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US 6,675,746 B2Granted
Heat exchanger with internal pin elements
AssigneeAdvanced Mechanical Technology, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Gerstmann, Charles L. Hannon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger/heater comprising a tubular member having a fluid inlet end, a fluid outlet end and plurality of pins secured to the interior wall of the tube. Various embodiments additionally comprise a blocking member disposed concentrically inside the pins, such as a core plug or a baffle array. Also disclosed is a vapor generator employing an internally pinned tube, and a fluid-heater/heat-exchanger utilizing an outer jacket tube and fluid-side baffle elements, as well as methods for heating a fluid using an internally pinned tube.
Claims31
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member, wherein the aspect ratio of a cross section of each pin is approximately equal to unity;
- and
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member.
1 more element
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member;
- and
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member, wherein the blocking member comprises a plurality of metal baffles disposed longitudinally along the interior core area of the tubular member, the baffles oriented to obstruct at least a portion of a heat transfer fluid propagating through the interior core area of the tubular member, and wherein adjacent metal baffles define a chamber of the interior core area of the tubular member.
1 more element
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member;
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member;
- and
- a shell attached concentrically around the tubular member to form an annulus between the shell and the exterior of the tubular member, the shell additionally comprising a fluid inlet for admitting a fluid to the annulus, and a fluid outlet for discharging fluid from the annulus.
2 more elements
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member;
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member;
- and
- an outer jacket tube containing the tubular member, the outer jacket tube secured to the tubular member at the fluid inlet end and the fluid outlet end to produce an annulus between the exterior of the tubular member and the interior of the outer jacket tube;
- an inlet port for admitting a fluid into the annulus;
- an outlet port for discharging fluid from the annulus;
- and
- at least one baffle element disposed within the annulus and defining at least one channel in the annulus for the flow of fluid.
6 more elements
A heater comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a heat source producing a high-temperature fluid in fluid communication with the fluid inlet end of the tubular member;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member, wherein the aspect ratio of a cross section of each pin is approximately equal to unity;
- and
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member.
2 more elements
A heater comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a heat source producing a high-temperature fluid in fluid communication with the fluid inlet end of the tubular member;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member;
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member;
- and
- a shell attached concentrically around the tubular member to form an annulus between the shell and the exterior of the tubular member, the shell additionally comprising a fluid inlet for admitting a fluid to be heated into the annulus, and a fluid outlet for discharging heated fluid from the annulus.
3 more elements
A heater comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- a heat source producing a high-temperature fluid in fluid communication with the fluid inlet end of the tubular member;
- a plurality of closely-spaced pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member;
- a blocking member disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member;
- and
- an outer jacket tube containing the tubular member, the outer jacket tube secured to the tubular member at the fluid inlet end and the fluid outlet end to produce an annulus between the exterior of the tubular member and the interior of the outer jacket tube;
- an inlet port for admitting a fluid to be heated into the annulus;
- an outlet port for discharging heated fluid from the annulus;
- and
- at least one baffle element disposed within the annulus and defining at least one channel in the annulus for the flow of fluid.
7 more elements
A heater comprising:
- a tubular member having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end;
- heating means for producing hot fluid in fluid communication with the fluid inlet end of the tubular member;
- a pinned area of the tubular member, the pinned area comprising a plurality of pins having a base end bonded to the interior wall of the tubular member and a tip end facing the interior of the tubular member, the tip ends of the pins defining an interior core area of the tubular member, wherein the aspect ratio of a cross section of each pin is approximately equal to unity;
- and
- blocking means disposed in the interior core area of the tubular member for obstructing at least a portion of a fluid flow in the interior core area of the tubular member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.