Reduced thermal expansion closure bars for a heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777970-B2
Application number	US-201313963435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2013
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A plate fin heat exchanger is configured to receive hot flow from a hot source and cool flow from a cool source. The plate fin heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates arranged in parallel to define a plurality of flow passages there between, and a set of closure bars arranged at a first side of the plurality of plates to seal a first set of the flow passages against ingress of the hot flow, thereby directing the hot flow into a second set of the flow passages. Each respective closure bar includes an inner core formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The first coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plate fin heat exchanger configured to receive hot flow from a hot source and to receive cool flow from a cool source, the plate fin heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of plates arranged in parallel to define a plurality of flow passages there between; and
a first set of closure bars arranged at a first side of the plurality of plates to seal a first set of the plurality of flow passages against ingress of the hot flow, thereby directing the hot flow into a second set of the plurality of flow passages,
wherein each respective closure bar of the first set of closure bars comprises:
an inner core formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and
an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the first coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein a maximum width of the inner core is greater than half of a width of the respective closure bar, and wherein a thickness of the outer cladding is equal to a thickness of the inner core.

2. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second set of closure bars arranged at a second side of the plurality of plates to seal the second set of the plurality of flow passages against ingress of the cool flow, thereby directing the cool flow into the first set of the plurality of flow passages.

3. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 2 ,
wherein each respective closure bar of the second set of closure bars comprises:
an inner core formed of the first material having the first coefficient of thermal expansion; and
an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of the second material having the second coefficient of thermal expansion.

4. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the first set of the plurality of flow passages and the second set of the plurality of flow passages comprise alternating sets of the plurality of flow passages.

5. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of heat transfer structures disposed between each of the plurality of plates and within each of the plurality of defined flow passages, wherein each of the plurality of heat transfer structures is oriented in a flow direction of the respective flow passage.

6. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of heat transfer structures comprises a plurality of heat transfer fins.

7. The plate fine heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of heat transfer fins is formed of a corrugated sheet of the second material.

8. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the first side of the plurality of plates is orthogonal to the second side of the plurality of plates.

9. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises titanium.

10. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises aluminum.

11. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a length of each respective closure bar of the first set of closure bars is greater than a length of the inner core of the respective closure bar.

12. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising an outer housing that encloses the plurality of plates, wherein the outer housing is formed of the second material.

13. A plate fin heat exchanger configured to receive hot flow from a hot source and to receive cool flow from a cool source, the plate fin heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of plates arranged in parallel to define a plurality of flow passages there between; and
a first set of closure bars arranged at a first side of the plurality of plates to seal a first set of the plurality of flow passages against ingress of the hot flow, thereby directing the hot flow into a second set of the plurality of flow passages,
wherein each respective closure bar of the first set of closure bars comprises:
an inner core formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the inner core tapering from a maximum width of the inner core toward at least one of a first and second end of the inner core; and
an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the first coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion.

14. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 13 ,
wherein a length of each respective closure bar of the first set of closure bars is greater than a length of the inner core of the respective closure bar.

15. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 13 ,
wherein a thickness of the outer cladding of each respective closure bar of the first set of closure bars is equal to a thickness of the inner core of the respective closure bar.

16. A plate fin heat exchanger configured to receive hot flow from a hot source and to receive cool flow from a cool source, the plate fin heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of plates arranged in parallel to define a plurality of flow passages there between; and
a first set of closure bars arranged at a first side of the plurality of plates to seal a first set of the plurality of flow passages against ingress of the hot flow, thereby directing the hot flow into a second set of the plurality of flow passages,
wherein each respective closure bar of the first set of closure bars comprises:
an inner core formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and
an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the first coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein a length of the respective closure bar is greater than a length of the inner core, and wherein a thickness of the outer cladding is equal to a thickness of the inner core.

17. The plate fin heat exchanger of claim 16 , further comprising:
an outer housing that encloses the plurality of plates, wherein the outer housing is formed of the second material.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
• Hamilton Sundstrand Coporation

Inventors

• Zager Michael
• Army Donald E
• Kan George
• Mccolgan Charles J
• Palmer Nigel

Classifications

• F28D9/0081

  the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by a single plate-like element (F28D9/0012 takes precedence); the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being integrated in one single plate-like element (F28D9/0012 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D9/0062

  the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by spaced plates with inserted elements (F28D9/0012, F28D9/0025, F28D9/0081, F28D9/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F1/10 Primary

  Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses (crimped or corrugated elements F28F1/06, F28F1/08) · CPC title

• F28F2240/00

  Spacing means · CPC title

• F28F2265/26

  for allowing differential expansion between elements · CPC title