HIGH EFFECTIVENESS LOW PRESSURE DROP HEAT EXCHANGER

摘要

A heat exchanger in the form of a honeycomb with a plurality of rectangular or otherwise polygon in cross-section passages which share common walls with adjacent passages. Two or more flow paths each comprises a plurality of serially connected passages. Each flow path passes through the heat exchanger in a helical pathway, thus through one passage in a first vertical stack of passages, then through a lower passage in an adjacent second vertical stack of passages, then through a lower passage in the first vertical stack, then through a lower passage in the second vertical stack and in this helical manner to the outlet from the heat exchanger. Thus, the flow path comprises alternate passages in each vertical stack, and another flow path comprises the alternate passages in at least one of the vertical stacks not taken up by the first flow path, whereby the flow paths at least partially overlap each other thereby providing both counter-flow and co-flow.

主权项

1. A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between at least two fluids comprising walls defining a plurality of passages each of which extends between two termini of the heat exchanger and is defined by at least three of said walls connected together, wherein each of said walls of one of said passages is also one of said walls of an adjacent one of said passages, said passages including first passages for flowing of a first fluid there through and second passages for flowing of a second fluid there through, a plurality of said first passages being serially flow connected to define a first flow path for the first fluid through the heat exchanger, a plurality of said second passages being serially flow connected to define a second flow path for the second fluid through the heat exchanger, wherein each of said flow paths is arranged generally helically and wherein said flow paths are arranged in an at least partially overlapping relationship to each other.