Heat exchanger
AssigneeModine Manufacturing Company
InventorsZalman P. Saperstein, Gregory G. Hughes, Leon A. Guntly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The high cost of fabricating heat exchangers having two fluid flow paths in countercurrent or cross current relation is minimized by utilizing an extrusion (14) wound upon itself with adjacent convolutions (16, 18, 20, 24) spaced at (26) and located within a housing (10). A baffle (56) or a seal (82, 84) are employed within the housing (10) to respectively define cross current or countercurrent heat exchangers. Alternatively, an extrusion such as a unitary extrusion (100) may contain plural flow paths (114, 120, 122) or an extrusion made up of two extrusions (150, 152) bonded together and having flow paths (162, 164) may be employed.
Claims6
A heat exchanger comprising:
- an extrusion of flattened cross section wound upon itself with adjacent convolutions spaced from one another to define a wound structure having an open center, an outer periphery and opposed sides;
- a fluid channel within said extrusion;
- a fluid tight housing containing said extrusion, said housing including a curved wall surrounding said outer periphery and joined to end walls which are adjacent to, but spaced from said opposed sides of said wound structure;
- a pair of primary fluid ports entering said housing and in fluid communication with respective ends of said fluid channel;
- a secondary fluid inlet to said housing located centrally in one said end wall and in general alignment with said open center;
- a secondary fluid outlet from said housing including an opening in the other of said end walls, generally centrally thereof and aligned with said open center;
- and
- means, including a baffle, substantially closing said open center, for causing secondary fluid flowing from said inlet to said outlet to pass through the spaces between said adjacent convolutions.
A heat exchanger comprising:
- an elongated extrusion having opposed ends and at least two side-by-side internal, hydraulically discrete channels extending from end to end of said extrusion and in heat transfer relation with one another;
- first and second port defining fittings at opposed ends of said extrusion and in fluid communication with one of said channels;
- and
- third and fourth port defining fittings at opposite ends of said extrusion and in fluid communication with another of said channels;
- said extrusion being wrapped or folded about itself.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.