APPAREIL ET METHODE POUR LA FABRICATION DE ROTORS CYLINDRIQUES POUR LES ECHANGEURS D'HUMIDITE ET DE CHALEUR

METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF CYLINDRICAL ROTOR STRUCTURES FOR MOISTURE AND/OR HEAT EXCHANGERS

Abrégé anglais

A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF CYLINDRICAL
ROTOR STRUCTURES FOR MOISTURE AND/OR HEAT EXCHANGERS.
Abstract of the Invention
The invention relates to manufacture of a rotor mass
for moisture and/or heat transferrers and composed of alter-
nately plane and corrugated layers of thin sheet material
with the corrugations forming axially extending fine channels.
The layers are assembled in predetermined positions relative
one another and joined together by gluing. As the glues
hitherto used harden relatively slowly the layers, especially
when consisting of very thin sheet material before solidifi-
cation of the glue are exposed to displacement relative one
another which may cause undesired deformations of the rotor
and in particular the fine channels. To avoid this danger
the invention suggests application of a second glue type in
addition to the conventional glue type. Whereas the latter
imparts to the rotor structure required mechanical strength,
the additional glue is of a kind solidifying almost instant-
aneously and thereby effecting a first direct sticking
between the layers immediately upon assemblage and thus
ensuring sufficient protection against displacement of the
layers relative one another and deformation of the fine
axial channels during subsequent assemblage, storage and
transport of the rotor. The invention includes also an
apparatus for carrying out the method in a simple and
reliable manner.
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Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION FOR WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In the method of producing a thermodynamic exchanger rotor
from a bi-layered strip of superposed slat and continuously cor-
rugated thin sheet material which is formed into a cellular struc-
ture composed of alternating flat and corrugated layers forming
a maze of channels through which streams of fluid media are passed
in thermodynamic exchange with one another, the improvement char-
acterized by the steps of:
a) advancing continuously a first flat strip of sheet
material between a pair of corrugating rollers to a winding sta-
tion;
b) applying at least one line of rapidly-hardening hot ad-
hesive to the nodes of the resultant corrugations upon emergence
of the strip from between the rollers;
c) subsequently applying a line of slow-hardening adhes-
ive adjacent said line of rapidly-hardening adhesive during the
further advancement of the corrugated strip; and
d) advancing continuously a second flat strip of sheet
material into contact with the thus adhesive-treated nodes of the
corrugations to cause said flat strip to adhere upon contact along
said line of rapidly-hardening adhesive to form an initially
stabilized bi-layered strip and to allow said slow-hardening ad-
hesive to set and impart to the bi-layered strip the required me-
chanical strength.
2. The method according to Claim 1, in which a line of slow-
hardening adhesive is applied to the nodes of the bi-layered strip
on the side obverse to said second flat strip prior to the form-
ing operation.
3. The method according to Claim 1, in which said initially
formed bi-layered strip is cooled to solidify the rapidly-harden-
ing hot adhesive.

4. In an apparatus for producing a thermodynamic exchanger
rotor from a bi-layered strip of superposed flat and continuously
corrugated thin sheet material which is formed into a cellular
structure composed of alternating flat and corrugated layers form-
ing a maze of channels through which streams of fluid media are
passed in thermodynamic exchange with one another, the improvement
characterized by:
a) means for continuously advancing a first flat strip of
sheet material from a supply source between a pair of intermesh-
ing corrugating rollers to a forming station;
b) means for applying a line of rapidly-hardening hot ad-
hesive to the nodes of the resultant corrugations along at least
one zone upon emergence of said strip from between the rollers;
c) means for subsequently applying a line of slow-harden-
ing adhesive adjacent the said zone of rapidly-hardening adhes-
ive during the further advancement of said strip;
d) means for continuously advancing a second flat strip
of sheet material from a source of supply to said forming station
in contact with the thus adhesive-treated nodes of said corru-
gations to cause said second strip to adhere upon contact along
said zone of rapidly-hardening adhesive to form an initially sta-
bilized bi-layered strip while allowing the line of slow-hardening
adhesive to set and impart to the bi-layered strip the required
mechanical strength.
5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, having means for applying
an additional line of slow-hardening adhesive to the nodes of the
corrugations on the side obverse to the second flat strip.
6. Apparatus according to Claim 4, having means for cooling
the initially stabilized bi-layered strip.
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Description

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Fl_ld of the Inl_ntion
This invent-ion relates to manufacture of rotor
structures for exchangers -for effecting changes in the
physical properties of a medium by interaction with an
other medium.
More particularly this invention relates to a method
-- and an apparatus for manufacture of cylindrical rotor
structures for moisture and/or heat exchangers.
Still more particularly the invention relates to a
method of manufacturing a rotor for a moisture and/or heat
- exchanger having a molsture and/or heat exchanging mass of
alternately plane and corrugated layers with the corruga-
tlons extending substantially axially to form a great number
;~ji of axial, fine channels, and in which method the rotor is
built up by alternately plane and corrugated layers being
.; assembled and fixed together and thereafter wound up to a
`, substantially cylindrical rotor structure.
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~i The invention relates also to an apparatus for manu-
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facture of the rotor structure in consideration.
Background of the Invention
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In the manufacture of rotors by the method outlined
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above the fixing together of the layers is effected by apply-
. ing glue preferably to the corrugation ridges of the
.~ corrugated layer before the corrugated and the plane layers
:. .
.~ are brought together to be combined by gluing to a coherent
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strip. Also the fixing together of the turns of winding of
~; the rotor is effected by gluing. The glue type which is used
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has a relatively long duralion of harden-ing or solidifica-
tion o-f up -to 2~ hours. This causes prob1ems for the manu-
facture of the rotor, since an undesired displacement easily
may occur between -the layers. This holds true especially
when the layers are made of aluminium and very -thin such as
less than 100 microns, since the displacement which is due to
:................ stretching of the layers results in deviations from the
:.~ geometric -form aimed at for the finished rotor structure,
~ especially of the fine channels thereof Also transportation
and storage of the rotor is rendered difficult or impossible
during the hardening and solidification duration of the glue.
One main object of the invention is to provide a method
which overcomes the aforestated difficulties in the manufac-
ture of the rotor of the type in consideration due to the
relatively long duration of the solidification of the glue.
- Another main object of the invention is to provide an
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apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention for
.. manufacture of the rotor of the type in consideration in :
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~. perfect geometric form.
`.Y Short Description of the Draw~ngs
... .
~ Further objects and advantages of the invention will
:
~: become apparent from the following description considered
in connection with the accompanying drawing which form part
; of this specification and of which:-
.. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a preferred
;
~. apparatus -for carrying out the method of the .invention, and
,.: .
.~ Fig. 2 is a view following line Il-II in Fig. 1.
:. . Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
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Referring now to the drawin~s and especially the
embodiment shown in Fig. 1~ two thin sheets or webs 10, 12
are unrolled from storage rolls 11 and 13, respectively.
The thin sheets 10, 12 of which the rotor is to be manu-
-factured, may in -the illustrated embodiment be of metal,
such as aluminium, or some suitable plastic material, but
may even be of other material, such as asbestos or cellu-
lose paper, or other similar materials with which the
afore-mentioned problems may arise. If the rotor shall
serve for transfer of moisture the webs may be impregnated
or provided with a hygroscopic substance, such as lithium
chloride, or a solid sorption agent. One of the webs, in
the shown example the web or sheet 12, is folded or corru-
gated so as later on together with the plane sheet form the
channels of the finished rotor. These channels are formed
between the corrugated thin sheets and the plane ones and
the spacing between the turns of winding of the plane web
in the finished rotor is usually less than 3 mms; amounting
for example to between 1 and 2 mms, which defines the vertical
.-
height of the corrugations.
The thin sheet 12 unrolled from the roll 13 is thus fed
over a pulley cylinder 14a to a cylinder 14 formed with grooves
extending in parallel with the shaft of said cylinder which ~ ~;
cooperates with a cylinder 15 which is formed with similar
grooves. The cylinders 14, 15 are positioned relatively to
one another so that the projections of the one cylinder fit
into the grooves of the cooperating other cylinder with the
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web or -thin sheet 12 interposed therebetween. In this way the
thin sheet 12 will be folded when it passes through the pinch
between the cylinders 14 and 15. After the corrugating step
the now shaped thin sheet 12 will Follow w;th and about the
circumference of the cylinder 15 to the top portion thereoF
where it meets the plane thin sheet 10 fed from the storage
roller 11 over a pulley cylinder 16 and a thrust roller 17
the base portion of which is in contact with the cylinder
15 through the interposed thin sheets 10, 12.
The webs or thin sheets 10, 12 when being assembled
shall be joined together to a coherent strip 18. This is :
effected by applying glue to the corrugation ridges on that
~ side of the corrugated web 12 which will meet the plane web
: 10 at the pinch between the cylinders 15, 17.
. .
~ l~hen the sheets or webs after assembly are exposed to
~ a traction in the apparatus, especially when the rotor is
,..
built up vertically, it is in upright position by winding up
about a horizontal hub the composed strip 18, the sheets are stretched,
which especially with very thin sheets, as mentioned in the introductory
part ofthis specification~ may result in that the corru~ated
sheet is extended and the height of the corrugation reduced
and/or that the corrugations are imparted a deFective form.
To eliminate this risk there is applied, according to the
invention, firstly a directly sticking glue which so to say
siezes directly and instantaneously binds the layers to one
another, and secondly a slowly hardening glue which solidi-
fies gradually and imparts to the rotor the necessary
mechanical strength for th~ intendeo use which strength
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cannot be produced by any known type of directly sticking
glue. The directly sticking glue imparts provisionally to
the rotor structure the strength necessary for manufacture
proper of the rotor, transportation from the place of
manufactllre and storage. The directly glue may in this
connection be of the hotmelt adhesive type, i.e. it is
melt or liquid in warm state, but solidifies directly on
contact with a call surface, such as the aluminium or plastic
sheets forming the rotor. The other glue imparting to the
finished rotor the required mechanical strength may, for
example, be a water-based thermosetting glue which usually
has a setting time of about 24 hours.
The hotmelt glue is applied by means of a cylinder 19,
the base part of which dips down into a glue vat 20 below
the glue surface of the glue contained in the same. Inserted
into the glue vat 20 is a heating coil 21 with connection 22
for keeping the glue at a predetermined increased témperature. ~1
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The circumference of the cylinder 19 bears with an upper
portion against a portion of the circumference of the corru-
gated cylinder 15 covered by the corrugated thin sheet 12 so
that the hotmelt glue is applied to the thin sheet on that
side which shortly thereafter will meet the plane thin sheet
10 (see also Fig. 2). According to the invention the glue is
applied to a part only of the corrugated layer 12, in the
shown embodiment on the central portion thereof, whereas
on either side of the hotmelt glue layer at the edges of the
layer 12 two glue strands of the thermosetting glue are
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applied by means of -two cylinders or wheels 23, 24. These
cylinders dip with their base portion down into glue troughs
25, 26 ~hile they with an upper portion of the circumference
bear against a portion of the cylinder 15 over which the
corrugated thin sheet is carried.
In this way the plane thin sheets 10 and the corrugated
thin sheets 12 when meeting one another are instantaneously
given a directly fixed position relative one another, since
the hotmelt glue gets ccld and solidifies almost momentarily
on contact with the thin sheets which thereafter cannot be
dislodged relatively to one another in the followin~ treatment
of the composed strip 18. The thermosetting glue imparts after
solidification required mechanical strength to the finished
rotor as has been described hereinbefore. By carrying out
the gluing operation in the described manner with double
gluing cylinders 23, 24 and one gluing cylinder 19 which are
positioned on different levels three points of pressure
against the thin sheet 12 are obtained which is advantageous
from the viewpoint of manufacturing. The corrugated thin
sheet which follows around with a portion of the circumference
of the cylinder 15 normally tends to rise from the cylinder
which tendency hitherto has been counteracted by guide rails
or fingers (not shown) arranged behind said portion of the
circumference of the cylinder and retaining the corrugated
thin sheet in the grooves of the cylinder. Because of the
broad gluing zones these fingers or guide rails cause incon-
.:;
veniencies by glue sticking to and forming clods on the
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fingers or guide rails. Thanks -to the described arrangement
of the cylinders 19, 23, 2~ the fingers or rails can be
dispensed with, the three cylinders have proved to be suffi-
cient for retaining the corrugated layer tightly on the
cylinder 15. In order to ensure the solidification of the
hotmelt glue there may be provided behind the cylinders 15,
17 a cooling zone as is indicated by the cooling device 27
shown with broken lines and which is operated with cold air
or the like agent to cool the plane sheet 10. However, this
device is optional, since the hotmelt glue has proved
normally to be sufficiently cooled for becoming solidified
on contact with the cold webs of thin sheet material.
After the gluing step the composed strip 18 is guided
over a pulley cylinder 28 and a cylinder 29 at the underside
of which a gluing cylinder 30 which is immersed into a
glue vat 31 applies glue on the corrugated side of the strip
18 which is averted from the plane side. As the joined strip
18 has quite another strength than the individual sheets
1O~ 12 and thereby the form of the channels is fixed, the
previously mentioned stretching occurring in connection with
the winding up of the strlp to obtain the deslred cylindrical
rotor structure is no longer as harmful as before, nor can
it have any effect on the corrugations for which reason the
gluing of the rotor when the corrugated and the plane free
surfaces of the composed strip 18 meet one another can be
effected solely with thermosetting glue of the same kind as.
is applied by the cylinders 23, 24, i.e. that glue which
imparts to the finished rotor its mechanical strength.
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However, it is clear if it should prove desirable or
necessary that this gluing step can be efFected in the
: same manner as with the cylinders 19, 23, 24. The winding
up of the rotor is effected in a manner known in the art,
For which reason it is not shown or described here in more
- detail.
The elements oF the described apparatus for applica-
tion of glue, guiding of the thin sheets and Forming the
composed strip etc. can be given some o-ther form than the
shown ones.
- : blhile one more or less specific embodiment of the
invention has been sh-own and described, it is to be under-
. stood that this is for purpose of illustration only, and
-: that the invention is not to be llmited thereby, but its
.~ scope is to be determined by the appended claims.
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