Heat exchange – Flow passages for two confined fluids – Interdigitated plural first and plural second fluid passages
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2001-09-11
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Flow passages for two confined fluids
Interdigitated plural first and plural second fluid passages
C165S146000, C165S167000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286589
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condenser for condensing a low temperature fluid through a heat transfer from a high temperature fluid to the low temperature fluid, and especially to a condenser having high condensation efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a condenser is used in a plant of electric generation by temperature difference, steam power, chemistry, food engineering and the like, a refrigerator and a heat pump. Such a condenser can make heat exchange between high temperature fluid and low temperature fluid for the purposes of making change of phase of the high temperature fluid from a gaseous phase to a liquid phase. The conventional condenser maybe classified into a shell and tube evaporator, a plate type evaporator, a spiral type evaporator and the like. The plate type condenser is generally used as a condenser for condensing the high temperature fluid by absorbing heat of the high temperature fluid with the use of the low temperature fluid for example in a plant of electric generation by temperature difference. An example of the conventional condenser is shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
.
FIG. 6
is an exploded perspective view illustrating essential components of the conventional condenser.
FIG. 7
is a schematic descriptive view of the conventional condenser in an assembled condition.
The conventional condenser
100
as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
is provided with pairs of heat exchange plates
101
,
102
. In each pair, the heat exchange plate
101
is placed on the other heat exchange plate
102
. Upper and lower guide rods
105
,
106
held between a stationary frame
103
and a support rod
104
support the pairs of these heat exchange plates
101
,
102
. The pairs of the heat exchange plates
101
,
102
are firmly held between the stationary frame
103
and a movable frame
107
that is mounted on the guide rods
105
,
106
. Two heat exchange passages A, B are formed on the opposite surfaces of each of the heat exchange plates
101
,
102
. A high temperature fluid
108
flows in the heat exchange passage A and a low temperature fluid
109
flows in the other heat exchange passage B so as to make heat exchange.
The above-mentioned heat exchange plates
101
,
102
having a prescribed shape and a surface condition can be obtained by press-forming a plate-shaped material. Openings “a”, “b”, “c” and “d” through which the high temperature fluid
108
or the low temperature fluid
109
can pass, are formed at four corners of each of the heat exchange plates
101
,
102
. Packing members
111
,
112
are placed on the surfaces of the heat exchange plates
101
,
102
, respectively, so as to prevent the heat exchanger fluid
108
and the working fluid
109
from flowing in a mixing condition. The heat exchange plates
101
,
102
have the same shape, but the heat exchange plates
102
is placed upside down relative to the normal placement of the heat exchange plate
101
.
The heat exchange plates
101
,
102
serving as the heat transferring face has a pattern of irregularity (not shown) formed thereon in order to increase the heat transferring area and facilitate the heat transfer from the high temperature fluid
108
to the heat transferring face as well as the heat transfer from the heat transferring face to the low temperature fluid
109
.
There is known the other plate type condenser in which, as a part of a pattern of irregularity of a heat transferring face, a plurality of vertical grooves
202
having appropriate pitch and depth are formed on the high temperature fluid side of a heat transferring face
201
as shown in
FIG. 8
, or a plurality of condensate discharging grooves
302
are formed on a heat transferring face
301
in the oblique direction to the flowing direction of the high temperature fluid as shown in FIG.
9
.
When the above-mentioned vertical grooves
202
are formed, condensate of the high temperature fluid, which condenses on the heat transferring face
201
, is collected in the trough portions of the vertical grooves through the surface tension of the condensate so that the condensate collected in the trough portion can flow down by its own weight. Accordingly, it is possible to restrain formation of a condensate layer covering the heat transferring face
201
so as to improve the heat transfer efficiency. On the other hand, the above-mentioned condensate discharging grooves
302
receive condensate halfway, which is generated on the heat transferring face
301
to flow down, so that the condensate can be discharged smoothly along the condensate discharging grooves
302
. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the condensate from staying on the heat transferring face
301
so as to improve the contact efficiency of the heat transferring face
301
and the gaseous high temperature fluid.
In the conventional condenser having the above-described structure, although the pattern of irregularity, which facilitates the discharge of the condensate so that the maximum coefficient of heat transfer in the high temperature fluid can be provided, is formed on the high temperature fluid side of the heat transferring face, the low temperature fluid side of the heat transferring face merely has a pattern of irregularity that has an inverse relationship in concavo-convexities to the above-mentioned pattern of irregularity, which is formed on the high temperature fluid side. More specifically, the coefficient of heat transfer relative to the low temperature fluid is not considered in the pattern of irregularity of the low temperature fluid side of the heat transferring face. Accordingly, the heat transfer efficiency is not sufficiently optimized in the heat transfer from the heat transferring face to the low temperature fluid, thus causing energy loss.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, which was made to solve the above-described problems is therefore to provide a condenser in which a heat transferring face has shapes by which the heat transfer not only from the high temperature fluid to the heat transferring face, but also from the heat transferring face to the low temperature fluid can effectively be carried out, and a stable and sufficient heat exchange can be made over the entirety of the heat transferring face to facilitate condensation of the high temperature fluid, thus improving the heat exchange efficiency.
In order to attain the aforementioned object, a condenser of the present invention comprises:
at least one heat transferring face formed of a plate-shaped material, change of phase of a low temperature fluid from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase being made by causing a high temperature fluid and the low temperature fluid to flow on opposite surface sides of said heat transferring face, respectively, so that flowing directions of said high and low temperature fluids are perpendicular to each other, to make a heat exchange, wherein:
there is provided at least one condensate discharging trough portion having a first groove portion that is formed on a surface of the high temperature fluid side of said heat transferring face so as to extend in an oblique direction to a flowing direction of the high temperature fluid by a prescribed angle, said at least one condensate discharging trough portion being capable of receiving condensate of the high temperature fluid, which is generated on the heat transferring face to flow down in the flowing direction of the high temperature fluid; and
said heat transferring face is divided into a plurality of zones by said at least one condensate discharging trough portion and said zones have prescribed patterns of irregularity, said prescribed patterns of irregularity appearing on at least high temperature fluid side.
According to the present invention, by providing the condensate discharging trough portion for discharging the condensate, which is generated on the surface of the high temperature fluid side of the heat transferring face, on the heat transferring face, forming the patterns of irregularity in the zones, w
Lazarus Ira S.
McKinnon Terrell
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
LandOfFree
Condenser does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Condenser, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Condenser will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2437851