Evaporative cooling apparatus

Claim 2

An evaporative cooling apparatus which comprises an outer casing provided with an air inlet and an air outlet; a cooling unit for continuously and indirectly cooling a fluid to be cooled, said cooling unit including a plurality of heat exchanging pipes of a serpentine configuration meandering in the lateral direction (the direction of the axis x) which extend in the vertical direction (the direction of the axis y) without substantial protrusion outside the outer casing and are disposed in parallel to each other in the lateral direction (the direction of tHe axis z) along the air flow, the upper and lower ends of each of said heat exchanging pipes being connected to an inlet and an outlet for a fluid to be cooled, respectively; fillers for mainly accomplishing diffusion of liquid films which are disposed in voids formed between two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes so that the lengthwise direction of the central face of each segment of the filler corresponds to the lateral direction (the direction of the axis z) rectangular to the serpentine direction (the direction of the axis x) of the heat exchanging pipe of the cooling unit and the central face in the widthwise direction of the filler segment extends almost vertically without interruption between the lower end of the heat exchanging pipe of one stage and the upper end of the heat exchanging pipe of the next lower stage; a fan for passing air through said cooling unit; a cylindrical double-tube liquid distributor for sprinkling a coolant liquid to said cooling unit, said distributor comprising an outer tube closed at both ends and a liquid feed tube inserted in said outer tube, liquid outlets being perforated at suitable intervals on the lower portion of said outer tube and liquid overflowing openings being perforated on the liquid feed tube; a basin for receiving the coolant liquid which has been sprinkled from said liquid distributor and flown downwardly through the cooling unit; and an eliminator provided to prevent splash liquids formed in the outer casing from dispersing outside the outer casing.

Claim 3

An evaporative cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the filler segments are wavy plate-like segments.

Claim 4

An evaporative cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the filler segments are net-like segments.

Claim 5

An evaporative cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the net-like filler segment is one having a wavy configuration.

Claim 6

An evaporative cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein net-like filler segments of a wavy configuration are disposed in parallel to each other so that crests and troughs of every two adjoining segments confront each other and a prescribed distance is formed between the adjoining segments.

Claim 7

An evaporative cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein semilunar liquid-collecting plates are provided between two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes to collect the coolant liquid flowing downwardly along the fillers disposed between said two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes on the heat exchanging pipes of the lower stage, each of said semilunar liquid-collecting plates being located so that the lengthwise direction thereof corresponds to the lateral direction (the direction of the axis x) of each stage of the heat exchanging pipes.

Claim 8

An evaporative cooling apparatus which comprises an outer casing provided with an air inlet and an air outlet; a cooling unit for continuously and indirectly cooling a fluid to be cooled, said cooling unit including a plurality of heat extending pipes of a serpentine configuration meandering in the lateral direction (the direction of the axis x) which extend in the vertical direction (the direction of the axis y) without substantial protrusion outside the outer casing and are disposed in parallel to each other in the lateral direction (the direction of the axis z) along the air flow, the upper and lower ends of each of said heat exchanging pipes being connected to an inlet and an outlet for a fluid to be cooled, respectively; fillers for mainly accomplishing diffusion of liquid films which are disposed in voids formed between two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes so that the lengthwise direction of the central face of each segment of the filler corresponds to the lateral direction (the direction of the axis z) rectangular to the serpentine direction (the direction of the axis x) of the heat exchanging pipe of the cooling unit and the central face in the wiDthwise direction of the filler segment extends almost vertically without interruption between the lower end of the heat exchanging pipe of one stage and the upper end of the heat exchanging pipe of the next lower stage; a fan for passing air through said cooling unit; a liquid distributor for sprinkling a coolant liquid to said cooling unit; semilunar liquid-collecting plates suspended between two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes to collect the coolant liquid flowing downwardly along the fillers on the heat exchanging pipes, each of said semilunar liquid-collecting plates being located so that the lengthwise direction thereof corresponds to th lateral direction (the direction of the axis x) of each stage of the heat exchanging pipes; a basin for receiving the coolant liquid which has been sprinkled from said liquid distributor and flown downwardly through the cooling unit; and an eliminator provided to prevent splash liquids formed in thee outer casing from dispersing outside the outer casing.

Claim 9

An evaporative cooling apparatus which comprises an outer casing provided with an air inlet and an air outlet; a cooling unit for continuously and indirectly cooling a fluid to be cooled, said cooling unit including a plurality of heat extending pipes of a serpentine configuration meandering in the lateral direction (the direction of the axis x) which extend in the vertical direction (the direction of the axis y) without substantial protrusion outside the outer casing and are disposed in parallel to each other in the lateral direction (the direction of the axis z) along the air flow, the upper and lower ends of each of said heat exchanging pipes being connected to an inlet and an outlet for a fluid to be cooled, respectively; fillers for mainly accomplishing diffusion of liquid films which are disposed in voids formed between two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes so that the lengthwise direction of the central face of each segment of the filler corresponds to the lateral direction (the direction of the axis z) rectangular to the serpentine direction (the direction of the axis x) of the heat exchanging pipe of the cooling unit and the central face in the wiDthwise direction of the filler segment extends almost vertically without interruption between the lower end of the heat exchanging pipe of one stage and the upper end of the heat exchanging pipe of the next lower stage; a fan for passing air through said cooling unit; a liquid distributor for sprinkling a coolant liquid to said cooling unit; semilunar liquid-collecting plates suspended between two adjoining stages of the heat exchanging pipes to collect the coolant liquid flowing downwardly along the fillers on the heat exchanging pipes, each of said semilunar liquid-collecting plates being located so that the lengthwise direction thereof corresponds to th lateral direction (the direction of the axis x) of each stage of the heat exchanging pipes; a basin for receiving the coolant liquid which has been sprinkled from said liquid distributor and flown downwardly through the cooling unit; and an eliminator provided to prevent splash liquids formed in thee outer casing from dispersing outside the outer casing.

Claim 10

An evaporative cooling apparatus, comprising: housing means; a cooling unit disposed within said housing means for continuously and indirectly cooling a fluid to be cooled; said cooling unit including a plurality of heat exchanger pipes adapted to have said fluid flow therethrough, each of said heat exchanging pipes being of a serpentine configuration defining a substantially vertical plane and including a plurality of approximately horizontally extending pipe sections which are vertically spaced from one another and a plurality of intermediate pipe sections extending vertically between and interconnecting the horizontal pipe sections, said plurality of heat exchanging pipes being horizontally spaced from one another in substantially parallel relationship, the upper and lower ends of said pipes being connected to an inlet and an outlet for said fluid to be cooled; distributor means associated with said cooling unit and disposed thereabove for sprinkling a cooling liquid onto said unit; said cooling unit further including filler means disposed within the void formed by said heat exchanger pipes for receiving thereon said cooling liquid and for diffusing the liquid films, said filler means including a plurality of vertically spaced filler assemblies each extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the vertical planes defined by the serpentine configuration of said heat exchanging pipes and disposed so as to substantially occupy the space defined between a pair of vertically adjacent horizontal pipe sections; each said filler assembly including a plurality of sheetlike segments disposed so that the lengthwise direction of each extends substantially perpendicular to the substantially vertical planes defined by the serpentine configuration of said heat exchanging pipes, each of said sheetlike segments having a vertically extending width which is uninterrupted and is substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the vertically adjacent pair of horizontal pipe sections, said sheetlike segments defining therebetween substantially horizontally extending passages which extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substantially vertical planes defined by the serpentine configuration of said heat exchanging pipes, said passages permitting flow of air therethrough; said housing means including air inlet means associated therewith for permitting air to be supplied to one end of said horizontally extending passages, said housing means also including air outlet means associated therewith for permitting air to be withdrawn from the other end of said horizontally extending passages; and collecting means disposed below said cooling unit for receiving and collecting therein the cooling liquid which flows downwardly through said cooling unit.

Claim 11

An evaporative cooling apparatus, comprising: housing means; a cooling unit disposed within said housing means for continuously and indirectly cooling a fluid to be cooled; said cooling unit including a plurality of heat exchanger pipes adapted to have said fluid flow therethrough, each of said heat exchanging pipes being of a serpentine configuration defining a substantially vertical plane and including a plurality of approximately horizontally extending pipe sections which are vertically spaced from one another and a plurality of intermediate pipe sections extending vertically between and interconnecting the horizontal pipe sections, said plurality of heat exchanging pipes being horizontally spaced from one another in substantially parallel relationship, the upper and lower ends of said pipes being connected to an inlet and an outlet for said fluid to be cooled; distributor means associated with said cooling unit and disposed thereabove for sprinkling a cooling liquid onto said unit; said cooling unit further including filler means disposed within the void formed by said heat exchanger pipes for receiving thereon said cooling liquid and for diffusing the liquid films, said filler means including a plurality of vertically spaced filler assemblies each extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the vertical planes defined by the serpentine configuration of said heat exchanging pipes and disposed so as to substantially occupy the space defined between a pair of vertically adjacent horizontal pipe sections; each said filler assembly including a plurality of sheetlike segments disposed so that the lengthwise direction of each extends substantially perpendicular to the substantially vertical planes defined by the serpentine configuration of said heat exchanging pipes, each of said sheetlike segments having a vertically extending width which is uninterrupted and is substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the vertically adjacent pair of horizontal pipe sections, said sheetlike segments defining therebetween substantially horizontally extending passages which extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substantially vertical planes defined by the serpentine configuration of said heat exchanging pipes, said passages permitting flow of air therethrough; said housing means including air inlet means associated therewith for permitting air to be supplied to one end of said horizontally extending passages, said housing means also including air outlet means associated therewith for permitting air to be withdrawn from the other end of said horizontally extending passages; and collecting means disposed below said cooling unit for receiving and collecting therein the cooling liquid which flows downwardly through said cooling unit.

Claim 12

A cooling apparatus according to claim 8, further including suction blower means associated with said outlet means for drawing air through the passages defined in saiD cooling unit.

Claim 13

A cooling apparatus according to claim 8, further including eliminator means associated with said outlet means for preventing splash liquids from being dispersed outside said housing means, said eliminator means including wavy vanelike plates supported at spaced intervals and disposed adjacent said other end of said passages.

Claim 14

A cooling apparatus according to claim 8, further including a second cooling unit disposed within said housing means and horizontally spaced from said first-mentioned cooling unit, said second cooling unit being substantially identical to said first-mentioned cooling unit, said cooling units being spaced a substantial distance apart to defnine therebetween a flow channel comprising a portion of said air outlet means, said flow channel extending substantially vertically, and fan means associated with the upper end of said channel for drawing air through the passages of the respective cooling units into said channel and for discharging said air into the surrounding atmosphere.

Claim 15

A cooling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said distributor means includes an outer tube which is closed at both ends and is provided with a plurality of liquid outlets perforated at suitable intervals on the lower portion thereof, and an inner liquid feed tube disposed within said outer tube and being provided with liquid overflow openings formed in the upper portion thereof for permitting flow of liquid from said inner feed tube into said outer tube.

Claim 16

A cooling apparatus according to claim 8, further including elongated liquid collecting plates disposed directly above each of said filler assemblies, said plates being disposed in substantially parallel relationship and being elongated in a horizontal direction which is substantially parallel to said horizontal pipe sections, each of said liquid collecting plates being of a downwardly opening arcuate configuration when viewed in cross section.