Rotary heat exchanger
AssigneeNativus, Inc.
InventorMatthew C. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rotary heat exchangers can include a ride-along compressor, at least a portion of which can be rotated along with the heat exchanger. By rotating at least a portion of the compressor along with the heat exchanger, a sealed fluid circuit containing a two-phase working fluid can be provided. A rotary heat pump or heat engine can include an evaporator and a condenser in the form of back-to-back centrifugal fans. The centrifugal fan blades or other portions of the evaporator and condenser may include internal cavities where the working fluid undergoes a phase change.
Claims15
A heat exchanger component, the heat exchanger component configured to be driven about an axis of rotation by a motor, the heat exchanger component comprising:
- a plurality of support components extending generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation and radially offset from the axis of rotation;
- and
- a plurality of generally planar fins supported by the plurality of support components, the plurality of generally planar fins extending generally normal to the axis of rotation;
- the heat exchanger component comprising a plurality of airflow inducement structures, each of the plurality of airflow inducement structures in contact with at least one of the plurality of generally planar fins, the plurality of airflow inducement structures configured to induce airflow into the heat exchanger component along the axis of rotation and radially outward from the heat exchanger component through the plurality of generally planar fins, wherein each planar fin of the plurality of generally planar fins is in contact with multiple airflow inducement structures of the plurality of airflow inducement structures and wherein each inducement structure of the plurality of airflow inducement structures is in contact with only one fin of the plurality of generally planar fins.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.