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US 12,584,692 B2Granted
Heat exchanger with failure tolerance
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorsTimothy Unton, Eric Donovan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger may include a first coolant path for circulating a first coolant and a second coolant path for circulating a second coolant, where the first coolant path including a plurality of first cooling tubes, where the second coolant path including a plurality of second cooling tubes, where the first coolant path is fluidly isolated from the second coolant path in the heat exchanger, and where the first cooling tubes and the second cooling tubes are arranged in series and such that the first cooling tubes alternate with the second cooling tubes in an airflow direction.
Claims16
A heat exchanger, comprising:
- a first coolant path for circulating a first coolant and a second coolant path for circulating a second coolant;
- a first heat exchanger module;
- a second heat exchanger module;
- a third heat exchanger module;
- a first inlet fluidically connected to the first and third heat exchanger modules;
- a second inlet fluidically connected to the second heat exchanger module;
- and
- a first end block and a second end block,
- wherein the first coolant path including a plurality of first cooling tubes,
- wherein the second coolant path including a plurality of second cooling tubes,
- wherein the first coolant path is fluidly isolated from the second coolant path in the heat exchanger,
- wherein the first cooling tubes and the second cooling tubes are arranged in series and such that the first cooling tubes alternate with the second cooling tubes in an airflow direction,
- wherein the first heat exchanger module includes at least one of the first cooling tubes,
- wherein the second heat exchanger module includes at least one of the second cooling tubes,
- wherein the third heat exchanger module includes at least one of the first cooling tubes,
- wherein the second heat exchanger module is arranged between the first heat exchanger module and the third heat exchanger module,
- wherein the first and second inlets are on the same side of the heat exchanger in a longitudinal direction of the pluralities of first and second cooling tubes,
- wherein the first cooling tubes and the second cooling tubes extend from the first end block to the second end block,
- wherein the first end block includes a first inlet for the first coolant path,
- wherein the second end block includes an outlet for the first coolant path, and
- wherein the first end block includes a coolant cavity divided into a first cavity and a second cavity by a block divider.
18 more elements
A method comprising
- providing a first coolant path for circulating a first coolant and a second coolant path for circulating a second coolant;
- providing a first heat exchanger module;
- providing a second heat exchanger module;
- providing a third heat exchanger module;
- fluidically connecting a first inlet to the first and third heat exchanger modules;
- fluidically connecting a second inlet to the second heat exchanger module;
- providing a first end block and a second end block;
- arranging the first cooling tubes and the second cooling tubes in series and such that the first cooling tubes alternate with the second cooling tubes in an airflow direction;
- and
- arranging the second heat exchanger module between the first heat exchanger module and the third heat exchanger module,
- wherein the first coolant path includes a plurality of first cooling tubes,
- wherein the second coolant path includes a plurality of second cooling tubes,
- wherein the first coolant path is fluidly isolated from the second coolant path in the heat exchanger,
- wherein the first heat exchanger module includes at least one of the first cooling tubes,
- wherein the second heat exchanger module includes at least one of the second cooling tubes,
- wherein the third heat exchanger module includes at least one of the first cooling tubes,
- wherein the first and second inlets are on the same side of the heat exchanger in a longitudinal direction of the pluralities of first and second cooling tubes,
- wherein the first cooling tubes and the second cooling tubes extend from the first end block to the second end block,
- wherein the first end block includes a first inlet for the first coolant path,
- wherein the second end block includes an outlet for the first coolant path, and
- wherein the first end block includes a coolant cavity divided into a first cavity and a second cavity by a block divider.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.