Flat plate heat exchanger

Abstract

An air-to-liquid heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced apart plate units, each unit including a pair of adhesively bonded spaced apart plates forming a liquid flow channel intermediate the adhesively bonded plates for transferring heat from the liquid in the channel to a gas flowing intermediate the spaced apart units.

1 . An adhesively bonded plate gas-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising a plurality of spaced apart hollow heat transfer units, each said unit including a pair of spaced apart metal plates adjoined by adhesive polymer strips to form the boundaries of a multi-pass channel intermediate said pair of plates for a pressurized liquid to flow through said channel to transfer heat through said plates and between said liquid and a gas flowing intermediate said spaced apart units. 
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said channel comprises a winding channel. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said channel is formed by a peripheral portion of said strips and a plurality of fingers of said strips extending from opposed sides of said plates in spaced apart interleaved manner. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 1 , including an inlet and an outlet for accommodating flow of fluid into and out of said channel in each said unit and a first header interconnecting each of said inlets of said plurality of units and a second header interconnecting each of said outlets of said plurality of units. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said channel comprises a winding channel. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said channel is formed by a peripheral portion of said strips and a plurality of fingers of said strips extending from opposed sides of said plates in spaced apart interleaved manner. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said strips comprise double sided adhesive coated high density polyvinyl foam tape. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said tape has a thickness in the range of about one sixteenth of an inch ( 1/16″) to about three quarters of an inch (¾″). 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said tape has an operating temperature in the range of about −32 degrees F. to about 400 degrees F. 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said tape has a tensile strength of at least 60 psi. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the tensile strength of the adhesive exceeds the tensile strength of the foam. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 4  wherein each said unit includes a pair of feet and wherein one of said feet includes the inlet and the other of said feet includes the outlet. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said one foot is in fluid communication with said first header and said other foot is in fluid communication with said second header. 
   
   
       14 . A plate gas-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising in combination:
 a. a plurality of spaced apart heat transfer units;   b. each of said units including a pair of spaced apart first and second plates for channeling a fluid therethrough;   c. a corrugated metal plate disposed intermediate said first and second plates; and   d. each of a plurality of clips for securing said first and second plates with said corrugated plate disposed therebetween.   
   
   
       15 . A heat transfer unit of a gas-to-liquid heat exchanger, said unit comprising in combination:
 a. a pair of spaced apart plates;   b. a plurality of double sided adhesive strips disposed intermediate said pair of plates for defining a multi-pass channel therewithin;   c. an inlet for flow of the liquid into said unit; and   d. an outlet for flow of the liquid out of said unit.   
   
   
       16 . The heat transfer unit as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said channel comprises a winding channel. 
   
   
       17 . The heat transfer unit as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said channel is formed by a length of said strips extending essentially along the periphery of said pair of plates and a plurality of fingers of said strips extending from opposed sides of said pair of plates in spaced apart interleaved manner. 
   
   
       18 . The heat transfer unit as set forth in  claim 16  wherein said inlet is disposed in a first foot of said pair of plates adapted for engagement with a first header of said heat transfer unit to provide an inflow of fluid and wherein said outlet is disposed in a second foot of said pair of plates adapted for engagement with a second header of said heat transfer unit to provide an outflow of fluid. 
   
   
       19 . The heat transfer unit as set forth in  claim 18  and including a plurality of said units adapted to be supported by said first and second headers in spaced apart relationship. 
   
   
       20 . The heat transfer unit as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said strips comprise double sided adhesive coated high density polyvinyl foam tape.