Method of manufacturing heat exchanger and heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016331882-A1
Application number	US-201615221732-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heat exchanger has a hollow fiber membrane layer comprised of a plurality of hollow fiber membrane conduits each of which has a hollow portion allowing a heat medium to pass therethrough. The conduits are derived by winding a base cord of the hollow fiber membrane onto a cylindrical body. The winding follows a generally helical trajectory around the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body with a plurality of continuous round trips from the first end to the second end and turning back at each respective end, wherein each round trip completes a number of circumferential revolutions N, wherein N is greater than or equal to one, and wherein N is less than two.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger having a hollow fiber membrane layer and comprised of a plurality of hollow fiber membrane conduits each of which has a hollow portion allowing a heat medium to pass therethrough, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a cylindrical body for supporting the fiber membrane layer, wherein the cylindrical body has an outer surface defining a longitudinal axis and first and second longitudinal ends; winding a continuous base cord of hollow fiber membrane onto the cylindrical body along a generally helical trajectory around the longitudinal axis with a plurality of continuous round trips from the first end to the second end and turning back at each respective end, wherein each round trip completes a number of circumferential revolutions N, wherein N is greater than or equal to one, and wherein N is less than two; and cutting longitudinal end portions from the wound fiber membrane layer, thereby removing turning-back portions to introduce open ends for the hollow fiber membrane conduits.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the winding step satisfies the expression:
Traverse [mm/rotation]× N =traverse oscillation width×2±(outer diameter of hollow fiber membrane+gap between hollow fiber membranes adjacent to each other)×total number of hollow fiber membranes.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein N satisfies 1.2≦N≦1.6.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein during the winding step, each turned-back portion of the continuous base cord is fixed in place.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein each turned-back portion is compressed by a flexible string-like body.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein each turned-back portion is compressed by a flexible belt-like body.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein each turned-back portion is subjected to heat-melting.

8 . The method of claim 4 wherein each turned-back portion is fixed in place with an adhesive.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the base cord of hollow fiber membrane is comprised of a polyolefin-based resin.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein an outer diameter of the base cord of hollow fiber membrane is equal to or less than 1 mm.

11 . A heat exchanger comprising:
cylindrical body having an outer surface defining a longitudinal axis and first and second longitudinal ends, wherein the outer surface includes side holes for conducting a fluid flow; and a hollow fiber membrane layer supported by the cylindrical body, wherein the fiber membrane layer comprises a plurality of hollow fiber membrane conduits each of which has a hollow portion allowing a heat medium to pass therethrough, wherein the plurality of conduits are derived from winding a continuous base cord of hollow fiber membrane onto the cylindrical body along a generally helical trajectory around the longitudinal axis with a plurality of continuous round trips from the first end to the second end and turning back at each respective end, wherein each round trip completes a number of circumferential revolutions N, wherein N is greater than or equal to one, and wherein N is less than two, and wherein the conduits have open ends formed by cutting away turning-back portions of the base cord.

Assignees

• Terumo Corp

Inventors

• Saito Takashi

Classifications

• F28D2021/005

  for medical applications · CPC title

• A61M1/1698 Primary

  Blood oxygenators with or without heat-exchangers (intracorporal A61M1/1678; manufacturing of membranes therefor B01D67/00; semi-permeable membranes for separation processes characterised by their properties B01D69/00; semi-permeable membranes characterised by their material B01D71/00) · CPC title

• A61M1/1629

  with integral heat exchanger · CPC title

• A61M2207/00

  Methods of manufacture, assembly or production · CPC title

• F28D21/0015

  Heat and mass exchangers, e.g. with permeable walls · CPC title