Heat Exchange Panel

Abstract

A heat exchange panel ( 1 ) that includes a lower plate ( 11 ) and an upper plate ( 14 ) that together define a plurality of channels ( 51 ) there-between, which are in fluid communication with a plurality of upper plate extension passages ( 72 ), is described. The lower plate ( 11 ) includes a plurality of lower plate extensions ( 20 ) that extend upwardly from the interior surface ( 17 ) of the lower plate. Each channel ( 51 ) has at least one lower plate extension ( 20 ) extending upwardly therefrom. The upper plate ( 14 ) includes a plurality of upwardly extending hollow upper plate extensions ( 32 ). The aperture ( 42 ) and interior hollow space ( 48 ) of each upper plate extension ( 32 ) is aligned with and receives an upper portion ( 69 ) of a single lower plate extension ( 20 ) therein. A portion of the interior surfaces ( 45 ) that define the interior hollow space ( 48 ) of the upper plate extension ( 32 ), and a portion of the exterior surfaces ( 23 ) of the upper portion ( 69 ) of the lower plate extension ( 20 ) received within the interior hollow space ( 48 ) together define, in each case, an upper plate extension passage ( 72 ). Each upper plate extension passage ( 72 ) is in fluid communication with a channel ( 51 ) residing there-under. In operation, a fluid introduced into a terminal inlet ( 54 ) of a channel ( 51 ) passes through each upper plate extension channel ( 72 ) in fluid communication with that channel, and passes out from the terminal outlet ( 57 ) of the channel. The combination of a plurality of upper plate extension passages ( 72 ) and channels ( 51 ) in common fluid communication provide the heat exchange panel of the present invention with improved heat exchange efficiencies.

1 . A heat exchange panel ( 1 ) comprising:
 (a) a lower plate ( 11 ) having an interior surface ( 17 ), and a plurality of lower plate extensions ( 20 ) extending upwardly from said interior surface of said lower plate, each lower plate extension having exterior surfaces; and   (b) an upper plate ( 14 ) having an interior surface ( 26 ), an exterior surface ( 29 ), and a plurality of upper plate extensions ( 32 ) extending upwardly from said exterior surface of said upper plate, each upper plate extension having an aperture ( 42 ) on said interior surface of said upper plate and interior surfaces that define an interior space that is in fluid communication with said aperture,   wherein said lower plate and said upper plate are joined together such that said interior surface of said lower plate and said interior surface of said upper plate together define a plurality of channels ( 51 ) there-between, each channel having a terminal inlet ( 54 ) and a terminal outlet ( 57 );   each channel having at least one lower plate extension ( 20 ) residing therein and extending upwardly therefrom, and each channel having the aperture and the interior space of at least one upper plate extension positioned over said channel and in fluid communication with said channel,   the aperture and interior space of each upper plate extension being aligned with and receiving an upper portion of one lower plate extension therein,   a portion of the interior surfaces defining the interior space of said upper plate extension and a portion of the exterior surfaces of the upper portion of said lower plate extension received within said interior space, in each case, together defining an upper plate extension passage, each upper plate extension passage ( 72 ) being in fluid communication with the channel residing there-under, and   further wherein a fluid introduced into the terminal inlet of said channel passes through each upper plate extension passage in fluid communication with said channel and emerges from said terminal outlet of said channel.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein said heat exchange panel further comprises a plurality of ribs ( 96 ) residing interposedly between said interior surface of said lower plate and said interior surface of said upper plate, said ribs being laterally spaced from each other and forming a plurality of paired ribs ( 99 ), each pair of ribs together defining one channel there-between. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 2  wherein at least some of said ribs are lower plate ribs, each lower plate rib is continuous with said lower plate, extends upward from said interior surface of said lower plate, and abuts said interior surface of said upper plate. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 2  wherein at least some of said ribs are upper plate ribs, each upper plate rib is continuous with said upper plate, extends downward from said interior surface of said upper plate, and abuts said interior surface of said lower plate. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 2  wherein,
 said lower plate comprises a plurality of lower plate ribs, each lower plate rib is continuous with said lower plate, and extends upward from said interior surface of said lower plate; 
 said upper plate comprises a plurality of upper plate ribs, each upper plate rib is continuous with said upper plate, and extends downward from said interior surface of said upper plate; and 
 each lower plate rib abutting one upper plate rib thereby forming each of said plurality of ribs. 
 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 2  wherein at least one rib comprises at least one lateral passage, each lateral passage providing fluid communication between a pair of neighboring channels separated by said rib having at least one lateral passage. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein each channel is a longitudinal channel. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 2  wherein each channel is a longitudinal channel, each rib is a longitudinal rib, said plurality of paired ribs is a plurality of paired longitudinal ribs, and each pair of longitudinal ribs together define one longitudinal channel there-between. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein each lower plate extension comprises a lower portion having a width, and each channel has a width;
 further wherein, the width of said lower portion of said lower plate extension being substantially equivalent to the width of the channel that said lower portion of said lower plate extension resides in, and said channel being substantially blocked by said lower portion of said lower plate extension residing within said channel; 
 said channel thereby comprising a plurality of channel segments, each channel segment being separated from a neighboring channel segment by one lower plate extension, and 
 each channel segment being in fluid communication with at least one upper plate extension passage. 
 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 9  wherein;
 said exterior surfaces of the upper portion of said lower plate extension comprise at least one inlet face on an inlet side of said lower plate extension, at least one outlet face on an outlet side of said lower plate extension, at least one first side face on a first side of said lower plate extension, and at least one second side face on a second side of said lower plate extension, said inlet side and said outlet side of said lower plate extension being on substantially opposite sides of said lower plate extension, said first side and said second side of said lower plate extension being on substantially opposite sides of said lower plate extension, and the upper portion of said lower plate extension having a shape defined by said exterior surfaces of the upper portion of said lower plate extension; 
 said interior space of said upper plate extension having a shape substantially matching the shape of the upper portion of said lower plate extension received within said interior space of said upper plate extension; 
 the interior surfaces defining said interior space of said upper plate extension comprising at least one inlet surface on an inlet side of said interior space, at least one outlet surface on an outlet side of said interior space, at least one first side surface on a first side of said interior space, and at least one second side surface on a second side of said interior space, said inlet side and said outlet side of said interior space being on substantially opposite sides of said interior space, said first side and said second side of said interior space being on substantially opposite sides of said interior space; 
 each inlet face of the upper portion of said lower plate extension and each inlet surface of said interior space together defining an ascending inlet passage portion of said upper plate extension passage, 
 each outlet face of the upper portion of said lower plate extension and each outlet surface of said interior space together defining a descending outlet passage portion of said upper plate extension passage, said ascending inlet passage portion and said descending outlet passage portion of said upper plate extension passage being in fluid communication with each other, 
 at least one first side face of the upper portion of said lower plate extension and at least one first side surface of said interior space abutting each other, and 
 at least one second side face of the upper portion of said lower plate extension and at least one second side surface of said interior space abutting each other. 
 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 10  wherein;
 said exterior surfaces of the upper portion of said lower plate extension further comprise an upper transverse face, and the interior surfaces defining said interior space of said upper plate extension further comprise an upper transverse surface; 
 said upper transverse face of said lower plate extension and said upper transverse surface of said interior space of said upper plate extension together defining a transverse passage portion of said upper plate extension passage; 
 said transverse passage portion being in fluid communication with each of said ascending inlet passage portion and said descending outlet passage portion of said upper plate extension passage. 
 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 10  wherein said shape of the upper portion of said lower plate extension is selected from pyramidal shapes. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 11  wherein said shape of the upper portion of said lower plate extension is selected from truncated pyramidal shapes having an upper truncated face, said upper truncated face being said upper transverse face. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 13  wherein said shape of the upper portion of said lower plate extension is selected from truncated rectangular pyramidal shapes. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein said heat exchange panel further comprises a sidewall structure  198  having an interior surface  201 , an exterior surface  226 , an upper terminus  204  and a height  207 , said upper terminus of said sidewall structure residing above said exterior surface of said upper plate and defining an open top of said sidewall structure, said sidewall structure extending around said plurality of upper plate extensions, said interior surfaces of said sidewall structure defining an interior sidewall structure space, said plurality of upper plate extensions residing within said interior sidewall structure space, and said height of said sidewall structure being at least equivalent to a maximum height of said plurality of upper plate extensions. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 15  wherein said heat exchange panel further comprises a plate covering said open top of said sidewall structure, said plate being positioned on said upper terminus of said sidewall structure, and said plate being substantially transparent to infrared radiation. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 15  wherein;
 said sidewall structure further comprises a shelf  241  having an upper surface  244  having a height  247  above said exterior surface  29  of said upper plate, said shelf being positioned inward towards said interior sidewall structure space  229 , 
 said height of said sidewall structure being greater than said maximum height of said plurality of upper plate extensions, said height of said upper surface of said shelf being less than said height of said sidewall structure and at least equivalent to said maximum height of said plurality of upper plate extensions, and 
 said heat exchange panel further comprising a substantially infrared transparent plate covering said open top of said sidewall structure, and being positioned on said upper surface of said shelf. 
 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 15  wherein said sidewall structure is continuous with said upper plate, and extends upwardly from said exterior surface of said upper plate. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  further comprising an inlet header  253  having an inlet header interior space  256 , and an outlet header  259  having an outlet header interior space  268 , said inlet header interior space being in fluid communication with the terminal inlet of each channel, and said outlet header interior space being in fluid communication with the terminal outlet of each channel. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 19  wherein; said lower plate further comprises a lower inlet header portion  272  positioned on an inlet side  275  of said lower plate, and a lower outlet header portion  278  positioned on an outlet side  281  of said lower plate,
 said upper plate further comprises an upper inlet header portion  284  positioned on an inlet side  287  of said upper plate, and an upper outlet header portion  290  positioned on an outlet side  293  of said upper plate, 
 further wherein said lower plate and said upper plate are joined together such that said lower inlet header portion and said upper inlet header portion are joined together and form said inlet header, and said lower outlet header portion and said upper outlet header portion are joined together and form said outlet header. 
 
     
     
         21 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein said lower plate is a substantially unitary lower plate molded from a first plastic material, said upper plate is a substantially unitary upper plate molded from a second plastic material, and said first plastic material and said second plastic material are each independently selected from thermoplastic material, thermoset plastic material and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 21  wherein said upper plate is substantially transparent to infrared radiation, said lower plate is substantially optically opaque, and said interior surface of said lower plate absorbs infrared radiation. 
     
     
         23 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 21  wherein said first plastic material, from which said lower plate is molded, further comprises a reinforcing material selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, glass beads, carbon fibers, metal flakes, metal fibers, polyamide fibers, cellulosic fibers, nanoparticulate clays, talc and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein;
 said heat exchange panel has a total upper plate extension passage volume, a total channel volume, and a total internal volume equal to a sum of said total upper plate extension passage volume and said total channel volume; 
 further wherein said heat exchange panel has a percent total upper plate extension passage volume of from 50 percent to 95 percent, based on said total internal volume, and a percent total channel volume of from 5 percent to 50 percent, based on said total internal volume. 
 
     
     
         25 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 1  wherein;
 each channel is a longitudinal channel; 
 each lower plate extension is laterally staggered relative to each neighboring lower plate extension of each adjacent channel; and 
 each upper plate extension is laterally staggered relative to each neighboring upper plate extension of each adjacent channel. 
 
     
     
         26 . The heat exchange panel of  claim 25  wherein as amongst any three sequentially adjacent channels;
 said lower plate extensions form a plurality of lower plate extension X-configurations each comprising five lower plate extensions with a single terminal lower plate extension located at each corner of said lower plate extension X-configuration, and a single central lower plate extension located at the intersection of said lower plate extension X-configuration, and 
 said upper plate extensions form a plurality of upper plate extension X-configurations each comprising five upper plate extensions with a single terminal upper plate extension located at each corner of said upper plate extension X-configuration, and a single central upper plate extension located at the intersection of said upper plate extension X-configuration.