FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to plate fin heat exchangers, and more specifically to plate fin heat exchangers that use countercurrent or parallel flow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various applications use pump assemblies that generate heat during operation. Exemplary applications include power generation, oil and gas refining, industrial applications, transportation, and medical devices. A pump assembly may include a pump or a compressor for moving a fluid through a system. However, conventional pumps or compressors may be deficient in the manner of dissipating heat during operation of the pump assembly. The increased temperature of the fluid moving through the system may negatively impact the efficiency of the device. For example, the hot temperature of air that is compressed and outputted from an air compressor system impacts the efficiency of a device that receives the air from the compressor for operation of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A cover for a pump or a compressor in a pump assembly according to the present application is a plate fin heat exchanger that includes both internal and external heat fins. The external heat fins are arranged on an outer side of the cover that faces away from the pump assembly, and the internal heat fins are arranged to face an outlet of the pump assembly. Using both the internal and external heat fins enables heat to more efficiently be removed from a fluid in the pump assembly. The cover has an internal chamber that is formed within a main body of the cover and supports the internal heat fins to increase the internal surface area of the cover that faces the pump assembly. In exemplary embodiments, the internal heat fins may face a cylinder assembly of the pump assembly.

Using the internal heat fins and the external heat fins enables heat transfer from the fluid to the cover to be significantly increased. For example, the cover having the internal chamber and internal heat fins may be used in an air compressor to reduce a temperature of the outlet air of the compressor, such as by approximately ten degrees. The internal heat fins and external heat fins may have any suitable pattern and the pattern may be dependent on the application. The internal heat fins and the external heat fins may be straight fins that are arranged in ordered patterns. The fins may be arranged parallel with each other or perpendicular to each other, and the fins may be integrally formed with the main body.

According to an aspect of the invention, a cover for an air compressor or a pump in a pump assembly includes a main plate body having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface, a plurality of external fins that are formed on the first surface and protrude outwardly from the first surface, and a plurality of internal fins that are arranged proximate the second surface and extend in an opposite direction relative to a direction in which the plurality of external fins extend, such that heat from the air compressor or pump is received by the plurality of internal fins and flows through the main plate body and a temperature of a fluid exiting the air compressor or pump is reduced.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of reducing a temperature of an output fluid in a pump assembly including a pump or compressor includes providing a plate fin heat exchanger having a main body, a cylinder facing surface that faces a cylinder of the air compressor, an outer surface opposite from the cylinder facing surface, a plurality of external fins that extend outwardly from the outer surface, and a plurality of internal fins that extend inwardly toward the cylinder and in a direction opposite relative to the plurality of external fins, and supplying compressed air into a pump chamber of the cylinder, wherein heat from the compressed air is transferred to the plurality of internal fins and flows through the cover.

Other systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

