High effectiveness low pressure drop heat exchanger

A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between at least two fluids, the heat exchanger comprising a plurality of vertical groups of passages wherein each of said passages extends between two termini of the heat exchanger, wherein each of said passages is defined by a passage upper wall, a passage lower wall, and two passage side walls all connected together, wherein said passages are arranged in a honeycomb formation such that each of said passage upper, lower, and side walls of said each passage defines a passage wall of each of said passages which is adjacent to said each passage respectively, said passages including first passages for flowing of a first fluid and second passages for flowing of a second fluid, a plurality of first flow paths for flow of the first fluid through the heat exchanger wherein each of said first flow paths is defined by a plurality of said first passages being serially connected, a plurality of second flow paths for flow of the second fluid through the heat exchanger, wherein each of said second flow paths is defined by a plurality of said second passages being serially connected, wherein at least one of said first flow paths is arranged in a helical pattern in a first and a second of said vertical groups, wherein, in each of said first and said second of said vertical groups, said passages are alternately first passages and second passages, whereby said at least one of said first flow paths is, beginning with an inlet to the heat exchanger, through one of said first passages in said first of said vertical groups then vertically downwardly and through one of said first passages in said second of said vertical groups then vertically downwardly and through an other of said first passages in said first of said vertical groups and continuing vertically downwardly alternately through said first passages in said first and said second of said vertical groups to an outlet from the heat exchanger, and

• wherein at least one of said second flow paths is arranged in a helical pattern in said second and a third of said vertical groups wherein, in said third of said vertical groups, said passages are alternately said first passages and said second passages, whereby said at least one of said second flow paths is, beginning with an inlet to the heat exchanger, through one of said second passages in said second of said vertical groups then vertically downwardly and through one of said second passages in said third of said vertical groups then vertically downwardly and through one of said second passages in said second of said vertical groups and continuing vertically downwardly alternately through one of said second passages in said second of said vertical groups and through one of said second passages in said third of said vertical groups to an outlet from the heat exchanger.

A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of stacked plates wherein each of said stacked plates has a floor, a pair of end walls extending upwardly from said floor and defining termini respectively of the heat exchanger, and a plurality of spaced side walls extending upwardly from said floor and between said end walls to define a plurality of side-by-side stacks of passages through the heat exchanger in a honeycomb configuration wherein said floors are sealingly attached to said side walls and said end walls of said stacked plates respectively, and the heat exchanger further comprising means for flow connecting said passages such that at least a first and a second group of said passages are connected serially in a manner to define at least two flow paths respectively through the heat exchanger which at least two flow paths are arranged for flow of at least two fluids respectively for heat exchange between the at least two fluids, wherein said means for flow connecting includes major portions of said side walls which define boundaries of said passages in said stacks of passages respectively, portions of said side walls which are offset from said major portions respectively to overlie ones of said passages respectively in respectively adjacent ones of said stacks of passages, and openings in said floors between said offset portions and said respective end walls respectively for passage of a respective one of the at least two fluids from a passage of one of said stacks of passages to a passage of an adjacent one of said stacks of passages in a helical flow pattern.

A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between at least two fluids comprising passage walls defining a plurality of passages, wherein each of said passages extends between two termini of the heat exchanger, wherein each of said passages is defined by at least three of said passage walls connected together, wherein said at least three of said passage walls of one of said passages also define walls of a respective plurality of adjacent ones 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 said flow paths are arranged in such a way which provides during the exchanging of heat between the first and second fluids flowing through said first and second flow paths respectively both (1) counter-flow and between the first and second fluids in first pairs of said first and second passages wherein respective pairs of the first pairs share a common passage wall, and (2) co-flow between the first and second fluids in second pairs of said first and second passages wherein respective pairs of the second pairs share a common passage wall.