Instrumented heat exchanger and method for estimating a lifespan of said heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger including:a plurality of adjacent rectangular frames, each rectangular frame defining an inner volume wherein a fluid is apt to flow,a partition wall arranged between each adjacent frame and separating the inner volumes from each other,a closing wall arranged on each rectangular end frame and intended for closing the inner volume of said rectangular end frames,a plurality of fluidic inlets, each in fluidic communication with an inner volume and a plurality of fluidic outlets, each in fluidic communication with an inner volume, said fluidic inlets and outlet being situated on the rectangular frames,at least one distributor of fluids arranged for distributing a fluid to at least a part of the fluid inlets,at least one collector of fluids arranged for collecting a fluid coming out of at least a part of the fluidic outlets,at least one temperature gage apt to measure a temperature of the fluid,at least one pressure gage apt to measure a pressure of a fluid,at least one strain gage apt to measure a deformation on the heat exchanger,a communication device apt to receive the measurements from the gages and to send same to a computer processing unit.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A heat exchanger including:
 a plurality of adjacent rectangular frames, each rectangular frame defining an inner volume wherein a fluid is apt to flow,   a partition wall arranged between each adjacent frame and separating the inner volumes from each other,   a closing wall arranged on each rectangular end frame and intended for closing the inner volume of said rectangular end frames,   a plurality of fluidic inlets, each in fluidic communication with an inner volume and a plurality of fluidic outlets, each in fluidic communication with an inner volume, said fluidic inlets and outlet being situated on the rectangular frames,   at least one distributor of fluid arranged for distributing a fluid to at least a part of the fluid inlets,   at least one collector of fluid arranged for collecting a fluid coming out of at least a part of the fluidic outlets,   at least one temperature gage apt to measure a temperature of the fluid,   at least one pressure gage apt to measure a pressure of the fluid,   at least one strain gage apt to measure a deformation on the heat exchanger,   a communication device apt to receive the measurements from the gages and to send same to a computer processing unit.   
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein the rectangular frames define faces, the heat exchanger defining a longitudinal axis (X) and a transverse axis (Y) extending along a length (L) and a width (I), respectively, of said heat exchanger, each collector and each distributor being attached to the faces and defining an end junction between both said collector and/or distributor and the closing walls, at least one junction gage being arranged on the closing wall at a first gap distance (D1) from the end junction, comprised between 44 and 150 millimeters, the first gap distance (D1) being measured along the longitudinal axis (X) or the transverse axis (Y). 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of junction gages are arranged on the closing wall, the junction gages being spaced apart from each other by a first gap distance (D2) comprised between 10 and 500 millimeters. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , wherein the first gap distance (D2) is substantially equal to 50 millimeters. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein the closing wall defines a rectangle, a central strain gage being arranged on said closing wall at an intersection of the diagonals (d) of said rectangle. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 19 , wherein a plurality of strain gages are arranged on the closing wall, aligned along the longitudinal axis (X) of said heat exchanger. 
     
     
         21 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 20 , wherein the strain gages arranged on the closing wall are spaced apart by a second gap distance (D3) measured along the longitudinal axis (X), the second gap distance (D3) being comprised between meter and 1.6 meter. 
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 21 , wherein the second gap distance (D3) is substantially equal to 1 meter. 
     
     
         23 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , further including at least one sealing bar intended for separating the inner volume of the frame into at least two sub-volumes, each sub-volume being apt to accommodate a different fluid, said sealing bar extending along the transverse axis (Y) or the longitudinal axis (X), and wherein at least one of the at least one strain gage is arranged on the closing wall, being situated at a second gap distance (D4) from the sealing bar, comprised between 10 and 50 millimeters, the second gap distance (D4) being measured along the longitudinal axis (X) when the sealing bar extends along the transverse axis (Y) and along the transverse axis (Y) when the sealing bar extends along the longitudinal axis (X). 
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein a plurality of the at least one strain gage are arranged around the sealing bar on the closing wall, the plurality of strain gages being spaced apart by a third gap distance (D5) measured along the longitudinal axis (X) when the sealing bar extends along the transverse axis (Y) and along the transverse axis (Y) when the sealing bar extends along the longitudinal axis (X), said third gap distance (D5) being comprised between 10 and 500 millimeters. 
     
     
         25 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sealing bar defines sub-rectangles on the closing wall, each sub-rectangle corresponding, in a projection on said closing wall, to a sub-volume, and wherein a central strain gage is arranged on said closing wall at an intersection of the diagonals (d) of each sub-rectangle. 
     
     
         26 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 25 , wherein a plurality of the at least one strain gage are arranged on each sub-rectangle of the closing wall, aligned along the longitudinal axis (X) of said heat exchanger, and wherein said plurality of strain gages are spaced apart from each other by a fourth gap distance (D6) measured along the longitudinal axis, said fourth gap distance (D6) being comprised between 0.6 meter and 1.6 meter, and preferentially substantially equal to 1 meter. 
     
     
         27 . An assembly comprising the heat exchanger according to  claim 15  and a computer processing unit. 
     
     
         28 . A method for estimating a service life of a heat exchanger by means of the assembly according to  claim 27 , the heat exchanger having a predetermined initial service life, wherein the method comprises:
 continuously measuring the temperature of the fluid by means of the temperature gage,   continuously calculating a mechanical stress by means of measurement of the temperature of the fluid,   storing the calculated mechanical stresses in memory,   continuously measuring a fluid pressure by means of the pressure gage,   calculating a mechanical stress by means of measuring the fluid pressure,   storing the calculated mechanical stresses in memory,   continuous measuring a mechanical stress by means of the strain gage,   storing in memory the measured mechanical stresses,   determining a series of ranges of mechanical stress values,   counting the occurrences wherein the stored mechanical stresses fall within a range of values established in the determining of the series of ranges of values, and   calculating an estimate of a service life by comparing the occurrences with a database.   
     
     
         29 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , further including at least one sealing bar intended for separating the inner volume of the frame into at least two sub-volumes, each sub-volume being apt to accommodate a different fluid, said sealing bar extending along the transverse axis (Y) or the longitudinal axis (X), and wherein at least one of the at least one strain gage is arranged on the closing wall, being situated at a second gap distance (D4) from the sealing bar, comprised between 10 and 50 millimeters, the second gap distance (D4) being measured along the longitudinal axis (X) when the sealing bar extends along the transverse axis (Y) and along the transverse axis (Y) when the sealing bar extends along the longitudinal axis (X). 
     
     
         30 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one sealing bar defines sub-rectangles on the closing wall, each sub-rectangle corresponding, in a projection on said closing wall, to a sub-volume, and wherein a central strain gage is arranged on said closing wall at an intersection of the diagonals (d) of each sub-rectangle.