Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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A Heat- and/or Moisture-Exchange Element
The invention concerns a heat- and/or moisture-exchange element,
e.g. a heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate for plate heat
and/or moisture exchangers, a storage-mass layer for rotary
heat- and/or moisture exchangers, and the like.
Such exchange elements known in the prior art are usually
constructed from a suitable material which, if the exchange
element is provided for a rotary heat- and/or moisture
exchanger, is provided with a coating on one or both opposing
surfaces that are exposed to the fluid flows, wherein this
coating is adapted to the respectively set requirements profile
and if the exchange element is constructed as a heat- and/or
a5 moisture-exchange plate for plate heat- and/or moisture
exchangers, is either, for moisture transfer, designed as a
membrane or is, insofar as heat is going to be transferred
exclusively, provided as a volume. A metallic substance, e.g.
aluminum, or a plastic material comparable to a metal material
with respect to the properties that are required based on the
technical specialty area here, is usually provided as the
material for the base element of the heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element.
Proceeding from the prior art described above, the invention is
based on the task of creating a heat- and/or moisture-exchange
element, e.g. a heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate for plate
heat and/or moisture exchangers, a storage-mass layer for rotary
heat and/or moisture exchangers, and the like, which, without
noticeably increasing the engineering expense of construction
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for manufacturing it, allows greater and more precisely adjustable
efficiency in the transfer of thermal energy and/or moisture. In
particular, a heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate will be
mechanically stable and yet permeable to moisture.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element being constructed from a
structure perforated by a plurality of hollow spaces and
designed to be selectively permeable to water or water vapor
and/or storage-capable. The mechanical requirements set, and in
this regard the thermal stability, of the heat- and/or moisture-
exchange elements can be considered here on a scale not known to
date. Depending on the engineering requirements mentioned, the
material matrix of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
-15 can be produced with the properties desired.
The different
properties and requirements for the transfer of thermal energy
and/or moisture at the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
can be considered during the manufacture of the structure.
Advantageously, the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
according to the invention is sintered from a suitable material.
Depending on the requirement profile for the material matrix or
the structure of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element, an
appropriate suitable material can be selected and/or worked out.
The selective permeability to water or water vapor of the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element according to the invention can
be achieved by means of a suitable polymeric material.
Advantageously, the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
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according to the invention can have a layer made of this
polymeric material. Alternatively, it is possible for the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element to be impregnated with the
suitable polymeric material in a layer region.
A suitable metal, plastic, or ceramic material can be provided
as a suitable material for the material matrix or the structure
perforated by a plurality of hollow spaces.
The moisture-storage capacity of the heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element can be achieved by means of a drying agent,
e.g. by means of lithium chloride, silica gel, zeolite, or the
like, which is inserted into the material matrix or into the
structure perforated by a plurality of hollow spaces.
The material matrix can be made of a polyolefin, particularly of
a sinterable polyolefin.
It has proven to be especially advantageous for the material
matrix or the structure perforated by a plurality of hollow
spaces to be made of a medium-molecular-weight polyolefin.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the heat- and/or
moisture-exchange element according to the invention, its
structure perforated by a plurality of hollow spaces can be made
of a polyethylene. A sintered material matrix made of a medium-
molecular-weight polyethylene powder has proven to be especially
advantageous.
It is also possible to make the material matrix of the heat-
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a nd / o r moisture-exchange element out of polypropylene or
polyvinyl chloride.
Alternatively, metal compounds, particularly metal oxides and
metal carbides, are not out of the question, as a material for
the material matrix of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange
element.
The heat- and/or moisture- exchange element can, after, during,
or before establishing its structure, be hydrophilically
adjusted, in which, when producing the hydrophilic adjustment
prior to establishing its structure, the raw material needed to
produce its structure is already adjusted to be hydrophilic.
-15 After, during or before production of the structure of the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element said element can be
hydrophilically adjusted, wherein the raw materials required for
production of said structure are hydrophilically adjusted
already during the hydrophilic adjustment that precedes the
production of the structure of said element.
The hydrophilic adjustment of the already-manufactured material
matrix or structure of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange
element according to the invention can be accomplished by means
of a dipping bath, a spraying process, an application, and/or an
input of suitable materials, e.g. of surfactants.
As an especially suitable plastic for making the material matrix
or the structure of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
according to the invention,
a medium-molecular-weight
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polyethylene powder has been particularly emphasized, which
powder is preferably loaded before sintering with an additive
that causes hydrophilic adjustment of the heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element.
As a plastic, the plastic Hostalen GHR 8110 in particular can
be provided, and the material Hostapur0 SAS 60F for the material
providing the hydrophilic adjustment.
Appropriately, the sintered material matrix of the heat- and/or
moisture-exchange element has a density of about 0.5 0.1 g/cm3,
preferably of 0.507 to 0.522, and especially of 0.517 g/cm3. The
proportion of pores in the sintered material matrix amounts,
according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, to
about 34 to 44%, preferably 38.6 to 40.1%, and especially 39.1%,
by volume. In addition, the sintered material matrix
advantageously exhibits an average pore diameter of 25 to 35 pm,
preferably 30 pm.
The tensile strength of the sintered material matrix is
preferably greater than 2.0 N/mm2 and preferably lies between
2.22 to 2.70, particularly 2.45 N/mm2.
In order to be able to use the heat- and/or moisture-exchange
element in a simple manner for assembling counterflow heat-
and/or moisture exchangers, for example, or rotary heat- and/or
moisture exchangers, this heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
appropriately exhibits a outer three-dimensional structure, e.g.
the outer three-dimensional structure of a heat- and/or
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moisture-exchange plate for counterflow heat- and/or moisture
exchangers or the outer three-dimensional structure of a
corrugated storage-mass layer, for example, of a rotary heat
and/or moisture exchanger, into which the heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element can be brought by means of a suitable forming
process, e.g. a deep-drawing process under vacuum or with
compressed air, form-sintering, stamping, or in the case of a
metal material, cold stamping.
The heat- and/or moisture-exchange element according to the
invention or the heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate according
to the invention can be advantageously used for a counterflow
heat and/or moisture exchanger.
-15 If the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element has a base part
that forms an openwork structure and a filler that is introduced
into the hollow spaces of the openwork structure of the base
part, the mechanical requirements set and those relating to the
thermal stability of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
can be taken into consideration using an appropriate design of
the base part.
Depending on the engineering requirements
mentioned, the base part can be constructed with respect to
material and design of the openwork structure.
The different
properties and requirements for the transfer of thermal energy
and/or moisture at the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
can be met by the choice of a suitable filler.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the heat- and/or
moisture-exchange element according to the invention, the
structure of the base part perforated by a plurality of hollow
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spaces is formed by a fabric, e.g. made of metal threads; a non-
woven fabric, e.g. made of metal fibers; a knit, fine threads,
or a sintered material.
Alternatively, it is possible to design the base part of the
heat- and/or moisture-exchange element as a lattice structure.
Such lattice structures can be made with high quality and in
identical design at a comparatively low engineering-construction
expense. The lattice structure of the base part can, for
example, be constructed from a suitable metal material or a
suitable plastic.
It is possible to construct a lattice structure for the base
part out of metal wires.
The base part can also be constructed from at least one lattice
mesh.
If several lattice meshes are provided, it is possible to
arrange the hollow spaces of the adjacent lattice meshes
staggered in relation to one another resulting in altered
perforations in the base part with respect to their flow cross-
section.
A suitable polymeric material has proven to be especially
advantageous as a filler.
Such a polymeric material can fill in the hollow spaces of the
openwork structure of the base part, impregnating the base part
with this polymeric material, at comparatively low process-
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engineering expense.
A suitable Nexar0-polymer material from the firm of Kraton can
be provided in particular as a polymeric material, which can be
adjusted with regard to its permeability to water, for example,
and which in addition preferably exhibits a high wet strength.
In order to be able to use the heat- and/or moisture-exchange
element according to the invention in a simple manner for
assembling counterflow heat and/or moisture exchangers or rotary
heat and/or moisture exchangers, this heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element appropriately exhibits an outer three-
dimensional structure, e.g. the outer three-dimensional
structure of a heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate for
counterflow heat and/or moisture exchangers or the outer three-
dimensional structure of a corrugated storage-mass layer, for
example, of a rotary heat and/or moisture exchanger, into which
the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element can be brought by
means of a suitable forming process, e.g. by means of stamping.
The heat- and/or moisture-exchange element according to the
invention or the heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate according
to the invention can be used advantageously for a counterflow
heat and/or moisture exchanger.
In a first embodiment of a method for manufacturing a heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element according to the invention, the
forming process, e.g. stamping, for producing the outer three-
dimensional structure of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange
element occurs before the filler, e.g. the suitable polymeric
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ma terial, is introduced into the base part of the heat- and/or
moisture-exchange element.
Alternatively, it is possible to carry out the forming process
or the stamping for producing the outer three-dimensional
structure of the heat- and/or moisture-exchange element after
the filler, e.g. the suitable polymeric material, has been
introduced into the base part of the heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element.
In the following, the invention is explained in detail using
embodiment examples.
A heat- and/or moisture-exchange element according to the
invention, which can serve as a heat- and/or moisture-exchange
plate for a plate heat and/or moisture exchanger, particularly a
counterflow heat and/or moisture exchanger, or as a storage-mass
layer for a rotary heat and/or moisture exchanger, is
constructed from a structure perforated by a plurality of hollow
spaces and sintered from a plastic.
A mixture of a medium-molecular-weight polyethylene powder
serves as the starting material for the sintering process.
A
material that will cause a hydrophilic adjustment of the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element is mixed with this medium-
molecular-weight polyethylene powder.
The plastic Hostalen0 GHR 8110, for example, can be used as the
medium-molecular-weight polyethylene powder, and in particular
the material Hostapur SAS 60F as the material causing the
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hydrophilic adjustment.
The material matrix of the sintered heat- and/or moisture-
exchange element has a density that lies between 0.507 and 0.522
g/cm3 or is 0.517 g/cm3.
The proportion of pores in the sintered material matrix lies
between 38.6 and 40.1%, preferably 39.1%, by volume.
The average pore-diameter of the material matrix is between 25
and 35 pm, preferably about 30 pm.
The sintered material matrix has a tensile strength of 2.22 to
2.70, especially 2.45, N/mm2.
It is also possible, in a specific manner, to make three-
dimensionally formed storage-mass layers,
particularly
corrugated storage-mass layers, for rotary heat and/or moisture
exchangers out of the sintered plastic as previously described.
A further embodiment of a heat- and/or moisture-exchange element
according to the invention has a base part and a filler.
The base part is constructed as a structure perforated by a
plurality of hollow spaces. The filler is introduced into the
hollow spaces of the openwork structure.
The openwork structure of the base part can be constructed from
a fabric made of metal threads, for instance; from a non-woven
fabric made, e.g., of metal fibers; from a knit, from fine
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threads, or from a sintered material.
It is essential to the
design of the base part that it exhibit a plurality of hollow
spaces or openings with which the structure of the base part is
perforated.
The base part can accordingly also be constructed as a lattice
structure made of a suitable metal material or plastic.
The lattice structure can, for example, be formed from metal
threads.
Alternatively, the base part can have one or more lattice
meshes. Adjacent lattice meshes can be staggered with respect
to one another, so that the hollow spaces of adjacent lattice
meshes partially overlap easily.
The fluid permeability and the thermal properties of the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element are adjusted by using a
polymeric material that functions as a filler for the heat-
and/or moisture-exchange element. In
the embodiment examples
described, a suitable Nexar0-polymer material from the firm of
Kraton that can be quasi-arbitrarily adjusted in terms of its
permeability to water, for example, and that also exhibits a
high wet strength is used.
This polymeric material can be
constructed as a non-porous, selectively permeable membrane with
the already previously mentioned high wet strength.
The heat- and/or moisture-exchange element can be provided with
an outer three-dimensional structure adjusted to the specific
requirements profile, e.g. the outer three-dimensional structure
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of a heat- and/or moisture-exchange plate for a counterflow
heat- and/or moisture exchanger or the outer three-dimensional
structure of a corrugated storage-mass layer of a rotary heat-
and/or moisture exchanger.
A forming process, e.g. stamping,
can be used for this. This
stamping can be carried out by
stamping the base part before the polymeric material is
introduced into the base part. It is also possible to form the
heat- and/or moisture-exchange elementby performing the forming
process or the stamping after the base part has been impregnated
with the filler.