Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting Exchange of Temperature Between Fluids.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting Exchange of Temperature
Between Fluids.
I, FRÉDÉRIC FOUCHÉ, of No. 38, Rue des Ecluses, St. Martin, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an efficient apparatus for effecting
exchange of temperature between fluids the said apparatus mainly consisting of
a number of double plates with spaces between them and hereinafter termed
elements which elements. are connected to form a complete apparatus.
""
One of the two fluids between which the exchange of temperature is to be
effected is caused to flow through the apparatus in contact with the interior
surfaces of the elements whilst the other one of the said fluids is caused to
impinge against the exterior surfaces of the said elements. The apparatus may
be employed for various purposes for instance for cooling gases, brewers wort,
condensing steam and the like or for heating liquids, heating air for conser-
vatories, or greenhouses, apartments and the like.
66
The elements" are constructed as follows:-
Two metal plates stamped to a slightly curved shape at the edges, while the
remainder of their surfaces is left plane, are so joined together at their outer
perimeters that there is space between them. The junction may be effected
by means of rivets, hooks or bolts, or by soldering, welding or brazing, or other
suitable means which will make fluid-tight joints. The plates are preferably
of an elongated rectangular shape.
At the upper and lower ends of each plate are apertures, and between the
two plates of each element there are interposed cores of a thickness sufficient to
extend between the said plates and beyond the outer sides thereof. The plates
and the cores are joined together by any convenient means that will ensure per-
fectly fluid-tight joints. Through the said cores there extends a wide axial
passage, into which open channels or ports parallel with the plates, and radiating
from the axial passage.
The arrangement of core pieces is the same or similar at the upper and lower
parts of the elements where there are to be separate channels for inlet and outlet
one above and one below.
By placing a number of elements, thus constructed, side by side, so that the
cores exactly correspond and fit together, a structure is formed consisting of
hollow laminae, the interior spaces of which are connected to two tubes by the
channels formed by the upper and lower series of core-pieces respectively, the
several "elements are bound together by bolts or rods passed through the said
channels and to outside where they are furnished with tightening nuts.

page_text: In order to ensure fluid-tight joints a plastic or packing material may be
used thereat. The junction of one core with the next may be made by means
of a bead or rib on one side and a corresponding groove on the other side, the
bead or rib on one core entering the groove in the adjacent core into which
groove plastic or packing material may be introduced. A temperature-exchang-
ing apparatus is thus obtained, consisting of thin laminae offering large areas and
applicable to a great variety of purposes.
The plates may be undulated but have plane portions which serve for joining
the plates together. Elements thus constructed are stronger and more effective,
inasmuch as the projecting or raised parts of their surfaces effect a secondary
or stirring motion in the fluids passing between the, plates.
If desired one series of cores only can be employed, the inner channel of which
is divided into two parts by a partition the fluid entering the apparatus through
one-half of the channel, and passing out through the other together with the
products of condensation, if any. Or a single series of cores, without any parti-
tion, may be used, the fluid being admitted at one end of the channel formed
by such series of cores, and discharged at the opposite end of the said channel.
Or the fluid may be both admitted to and discharged from, the same end of the
channel. These last-described arrangements are chiefly applicable where the
fluid which passes into the apparatus is a vapour which will condense within the
apparatus.
...
In some cases it may be expedient to arrange the elements in such a manner
that the fluid current shall traverse each element separately, or the elements
may be divided into a number of groups or sets, through each of which is sent
the whole of the fluid current. To effect this, it is only necessary to close the
passage leading directly from one "element" to the next alternately above and
below so as to form a circuitous path for the fluid.
Whatever method of circulation within the elements may be adopted, the
course taken by the fluid which circulates outside the said plates may vary.
. Or instead of solid cores as already described I may form them of hollow per-
forated parts. These parts are preferably rectangular in transverse section while
the plates are stamped, one set with projecting ribs and the other set with corre-
sponding grooves or recesses, and the several plates being put together by intro-
ducing the ribs of one set of plates into the grooves of the other set. Thus the
joint between two consecutive plates instead of being made by the cores, is made
by the plates themselves and there is longer need to have a tight joint between
the said plates and the core.
In order to increase the strength of the hollow cores they may be formed with
a cross section corresponding more or less to the plates enclosing them. Thus the
core may be formed with a single projection corresponding to the projection
in one plate, or the cores may be made with three projections so as to completely
fit into and correspond with the form or outline of the pair of plates.
.
Where the apparatus has to withstand pressure, either within, or between,
the elements, it is advisable to interpose in every two adjacent spaces a metal
grate or lattice or arrangement of cross-ties. In thus tying the plates together,
within two adjoining spaces, to protect them from deformation, it will suffice to
give adequate resistance only to the outer elements in each set, by firmly joining
one to the other, where the inner plates have counterbalancing pressures upon
them.
I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction described as they
may of course, be varied without departing from the nature of the invention.
Dated this 29th day of March 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting Exchange of Temperature
Between Fluids.
I, FRÉDÉRIC FOUCHÉ, of No. 38, Rue des Ecluses, St. Martin, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:.
-
The object of this invention is to provide an efficient apparatus for effecting
exchange of temperature between fluids the said apparatus mainly consisting of
a number of double plates with spaces between them and hereinafter termed
"elements " which elements are connected to form a complete apparatus.
1.1
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will describe it in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a detail view of parts of the elements" of a temperature-exchang-
ing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 3 an end elevation of the
apparatus, and
Figures 4 to 9 show various forms of the said apparatus.
Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 show further modified forms of the said apparatus,
Figure 11 being an end elevation of the part shewn in section in Figure 10.
The elements are constructed as follows:-
-
Two metal plates ab stamped to a slightly curved shape at the edges, while
the remainder of their surfaces is left plane, are so joined together at their outer
perimeters that there is space between them. The junction 'may be effected by
means of rivets, hooks or bolts, or by soldering, welding or brazing, or other
suitable means which will make fluid-tight joints. The plates are preferably
of an elongated rectangular shape as shewn in Figure 3.
T
At the upper and lower ends of each plate are apertures and between the two
plates of each element there are interposed cores c of a thickness sufficient to
extend between the said plates and beyond the outer sides thereof. The plates
and the cores are joined together by any convenient means that will ensure
perfectly fluid-tight joints. Through the said cores c there extends a wide axial
passage, into, which open channels or ports d, parallel with the plates, and
radiating from the axial passage.
The arrangement of core-pieces is the same or similar at the upper and lower
parts of the elements where there are to be separate channels for inlet and outlet,
one above and one below.
By placing a number of elements, thus constructed, side by side, (as shown in
Figure 2) so that the cores exactly correspond and fit together, a structure is
formed consisting of hollow laminae, the interior spaces of which are connected
to two tubes, ef by the channels d, formed by the upper and lower series of
core-pieces c and cl respectively. The several **elements are bound, together
by rods and bolts passed through the said channels and to outside where they
are, furnished with, tightening nuts k.
"
In order to ensure Huid-tight joints, a plastic or packing material may be used
thereat. The junction of one core with the next is shewn as being made by
means of a bead or rib.g on one side and a corresponding groove h on the other
side, the bead or rib on one core entering the groove on the adjacent core into
which groove plastic or packing material may be introduced. A temperature-
exchanging apparatus.is. thus obtained, consisting of thin laminae offering large
areas, and applicable to a great variety of purposes.
"

page_text: :
These double plates are generally applicable to any temperature exchanging
apparatus in which the circulation of one of the fluids or of the two fluids is due
to the action of special driving mechanism such as a pump or fan for example,
or to the displacement of the apparatus itself as for example in the case of an
autocar or a ship.
Among such apparatus are for example
1. Condensers in which steam is condensed by a current of air from a fan.
2. Air coolers in which a current of air from a fan is cooled by a stream of
water.
3. Water coolers in which a stream of warm water is cooled by a current of
air from a fan or a jet of steam or gas or by the displacement of an autocar carry-
ing the apparatus.
4. Surface condensers for water in which condensation is obtained either by
circulation from a pump or by the movement of a ship carrying the condenser.
In all such apparatus the use of these double plates lessens both the size and
cost of the apparatus as by reducing the fluid to thin sheets the plates better
utilize the surfaces of exchange and consequently allow these surfaces to be
reduced to a minimum for obtaining any desired exchange of temperature.
The use of these plates also reduces the resistance which motors such as pumps
or ventilators have to overcome as the fluids, between which the exchange of
temperature takes place, circulate through passages formed by parallel surfaces
and practically uniform in section thereby avoiding eddies which are a cause
of a considerable expenditure of work.
In order to secure this uniformity of section I employ methods of construction
which will enable me to obtain as complete a parallelism as possible between
the surfaces of the plates. The said surfaces may be plain or corrugated; in
the latter case the corrugations should have radii respectively R and R + E,
E being the distance between the two plates, that is to say the thickness of the
layer of fluid circulating between them.
Figure 4 shows an arrangement wherein the plates a and b are corrugated
or undulated, but have plane portions which serve for joining the plates together.
Elements thus constructed are stronger and more effective, inasmuch as the
projecting or raised parts of their surfaces effect a secondary or stirring motion
in the fluids passing between the plates.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 5, one series of cores c only is employed,
the inner channel of which is divided into two parts by a partition 1, the fluid
entering the apparatus through one-half of the channel, and passing out through
the other together with the products of condensation, if any. Or a single series
of cores c without any partition may be used, as shewn in Figures 6 and 7, the
fluid being admitted at one end e of the channel formed by such series of cores,
and discharged at the opposite end f of the said channel (Figure 6). Or the
fluid may be both admitted to, and discharged from, the same end e of the channel
(Figure 7). These last-described arrangements are chiefly applicable where the
fluid which passes into the apparatus is a vapour which will condense within' the
apparatus.
In some cases it may be expedient to arrange the elements in such a manner
that the fluid current shall traverse each element separately; or the elements may
be divided into a number of groups or sets, through each of which is sent the
whole of the fluid current. To effect this, it is only necessary to close the passage
leading directly from one element to the next by partitions m for example
(Figure 8) alternately above and below so as to form a circuitous path for the
fluid..
Whatever method of circulation within the elements may be adopted, the course
taken by the fluid which circulates outside the said plates may vary, as indicated
in Figure 9.
Or instead of solid cores c as already described I may form them of hollow
perforated parts, as shewn in Figures 10 and 11. These parts are preferably

page_text: rectangular in transverse section while the plates are stamped, one set b with
projecting ribs and the other set a with corresponding grooves or recesses h,
the several plates being put together by introducing the ribs g of one set of
plates into the grooves h of the other set. Thus the joint between two conse-
cutive plates instead of being made by the cores, is made by the plates them-
selves and there is no longer need to have a tight joint between the said plates
and the core.
In order to increase the strength of the hollow cores they may be formed with
a cross section corresponding more or less to the plates enclosing them. Thus in
Figure 12 the core is shewn formed with a single projection corresponding to
the projection in the plate b, while in Figure 13 the cores have three projec-
tions g g g so as to completely fit into and correspond with the form or out-
line of the two plates a and b.
Where the apparatus has to withstand pressure, either within, or between,
the elements, it is advisable to interpose in every two adjacent spaces a metal
grate or lattice or arrangement of cross-ties. In thus tying the plates together
within and between the elements to protect them from deformation, it will
suffice to give adequate resistance only to the outer elements in each set, by firmly
joining one to the other, where the inner plates have counterbalancing pressures
upon them.
I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction described as they
may of course be varied without departing from the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In apparatus for effecting exchange of temperature between fluids the em-
ployment of elements consisting of chambers or passages of small width formed
by the junction of pairs of metal plates, the elements being connected together
by means of a series or two or more series of hollow cores, which form a continuous
channel or channels with branches leading into each of the elements substan-
tially as herein above described.
2. The several arrangements and combinations of parts constituting tem-
perature exchanging apparatus substantially as herein before described and illus-
trated in the several figures of the accompanying drawings.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.