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US 4,382,468 AGranted
Flat plate heat exchanger modules
OwnerPeter J. Hastwellinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerPeter J. Hastwellinventor
Estimating the term…
A heat exchanger module, such as a solar collector module, comprising a tube sheet (3) connected to a header (4). The tube sheet (3) passes through an opening in the header (4) so that the end of the sheet (5) protrudes a distance into the header (4), the header opening being united to the surface of the tube sheet (3) so that the tendency of the tube sheet (3) to burst or split open in the region of the junction of the tube sheet and header is minimized when the module is under fluid pressure. By the term "tube sheet" is meant a substantially planar sheet having an upper and a lower plastic membrane interconnected by a series of spaced division walls thereby forming a series of tubes arranged generally in a flat plane across the sheet, the tubes being continuous through the sheet and open at the two opposite ends of the sheet. The term also includes a sheet of circular tubes joined in side-by-side relationship.
A heat exchange panel comprising a tube sheet connected at each end to a tubular header, characterised in that at least one end of the tube sheet extends into the header through a longitudinal opening such that the internally projecting end of the tube sheet resists the hoop stress in the header created by the application of fluid pressure in the header, further characterised in that said header is a tubular member with a longitudinal slot, and said tube sheet end passes through said slot to have its end situated within the header remote from the said slot, and sealing means sealing the slot edges to the surfaces of the tube sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.