Unit cell U-plate-fin crossflow heat exchanger

Abstract

The invention recites a heat exchanger for the exchange of heat between an internal fluid and an external fluid comprising at least two heat exchange cells. Each heat exchange cell includes a first plate having an outer surface, raised peripheral edges, an inlet aperture, an outlet aperture, and a heat exchange area extending between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture. Each cell further includes a second plate including raised peripheral edges, an inlet aperture, an outlet aperture, and a heat exchange area extending between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture. The inlet aperture of the first plate is aligned with the inlet aperture of the second plate to define a cell inlet and the outlet aperture of the first plate is aligned with the outlet aperture of the second plate to define a cell outlet. The heat exchange area of the first plate is aligned with the heat exchange area of the second plate to define an internal U-shaped flow path and the raised peripheral edges of the first plate connect to the raised peripheral edges of the second plate to substantially enclosing the U-shaped flow path between the first and second plate. An internal finned member is disposed within the internal U-shaped flow path and is attached to one of the first and second plates and an external finned member is connected to the outer surface of the first plate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising at least two heat exchange cells for the exchange of heat between an internal fluid and an external fluid, each heat exchange cell comprising: 
 a first plate having an outer surface, raised peripheral edges, an inlet aperture, an outlet aperture, and a heat exchange area extending between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture;    a second plate including raised peripheral edges, an inlet aperture, an outlet aperture, and a heat exchange area extending between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture, the inlet aperture of the first plate aligned with the inlet aperture of the second plate to define a cell inlet, the outlet aperture of the first plate aligned with the outlet aperture of the second plate to define a cell outlet, the heat exchange area of the first plate aligned with the heat exchange area of the second plate to define an internal U-shaped flow path, and the raised peripheral edges of the first plate connected to the raised peripheral edges of the second plate to substantially enclose the U-shaped flow path between the first and second plates;    an internal finned member disposed within the internal U-shaped flow path, and attached to one of the first and second plates, the internal finned member defining flow channels; and    an external finned member connected to the outer surface of the first plate.    
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange cells are stacked on top of one another and the external finned member is disposed between adjacent heat exchange cells, the external finned member defining flow channels oriented substantially perpendicular to the flow channels of the internal finned member.  
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein each cell inlet defines an inlet axis and each cell outlet defines an outlet axis, the inlet and outlet axes defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the internal flow channels.  
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein each of the heat exchange cells includes a turning region receiving a flow of the internal fluid from the internal finned member and redirecting the flow in substantially the opposite direction to the cell outlet.  
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second plates further define a slot within each plate, the slots having raised peripheral edges connected to one another to at least partially enclose the U-shaped flow path.  
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange area of the first plate and the heat exchange area of the second plate align with one another to define two U-shaped flow paths providing two distinct flow paths that substantially mirror one another.  
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein the cell inlet and the cell outlet are disposed between the two U-shaped flow paths.  
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger for the exchange of heat between an internal fluid and an external fluid, the heat exchanger comprising: 
 a plurality of heat exchange cells stacked in a stackwise direction, each cell including first and second plates, each plate having peripheral edges raised in a first direction, an inlet aperture having internal edges raised in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction, an outlet aperture having internal edges raised in the second direction, and a heat exchange area extending between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture, the second plate being inverted with respect to the first plate such that the inlet aperture of the first plate aligns with the inlet aperture of the second plate to define a cell inlet, the outlet aperture of the first plate aligns with the outlet aperture of the second plate to define a cell outlet, the heat exchange area of the first plate aligns with the heat exchange area of the second plate to define an internal U-shaped flow path, and the peripheral edges of the first plate connect to the peripheral edges of the second plate to substantially enclose the U-shaped flow path;    wherein the inlet internal edges of adjacent heat exchange cells align with and are connected to one another to define an inlet manifold and the outlet internal edges of adjacent heat exchange cells align with and are connected to one another to define an outlet manifold.    
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the U-shaped flow path further includes a turning region, a first flow leg extending in a first flow direction from the cell inlet to the turning region, and a second flow leg extending in a second flow direction from the turning region to the cell outlet, the second flow direction substantially opposite the first flow direction.  
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , further comprising a first internal finned member disposed within the first flow leg, a second internal finned member disposed within the second flow leg, and a turning finned member disposed within the turning region.  
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the heat exchange cells include a top surface and a bottom surface and wherein a first external finned member is connected to one of the top surface and bottom surface.  
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein each cell inlet defines an inlet axis extending from the first plate to the second plate and each cell outlet defines an outlet axis extending from the first plate to the second plate, the inlet and outlet axes defining a plane substantially parallel to the external flow channels.  
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second plates further define a slot within each plate, the slots having raised peripheral edges connected to one another to at least partially enclose the U-shaped flow path.  
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the internal U-shaped flow path within each heat exchange cell is a first internal U-shaped flow path, and wherein the first plate and the second plate further define a second internal U-shaped flow path that is a substantial mirror image of the first U-shaped flow path.  
     
     
         15 . A recuperated combustion turbine engine comprising: 
 a compressor operable to produce a flow of compressed gas;    a combustor receiving the flow of compressed gas and combusting it with a flow of fuel to produce a flow of products of combustion;    a turbine receiving the flow of products of combustion and discharging an exhaust gas, the turbine operable under the influence of the flow of products of combustion therethrough; and    a plate-fin heat exchanger having a plurality of heat exchange cells stacked in a stackwise direction, each heat exchange cell including first and second plates having raised peripheral edges connected to one another to define an inner U-shaped flow path, a cell inlet, and a cell outlet, each heat exchange cell including a finned member connected to one of the first and second plates and disposed within the inner U-shaped flow path to define internal flow channels;    wherein the flow of exhaust gas passes through the heat exchanger along a first flow path between adjacent heat exchange cells and the flow of compressed gas passes through the heat exchanger along the U-shaped flow path within the heat exchange cells.    
     
     
         16 . The engine of  claim 15 , wherein each U-shaped flow path further includes a turning region, a first flow leg extending in a first flow direction from the cell inlet to the turning region, and a second flow leg extending in a second flow direction substantially opposite the first flow direction from the turning region to the cell outlet.  
     
     
         17 . The engine of  claim 16 , wherein the finned member is a first finned member disposed within the first flow leg, each heat exchange cell further including a second internal finned member disposed within the second flow leg, and a turning finned member disposed within the turning region.  
     
     
         18 . The engine of  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchange cells include a top surface and a bottom surface and wherein a first external finned member is connected to one of the top surface and bottom surface to define external flow channels substantially perpendicular to the internal flow channels.  
     
     
         19 . The engine of  claim 15 , wherein the cell inlets of adjacent heat exchange cells are aligned and attached to one another to define an inlet manifold and cell outlets of adjacent heat exchange cells are aligned and attached to one another to define an outlet manifold.  
     
     
         20 . The engine of  claim 15 , wherein each cell inlet defines an inlet axis and each cell outlet defines an outlet axis, the inlet and outlet axes defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the internal flow channels.  
     
     
         21 . The engine of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second plates further define a slot within each plate, the slots having raised peripheral edges connected to one another to at least partially enclose the U-shaped flow path.  
     
     
         22 . The engine of  claim 15 , wherein the U-shaped flow path within each heat exchange cell is a first U-shaped flow path, and wherein the first plate and the second plate define a second U-shaped flow path that is a substantial mirror image of the first U-shaped flow path.