Thermal management of heat exchanger structure
AssigneeThe Garrett Corporation
InventorsCalvin J. Morse, Gabor Kossuth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for heating or cooling heat exchanger manifolds and side bars during transient operation to control structural deformation and resultant stresses. Special internal passages are provided in the manifolds and side bars of a plate-and-fin heat exchanger through which heated air is diverted during operation of the heat exchanger, thus serving to stabilize the temperature of selected portions of the heat exchanger in line with operating temperatures of related heat exchanger elements. This serves to minimize thermal gradients and resultant thermal stresses in the overall heat exchanger structure.
Claims18
In a heat exchanger core of the plate and fin type having integral manifolds and heat exchange portions, apparatus defining passages for directing portions of the heat exchanging fluids to selected portions of the heat exchanger about the periphery thereof comprising:
- a plurality of air passages extending along a selected portion of the heat exchanger manifolds in heat conducting relationship therewith;
- means for connecting said passages between inlet and outlet manifolds in heat exchanging relation with hot gas passages in the heat exchanger;
- and
- means for connecting said passages with the interior of their associated manifolds at selected positions about the periphery of the manifolds for directing a portion of the compressed air conducted by the manifolds through said passages.
The method of pre-heating selected peripheral portions of the manifolds of a plate-and-fin heat exchanger core having inlet and outlet manifolds integrally formed at opposite ends of the heat exchanger, comprising the steps of:
- forming heat exchanger plates with ring portions extending about the manifold sections thereof;
- selectively sealing said ring, portions from communication with said manifolds;
- providing openings between said manifolds and a central section of said ring portions outboard of the heat exchanger core for directing air from the manifolds through said ring portions adjacent said central sections for pre-heating said portions;
- and
- providing selected finned air passages connected with said ring portions for transmitting air in heat exchanging relationship through the heat exchanger core between said ring portions.
The method of pre-conditioning selected isolated portions of a heat exchanger core to reduce the temperature differential between said portions and the remainder of said core during a transitional operating phase comprising the steps of:
- providing passages for a first heat exchanging fluid in said isolated portions;
- providing openings communicating between said passages and respective adjacent fluid plenums conducting said first fluid;
- and
- completing a path for the first fluid through the core between opposed passages for stabilizing the temperature of the isolated portions relative to the remainder of the core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.