Profiled joint for heat exchanger

Abstract

A secondary heat exchange surface channel portion for a heat exchanger 7 comprises multiple joints between adjacent channel portions 2a, 2b, 101, for redirecting flow of fluid along a tortuous path. One of the channel portions at each joint has a concave profiled edge face 120, thereby providing a gap 110 between adjacent channel portions. The primary use of this arrangement is in heat exchangers which have corrugated secondary heat exchange surfaces.

Claims

1. A joint configuration for a fluid channel of a heat exchanger, comprising a joint between first and second channel portions where fluid flow is to change direction, wherein the first channel portion is configured to direct fluid flow in a first direction and comprises a first edge at an angle divergent from the first direction, the first edge having a first edge face; and the second channel portion is configured to direct fluid flow in a second direction which is at an angle of less than 180° relative to the first direction, the second channel portion comprising a second edge at an angle divergent from the second direction, the second edge having a second edge face; wherein the first edge face and the second edge face each have a depth between a respective top of the edge face and a respective bottom of the edge face and a length extending from one end of the respective edge face to the other; wherein the joint is a first joint between the first edge face of the first channel portion and the second edge face of the second channel portion; wherein at least one of the first edge face and the second edge face is concave in shape along the length of the edge face, so as to provide a gap between the first and second edge faces of the first and second channel portions; and wherein the gap between the first and second edge faces narrows towards the ends of the edge faces.

2. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the gap is larger nearer to the centre of the gap than further from the centre of the gap.

3. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein the second channel portion further comprises a third edge face at an angle divergent from the second direction and which is spaced from the second edge face in a longitudinal direction of the second channel portion; wherein the joint configuration further comprises a third channel portion for directing fluid flow in a third direction which is at an angle of less than 180° relative to the second direction, the third channel portion comprising a fourth edge at an angle divergent from the third direction, the fourth edge having a fourth edge face; wherein the first edge face and the second edge face each have a depth between a respective top of the edge face and a respective bottom of the edge face and a length extending from one end of the respective edge face to the other; wherein the joint further comprises a second joint between the third edge face of the second channel portion and the fourth edge face of the third channel portion; and wherein at least one of the third edge face and the fourth edge face is concave in shape along the length of the edge face, so as to provide a gap between the third and fourth edge faces of the second and third channel portions.

4. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein the angle between the flow directions of channel portions to be joined at a joint is in the range of 60° to 120°.

5. A heat exchanger comprising the joint configuration of claim 1.

6. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein the at least one concave edge face is curved.

7. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein the at least one concave edge face comprises at least two planar portions having at least one excluded obtuse angle.

8. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second channel portions comprises a corrugated structure having plain, serrated or herringbone corrugations arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the corrugations is parallel to the direction of fluid flow past the channel portion.

9. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first edge face and the second edge face diverges from the respective direction of fluid flow by an angle of between 30° to 60°.

10. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second channel portions has a further edge which is at an angle divergent to the respective direction of fluid flow provided by the channel portion, and wherein the further edge has a further edge face, the further edge face being concave in shape along its length from one end to the other.

11. The joint configuration of claim 10, wherein the concave further edge face is curved or comprises at least two planar portions having at least one excluded obtuse angle.

12. The joint configuration of claim 7, wherein the at least one excluded obtuse angle is between 160° and 180°.

13. The joint configuration of claim 1, wherein the gap between the first and second edge faces narrows towards the ends of the edge faces such that a width of the gap is larger nearer the centre of the gap than at the ends of the edge faces.

14. A method of manufacturing the joint configuration of claim 1, comprising: providing a first channel portion for directing fluid flow in a first direction and having a first edge at an angle divergent from the first direction, the first edge having a first edge face with a depth between a top of the first edge face and a bottom of the first edge face and a length extending from one end of the first edge face to the other; providing a second channel portion for directing fluid flow in a second direction and having a second edge at an angle divergent from the second direction, wherein the second direction is at an angle of less than 180° relative to the first direction, the second edge having a second edge face with a depth between a top of the second edge face and a bottom of the second edge face and a length extending from one end of the second edge face to the other; profiling at least one of the first edge face and the second edge face such that at least one of the first edge face and the second edge face is concave in shape along the length of the edge face; and arranging the first channel portion and the second channel portion such that the joint is a first joint between the first edge face of the first channel portion and the second edge face of the second channel portion, comprising a gap between the first and second channel portions provided by the at least one profiled edge face, the gap narrowing towards the ends of the edge faces.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing the second channel portion with a third edge face at an angle divergent from the second direction and which is spaced from the second edge face in a longitudinal direction of the second channel portion, providing a third channel portion for directing fluid flow in a third direction with a fourth edge face which is not parallel to the third direction, wherein the third direction is at an angle of less than 180° relative to the second direction, profiling at least one of the third edge face and the fourth edge face in a concave shape; and arranging the second channel portion and the third channel portion such that the joint is a first joint between the third edge face of the second channel portion and the fourth edge face of the third channel portion, comprising a gap between the first and second channel portions provided by the at least one profiled edge face.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of profiling comprises: providing the respective edge face with a curve; and/or providing the respective edge face with at least two planar portions having at least one excluded obtuse angle between the planar portions; wherein the angle is between 160° and 180°.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the angle is between 170° and 180°.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the channel portions comprise corrugated sheeting, arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the corrugations is parallel to the flow direction in the respective channel portion.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the channel portions comprise corrugated sheeting, arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the corrugations is parallel to the flow direction in the respective channel portion.

20. The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein the heat exchanger is a plate and fin heat exchanger, and wherein a fin of the heat exchanger comprises the joint configuration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a prior art heat exchanger, showing the direction of secondary fluid flow through the heat exchanger;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a prior art joint configuration at a location of change of direction of fluid flow;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a joint configuration according to a first embodiment of the disclosure, with a profiled channel portion;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic plan view of the profiled channel portion of FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the profiled channel portion of FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the joint configuration of FIG. 3, with the corrugations being shown;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic exaggerated plan view of the profiled channel portion of FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a schematic exaggerated perspective view of the profiled channel portion of FIG. 6;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a schematic exaggerated perspective view of a profiled channel portion of a joint configuration according to a second embodiment;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a schematic plan view of a third embodiment of a joint configuration of the present disclosure; and

(12) FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the joint configuration of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) In the drawings, like reference signs denote like features.

(14) FIG. 3 depicts a first embodiment of the present disclosure showing a joint configuration 50 for a fluid channel of a heat exchanger (such as a plate and fin type heat exchanger of the type illustrated in FIG. 1). The joint configuration 50 is between a first channel portion 2a, a second channel portion 101 and a third channel portion 2b of a secondary heat exchange surface of a heat exchanger (and which may be termed secondary heat exchange surface channel portions). Each of the channel portions 2a, 2b, 101 directs the flow of fluid in a different direction over the surface. Thus the directions of fluid flow in the first and third channel portions 2a, 2b are parallel and opposite to each other, while the flow in the second channel portion 101 is orthogonal to the direction of flow in the other two channel portions. The fluid flow through the heat exchanger therefore follows a “C-shape”, flowing around the central spacer bar 5.

(15) Each of the channel portions 2a, 2b, 101 comprises a corrugated surface having a herringbone configuration as shown in FIG. 6 (the corrugations are omitted in FIG. 3 for clarity). FIG. 6 also shows the direction of fluid flow through each channel portion with arrows. As can be seen, the longitudinal direction of the corrugations in each of the channel portions 2a, 2b, 101 is aligned with the direction of flow through the particular channel portion 2a, 2b, 101. Hereinafter, the “longitudinal direction” of a channel portion will refer to a direction aligned with the longitudinal direction of the corrugations of that channel portion.

(16) As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 6, the channel portions 101, 2a, 2b are joined together using a mitre-type joint. In the embodiments shown, the ends of the first and third channel portions 2a, 2b forming part of the joint have straight edges 2a′, 2b′cut at an angle to the longitudinal direction of each of the channel portions as is conventionally known. In other words, these edges are at an angle divergent from the longitudinal direction of the channel portions and thus from the direction of flow provided by these channel portions.

(17) As can be seen most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second channel portion 101 has two edges 120′, each having a profiled (e.g. shaped) edge face 120 (which may also be termed a profiled edge surface or profiled end). Thus, the second channel portion 101 has two profiled edge faces 120, one on each side where the second channel portion 101 connects to the first channel portion 2a and third channel portion 2b respectively. It will be appreciated that by “edge face” is meant the face of the edge extending over the depth of the channel portion (the depth being substantially perpendicular to the flow direction provided).

(18) Each profiled edge face 120 comprises two planar portions 121, 122 which meet at a vertex 123 and is profiled to comprise an internal reflex angle which is less than 270° and an external obtuse angle β at the vertex 123 as shown clearly in FIG. 3. Thus, the edge face is concave in shape (and consequently is a concave profiled edge face). A channel portion having such a concave shaped edge face may be considered as being a concave polygon shape. The profiled edge face can also be seen with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 which show the angle β in a schematic exaggerated fashion.

(19) In implementation, the angle β will be sized to fit the geometry of the channel portions and corrugations, such that the gap between the channel portions 101, 2a, 2b at the vertex 123 enables sufficient fluid can flow at the vertices 8, 9 between channel portions 2a, 2b, 101. In one particular embodiment, the gap may be nominally 0.05 inches (1.3 mm).

(20) In one embodiment, the angle β may be between 160° and 180°, preferably between 170° and 180°, more preferably between 175° and 180° and further preferably between 176° and 178°.

(21) In one particular embodiment, the gap between the channel portions 101, 2a, 2b at the vertex 123 is 0.05 inches (1.3 mm) and the angle β is between 176° and 178°.

(22) The vertex 123 may be located at the centre of each shaped edge face 120, or may be skewed from the centre in either direction.

(23) These profiled edge faces 120 result in angular gaps 110 between the first and second channel portions 2a, 101 and between the second and third channel portions 101, 2b. The gaps 110 narrow towards each vertex 8, 9 of the joint and get wider towards the vertex 123. Consequently, a dimension of the gap is larger nearer to the centre of the gap than further from the centre of the gap. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the gaps 110 ensure that corrugations on adjacent channel portions 2a, 101 and 101, 2b are not occluded by each other. Thus there is improved transfer of fluid from one channel portion to the next due to even flow distribution, and reduced flow starvation.

(24) As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the profiled edge face 120 of the second channel portion 101 allows the channel portions 2a, 2b, 101 to be closer to one-another at the vertices 9 than in the prior art heat exchanger of FIGS. 1 and 2. As a result of the smaller gaps at the vertices 9, more surface area is available for connection of the secondary heat exchange surfaces comprising channel portions 2a, 2b, 101, resulting in improved support of the tube plates 6 of the heat exchanger, thereby maintaining structural integrity even under increased fluid pressure conditions.

(25) FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, profiled edge face 220 of the second channel portion 201 comprises a concave curved face which can be present on one or both profiled edge faces of the second channel portion 201 instead of the planar portions of the first embodiment.

(26) The curved face 220 of the second channel portion 201 provides the same benefits described above regarding the improved fluid flow from one channel portion to the next and increased surface area for joining and supporting the tube plates.

(27) While forming a curved face 220 may be of similar simplicity as forming planar portions 121, 122, the planar portions 121, 122 may be easier to inspect subsequently for manufacturing tolerance and quality than the curved face 220.

(28) Whilst in the first and second embodiments the second channel portion 101 has two profiled edge faces, in other embodiments it may have only one profiled edge face. Such an embodiment is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

(29) FIGS. 10 and 11 show a third embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the joint configuration 350 comprises only two channel portions, namely first channel portion 2a and second channel portion 301. There is no third channel portion because the fluid flow only turns a single corner before exiting the heat exchanger into a turnaround tank 330.

(30) As shown, in the third embodiment, the second channel portion 301 comprises one profiled edge face 320, comprising planar portions 321, 322 having an angle therebetween at a vertex 323. As above, the benefits of the resultant gap between the first and second channel portions 2a, 301 and the support at the vertex 9 of the pipe layers, or “tube plates” are realised in this embodiment.

(31) In all of the above embodiments of the present disclosure, at the joint between two channel portions, at least one of the channel portions has a concave-shaped edge face, i.e. such that there exists a chord joining two points on the edge face which lies outside of the boundary of the profiled channel portion. Such a concave shaped edge face may comprise several straight edge faces, and/or one or more curved edge faces.

(32) It will be clearly understood, particularly with reference to the drawings, that the concave shape of the edge face means that the edge face is concave along its length from one end to the other, i.e. when moving from one end to the other along the length of the edge face, the edge face extends inwardly until it reaches a certain point and then extends outwardly again. It is not intended to mean that the edge face extends inwardly and then outwardly when moving from the top to the bottom over the depth of the edge face.

(33) While the above described embodiments of the Figures are preferred, the skilled person will clearly understand that alternatives may fall within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the profiled edge face may be on either or both of the facing (opposite) edge faces of adjacent channel portions. Thus, in one embodiment, the ends of at least one of the first and third channel portions 2a, 2b have profiled edge faces in the same way as the edge faces 120, 220, 320 as described above. This may be in addition to or instead of the profiled edge faces 120, 220, 320 of the second channel portion 101, 201, 301.

(34) Alternatively or additionally, the any profiled edge face may have two or more planar portions. Alternatively or additionally, any profiled edge face may include a curved surface.

(35) Having two planar portions including an obtuse angle therebetween may allow easier manufacture and thus reduced cost of production compared with a curved surface.

(36) All embodiments of the disclosure therefore provide a joint configuration in which the fluid flow path has reduced occlusion so allowing fluid to flow easily around the joint, while still providing sufficient support for the pipe. A result of the improved fluid flow through the channel portions of the heat exchanger is better heat transfer and thus more efficient heat exchangers.

(37) While the present disclosure is of particular benefit to herringbone-type corrugations in a plate-and-fin heat exchanger, the present disclosure is also relevant to other heat exchanger designs and corrugation types, e.g. plain and serrated corrugations.

(38) The above described disclosure—at least in the first embodiment comprising two planar portions 121, 122—halves the length of each angled portion of the edge face compared to conventional joint configurations. Additionally, the divergent angle α, as defined above for conventional joint configurations, can be reduced, since the vertex 123 of the planar portions 121, 122 can be dimensioned to ±0.010 inches (±0.25 mm) in addition to the end points at vertices 8 and 9. Moreover, there is no need for concern of the manufacturing tolerances of the adjoining pieces, since having the obtuse excluded angle β ensures that a gap 110 will always be maintained all the way along the edge face 120. Thus with the same tolerances, a smaller gap 110 can be maintained thereby providing sufficient support for the tube plates 6 without impeding or restricting flow at the joint.