Distributor for Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger

A plate-fin heat exchanger comprising:

• a main heat exchanger core section comprising a first group of heat transfer passages and a second group of heat transfer passages, each heat transfer passage of the first group of heat transfer passages containing a respective fin section, and each heat transfer passage of the second group of heat transfer passages containing a respective fin section;
• a distributor section abutting the main heat exchanger core section along a face of the main heat exchanger core section, the distributor section comprising
• a plurality of parting sheet segments, the plurality of parting sheet segments disposed in fixed, spaced relation, wherein the plurality of parting sheet segments defines a first group of passages and a second group of passages;
• a first header abutting and in fluid communication with the first group of passages along a face of the first header, wherein each passage of the first group of passages is closed on a side opposite the first header by a respective closing bar segment;
• a second header abutting and in fluid communication with the second group of passages of the distributor section;
• wherein the first group of passages abuts the main heat exchanger core section along the face of the main heat exchanger core section, wherein each passage of the first group of passages is in fluid communication with a respective heat transfer passage of the first group of heat transfer passages of the main heat exchanger core section, and wherein each passage of the first group of passages is closed on a side opposite the main heat exchanger core section by a respective closing bar;
• wherein each passage of the first group of passages has a long flow path region between the parting sheet segments of each passage of the first group of passages defined by the union of a first cuboid and a second cuboid, the first cuboid extending normal to the respective closing bar from the fin-side facing surface of the respective closing bar to a position 50% of the distance along the face of the first header from the respective closing bar towards the face of the main heat exchanger core section, and the second cuboid extending normal to the respective closing bar segment to a position 50% of the distance along the face of the main heat exchanger core section from the respective closing bar segment towards the face of the first header;
• wherein each passage of the first group of passages has a short flow path region between the parting sheet segments of each passage of the first group of passages bounded by the long flow path region, a portion of the face of the first header, and a portion of the face of the main heat exchanger core section;
• wherein the long flow path region of each passage of the first group of passages contains at least a portion of two or more fin sections extending throughout the long flow path region including a first-type fin section and a second-type fin section, at least a portion of the first-type fin section and at least a portion of the second-type fin section abutting at a junction, the first-type fin section comprising a plurality of fins defining a plurality of channels in the first-type fin section, and the second-type fin section comprising a plurality of fins defining a plurality of channels in the second-type fin section;
• wherein the first-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages abuts the face of the first header along a border of each respective first-type fin section;
• wherein the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages abuts the face of the main heat exchanger core section along a border of each respective second-type fin section, wherein there is a break in continuity between the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages and the respective fin section of the respective heat transfer passage of the first group of heat transfer passages in fluid communication with the respective passage of the first group of passages;
• wherein the first-type fin section and the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages have a respective friction factor parameter ratio,
• F
• 1
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• F
• 2
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• ,
• where
• 
• 
• 0
• <
• F
• 1
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• F
• 2
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• ≤
• 0.8
• ,
• 
• where
• 
• 
• F
• 1
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• F
• 2
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• =
• f
• 1
• 
• A
• f
• ,
• 2
• 2
• 
• D
• h
• ,
• 2
• f
• 2
• 
• A
• f
• ,
• 1
• 2
• 
• D
• h
• ,
• 1
• ,
• wherein the first-type fin section and the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages have a respective j-factor parameter ratio,
• J
• 1
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• J
• 2
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• ,
• where
• 
• 
• 0
• <
• J
• 1
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• J
• 2
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• ≤
• 0.8
• ,
• 
• where
• 
• 
• J
• 1
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• J
• 2
• ,
• Re
• =
• 3000
• =
• j
• 1
• 
• A
• s
• ,
• 1
• 
• A
• f
• ,
• 2
• j
• 2
• 
• A
• s
• ,
• 2
• 
• A
• f
• ,
• 1
• ,
• where
• f1 is the respective friction factor for the fins in the first-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages evaluated at a Reynolds number of 3000,
• f2 is the respective friction factor for the fins in the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages evaluated at a Reynolds number of 3000,
• j1 is the respective j-factor for the fins in the first-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages evaluated at a Reynolds number of 3000,
• j2 is the respective j-factor for the fins in the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages evaluated at a Reynolds number of 3000,
• Dh,1 is the respective hydraulic diameter for the first-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages,
• Dh,2 is the respective hydraulic diameter for the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages,
• Af,2 is the respective free flow area per unit width per passage for the first-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages,
• Af,2 is the respective free flow area per unit width per passage for the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages,
• As,1 is the respective heat transfer area per unit width per unit length per passage for the first-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages,
• As,2 is the respective heat transfer area per unit width per unit length per passage for the second-type fin section of each passage of the first group of passages,
• where consistent units are used for each of Dh,1, Dh,2, Af,1, Af,2, As,1, and As,2.