Cylindrical heat exchanger

A cylindrical heat exchanger, comprising:

• (a) a spirally wound rectangular sheet forming a cylindrically shaped structure having a plurality of overlapping spirally wound layers, wherein said cylindrically shaped structure has a length and a radius;
• (b) a plurality of dividers interposed between said spirally wound layers such that said dividers are radially aligned and extend along the length of said cylindrically shaped structure, whereby said dividers space apart said spirally wound layers and create overlapping first and second alternating substantially spiral passageways therebetween;
• (c) a plurality of first manifolds extending from one end of said first spiral passageways, thereby allowing a first gas stream to pass therethrough;
• and
• (d) a plurality of second manifolds extending from an other end of said second spiral passageways, thereby allowing a second gas stream to pass therethrough.

A cylindrical heat exchanger, comprising:

• (a) a spirally wound rectangular sheet forming a cylindrically shaped structure having a plurality of overlapping spirally wound layers, wherein said cylindrically shaped structure has a length and a radius;
• (b) a plurality of dividers interposed between said spirally wound layers such that said dividers are radially aligned and extend along the length of said cylindrically shaped structure, whereby said dividers space apart said spirally wound layers and create overlapping first and second alternating substantially spiral passageways therebetween;
• (c) a plurality of first manifolds extending from one end of said first spiral passageways, thereby allowing a first gas stream to enter therein;
• and
• (d) a plurality of second manifolds extending from an other end of said first spiral passageways, thereby allowing the first gas stream to exit thereout.

A method of manufacturing a cylindrical heat exchanger from a rectangular sheet having a width and a length, comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning a plurality of parallel dividers across the width of a rectangular sheet;
• (b) situating the dividers aperiodically along the length of the rectangular sheet such that when the rectangular sheet is spirally wound in a lengthwise direction, the dividers are aligned in a radial direction;
• and
• (c) winding the sheet in the lengthwise direction and forming a plurality of spirally wound layers that in conjunction with the dividers, which space apart the spirally wound layers, form a plurality of overlapping substantially spiral passageways.