PLATE-FIN HEAT EXCHANGER CORE DESIGN FOR IMPROVED MANUFACTURING

摘要

A method for producing a plate-fin heat exchanger core includes the steps of stacking a bottom end sheet (42'), multiple alternately stacked individual hot (47) and cold (53) layers, and a top end sheet, each of the individual hot (47) and cold (53) layers including a fin element forming multiple parallel open-ended fluid channels, a parting sheet (18,48') separating the various individual layers, and two closure bars positioned on opposite sides of the fin element, parallel to the open-ended channels and extending a length of the open-ended channels, brazing the bottom end sheet (42'), the various layers, and the top end sheet (54') in a brazing furnace; and removing material from each of the exterior faces by precision machining, thereby removing material from each closure bar outer face. The precision machining can include electrical discharge machining, laser cutting, band sawing, drilling, boring, hogging, acid etching, and ion milling, in any combination.