Heat exchange apparatus, e. g. for use in gas turbine engines

Claim 1

A HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS COMPRISING TWO SPACED APART MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF STRUTS CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER, A PLURALITY OF FLUID DUCTS EACH EXTENDING ALONG AND BEING IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF SAID STRUTS, SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS PROVIDED ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, BOTH SAID MANIFOLD MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FLUID DUCTS IN SUCCESSION, SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THERETO A PRESSURE FLUID AT A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID STRUTS, SAID PRESSURE FLUID FLOWING VIA SAID SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS AND SAID FLUID DUCTS INTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS, THE PRESSURE FLUID FLOWING IN THE SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS CONSTITUTING AN INCOMING PRESSURE FLUID STREAM AND THE PRESSURE FLUID FLOWING IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS CONSTITUTING AN OUTGOING PRESSURE FLUID STREAM, SAID SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS AND SAID EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS EXTENDING TOGETHER ALONG A COMMON LENGTH THEREOF, AND HAVING COMMON WALL MEANS ALONG SAID COMMON LENGTH SEPARATING SAID INCOMING AND OUTGOING PRESSURE FLUID STREAMS, THE SUM OF THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID INCOMING PRESSURE FLUID STREAM FLOWS AND THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID OUTGOING PRESSURE FLUID STREAM FLOWS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, SAID COMMON WALL MEANS PROGRESSIVELY DIMINISHING THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF THE SUPPLY MANIFOLD MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID INCOMING PRESSURE FLUID STREAM FLOWS, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS THROUGH WHICH THE OUTGOING PRESSURE FLUID STREAM FLOWS CONSIDERING THE SUPPLY AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD MEANS IN THE SAME DIRECTION ALONG THEIR COMMON LENGTH, WHICH DIRECTION IS THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID INCOMING AND OUTGOING PRESSURE FLUID STREAMS WHEREBY THE TOTAL PRESSURE HEADS IN SAID INCOMING AND OUTGOING PRESSURE FLUID STREAMS ARE MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.