Heat exchange method and apparatus

#The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the disposal of heat utilizing a heat exchange liquid in combination with a heat exchange gas. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for providing an evaporative heat exchanger wherein the heat exchanger is employed, for example, to dispose of large quantities of heat generated by various industrial processes.

#Evaporative heat exchangers are widely used in many applications where it is necessary to cool or condense fluid and/or gas that must be maintained out of contact with the heat exchange medium to which the heat is transferred. For example, air conditioning systems for large buildings employ evaporative heat exchangers for carrying out a portion of the heat exchange that is essential to the cooling process. In these systems, air inside the building is forced passed coils containing a cooled refrigerant gas thereby transferring heat from inside the building into the refrigerant gas. The warmed refrigerant is then piped outside the building where the excess heat must be removed from the refrigerant so that the refrigerant gas can be re-cooled and the cooling process continued. In addition, industrial processes such as chemical production, metals production, plastics production, food processing, electricity generation, etc., generate heat that must be dissipated and/or disposed of, often by the use evaporative heat exchangers. In all of the foregoing processes and numerous other processes that require the step of dissipating or disposing of heat, evaporative heat exchangers have been employed.

#The general principle of the evaporative heat exchange process involves the fluid or gas from which heat is to be extracted flowing through tubes or conduits having an exterior surface that is continuously wetted with an evaporative liquid, usually water. Air is circulated over the wet tubes to promote evaporation of the water and the heat of vaporization necessary for evaporation of the water is supplied from the fluid or gas within the tubes resulting in heat extraction. The portion of the cooling water which is not evaporated is recirculated and losses of fluid due to evaporation are replenished.

#FIG. 1 is a cutaway isometric view of an evaporative heat exchanger employing a heat exchange coil circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing of two coil arrays and a single partition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is a front view of the partition depicted in FIG. 2 with the coil array removed, showing horizontal channels in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

#Referring now to the figures wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements, FIGS. 1-9 illustrate presently preferred embodiments of a evaporative heat exchanger apparatus. While in the embodiments depicted the exchanger is a counter flow heat exchanger, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to heat transfer.

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a counter flow evaporative heat exchanger apparatus, generally designated 10, is illustrated. The exchanger apparatus 10 includes a coil assembly 11 having a plurality of coil arrays 12, a generally vertical air passage 13, a cooling fluid spray assembly 14, and upper mist eliminators 16, a cooling air current generator employing a fan unit 18, and a base 20 having a lower fluid collection basin therein. More particularly, the vertical passage 13 is of generally rectangular, uniform cross-section and includes vertical front and rear walls 22, 24 and vertical side walls 26, 28. The walls 22, 24, 26, 28, extend upwardly from the base 20 and confine the mist eliminators 16 which extends across substantially the entire cross section of the vertical air passage 13. The side walls 22, 24 and front and rear walls 26, 28 combine to form an interior within which the air passage 13, the cooling fluid spray assembly 14, and the coil assembly 11 are located. The cooling air current generator 18 is preferably positioned adjacent side wall 28.

#The walls and other structural elements that form vertical passage 13 are preferably formed from mill galvanized steel, but may be composed of other suitable materials such as stainless steel, hot dipped galvanized steel, epoxy coated steel, and/or fiber reinforced plastics (FRP). The fan unit 18 of the air current generator has an outlet cowl which projects through the side wall 28 and into the air passage 13 preferably above the base 20 and the collection basin therein.