U.S. patent application number 16/185110 was filed with the patent office on 2019-06-06 for heat exchanger bell mouth inlet.
The applicant listed for this patent is United Technologies Corporation. Invention is credited to Michael G. McCaffrey.
Application Number | 20190170455 16/185110 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64572248 |
Filed Date | 2019-06-06 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190170455 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McCaffrey; Michael G. |
June 6, 2019 |
HEAT EXCHANGER BELL MOUTH INLET
Abstract
A heat exchanger includes at least one passage defining a flow
path for airflow. A manifold includes a transition region including
at least two rib portions defining a smoothly curved transition
surface into the at least one passage. A method is also
disclosed.
Inventors: |
McCaffrey; Michael G.;
(Windsor, CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
United Technologies Corporation |
Farmington |
CT |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
64572248 |
Appl. No.: |
16/185110 |
Filed: |
November 9, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62593402 |
Dec 1, 2017 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 9/0224 20130101;
F28D 2021/0021 20130101; F28F 9/0221 20130101; F28F 9/0229
20130101; F28D 9/0062 20130101; F28F 2250/02 20130101; F28F
2009/029 20130101; F28F 2009/0297 20130101; F28F 1/26 20130101;
F28F 9/165 20130101; F28F 1/025 20130101; F28F 13/08 20130101; F28F
9/0263 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F28F 9/02 20060101
F28F009/02; F28F 13/08 20060101 F28F013/08 |
Goverment Interests
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] This invention was made with government support under
contract number FA8626-16-C-2139 awarded by the United States Air
Force. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Claims
1. A heat exchanger comprising: at least one passage defining a
flow path for airflow; and a manifold including a transition region
including at least two rib portions defining a smoothly curved
transition surface into the at least one passage.
2. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1, wherein the manifold
includes a housing with an inlet opening and the transition region
is adjacent the at least one passage.
3. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least
two rib portions extend across the transition region of the
manifold.
4. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least
two rib portions include a support portion supporting the at least
one passage.
5. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 4, including a plate
defining the at least one passage, the plate abutted against the
support portion of the at least two rib portions so as to continue
the smoothly curved transition surface through the at least one
passage.
6. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 5, including a seal
disposed between the plate and the at least two rib portions.
7. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 5, wherein the plate
comprises a unitary part without joints.
8. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1, wherein the smoothly
curved transition surface comprises a bell mouth shape.
9. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1, including a plurality
of passages for airflow and the manifold comprises an inlet
manifold at one end of the plurality of passages and an outlet
manifold at an opposite end of the plurality of passages.
10. A heat exchanger comprising: at least two plates defining an
first flow passage, the at least two plates including an inlet
region, wherein the inlet region comprises a smoothly curved
transition region; and a manifold including an inlet opening and a
transition region supporting the at least two plates.
11. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 10, wherein the plate
comprises a first end portion spaced apart from a second end
portion, a cavity defining a first flow path between the first end
portion and the second end portion, and an outer surface portion
defining a second flow path, wherein the plate comprises a single
unitary part without a joint between any two portions.
12. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the
first end portion and the second end portion include the smoothly
curved transition region.
13. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least
two plates comprises a plurality of plates stacked atop each other
and supported within the transition region of the manifold.
14. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 13, wherein the manifold
comprises a first manifold at an inlet end of the at least two
plates and a second manifold at the outlet end of the at least two
plates.
15. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 10, wherein the smoothly
curved transition surface comprises a bell mouth shape.
16. A method of assembling a heat exchanger comprising: defining a
manifold to include a plurality of ribs extending across a
transition region, each of the plurality of ribs including a
smoothly curved transition surface; and inserting a plate defining
an airflow passage between two of the plurality of ribs to hold the
plates within the transition region and define a smoothly curved
transition surface into the airflow passage.
17. The method as recited in claim 16, including inserting a seal
between an end of the plate and at least two ribs.
18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the manifold
comprises an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold and the method
includes inserting the plate into both the inlet manifold to define
an inlet transition surface into the airflow passage and the outlet
manifold to define an outlet transition surface for airflow exiting
the airflow passage.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This disclosure claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/593,402 filed Dec. 1, 2017.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A plate and fin heat exchanger includes alternating layers
of passages formed by flat sheet metal material and corrugated
preformed structures. The entire structure is brazed together to
form a unitary brazed assembly. Inlet and outlet openings typically
are blunt shaped and can create significant pressure losses as
airflow transitions from large spaces within an inlet manifold into
the much smaller passages defined by the preformed structures or
plates. Similarly, airflow exiting the heat exchanger is subject to
pressure losses due to undefined transition from the passages to an
open area of a manifold.
[0004] Turbine engine manufactures utilize heat exchangers
throughout the engine to cool and condition airflow for cooling and
other operational needs. Improvements to turbine engines have
enabled increases in operational temperatures and pressures. The
increases in temperatures and pressures improve engine efficiency
but also increase demands on all engine components including heat
exchangers.
[0005] Turbine engine manufacturers continue to seek further
improvements to engine performance including improvements to
thermal, transfer and propulsive efficiencies.
SUMMARY
[0006] In a featured embodiment, a heat exchanger includes at least
one passage defining a flow path for airflow. A manifold includes a
transition region including at least two rib portions defining a
smoothly curved transition surface into the at least one
passage.
[0007] In another embodiment according to the previous embodiment,
the manifold includes a housing with an inlet opening and the
transition region is adjacent the at least one passage.
[0008] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the at least two rib portions extend across the
transition region of the manifold.
[0009] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the at least two rib portions include a support
portion supporting the at least one passage.
[0010] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, a plate defining the at least one passage, the plate
abutted against the support portion of the at least two rib
portions so as to continue the smoothly curved transition surface
through the at least one passage.
[0011] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, a seal disposed between the plate and the at least two
rib portions.
[0012] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the plate includes a unitary part without joints.
[0013] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the smoothly curved transition surface includes a bell
mouth shape.
[0014] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, a plurality of passages for airflow and the manifold
includes an inlet manifold at one end of the plurality of passages
and an outlet manifold at an opposite end of the plurality of
passages.
[0015] In another featured embodiment, a heat exchanger includes at
least two plates defining a first flow passage. The at least two
plates include an inlet region. The inlet region includes a
smoothly curved transition region. A manifold includes an inlet
opening and a transition region supporting the at least two
plates.
[0016] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the plate includes a first end portion spaced apart
from a second end portion. A cavity defines a first flow path
between the first end portion and the second end portion. An outer
surface portion defines a second flow path. The plate includes a
single unitary part without a joint between any two portions.
[0017] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, each of the first end portion and the second end
portion include the smoothly curved transition region.
[0018] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the at least two plates includes a plurality of plates
stacked atop each other and supported within the transition region
of the manifold.
[0019] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the manifold includes a first manifold at an inlet end
of the at least two plates and a second manifold at the outlet end
of the at least two plates.
[0020] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the smoothly curved transition surface includes a bell
mouth shape.
[0021] In another featured embodiment, a method of assembling a
heat exchanger includes defining a manifold to include a plurality
of ribs extending across a transition region. Each of the plurality
of ribs include a smoothly curved transition surface. A plate
defining an airflow passage is inserted between two of the
plurality of ribs to hold the plates within the transition region
and define a smoothly curved transition surface into the airflow
passage.
[0022] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, inserting a seal between an end of the plate and at
least two ribs.
[0023] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the manifold includes an inlet manifold and an outlet
manifold and the method includes inserting the plate into both the
inlet manifold to define an inlet transition surface into the
airflow passage and the outlet manifold to define an outlet
transition surface for airflow exiting the airflow passage.
[0024] Although the different examples have the specific components
shown in the illustrations, embodiments of this disclosure are not
limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use
some of the components or features from one of the examples in
combination with features or components from another one of the
examples.
[0025] These and other features disclosed herein can be best
understood from the following specification and drawings, the
following of which is a brief description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example heat exchanger
embodiment.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a cut away view of the example heat exchanger
embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a sectional cut away view of a portion of the
example heat exchanger.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the heat
exchanger.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example plate
embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another example plate
embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of a portion of another
heat exchanger embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the heat exchanger
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example heat exchanger 10
includes an inlet manifold 15 and an outlet or exhaust manifold 20.
The inlet manifold 15 includes an inlet 14 for a first airflow 28.
The inlet manifold 15 and the outlet manifold 20 are disposed on
the ends of a plurality of plates 12. The plates 12 define an
airflow passage between the inlet 14 and an outlet 24. The plates
12 also define a plurality of passages for a cooling airflow 30
that passes through channels defined by the plurality of plates
12.
[0035] The inlet manifold 15 includes a transition region 16
defining an opening or series of openings 18 at the end of the
manifold 15 that receives the plates 12 and where airflow
schematically indicated at 28 is dispersed and transitions into the
airflow passages defined by the plates 12. The outlet manifold 20
includes a similar transition region 22 where airflow exiting the
passages defined within the plates 12 transition towards the outlet
24.
[0036] The example heat exchanger 10 is an air to air heat
exchanger where a hot airflow indicated at 28 is injected through
the inlet 14 and flows through passages within the plates 12
towards the exhaust manifold 20. Airflow exhausted through the
outlet 24 as is indicated at 32 is cooled to a desired temperature.
A cooling airflow schematically indicated at 30 flows through the
passages defined between the plates 12 by channels between fins.
The airflow through the inlet 14 is desired to maintain a desired
pressure and avoid excessive pressure losses. Accordingly, the
transition region 16 includes features to improve flow into the
cooling passages in a more controlled and less turbulent manner to
reduce pressure losses that can degrade thermal transfer
efficiencies. By controlling transition of airflow into the
passages defined by the plates 12, the pressure losses produced
through this transition region can be significantly reduced.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 3 with continued references to FIGS. 1 and
2, the example intake manifold 15 is shown in an enlarged cross
sectional view. The example intake manifold 10 includes a plurality
of ribs 36 that extend from a first wall 34 shown in FIG. 3 to a
second wall not shown in FIG. 3. Each of the ribs 36 include a
smoothly curved transition surface 40. The ribs 36 further include
a support portion 42. Each of the plates 12 are supported between
two of the ribs 36 such that the smoothly curved transition surface
indicated at 40 is disposed above and below each intake passage of
each plate 12. The smooth surfaces 40 define a bell mouth shape
forward of the inlet to the plate 12 that improves flow properties
into the flow passage.
[0038] In this example, the plate 12 defines a first flow passage
44 through the plate 12 and a second flow passage 46 that flows
over an outer surface of the plate 12 between fins 56. As
appreciated, the fins 56 cooperate with fins 56 in an adjacent
plate 12 to define channels through which the cooling airflow 30
flows.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 with continued reference to FIG.
3, each of the plates 26 are trapped between at least two of the
ribs 36. In the cross section illustrated in FIG. 4, a first plate
26a is trapped between rib 36a and 36b. A portion of a second plate
26b is also illustrated and trapped between the rib 36b and
36c.
[0040] The example plate 26 is shown in perspective view includes a
first end 52 and a second end 54. The first end 52 defines an inlet
48 that leads to the first flow passage 44. The outer surface
includes the fins 56 that define the second airflow passage 46 for
the cooling airflow that flows perpendicular to the hot airflow
communicated through the intake manifold 15. A seal 50 is disposed
between each of the plates 26a, 26b and 26c and the corresponding
ribs 36a, 36b and 36c.
[0041] Each of the ribs includes the support portion 42 that
accepts the first end portion 52 of a corresponding plate 26. By
defining the ribs 36 within the intake manifold transition region
16 and providing the ribs 36 with the smooth curved transition
portions 40, the bell mouth is created forward of the inlet to the
plates 26 to provide a more uniform and smooth transition of
airflow from the manifold into each of the corresponding first
passages 44.
[0042] Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, another example heat
exchanger 60 is illustrated and includes a plurality of plates 64
that are stacked atop each other and that are in communication with
a transition region 66 of an intake manifold 62. Each of the plates
64 includes ribs 70 that are disposed within the cooling air flow.
As appreciated, the example manifold 60 is shown by way of an
example and only the intake manifold 62 is illustrated. A
corresponding exhaust manifold would be provided at the exit end of
each of the plurality of plates 64 in a similar arrangement to that
of the intake manifold 62.
[0043] In this example, each of the plates 64 include a bell mouth
surface 68. The bell mouth surfaces 68 mate to one another to
define a smoothly curved surface that transitions airflow into the
air passages through the plates 64. In this embodiment, the
manifold 62 is not required to have a plurality of ribs. Instead,
each of the plates 64 include features that define the bell mouth
shape that provide the smooth transition of airflow from the
manifold into the airflow passage defined through the plates.
[0044] In the disclosed example embodiments, the plates 26 and 64
are one piece unitary structures that are cast as a one piece item
that do not include joints between any of the portions. The unitary
structure of the plate eliminates the need for welded or brazed
joints that can cause problems during operation or that may be
susceptible to mechanical strains and stresses caused by extreme
thermal gradients.
[0045] The example heat exchanger manifold includes features that
tailor airflow and transition that airflow through the plates to
enable higher pressure capabilities that in turn increase the
overall efficiency of the heat exchanger to enable use and higher
temperature and pressure applications.
[0046] Although an example embodiment has been disclosed, a worker
of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain
modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. For
that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine
the scope and content of this disclosure.
* * * * *