Ultra-low fin heat exchanger with enhanced heat transfer

Claim 2

A heat exchanger having at least one tubular conduit for conducting a fluid from which heat is to be removed through said exchanger, a shell surrounding said conduit defining a refrigerant space between said shell and said conduit, said conduit aligned such that a two-phase refrigerant can pass over said conduit, the improvement comprising ultra-low fins affixed outward from the outer surface of said conduit wherein the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and the fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the 3 density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 3

A heat exchanger having a plurality of coil-wound tubular conduits for conducting a fluid from which heat is to be removed through said exchanger, a shell surrounding said conduits defining a refrigerant space between said shell and said conduits, said conduits aligned such that a two-phase refrigerant can pass substantially perpendicularly to the axis of said conduits, the improvement comprising ultra-low fins affixed radially transverse or helically outward from the outer surface of said conduits wherein the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and the fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 4

A heat exchanger having a plurality of coil-wound tubular conduits for conducting a fluid from which heat is to be removed through said exchanger, a shell surrounding said conduits defining a refrigerant space between said shell and said conduits, said conduits aligned such that a two-phase refrigerant can pass substantially perpendicularly to the axis of said conduits, the improvement comprising ultra-low fins affixed radially transverse or helically outward from the outer surface of said conduits wherein the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and the fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 7

The apparatus of Claim 2 wherein the fluid from which heat is to be removed is natural gas.

Claim 8

The apparatus of Claim 2 wherein w < W < H.

Claim 9

A process for removing heat from a fluid in a heat exchanger having at least one tubular conduit for conducting said fluid through said exchanger 35and a shell surrounding said conduit defining a space for a two-phase refrigerant wherein the refrigerant passes over the outside surface of said conduit to remove heat from said fluid flowing in said conduit, the improvement comprising an enhanced level of heat transfer achieved by passing the refrigerant over a conduit which has ultra-low fins affixed thereto in which the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 10

A process for removing heat from a fluid in a heat exchanger having at least one tubular conduit for conducting said fluid through said exchanger 35and a shell surrounding said conduit defining a space for a two-phase refrigerant wherein the refrigerant passes over the outside surface of said conduit to remove heat from said fluid flowing in said conduit, the improvement comprising an enhanced level of heat transfer achieved by passing the refrigerant over a conduit which has ultra-low fins affixed thereto in which the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 13

A process for removing heat from a fluid in a heat exchanger having a plurality of coil-wound tubular conduits for conducting said fluid through said exchanger and a shell surrounding said conduits defining a space for a two-phase refrigerant wherein the refrigerant passes over the outside surface of said conduits in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of said conduits such as to remove heat from said fluid flowing in said conduits, the improvement comprising an enhanced level of heat transfer achieved by passing the refrigerant over conduits which have ultra-low fins radially transverse or helically affixed thereto in which the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 14

A process for removing heat from a fluid in a heat exchanger having a plurality of coil-wound tubular conduits for conducting said fluid through said exchanger and a shell surrounding said conduits defining a space for a two-phase refrigerant wherein the refrigerant passes over the outside surface of said conduits in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of said conduits such as to remove heat from said fluid flowing in said conduits, the improvement comprising an enhanced level of heat transfer achieved by passing the refrigerant over conduits which have ultra-low fins radially transverse or helically affixed thereto in which the fin height (H), the fin crest width (w) and fin gap width (W) are selected in relationship to the density and surface tension of the refrigerant such that;

Claim 15

The process of Claim 6 wherein the fluid from which heat is to be removed is natural gas.

Claim 16

The process of Claim 6 wherein w < W < H.

Claim 17

The process of Claim 6 wherein the temperature difference between the conduit wall and the bulk refrigerant is less than 13°F.