Heat transfer cell for heat exchanger and assembly, and methods of fabricating the same

Abstract

A heat transfer cell includes first and second heat transfer plates which have first and second heat transfer areas, and first and second flanges bent from the first and second heat transfer areas so as to have a height difference with respect to the first and second heat transfer areas. The first and second heat transfer plates are joined into a cell body so as to be opposite to each other in a mirror image, and the cell body having a first fluid passage therein, weld lines formed along the first contacting each other and along the second flanges contacting each other, and external recesses formed outside the heat transfer areas for second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage at a right angle.

1 . A heat transfer cell for a heat exchanger comprising:
 a first heat transfer plate having a first heat transfer area shaped of a quadrilateral panel, and a pair of first flanges bent from the first heat transfer area so as to have a height difference with respect to the first heat transfer area;   a second heat transfer plate having a second heat transfer area shaped of a quadrilateral panel, and a pair of second flanges bent from the second heat transfer area in a direction opposite the bending direction of the first flanges so as to have a height difference with respect to the second heat transfer area, wherein the first and second heat transfer plates are joined into a cell body so as to be opposite to each other in a mirror image; and   the cell body having a first fluid passage therein, weld lines formed along the first contacting each other and along the second flanges contacting each other, and external recesses formed outside the heat transfer areas for second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage at approximately a right angle.   
   
   
       2 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second heat transfer plates includes the first flanges that are bent from opposite edges of each of the first and second heat transfer areas in one direction and that run parallel to each of the first and second heat transfer areas with a predetermined length, and the second flanges that are bent from the other opposite edges of each of the first and second heat transfer areas in the direction opposite the bending direction of the first flanges and that run parallel to each of the first and second heat transfer areas with a predetermined length. 
   
   
       3 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 1 , wherein the cell body includes the weld lines formed along the first flanges that are opposite to and in contact with each other, and inlet and outlet that are connected with the first fluid passage and are defined by the second flanges that are opposite to and spaced apart from each other. 
   
   
       4 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 3 , wherein the cell body includes first slopes that are inclined toward the weld lines among the first flanges, the first or second heat transfer area, and the second flanges at a predetermined angle, and second slopes that are inclined toward the inlet and the outlet between the second flanges and the first or second heat transfer area at a predetermined angle. 
   
   
       5 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 1 , wherein the cell body includes the weld lines formed along the second flanges of the heat transfer plates which are opposite to and in contact with each other in the mirror image, and an inlet and an outlet that are connected with the first fluid passage and are defined by the first flanges that are opposite to and spaced apart from each other. 
   
   
       6 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 5 , wherein the cell body includes first slopes inclined toward the inlet and the outlet among the first flanges, the first or second heat transfer area, and the second flanges at a predetermined angle, second slopes inclined toward the weld lines between the second flanges and the first or second heat transfer area at a predetermined angle, and end plates that are in contact with the second flanges together with the weld lines at left-hand and right-hand ends of the first flanges forming the inlet and outlet. 
   
   
       7 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 1 , wherein the cell body includes a spacer set that maintains an interval of the first fluid passage between the first and second heat transfer areas. 
   
   
       8 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 7 , wherein the spacer set includes a plurality of stud spacers, a lower end of each of which is fixed to one of the first and second heat transfer areas so as to intersect with one of the first and second heat transfer areas at a right angle. 
   
   
       9 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 7 , wherein the spacer set includes a plurality of strip spacers, a lower end of each of which is fixed to one of the first and second heat transfer areas so as to intersect with one of the first and second heat transfer areas at approximately a right angle, and each of which extends in a flow direction of a fluid at a predetermined length. 
   
   
       10 . The heat transfer cell of  claim 7 , wherein the spacer set includes a plurality of stud spacers, a lower end of each of which is fixed to one of the first and second heat transfer area so as to intersect with one of the first and second heat transfer areas at approximately a right angle, and a plurality of strip spacers, a lower end of each of which is fixed to one of the first and second heat transfer areas so as to intersect with one of the first and second heat transfer areas at approximately a right angle and each of which extends in a flow direction of the fluid at a predetermined length. 
   
   
       11 . A method of fabricating a heat transfer cell for a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 preparing a quadrilateral panel;   bending the quadrilateral panel into a heat transfer plate so as to form a pair of first flanges and a pair of second flanges having a height difference with respect to a heat transfer area formed on a central region of the heat transfer plate, the first flanges being located approximately perpendicular to the second flanges; and   disposing two heat transfer plates so as to be opposite to each other in a mirror image, joining the two heat transfer plates to form a first fluid passage, weld lines along the first contacting each other and along the second flanges contacting each other, and external recesses outside the heat transfer areas for second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage at a right angle, and thereby forming a cell body.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bending of the quadrilateral panel into a heat transfer plate simultaneously or sequentially performs bending opposite edges of the heat transfer areas in one direction to form the first flanges that run substantially parallel to the heat transfer areas with a predetermined length, and bending the other opposite edges of the heat transfer areas in a direction opposite the bending direction of the first flanges to form the second flanges that run substantially parallel to the heat transfer areas with a predetermined length. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bending of the quadrilateral panel into a heat transfer plate further includes forming first slopes that are inclined among the first flanges, the heat transfer area, and the second flanges at a predetermined angle, and forming second slopes that are inclined between the second flanges and the transfer section at a predetermined angle. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the forming of a cell body includes forming the weld lines along the first flanges that are opposite to and in contact with each other, and inlet and outlet that are connected with the first fluid passage and are defined by the second flanges that are opposite to and spaced apart from each other. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the forming of a cell body includes forming the weld lines along the second flanges that are opposite to and in contact with each other, forming an inlet and an outlet that are connected with the first fluid passage and are defined by the first flanges that are opposite to and spaced apart from each other, and installing end plates that are in contact with the second flanges together with the weld lines at left-hand and right-hand ends of the first flanges forming the inlet and outlet. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, prior to forming a cell body, forming a spacer set that maintains an interval of the first fluid passage between the first and second heat transfer areas. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the forming of a spacer set includes fixing a plurality of stud spacers to the heat transfer area at lower ends thereof so as to intersect with the heat transfer area at a right angle. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the forming of a spacer set includes fixing a plurality of strip spacers to the heat transfer area at lower ends thereof so as to intersect with one of the heat transfer area at a right angle, each of the spacer spacers extending in a flow direction of a fluid at a predetermined length. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the forming of a spacer set includes fixing a plurality of stud spacers to the heat transfer area at lower ends thereof so as to intersect with the heat transfer area at approximately a right angle, fixing a plurality of strip spacers to the heat transfer area at lower ends thereof so as to intersect with one of the heat transfer area at a right angle, each of the spacer spacers extending in a flow direction of a fluid at a predetermined length. 
   
   
       20 . The heat transfer of  claim 1 , wherein at least two cell bodies are stacked in multiple layers and form the second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage at approximately a right angle, between the two neighboring cell bodies, and fluids having different temperatures exchange heat with each other without physical contact while flowing through the first and second fluid passages. 
   
   
       21 . The heat transfer of  claim 6 , wherein at least two cell bodies are stacked in multiple layers and form the second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage at approximately a right angle, between the two neighboring cell bodies, and fluids having different temperatures exchange heat with each other without physical contact while flowing through the first and second fluid passages. 
   
   
       22 . The heat transfer of  claim 10 , wherein at least two cell bodies are stacked in multiple layers and form the second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage at approximately a right angle, between the two neighboring cell bodies, and fluids having different temperatures exchange heat with each other without physical contact while flowing through the first and second fluid passages. 
   
   
       23 . The heat transfer assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the cell bodies stacked in multiple layers include the second fluid passages which intersect with the first fluid passage at the right angle and are formed by the second flanges that are in surface contact with each other, the inlet and the outlet which are connected with the second fluid passages and are defined by the first flanges that are adjacent to and spaced apart from each other, and the end plates that are in contact with the second flanges at the left-hand and right-hand ends of the first flanges. 
   
   
       24 . The heat transfer assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the cell bodies stacked in multiple layers include the second fluid passages which intersect with the first fluid passage at the right angle and are formed by the first flanges that are in surface contact with each other, and the inlet and the outlet which are connected with the second fluid passages and are defined by the second flanges that are adjacent to and spaced apart from each other. 
   
   
       25 . The heat transfer assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising cover members installed at the inlet of one of the first and second fluid passages, into which the fluid having a relatively lower temperature flows, wherein each of the cover members includes a pair of isometric flat sections inclined with respect to the flanges forming the inlet, and curved sections extending from the isometric flat sections with a predetermined curvature. 
   
   
       26 . The heat transfer assembly of  claim 25 , wherein each of the cover members is fixed to the slopes in a manner that ends of the isometric flat sections are in contact with the slopes through which the flanges are connected with the heat transfer areas, and includes an air space filled with air between the flanges and the cover member with a leading end of the cover member spaced apart from the weld line formed by welding the flanges by a predetermined distance. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 11 , the method further comprising:
 stacking a plurality of cell bodies in multiple layers so as to have the second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage between the neighboring cell bodies.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 16 , the method further comprising:
 stacking a plurality of cell bodies in multiple layers so as to have the second fluid passages intersecting with the first fluid passage between the neighboring cell bodies.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the stacking of a plurality of cell bodies in multiple layers includes forming the second fluid passages which intersect with the first fluid passage at the right angle and are formed by the second flanges that are in surface contact with each other, forming the inlet and the outlet which are connected with the second fluid passages and are defined by the first flanges that are adjacent to and spaced apart from each other, and installing the end plates that are in contact with the second flanges at the left-hand and right-hand ends of the first flanges. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the stacking of a plurality of cell bodies in multiple layers includes forming the second fluid passages which intersect with the first fluid passage at the right angle and are formed by the first flanges that are in surface contact with each other, and forming the inlet and the outlet which are connected with the second fluid passages and are defined by the second flanges that are adjacent to and spaced apart from each other.