Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger that is applicable to a pump and a system where a plurality of tubular elements or cores, each comprising a support cylinder or half-cylinder and at least one curved heat exchange plate. Each plate separating a first cavity from a second cavity where the first cavity contains a liquid and the second cavity receiving a coolant causing the thermal expansion or contraction of the plate. The heat exchanger according to the invention makes it possible to withstand high mechanical stresses. This design makes it better to withstand high pressures despite a large diameter of the cylindrical heat exchange plates without an increase to the thickness of these plates. The pressure being exerted on the tubular elements is primarily radially, more particularly from the outside to the inside for the thinnest cylindrical heat exchange plate in contact with the cavity containing cold coolant or air.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ), each having;   a supporting cylinder or half-cylinder ( 2 ,  102 );   at least one curved heat exchange plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ), each plate separating a first cavity from a second cavity, said first cavity containing a liquid ( 4 ,  104 ) and said second cavity receiving a coolant ( 5 ,  5 C,  5 F,  105 ) which causes a thermal expansion or contraction of said at least one curved heat exchanger plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ) and thus, respectively, a compression or a expansion of said liquid in said first cavity, and   an outer retaining tube or half-tube ( 6 ,  106 ).   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein said liquid ( 4 ) has a high thermal expansion coefficient. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein said outer retaining tube or half-tube ( 6 ,  106 ), said heat exchange plate or plates ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ), and a supporting cylinder or half-cylinder ( 2 ,  102 ) have decreasing diameters. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3  wherein a first and a second cavities are delimited, on one side, by one of said heat exchange plates ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ), and on the other side by the supporting cylinder or half-cylinder ( 2 ,  102 ) or the outer retaining tube or half-tube ( 6 ,  106 ), said at least one curved heat exchanger plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ), said supporting cylinder or half-cylinder ( 2 ,  102 ) and said outer retaining tube or half-tube ( 6 ,  106 ) being concentric. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4  wherein each said tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) is closed at each of its ends by a first and a second flange, one of said flanges being adapted so as to allow the circulation of the liquid ( 4 ) through said first flange and said second flange thereby preventing this circulation. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein each of said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) is closed at each of its ends by a first and a second flange, at least one of said flanges being adapted so as to allow the circulation of the coolant or coolants ( 5 ,  5 C,  5 F) through said at least one flange. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein said flanges are adapted so as to allow the alternating circulation of a coolant heated by a hot source and a coolant cooled by a cold source. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein said heat exchange plate or plates ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ) is equipped with a plurality of first fins ( 31 ) in contact with said liquid ( 4 ,  104 ). 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein said at least one curved heat exchanger plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ) is equipped with a plurality of first fins ( 31 ) in contact with said coolant ( 5 ,  5 C,  5 F,  105 ). 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8  said at least one curved heat exchanger plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ) is equipped with a plurality of second fins ( 32 ) in contact with said coolant ( 5 ,  5 C,  5 F,  105 ). 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one curved heat exchanger plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ) is equipped with a plurality of second fins ( 32 ) in contact with said coolant ( 5 ,  5 C,  5 F,  105 ). 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) is parallel to each other. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12  wherein said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) are held together by means of at least one strap, each clamping a tubular element and attached to a threaded rod ( 7 ) located between at least two of said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ). 
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger according  claim 12  wherein said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) are held together by means of at least one straps, each clamping a tubular element and welded to each other. 
   
   
       15 . The heat exchanger according  claim 12  wherein said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) are held together by means of at least one strap, each clamping a tubular element and soldered to each other. 
   
   
       16 . The heat exchanger according  claim 12  wherein each tubular element or core ( 1 ,  101 ) also comprises coolant conduits ( 8 ,  9 ,  108 ,  109 ) and spray nozzles ( 12 ,  13 ,  112 ,  113 ) that are adapted for spraying said coolant from coolant conduits ( 8 ,  9 ,  108 ,  109 ) onto said at least one curved heat exchanger plate ( 3 ,  3 C,  3 F,  103 ). 
   
   
       17 . The heat exchanger according  claim 16  further comprising:
 a pump having a pumping piston adapted for actuating a control means via a movement of a fluid;   a drive piston connected by kinematic means to said pumping piston and adapted to being actuated by said movement of said liquid ( 4 ,  104 ) of said heat exchanger;   a hot source, and   a cold source.   
   
   
       18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17  wherein said pump further includes a bypass adapted for alternately feeding said coolant ( 5 ,  5 C,  5 F,  105 ) heated under pressure by said hot source and a coolant cooled at atmospheric pressure by said cold source into said plurality of tubular elements or cores ( 1 ,  101 ) of said heat exchanger. 
   
   
       19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17  that includes said pump, a fluid reservoir and said control means. 
   
   
       20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 18  that includes said pump, a fluid reservoir and said control means.