Heat transfer apparatus arrangement

Claim 2

HEAT TRANSFER APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATE TUBE, A HEATING ELEMENT DISPOSED AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID TUBE AND FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR FLUID FLOW PATH BETWEEN SAID HEATING ELEMENT AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, MEANS DEFINING A FLUID FLOW OPENING IN ONE END OF SAID TUBE, SAID FLUID FLOW OPENING PROVIDING DIRECT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FLUID FLOW PATH AND THE EXTERIOR OF SID TUBE, MEANS FOR PASSING A FLUID OVER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION AND THENCE THROUGH SAID FLUID FLOW OPENING AND THENCE THROUGH SAID ANNULAR PATH IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP TO SAID HEATING ELEMENT AND IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING TRANSPRATION COOLING OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE LENGTH TO INHIBIT HEAT TRANSFER FROM THE FLUID WITHIN SAID ANNULAR PATH TO THE FLUID OUTSIDE SAID TUBE, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FORMING A MULTIPLICITY OF PORES ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBE, WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID FLUID PASSES THROUGH SAID PORES TO THEREBY MAINTAIN THE WALL OF THE TUBE BELOW THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID WITHIN SAID FLUID FLOW PATH AND TO EFFECT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIN BOUNDARY LAYER OF RELATIVELY COOL FLUID ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE.

Claim 3

A NUCLEAR REACTOR COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A CORE AREA, A TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CORE AREA, A FISSIONABLE MATERIAL BEARING FUEL ELEMENT DISPOSED AN EXTENDING LINGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID TUBE AND BEING LATERALLY SPACED FROM THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUBE TO FORM A FLUID FLOW PATH BETWEEN SAID FUEL ELEMENT AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, MEANS DEFINING A FLUID FLOW OPENING IN ONE END OF SAID TUBE, MEANS FOR PASSING A FLUID THROUGH SAID CORE AREA OVER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION AND THENCE THROUGH SAID OPENING AND THENCE THROUGH SAID FLUID FLOW PATH IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FUEL ELEMENT AND IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS FOR INHIBITING HEAT TRANSFER FROM THE FLUID WITHIN SAID FLUID FLOW PATH TO THE FLUID OUTSIDE SAID TUBE, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR FORMING A THIN BOUNDARY LAYER OF RELATIVELY COOL FLUID ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE, SAID LAYER FORMING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FORMING A MULTIPLICITY OF SMALL OPENINGS ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID TUBE, SAID OPENINGS BEING OF SUCH A SIZE AND ARRANGEMENT THAT A PORTION OF SAID FLUID FLOWS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID TUBE EFFECTING COOLING THEREOF AND TENDS TO REMAIN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE.

Claim 4

A NUCLEAR REACTOR COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A CORE AREA, A TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CORE AREA, A FISSIONABLE MATERIAL BEARING FUEL ELEMENT DISPOSED AN EXTENDING LINGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID TUBE AND BEING LATERALLY SPACED FROM THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUBE TO FORM A FLUID FLOW PATH BETWEEN SAID FUEL ELEMENT AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, MEANS DEFINING A FLUID FLOW OPENING IN ONE END OF SAID TUBE, MEANS FOR PASSING A FLUID THROUGH SAID CORE AREA OVER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION AND THENCE THROUGH SAID OPENING AND THENCE THROUGH SAID FLUID FLOW PATH IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FUEL ELEMENT AND IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS FOR INHIBITING HEAT TRANSFER FROM THE FLUID WITHIN SAID FLUID FLOW PATH TO THE FLUID OUTSIDE SAID TUBE, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR FORMING A THIN BOUNDARY LAYER OF RELATIVELY COOL FLUID ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE, SAID LAYER FORMING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FORMING A MULTIPLICITY OF SMALL OPENINGS ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID TUBE, SAID OPENINGS BEING OF SUCH A SIZE AND ARRANGEMENT THAT A PORTION OF SAID FLUID FLOWS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID TUBE EFFECTING COOLING THEREOF AND TENDS TO REMAIN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE.