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US 7,622,094 B2Granted
Method of recovering energy using a catalytic finned heat exchanger
OwnerLarry Lewis, Jeff Diazinventors
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Abstract
The invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating the heat transfer zones of plate fin and tube and finned tube exchangers and a catalytic mass transfer zone. The invention also provides a method for in situ regeneration of existing coated surface and augmentation of existing coated surface, or catalyst performance.
Claims17
A method of recovering energy, comprising:
- providing a heat exchange unit selected from the group consisting of plate and fin heat exchangers and finned tubing heat exchangers having a finned exterior side, a first tubing that forms a separate circulation path for an interior second working fluid, and a second tubing that forms a separate circulation path for an interior third working fluid, wherein the first and second tubings are interlaced;
- providing a first working fluid contacting the finned exterior side of the heat exchange unit;
- feeding the first working fluid to contact the finned exterior side to transfer heat between the first working fluid and the interior second working fluid within the first tubing of the heat exchange unit;
- feeding the second working fluid to be heated or cooled by the first working fluid into the first tubing;
- feeding the first working fluid to contact the finned exterior side to transfer heat between the first working fluid and the interior third working fluid within the second tubing of the heat exchange unit;
- feeding the third working fluid to be heated or cooled by the first working fluid into the second tubing;
- injecting a catalyst into the first working fluid prior to contacting the finned exterior side of the heat exchange unit;
- and
- coating a portion of the finned exterior side of the heat exchange unit with the catalyst to allow a mass transfer reaction between components of the first working fluid to be accelerated by the catalyst.
6 more elements
A method of recovering energy using a heat exchange unit, wherein the heat exchange unit includes a finned exterior side and a tubing that forms a circulation path, the method comprising:
- contacting a first working fluid with the finned exterior side of the heat exchange unit;
- injecting a catalyst into the first working fluid prior to contacting the finned exterior side of the heat exchange unit;
- coating a portion of the finned exterior side with the catalyst;
- reacting a component of the first working fluid with the catalyst;
- and
- transferring heat from the first working fluid to a second working fluid circulating in the tubing.
3 more elements
A method of recovering energy, comprising:
- providing a heat exchange unit selected from the group consisting of plate and fin heat exchangers and finned tubing heat exchangers and having an entrance, an exit, and a plurality of circulation paths disposed therebetween, each path having a finned exterior side and tubing for flowing fluid therethrough;
- providing a first working fluid to contact the finned exterior side of each path and providing an interior working fluid through the tubing of each path to transfer heat between the first working fluid and the interior working fluid, wherein the paths are interlaced such that a portion of each path overlaps a portion of the other paths to change the temperature of the fluids flowing through the paths, wherein at least one interior working fluid is provided at a different temperature than another interior working fluid;
- injecting a catalyst into the first working fluid prior to contacting the finned exterior side of each path;
- and
- coating a portion of the finned exterior side of each path with the catalyst to allow a mass transfer reaction between components of the first working fluid to be accelerated by the catalyst.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.