed of identical parts turned through 120 degrees
respectively. In adjacent plates the recesses can be arranged so
that they only overlap in the area of the ends of the Y-shape. With
this shape of recess the device can be produced in an especially
simple manner and the recesses can easily be made to overlap.
[0011] Each end of a Y-shaped recess of a plate can be arranged
overlapped respectively with one end of Y-shaped recess of an
adjacent plate, especially with precisely one end of a Y-shaped
recess of an adjacent plate in each case. The cooling channels
formed exhibit favorable flow conditions with this arrangement.
[0012] A plate can be constructed from a number of
identically-shaped subplates stacked above one another and covering
the same area. In relation to cooling surfaces with edge lengths in
a range of a few centimeters up to around one meter, the thickness
of the plate can range between 0.5 millimeters-20 mm and the
channels can have a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 20 mm. Very
small coolers or very large cooling plates can have correspondingly
modified channel measurements.
[0013] The plates can consist of a metal, especially magnetizable
iron. Furthermore the plates can be coated entirely or partly with
an electrically-insulating varnish and/or be electrically insulated
in relation to one another.
[0014] The plate stack can be part of the generator or of a motor
and/or part of a rotor or a stator.
[0015] The plates can consist of a metal, especially aluminum or
copper.
[0016] The plate stack can be used for cooling of electrical power
components, such as for cooling of electrical energy accumulators
or power electronics components for example.
[0017] An inventive method for producing a previously described
device is produced by at least three plates being stacked one above
the other to form a plate stack such that at least a first cooling
channel is produced right through a first and through a second
plate of the plate stack. At least one second channel, completely
separated spatially from at least the first cooling channel, is
made right through the second and a third plate of the plate stack.
The cooling channels are formed in at least one direction in one
plate plane by recesses in the at least three plates. The recesses
of adjacent plates are arranged partly but not completely
overlapping.
[0018] The recesses can be punched and/or drilled and/or milled
and/or etched out of the plates or embodied with the aid of a
laser.
[0019] The recesses in each of the plates can be arranged in a
plane of the respective plate in the shape of a regular pattern. In
such cases the first and the third plate are embodied with the same
pattern rotated in relation to each other by 90 degrees. The second
plate arranged between the first and the third plate is embodied
with a pattern which produces an overlaying of the pattern of the
first plate with the pattern of the third plate, especially with a
displacement of the two patterns in relation to each other by a
half spacing of the recesses of a plate in relation to each
other.
[0020] All plates of the plate stack can be arranged so that
recesses of the adjacent plates are mutually overlapping and do not
cover the same area.
[0021] The plates can be joined to one another by gluing and/or by
snap-lock connection and/or by soldering and/or by screwing.
[0022] The cooling channels formed by the recesses can have a
fluid, especially air, water or oils, frost-protection and
corrosion protection agents, flowing through them.
[0023] The at least two cooling channels can also each have a fluid
flowing through them, whereby the at least two fluid flows differ
in their temperature and an exchange of heat occurs via the plates
between the fluids separated from one another.
[0024] The advantages described here associated with the inventive
device are obtained for the inventive method for producing the
device.
[0025] Forms of embodiment of the invention with advantageous
developments in accordance with the features of the dependent
claims are explained in greater detail with reference to the
following drawing, but without being restricted to said drawing.
Parts not explained in greater detail correspond to parts which are
known from DE 10 2006 036 833 A1.
[0026] The figures show:
[0027] FIG. 1 an oblique view of a plate stack with a cooling
channel according to the prior art, and
[0028] FIG. 2 a view of a plate stack with two plates according to
the prior art, as is depicted in FIG. 1, and
[0029] FIG. 3 a view of an inventive plate stack with 3 plates,
whereby two cooling channels separated spatially from one another
are embodied, and
[0030] FIG. 4 a first plate of the plate stack, as depicted in FIG.
3, and
[0031] FIG. 5 a second plate of the plate stack, as depicted in
FIG. 3, and
[0032] FIG. 6 a third plate of the plate stack, as depicted in FIG.
3, and
[0033] FIG. 7 a plate without a pattern of recesses which is
disposed as a cover plate on top of or underneath the plate stack,
and
[0034] FIG. 8 a side view of the plate stack with a cover plate on
top of the stack and a plate below the stack and connections for
supplying and removing fluids to and from cooling channels.
[0035] FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of a plate stack 1 with
recesses 7 in accordance with the prior art, which has a contiguous
cooling channel 8 or a channel for a fluid. The plate stack 1 is
constructed from two plates 4 and 5 stacked above one another and
enclosed by an upper cover plate 2 and a lower cover plate 3
underneath the plate stack 1, in the form of a sandwich. The two
plates 4 and 5 of the plate stack 1 each have Y-shaped recesses 7,
which are disposed at regular distances from each other without
touching each other. The recesses 7 each produce a regular pattern
in a plate 4 or 5. Adjacent plates 4 and 5 are arranged with their
recesses 7 so that the recesses 7 only overlap in their edge areas.
Each end of a Y-shaped recess 7 of the plate 4 or 5 overlaps with
an end, especially with precisely one end, of a Y-shaped recess 7
of the adjacent plate 5 or 4. The overlapping recesses 7 of
adjacent plates 4 and 5 form a cooling channel 8 passing completely
through plate 4 and 5 along the plate plane.
[0036] The cooling channel 8 thus formed can have a fluid flowing
through it, with the fluid able to take up and transport away waste
heat of the plate 2 and 3. Water provides a frequently-used fluid
for cooling. The cooling water flows in the channel 8 in parallel
to a plane of plate 2 to 5. The overlapping recesses 7 of adjacent
plates 4 and 5 form a pattern which produces a large common surface
between the plates 4 and 5 and the fluid. Thus effective cooling is
possible with a compact, simple construction. The embodiment of the
cooling channel 8 by overlapping recesses 7 in adjacent plates 4
and 5 makes simple production of the channel 8 possible by stacking
plates 2 to 5 on top of one another.
[0037] FIG. 2 shows a view of a plate stack as presented in FIG. 1.
The cross-hatched recesses 7a are embodied in the first upper plate
4 in the plate stack in a first plane. And the recesses 7b
identified by dots are embodied in the second lower plate 5 in the
plate stack in a second plane. The recesses 7a and 7b of the first
and the second plate 4 and 5 all overlap, but only in the edge area
in each case, i.e. at the ends of their Y shape. The pattern of the
recesses 7a in the first plate 4 and the same pattern of recesses
7b offset thereto in the second plate 5 produces a cooling channel
8 passing right through the length of the plate plane, which takes
the form of a network.
[0038] FIG. 3 shows a view of an inventive plate stack 1 with 3
plates 4, 5 and 6. The three plates 4 to 6 are stacked above one
another and each have a pattern of recesses 7. The recesses 7 are
arranged in the plates 4 to 6 such that they form two
spatially-separated cooling channels 8a and 8b partly lying above
one another.
[0039] The first plate 4 is shown individually in FIG. 4, with a
pattern of recesses 7a. Shown on the right-hand and left-hand side
in the plane of the figure are an inflow 9 and an outflow channel
10. The inflow channel 9 is used to introduce fluid into the first
channel 8a. The outflow channel 10 is used to enable the fluid to
leave or to escape from the first channel 8a. Connections 11 to the
inflow channel 9 and the outflow channel 10 are shown as circular
dashed areas in each case.
[0040] FIG. 5 shows the pattern of the recesses 7b of the second
plate 5. The pattern of the recesses 7b of the second plate 5, is
produced from an overlaying of the pattern of the recesses 7a of
the first plate 4 (see FIG. 4) with the same pattern, rotated
through 180 degrees and displaced by a half spacing of the recesses
7a from each other in each case. Shown cross-hatched on the
right-hand and left-hand side in the plane of the figure are the
inflow channel 9 and the outflow channel 10 of the third plate 6
arranged below the second plate 5 (see FIG. 6). Circular holes are
made in the second plate 5 in order to introduce fluid into the
inflow channel 9 or to transport it away via the outflow channel 10
of the third plate 6 (see dashed lines and FIG. 6) via connections
11 through the first and second plate 4 and 5.
[0041] The third plate 6 is shown individually in FIG. 6, with a
pattern of recesses 7c. Shown on the right-hand and left-hand side
in the plane of the figure are a respective inflow channel 9 and an
outflow channel 10. The inflow channel 9 is used to introduce fluid
into the second channel 8b. The outflow channel 10 is used to allow
the fluid to leave or to escape from the second channel 8b.
Connections 11 to the inflow channel 9 and to the outflow channel
10 are shown as circles in each case in FIG. 6.
[0042] Shown in FIG. 7 is a cover plate 2 (like the cover plate 3)
which does not have any pattern of recesses 7. The channels 8 are
sealed at the top and bottom with the aid of the cover plate 2 and
3. A cover plate 2 is arranged on top of the plate stack 1 and a
cover plate 3 underneath it. The plates 4 to 6 with recesses lie in
the shape of sandwich between the cover plates 2 and 3.
[0043] The plate stack 1 is shown from the side in FIG. 8.
Connections shown in the form of circles in FIG. 7 are shown
connected in FIG. 8 to inflow and outflow lines 12. For each of the
two channels 8a and 8b (not shown in detail in FIG. 8 for the sake
of simplicity) an inflow and an outflow 12 are provided in each
case, which are disposed in opposite corners of the plate stack.
This allows two fluid circuits to be operated separately from one
another with the aid of the first and second channel 8a and 8b. The
two circuits can be used for more even cooling of the plate stack 1
since cool fluid can flow into the plate stack 1 from two different
sides. As an alternative the plate stack 1 can be used as a heat
exchanger between a fluid with the temperature T.sub.1 and a fluid
with a higher temperature T.sub.2.
[0044] The plates 2 to 6 shown in the figures as a rule have a
thickness in the range of the 1 mm. The channels 8a and 8b thus
typically likewise have thickness of 1 mm (2 mm at points at which
the recesses 7 overlap) in a direction at right angles to the plane
of the plates. By stacking identical plates thicknesses of 3 to 30
mm or more of the cooling channels in a perpendicular direction to
the plane of the plates can also be realized.
[0045] The plates 2 to 6 and cooling channels 8a and 8b can however
also have other sizes, in the range of a few centimeters thick for
example.
[0046] The width of the recesses 7 and thus of the channels 8a and
8b preferably lies in the range of 5 to 30 mm. Channel widths in
the centimeter range are however also possible.
[0047] In relation to cooling surfaces with edge lengths in the
range of a few centimeters up to around a meter, the thickness of
the plates can lie in the range of 0.5 mm-20 mm and the channels
can have a thickness in a range of 0.5 mm to 20 mm. Miniature
coolers or very large cooling plates can have accordingly modified
channel dimensions.
[0048] The plates 2 to 6 preferably consist of a metal, especially
aluminum or copper. Other pure metals or metal alloys are however
also suitable.
[0049] Use of the plate stack 1 as a heat exchanger or as a plate
stack in a stator plate stack of the machine, such as an electric
motor or generator for example, is possible.
* * * * *