US 12,111,111 B2Granted

Method of draining and filling multi-pass heat exchanger

AssigneeGunter GmbH & Co. KG

InventorsAlfred Erhard, Hansjorg Brentrop

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Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly with at least one multi-pass heat exchanger, comprising a first distributor (1) with a first connection part (1a) for connecting to a fluid line (9), a second distributor (2) with a second connection part (2a) for connecting to a fluid line (9), and at least one first deflection distributor (4), as well as a plurality of tube lines (5) through which a fluid, in particular water, can flow, wherein the first distributor (1) and the second distributor (2) are arranged at one end (A) of the heat exchanger assembly, the deflection distributor (4) is arranged at the opposite end (B) and the tube lines (5) extend from the one end (A) to the opposite end (B), and wherein the first connection part (1a) is arranged at a lowest point (T) or at least near to the lowest point (T) of the first distributor (1) and the second connection piece (2a) is arranged at a lowest point (T) or at least near to the lowest point (T) of the second distributor (2). In order to allow for the heat exchanger assembly to be quickly filled with the fluid and quickly emptied, a third connection part (3) is arranged on the first distributor (1) and/or on the second distributor (2) at a highest point (H) or at least near to the highest point (H) of the respective distributor (1 or 2), and at least one ventilation opening (10) is provided at a highest point (T) or at least near to the highest point (T) of the deflection distributor (4) for pressure equalisation with the environment.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for operating a heat exchanger assembly having at least one heat exchanger comprising:

a first distributor formed as a tubular manifold and having a first connection piece for connecting to a first fluid line,
a second distributor formed as a tubular manifold and having a second connection piece for connecting to a second fluid line,
at least one first deflection distributor formed as a tubular manifold and having a vent opening,
a plurality of pipelines adapted for a fluid to flow therethrough, the plurality of pipelines is comprising a first group of pipelines serving as supply lines and a second group of pipelines serving as recirculating lines, wherein at least some of the pipelines of the first group of pipelines is connecting the first distributor with the first deflection distributor,
wherein the first distributor and the second distributor are arranged at a first end of the heat exchanger assembly and the deflection distributor is arranged at a second end thereof and the pipelines extend in a longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger from the first end to the second end and run at least essentially parallel to one another and are inclined to a horizontal plane with an angle of inclination between 0.5° and 5°,
wherein the first connection piece is arranged at a lowest point or at least near the lowest point of the first distributor and the second connection piece is arranged at a lowest point or at least near the lowest point of the second distributor,
selecting an operating mode for the heat exchanger assembly depending on ambient parameters, the operating mode being selected from the group consisting of a recooling mode, an emptying mode, a filling mode and a standby mode, wherein when the emptying mode is selected, the fluid flows by gravity out of all of the pipelines into the first distributor and the second distributor and thereafter from the first distributor and the second distributor via the first and the second connection piece into the first fluid line and the second fluid line, and wherein when the filling mode is selected, the fluid flows against gravity out of the first distributor and the second distributor into the pipelines.

4 more elements

A method for operating a heat exchanger assembly having at least one heat exchanger, which comprises a first distributor having a first connection piece for connecting to a first fluid line, a second distributor having a second connection piece for connecting to a second fluid line, at least one first deflection distributor, and a plurality of pipelines adapted for a fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the first distributor and the second distributor are arranged at a first end of the heat exchanger assembly and the deflection distributor is arranged at a second end thereof and the pipelines extend from the first end to the second end, and wherein the first connection piece is arranged at a lowest point or at least near the lowest point of the first distributor and the second connection piece is arranged at a lowest point or at least near the lowest point of the second distributor, the method comprising

selecting an operating mode selected from the group consisting of a recooling mode, an emptying mode, a filling mode and a standby mode for the heat exchanger assembly depending on ambient parameters selected from the group consisting of outside temperature, wind speed and inlet temperature of the fluid on entering the heat exchanger assembly,
detecting one or more of the ambient parameters by sensors and transferring the detected one or more ambient parameters as measured values to a control device, and calculating in the control device an outlet temperature of the fluid as it exits the heat exchanger assembly based on the detected measured values.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/502,231Filed 15 Oct 2021 · continuation
Priority: DE 102019110236.718 Apr 2019
Published: US 2022/0136776 A15 May 2022
Granted: 8 Oct 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

F28B 1/06
Condensers in which the steam or vapour is separate from the cooling medium by walls, e.g. surface condenser: using air or other gas as the…
F28D 1/0417
Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids:…
F28D 1/0233
With heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid: with air flow channels
F28D 1/024
With air flow channels: with an air driving element

Family

PCT/EP2020/057986Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Mar 2020
US 2022/0136776 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 May 2022
US 12,111,111 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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