Method and apparatus for optimizing heat transfer in a tube and shell heat exchanger

A method for thermally conditioning a flow of a fluid medium, said method including the steps of:

• creating a turbulent heat exchange chamber extending helically from a supply chamber to a discharge chamber using flow control surfaces in a pathway intercepting consecutive convolutions of the helically extending chamber for conducting a first fluid medium of heat transfer media;
• providing a spirally coiled portion of a heat exchange conduit in said turbulent heat exchange chamber for conducting a second fluid medium of heat transfer media, said first fluid medium and said second fluid medium having a temperature differential sufficient to cause heat transfer from one of the heat transfer media to the other of the heat transfer media;
• and
• causing heat transfer through said heat exchange conduit by passing one of the heat transfer media along said turbulent heat exchange chamber and passing the other of the heat exchange medium along the spirally coiled portion of the heat exchanger, said using flow control surfaces includes arranging fingers in annular spaced and generally parallel pathways between said supply chamber to a discharge chamber intercepting said helical pathway at consecutive helical convolutions to impart turbulence to said heat exchange pathway.

A heat exchanger to thermally condition a fluid medium exchanger including the combination of:

• a shell including end walls forming an elongated internal cavity for heat transfer between fluid media;
• shell conduits forming an inlet port and an outlet port arranged at spaced sites along said elongated cavity for conducting a flow of a first fluid medium of said fluid media;
• an elongated baffle having a helical grove in the outer surface thereof and fingers in annular spaced and generally parallel pathways lying between said inlet port and said outlet port and intercepting said helical groove at consecutive helical convolutions to impart turbulence to an elongated heat exchange chamber between an inner periphery of said shell and said baffle;
• and
• an elongated tubular conduit for conducting a flow of a second fluid medium of said fluid media, said elongated tubular conduit having a coiled portion extending in a helical fashion and resident in said elongated heat exchange chamber for heat transfer with said first fluid medium while resident in and flowing at least substantially along said coiled portion of said elongated tubular conduit.

A heat exchanger to thermally condition a fluid medium including the combination of:

• a shell including end walls forming an elongated internal cavity for heat transfer between fluid media;
• shell conduits forming an inlet port and an outlet port arranged at spaced sites along said elongated cavity for conducting a flow of a first fluid medium of said fluid media;
• a baffle elongated to extend along said elongated internal cavity and define therewith an elongated helical heat exchange chamber between an inner periphery of said shell and said baffle, said baffle having an outer cylindrical surface containing a helical arrangement of projecting flow control surfaces for impact with said first fluid medium;
• and
• an elongated tubular conduit for conducting a flow of a second fluid medium of said fluid media, said elongated tubular conduit having a coiled portion extending in a helical fashion and resident in said elongated helical heat exchange chamber with said flow control surfaces for maximizing heat transfer with said first fluid medium while resident in and with turbulent flow of said first fluid medium by said flow control surfaces flowing at least substantially along said coiled portion of said elongated tubular conduit, one of said end walls defines with said baffle a supply chamber containing flow control vanes extending radially from a central hub and protruding in said supply chamber from said end wall and upstanding posts traversing the weight of the supply chamber for imparting turbulence to an incoming flow of fluid media.