Heat exchanger
AssigneeHs Marston Aerospace Limited
InventorsJacob Diffey, John Marsh, James Green, Chris McNab
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat exchanger comprises a conduit defining an inlet flow path for a fluid; a heat exchanger matrix disposed to receive a flow from the inlet flow path; and a swirler disposed within the conduit and arranged to improve dispersion of a flow from the inlet flow path over the heat exchanger matrix.
Claims11
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a conduit defining an inlet flow path for a fluid;
- a heat exchanger matrix disposed to receive a flow from the inlet flow path;
- and
- a swirler disposed within the conduit and arranged to improve dispersion of a flow from the inlet flow path over the heat exchanger matrix;
- wherein the heat exchanger matrix has a polygonal cross section in the direction of the flow path, and wherein the swirler is arranged to direct flow streams from the flow path towards each of the corners of the polygonal cross section;
- wherein the swirler comprises a plurality of blades;
- and
- wherein the blades wind helically around more than 90 degrees and are disposed across an entire cross-section of the flow path so that no unobstructed path exists for fluid flow directly through the swirler along the conduit.
A method for distributing flow in a heat exchanger that includes a conduit defining an inlet flow path for a fluid, a heat exchanger matrix disposed to receive a flow from the inlet flow path, and a swirler disposed within the conduit and arranged to improve dispersion of a flow from the inlet flow path over the heat exchanger matrix, the method comprising:
- using the swirler to disperse the flow from the inlet flow path over the heat exchanger matrix,
- wherein the heat exchanger matrix has a polygonal cross section in the direction of the flow path, and
- wherein using the swirler includes directing flow streams from the flow path towards each of the corners of the polygonal cross section and wherein the swirler comprises a plurality of blades and wherein wind helically around more than 90 degrees and are disposed across an entire cross-section of the flow path so that no unobstructed path exists for fluid flow directly through the swirler along the conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.