Enhanced heat exchanger

Abstract

An anti-freezing assembly includes: (a) heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the heat exchanger including: a first inlet manifold, a first outlet manifold, a second inlet manifold, and a second outlet manifold; a plurality of first flow passages, each of the plurality of first flow passages fluidly connecting the first inlet manifold to the first outlet manifold; a plurality of second flow passages, each of the plurality of second flow passages fluidly connecting the second inlet manifold to the second outlet manifold; a first porous metallic insert disposed in at least one of the plurality of second flow passages, a density of the first porous metallic insert varying in a direction of the second flow passages; wherein the first inlet manifold has a variable cross-sectional area; (b) a heater encompassing the first inlet manifold or the first outlet manifold.

1 . A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a first inlet manifold, a first outlet manifold, a second inlet manifold, and a second outlet manifold;   a plurality of first flow passages, each of the plurality of first flow passages fluidly connecting the first inlet manifold to the first outlet manifold;   a plurality of second flow passages, each of the plurality of second flow passages fluidly connecting the second inlet manifold to the second outlet manifold;   a first porous metallic insert disposed in at least one of the plurality of second flow passages, wherein a density of the first porous metallic insert varies in a direction of the second flow passages.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first porous metallic insert is a porous metallic mesh or a porous metallic foam. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the first porous metallic insert comprises a beginning portion adjacent the second inlet manifold and an end portion between the second inlet manifold and the second outlet manifold, the beginning portion having a greater density than the end portion. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of porous metallic inserts, the plurality of porous metallic inserts comprising the first porous metallic insert;
 wherein each of the plurality of porous metallic inserts are disposed in at least one of the plurality of second flow passages to increase structural integrity of the second flow passages and/or improve thermal performance characteristics of the second flow passages.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a front cover plate and a rear cover plate;   a plurality of first plates disposed in an alternating arrangement with a plurality of second plates;   wherein each of the plurality of first flow passages is defined between one of the first plates and one of the second plates, each of the plurality of second flow passages is defined between one of the first plates and one of the second plates, and each of the manifolds is at least partially defined by the plurality of first plates and the plurality of second plates.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5 , wherein the front cover plate, the plurality of first plates, the plurality of second plates, and the rear cover plate are brazed, soldered, thermally bonded, diffusion bonded or chemically bonded together. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of porous metallic inserts is brazed, soldered, thermally bonded, diffusion bonded or chemically bonded to at least one of the first and second plates. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of porous metallic inserts is brazed, soldered, thermally bonded, diffusion bonded or chemically bonded to at least two plates selected from a group consisting of the front cover plate, the rear cover plate, the plurality of first plates, and the plurality of second plates. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of porous metallic inserts has a beginning portion adjacent the second inlet manifold and an end portion between the second inlet manifold and the second outlet manifold, and a length between the beginning portion and the end portion, at least some of the lengths being different such that one of the plurality of porous metallic inserts is longer than at least some of the plurality of porous metallic inserts. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a second porous metallic insert disposed in at least one of the plurality of first flow passages, wherein a density of the second porous metallic insert varies in a direction of the first flow passages, wherein the second porous metallic insert is a porous metallic mesh or a porous metallic foam. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the density of at least one of the first porous metallic inserts is different than the density of at least one of the second porous metallic inserts. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the density of one of the second porous metallic inserts is different than the density of another of the second porous metallic inserts. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the density of one of the first porous metallic inserts is different than the density of another of the first porous metallic inserts. 
     
     
         14 . An anti-freezing assembly comprising:
 (a) a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:   a first inlet manifold, a first outlet manifold, a second inlet manifold, and a second outlet manifold;   a plurality of first flow passages, each of the plurality of first flow passages fluidly connecting the first inlet manifold to the first outlet manifold;   a plurality of second flow passages, each of the plurality of second flow passages fluidly connecting the second inlet manifold to the second outlet manifold;   (b) a heater encompassing the first inlet manifold or the first outlet manifold.   
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the heater encompasses only a lower portion of said manifold. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
 a front cover plate and a rear cover plate;   a plurality of first plates disposed in an alternating arrangement with a plurality of second plates;   wherein each of the plurality of first flow passages is defined between one of the first plates and one of the second plates, each of the plurality of second flow passages is defined between one of the first plates and one of the second plates, and each of the manifolds is at least partially defined by the plurality of first plates and the plurality of second plates.   
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the heater encompasses only some of the plurality of first plates and the plurality of second plates. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a controller and a pair of fluid sensors configured and arranged to detect a pressure or temperature of the first fluid or the second fluid, the pair of fluid sensors being in operative communication with the controller. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the heater based on the detected pressure or temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the heater to heat the plurality of first plates closest to the rear cover plate to a greater extent than the plurality of first plates closest to the front cover plate. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the heater to emit a greater amount of heat near the first outlet manifold and a lesser amount of heat near the first inlet manifold. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the heater based on the detected pressure or temperature indicating a presence of ice disposed in the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         23 . A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a first inlet manifold, a first outlet manifold, a second inlet manifold, and a second outlet manifold;   a plurality of first flow passages, each of the plurality of first flow passages fluidly connecting the first inlet manifold to the first outlet manifold;   a plurality of second flow passages, each of the plurality of second flow passages fluidly connecting the second inlet manifold to the second outlet manifold;   wherein the first inlet manifold has a variable cross-sectional area.   
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a front cover plate and a rear cover plate;   a plurality of first plates disposed in an alternating arrangement with a plurality of second plates;   wherein each of the plurality of first flow passages is defined between one of the first plates and one of the second plates, each of the plurality of second flow passages is defined between one of the first plates and one of the second plates, and each of the manifolds is at least partially defined by the plurality of first plates and the plurality of second plates;   wherein the cross-sectional area of the first inlet manifold is taken across a series of reference planes parallel to the plurality of first plates.   
     
     
         25 . The heat exchanger of  claim 24 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the first inlet manifold decreases along a direction extending from the front cover plate to the rear cover plate, such that a cross-sectional area of the first inlet manifold closest to the front cover plate is greater than a cross-sectional area of the first inlet manifold closest to the rear cover plate. 
     
     
         26 . The heat exchanger of  claim 25 , further comprising an inclined insert disposed in the first inlet manifold, the inclined insert being shaped such that the inclined insert is flush against each of the plurality of first and second plates. 
     
     
         27 . The heat exchanger of  claim 25 , wherein each of the first plates comprises a first aperture at least partially defining the first inlet manifold, wherein the first aperture of the first plate closest to the front cover plate is larger than the first aperture of the first plate closest to the rear cover plate. 
     
     
         28 . The heat exchanger of  claim 27 , wherein each of the second plates comprises a second aperture at least partially defining the first inlet manifold, wherein the second aperture of the second plate closest to the front cover plate is larger than the second aperture of the second plate closest to the rear cover plate. 
     
     
         29 . The heat exchanger of  claim 24 , wherein at least some of the first flow passages and at least some of the second flow passages are defined by corrugations in the first and second plates, wherein at least some of the corrugations in the first and second plates include a variable corrugation pattern comprising at least one of a variable corrugation angle of attack, a variable corrugation density, and a variable corrugation width. 
     
     
         30 . The heat exchanger of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first inlet manifold and the first outlet manifold are coextensively positioned with a perimeter of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         31 . An anti-freezing assembly comprising:
 (a) heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:   a first inlet manifold, a first outlet manifold, a second inlet manifold, and a second outlet manifold;   a plurality of first flow passages, each of the plurality of first flow passages fluidly connecting the first inlet manifold to the first outlet manifold;   a plurality of second flow passages, each of the plurality of second flow passages fluidly connecting the second inlet manifold to the second outlet manifold;   a first porous metallic insert disposed in at least one of the plurality of second flow passages, a density of the first porous metallic insert varying in a direction of the second flow passages;   wherein the first inlet manifold has a variable cross-sectional area;   (b) a heater encompassing the first inlet manifold or the first outlet manifold.