Internally mounted radial flow, high pressure, intercooler for a rotary compressor machine

In a heat exchanger intended for use in an application wherein at least one heat exchange fluid is at a relatively high pressure, the combination of:

• an array of generally parallel tube runs through which said at least one heat exchange fluid may pass;
• fins extending between adjacent ones of said tube runs in heat exchange relation therewith;
• at least one relatively flat header plate having a plurality of tube slots for receiving ends of said tube runs;
• a tank sealed and mounted to said header plate to define a chamber for providing to and/or receiving from the ends of the tube runs said at least one heat exchange fluid;
• peripheral flanges on said header plate about said tube slots and directed into said tank and to which said ends of said tube runs are sealingly bonded;
• a header reinforcing plate bonded to a side of said header plate opposite said peripheral flanges and having openings aligned with the tube slots in the header plate;
• and
• stiffening beads on said header reinforcing plate between said openings and extending away from said header plate;
• wherein said tank, said header plate and said header reinforcing plate are ring-like, each having a circular periphery and a central opening and said tube runs are in an annular row located between said circular periphery and said central opening.

A rotary compressor machine comprising:

• a rotatable shaft having at least one compressor wheel thereon;
• a housing containing at least said one compressor wheel and having an inlet to said compressor wheel and an outlet;
• and
• a heat exchanger within said housing and located between said compressor wheel and said outlet, said heat exchanger being donut-shaped and having axially elongated tube constructions extending between and metallurgically bonded to spaced header plates, tanks closing said header plates oppositely of said tube constructions, donut-shaped plate fins extending between adjacent tube constructions, each of said plate fins having at least one of a bent radially outer edge and a bent, radially inner edge, said heat exchanger further including a first apertured cylindrical cage extending between and metallurgically bonded to said header plates at an outer periphery of said heat exchanger and a second apertured cylindrical cage extending between and metallurgically bonded to said header plates at an inner periphery of said heat exchanger.