Pressure staged heat exchanger
AssigneeInternational Power Technology, Inc.
InventorDah Yu Cheng
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Abstract
An improved system of transferring heat energy from a high temperature fluid to a low temperature fluid is described. A countercurrent heat exchanger is employed in which heat transfer fluids undergo one or more thermodynamic transitions at various pressures by employing conventional heat exchangers having additional components. It has been determined that by employing this system of the present invention under a critical choice of design parameters, a substantially greater amount of heat energy can be transferred per unit area of the heat exchanger than was possible by conventional techniques.
Claims16
A pressure staged heat exchanger for improving the transfer of energy from a first to a second fluid traveling in countercurrent paths comprising:
- A. means for preheating the second fluid from its temperature at its entrance to the heat exchanger to a temperature wherein said second fluid enters thermodynamic transition at a pressure substantially below the exit pressure of said second fluid from the heat exchanger,
- B. low pressure evaporator means to cause the second fluid to reach a state of partial thermodynamic transition, Z.sub.1,
- C. means to increase the pressure of the second fluid to a point which substantially equals the final exit pressure of said second fluid, and
- D. high pressure evaporator means to cause the second fluid to enter a second thermodynamic transition.
A pressure staged heat exchanger for improving the transfer of energy from a first to a second fluid traveling in countercurrent paths comprising:
- A. means for preheating the second fluid from its temperature at its entrance to the heat exchanger to a temperature wherein said second fluid enters a thermodynamic transition point at a pressure substantially below the exit pressure of said second fluid from the heat exchanger,
- B. low pressure evaporator means to cause the second fluid to reach a state of partial thermodynamic transition, Z.sub.1,
- C. means to increase the pressure of the second fluid to a point in which thermodynamic transition ceases,
- D. means to increase the temperature to a point wherein theremodynamic transition reoccurs,
- E. a second evaporator means for containing said second fluid during said second thermodynamic transition,
- F. additional pressure increasing means and evaporator means for repeating thermodynamic transition of the second fluid until a final exit designed pressure is achieved, and
- G. superheater means to bring said second fluid to its final exit temperature.
A method of improving the transfer of energy in a countercurrent heat exchanger from a first fluid to a second fluid, wherein said first fluid is at a higher temperature than said second fluid, said method comprising:
- A. preheating the second fluid to a thermodynamic transition point at a pressure substantially below the exit pressure of said second fluid from the heat exchanger,
- B. causing the second fluid to enter a low pressure evaporator wherein said second fluid enters a state of partial thermodynamic transition,
- C. increasing the pressure of the second fluid to a point which substantially equals the final exit pressure of said second fluid, and
- D. causing the second fluid to enter a high pressure evaporator wherein said second fluid continues thermodynamic transition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.