Heat exchanger
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorAsegun Henry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat exchanger may include a first container having a gas inlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet. The gas inlet may flow a gas at a first temperature into the container while the liquid inlet introduces droplets of a liquid into the container at a second temperature. In the container, the liquid droplets may fall under the force of gravity while the gas flows through the container in a direction that is different from a direction of the spray of the liquid through the container. Accordingly, the liquid and the gas may come into direct contact within the first container and exchange heat. After the liquid and gas exchange heat, the liquid may leave the container through the liquid outlet and the gas may leave the container through the gas outlet.
Claims20
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a first container;
- a first gas inlet configured to supply a first gas at a first temperature to the first container;
- a first liquid inlet configured to introduce droplets of a first liquid at a second temperature into the first container, wherein the first gas and the first liquid exchange heat in the first container through direct contact;
- a first gas outlet configured such that the first gas exits the container through the first gas outlet after exchanging heat with the first liquid;
- a first liquid outlet configured such that the first liquid exits the container through the first liquid outlet after exchanging heat with the first gas.
A method of exchanging heat between one or more liquids and one or more gasses comprising:
- flowing a first gas into a first container at a first temperature;
- introducing droplets of a first liquid into the first container at a second temperature;
- flowing the first gas and the droplets through an internal volume of the container;
- exchanging heat between the first gas and the first liquid through direct contact between the first gas and the first liquid;
- and
- flowing the first gas and the first liquid out of the first container after exchanging heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.