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Heat exchangerHeat exchanger description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090139702, Heat exchanger. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/004,696 filed Nov. 30, 2007 entitled Heat Exchanger. This invention relates to heat exchanges designed to efficiently transfer heat energy from one medium to another in an isolated manner so as to avoid mixing the two media. The media may include water and/or refrigerant. In particular the present invention relates to heat exchangers where the heat exchanger is immersed in a reservoir of heat transfer fluid that has no forced circulation of heat transfer fluid but relies on convective circulation. It is known that there are many methods for exchanging heat between two media. Applicant is aware of patents regarding such beat exchange methods including: U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,584 titled “Heat Exchanger” issued to Foglesonger, et al. on Mar. 12, 1991., teaches a method of ensuring good thermal conductivity between a heat exchange tube and a body of aluminum alloy by filling the interfacing space between the tube and the body with thermal conductor boron nitride. This is accomplished by forming a cavity in at least one side of a body of aluminum alloy for inserting heat exchange tubing of a dimension less than the cavity and coating the tubing and cavity with boron nitride powder in a carrier, placing the heat exchange tubing in the cavity, filling the space between the wall of the cavity and the tubing with boron nitride powder in a solvent such as alcohol and bonding the two sides together. The present invention achieves good thermal conductivity between the tube and aluminum sheet by crimping and welding the sheet around the tube, eliminating the need for a thermally conductive material in between. U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,890 titled “Heat Transfer Device having metal band formed with longitudinal holes” issued to Akachi on Feb. 22, 2000, teaches a heat passive heat transfer device in which the phase change from liquid to gas and back again transfers heat from a hot section to a cold section. This is achieved using a sealed metal heat pipe unit partially filled, in a partial vacuum, with a predetermined amount of working fluid capable of condensation and vaporization around a working temperature range of interest. The metal heat pipe unit has a heat absorbing section for absorbing heat in a high temperature region, and a heat releasing section for releasing heat in a low temperature region. The metal heat pipe is made of a flexible plate like light metal band extending along a longitudinal direction from a first longitudinal end to a second longitudinal end, formed with a plurality of longitudinal holes being connected with one another to form said sealed inside cavity. The metal band is bent in a sinuous manner such that the band extends back and forth between the high temperature region and the low temperature region. In operation streams of a heat medium fluid flow substantially parallel to the side faces of the plate like metal band in the regions between the bends. This differs from the present invention in that this prior art is a closed and passive heat exchanger. The present invention is an active flow through heat exchanger. U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,288 titled “Heat Exchanger” issued to Toonen, et al. on Nov. 7, 2006, teaches a heat exchanger for transferring heat from one fluid to another with one using porous metal foam that lets a fluid pass through, and is in contact with one or more tubes or flow passages for the other fluid to pass through and exchange heat via the passage wall and porous metal foam. Toonen also teaches a heat pump for energy conversion, comprising a motor for compressing and displacing a gaseous second fluid, and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from a first fluid to the second fluid, and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the second fluid to a third fluid, a regenerator being arranged between the beat exchangers, as seen in the direction of flow of the gas. The present invention uses a solid thin sheet of thermally conductive material immersed in one fluid, while the second fluid flows through tubes that have been embedded in the sheet, with the sheet wrapped about the tubes and welded. The heat exchanger of present invention serves to cost effectively and efficiently transfer heat from one medium or fluid to another when the heat exchanger is immersed into one fluid, and a the second fluid is passed through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger consists of a thin sheet of thermally conductive material, such as aluminum, with tubes, such as copper tubes, pressed into the sheet. The sheet is crimped around the tubes and then the crimps welded closed to tighten contact between the tube and sheet. The tubes ends are connected to create one flow through path through the heat exchanger. The tubes are plumbed to communicate the heat transfer fluid to a beat pump or a second heat exchanger. The sheet may be formed into a U shape. In use the heat exchanger is immersed into the first heat transfer fluid. In summary, the heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present invention may be characterized as including at least one heat exchanger element, where each element includes a curved thermally conductive sheet having a curved end and a pair of legs extending contiguously from the curved end. The sheet has a substantially horizontal base edge along a lower edge of the sheet when, in an operational position, the curved end and the pair of legs are substantially horizontally aligned relative to one another. The base edge lays on a horizontal floor surface of a fluid filled cavity in a fluid reservoir when the sheet is operably positioned in the operational position in the cavity, the curved end and the pair of legs forming a substantially vertically extending wall extending substantially vertically upwardly from the base edge. A plurality of horizontal tubes are mounted in the sheet so as to extend substantially horizontally in a vertically spaced apart array of tubes spaced apart along a height of the walls when the sheet is in the operational position. Each tube is mounted in a corresponding sleeve formed in the sheet. Each sleeve is sized to snugly encase a corresponding tube in heat conducting contact between the tube and the sleeve. The array of tubes are interconnected by interconnecting tubes at adjacent ends of the plurality of horizontal tubes so as form a substantially spiraling flow path for a heat exchanger fluid flowing through the array and the interconnecting tubes. With the sheet in the operational position, heat energy is exchanged between the array and the sheet via the sleeves. The heat energy from the sleeves and the sheet is exchanged between a first heat exchange fluid flowing down along the flow path through the array and the interconnecting tubes, and a passive second heat exchange fluid in which the heat exchanger is immersed. The passive second heat exchange fluid is thereby circulated over the sheet by convection up along the surfaces the walls of the sheet. In one embodiment the interconnecting tubes are substantially horizontal and the sheet is substantially U-shaped in plan view. The interconnecting tubes may also be inclined or vertical. The heat exchanger may further include inlet and outlet headers in fluid communication with a plurality of the heat exchanger elements mounted in a parallel gang to the headers. Advantageously the sheet is made substantially of aluminum. The sleeves maybe formed by crimping the sheet around the tubes so as to closely conformally wrap sleeve forming segments of the sheet around the tubes in close contact therewith. Seams are formed along the sleeves where the sleeve forming segments of the sheet are crimped closed about the tubes. The seams are sealed closed by heat conductive sealant. Advantageously the seams are sealed by welding the seams closed so as to further tighten the contact between the tubes and sleeves. That is, following welding, the liquid aluminum from the weld shrinks as it cools from the liquefying temperature of aluminum to the ambient temperature of the surrounding aluminum. Continue reading about Heat exchanger... Full patent description for Heat exchanger Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Heat exchanger patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Heat exchanger or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Heat exchanger Next Patent Application: Two-phase cross-connected micro-channel heat sink Industry Class: Heat exchange ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Heat exchanger patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 1.99724 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry paws |
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