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US 7,597,136 B2Granted
Heat exchanger with helical flow paths
AssigneeEnergy Saving Concepts Limited
InventorsMurray James Kite, Rodney Mitchell Innes
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AssigneeEnergy Saving Concepts Limited
InventorsMurray James Kite, Rodney Mitchell Innes
Estimating the term…
A heat exchanger includes a body 4 on the surface of which are provided helical or spiral paths 5 which will provide multiple and turbulent flow paths A for a first fluid such as water which is caused to flow through chamber 3 relative to a spirally wound heat exchange tube 6 and in a heat transfer relationship with a second fluid flowing through the tube 6. The tube 6 has one or more further helical or spiral flow paths 9 on its external surface. The multiple flow paths A will extend the residence time for the first fluid within the heat exchanger 1 and this together with the turbulence will maximise heat transfer. Preferably a portion of the first fluid flow will be through a central aperture in body 4 where turbulence is also created by the helical or spiral paths of the tube 6 as it extends through the aperture.
A heat exchanger including a body and at least one first substantially spiral or helical flow path having a first thread direction and provided on an external surface thereof, the body positioned within a housing to define a chamber between said external surface and an internal wall of said housing, a tube assembly helically or spirally positioned with the first thread direction about said external surface, said tube assembly having at least one second substantially helical or spiral flow path with the first thread direction and provided on its external surface and wherein the at least second substantially helical or spiral flow path extends from closely adjacent the external surface of the body to closely adjacent the internal wall of the housing, the relationship between the said at least first and said at least second helical or spiral flow paths being such that a first fluid flowing through said chamber is caused to flow along multiple turbulent flow paths, in heat transfer relationship with a second fluid flowing through said tube assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
The conduits being helically coiled: the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration
Tubular elements of cross-section which is non-circular: crimped or corrugated in cross-section
Heat exchange conduits: having walls comprising obliquely extending corrugations, e.g. in the form of threads
Heat-exchange apparatus, not provided for in another subclass, in which the heat-exchange
Term ended 3 Feb 2025 (estimated)
This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/NZ2004/000008, filed Jan. 29, 2004.
The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to heat exchangers.
In our New Zealand Patent Specification No. 508895 (also WO 99/67584) there is described a heat exchanger tracking including a spiral heat exchanger with coils and the track between the coils providing a second flow path which improves the efficiency of the heat exchange.
FIG. 1: Shows very diagrammatically a possible embodiment of a heat exchanger assembly in which the fluid being heated or cooled flows in series through a plurality (two being shown) of heat exchange columns;
FIG. 2: Shows very diagrammatically a similar arrangement to that of FIG. 1 in which the fluid flow is parallel;
FIG. 3: Shows very diagrammatically a possible embodiment of a heat exchanger assembly with a single heat exchange column.
The present invention will now be described in respect of one particular form of heat exchanger and for simplicity will relate to a particular form of heat exchanger in which a particular fluid, water, is required to be cooled by its controlled flow past the heat exchange tubes in which a refrigerant is provided. It will be appreciated by those skilled in heat exchange technology however that this is only by way of example and that the present invention could find application where ever a first fluid is to be either heated or cooled and accordingly in which the heat exchange coils would be containing a second fluid which would be transferring heat to or from the first fluid so as to provide the required heating or cooling action. The first and second fluids may in some instances be the same.
Subject to the above provisos, it is seen that in FIG. 1 a heat exchanger referenced generally by arrow 1 includes by way of example only a mounting base 2 on which, in this example, two heat exchange housings 8 are provided extending upwardly therefrom. Water in this example is caused to flow in a direction indicated by arrows A in series through the heat exchange housings 8 as it is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchange coils 6 which may be in a direction indicated by arrows B and C, although alternative directions may be chosen for either housing. Also the tubes 6 in the respective columns could be connected together to provide a common fluid circuit. That would normally be a top connection.
The heat exchange coils 6 are tightly wrapped in a spiral or helical path having a tread direction around an elongate support body or mandrel 4. The coils 6 have one or more (only one being shown) spiral or helical, ribs, corrugations, protrusions, intrusions, tracks, or the like 9 having a tread direction. The body 4 has an external surface with spiral or helical, ribs, corrugations, protrusions, intrusions, tracks, or the like 5 having a tread direction defining a plurality of fluid paths along the length of the body 4, any of these alternatives being included whenever the term “fluid paths” is used hereinafter.