Patent EP0042613A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0042613A2
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Apparatus and process for heat transfer
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1981-06-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-06-22
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and a process of heat transfer employ a fluid flow passage in which the flow consists of non-turbulent boundary-layers adjacent the surfaces and a non-turbulent core-layer between the boundary-layers and interfacing therewith. An interrupter-structure is disposed within the flow passage and interrupts the full development of the boundary-layers at a multitude of spaced spots, leaving the heat transfer surfaces unaltered, unmodified and uninterrupted, so that the boundary-layers cannot increase in thickness but will partially separate from the surfaces and mix non-turbulently with the core-layer to effect the required heat transfer between the walls and the fluid. The interrupter-structure preferably consists of a plurality of spheres, or a sheet in which spherical, elliptical, drop-shaped or egg-shaped protrusions have been formed, all of which can be obtained readily on the market place at very low cost. This is to be contrasted with prior art apparatus which increase the heat exchange by rendering the fluid turbulent e.g. by turbulence promoters or roughening, ridging or interrupting the heat transfer walls. The increased turbulence increases heat transfer but produces a proportionally much greater increase in pumping power that makes these proposals uneconomic for many applications.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Adolf Holl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 11:15
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28F; F28F13/00; F28F13/003; F15; F15D; F15D1/00; F15D1/02; F15D1/06; F28F13/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
Apparatus for heat transfer between two fluids comprising: a body (10) providing a fluid flow passage comprising at least one heat transfer surface (20) characterised in that the parameters of said passage in relation to the fluid flowing therein being such that the said fluid flow will take the form of a non-turbulent boundary layer or layers (3) immediately adjacent to the respective surface or surfaces, and a non-turbulent core-layer (32) interfacing with the boundary-layer or layers; and a fluid flow interrupter structure (28) disposed within the flow passage, interrupting non-turbulently the full development of at least the boundary-layer of the heat transfer surface at a plurality of spaced interruption spots (34), whereby parts of the interrupted boundary-layer will separate non-turbulently from the heat transfer surface between the said interruption spots and mix with the core-layer to effect heat transfer between the heat transfer surface, its respective boundary-layer, and the core-layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
151 words
Apparatus for heat transfer between two fluids comprising: a body (10) providing a fluid flow passage comprising at least one heat transfer surface (20) characterised in that the parameters of said passage in relation to the fluid flowing therein being such that the said fluid flow will take the form of a non-turbulent boundary layer or layers (3) immediately adjacent to the respective surface or surfaces, and a non-turbulent core-layer (32) interfacing with the boundary-layer or layers; and a fluid flow interrupter structure (28) disposed within the flow passage, interrupting non-turbulently the full development of at least the boundary-layer of the heat transfer surface at a plurality of spaced interruption spots (34), whereby parts of the interrupted boundary-layer will separate non-turbulently from the heat transfer surface between the said interruption spots and mix with the core-layer to effect heat transfer between the heat transfer surface, its respective boundary-layer, and the core-layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the spacing of immediately successive spaced interruption spots (-34) in the direction of flow is such that wake-interference flow is established between the said successive spots.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that surfaces (20) are polished to decrease the friction of the fluid flowing thereover.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the surfaces of the said fluid flow interrupter structure (28) are polished to decrease the friction of the fluid flowing thereover.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the body is provided with at least one pair of spaced external parallel fins (12) and a gaseous fluid flow interrupter structure is provided between the said pair of fins.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the said fluid flow passage has two parallel facing heat transfer surfaces (20), wherein the fluid flow interrupter structure is of a thickness to fit between the facing surfaces and wherein the structure engages both of the surfaces at respective interruption spots (34).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said fluid flow interrupter is a plurality of spheres (28).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said spheres are packed at maximum density so as to touch the immediately adjacent spheres.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said fluid flow interrupter structure is a plurality of ellipsoids (Fig. 4b).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that fluid flow interrupter structure provides a plurality of drop-shaped shapes (Fig. 4c) having the face of maximum radius facing into the direction of flow of fluid in the passage.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said fluid flow interrupter structure provided a plurality of egg-shaped shapes (Fig. 4d) having the face of maximum radius facing into the direction of flow of fluid in the passage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the said fluid flow interrupter structure comprises a sheet having a plurality of convex curvilinear shapes formed therein, the sheet being spaced from the respective heat transfer surface with the said shapes interposed between the surface and the sheet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the said fluid flow passage has two parallel facing heat transfer surfaces and the said sheet fluid flow interrupter structure has a plurality of said convex curvilinear shapes extending from each face thereof so as to have them interposed between the respective surface and the sheet.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the said fluid flow passage comprises two spaced facing heat transfer surfaces, one of which is flat and smooth and the other of which has a plurality of convex curvilinear shapes formed therein, the said shapes constituting the fluid flow interrupter structure and having their apicies immediately adjacent to or contacting the flat and smooth heat transfer surface to form the said boundary-layer interruption spots.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the fluid flow passage is of square transverse cross-section and the fluid flow interrupter structure is a plurality of spheres of diameter to just fit within the passage.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the fluid flow passage is of circular transverse cross-section and the fluid flow interrupter structure is a plurality of spheres of diameter not less than 75% of the diameter of the passage.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fluid flow interrupter spheres are of diameter between about 90% and 95% of the diameter of the passage.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the spheres are disposed in a helical formation about the longitudinal axis of the passage.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, and of shell and tube type, wherein the said fluid flow passage is provided by a tube (22), a shell (54) surrounds and encloses the tube and provides a corresponding shell side fluid flow passage, and the shell side fluid passage surrounding the tube contains a fluid flow interrupter structure (28) surrounding and contacting the external surface of the tube.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 and characterised by a plurality of fluid flow passages provided by respective tubes, and wherein a shell side passage fluid flow interrupter structure contacts the external surface of more than one tube.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, characterised in that the shell side passage fluid flow interrupter structure comprises a plurality of spheres surround and contacting the tube.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, characterised in that the said shell side passage fluid flow interrupter structure comprises a plurality of spheres surrounding and contacting the tube, some of the spheres contacting more than one tube.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, characterised in that the space between the shell side passage structure spheres and the inner wall of the surrounding shell is filled with a space-filling material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 19,'characterised in that the fluid flow passage is of circular transverse cross-section and the fluid flow interrupter structure is a plurality of parallel rows of spheres contacting the inner wall of the passage, the space between the rows being filled with a spece-filling material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, characterised in that the said shell side interrupter structure comprises a plurality of rods of hemispherical transverse cross-section disposed with their convex curvilinear surfaces in contact with the tube external surface.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 24, characterised in that the shell side interrupter structure has the form of a multi-aperture grid having a tube passing through each aperture.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the interrupter structure is connected to the respective flow passage wall at the spaced interruption spots to increase the heat transfer between the fluid, the structure and the wall.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
106 words
A process of heat transfer including establishing in a fluid flow passage comprising at least one heat transfer surface a k non-turbulent fluid flow consisting of a non-turbulent boundary-layer immediately adjacent each passage surface, and a non-turbulent core-layer interfacing with the resultant boundary layer or layers; interrupting non-turbulently the full development of the boundary-layer of each heat transfer surface at a plurality of spaced interruption spots to cause non-turbulent separation of parts of the boundary-layer from the respective heat transfer surface at those interruption spots and their mixing with the core-layer, to effect heat transfer between the heat transfer surface, its respective boundary-layer and the core-layer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
106 words
A process of heat transfer including establishing in a fluid flow passage comprising at least one heat transfer surface a k non-turbulent fluid flow consisting of a non-turbulent boundary-layer immediately adjacent each passage surface, and a non-turbulent core-layer interfacing with the resultant boundary layer or layers; interrupting non-turbulently the full development of the boundary-layer of each heat transfer surface at a plurality of spaced interruption spots to cause non-turbulent separation of parts of the boundary-layer from the respective heat transfer surface at those interruption spots and their mixing with the core-layer, to effect heat transfer between the heat transfer surface, its respective boundary-layer and the core-layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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