U.S. patent application number 15/003467 was filed with the patent office on 2017-07-27 for heat exchanger with center manifold and thermal separator.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation. Invention is credited to Gregory K. Schwalm.
Application Number | 20170211888 15/003467 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57714542 |
Filed Date | 2017-07-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170211888 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schwalm; Gregory K. |
July 27, 2017 |
HEAT EXCHANGER WITH CENTER MANIFOLD AND THERMAL SEPARATOR
Abstract
A heat exchange device includes a first section and a second
section. Each of the first and second sections include flow
passages configured for heat exchange between hot fluid within the
flow passages and cold fluid external of the flow passages. Each of
the flow passages having cold fluid flow therebetween. A separator
is positioned dividing the cold fluid flow between flow passages.
The separator includes two separator sheets spaced apart with a
pillar matrix structurally connecting the separator sheets
configured to prevent cold fluid mixing.
Inventors: |
Schwalm; Gregory K.; (Avon,
CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation |
Charlotte |
NC |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hamilton Sundstrand
Corporation
Charlotte
NC
|
Family ID: |
57714542 |
Appl. No.: |
15/003467 |
Filed: |
January 21, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 3/02 20130101; F28F
9/026 20130101; F28D 2021/0021 20130101; F28F 9/02 20130101; F28F
1/422 20130101; F28F 3/022 20130101; F28D 1/0476 20130101; F28F
9/013 20130101; F28F 2270/00 20130101; F28D 7/1661 20130101; F28F
2240/00 20130101; F28D 2021/0026 20130101; F28F 2225/04 20130101;
F28D 1/0408 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F28D 7/16 20060101
F28D007/16; F28F 9/013 20060101 F28F009/013; F28F 9/02 20060101
F28F009/02; F28F 3/02 20060101 F28F003/02 |
Claims
1. A heat exchange device, comprising: a first section and a second
section, each of the first and second sections including flow
passages configured for heat exchange between hot fluid within the
flow passages and cold fluid external of the flow passages, each of
the flow passages having cold fluid flow therebetween; and a
separator dividing the cold fluid flow between flow passages,
wherein the separator includes two separator sheets spaced apart
with a pillar matrix structurally connecting the separator sheets
configured to prevent cold fluid mixing.
2. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein each of the flow
passages has a hot fluid inlet and a hot fluid outlet wherein the
temperature of fluid entering at the hot fluid inlet is greater
than the temperature of fluid exiting the hot fluid outlet.
3. The heat exchange device of claim 2, wherein the separator
sheets are positioned between each hot fluid inlet and hot fluid
outlet of each adjacent flow passage configured to prevent mixing
of the fluids providing heat transfer to and from the flow passage
inlet and flow passage outlet.
4. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the cold fluid flow
channel includes secondary heat transfer element extending from the
flow passages.
5. The heat exchange device of claim 4, wherein the pillar matrix
between the two separator sheets includes the same material as that
of the secondary heat transfer elements.
6. The heat exchange device of claim 4, wherein the pillar matrix
includes material with reduced conductivity relative to other
material of the device in order to reduce thermal conductivity.
7. The heat exchange device of claim 6, wherein the two separator
sheets are reduced to a single sheet to prevent mixing of the
fluids providing heat transfer to and from the flow passage inlet
and flow passage outlet.
8. The heat exchange device of claim 1, further comprising a center
manifold disposed between the first and second sections, wherein
hot fluid enters the manifold at one end, passes through the first
and second sections and cooled fluid exits the manifold at the
opposing end.
9. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein each of the first
and second sections include heat exchange plates with secondary
heat transfer elements in a stacked arrangement.
10. The heat exchange device of claim 9, wherein the secondary heat
transfer elements and flow passages form a solid matrix configured
to limit relative motion of parts within the device.
11. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the first and
second sections and the separator are created through the use of
additive manufacturing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present disclosure relates to heat exchangers, and more
particularly to plate-stack heat exchangers.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Heat exchangers such as, for example, tube-shell heat
exchangers, are typically used in aerospace turbine engines. These
heat exchangers are used to transfer thermal energy between two
fluids without direct contact between the two fluids. In
particular, a primary fluid is typically directed through a fluid
passageway of the heat exchanger, while a cooling or heating fluid
is brought into external contact with the fluid passageway. In this
manner, heat may be conducted through walls of the fluid passageway
to thereby transfer energy between the two fluids. One typical
application of a heat exchanger is related to an engine and
involves the cooling of air drawn into the engine and/or exhausted
from the engine.
[0005] However, typical tube shell design heat exchangers have
structural issues when their cantilevered tube bundles are exposed
to typical aerospace vibration environments. In addition, there can
be significant bypass of flow around the tubes on the low pressure
side of the heat exchanger, resulting in reduced thermal
effectiveness as well as other adverse system impacts such as
excessive low pressure flow. Subsequently, the heat exchangers
either fail, or are heavy, expensive, and difficult to
manufacture.
[0006] Such conventional methods and systems have generally been
considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there
is still a need in the art for improved heat exchangers. The
present disclosure provides a solution for this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A heat exchange device includes a first section and a second
section. Each of the first and second sections include flow
passages configured for heat exchange between hot fluid within the
flow passages and cold fluid external of the flow passages. Each of
the flow passages having cold fluid flow therebetween. A separator
is positioned dividing the cold fluid flow between flow passages.
The separator includes two separator sheets spaced apart with a
pillar matrix structurally connecting the separator sheets
configured to prevent cold fluid mixing.
[0008] Each of the flow passages can have a hot fluid inlet and a
hot fluid outlet wherein the temperature of the fluid entering at
the hot fluid inlet is greater than the temperature of the fluid
exiting the hot fluid outlet. The separator sheets can be
positioned between each hot fluid inlet and hot fluid outlet of
each adjacent flow passage configured to provide insulation between
the different temperatures of the hot fluid inlet and the hot fluid
outlet. The cold fluid flow channel includes secondary heat
transfer element such as fins, pins or vanes extending from the
flow passages. The pillar matrix can be between the two separator
sheets and include the same material as that of the cold fins. The
pillar matrix can include material with reduced thermal
conductivity relative to other material of the device in order to
reduce thermal conduction.
[0009] A center manifold is disposed between the first and second
sections. Hot fluid can enter the manifold at one end, pass through
the first and second sections and hot fluid exits the manifold at
the opposing end. The hot fluid entering the flow passage can be
greater in temperature than the hot fluid entering the manifold
upon exiting the flow passage. Each of the first and second
sections include heat exchanger plates with secondary heat transfer
elements in a stacked arrangement. The secondary heat transfer
elements and flow passages can form a solid matrix configured to
prevent wear of the device and prevent relative motion with the
device. The components of the heat exchange device can be created
through the use of additive manufacturing.
[0010] These and other features of the systems and methods of the
subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those
skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] So that those skilled in the art to which the subject
disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use
the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue
experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in
detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchange device with
first and second core sections connected by a center manifold;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single hot flow passage of
the heat exchange device shown in FIG. 1, showing the direction of
fluid flow from the center manifold into the hot flow passage,
returning to the center manifold to exit the device after heat
exchange between hot and cold fluids has occurred; and
[0014] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of an exemplary embodiment of a
single flow passage of FIG. 2 constructed in accordance with the
present disclosure, showing a separator positioned between adjacent
flow passages.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like
reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects
of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and
illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary
embodiment of a heat exchange device in accordance with the
disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by
reference character 100. Other embodiments of the heat exchange
device in accordance with the disclosure, or aspects thereof, are
provided in FIGS. 2-4, as will be described. The systems and
methods described herein can be used in turbine engines exposed to
high pressure and high temperatures, for example in aerospace
application.
[0016] With reference to FIG. 1, a heat exchange device 100 in
accordance with the present disclosure is shown. The device
includes a first section 102 and a second section 104 separated by
a center manifold 106. The first and second sections 102, 104 are
two identical plate-fin core sections each made up of flow passages
110 configured for heat exchange between hot heat exchange fluid
within the flow passages 110 and cold fluid external of the fluid
passages 110. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that
the cold and hot fluids can be interchanged. Each of the flow
passages 110 includes a bend or loop 130 at the outer edges of the
device 100 to return the fluid to the center manifold 106. The bulk
of the heat transfer occurs within the flow passages 110 of the
first and second sections 102, 104.
[0017] With reference to FIG. 2, each of the flow passages includes
a fluid inlet 120 and a fluid outlet 122 connecting the flow
passages to the center manifold 106. Fluid temperature entering
from the fluid inlets 120 is greater than fluid temperature exiting
from the fluid outlets 122. Fins 132 are included within each of
the flow passages 110 and cold fins 134 extend from the flow
passages 110. The fins 132, 134 act as heat transfer elements and
form a solid matrix to provide thermal and structural connection.
Parting sheets 136 are positioned above and below fins 132 to
prevent fluid mixing.
[0018] Because of the flow passage loop configuration of the heat
exchange device (see FIG. 1), the cold side flow cooling the hot
inlet and hot outlet at different temperatures can mix within each
flow passage and as a result, the center manifold design will
behave like typical single-pass cross-flow heat exchanger with the
low pressure fluid mixed, resulting in reduced efficiency relative
to a typical plate-fin cross-flow heat exchanger where both hot and
cold fluids remain unmixed throughout the heat exchanger. This
results in an increase in size and weight of roughly 20% in some
cases to achieve the same heat transfer performance as a true
single-pass cross-flow heat exchanger.
[0019] To increase the efficiency, the present disclosure includes
a physical barrier between the cold flow fins 134. With reference
to FIG. 3, a separator 144 is positioned to divide cold fluid flow
between adjacent flow passages. The separator 144 is a mostly
hollow structure comprised of two thin, solid separator sheets 140
supported with intermittently spaced pillar-like or vane-like
structures, defining a pillar matrix 142. The separator 144 is
positioned between cold fins 134 of each flow passage 110 and
configured to provide insulation between the fluid inlets 120 and
fluid outlets 122 of the each flow passage to allow for reduced
conductance normal to the plane of the sheets which is minimized by
incorporating only as much material (i.e. the pillar matrix 142)
between the upper and lower separator sheets 140 as is required to
meet structural requirements or to facilitate production with
additive or other manufacturing methods. Because the high pressure
loading forces on the high pressure sides are reacted by fins in
the high pressure layer in tension, the fins in the lower pressure
layers are not supporting high pressure loads and therefore neither
the cold side fins nor the pillars between the separator sheets
require the same high strength material properties of the parting
sheets and fins in the high pressure layers. Therefore, the fins in
the lower pressure layers and pillars between the separator sheets
add only enough structural rigidity to move core resonant modes out
of the region of concern.
[0020] With reference to FIG. 1, the center manifold 106 is
configured to allow high pressure fluid to enter the manifold 106
at one end 112, pass into the flow passages 102, 104 on either side
of the manifold 106, and return to the manifold 106 to exit the
manifold 106 at the opposite end 114. More specifically, the center
manifold 106 includes a first plenum 112a at one end and a second
plenum 114a on an opposing end. Fluid flows into the first plenum
112 of the center manifold 106, passes through a respective air
inlet 120 of a flow passage 110, follows a bend/loop 130 of the
flow passage 106, enters the center manifold 106 again through the
air outlet 122 and then exits the center manifold 106 through the
second plenum 114a. The design for the first and second sections
102, 104 and the center manifold 106 facilitate installation of the
proposed heat exchange device 100 in place of an existing
tube-shell unit.
[0021] The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as
described above and shown in the drawings, provide for heat
exchange device with superior properties including a thermal
separator to prevent cold flow mixing and reduce heat conduction
between flow passage inlets and outlets. While the apparatus and
methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described
with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art
will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be
made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject
disclosure.
* * * * *