Spiral heat exchanger

A spiral heat exchanger comprising:

• a heat exchanger core containing first and second spaced apart spiral channels within the core, the first spiral channel having a coolant inlet port located at a first radius with respect to a center point of the heat exchanger and a coolant outlet port located at a second radius with respect to the center point of the heat exchanger with the second radius being greater than the first radius, the second spiral channel having a heated fluid inlet port located at a third radius with respect to a center point of the heat exchanger core and a heated fluid outlet port located at a fourth radius with respect to the center point of the heat exchanger core with the fourth radius being greater than the third radius, a source of pressurized coolant fluid coupled to the coolant inlet port and a condenser coupled to the coolant outlet port, and heat flows from the heated fluid to the heat exchanger core to the coolant;
• and wherein
• the first spiral channel has an increasing cross-sectional area from the coolant inlet port toward the coolant outlet port as a function of a radius of the first spiral channel extending from the center point of the heat exchanger to the first spiral channel;
• and
• the coolant in a liquid phase wets side walls of the first channel during flow of the coolant from the coolant inlet port toward the coolant outlet port.

A spiral heat exchanger comprising:

• a heat exchanger core containing first and second spaced apart spiral channels within the core, the first spiral channel having a coolant inlet port located at a first radius with respect to a center point of the heat exchanger and a coolant outlet port located at a second radius with respect to the center point of the heat exchanger with the second radius being greater than the first radius, the second spiral channel having a heated fluid outlet port located at a third radius with respect to a center point of the heat exchanger core and a heated fluid inlet port located at a fourth radius with respect to the center point of the heat exchanger core with the fourth radius being greater than the third radius, a source of pressurized coolant fluid coupled to the coolant inlet port and a condenser coupled to the coolant outlet port, and heat flows from the heated fluid to the heat exchanger core to the coolant;
• and wherein
• the first spiral channel has an increasing cross-sectional area from the coolant inlet port toward the coolant outlet port as a function of a radius of the first spiral channel extending from the center point of the heat exchanger to the first spiral channel;
• and
• the coolant in a liquid phase wets side walls of the first channel during flow of the coolant from the coolant inlet port toward the coolant outlet port.

A laminated spiral heat exchanger comprising:

• a heat conductive top laminate;
• a heat conductive bottom laminate;
• a plurality of spiral heat conductive laminates, the laminates being joined together to form a heat exchanger core;
• a spiral channel disposed between turns of at least one spiral laminate;
• a first fluid port coupled to each spiral channel at a first radius with respect to a center of the spiral heat exchanger;
• a second fluid port coupled to each spiral channel at a second radius with respect to the center point of the spiral heat exchanger which is greater than the first radius;
• and
• a plurality of connecting heat conductive channels disposed between the top laminate and the bottom laminate for connecting apertures in the top and bottom laminates, a plurality of the heat conductive connecting channels each containing a jet impingement cooling means therein for forming at least one jet when a fluid flows between the top and bottom laminates which intersects a heat conductive surface within the connecting channel to provide enhanced heat exchange between the connecting channel and the fluid.