Heat and mass exchanger
AssigneeAIL Reasearch, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Lowenstein, Marc J. Sibilia, Jeffrey A. Miller, Thomas Tonon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mass and heat exchanger includes at least one first substrate with a surface for supporting a continuous flow of a liquid thereon that either absorbs, desorbs, evaporates or condenses one or more gaseous species from or to a surrounding gas; and at least one second substrate operatively associated with the first substrate. The second substrate includes a surface for supporting the continuous flow of the liquid thereon and is adapted to carry a heat exchange fluid therethrough, wherein heat transfer occurs between the liquid and the heat exchange fluid.
Claims20
A heat and mass exchanger for exchanging heat and mass between a gas and a liquid comprising:
- a plurality of substantially parallel tubes in spaced apart relationship including at least one upper tube which is above and spaced apart from at least one lower tube, said tubes having an outer surface;
- a substrate made from a material having a thermal conductivity of less than 10 W/m-C positioned in the space between the upper and lower tubes, said substrate comprising at least one surface in contact with the gas and providing at least one pathway for the liquid to flow by gravity from the upper to the lower tubes without forming droplets;
- and that cause a substantial portion of the liquid to flow onto the outer surface of at least one lower tube;
- a liquid supply assembly for delivering the liquid to the at least one upper tube;
- and
- means for internally heating or cooling at least some of the tubes.
A heat and mass exchange assembly comprising:
- a plate assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart plates, each plate having an upper region and a lower region;
- means for internally heating or cooling each plate;
- a wettable substrate positioned in the spaces between adjacent plates and in contact with the adjacent plates at a plurality of locations, said wettable substrate allowing a gas to move through the spaces between the plates;
- and
- a liquid supply assembly comprising a source of a liquid and delivering means for delivering the liquid from the source to the upper regions of the plates, said delivering means comprising at least one conduit for delivering the liquid from the source to a distribution manifold, said distribution manifold comprising a plurality of inserts, each insert positioned between adjacent plates, said inserts having front and rear surfaces respectively in contact with the adjacent plates and each surface having at least one groove, a conduit having one end in fluid communication with the grooves and an opposed end in communication with the source of liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.