Bank For Heating Element And A Heating Element Comprising Such A Bank
The invention relates to a tube register (RR) for a heat exchanger (WT), in particular a heating element or cooling element, through which a heat transfer fluid may flow, and which has two distributor lines (1, 2), between which a plurality of connecting tubes (3) extend which fluidically connect the first distributor line, also referred to as the supply distributor (1), to the second distributor line, also referred to as the return distributor (2), the tube register having a linear supply distributor (1) and a linear return distributor (2) running in parallel thereto, between which a plurality of connecting tubes (3), situated in a plane, extend, the first ends (3a) of the connecting tubes (3) in each case being fluidically connected to the supply distributor (1), and the second ends (3b) of the connecting tubes (3) in each case being fluidically connected to the return distributor (2), characterized in that the connecting sites (P1) between the supply distributor (1) and the connecting tubes (3) are situated eccentrically, relative to the center axis (M1) of the supply distributor (1), on the supply distributor (1), and the connecting sites (P2) between the return distributor (2) and the connecting tubes (3) are situated eccentrically, relative to the center axis (M2) of the return distributor (2), on the return distributor (2).
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The invention relates to registers for a heating element, and heating elements having such registers.
There are numerous types of heating elements. A classical heating element contains two distributor lines, between which a plurality of connecting tubes extend which fluidically connect the first distributor line, also referred to as the supply distributor, to the second distributor line, also referred to as the return distributor.
To increase the specific heat capacity of a heating element, i.e., the thermal output released by radiation and convection to a space per unit area of the front elevation of the heating element, it is known to provide multicolumn heating elements in which multiple registers made up of connecting tubes extend essentially in parallel to one another between the supply distributor and the return distributor.
On the one hand, the manufacture of multicolumn heating elements of this type is relatively complicated.
On the other hand, the thickness of such multicolumn heating elements, measured perpendicular to the front elevation, increases with an increasing number of registers (three-column, four-column, five-column, six-column), as the result of which the flat board-like or panel-like character of such high-performance multicolumn heating elements is lost.
The object of the invention is to allow multicolumn heating elements having the design described at the outset, which on the one hand have a small thickness and still have excellent thermal output, and on the other hand may be cost-effectively manufactured.
To achieve this object, the invention provides a tube register (RR) for a heat exchanger (WT), in particular a heating element or cooling element, through which a heat transfer fluid may flow, and which has two distributor lines (1, 2), between which a plurality of connecting tubes (3) extend which fluidically connect the first distributor line, also referred to as the supply distributor (1), to the second distributor line, also referred to as the return distributor (2), the tube register having a linear supply distributor (1) and a linear return distributor (2) running in parallel thereto, between which a plurality of connecting tubes (3), situated in a plane, extend, the first ends (3a) of the connecting tubes (3) in each case being fluidically connected to the supply distributor (1), and the second ends (3b) of the connecting tubes (3) in each case being fluidically connected to the return distributor (2). According to the invention, the connecting sites (P1) between the supply distributor (1) and the connecting tubes (3) are situated eccentrically, relative to the center axis (M1) of the supply distributor (1), on the supply distributor (1), and the connecting sites (P2) between the return distributor (2) and the connecting tubes (3) are situated eccentrically, relative to the center axis (M2) of the return distributor (2), on the return distributor (2).
The tube register (RR) according to the invention, in a projection plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the supply distributors and return distributors, has the appearance of a structure having the approximate shape of a rectangular letter C, the projection of the supply distributor (1) forming the upper horizontal section of the C, the projection of the return distributor (2) forming the lower horizontal section of the C, and the projection of the connecting tubes (3) forming the vertical section of the C.
The tube register according to the invention therefore has only two planes of symmetry. A first plane of symmetry extends orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the supply distributor (1) and orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the return distributor (2). A second plane of symmetry extends orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the connecting tubes (3). The tube register according to the invention is asymmetrical with respect to any third plane which extends in parallel to the longitudinal axes of the supply distributor (1), of the return distributor (2) and of the connecting tubes (3).
Due to this asymmetry of the tube register (RR) according to the invention, by combining multiple (n) tube registers (RR1, RR2, . . . , RRn) according to the invention, a wide variety of heat exchangers (WT) according to the invention may be manufactured, each of which has different dimensions and thermal properties with regard to radiation output and convection, depending on the relative configuration of the individual registers (RR1, RR2, . . . , RRn) with respect to one another.
In addition, using the tube register (RR) according to the invention as a modular base element, a wide variety of heat exchangers (WT) according to the invention may be cost-effectively manufactured.
According to one particularly preferred embodiment, the tube register (RR) is made of polymer material.
As a result, particularly lightweight heat exchangers (WT) according to the invention may be manufactured, which have a very large ratio of the thermal output (radiation+convection) of the heat exchanger to the mass of the heat exchanger.
The supply distributor (1) and the return distributor (2) may be made of a first polymer material, while the connecting tubes (3) may be made of a second polymer material. Alternatively, the supply distributor (1) and the return distributor (2) as well as the connecting tubes (3) may be made of the same polymer material.
The supply distributor (1) and the return distributor (2) as well as the connecting tubes (3) are preferably tubes that are manufactured by extrusion, and welded or glued to one another at the connecting sites (P1, P2). In the case of a weld connection, ultrasonic welding is preferred.
Moreover, the invention provides a heat exchanger (WT), in particular a heating element or cooling element, which has multiple adjacently situated tube registers (RR1, RR2, . . . , RRn) according to one of the preceding paragraphs.
Due to the asymmetry of the tube registers (RR1, RR2, . . . , RRn) according to the invention, the combination of multiple (n) such tube registers to form a heat exchanger (WT) allows a wide variety of heat exchangers (WT) according to the invention, which have different dimensions and thermal properties with regard to radiation output and convection, depending on the relative configuration of the individual registers (RR1, RR2, . . . , RRn) with respect to one another. This wide variety of heat exchangers (WT) according to the invention may therefore be cost-effectively manufactured.
In the heat exchanger (WT) according to the invention, the adjacently situated fluid inlets of the adjacently situated supply distributors (1) are preferably fluidically connected to one another by means of a supply collection member (S1) which establishes a fluid connection to the supply line connection (A1) of the heat exchanger (WT), and the adjacently situated fluid outlets of the adjacently situated return distributors (2) are fluidically connected to one another by means of a return collection member (S2) which establishes a fluid connection to the return line connection (A2) of the heat exchanger (WT).
The supply collection member (S1) and the return collection member (S2) are preferably made of a polymer material, and are preferably manufactured by injection molding.
The asymmetry of the tube registers (RR1, RR2, . . . , RRn) according to the invention and the multiple options for arranging these tube registers, which always have identical shapes, relative to one another as inexpensive base elements are a first factor which contributes toward achieving the object according to the invention.
The diversity of the heat exchanger variants according to the invention is made possible by a corresponding diversity of collection members (1, 2). Due to the above-described symmetries of each individual tube register (RR) and the corresponding symmetries of any tube register combinations, and due to the connection of the supply line at the top left and the connection of the return line at the bottom right, the configurations of the adjacently situated fluid inlets of the adjacently situated supply distributors (1) are point-symmetrical with respect to the configurations of the adjacently situated fluid outlets of the adjacently situated return distributors (2).
The supply collection member (1) and the return collection member (2) may thus have identical shapes. This is a second factor which contributes toward achieving the object according to the invention.
As a result, assembling a heat exchanger according to the invention only requires identical tube registers according to the invention in the required number, and two likewise identical collection members for combining the supply distributors and the return distributors. On account of their compact dimensions, the collection members may be cost-effectively manufactured by injection molding.
The supply distributors (1) are preferably glued or welded to the supply collection member (S1) in the area of their fluid connection to same, and the return distributors (2) are preferably glued or welded to the return collection member (S2) in the area of their fluid connection to same.
The heat exchanger (WT) may have a plate-like cover element, which is preferably made of a metal mesh and/or a metal sheet, at least on one of its large surfaces i.e., on its front surface (5) and/or on its rear surface (6).
This contributes to homogenization of the surface temperature of the heat exchanger, which is operated as a wall heating element, for example, and to an intensified chimney effect in its interior.
Further advantages, features, and possible applications of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are not to be construed as limiting, with reference to the drawings, which show the following:
A space is present between the first tube register R1 and the register unit RR2-RR3 formed from the second and the third tube registers RR2, RR3, and forms a vertical convection channel for air which is heated or cooled between the registers RR1, RR2, RR3.
A first space is present between the first tube register RR1 and the register unit RR2-RR3 formed from the second and the third tube registers RR2, RR3, and forms a vertical convection channel for air which is heated or cooled between the registers RR1, RR2, RR3.
A second space is present between the first register unit RR2-RR3 and the second register unit RR4-RR5 formed from the fourth and fifth tube registers RR4, RR5, and forms a second vertical convection channel for air which is heated or cooled between the registers RR1, RR2, RR3, RR4, RR5.
The first vertical convection channel K1 and the second vertical convection channel K2 for air, which is heated or cooled between the registers RR1, RR2, RR3, RR4, RR5, are apparent.
Also apparent is a locking member 16, at the upper end of the heating/cooling element WT, which is horizontally displaceable along the upper end of the heating/cooling element WT. The locking member 16 contains a recess 16a that is complementary to the actuator 15, in particular complementary to the set screw 15a thereof. The two members 15, 16 may be brought into locking engagement with one another by displacing the locking member 16 until it reaches the actuator 15, as a result of which the actuator 15 is locked by the locking member 16. The heating/cooling element WT is thereby locked at its upper end to the brackets H1, H2 by means of two locking members 16.
The heating/cooling element WT is mounted by initially hanging it on the suspension member 18 at the lower end of the brackets H1, H2, and then locking it together with the two actuators 15 and the two locking members 16 at the upper end of the brackets H1, H2.
In the locked state, on the one hand the locking member 16 is engaged with the actuator 15 by means of the mutually complementary formations 15a and 16a, and on the other hand the floor panel 19 is engaged with the suspension member 18 by means of the mutually complementary formations 18a and 19a.
A step drill SB is then used to introduce a stepped borehole, i.e., a through borehole DB having a borehole shoulder BS, through the wall of the supply distributor 1, which is fixed in place by the bearing areas or force transmission areas L1,L2, L3.
The first end 3a of a connecting tube 3 is then inserted into this stepped borehole DB in the supply distributor 1, and is then glued and/or welded, preferably by ultrasonic welding, to the supply distributor 1.
The statements made with regard to
It is noted that in the above description, the terms “heat exchanger,” “heating element and/or cooling element,” and “heating/cooling element” are interchangeable, since any of these heat exchangers WT may be used as a heating element or as a cooling element.
Claims
1. A tube register (RR) for a heat exchanger (WT), the tube register comprising:
- a heating element or cooling element, through which a heat transfer fluid may flow, and which has two distributor lines (1, 2), said first distributor line being a supply distributor and said second line being a return distributor: and
- a plurality of connecting tubes (3) extending between said supply distributor and said return distributor which fluidically connect said supply distributor to said return distributor:
- wherein said supply distributor (1) is linear, and said return distributor (2) is linear and in parallel with said supply distributor; and
- wherein said plurality of connecting tubes (3), are situated in a plane, extending between said supply distributor (1), and said return distributor (2), whereby the connecting sites (P1) between the supply distributor (1) and the connecting tubes (3) are situated eccentrically, relative to the center axis (M1) of the supply distributor (1), on the supply distributor (1), and the connecting sites (P2) between the return distributor (2) and the connecting tubes (3) are situated eccentrically, relative to the center axis (M2) of the return distributor (2), on the return distributor (2).
2. The tube register according to claim 1, wherein said tube register is made of at least one polymer material.
3. The tube register according to claim 2, wherein said supply distributor (1) and the return distributor (2) are made of a first polymer material, and the connecting tubes (3) are made of a second polymer material.
4. The tube register according to claim 2, wherein said supply distributor (1), said return distributor (2), and said connecting tubes (3) are made of the same polymer material.
5. The tube register according to claim 2 wherein said supply distributor (1) and said return distributor (2) and said connecting tubes (3) are tubes that are manufactured by extrusion, and welded or glued to one another at the connecting sites (P1, P2).
6. A heat exchanger (WT) comprising: two or more adjacently situated tube registers (RR1, RR2,..., RRn) according to claim 1.
7. The heat exchanger (WT) according to claim 6, wherein said adjacently situated fluid inlets of the adjacently situated supply distributors (1) are fluidically connected to one another by means of a supply collection member (S1), which establishes a fluid connection to the supply line connection (Al) of the heat exchanger (WT), and the adjacently situated fluid outlets of the adjacently situated return distributors (2) are fluidicaily connected to one another by means of a return collection member (S2), Which establishes a fluid connection to the return line connection (A2) of the heat exchanger (WT).
8. The heat exchanger (WT) according to claim 7, wherein said supply collection member (S1) and the return collection member (S2) are made of a polymer material, and are preferably manufactured by injection molding.
9. The heat exchanger (WT) according to claim 8, wherein said supply distributors (1) are glued or welded to the supply collection member (S1) in the area of their fluid connection to same, and the return distributors (2) are glued or welded to the return collection member (S2) in the area of their fluid connection to same.
10. The heat exchanger (WT) according to claim 6, further comprising a plate-like cover element (11 or 12), said cover element is made of a metal mesh and/or a metal sheet, at least on one of its large surfaces i.e., on its front surface (5) and/or on its rear surface (6).
11. The tube register according claim 4 wherein said supply distributor (1) and said return distributor (2) and said connecting tubes (3) are tubes that are manufactured by extrusion, and welded or glued to one another at the connecting sites (P1, P2).
12. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein at least one tube register of the heat exchanger is made of at least one polymer material.
13. The tube register according to claim 6, wherein at least one supply distributor (1) and at least one return distributor (2) are made of a first polymer material, and at least one connecting tubes (3) is made of a second polymer material.
14. The tube register according to claim 6, wherein at least one supply distributor (1), at least one return distributor (2), and at least one connecting tube (3) is made of the same polymer material.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 4, 2014
Publication Date: Mar 23, 2017
Applicant: Zehnder Group International AG (Granichen)
Inventors: Dominik EGGERT (Zürich), Uwe WERNER (Hütten), Roland DIETHELM (Winterthur)
Application Number: 15/101,485