Reduced thermal expansion closure bars for a heat exchanger

• Main Authors: Zager Michael, Army Donald E, McColgan Charles J, Palmer Nigel, Kan George
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.10.2017
• Subjects: BLASTING; CYLINDERS; DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OFGENERAL APPLICATION; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS,IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PISTONS; SEALINGS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A plate fin heat exchanger is configured to receive hot flow from a hot source and cool flow from a cool source. The plate fin heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates arranged in parallel to define a plurality of flow passages there between, and a set of closure bars arranged at a first side of the plurality of plates to seal a first set of the flow passages against ingress of the hot flow, thereby directing the hot flow into a second set of the flow passages. Each respective closure bar includes an inner core formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The first coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion.