Abstract: A spiral heat exchanger comprises a generally cylindrical spiral body having two parallel, spirally-shaped flow passages for heat exchanging media. An end wall is releasably connected to the spiral body at each end thereof, the spiral body and at least one end wall being movable along a track and independently rotatable around a vertical axis.

Abstract: Heat exchanger matrices of the folded strip type are set in an elongated V onfiguration inside a tubular casing. They are held in position by braces between opposite cover plates and between other cover plates and the casing, which braces also operate as partition walls for separating inlet and outlet channels of one of the media. The cooler of the media has inlet ducts downwards on the edges of the space inside the V and an outlet duct for upward flow at the center of the space inside the V. The other medium, which is hotter, but under less pressure, has inlet ducts with upward flow at the center of the spaces outside the V and outlet ducts with downward flow at the edges of the spaces outside the V. The hotter parts of the heat exchanger are in the middle of the structure. Bellows-type thermal expansion compensators seal the edges of the V against the casing.

Abstract: A baffle comprises an outer ring suitable for surrounding a plurality of parallel tubes formed into a tube bundle, said tube bundle having at least a first plurality of parallel tube rows, a second plurality of parallel tube rows, and spaces between the adjacent tube rows, said outer ring positioned in a plane which is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube bundle, said plane forming a baffle angle with a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube bundle, and a plurality of parallel rods cooperating with and attached to the outer ring to form a plurality of parallel chords with the outer ring wherein the rods are capable of passing in the spaces between the tubes forming adjacent parallel tube rows of one plurality of parallel tube rows.

Abstract: A heat exchange element, particularly suitable for use as a recuperator for external combustion engines or other multiple fluid flow path body, may be produced as a monolithic, ceramic, honeycombed body having a plurality of flow paths therethrough for two or three fluids wherein multiple flow paths of separate fluids are separated by walls which may be less than 10 mils thick.The honeycombed ceramic body is provided with a plurality of open-ended cells extending from one face end to another face end and arranged in vertical columns of cells separated by vertical fluid barrier wall surfaces. Selected columns of open-ended cells are closed on both face ends of the body and entrance to and exit from the selected cells is provided by removing portions of cell walls near face ends of the body between fluid barrier wall surfaces.

Abstract: A ventilating and heating or air-conditioning apparatus, especially for motor vehicles, which is equipped with a heat-exchanger, a cold-air by-pass branching-off upstream of the heat-exchanger and a warm-air channel including the heat-exchanger, with the cold-air by-pass and the warm-air channel alternately controllable; a distributor space provided with ventilating- and heating-connecting openings is provided, in which the cold-air inlet-opening and the ventilating-connecting opening are disposed opposite one another while the warm-air inlet-opening as also the heating-connecting openings are arranged offset thereto.

Abstract: A parallelopiped is provided defining relatively isolated side-by-side alternate right angularly disposed passages extending therethrough and with the opposite ends of the first and second sets of corresponding passages opening through first and second pairs of opposite sides of the parallelopiped disposed between the third pair of opposite sides thereof. First and second pairs of tubular fittings including one set of corresponding ends of generally rectangular cross section have those ends secured to the first and second pairs of opposite sides of the parallelopiped with the corresponding ends of the passages opening into the rectangular cross section ends of the fittings.

Abstract: In a cleaning system for heat exchanger tubes each tube has a chamber at its end for capturing a tube cleaning element such as a brush that is subject to being propelled in opposite directions through the tube by reversing the direction of fluid flow therein. Novel means are provided for enabling access to the tube through the chamber for such purposes as replacing brushes and admitting a flaw detector to the tube.

Abstract: A heat exchanger of the spiral-coil type in which, around a core tube, a sheet of thermally conductive material, e.g. metal, is coiled in a spiral to define passages between the turns of the spiral traversed by fluids to be subjected to heat exchange. According to the invention, neighboring metal sheets define flow passages between them and are sealed along the faces of the sheets and along the longitudinal edges over spaced-apart units of length so that the sections between the sheets are alternately open and closed at the longitudinal edges. The open passages at the longitudinal edges can communicate with a hood through which the fluid is distributed to or removed from a respective passage.

Abstract: A rotary hollow shell cylindrical heat transfer roll for either chilling or heating a web has a device therein for controlling a heat transfer liquid to flow as a uniform thin layer stream in heat transfer relation to the inner cylindrical surface of the roll substantially throughout the width and limited to substantially the circumferential length of the area of the outer periphery of the roll over which the web travels. The direction of flow of the heat transfer stream is opposite to the direction of rotation of the roll.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an array of apertured flat plates support the tubes in a heat exchanger. Each aperture has at least three bights that provide individual fluid passageways when the associated tube is lodged in place. At least three inwardly protruding members that separate the bights restrain tube movement. Each of these members define arcs of a circle that has a diameter which is only slightly larger than the outside diameter of the respective tube. During heat exchanger assembly, this slightly larger diameter of the circle defined by the inwardly protruding members accommodates departures in the tubing from a perfectly straight condition. In operation, the individual tubes will tend to lay against one or two of the members in each aperture in almost line contact to prevent "crevice corrosion.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of modules in parallel, each module has a nest of tubes for circulating first fluid to be heated, vaporized and/or superheated. The nest is disposed between two perforated discs in a casing for the flow of a second fluid, inlet collectors for the second fluid at the top part of the modules connected to a common feed cylinder and outlet collectors for the second fluid at the bottom part of the modules connected to a common discharge cylinder. The axes of the modules are set at a constant angle on a circle having as its axis, the vertical axis common to the cylinders and the modules are connected by short straight collectors to the common feed cylinders, while the discharge cylinder is connected by generally U-shaped collectors which are sufficiently resilient to allow for expansion of the module in the event of accidental reaction between the sodium and the water. Application to nuclear power stations using a sodium-cooled rapid neutron nuclear reactor.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of angularly oriented and spaced cooling cores. Closure means is provided for controllably opening and closing the space between the cores for cleaning the cores.

Abstract: A counter current heat exchanger is comprised of a plurality of spaced parallel plates located in a rectilinear housing which closes the spaces along two opposed sides and provides a plurality of rows of spaced apertures along the other two sides with the apertures in alternate rows being offset from each other. Primary inlet and outlet collectors are secured to the apertured sides of the housing and have a zig-zag configuration to define parallel portions which have a triangular configuration. Alternate spaces in the collectors communicate with alternate rows of apertures. A rectilinear wall surrounds the primary collectors to define second collectors on opposite sides of the triangular primary collectors.

Abstract: A hollow toroidal assembly, for example a heat and radiation blanket for a nuclear fusion reactor, has an improved modular structure. The toroidal assembly is formed by a number of annular modules of at least two types, each module being subdivided into submodules. The modules are conically converging at the outer or inner circumferential side so that they are tightly mounted in an alternating configuration. When providing a blanket for a nuclear fusion reactor the toroidal assembly surrounds the toroidal plasma reaction cavity and provides efficient cooling or heat exchange through the modules. The toroidal assembly advantageously provides a convenient subdivision of the blanket surrounding a plasma cavity into a sufficient number of separate modules.

Abstract: A rapid heat recuperative heat exchanger particularly adapted for use with large gas turbine engines, including a heat exchanger core which is composed of a plurality of spaced plate members. The core is supported within a skeleton framework by hanger members, the lower ends of which are slidably attached to horizontal control rods which extend through aligned openings in the core plates and which guide movement of the plates in an axial direction to the rods due to thermal expansion. Pressurized air is introduced to the core by inlet and outlet fittings on the end of the core which are of significantly greater thickness than the plate members. It is undesirable to join active heat exchange members of widely varying masses and differing cross-sections. Therefore, the end plate of the core is made of material having the same thickness as the inlet and outlet fittings. Progressing from the relatively thick end plate, the plates are gradually decreased in thickness until a desired plate dimension is achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating cleaning elements from a fluid, especially a fluid traversing a heat exchanger into which the elements are introduced to clean the tubes thereof, comprises a vertical duct provided with an array of bars forming a grate inclined to the axis of the duct for separating the cleaning elenents, e.g. foam-rubber balls, from the heat exchanger stream traversing the duct. According to the invention, at the bottom of the grate there is provided a diagonal tube which extends along a chord or diameter of the tube and is provided with a longitudinally extending inlet slit into which the cleaning elements pass. The tube and slit are so oriented that the main stream of fluid passes tangentially across the tube and across the slit to create a turbulence thereat to prevent buildup of the cleaning elements at the base of the grate.

Abstract: An L-shaped, vertical partition within an air conditioner housing divides off a condenser compartment which has a supplementary air inlet and an air corridor therefrom. One panel of this partition mounts, at its side within the air corridor, the motor which drives the evaporator blower. An access door, opposite to the partition panel, permits the entire assembly to be removed for servicing and to permit access to the other parts. Where the blower system is to be used alternately with a resistance heater coil, this blower motor may be equipped with its own cooling fan.

Abstract: A heat exchanger arrangement for the exchange of heat between fluid media which the wall through which the heat is exchanged between the media is a pleated element which has a respective medium flowing along each side thereof, preferably in counterflow relation.

Abstract: A ground heat exchanger adapted to be buried in the ground and to be used in association with a heat pump system for heating and cooling. The exchanger includes a heat conducting metal plate adapted to be vertically buried in the ground and carrying a fluid circulating coil adapted to be connected to the circuit of the heat pump system. The ends of the plate are each movably inserted into a corresponding slit of an upright tube filled with a heat conducting grease. Weights compress the grease within the tubes and cause its ejection through apertures of the tubes along both surfaces of the plate, so as to fill any voids between the plate and the ground and to also fill any new voids which may develop due to contraction of expansion of the plate with temperature variation and also due to ground movement. The top ends of the tubes are accessible above ground surface, so that they may be refilled according to need.

Abstract: A tube type recuperator is provided with a top manifold having a plurality of openings slidably receiving a plurality of ceramic tubes, a retainer ring fixed to each of said tubes within the top manifold and a flexible expansion compensator seal member sealingly engaging the top ends of the tubes within the retainer ring. Preferably the ceramic tubes are made up of inner and outer coaxial ceramic tubes each connecting to a separate top manifold.