Abstract: A panel heat exchanger is disclosed. The panel heat exchanger has a plurality of parallel tubes in a spaced apart side-by-side relationship, the tubes being located between two plastic sheets that envelope and conform to the shape of the tubes so as to maintain said tubes in the side-by-side relationship. The sheets being bonded together between said tubes. One end of each of the plurality of tubes is in fluid flow communication with an inlet manifold and the other end of each of the plurality of tubes is in fluid flow communication with an outlet manifold. Each panel is wave-like in shape with peaks and troughs extending across the width of the panel. One face of each panel has at least one nodule located in each of said troughs, each nodule having a size such that it will contact the immediately adjacent panel in a multi-panelled heat exchanger without significantly increasing the overall thickness of the multi-panelled heat exchanger.

Abstract: A filter device is provided for use with the heat exchanger utilizing a filter having a low volume mass of filter media wherein residual oil remaining in the filter is eliminated as a major environmental concern. The heat exchanger has first and second discrete flowpaths for fluid to be filtered. One of the flowpaths is designed to be in heat exchange relation with a coolant. Means are provided to establish fluid communication between the first and second discrete flowpaths with a low volume filter being situated between the establishing means and the heat exchanger, and clamp means are provided to maintain the establishing means and the low volume filter in sealed, assembled relation with the heat exchanger with the clamp means including means for providing access to an axial passageway through the clamp means.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat exchanger tube bundle design that eliminates the need for tube supports or baffles within a heat exchanger tube bundle. The inventive configuration uses a combination of bare tubes and longitudinally finned tubes positioned such that the longitudinal fins act as spacing and supporting means within the tube bundle. The longitudinal fins provide spacing and support substantially along the entire length of the tubes within the bundle and eliminate the need for internal spacing or supporting means. Taking advantage of this inventive design, one can economically construct a tube bundle requiring only external rings to secure the tube bundle.

Abstract: A panel heat exchanger is disclosed. The panel heat exchanger has a plurality of parallel tubes in a spaced apart side-by-side relationship, the tubes being located between two plastic sheets that envelope and conform to the shape of the tubes so as to maintain said tubes in the side-by-side relationship. The sheets being bonded together between said tubes. One end of each of the plurality of tubes is in fluid flow communication with an inlet manifold and the other end of each of the plurality of tubes is in fluid flow communication with an outlet manifold. Processes for the manufacture of the panel heat exchanger are also disclosed. The panel heat exchanger may be used in a variety of uses, including automotive, refrigeration and domestic uses.

Abstract: A low cost, extended surface, finned-tube of rectangular cross-section is disclosed for use in single-row bundles of the type used in power plant air-cooled steam condensers. The steel U-shaped fins are metallurgically bonded to the steel tubes by hot-dip galvanizing; aluminum fins would be brazed on. The bottom section of the tubes that flow the condensate have a built-in freeze protection feature.

Abstract: A method for reducing the internal erosion of a brazed aluminum heat exchanger, such as a heater core used in automotive applications. The heat exchanger is composed of a tank and header that form a chamber, a number of coolant tubes secured to the header such that ends of the tubes project into the chamber, and an inlet to the chamber disposed opposite to the tubes so as to direct a coolant toward the ends of the tubes. A sacrificial erosion member is brazed to the tank so as to be in the path of the coolant as the coolant flows from the inlet into the chamber, such that the coolant impinges the erosion member as it enters the chamber. As a result, the coolant is deflected away from the ends of the tube so as to reduce erosion of the ends of the tubes. Furthermore, the erosion member serves to enhance the efficiency of the heat exchanger by improving the flow distribution of the coolant among the tubes.

Abstract: A plate-fin type of heat exchanger facilitates exchange of heat between two process streams such as high pressure methane and seawater and includes a matrix of heat exchange plate elements arranged side-by-side, flow passages for the seawater process stream being defined between adjacent plate elements. The plate elements are a high-integrity diffusion bonded sandwich construction comprising two outer sheets and a superplastically expanded core sheet structure between the two outer sheets. The sandwich construction provides flow passages for the methane process stream. Adjacent plate elements are held in position relative to each other by serrated bars or racks which engage the edges of the plate elements.

Abstract: A two-phase liquid cooling system has a container structure that has at least one wall with sufficient flexibility that the wall expands as the coolant vapor expands thereby maintaining the internal container pressure substantially the same as the ambient environmental pressure. Coolant boiling overshoot is reduced by allowing residual gases to remain in the cooling system. More particularly, sufficient residual gas is maintained in the system so that some of the gas dissolves in the liquid coolant when the device is not operating and is at ambient temperature. During warmup, the residual gas comes out of solution and creates nucleation sites that initiate boiling and prevent overshoot. Additional nucleation sites can also be added to reduce overshoot by treating the inside surfaces of the container structure, for example by laser machining, to create nucleation sites.

Abstract: In a heat exchanger having a heat exchanger network with a plurality of tubes and at least one base plate having a plurality of passages for tube ends, the passages in the base plate are substantially triangular.

Abstract: The heat exchange comprises a housing of tube-shaped inside cross-section as part of an outer thermal cycle, and at least one tube attached in the housing as part of a second thermal cycle. Each tube is formed from a flexible material. The tubes and housing comprise separate inlets and outlets, and at least one element is disposed transversely to the longitudinal housing axis to fit tightly within the housing crosssection to provide passages for the tubes. The element is shaped as a helix so that the tubes are flowed around in a helical fashion by the medium contained in the first thermal cycle. The helical element forces a flow which passes diagonally at a tangent against and around the tubes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for extracting thermal energy from a process fluid, comprising a first group of at least one plate-fin heat exchange module and a second group of at least one plate-fin heat exchange module. Each plate-fin heat exchange module includes an inlet, an outlet and a plurality of spaced-apart plates for communicating a refrigerant fluid in a cross-direction to a process fluid. The modules are sequenced alternately with one of the modules of the first group adjacent one of the modules of the second group. The modules are disposed so that the refrigerant fluid flows in a first direction through the modules of the first group and flows in a second opposite direction through the modules of the second group. A supply header connects to the inlets of each heat exchange module in parallel for communicating the refrigerant fluid from a supply to the heat exchange modules.

Abstract: A method of heating or cooling particulate material by indirect heat exchange of the particles with a heat exchange fluid in a heat exchanger is improved by the use of a gas vent that operates to pump catalyst into and out of a heat exchanger. A periodic build-up of fluidizing medium in a particle cycling zone intermittently causes catalyst to flow into out of a heat exchanger. The method and apparatus of this invention are particularly useful for the cooling of FCC catalyst and simplifies the addition of a cooler by allowing the use of small size catalyst transfer lines.

Abstract: A cleaning system using balls for cleaning fluid-conducting tubing including separation apparatus for separating the balls before recirculation by ball recirculation apparatus. The separation apparatus includes a conduit having an inlet in flow communication with the downstream side of the tubing, a ball outlet connected to the inlet of the ball recirculation apparatus and a fluid outlet connected to an outlet fluid line, and a generally cylindrical sieve substantially extending between the inlet and the ball outlet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for supporting and spacing the tubes within a heat exchanger comprised of a plurality of V-shaped stiff wire rods. Each of the V-shaped wire rods includes a pair of leg portions and a concave intermediate section. The inside radius of the concave intermediate section is substantially equivalent to one-half of the tube outside diameter. Six of the V-shaped stiff wire rods are affixed to one another to form a spacer having a substantially hexagonal opening wherein each side of the hexagonal opening is one of the concave intermediate sections. At each apex of the substantially hexagonal opening there extends radially outward legs from two of abutting V-shaped stiff wire rods.Thus formed, the spacer of the present invention provides a structurally sound tube supporting device while limiting the obstruction to flow of shell side process fluid.

Abstract: A method for reducing the amount of water vapor in gas exhausted from closed loop evaporative heat exchange systems wherein the low energy air which has been warmed and moistened within the heat exchange system is mixed with cooler air to condense moisture out of the low energy air for recovery and reuse. Various methods and apparatus for controlling and effecting the mixing are disclosed.

Abstract: The heat exchanger includes at least one metal retainer hoop (20) having a shape similar to the shape of the bent parts (5b) of the tubes of the bundle, fixed at each of its ends on the spacer plate (10a) located closest to the bent parts (5b) of the tubes, in extension of two anchor rods, (14) and interposed between two successive tubes of a plane row of tubes (18) and including linkage devices (22) for fastening the set of antivibration bars (13) interposed between two adjacent tube rows.

Abstract: A cleaning system for cleaning liquid-conducting tubing including a plurality of balls, ball recirculation apparatus for recirculating balls and liquid recirculation apparatus for recirculating the liquid used for entraining the balls to the ball recirculation apparatus. The ball recirculation apparatus has an inlet at the downstream side of the tubing and an outlet at the upstream side of the tubing. The liquid recirculation apparatus has an inlet in flow communication with the ball recirculation apparatus and an outlet at the upstream side of the tubing. Also, an apparatus for injecting a volume of liquid from a source of liquid into a liquid conducting system including a compressor.

Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly (10) includes a pair of manifolds (12, 14) with a core member (20) connected therebetween. The core member (20) includes a plurality of fluid tubes (16) extending between the manifolds (12, 14) in fluid communication therewith, a plurality of air fins (18) connected between the fluid tubes (16), and a pair of side support members (22) are joined to the manifolds (12, 14) at the outermost sides thereof. Reinforcement straps (50) are connected at each corner of the assembly (10) between the side support members (22) and the manifolds (12, 14) to reinforce the joints of the assembly (10).

Abstract: Heat transfer from the inside of a fan duct to the air is very good because the air in this region has a high velocity and is turbulent due to the rotation of the fan blades. Devices mounted on the outside of the fan duct can thus be cooled effectively. The inside surface of the duct can be modified to enhance the heat transfer as by grooving it deeply. The fan blade also can be modified to increase the air velocity and the turbulence. External fins can be added to the fan duct, and it can be shrouded so that a portion of the exit air passes through the fins back to the inlet. This decreases the mass of the exit air, for quieter operation.

Abstract: A thermally conductive feedthrough has a conductive member extending through a fiber-reinforced plastic plate. The feedthrough is sealed against leakage from one side of the plate to the other by placing the plate in local compression to seal it against the plate and/or by using small individual conductive members that minimize the effects of thermal expansion differences. The feedthrough can be used between vacuum and cryogenic liquids.