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US 6,205,811 B1Granted
Device for modifying the temperature of a fluid
AssigneeTefa
InventorMarc d'Alencon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A used fluid passes through an exchange path, located in a fluid flow transfer, before returning to use at a required temperature. In the transfer path the exchange path is set between the evaporator and the condenser of a refrigerating circuit. The refrigerating circuit is actuated only when the temperature of the transfer fluid, consisting for example of ambient air, is unsuitable for properly modifying the used fluid temperature by means of the exchange path. The used fluid can be heated by simply reversing the direction of the flow in the transfer path. The invention is useful for rearranging exchange paths into a single transfer path, for example in a single bundle of tubes arranged in several tube layers of suitably connected tubes.
Claims87
A device for modifying a temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that the temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- and
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which the temperature conditions are substantially independent of the conditions of operation of the device.
2 more elements
A device for modifying a temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- and
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- wherein the first exchange path is installed in series between the second and the third exchange paths, relative to a direction of flow of the transfer medium along the transfer path, one of the second and third exchange paths being in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that the temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- and
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which the temperature conditions are substantially independent of conditions of operation of the device.
3 more elements
A device for modifying a temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- and
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one of said paths having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other of said paths a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- wherein one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that the temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which the temperature conditions are substantially independent of the conditions of operation of the device;
- and
- means are provided for reversing flow direction of the transfer medium along the transfer path.
4 more elements
A device for modifying the temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- wherein one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that a temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which temperature conditions are substantially independent of conditions of operation of the device;
- and
- at least some of the exchange paths are formed into groups of tubes belonging to a same bank of parallel tubes situated in the transfer path.
3 more elements
A device for modifying a temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- wherein one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that a temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which a temperature conditions are substantially independent of conditions of operation of the device;
- and
- at least some of said exchange paths are formed into banks of tubes, stacked along flow direction of the transfer medium along the transfer path.
3 more elements
A device for modifying temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that a temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which temperature conditions are substantially independent of conditions of operation of the device;
- and
- thermal conducting fins, link together the exchange paths in the transfer path.
3 more elements
A device for modifying a temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- wherein one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that a temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which temperature conditions are substantially independent of conditions of operation of the device;
- and
- there is provided a fourth exchange path for the working medium, said fourth exchange path situated upstream of the first exchange path relative to the direction of flow of the working medium and in a thermal exchange relationship with a second transfer medium path.
3 more elements
A device for modifying a temperature of a working medium, comprising:
- a first heat exchange path traversed by the working medium and installed in a thermal exchange relationship with a transfer path traversed by a transfer medium;
- a refrigeration circuit comprising a second and a third heat-exchange path for a refrigeration medium, one said path having a function of heat absorption by the refrigeration circuit and the other said path having a function of heat release by the refrigeration circuit, at least at certain stages of operation;
- wherein one of the second and third exchange paths is installed in a thermal exchange relationship with the transfer path upstream of the first exchange path in such a way that a temperature of the transfer medium is modified by heat exchange with the refrigeration medium before the thermal exchange between the transfer medium and the working medium traversing the first exchange path;
- the transfer path is an open path having, upstream of the exchange paths, an inlet path in which temperature conditions are substantially independent of the conditions operation of the device;
- and
- at least one of the functions of heat absorption and of heat release of the refrigeration circuit is performed in two exchange paths situated in series in the transfer path.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.