US 4,373,577 A · Heat exchanger assembly

Abstract

A readily fabricated, compact toroidal or radial heat exchanger assembly (10) including fore and aft ring-like distributor tanks (11,12) and a generally circular core assembly (13) sandwiched therein between. The heat exchanger assembly (10) additionally includes a rotary blower (14), positioned radially inwardly of the core assembly (13) and distributor tanks (11,12), which is adapted to draw air axially and force the same radially outwardly through the core assembly (13) and around the distributor tanks (11,12). The ring-like distributor tanks (11,12) are provided with the interior and exterior fins (44,39) which function as heat transfer surfaces and thus the tanks (11,12), per se, are utilized as heat dissipating means along with the core assembly (13). Each distributor tank (11,12) is also formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced internal baffles or partitions (38) which are oriented with respect to the baffles or partitions (38) of the other distributor tank in such a manner that the liquid coolant is caused to make multiple axial and circumferential passes through the core assembly (13) resulting in considerably increasing the overall efficiency of heat transmission of the heat exchanger assembly (10).

Claims21

Dependent claims

A heat exchanger assembly comprising:

a heat exchange means disposed about a central axis, said heat exchange means including:
fluid inlet means for introducing a fluid into the interior of said heat exchange means, fluid outlet means spaced from said fluid inlet means for discharging fluid from the interior of said heat exchange means, and fluid passageway means extending between and providing a fluid path between said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means, said fluid passageway means including a plurality of first elongatetd segment means lying generally in a first plane perpendicular to said central axis, a plurality of spaced segment means extending substantially parallel with respect to said central axis, one end of each of said spaced segment means being in fluid communication with a respective portion of a respective one of said elongated segment means, said fluid inlet means being in fluid communication with a portion of a respective first one of said first elongated segment means, said segment portion of said respective first one of said first elongated segment means being spaced intermediate the ends thereof, and said fluid passageway means further including a plurality of second elongated segment means lying generally in a second plane perpendicular to said central axis and axially spaced and parallel with respect to said first plane, and one end of each of said spaced segment means being in fluid communication with a respective portion of a respective one of said second elongated segment means.

A heat exchanger assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said fluid outlet means is spaced diametrically opposite said fluid inlet means and is in fluid communication with a portion of a respective second one of said first elongated segment means, said segment portion of said second one of said first elongated segment means being spaced intermediate the ends thereof, said fluid passageway means further includes a third one of said first elongated segment means circumferentially interposed between said first one and said second one of said first elongated segment means and wherein each of said first one second one, and third one of said first elongated segment means is generally arcuate in shape.

A heat exchanger assembly comprising:

a generally annular header-core assembly having a central axis including a plurality of axially extending tubes arranged in a circular row, said tubes being circumferentially spaced with respect to each other in said row;
a generally annular fore distributor tank;
means for forming a plurality of generally arcuately extending fluid-receiving first compartments arranged end-to-end in said fore distributor tank;
means for operatively connecting said fore distributor tank to one axial side of said header-core assembly whereby each of said tubes is in fluid communication with a respective one of said first compartments;
a generally annular aft distributor tank;
means for forming a plurality of generally arcuately extending fluid-receiving second compartments arranged end-to-end in said aft distributor tank;
means for operatively connecting said aft distributor tank to the axial side of said header-core assembly opposite said fore distributor tank whereby each of said tubes is in fluid communication with a respective one of said second compartments;
fluid inlet means for introducing a fluid into the interior of said header-core assembly;
and
fluid outlet means circumferentially spaced from said fluid inlet means for discharging fluid from the interior of said header-core assembly.

7 more elements

A heat exchanger assembly comprising:

a generally annular header-core assembly including a pair of ring-like axially spaced headers generally defining the axial limits of said header-core assembly;
a plurality of tubes extending axially between and having their ends passing through and secured to said headers, said tubes being arranged in a plurality of radially spaced rows with the tubes of each row being circumferentially spaced with respect to each other and the tubes of the adjacent row, and said header-core assembly further including a plurality of relatively thin, axially spaced ring-like fin means arranged between said headers, said tubes extending through and being in heat-transmitting relationship with said fin means;
a generally annular fore distributor tank having a substantially U-shaped section so as to provide a substantially annular, radially extending bight portion and a pair of radially spaced, axially extending leg portions, the free ends of said leg portions abutting one of said pair of headers and being secured thereto in a fluid-tight manner, the interior surfaces of said bight and leg portions and the outwardly facing surface of said one of said pair of headers defining an annular first pocket, and a plurality of radially extending, circumferentailly spaced partitions in said first pocket to divide the same into a plurality of arcuately extending first compartments arranged end-to-end;
a generally aft distributor tank having a substantially annular, radially extending bight portion and a pair of radially spaced axially extending leg portions, the free ends of said leg portions abutting the other one of said pair of headers and being secured thereto in a fluid-tight manner, the interior surfaces of said bight and leg portions and the outwardly facing surface of said other one of said pair of said headers defining an annular second pocket, and a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced partitions in said second pocket to divide the same into a plurality of arcuately extending second compartments arranged end-to-end, each of said second compartments being substantially in axial alignment with approximately one-half of each of said first compartments of a pair of arcuately adjacent first compartments of said fore distributor tank;
fluid inlet means associated with a respective one of said second compartments for introducing fluid into the heat exchanger assembly;
and
fluid outlet means associated with a respective one of said second compartments for discharging fluid from the heat exchanger assembly, said fluid outlet means being circumferentially spaced diametrically opposite said fluid inlet means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Heat exchanger assembly

Life of this patent

Heat exchanger assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21