Keel cooler with fluid flow diverter
AssigneeDuramax Marine, LLC - a limited-liability corporation of the State of Ohio
InventorsJeffrey Leeson, Michael Brakey, P. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keel cooler having a standard header with an internal beveled bottom wall, with orifices on the inner wall of the exterior tubes extending into the header, the orifices being in the natural flow path of the coolant flow. The orifices are sufficiently large so as not to restrict the flow of coolant. A fluid flow diverter is additionally provided in the header of the keel cooler for facilitating coolant flow towards both the interior tubes and also towards the exterior tubes.
Claims4
An apparatus for diverting the flow of coolant fluid in a header of a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a plurality of parallel tubes having generally rectangular cross sections, the tubes including a pair of outermost tubes, each of said outermost tubes having an outer most wall and an inner wall, each of said inner walls having an orifice for communication between said outermost tubes and said header chamber, wherein said orifice is disposed at least partly over said inclined surface and at least partly beneath said inlet/outlet opening, and at least one inner tube located between the outermost tubes, the inner tubes having coolant ports, said header comprising:
- an upper wall having an end portion, opposing side portions, an inner portion and an inlet/outlet opening for permitting the flow of coolant between an inlet/outlet and said header;
- a bottom wall having an end portion, opposing side portions and an inner portion;
- an end wall having an inner surface and an outer surface interconnecting the end portions of said upper wall and of said bottom wall, said end wall being perpendicular to said upper wall and said bottom wall;
- an inclined surface extending between the inner portions of said bottom wall and said upper wall, and including the open end(s) of the at least one inner tubes to said header;
- and
- sidewalls extending between the side portions of said upper wall and said bottom wall, said sidewalls being extensions of the outermost tubes of the heat exchanger, and including an outer wall and an inner wall;
- the inner surfaces of said sidewalls, upper wall, end wall, and bottom wall, and inclined surface forming a header chamber;
- wherein said apparatus for diverting coolant fluid flow in said header is adapted for diverting coolant fluid flow towards the outermost tubes and towards the at least one inner tube in substantially relatively equal proportions and wherein said apparatus is contained within said header chamber;
- said apparatus for diverting coolant fluid flow between said header and said parallel tubes being selected from the group consisting of a free-standing diverter having a cap, a suspended diverter and a flat-topped diverter.
An apparatus for diverting the flow of coolant fluid in a header of a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a plurality of parallel tubes having openings into said header, said header comprising:
- an upper wall having an interior surface, an end portion, opposing side portions, an inner portion and an inlet/outlet opening for permitting the flow of coolant between an inlet/outlet and said header;
- a bottom wall having an interior surface, an end portion, opposing side portions and an inner portion;
- an end wall having an interior surface and an outer surface interconnecting the end portions of said upper wall and of said bottom wall, said end wall being perpendicular to said upper wall and said bottom wall;
- an inclined surface having an interior surface and extending between the inner portions of said bottom wall and said upper wall, and including the opening(s) of the at least one of said parallel tubes to said header;
- and
- sidewalls having interior surfaces and extending between the side portions of said upper wall and said bottom wall;
- the interior surfaces of said sidewalls, upper wall, end wall, and bottom wall, and inclined surface forming a header chamber;
- wherein said apparatus for diverting fluid flow in said header is adapted for diverting fluid flow towards and from said parallel tubes in substantially relatively equal proportions and wherein said apparatus is contained within said header chamber;
- said apparatus for diverting fluid flow between said header and said parallel tubes being selected from the group consisting of a free-standing diverter having a cap, a suspended diverter and a flat-topped diverter, and form part of the interior surface of said bottom wall.
An apparatus for diverting the flow of coolant fluid in a header of a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a plurality of parallel tubes including a pair of outermost tubes, and at least one inner tube located between the outermost tubes, the at least one inner tube having coolant ports, said header comprising:
- an upper wall having an end portion, opposing side portions, an inner portion and an inlet/outlet opening for permitting the flow of coolant between an inlet/outlet and said header;
- a bottom wall having an end portion, opposing side portions and an inner portion;
- an end wall having an inner surface and an outer surface interconnecting the end portions of said upper wall and of said bottom wall;
- an inclined surface extending between the inner portions of said bottom wall and said upper wall, and including the open end(s) of the at least one inner tube to said header;
- and
- sidewalls extending between the side portions of said upper wall and said bottom wall, said sidewalls being extensions of the outermost tubes of the heat exchanger, and including an outer wall and an inner wall;
- the inner surfaces of said sidewalls, upper wall, end wall, and bottom wall, and inclined surface forming a header chamber;
- wherein said apparatus for diverting coolant fluid flow in said header is adapted for diverting fluid flow towards the outermost tubes and towards the at least one inner tube in substantially relatively equal proportions and wherein said apparatus is contained within said header chamber;
- said apparatus for diverting fluid flow between said header and said parallel tubes being selected from the group consisting of a free-standing diverter having a cap, a suspended diverter and a flat-topped diverter.
An apparatus for diverting the flow of coolant in a header of a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes having openings into said header, said header comprising:
- an upper wall having an interior surface, an end portion, opposing side portions, an inner portion and an inlet/outlet opening for permitting the flow of coolant between an inlet/outlet and said header;
- a bottom wall having an interior surface, an end portion, opposing side portions and an inner portion;
- an end wall having an interior surface and an outer surface interconnecting the end portions of said upper wall and of said bottom wall;
- a surface having an interior surface and extending between the inner portions of said bottom wall and said upper wall, and including the opening(s) of the at least one of said tubes to said header;
- and
- sidewalls having interior surfaces and extending between the side portions of said upper wall and said bottom wall;
- the interior surfaces of said sidewalls, upper wall, end wall, and bottom wall, and inclined surface forming a header chamber;
- wherein said apparatus for diverting fluid flow in said header comprises surfaces in more than one plane and is adapted for diverting fluid flow towards and from said parallel tubes in substantially relatively equal proportions and wherein said apparatus is contained within said header chamber;
- said apparatus for diverting fluid flow between said header and said tubes being selected from the group consisting of a free-standing diverter having a cap, a suspended diverter and a flat-topped diverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.