Heat exchanger

Abstract

The heat exchanger (1) contains a jacket element (2) and an insert element (3), wherein the insert element (3) is arranged in the operating state in the interior of the jacket element (2). The insert element has a longitudinal axis (4). The insert element (3) contains an insert jacket element (31) and a plurality of web elements (9, 10), the web elements (9, 10) having a first end (13) and a second end (14). The first end (13) and the second end (14) of each web element (9, 10) are connected to the insert jacket element (31) at different locations. At least a portion of the web elements (9, 10) includes web element channels (11, 12), the web element channels (11, 12) extending from the first end (13) of the web element (11) to the second end (14) of the web element (11). An intermediate jacket element (5) is arranged between the insert jacket element (31) and the jacket element (2).

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising a jacket element and an insert element, wherein the insert element is arranged in an operating state inside the jacket element, wherein the insert element has a longitudinal axis wherein the insert element includes an insert jacket element and at least one web element, the web element having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end of the web element being connected to the insert jacket element at different locations, the web element comprising a web element channel, the web element channel extending from the first end of the web element to the second end of the web element, wherein the insert jacket element includes an insert jacket channel which is fluid-conductively connected to one of a plurality of web element channels, wherein an intermediate jacket element is arranged between the insert jacket element and the jacket element, and wherein the insert jacket channel is fluidly connected to an intermediate jacket element channel.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the insert jacket element has an average wall thickness which is smaller than a mean wall thickness of the intermediate jacket element.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the insert jacket element and the intermediate jacket element are arranged at least partially adjacent to each other.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the jacket element includes a jacket channel which is in fluid communication with the web element channel, wherein the jacket channel may contain a heat transfer fluid.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the jacket channel includes a plurality of jacket element chambers.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the web elements are connected to the insert jacket element by at least one of the following methods: gluing, soldering, casting, an additive manufacturing process, welding, clamping, or shrink-fitting.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the insert jacket element and the web elements are integrally formed.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the insert element and the intermediate jacket element contain different materials.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a wall thicknesses of the insert element and the intermediate jacket element together amount to at least 10 mm.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the jacket channel includes a supply line for a heat transfer fluid and a discharge line for the heat transfer fluid or wherein each jacket element chambers contains either the supply line or the discharge line for the heat transfer fluid or wherein each of the supply lines or discharge lines is connected to at least one of each intermediate jacket element channels.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a jacket element chamber is designed as a heat transfer fluid distributor, when the jacket element chamber contains a supply line or wherein a jacket element chamber is formed as a heat transfer fluid collector when the jacket element chamber contains a discharge line.

12. A heat exchanger comprising: a hollow jacket element having a longitudinal axis and a channel for a flow of medium therethrough; an insert element disposed concentrically within said hollow jacket element and longitudinally on said axis, said insert element including an insert jacket element and at least one web element having a first end and a second end, said first end and said second end being connected to said channel of said jacket element at different locations thereof, said at least one web element having a web element channel extending from said first end to said second end; and an intermediate jacket element is arranged concentrically between said insert jacket element and said jacket element, wherein the insert jacket element includes an insert jacket channel which is fluid-conductively connected to one of a plurality of web element channels, and wherein the insert jacket channel is fluidly connected to an intermediate jacket element channel.

13. A method for producing a heat exchanger, which comprises an insert element and a jacket element, wherein the insert element comprises at least one web element arranged in a non-zero angle with respect to a main flow direction and an insert jacket element fixedly connected to the web element, wherein the web element and the insert jacket element are manufactured by a method from the group consisting of gluing, soldering, casting, an additive manufacturing method, welding method, a clamping method or a shrink-fitting method, wherein the web element comprises a web element channel which is produced by the casting method together with the insert jacket element or produced in a further step by means of a drilling method or an erosion method, wherein the web element channel extends from a first end of the web element to a second end of the web element, wherein the insert element is positioned in the jacket element, wherein an intermediate jacket element is arranged between the insert element and the jacket element, which has a first intermediate jacket element channel and a second intermediate jacket element channel, the intermediate jacket element being positioned in the jacket element and the insert element being positioned in the intermediate jacket element such that a heat transfer fluid can flow through the jacket channel to the first intermediate jacket element channel into the web element channel and can flow through the web element channel and from the web element channel through the second intermediate jacket element channel into the jacket channel, wherein the insert jacket element includes an insert jacket channel which is fluid-conductively connected to one of a plurality of web element channels, and wherein the insert jacket channel is fluidly connected to an intermediate jacket element channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the heat exchanger according to the invention according to some embodiments is shown in the figures. It is shown in

(2) FIG. 1a: a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment,

(3) FIG. 1b: a radial section through the heat exchanger according to FIG. 1a,

(4) FIG. 2a: a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment,

(5) FIG. 2b: a radial section through the heat exchanger according to FIG. 2a,

(6) FIG. 3a: a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment,

(7) FIG. 3b: a radial section through the heat exchanger according to FIG. 3a,

(8) FIG. 4a: a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger according to a fourth embodiment,

(9) FIG. 4b: a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger according to a fifth embodiment,

(10) FIG. 4c: a radial section through the heat exchanger according to FIG. 4a or FIG. 4b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIG. 1a shows a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment. The heat exchanger 1 for static mixing and heat exchange according to FIG. 1a contains a jacket element 2 and an insert element 3, the insert element 3 being arranged in the interior of the jacket element 2 in the operating state. The jacket element 2 is designed as a hollow body. The insert element is received in the hollow body. The insert element 3 has a longitudinal axis 4, which extends essentially in the main flow direction of the flowable medium, which flows through the jacket element 2 in the operating state. The insert element 3 contains an insert jacket element 31 and at least one web element 9, 10. The web element 9, 10 has a first end 13 and a second end 14, the first end 13 and the second end 14 of the web element 9, 10 is connected to the insert jacket element 31 at different locations. The web element 9, 10 contains a web element channel 11, 12. The web element channel 11, 12 extends from the first end 13 of the web element 9, 10 to the second end 14 of the web element 9, 10. The jacket element 2 includes a jacket channel 21, which is fluidly connected to the web element channel 11, 12. Between the insert jacket element 31 and the jacket element 2, an intermediate jacket element 5 is arranged.

(12) FIG. 1a shows a first web element 9, through which the longitudinal section is laid, so that its web element channel 11 is visible and a second web element 12, which is shown cut open, so that the projection of its cross-sectional area in the sectional plane is visible. This arrangement is to be regarded as exemplary only, that is, the heat exchanger could also contain only a single web element 9 or even more web elements.

(13) The length of a web element 9 is understood to mean the dimension from the first end 13 to the second end 14 of the web element 9 along its center axis. The thickness of the web element means the dimension normal to the center axis from one edge to the opposite edge. In particular, the thickness in the case of tubular web elements can correspond to the diameter of the web element 9.

(14) The web element channel 11 may open into a first insert jacket channel 32 at the first end 13 of the web element 9. The first insert jacket channel 32 extends through the insert jacket element 31 from its inner wall to its outer wall. The insert jacket channel 32 may extend in the radial direction according to the present embodiment.

(15) The web element channel 11 can open at the second end 14 of the web element 9 into a second insert jacket channel 33. The second insert jacket channel 33 extends through the insert jacket element 31 from its inner wall to its outer wall.

(16) FIG. 1b shows a radial section through the heat exchanger 1 according to FIG. 1a. The radial section is laid through the web element channel 11 to illustrate its course. The intermediate sheath element 5 is hatched, the hatching of the insert element 3 and of the sheath element 2 are omitted in order to keep the representation clear. The space enclosed by the insert element 3 contains the flowable medium, for example a polymer melt. The web elements 9, 10 are flowed around by the flowable medium in the operating state. The flowable medium impinges on the web element 9, whereby the flow of the same is divided and deflected. The divided and deflected stream of the flowable medium impinges on the downstream web element 10, through which the divided and deflected stream of the flowable medium is divided again and deflected. A progressive division and deflection of the flow of the flowable medium leads to its heat exchange and/or mixing. A heat transfer fluid can flow through the web element channels 11, 12, which serves for heating or cooling of the flowable medium. In the sectional view according to FIG. 1b, it is shown in particular for the web element channel 11, that a continuous connection to the jacket element chamber 22 exists from the jacket element chamber 23 of the jacket element 2. The intermediate jacket element 5 includes an intermediate jacket element channel 51 which forms a connection between the jacket element chamber 23 and the insert jacket channel 32. The web element channel 11 is arranged downstream of the insert jacket channel 32. The insert jacket channel 33 is arranged downstream to the web element channel 11. The insert jacket channel 33 is connected to the jacket element chamber 22 via the intermediate jacket element channel 52. The supply of the heat transfer fluid to the jacket element chamber 23 and the discharge of the heat transfer fluid from the jacket element chamber 22 is not shown in this drawing. The jacket element chamber 22 is separated from the jacket element chamber 23 by a first separation element 26 and a second separation element 27 so that a heat transfer medium supplied to the heat exchanger with a temperature T1 can not be mixed with a heat transfer fluid having a temperature T2 discharged from the heat exchanger and efficient cooling or heating the flowable medium can take place.

(17) FIG. 2a shows a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger 1 according to a second embodiment. The heat exchanger 1 comprises an insert element 3, an intermediate jacket element 5 and a jacket element 2. The insert element 3 comprises a first and second group 6, 7 of web elements 9, 10 fixed to a non-zero angle with respect to the main flow direction and fixedly connected to at least a part of web elements 9, 10 connected insert jacket element 31. The web elements 9, 10 include web element channels 11, 12. These web element channels 11, 12 are flowed through in the operating state by a heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid is not in communication with the flowable medium, which flows around the web elements 9, 10, FIG. 2a shows a first insert element 3 and a second insert element 3, which have the same structure. For each of the first and second insert elements 3, an intermediate jacket element 5 and a jacket element 2 can each be provided. Alternatively, each of the first and second insert elements 3 or the intermediate jacket elements 5 or the jacket elements 2 can each form a single component, which is not shown in the drawing. Each of the first or second insert elements 3 comprises a first group 6 of web elements 9, 10 and a second group 7 of web elements 9, 10.

(18) a first group 16, a second group 17 of web elements belonging to the second insert element 3 are further shown in FIG. 2a. Since the two insert elements 3 shown, the intermediate jacket elements 5 and the jacket elements 2 are of identical construction, the reference numerals of the right-side insert element 3, the associated intermediate jacket element 5 and the jacket element 2 have been omitted for the sake of clarity. Further groups of web elements can connect to these first and second groups 6, 7, 16, 17, which is also not shown in the drawing. According to the present embodiment, all group pairs have the same structure. Therefore, the following description applies to the first groups 6, 16 and the second groups 7, 17. Each group may comprise a plurality of web elements. 2 to 20 web elements, preferably 4 to 12 web elements of a group can be arranged in parallel to each other depending on the size of the space and/or the width of the web elements.

(19) The first group 6 of web elements 9 extends along a common first group plane. The group plane contains the longitudinal axis of a web element channel 11 running in the interior of the web element 9 when the web element channel 11 is arranged such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the center axis of the web element 9. In the present illustration, the group plane is normal to the plane of the drawing.

(20) The second group 7 of web elements extends along a second common group plane. The second group plane is defined in the same way as the first group plane. The first and second group planes intersect. In this drawing, they intersect exactly on the longitudinal axis 4 of the insert element 3. A web element 9 of the first group adjoins a web element 10 of the second group. The web element 9 is thus arranged crosswise to the web element 10. The web elements of the first group 6 thus alternate with the web elements of the second group 7. The web element 9 is cut along its longitudinal axis, so that one half of the web element channel 11 is visible. The web element 10 is located behind the web element 9 with respect to the plane of the drawing. It is therefore shown in section, and the web element channel 12 extending through the web element 10 is shown only by means of a dashed line. The web element channel 11 of the web element 9 of the first group extends from a first end 13 to a second end 14 of the web element. The web element channel 11, 12 may have a cross-sectional area in the form of a round element. The round element may comprise an element from the group of circles, ellipses, rounded squares or polygons.

(21) According to an exemplary embodiment, the group plane of the first group 6 intersects with the group plane of the second group 7 in such a way that a common crossing line is formed which has an intersection with the longitudinal axis 4 or runs essentially transversely to the longitudinal axis and/or has a minimum distance from the longitudinal axis in a normal plane to the intersection line, which contains the longitudinal axis. By virtue of this arrangement, the web elements 9, 10 have a configuration which is symmetrical with respect to the sectional plane, so that the heat exchange in the subarea of the space located above the longitudinal axis takes place substantially the same way as in the subarea of the space located below the longitudinal axis.

(22) The first and second group planes are arranged at an angle of 25 to 75 degrees to the longitudinal axis 4. In the present illustration, the angle is 30 to 60 degrees to the longitudinal axis 4, in many cases substantially 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis 4.

(23) The jacket element 2 includes a jacket channel 21, which may contain a plurality of jacket element chambers 22, 23. The jacket channel 21 contains a supply line 24 and a discharge line 25 for a heat transfer fluid. The supply line 24 may comprise an inlet connection. The discharge line 25 may include a drain port. The jacket channel 21 includes a distribution channel for the distribution of the heat transfer fluid to a plurality of intermediate element channels 51 and a collecting channel for the collection of the heat transfer fluid from a plurality of intermediate element channels 52. For example, there is an intermediate jacket element channel 51 and an intermediate jacket element channel 52 in fluid-conducting connection with the first and second ends 13, 14 of the web element with each an insert element jacket channel 32 and an insert element jacket channel 33. For each of the web elements 9, 10, which contains a web element channel 11, 12, the insert jacket channel 32 forms a feed channel, which feeds the heat transfer fluid to the corresponding web element channel 11, 12 in the web element 9, 10 and the insert jacket channel 33 forms a discharge channel, which transfers heat transfer fluid from the web element channel 11, 12 in the corresponding web element 9, 10 in the intermediate jacket element channel 52 and the jacket element chamber 23. In FIG. 2a, the web element 9 of the group 6 and 16 is shown in each case in section, the web elements 10 of the group 7 and 17 are located in the plane behind it. The web element channels 12 in these web elements 10 are not visible, they are indicated by means of dashed lines.

(24) The transition of the web element channel 11, 12 of at least one of the first and second ends 13, 14 of the web element 9, 10 to the respective corresponding insert jacket channel 32, 33 in the insert jacket element 31 of the insert element 3 is gap-free. The web elements 9, 10 of the insert element 3 can therefore be formed as a single component, which can be produced for example by a welding process or by a shrink-fitting process or by a casting process or by an additive manufacturing process.

(25) The transitions from the insert jacket element 31 to the web element channel 11, 12 may be provided with curves, so that the web elements 9, 10 and the corresponding web element channels 11, 12 can be produced in particular by casting without errors, in particular free of voids, and for optimizing the flow of the flowable medium outside the web elements or also for optimizing the flow of the heat transfer fluid in the web element channels 11, 12 as well as the insert jacket channels 32, 33. The curves are not shown in the drawing. In particular, each of the curves may have a radius of at least 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

(26) Any number of groups 6, 7, 16, 17 of web elements in the main flow direction can be arranged one behind the other. The insert element 3 can also consist only of a first group 6 and a second group 7 of web elements. Therefore, in the description, the first group 6 and the second group 7 are considered representative of a plurality of other similar first or second groups. How many pairs of groups are provided in an individual case depends on the actual heat exchange and/or mixing task. That is, if in the following documents only the first and the second group are described, it can not be deduced that only this particular embodiment is disclosed, but rather embodiments with a plurality of pairs of groups, each of these groups of pairs of first and second a second group is therefore also to be covered by this description. For the sake of simplicity, the description will be limited to one of the group pairs.

(27) Each of the groups may have the same structure as the previous group, the structure of adjacent groups may also differ from each other. Each of the embodiments shown in FIG. 1a to FIG. 4c can be combined with any other embodiment as desired.

(28) It is also possible, at least in part, to use groups whose web elements do not contain a web element channel. Furthermore, web elements may be provided which form subgroups. A web element of such a subgroup can extend, for example, only from the insert jacket element 31 to the longitudinal axis 4, which is not shown in the drawing. Such sub-groups may be formed in particular at the beginning or end of the insert element 3. Subgroups can be used in particular to avoid gaps that occur when several heat exchangers are arranged in series. If such a gap persists, the flowable medium will be offered less deflection possibilities and, consequently, the heat exchange may deteriorate or diminish.

(29) According to a variant, the sub-groups forming the end of the insert element can also contain web element channels.

(30) The web element channels 11, 12 are arranged in the interior of the web elements 9, 10, so that no connection consists between the web element channels in the interior of the web elements and the space surrounding the web elements. The space contains the flowable medium in the operating state.

(31) The successively arranged groups may be arranged to overlap so as to provide as much active heat exchange surface as possible in the volume formed by the jacket element 2. Overlapping means that at least a part of the web elements of a first group and a part of the web elements of a following group and/or a part of the web elements of a preceding group are arranged in the same tube section seen in the main flow direction. The projection of the length of the web element on the longitudinal axis results in a length L1 and the projection of the overlapping part of the web elements of the adjacent group on the longitudinal axis results in a length L2, where L2 is smaller than L1 and L2 is greater than 0. The considered tube section is defined so that it has the length L1 representing the envelope volume of the centrally arranged web element 9. The envelope volume is an enveloping cylinder in the case of a cylindrical jacket element with a circular cross section, and an envelope cuboid in the case of a jacket element with a rectangular or polygonal cross section.

(32) FIG. 2b shows a radial section through the static mixer 1 according to FIG. 2a. The radial section is not placed through the web element channel 11 in this embodiment, since its course would correspond to the course shown in FIG. 1b. The intermediate jacket element 5 is hatched, the hatching of the insert element 3 and of the jacket element 2 are omitted in order to keep the representation clear. Identical parts are designated the same in this FIG. 2b and no longer described, as far as the description has already been made in connection with FIG. 1a, 1b or FIG. 2a. FIG. 2b shows a web element 9 belonging to the group 6 and two web elements 10 belonging to the group 7. According to the present representation, the group 6 contains two further web elements with web element channels.

(33) In the left-hand part of FIG. 2b, most of the insert jacket channels 32, 33 extend in a substantially radial direction, which is illustrated by dashed lines. Also, most intermediate jacket element channels 51, 52 extend in a substantially radial direction.

(34) In the right-hand part of FIG. 2b, the insert jacket channels 32, 33 extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the web element, which is illustrated by dashed lines. Also, the intermediate jacket element channels 51, 52 extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the web element.

(35) FIG. 3a shows a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger 1 according to a third exemplary embodiment, with FIG. 3a showing two variants of the heat exchanger 1. The heat exchanger 1 for static mixing and heat exchange according to FIG. 3a contains a jacket element 2 and an insert element 3, the insert element 3 being arranged in the interior of the jacket element 2 in the operating state. The insert element 3 differs from the previous embodiments in that the web element channel 11 of the web element 9 is formed kink-free. The longitudinal axis of the web element channel 11 coincides with the longitudinal axis of the insert jacket channels 32, 33. The heat transfer fluid can thus flow through the insert element 3 without deflection. According to a first variant, the longitudinal axis of the intermediate jacket element channel 51 also coincides with the longitudinal axis of the web element 9. The intermediate jacket element channel 51 thus forms the continuation of the insert jacket channel 32.

(36) According to a second variant, the longitudinal axis of the intermediate jacket element channel 52 extends in a substantially radial direction. Therefore, a kink is formed between the insert jacket channel 32 and the intermediate jacket element channel 52, which is shown on the lower side of FIG. 3a.

(37) The web element 9 and the web element 10 are arranged according to this variant in an angle not equivalent to 90 degrees, what is shown in FIG. 3b.

(38) FIG. 4a shows a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger 1 according to a fourth embodiment. The web elements 9, 10 of the insert element 3 are arranged substantially in the radial direction, that is, the longitudinal axis of the web elements 9, 10 extends at an angle of 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis 4. The web elements 9, 10 may have a circular or oval cross-section.

(39) FIG. 4b shows a longitudinal section through a heat exchanger 1 according to a fifth embodiment, which differs from the heat exchanger 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a in that at least one of the web elements 9, 10 has a rectangular cross-sectional area.

(40) A first insert element 3 according to FIG. 4a or each of the previous exemplary embodiments can be combined with a second insert element according to FIG. 4b or each of the previous embodiments. The one or more jacket elements 2 and the one or more intermediate jacket elements 5 may be the same. They are arranged one behind the other along the longitudinal axis 4 to provide a heat exchanger of greater length and with improved efficiency.

(41) The first jacket element 2 and/or the first insert element 3 may be rotated with respect to the second jacket element 2 and the second insert element 3 by an angle of 20 degrees to 90 degrees. The supply of heat transfer fluid to the mixing chamber via a first supply line, not shown, and its removal via a first discharge line, not shown. Because the second jacket element 2 and/or the second insert element 3 is twisted in its entirety by an angle of 20 degrees to 90 degrees with respect to the first jacket element 2, the second inlet and the second outlet can be rotated by an angle of 20 degrees to 90 degrees.

(42) FIG. 4c shows a radial section through the heat exchanger according to FIG. 4a or FIG. 4b, wherein the radial section does not differ from the representation according to FIG. 1b, so that reference can be made to the description of FIG. 1b.

(43) The web elements can be arranged with respect to each other at any angle. Web elements of any cross-sectional area can be combined with each other in an insert element 3. In particular, each web element 9 of a group 6 may differ from the other web elements of the same group. In particular, each web element 10 of one group 7 may differ from the other web elements of the same group. The web elements of group 6 may also differ from the web elements of group 7.

(44) A plurality of similar or different web elements 9 can be arranged along the first group plane. A plurality of similar or different web elements 10 may be arranged along the second group plane. The angle which the illustrated section line of the first group plane in the drawing plane according to one of the FIGS. 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a encloses with the longitudinal axis 4, may differ from the angle which the illustrated section line of the second group plane in the plane of the drawing Includes longitudinal axis 4. The web widths of the web elements of the first group 6 may differ from one another and/or from the web widths of the web elements of the second group 7.

(45) Adjacent groups may optionally have parallel group planes or may include different angles to the longitudinal axis 4.

(46) According to another variant, not shown in the drawings, more than two groups may intersect and also be interconnected via common connecting elements. The connecting elements may for example comprise transverse webs. A web element may also consist of a plurality of web element sections. For example, adjacent web element sections can enclose an angle to one another. It would also be possible for the first web element section and the second web element section to be connected to one another via a curved section, wherein this variant is also not shown in the drawing.

(47) The invention is not limited to the present embodiments. The web elements can differ in their number and in their dimensions. Furthermore, the number of web element channels in the web elements may differ depending on the required heat requirement for the heat transfer. Also, the angles of inclination that the groups include with the longitudinal axis may vary depending on the application. More than two insert elements can also be arranged in succession.

(48) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other modifications are possible in addition to the described embodiments without departing from the inventive concept. The object of the invention is thus not limited by the foregoing description and is determined by the scope of protection defined by the claims. The widest possible reading of the claims is decisive for the interpretation of the claims or the description. In particular, the terms “contain” or “include” are to be interpreted as referring to elements, components or steps in a non-exclusive sense, to indicate that the elements, components or steps may be present or used can be combined with other elements, components or steps that are not explicitly mentioned. If the claims refer to an element or component from a group which may consist of A, B, C, . . . N elements or components, that formulation should be interpreted as requiring only a single element of that group, not a combination of A and N, B and N or any other combination of two or more elements or components of this group.