Heat exchanger designs using variable geometries and configurations
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsJorge D Alvarez, Douglas Czaplicki, Karl Fleer, Mark C Morris, Donald G Godfrey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat exchanger may include at least one fluid passageway adjacent a heat transfer plate and a plurality of heat transfer elements positioned in the at least one fluid passageway and joined with the heat transfer plate. The heat transfer elements may be positioned with first spacings therebetween at an inlet end of the at least one fluid passageway. The heat transfer elements may be positioned with second spacings therebetween at an outlet end of the at least one fluid passageway. The first spacings may be smaller than the second spacings.
Claims7
A heat exchanger comprising:
- at least one fluid passageway adjacent a heat transfer plate;
- an inlet end and an outlet end of the heat exchanger;
- wherein the heat transfer plate has a flow channeling segment adjacent the inlet end and a main heat transfer segment adjacent the outlet end;
- wherein the flow channeling segment has two opposing, straight, non-parallel sides;
- wherein the main heat transfer segment has two opposing, parallel sides joined to the non-parallel sides of the flow channeling segment;
- a plurality of rows of heat transfer elements on the main heat transfer segment;
- at least one row of flow channeling fins on the flow channeling segment;
- wherein the plurality of rows of heat transfer elements and the at least one row flow channeling fins are positioned in the at least one fluid passageway;
- wherein the at least one fluid passageway extends from the inlet end to the outlet end of the heat exchanger;
- wherein the at least one fluid passageway has a central portion, a first outer portion on a first side of the central portion, and a second outer portion on a second side of the central portion opposite the first side of the central portion;
- wherein the plurality of rows of heat transfer elements and the at least one row of the flow channeling fins are oriented orthogonally to the at least one fluid passageway;
- wherein the at least one row of flow channeling fins is positioned at an inlet end of the at least one fluid passageway;
- wherein the at least one row of flow channeling fins includes first curved fins and second curved fins;
- wherein the first curved fins are positioned in the first outer portion of the fluid passageway and shaped to direct fluid flow into the first outer portion;
- wherein the second curved fins are positioned in the second outer portion of the fluid passageway and shaped to direct fluid flow into the second outer portion;
- wherein the first curved fins are curved in a direction opposite to a direction of the second curved fins;
- wherein the heat transfer elements in a row adjacent to the flow channeling segment have first spaces between said heat transfer elements of the row adjacent the flow channeling segment;
- wherein the heat transfer elements in a row adjacent the outlet end of the at least one fluid passageway have second spaces between said heat transfer elements of the row adjacent the outlet end;
- wherein the first spaces are smaller than the second spaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.