The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 04, 1997
James D Gowan, Montgomery, AL (US);
Qi Wang, Montgomery, AL (US);
Thermal Components, Montgomery, AL (US);
Abstract
A cross-counterflow heat exchanger comprising a pair of identical and identically-oriented, spaced manifolds and a plurality of parallel heat exchanger tubes extending between the manifolds. Each of the manifolds has an interior, longitudinally-extending dividing wall. In a 2n pass heat exchanger, each manifold is symmetric about a mirror plane, the dividing wall is configured to define n+1 upper channels and n lower channels, and the passages of the heat exchanger tubes are divided into 2n flow paths, n being a positive integer. In a 2n+1 pass heat exchanger, each manifold is symmetric about a rotation axis, the dividing wall is configured to define n+1 upper channels and n+1 lower channels, and the passages of th heat exchanger tubes are divided into 2n+1 flow paths, n again being a positive integer. Further, in a 2n pass heat exchanger, the dividing wall of each of the manifolds includes 2n-1 vertical webs, and each of the heat exchanger tubes includes 2n-1 partitions dividing the passages into 2n flow paths; while in a 2n+1 heat exchanger, the dividing wall of each of the manifolds includes including 2n vertical webs, and each of the heat exchanger tubes includes 2n partitions dividing the passages into 2n+1 flow paths. When the number of vertical webs is greater than 1 (that is, when n>1), the vertical webs alternately extend from opposite interior surfaces of the manifold. In both 2n and 2n+1 pass heat exchangers, the partitions of the heat exchanger tubes have notches at both ends for engaging the vertical sections of the manifolds. The dividing wall includes two transverse webs extending outwardly from each vertical web. These transverse webs can be configured as, for example, planar webs extending diagonally in opposite directions to form a zig-zag pattern (a series of interlocking, alternatingly-oriented Y-shapes), as coplanar webs, or as reverse curves forming a sinusoidal pattern. Different manifold geometries can be used, including, but not limited to circular, oval, flattened oval, and rectangular.