Heat exchanger with sintered metal matrix around tubes

Claim 1

A HEAT EXCHANGE MODULE FOR INSERTION IN A CONDUIT ADAPTED TO CONVEY A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM, SAID MODULE COMPRISING (A) A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONVEYING A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM, (B) A PERVIOUS BODY SURROUNDING SAID PLURALITY OF TUBULAR CONDUIT MEANS AND JOINED THERETO BY A METALLIC BOND, SAID PERVIOUS BODY BEING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION, (C) A PAIR OF NON-PERVIOUS PLATES ON OPPOSING SIDE FACES OF, AND IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH, SAID PREVIOUS BODY, SAID PLATES SURROUNDING SAID TUBULAR CONDUIT MEANS ON THE TWO SIDES OF SAID TUBULAR CONDUIT MEANS WHICH ARE PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID TUBULAR CONDUIT MEANS, AND (D) APERTURE MEANS IN EACH OF SAID NON-PERVIOUS PLATES TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM THERETHROUGH, WHEREBY THE PRESSURE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH OF SAID PLATES MAY BE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALIZED.