Heat exchange apparatus

Claim 1

HEAT EXCHANGER APPARATUS ADAPTED TO HAVE A FLUID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH TO MAINTAIN AN EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID APPARATUS AT A UNIFORM, PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, COMPRISING: (A) CONCENTRIC, SPACED APART INNER AND OUTER SHELLS; (B) END WALLS FIXED TO SAID SHELLS AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF; (C) LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, RADIALLY ORIENTED PARTITIONS SEPARATING AND SPANNING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER SHELLS DIVIDING SAID SPACE INTO A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGES; (D) MEANS CONNECTING THE PASSAGES BETWEEN SAID PARTITIONS INTO AT LEAST TWO INDEPENDENT, INTERNESTED, LABYRINTHINE FLOW CHANNELS, INCLUDING: (E) FLOW DIVERTING MEMBERS LOCATED ALTERNATELY AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID APPARATUS AND BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER SHELLS, SUCCESSIVE ONES OF SAID MEMBERS SPANNING ADJACENT PAIRS OF PASSAGES; AND (F) MEANS ALTERNATELY LOCATED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID APPARATUS AND COMPRISING THE FLOW DIVERTING MEMBER THEREAT ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION FROM A FIRST ONE OF THE PAIR OF PASSAGES SPANNED BY SAID MEMBER BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND THE INNER SHELL TO THE PASSAGE ADJACENT THE SECOND PASSAGE IN SAID PAIR AND FROM SAID SECOND PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND THE OUTER SHELL TO THE PASSAGE ADJACENT THE FIRST PASSAGE IN SAID PAIR OF PASSAGES; AND (G) MEANS COMPRISING A HEAT TRANSFER FLUID SUPPLY AND RETURN SYSTEM FOR INTRODUCING HEAT TRANSFER FLUID INTO AND CAUSING IT TO FLOW IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS THROUGH SAID CHANNELS, SAID SYSTEM INCLUDING RADIALLY EXTENDING PASSAGES IN SAID END WALLS, PASSAGES IN SAID END WALLS BETWEEN SAID RADIAL PASSAGES AND THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER SHELLS, AND HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CENTRALLY LOCATED PASSAGES IN SAID END WALL COMMUNICATES WITH SAID RADIAL PASSAGES AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF HEAT TRANSFER FLUID.