Counter-flow heat exchanger with helical passages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10989480-B2
Application number	US-201916671332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A counter-flow heat exchanger is provided that includes: a first fluid path having a first supply tube connected to a first transition area separating the first fluid path into a first array of first passageways, with the first array of first passageways merging at a first converging area into a first discharge tube; and a second fluid path having a second supply tube connected to a second transition area separating the second fluid path into a second array of second passageways, with the second array of second passageways merge at a second converging area into a second discharge tube. The first passageways and the second passageways have a substantially helical path around the centerline of the counter-flow heat exchanger. Additionally, the first array and the second array are arranged together such that each first passageway is adjacent to at least one second passageway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A counter-flow heat exchanger defining a centerline, the counter-flow heat exchanger comprising:
a first fluid path comprising in fluid communication a first supply tube, a first transition area, a first array of first passageways, a first converging area and a first discharge tube;
a second fluid path comprising in fluid communication a second supply tube, a second transition area, a second array of second passageways, a second converging area and a second discharge tube;
wherein the first array of the first passageways is arranged in a first helical path around the centerline relative to a radial direction from the centerline;
wherein the second array of the second passageways is arranged in a second helical path around the centerline relative to the radial direction from the centerline; and
wherein the first transition area and the first converging area are arranged at opposite ends of the first helical path at opposite ends of the heat exchanger, the second transition area and the second converging area are arranged at opposite ends of the second helical path at opposite ends of the heat exchanger, the first transition area and the second converging area are arranged at a same one end of the heat exchanger, and the second transition area and the first converging area are arranged at a same another end of the heat exchanger.

2. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first transition area is arranged adjacent to the second converging area at the same one end of the heat exchanger and the second transition area is arranged adjacent to the first converging area at the same another end of the heat exchanger.

3. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the first passageway of the first array of the first passageways is defined by opposed first elongated side surfaces elongated parallel to the centerline, the opposed elongated first side surfaces connected by a first top wall and a first bottom wall, and each of the second passageway of the second array of the second passageways is defined by opposed second elongated side surfaces elongated parallel to the centerline, the opposed elongated second side surfaces connected by a second top wall and a second bottom wall.

4. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein opposed first elongated side surfaces of each of the first passageway of the first array of the first passageways differ in pattern from opposed second elongated side surfaces of each second passageway of the second array of the second passageways.

5. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein opposed first elongated side surfaces of each of the first passageway of the first array of the first passageways differ in pattern one from another, and opposed second elongated side surfaces of each of the second passageway of the second array of the second passageways differ in pattern one from another.

6. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the first passageway of the first array of the first passageways is defined by opposed first elongated side surfaces defining a series of waves pattern with the series of waves pattern differing between opposed first elongated side surfaces.

7. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the second passageway of the second array of the second passageways is defined by opposed second elongated side surfaces defining a series of waves pattern with the series of waves pattern differing between opposed second elongated side surfaces.

8. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein opposed first elongated side surfaces of each of the first passageway of the first array of the first passageways have a variable radius from a centerline of the first passageway and opposed second elongated side surfaces of each of the second passageway of the second array of the second passageways have a variable radius from a centerline of the second passageway.

9. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first passageways are separated from the second passageways by divider walls.

10. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first passageways are separated from the second passageways by divider walls, the divider walls defining opposed first side walls of the first passageways, and the divider walls defining opposed second side walls of the second passageways.

11. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid path and the second fluid path are not in fluid communication.

12. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the counter-flow heat exchanger comprises a metal material.

13. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the counter-flow heat exchanger comprises a metal material of a pure metal, a nickel alloy, a chrome alloy, a titanium alloy, an aluminum alloy, an aluminide, or mixtures thereof.

14. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first transition area and the second transition area each comprises a series of forks separating the first fluid path into the first array and the second fluid path into the second array, respectively.

15. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a higher temperature fluid inlet is attached to the first supply tube, and a lower temperature fluid inlet is attached to the second supply tube.

16. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a first fluid in the first fluid path has an initial temperature and a discharge temperature, the discharge temperature being about 90% or less of the initial temperature.

17. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first array of the first passageways define a cross-section having a length in an axial direction and a width in the perpendicular radial direction, with the length being 3 to 10 times the width.

18. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid path, the second fluid path, and an outer wall encasing the first fluid path and the second fluid path are through layer-by-layer or additive manufacturing a single, integrated component.

19. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the counter-flow heat exchanger is of layer-by layer or additive manufacturing construction.

20. The counter-flow heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the counter-flow heat exchanger is of selective laser sintering, 3D printing, stereolithography, direct selective laser sintering, electron beam sintering, electron beam melting, laser engineered net shaping, laser net shape manufacturing, or direct metal deposition construction.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rock Jr Peter Joseph
• Goldenberg Matthew
• Henning Lauren Ashley
• Prescott Jeffrey Miles Mcmillen
• Shannon Kevin Robert

Classifications

• F28D7/0033

  the conduits for one medium or the conduits for both media being bent · CPC title

• F28F7/02

  Blocks traversed by passages for heat-exchange media {(F28D7/0008 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F28F2210/02

  with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements · CPC title

• F28F2255/00

  Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes · CPC title

• F28F1/06

  crimped or corrugated in cross-section · CPC title