Heat exchanger

Abstract

In some examples, a plate fin heat exchanger including a cold passage defined by a cold frame; a hot passage defined by a hot frame; a tube sheet between the cold passage and the hot passage; a top side plate; and a bottom side plate, wherein the cold frame includes a first bar and a second bar attached at a corner of the heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the first bar is configured to be removed from the cold frame, wherein the hot frame includes a third bar and a fourth bar attached at the corner of the heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the third bar is configured to be removed from the hot frame, and wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defined by at least one of the hot frame or the cold frame has a non-square shape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plate fin heat exchanger comprising:
 a cold passage defined by a cold frame;   a hot passage defined by a hot frame;   a tube sheet between the cold passage and the hot passage;   a top side plate; and   a bottom side plate, wherein the cold passage, the tube sheet, and the hot passage are between the top side plate and the bottom side plate,   wherein the cold frame includes a first bar and a second bar attached at a corner of the heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the first bar is configured to be removed from the cold frame,   wherein the hot frame includes a third bar and a fourth bar attached at the corner of the heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the third bar is configured to be removed from the hot frame, and   wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defined by at least one of the hot frame or the cold frame has a non-square shape.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger has a curvilinear shape. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a pan attached to the corner of the heat exchanger, wherein the pan defines a flow manifold fluidically coupled to one of the hot passage or the cold passage. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defines an internal passage extending from the top side plate to the bottom side plate. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defines a mount for the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer shell configured to define a first flow manifold into the hot passage and a second flow manifold into the cold passage, and wherein the outer shell is configured to mate with the corner to attach the outer shell to the corner. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the hot frame and cold frame are attached to each other via one or more braze joints. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 hot fins between the hot frame in the hot passage; and   cold fins between the cold frame in the cold passage.   
     
     
         9 . A method for making a plate fin heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 assembling a cold frame, a hot frame, a tube sheet, a top sheet, and a bottom sheet in a stacked configuration;   attaching the cold frame, the hot frame, the tube sheet, the top sheet, and the bottom sheet to each other in the stacked configuration,   wherein, in the stacked configuration, the cold frame defines a cold passage, the hot frame defines a hot passage, wherein, in the stacked configuration, the tube sheet is between the hot frame and the cold frame,   wherein the cold frame includes a first bar and a second bar attached at a corner of the heat exchanger,   wherein the hot frame includes a third bar and a fourth bar attached at the corner of the heat exchanger, and   wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defined by at least one of the hot frame or the cold frame has a non-square shape; and   removing at least a portion of the first bar from the cold frame and at least a portion of the third bar from the hot frame.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein attaching the cold frame, the hot frame, the tube sheet, the top sheet, and the bottom sheet to each other in the stacked configuration comprises brazing the cold frame, the hot frame, the tube sheet, the top sheet, and the bottom sheet to each other in the stacked configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger has a curvilinear shape. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising attaching a pan to the corner of the heat exchanger, wherein the pan defines a flow manifold fluidically coupled to one of the hot passage or the cold passage. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defines an internal passage extending from the top side plate to the bottom side plate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising mounting the heat exchanger to another member via the corner. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising mating an outer shell to the corner to attach the outer shell to the corner, wherein the outer shell is configured to define a first flow manifold into the hot passage and a second flow manifold into the cold passage. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 placing hot fins between the hot frame in the hot passage, and   placing cold fins between the cold frame in the cold passage.   
     
     
         17 . A plate fin heat exchanger comprising:
 a cold passage defined by a cold frame;   a hot passage defined by a hot frame;   a tube sheet between the cold passage and the hot passage;   a top side plate; and   a bottom side plate, wherein the cold passage, the tube sheet, and the hot passage are between the top side plate and the bottom side plate,   wherein the cold frame includes a first pair of bars defining the cold passage, a second pair of bars defining cold flow manifolds, and a third pairs of bars defining hot flow manifolds,   wherein the hot frame includes a fourth pair of bars defining the hot passage, a fifth pair of bars defining the hot flow manifolds, and a sixth pairs of bars defining the cold flow manifolds, and   wherein a corner of the heat exchanger defined by at least one of the hot frame or the cold frame has a non-square shape.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger has a curvilinear shape. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defines an internal passage extending from the top side plate to the bottom side plate. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the corner of the heat exchanger defines a mount for the heat exchanger.