# US 11,110,502 B2 · Entwined tubular arrangements for heat exchangers and counterflow heat transfer systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,502 B2 - Document ID: US11110502B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/988,460 - Filed: 2018-05-24 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-25 - Assignees: Hs Marston Aerospace Limited - Applicants: HS Marston Aerospace Limited - Inventors: Paul Phillips; Berwyn Pollard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110502B2 ## CPC - B21D 11/06: Bending into helical or spiral form; Forming a succession of return bends, e.g. serpentine form (making helically seamed tubing B21C37/12) - B21D 53/06: of metal tubes - B23P 15/26: heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} - F28D 7/0016: {the conduits for one medium or the conduits for both media being bent (F28D7/0033 takes precedence)} - F28D 7/026: {the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled and formed by bent members, e.g. plates, the coils having a cylindrical configuration} - F28D 7/0008: {the conduits for one medium being in heat conductive contact with the conduits for the other medium} - F28F 13/08: by varying the cross-section of the flow channels - F28F 2009/0292: {with fins} - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F) - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A counterflow heat transfer system comprises a heat exchanger and a flow controller arranged to convey a first fluid through the heat exchanger in a first flow direction and a second fluid through the heat exchanger in a second counterflow direction. The heat exchanger comprises at least one first thermally conductive tube conveying the first fluid and at least one second thermally conductive tube conveying the second fluid. The first and second tubes are wound around one another and in contact with one another in an entwined tubular arrangement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat transfer system comprising a heat exchanger conveying a first fluid through the heat exchanger in a first flow direction and a second fluid through the heat exchanger in a second counterflow direction, the second fluid having a different temperature to the first fluid, the heat exchanger comprising: at least one first thermally conductive tube conveying the first fluid; at least one second thermally conductive tube conveying the second fluid; wherein the first and second thermally conductive tubes are wound around one another and in contact with one another in an entwined tubular arrangement; wherein the entwined tubular arrangement is supported by a support structure made of the same thermally conductive material as the first and second thermally conductive tubes; and wherein the support structure comprises a lattice support structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein a flow controller is arranged to convey a third fluid through the lattice support structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the lattice support structure is at least partially filled with a thermally insulative material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the entwined tubular arrangement is formed by an additive manufacturing technique used to build up the thermally conductive material layer-by-layer from a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the second thermally conductive tube(s) conveying the second fluid has a smaller diameter than the first thermally conductive tube(s) conveying the first fluid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the second thermally conductive tube(s) conveying the second fluid comprise a non-circular cross-section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the first thermally conductive tubes and/or one or more of the second thermally conductive tubes comprise a flattened or concave surface area where the first and second tubes are in contact with one another. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the second thermally conductive tubes comprise a flattened or concave surface area where the first and second tubes are in contact with one another. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the first thermally conductive tubes comprise fins on an inside or outside surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the second thermally conductive tubes comprise fins on an inside or outside surface. ### Claim 11 An entwined tubular arrangement for a heat exchanger, the arrangement comprising: at least one first thermally conductive tube for conveying a first fluid; at least one second thermally conductive tube for conveying a second fluid; wherein the first and second tubes are wound around one another and in contact with one another in an entwined tubular arrangement; wherein the entwined tubular arrangement is supported by a lattice support structure made of the same thermally conductive material as the first and second tubes; and wherein the lattice support structure is at least partially filled with a thermally insulative material.