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US 12,449,202 B2Granted
Microtube heat exchanger devices, systems and methods
AssigneeIntergalactic Spaceworx, LLC
InventorsTaylor Fausett, Nicholas F. Herrick-Kaiser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microtube heat exchanger is disclosed, including two end plates with an array of holes or openings and an array of microtubes disposed in the array of openings between the two end plates. The heat exchanger can be used in environmental control systems, including systems for aerospace applications.
Claims19
A microtube heat exchanger of an aerospace environmental control system (ECS), the microtube heat exchanger comprising:
- a first and a second header, wherein the first header is coupled with a coolant fluid return line of the ECS and the second header is coupled with a coolant fluid supply line of the ECS;
- and
- a plurality of microtubes disposed between the first and second headers, each of the plurality of microtubes configured to transfer coolant fluid between the first and second headers, wherein the plurality of microtubes are bundled to form a tube stack;
- a heat exchanger body surrounding the tube stack and comprising:
- a shell-side fluid inlet configured to receive a shell-side fluid into an interior of the heat exchanger body to flow past an exterior of the plurality of microtubes, and
- a shell-side fluid outlet configured to discharge the shell-side fluid from the interior of the heat exchanger body;
- and
- a flow direction plate disposed in an interior of the tube stack in a position to increase a length of a path traveled by the shell-side fluid flowing from the shell-side fluid inlet to the shell-side fluid outlet.
5 more elements
A microtube heat exchanger of an aircraft environmental control system (ECS), the microtube heat exchanger comprising:
- a first and a second header, wherein the first header is configured to be coupled with a coolant fluid return line of the aircraft ECS and the second header is configured to be coupled with a coolant fluid supply line of the aircraft ECS;
- a tube stack disposed between the first and second headers and comprising a plurality of microtubes, each of the plurality of microtubes having a shell-side and an inside, which is configured to transfer coolant fluid between the first and second headers;
- a heat exchanger body surrounding the tube stack and comprising:
- a shell-side fluid inlet configured to receive a shell-side fluid into an interior of the heat exchanger body to flow past an exterior of the plurality of microtubes, and
- a shell-side fluid outlet configured to discharge the shell-side fluid from the interior of the heat exchanger body;
- and
- a flow direction plate disposed in an interior of the tube stack in a position to increase a length of a path traveled by the shell-side fluid flowing from the shell-side fluid inlet to the shell-side fluid outlet.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.