US4586564A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Guide wall of a heat exchanger for covering the U-shaped portions of a tube assembly
Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
•
Filing: 1984-12-03
•
Granted: 1986-05-06
•
Expires: 2004-12-03
Abstract
Abstract A heat exchanger comprising an assembly of spaced heat exchanger tubes of U-shape having inlet ends for receiving an operating fluid and outlet ends for discharge of the fluid, the fluid flowing through the tubes and undergoing flow reversal in the U-shaped portions. The tube assembly is mounted in a housing having an inlet for a second fluid for flow across the tube assembly to undergo heat exchange with the fluid flowing in the tubes and an outlet for discharge of the second fluid. The housing has an opening in which the U-shaped portions of the tubes extend for free displacement relative to the housing. A guide wall surrounds the tubes at the U-shaped portions and is connected to the housing to cover the opening therein. The guide wall is shaped to conform to the U-shaped portions of the assembly and rests on the outer tubes of the tube assembly in floating relation. At its opposite ends the guide wall is engaged with the housing so as to be relatively movable and follow the movements of the tubes on which it rests such that the assembly is freely movable relative to the housing and the tubes are relatively movable with respect to one another.
Inventors
- 👤 Klaus Hagemeister
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 17:17
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28D; F28D7/00; F28D7/06; F28F; F28F9/00; F28F9/007; F28F9/013; F28F9/0132; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S165/00; Y10S165/355; Y10S165/40; Y10S165/401; Y10S165/416
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
A heat exchanger comprising an assembly of spaced heat exchanger tubes of U-shaped having inlet ends for receiving an operating fluid, outlet ends for discharge of said fluid and U-shaped portions for flow reversal of said fluid, a housing receiving said tube assembly and including an inlet for a second fluid for flow across said assembly to undergo heat exchange with the fluid flowing in the tubes and an outlet for discharge of the second fluid, said housing having an opening through which said U-shaped portions of said tubes extend for free displacement relative to said housing, a guide wall surrounding said tubes at said U-shaped portions and connected to said housing to cover said opening therein, said guide wall being corrugated lengthwise of said tube assembly and including peaks and valleys, said tubes of said assembly being received within the peaks of said corrugated guide wall, means supporting said corrugated guide wall on said tubes of said assembly in floating relation and means supporting said guide wall, at opposite ends thereof, on said housing for relative movement, the combination of the support of the guide wall in floating relation on the tube assembly and for movement on the housing permitting free movement of said tube assembly relative to said housing and relative movement of said tubes with respect to one another and to said corrugated guide wall.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
A heat exchanger comprising an assembly of spaced heat exchanger tubes of U-shaped having inlet ends for receiving an operating fluid, outlet ends for discharge of said fluid and U-shaped portions for flow reversal of said fluid, a housing receiving said tube assembly and including an inlet for a second fluid for flow across said assembly to undergo heat exchange with the fluid flowing in the tubes and an outlet for discharge of the second fluid, said housing having an opening through which said U-shaped portions of said tubes extend for free displacement relative to said housing, a guide wall surrounding said tubes at said U-shaped portions and connected to said housing to cover said opening therein, said guide wall being corrugated lengthwise of said tube assembly and including peaks and valleys, said tubes of said assembly being received within the peaks of said corrugated guide wall, means supporting said corrugated guide wall on said tubes of said assembly in floating relation and means supporting said guide wall, at opposite ends thereof, on said housing for relative movement, the combination of the support of the guide wall in floating relation on the tube assembly and for movement on the housing permitting free movement of said tube assembly relative to said housing and relative movement of said tubes with respect to one another and to said corrugated guide wall.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide wall is curved to conform to the curvature of said U-shaped portions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said corrugations are of shape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide wall comprises a plurality of parallel, adjoining sections which collectively form the extent of the guide wall lengthwise of said tube assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4 wherein said adjoining sections of said guide wall are movable relative to one another.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubes of said tube assembly include tubes facing said guide wall, said means supporting said guide wall on said tube assembly in floating relation comprises straps on said U-shaped portions of the tubes in said tube assembly which face said guide wall, said guide wall slidably resting freely on said straps.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein said straps are secured to their respective said tubes and surround the same.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7 wherein said straps include radial projections which for alternate tubes extend towards and away from said guide wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means supporting said guide wall on said housing for relative movement includes, at one end of said guide wall, spaced finger-like projections both on said guide wall and on said housing interengaged with one another to provide relative displacement lengthwise of said projections.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide wall comprises a plurality of segments extending around said U-shaped portions of said tubes and having adjacent abutment edges, and means connecting said segments to provide relative movement therebetween at said abutment edges.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means connecting said segments comprises links pivotably connected to adjacent segments to provide a chain-like connection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means connecting said segments comprises interlocked ends of said segments at said abutment edges.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means connecting said segments comprises slidable locking means resiliently holding said segments in adjoining relation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 comprising guide means supported by said housing and extending along said guide wall for guiding the movement of said guide wall.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 14 wherein said guide means comprises an elongated member having ends secured to said housing and shaped to conform to said guide wall.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 15 wherein said elongated member comprises a wire element which said guide wall slidably engages.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
61 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubes of said tube assembly include tubes facing said guide wall, said means supporting said guide wall on said tube assembly in floating relation comprises straps on said U-shaped portions of the tubes in said tube assembly which face said guide wall, said guide wall slidably resting freely on said straps.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
99 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 17 wherein said guide wall comprises a plurality of parallel, adjoining sections which collectively form the extent of the guide wall lengthwise of said tube assembly, said sections of said guide wall being arranged in pairs each associated with a respective tube facing said guide wall, the sections of each pair straddling the respective tube and slidably engaging the strap thereon, the sections of one pair being in slidable contact with the adjoining sections of the adjacent tubes, the contacting sections of adjacent tubes forming a V-shaped opening which opens radially outwards.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubes have oblong cross-sections for aerodynamic optimization of fluid flow and include a transverse web forming a pair of separate adjacent inner channels.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of covering a flow reversal region of tubes of a tube assembly in a housing of a heat exchanger to permit free displacement of the tube assembly relative to the housing and of the tubes of the assembly relative to one another, said method comprising: freely resting a guide wall on the tube assembly in floating relation to cover the flow reversal region of the tubes of the assembly and form a flow passage for a heat exchange fluid between the guide wall and the tube assembly, said guide wall, when resting on the tube assembly, following any movement said tube assembly in floating relation therewith while permitting movement of the tubes relative to one another and to the guide wall, and displaceably supporting the guide wall, at the ends thereof, on the housing to permit the movement of the guide wall with the tube assembly while forming a substantially fluid-tight closure with the housing.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of covering a flow reversal region of tubes of a tube assembly in a housing of a heat exchanger to permit free displacement of the tube assembly relative to the housing and of the tubes of the assembly relative to one another, said method comprising: freely resting a guide wall on the tube assembly in floating relation to cover the flow reversal region of the tubes of the assembly and form a flow passage for a heat exchange fluid between the guide wall and the tube assembly, said guide wall, when resting on the tube assembly, following any movement said tube assembly in floating relation therewith while permitting movement of the tubes relative to one another and to the guide wall, and displaceably supporting the guide wall, at the ends thereof, on the housing to permit the movement of the guide wall with the tube assembly while forming a substantially fluid-tight closure with the housing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the tubes of the tube assembly are arranged in spaced relation and include an outer row facing the guide wall, said guide wall resting on tubes in said outer row.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein said guide wall slidably rests freely on said tubes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the flow reversal region of the tubes are curved and the guide wall is curved to conform with the curvature of the tubes, said flow reversal region of the tubes protruding through an opening in the housing, said guide wall covering the opening in the housing.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
14 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said corrugations are of V-shape.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said corrugations are of S-shape.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2110024A
Cited
US3112793A
Cited
US3746083A
Cited
DE2000886A1
Cited
SU531994A1
Cited
US4296539A
Cited
US4325171A
Cited
JPS56162400A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-05-05 | 1989-11-04 | 1990-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-05-05 | 1993-11-04 | 1994-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-05-05 | 1997-11-04 | 1998-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |