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US 10,221,768 B2Granted
Heat exchanger having a coaxial or concentric tube construction
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorMichael John Agg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger for use in high pressure environments, such as in a gas turbine engine, includes an outer casing, a tubular element within the outer casing and an inner sleeve within the tubular element. The tubular element has an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer casing and outer surface of the tubular element define a first annular passage through which a first fluid flow path extends. The inner sleeve and inner surface of the tubular element define a second annular passage through which a second fluid flow path extends. The first annular passage is sealed against the outer surface of the tubular element and the second annular passage is sealed within the inner surface of the tubular element.
Claims19
A heat exchanger defining a longitudinal axis, the heat exchanger comprising:
- an inlet end and an outlet end;
- an outer casing;
- a tubular element within said outer casing, said tubular element having an outer surface and an inner surface;
- and
- an inner sleeve within said tubular element,
- said outer casing and the outer surface of said tubular element defining a first annular passage through which a first fluid flow path extends,
- said inner sleeve and the inner surface of said tubular element defining a second annular passage through which a second fluid flow path extends, the second annular passage configured to receive fluid from an axially-oriented inlet at the inlet end and discharge fluid from an axially-oriented outlet at the outlet end, the axially-oriented inlet and the axially-oriented outlet each being coaxial with the longitudinal axis,
- wherein said first annular passage is sealed between the outer casing and the outer surface of the tubular element, and said second annular passage is sealed between the inner surface of the tubular element and the inner sleeve, and
- wherein the outer casing includes a first casing outlet, a second casing outlet, and a casing inlet, each of the first casing outlet and the second casing outlet and the casing inlet being disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger, the casing inlet being in fluid communication with each of the first casing outlet and the second casing outlet via the first annular passage, the casing inlet being axially spaced between the first casing outlet and the second casing outlet, the first annular passage comprising a first portion extending in a first axial direction, with respect to the longitudinal axis, from the casing inlet to the first casing outlet and a second portion extending in a second axial direction, opposite to the first axial direction, from the casing inlet to the second casing outlet.
6 more elements
A heat exchanger defining a longitudinal axis, the heat exchanger comprising:
- an outer casing;
- a tubular element within said outer casing, said tubular element having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface of the tubular element including axially extending, circumferentially spaced radial inner fins;
- and
- an inner sleeve within said tubular element,
- said outer casing and the outer surface of said tubular element defining a first annular passage through which a first fluid flow path extends,
- said inner sleeve and the inner surface of said tubular element defining a second annular passage through which a second fluid flow path extends,
- wherein said first annular passage is sealed between the outer casing and the outer surface of the tubular element, and said second annular passage is sealed between the inner surface of the tubular element and the inner sleeve, and
- wherein the axially extending, circumferentially spaced radial inner fins are adapted to divide the second fluid flow path into a plurality of convoluted channels, each convoluted channel having an inlet, an outlet, and a series of axially-oriented portions, the series of axially-oriented portions providing a convoluted fluid path from the inlet to the outlet, each axially-oriented portion being parallel with the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger, wherein adjacent axially-oriented portions of the series of axially-oriented portions are fluidly interconnected at respective axial ends of the adjacent axially-oriented portions, the adjacent axially-oriented portions comprising a first axially-oriented portion and a second axially-oriented portion, wherein the first axially-oriented portion is configured to receive fluid from the inlet and direct the fluid along a first axial direction, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger, the second axially-oriented portion is configured to receive the fluid along the convoluted fluid path from the first axially-oriented portion, and the second axially-oriented portion is configured to flow the fluid along a second axial direction, the second axial direction being opposite to the first axial direction.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.