Heat exchangers

A heat exchanger element comprising:

• a core layer for flow of heat exchange fluid therethrough, and
• fluid inlet and outlet means communicating with the core layer;
• the core layer including:
• a main heat exchange region containing heat exchange surfaces, and;
• a distributor region containing flow intercepting surfaces, the distributor region extending between the main heat exchange region and the inlet means so as to distribute the fluid flow across the extent of the core layer;
• the heat exchange element comprising at least two unitary sheets of metal joined together by diffusion bonded joints in selected places, which joints are metallurgically the same as, and exhibit the same strength properties as, the unitary sheets, at least one of the unitary sheets exhibiting superplastic deformation in at least some of the places where it is not diffusion bonded to a neighboring layer, such that the at least one unitary sheet forms the core layer and defines therein the flow intercepting surfaces in the distributor region as well as the heat exchange surfaces in the main heat exchange region, said at least one superplastically deformed sheet having a relatively undeformed transitional portion between a part of itself which is deformed so as to define the heat exchange surfaces in the main heat exchange region and another part of itself which is deformed so as to define the flow intercepting surfaces in the distributor.

A heat exchanger element comprising:

• a core layer for flow of heat exchange fluid therethrough, and
• fluid inlet and outlet means communicating with the core layer;
• the core layer including:
• a main heat exchange region containing heat exchange surfaces, and;
• a distributor region containing flow intercepting surfaces, the distributor region extending between the main heat exchange region and the inlet means so as to distribute the fluid flow across the extent of the core layer;
• the heat exchange element comprising at least two unitary sheets of metal joined together by diffusion bonded joints in selected places, which joints are metallurgically the same as, and exhibit the same strength properties as, the unitary sheets, at least one of the unitary sheets exhibiting superplastic deformation in at least some of the places where it is not diffusion bonded to a neighboring layer, such that the at least one unitary sheet forms the core layer and defines therein the flow intercepting surfaces in the distributor region as well as the heat exchange surfaces in the main heat exchange region, said heat exchanger element comprising at least three unitary sheets of metal joined by diffusion bonding in selected places, the flow intercepting surfaces in the distributor region comprising first and second sets of superplastically formed hollow projections, the first set of hollow projections projecting outwardly from a first side of the at least one superplastically deformed sheet, and the second set of hollow projections projecting outwardly from a second side of the at least one superplastically deformed sheet, the ends of the projections being diffusion bonded to the two adjacent sheets.