Curved plate heat exchanger

Abstract

A curved plate heat exchanger includes a heat exchange unit in which heat medium flow paths and combustion gas flow paths are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other in spaces between a plurality of plates, wherein the plurality of plates are configured in such a manner whereby a plurality of unit plates, in which first and second plates are stacked, are formed; wherein the heat medium flow paths are formed between the first plate and the second plate of the unit plate; and wherein the combustion gas flow paths are formed at constant interval between the second plate of the unit plate located on one side of the adjacent unit plates and the first plate of the unit plate located on the other side.

Claims

1. A curved plate heat exchanger comprising: a heat exchange unit including a heating medium flow path (PI) formed in a plurality of plates between a heating medium inlet and a heating medium outlet and also including a combustion gas flow path (P2) formed in the plurality of plates, the heating medium flow path and the combustion gas flow path disposed in an alternating manner relative to each other and also disposed adjacent to each other in the plurality of plates, the plurality of plates in turn comprising a plurality of unit plates, a first plate and a second plate stacked to form each unit plate of the plurality of unit plates, wherein the heating medium flow path (PI) is formed between the first plate and the second plate of each of the plurality of unit plates, wherein the combustion gas flow path (P2) is formed between a second plate disposed at one side of a unit plate of any two adjacently stacked unit plates of the plurality of unit plates and a first plate disposed at the other side of said unit plate of the two adjacently stacked unit plates of the plurality of unit plates, wherein the heating medium inlet and the heating medium outlet are longitudinally aligned along a mutually shared longitudinal axis, and wherein each of the plurality of unit plates is disposed in a staggered relationship relative to each immediately adjacent one of the remaining plurality of unit plates in a direction perpendicular to the mutually shared longitudinal axis of the heating medium inlet and the heating medium outlet such that there is a height difference (h) between the height (h1) of a given unit plate of the plurality of unit plates and the height (h2) of each of the immediately adjacent unit plates of the plurality of unit plates corresponds to said staggered relationship among the immediately adjacent unit plates of the plurality of unit plates.

2. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the first plate includes a first curved surface having a first ridge portion so as to be recessed toward the combustion gas flow path (P2) disposed at the one side and a first valley portion so as to be recessed toward the heating medium flow path (P1), and the first ridge portion and the first valley portion are alternately formed, and the second plate includes a second curved surface having a second ridge portion so as to be recessed toward the combustion gas flow path (P2) disposed at the other side, and a second valley portion so as to be recessed toward the heating medium flow path (P1), and the second ridge portion and the second valley portion are alternately formed.

3. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein: the first ridge portion, which is formed at the first plate disposed at the one side of the unit plate among the plurality of unit plates, and the second valley portion, which is formed at the second plate disposed at the other side of the unit plate among the plurality of unit plates, are disposed to face each other and so as to be spaced apart from each other, and the first valley portion formed at the first plate of the unit plate disposed at the one side and the second ridge portion formed at the second plate of the unit plate disposed at the other side are disposed to face each other and so as to be spaced apart from each other.

4. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein: a first turbulence forming protrusion is formed at the first valley portion of the first plate so as to be in contact with the second ridge portion formed at the second plate of the adjacently stacked unit plates, and a second turbulence forming protrusion is formed at the second valley portion of the second plate so as to be in contact with the first ridge portion formed at the first plate of the plurality of unit plates.

5. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein a plurality of first turbulence forming protrusions and second turbulence forming protrusions are formed and spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the plurality of unit plates.

6. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein: a first reinforcement protrusion is formed at the first valley portion of the first plate so as to protrude toward the heating medium flow path (P1), and a second reinforcement protrusion is formed at the second valley portion of the second plate so as to protrude toward the heating medium flow path (P1) and so as to be contact with the first reinforcement protrusion.

7. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein a plurality of first reinforcement protrusions and second reinforcement protrusions are formed and spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the plurality of unit plates.

8. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the heating medium flow path (P1) is formed within the plurality of unit plates in a series structure, and the flow path is configured such that a flow direction of the heating medium in the unit plate disposed at the one side and a flow direction of the heating medium in the unit plate disposed at the other side are alternate and opposite to each other.

9. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein a first flow distributor and a second flow distributor are formed at both end portions of each of the plurality of unit plates to reduce a cross-sectional area of the heating medium flow path (P1) and a flow velocity of the heating medium.

10. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein a boiling prevention cover is provided around both end portions of each of the plurality of plates to prevent overheating and boiling of the heating medium due to retention of the heating medium.

11. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein: a combustion chamber case made of a metal material having a different composition than the compositions of the metal materials of the plates constituting the heat exchange unit, and the combustion chamber case to an outer side surface of the heat exchange unit, and an insulating packing is provided between the heat exchange unit and the combustion chamber case to prevent corrosion of the combustion chamber case caused by a potential difference between the metal material of the combustion chamber case and the metal materials of the plates.

12. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein through-holes H1, H2, H3, and H4 and blocked portions H1, H2, H3, and H4 are selectively formed at both end portions of each of the first plate and the second plate to form the heating medium flow path P1.

13. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the heating medium flow path (P1) is formed within the plurality of unit plates in a mixed series-parallel structure, and the flow path is configured such that a flow direction of the heating medium in one plurality of unit plates and a flow direction of the heating medium in the other plurality of unit plates disposed to be adjacent to the one plurality of unit plates are opposite to each other.

14. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein a first flow distributor and a second flow distributor having a flat embossed shape are formed at both end portions of each of the plurality of unit plates to reduce a cross-sectional area of the heating medium flow path (P1) and a flow velocity of the heating medium.

15. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein a boiling prevention cover is provided around both end portions of each of the plurality of plates to prevent overheating and boiling of the heating medium due to retention of the heating medium.

16. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein: a combustion chamber case is made of a metal material having a different composition than the compositions of the metal materials of the plates constituting the heat exchange unit, and the combustion chamber case is coupled to an outer side surface of the heat exchange unit, and an insulating packing is provided between the heat exchange unit and the combustion chamber case to prevent corrosion of the combustion chamber case caused by a potential difference between the metal material of the combustion chamber case and the metal materials of the plates.

17. The curved plate heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein through-holes (H1, H2, H3, and H4) and blocked portions (H1, H2, H3, and H4) are selectively formed at both end portions of each of the first plate and the second plate to form the flow path of the heating medium passing through the heating medium flow path (P1).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a curved plate heat exchanger according to the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a heat exchanging unit, a boiling preventive cover, and an insulating packing have been separated from the curved plate heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the heat exchange unit.

(4) FIG. 4 is a front view of the heat exchange unit.

(5) FIG. 5 is a left side view of the heat exchange unit.

(6) FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of unit plates constituting the heat exchange unit.

(7) FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the unit plate.

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3.

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3.

(10) FIG. 10 is respectively a cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view which are taken along line C-C of FIG. 4.

(11) FIG. 11 is respectively a cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view which are taken along line D-D of FIG. 4.

(12) FIG. 12 is respectively a cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view which are taken along line E-E of FIG. 4.

(13) FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F of FIG. 5.

(14) FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified embodiment of the heat exchange unit.

(15) TABLE-US-00001 ** Description of Reference Numerals ** 1: curved plate heat exchanger 100: heat exchange unit 101: heating medium inlet 102: heating medium outlet 100-1 to 100-14: unit plates 100a-1 to 100a-14: first plates 100b-1 to100b-14: second plates 110: first curved surface 111: first ridge portion 112: first valley portion 113: first reinforcement protrusion 114: first turbulence forming protrusion 115: first flow distributor 116: first flange 120: second curved surface 121: second ridge portion 122: second valley portion 123: second reinforcement protrusion 124: second turbulence forming protrusion 125: second flow distributor 126: second flange 130: boiling prevention cover 140: insulating packing H1, H2, H3, and H4: through-holes H1, H2, H3, and H4: blocked portions P1: heating medium flow path P2: combustion gas flow path

MODES OF THE INVENTION

(16) Hereinafter, configurations and operations for preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(17) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, a curved plate heat exchanger 1 according to the present invention includes a heat exchange unit 100 configured by stacking a plurality of plates. Further, both sides of the heat exchange unit 100 may be respectively surrounded by a boiling prevention cover 130, and an insulating packing 140 may be attached to an outer side surface of the boiling prevention cover 130 and front and rear surfaces of the heat exchange unit 100.

(18) Hereinafter, a configuration and operation of the heat exchange unit 100 will be described first, and configurations and operation of the boiling prevention cover 130 and the insulating packing 140 will be described below.

(19) In a space between the plurality of plates constituting the heat exchange unit 100, a heating medium flow path P1 through which a heating medium flows and a combustion gas flow path P2 through which a combustion gas generated by combustion in a burner (not shown) flows are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 10. The heating medium may be heating water, hot water, or other fluid.

(20) As one example, the plurality of plates may be configured with first to fourteenth unit plates 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5, 100-6, 100-7, 100-8, 100-9, 100-10, 100-11, 100-12, 100-13, and 100-14, and the unit plates are configured with first plates 100a-1, 100a-2, 100a-3, 100a-4, 100a-5, 100a-6, 100a-7, 100a-8, 100a-9, 100a-10, 100a-11, 100a-12, 100a-13, and 100a-14 disposed at front sides of the unit plates, and second plates 100b-1, 100b-2, 100b-3, 100b-4, 100b-5, 100b-6, 100b-7, 100b-8, 100b-9, 100b-10, 100b-11, 100b-12, 100b-13, and 100b-14 disposed at back sides of the unit plates as shown in FIG. 6. However, the number of the plurality of plates may be differently configured from the present embodiment according to a capacity of the heat exchange unit.

(21) The heating medium flow path P1 is formed in a space between the first plate and the second plate constituting each of the unit plates.

(22) The combustion gas flow path P 2 is formed in a space between the second plate of the unit plate disposed at one side of the unit plate and the first plate of the unit plate disposed adjacent to the second plate so that constant interval along a flow direction of the combustion gas are maintained.

(23) Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, and 10, the first plate includes a first curved surface 110, in which a first ridge portion 111 protruding toward the combustion gas flow path P2 disposed at one side, and a first valley portion 112 protruding toward the heating medium flow path P1. are alternately formed along the flow direction of the combustion gas. A connection portion between the first ridge portion 111 and the first valley portion 112 is formed of an inclined surface.

(24) The second plate is formed in a shape substantially symmetrical with the first plate and includes a second curved surface 120 in which a second ridge portion 121 protruding toward a combustion gas flow path P2 disposed at the other side and a second valley portion 122 protruding toward the heating medium flow path P1 are alternately formed along the flow direction of the combustion gas. A connection portion between the second ridge portion 121 and the second valley portion 122 is formed of an inclined surface.

(25) The first ridge portion 111, which is formed at a first plate disposed at one side of a unit plate among adjacently stacked unit plates, and the second valley portion 122, which is formed at a second plate disposed at the other side of the unit plate thereamong, may be disposed to face each other and spaced apart from each other; and the first valley portion 112 formed at the first plate disposed at the one side of the unit plate and the second ridge portion 121 formed at the second plate disposed at the other side of the unit plate may be formed and spaced apart from each other.

(26) Referring to FIG. 5, the adjacently stacked unit plates are disposed to form a vertical height difference h between a height h1 of a unit plate disposed at one side among the adjacently stacked unit plates and a height h2 of a unit plate thereamong disposed adjacent to the unit plate disposed at the one side, so as to allow the first ridge portion 111 of the first plate and the second valley portion 122 of the second plate to be disposed to face each other, and allow the first valley portion 112 of the first plate and the second ridge portion 121 of the second plate to be disposed to face each other.

(27) Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, the first plate and the second plate are formed to be in similar shapes and vertical heights between adjacently disposed unit plates are different, such that the combustion gas flow paths P2 may be configured to have S shapes in regular intervals. Accordingly, flow resistance of the combustion gas passing through the combustion gas flow path P2 along a dotted arrow direction in FIG. 5 can be reduced, a temperature distribution of the combustion gas across an entire area of the combustion gas flow path P2 can be uniformly maintained, and generation of turbulence is promoted in a flow of the combustion gas such that heat exchange efficiency between the combustion gas and the heating medium can be improved.

(28) Further, the adjacently disposed unit plates are disposed to form the vertical height difference h therebetween such that condensation due to a capillary action can be prevented at a lower end of the combustion gas flow path P2, and condensate can be smoothly discharged. When unit plates are adjacently disposed at the same height, there is a problem in that water vapor contained in a combustion gas, which is cooled while passing through the combustion gas flow path P2, is condensed such that condensate is formed between a second plate of a unit plate disposed at one side among the adjacently disposed unit plates and a first plate of a unit plate disposed at the other side thereamong, wherein the second plate and the first plate are disposed in parallel at the lower end of the combustion gas flow path P2 at a small distance apart.

(29) On the contrary, when the unit plates are adjacently disposed to form the vertical height difference h therebetween as in the present invention, a distance between the second plate of the one unit plate disposed at the one side and the first plate of the unit plate disposed at the other side, the second plate and the first plate being disposed at the lower end of the combustion gas flow path P2, increases such that the capillary action can be prevented and the condensate can be smoothly discharged.

(30) As shown in FIGS. 4, 7, and 11, a first reinforcement protrusion 113 is formed at the first valley portion 112 of the first plate to protrude toward the heating medium flow path P1, and a second reinforcement protrusion 123 is formed at the second valley portion 122 of the second plate to protrude toward the heating medium flow path P1 and to be in contact with the first reinforcement protrusion 113. A plurality of first reinforcement protrusions 113 and second reinforcement protrusions 123 may be respectively formed to be spaced apart from each other along a length direction of the unit plate.

(31) As described above, since a protruding end of the first reinforcement protrusion 113 and a protruding end of the second reinforcement protrusion 123 are configured to be in contact with each other, pressure resistance performance of the first plate and the second plate is improved such that durability of the heat exchanger can be enhanced.

(32) Referring to FIGS. 4 and 7 and 12, a first turbulence forming protrusion 114 is formed at the first valley portion 112 of the first plate to be in contact with the second ridge portion 121 formed at the second plate of an adjacently stacked unit plate, and a second turbulence forming protrusion 124 is formed at the second valley portion 122 of the second plate to be in contact with the first ridge portion 111 formed at a first plate of the adjacently stacked unit plate. A plurality of first turbulence forming protrusions 114 and second turbulence forming protrusions 124 may be respectively formed to be spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the unit plate.

(33) As described above, since the first turbulence forming protrusion 114 of the first plate is configured to be in contact with the second ridge portion 121 of the second plate, and the second turbulence forming protrusion 124 of the second plate is configured to be in contact with the first ridge portion 111 of the first plate, an interval of the combustion gas flow path P2 can be supported and kept constant, and generation of turbulence is simultaneously promoted in a flow of the combustion gas such that heat exchange efficiency can be improved.

(34) Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a first flow distributor 115 is formed at both end portions of the first plate to reduce a cross-sectional area of the heating medium flow path P1 and a flow velocity of the heating medium, and a second flow distributor 125 having a shape symmetrical with the first flow distributor 115 is formed at both end portions of the second plate.

(35) The first flow distributor 115 and the second flow distributor 125 may be respectively formed in a flat embossed shape at both ends of each of the ridge portion 111 of the first plate and the ridge portion 121 of the second plate, and the flat embossed shape can be modified into various shapes.

(36) With the configuration of the first flow distributor 115 and the second flow distributor 125, as will be described below, a flow amount of the heating medium is uniformly distributed in a section in which a flow direction of the heating medium is changed, at both end portions of the unit plate, and thus a flow velocity of the heating medium is reduced to allow the heating medium to flow smoothly such that a boiling phenomenon due to local retention of the heating medium, which may be caused when the heating medium flow is locally biased, can be prevented.

(37) Meanwhile, a first flange 116 is formed at a rim of the first plate, and a second flange 126 is formed at a rim of the second plate and in a shape by which contact with the first flange 116 is made to seal the heating medium flow path P1.

(38) Further, referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9, through-holes H1, H2, H3, and H4 and blocked portions H1, H2, H3, and H4 may be selectively formed at both end portions of each of the first plate and the second plate to form a flow path of the heating medium passing through the heating medium flow path P1.

(39) As one example, as shown in FIG. 6, a heating medium flowing into the heating medium flow path P1 of the first unit plate 100-1 through the heating medium inlet 101 formed at one side of the first plate 100a-1 of the first unit plate 100-1 is blocked by the blocked portion H4 formed at one side of the second plate 100b-1 and is guided to one side of the heating medium flow path P1, and the heating medium passes through the through-hole H3 formed at the other side of the second plate and the through-hole H1 formed at one side of a first plate 100a-2 of a second unit plate 100-2 disposed behind the first unit plate 100-1 to flow into a heating medium flow path P1 of the second unit plate 100-2.

(40) The heating medium flowing into the heating medium flow path P1 of the second unit plate 100-2 is blocked by the blocked portion H3 formed at one side of the second plate 100b-2 and is guided to one side of the heating medium flow path P1, and then the heating medium passes through the through-hole H4 formed at one side of a second plate 200b-2 and the through-hole H2 formed at one side of a first plate 100a-3 of a third unit plate 100-3 disposed behind the second plate 200b-2 to flow into a heating medium flow path P1.

(41) As described above, the flow direction of the heating medium is alternately changed from the one side to the other side, and the heating medium sequentially passes and is discharged through the heating medium outlet 102 formed at the fourteenth unit plate 100-14 disposed at the rearmost position.

(42) With such a configuration, the heating medium flows as indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 13.

(43) In this example, the heating medium flow path P1 is formed in a series structure and is configured such that the flow direction of the heating medium in the unit plate disposed at the one side is opposite to the flow direction of the heating medium in the unit plate disposed at the other side.

(44) In another example, as shown in FIG. 14, a heating medium flow path P1 is formed in a series-parallel mixed structure, and the heating medium flow path P1 is configured such that a flow direction of a heating medium in a plurality of unit plates disposed at one side and a flow direction of a heating medium in a plurality of unit plates stacked adjacent to the plurality of unit plates may alternately oppose each other.

(45) As described above, the flow path of the heating medium may be variously different according to formation positions of the through-holes H1, H2, H3, and H4 and the blocked portions H1, H2, H3, and H4 which are formed at the first plate and the second plate.

(46) Accordingly, since the flow path of the heating medium is changed at both end portions of the heat exchange unit 100 to allow the heating medium to flow, the flow of the heating medium is slowed at both end portions of the heat exchange unit 100, and thus the heating medium is heated by the combustion heat generated in the combustion chamber such that a boiling phenomenon of the heating medium may occur to cause deterioration of thermal efficiency and generation of noise.

(47) As a configuration for preventing the boiling phenomenon of the heating medium at both end portions of the heat exchange unit 100, a boiling prevention cover 130 is provided at both end portions of the heat exchange unit 100.

(48) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the boiling prevention cover 130 may include a side surface portion 131, and may include an upper end portion 132 and a lower end portion 133 extending from upper and lower ends of the side surface portion 131 toward the heat exchange unit 100 and may be made of a stainless steel (SUS) the same as that of the plates constituting the heat exchange unit 100.

(49) Further, a combustion chamber case (not shown) may be coupled to an outer side surface of the heat exchange unit 100 and be made of a steel material coated with an aluminum layer. In this case, since the plates of the heat exchange unit 100, the boiling prevention cover 130, and the combustion chamber case are made of different materials, corrosion of the combustion chamber case may occur due to a potential difference between different metals in being contact with each other.

(50) As a configuration for preventing the corrosion, an insulating packing 140 made of a ceramic or an inorganic material is provided at an outer surface of the boiling prevention cover 130 and front and rear surfaces of the heat exchange unit 100 to prevent a potential difference between the boiling prevention cover 130 and the heat exchange unit 100.

(51) According to such a configuration, the combustion chamber case is made of a steel material coated with an aluminum layer, which is relatively inexpensive as compared with the stainless steel material, so that a manufacturing cost of the boiler can be reduced and at the same time the corrosion of the combustion chamber case can be effectively prevented to enhance durability of the boiler.