Bar and plate air-oil heat exchanger

Abstract

An air-oil heat exchanger used in a compression system that includes a compressor is disclosed. The heat exchanger can be used to cool oil in one embodiment which is used in a compression process. The heat exchanger can be a bar-and-plate type heat exchanger having a number of external fins, internal fins, parting sheets, and header bars. The external fins can include louvers formed therein. An arrangement of multiple unrelated components can be provided that improves pressure loss and reduces weight.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a bar and plate heat exchanger having an arrangement of external fins disposed in a first flow path separated from an arrangement of internal fins disposed in a second flow path by a parting sheet, the first flow path distinct from the second flow path, wherein the arrangement of external fins and the arrangement of internal fins are structured according to the following:   external fin height of about 0.438″;   internal fin height of about 0.098″;   internal fin pitch of about 0.069″; and   external fin per inch of about 11.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second flow path within which the internal fins are disposed is structured to contain oil. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , which further includes a compressor and an oil sump, the second flow path including a passage to convey oil between the oil sump and the internal fins. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , which further includes another arrangement of external fins, the arrangement of internal fins disposed between the arrangement of external fins and the another arrangement of external fins, which further includes another parting sheet between the internal fins and the another arrangement of external fins, and wherein internal strip length is about 0.14″. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , which further includes another arrangement of internal fins structured to flow oil and in fluid communication with the oil sump, and wherein the external fins includes a plurality of groupings of louvers defined by the external louver angle. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , which further includes a header bar disposed at an end of the arrangement of external fins, and wherein at least one of the plurality of groupings of louvers is oriented in a direction that opposes a direction of at least another one of the plurality of groupings of louvers. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first flow path is constructed to convey a flow of air and is oriented transverse to the second flow path, and wherein the arrangement of internal fins further include an external louver angle of about 25.2 degrees, and an external louver pitch of about 0.035″, and wherein the arrangement of internal fins are offset strip fins. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a compressor system heat exchanger having a first external fin construction fluidly separated from a first internal fin construction by a parting sheet, wherein the arrangement of external fins and the arrangement of internal fins are structured according to the following:   external fin height of about 0.488″;   internal fin height of about 0.1″; and   internal fin pitch of about 0.081″.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanger is an air/oil heat exchanger, with the first internal fin is structured to flow oil in a flow path that includes an oil sump. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the compressor system includes a rotatable compressor element structured to pressurize a flow of air, and wherein the first external fin is structured to flow air in a flow path for the air/oil heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the compressor system includes a second and third external fin construction, wherein the first, second, and third external fin construction are each a single unitary fin member constructed to be disposed within a fluid oil flow path, wherein external fin per inch is 12, and internal strip length is 0.14″. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , which further includes a header bar disposed at each end of the first, second, and third external fin construction, and which further includes a second and third internal fin construction. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , which further includes a plurality of parting sheets, each neighboring pair of external fin constructions and internal fin constructions having a parting sheet disposed therebetween. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first, second, and third external fin constructions include a plurality of groupings of louvers. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the internal fin constructions are offset strip fins, and wherein the first flow path is transverse to the second flow path, and wherein the arrangement of external fins and the arrangement of internal fins are further structured according to: an external louver angle of about 23.5 degrees; and an external louver pitch of about 0.035″. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 a heat exchanger of the bar and plate type for use with an air compressor system includes an plurality of external fins and a plurality of internal fins, and a parting plate disposed between the external fin device and the internal fin device, the parting plate separating a first flow path in which the external fin device is disposed and a second flow path in which the internal fin device is disposed, the external fin device and the internal fin device having an arrangement as follows:   external fin height between about 0.438″ and about 0.488″;   internal fin height between about 0.098″ and about 0.100″;   internal fin pitch between about 0.069″ and about 0.081″;   external fin per inch of between 11 and 12; and   internal strip length of about 0.14″.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the first flow path is transverse to the second flow path, the first flow path is an air flow path, and the second flow path is an oil flow path. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , which further includes an oil sump in fluid communication with the second flow path. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of internal fins includes a first set of internal fins offset and separate from a second set of internal fins, wherein the plurality of external fins includes a first set of external fins offset and separate from a second set of external fins, the heat exchanger having an alternating stacked pattern which includes the first set of internal fins, then the first set of external fins, then the second set of internal fins, then the second set of external fins. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of internal fins are offset strip fins, which further includes a header bar disposed at the end of each of the first and second set of external fins, and wherein the first set of external fins has separate groupings of louvers; and wherein the external fin device and the internal fin device having a further arrangement of: an external louver angle between about 23.5 degrees and about 25.2 degrees, and an external louver pitch of about 0.035″.