Method of making a heat exchanger and heat exchanger obtained according to this method

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for producing a heat exchanger comprising banks 2, 3, 4 each defining a fluid flow, each bank comprising two solid plates 11, 12 and spacer pieces to hold the two plates in position. The method is characterized in that, in order to produce at least one of the banks, there are five steps: A producing an insert plate 20 comprising strips, bridges of weakness 35, 36, 37 connecting the strips and capable of breaking under tension, and orifices separated by the walls 28, 29 and delimiting two lanes 31, 32 ; B interposing the insert plate 20 between the two plates 11, 12 ; C inserting a binder 41, 42 between the face 33 of the lanes 31 and the face 1 - 12 of the plate 11 , and between the face 34 - 1 of the lanes 32 and the face 1 - 12 of the plate 12 ; D applying a force to bring the two plates 11, 12 into contact with the insert plate 20 ; E applying a force to part the two, upper and lower, plates 11, 12 , to break the bridges 36, 37, 38 and bend the dividing walls 28, 29 so that, together with the two lanes, they form a Z shape. Another subject of the present invention is a heat exchanger produced according to the method of the invention.

1 . Method for producing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of interconnecting banks each defining a fluid flow, each bank comprising two solid plates, respectively the top plate and the bottom plate produced in an impervious material, and spacing means to keep the two solid plates at a spacing one from the other, characterized in that the production of at least one of the said banks includes the following steps:
 (A) producing an insert plate comprising:
 a plurality of strips, 
 bridges of weakness interconnecting said strips such that they are parallel to each other, said bridges of weakness being capable of breaking under tension, and 
 a plurality of openings produced in each strip such that said openings, along the two longitudinal edges of each strip, delimit two continuous lanes respectively the left lane and the right lane, the openings being separated from each other by partition walls that connect the two lanes, each lane having a top face and a bottom face, 
   (B) interposing said insert plate between the two solid impervious plates, i.e. the top and bottom plate,   (C) interposing binding means between, on the one hand, the top face of each left lane of all the strips and the bottom face of the top plate, and, on the other hand, the bottom face of each right lane of all the strips and the top face of the bottom plate,   (D) applying a first force to bring the two solid plates, the top and bottom plate, into contact with the insert plate, such that all the top faces of the left lanes adhere to the bottom face of the top plate and all the bottom faces of the right lanes adhere to the top face of the bottom plate, and   (E) applying a second force to part the two plates, i.e. the top and bottom plate one from the other in such a manner that the bridges of weakness are broken and until the partition walls between the openings form a non zero angle with the two plates, the top and bottom plates.   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the openings in each strip are produced such that their edges delimiting the left and right lanes are co-linear and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said lanes. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to, characterized in that said method consists in using plates that are approximately between thirty and a thousand microns thick. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to, characterized in that the binding means operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in producing said openings according to at least one of the following techniques: micro cutting, stamping, laser cutting, pressurized water jet spray, chemical milling or electrochemical milling. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in leaving a middle zone without any openings on at least one of the two lateral strips of the insert plate. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in producing the openings with one of the following forms: rectangular, square, triangular or trapezoidal. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in producing the openings with edges that do not include sharp rims following a direction perpendicular to the plane of the intermediary plate. 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in producing the plates ( 11 ,  12 ,  20 ) in at least one of the following materials: aluminium, copper, aluminium-base alloy, copper-base alloy. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method consists in parting the two plates, the top plate and the bottom plate, from one another by applying a second force to them until the partition walls between the openings form an angle approximately equal to ninety degrees with the two plates, the top plate and the bottom plate. 
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said method includes a sixth step (F) that consists in producing a plurality of interconnecting banks and in enclosing the plurality of banks in a housing that includes the walls that seal partially at least one of the sides of said banks, entries and exits for each bank of fluid flow also being defined in the walls of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . Method according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the inset plates are arranged one in relation to another such that when the bottom and top plates delimiting two consecutive banks are parted from each other, the partition walls between the openings of one bank are respectively situated in the same plane as the partition walls between the openings of the other bank. 
     
     
         14 . Heat exchanger, characterized in that said heat exchanger is produced according to the method in accordance with at least  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 2 , characterized in that said method consists in using plates that are approximately between thirty and a thousand microns thick. 
     
     
         16 . Method according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the binding means operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding. 
     
     
         17 . Method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the binding means operate in accordance with at least one of the following functions: bonding, brazing, welding. 
     
     
         18 . Method according to  claim 2 , characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate. 
     
     
         19 . Method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate. 
     
     
         20 . Method according to  claim 4 , characterized in that said method consists in applying said binding means by at least one of the two following techniques, seriography and micro projection, on at least one of the following elements: the top and bottom faces of the lanes, the bottom face of the top plate and the top face of the bottom plate.