Heat exchange evaporator

Claim 2

An evaporator-chiller construction comprising, the combination of, a generally cylindrical shell, a hollow cylindrical tank concentrically positioned within said shell and defining therewith an annular fluid-flow chamber, helical means within said annular chamber forming a closed helical fluid-flow passageway between the opposing walls of said core and said shell, a helical evaporator of substantially the same mean radius and pitch as said passageway and positioned therein concentric with said tank, said evaporator comprising a fluted tube having a generally square cross-sectional configuration and being helically wound along its longitudinal axis to thereby provide helical flutes to provide turbulant flow of fluid therealong, and means to direct a stream of liquid to be cooled through said helical passageway, said evaporator providing an evaporator flow path for passing refrigerant in intimate heat exchange relationship with a liquid flowing through said helical passageway.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said helical passageway has a vertical axis and said liquid to be cooled flows through said helical passageway countercurrent to the flow of refrigerant through said evaporator.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the lower end of said helical passageway is open at its lower end to said tank, whereby said tank provides a reservoir chamber for liquid flowing from said helical passageway.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including pump means for circulating said second liquid from said tank along a heat exchange path and back to said tank through said helical passageway.

Claim 6

Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said helical means comprises a metal vane attached in heat exchange relationship to the outer surface of said tank and providing support for said evaporator.

Claim 7

Apparatus as described in claim 2 which includes a capillary tube restrictor extending vertically downwardly through said tank with its lower end connected to said evaporator to supply liquid refrigerant thereto.

Claim 8

Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said shell has a cylindrical side wall and a closed bottom wall and wherein said tank comprises a cylindrical wall positioned upon said bottom wall, and insulation means covering said side wall and said bottom wall.

Claim 9

Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said refrigerant and liquid flow countercurrently respectively in said fluted tube and said helical passageway.

Claim 10

An evaporator-chiller and storage tank comprising a vertical outer wall, an inner wall coextensive therewith and spaced inwardly toward the vertical axis of said tank and providing a narrow annular space therebetween, a metal strip bridging said annular space between the outer surface of said inner wall and the inner surface of said outer wall and slanted axially downwardly in the longitudinal dimension of the strip thereby to provide a continuous downwardly-sloping liquid passageway between said walls and adjacent turns of said strip, an evaporator tube assembly comprising a tube positioned within and extending along said passageway and providing a continuous refrigerant flow path, said tube assembly having a fluted exterior surface substantially throughout its entire length for producing turbulence in the flow of the liquid in said passageway and thereby improve the heat exchange relationship between refrigerant respectively passing through said tube and liquid flowing along said passageway exterior of said tube; insulating means surrounding said tank, means for supplying liquid refrigerant to one end of said tube and for withdrawing refrigerant gas from the other end of said tube, and means for directing a stream of liquid to be cooled through said passageway.

Claim 11

An evaporator-chiller and storage tank comprising a vertical outer wall, an inner wall coextensive therewith and spaced inwardly toward the vertical axis of said tank and providing a narrow annular space therebetween, a metal strip bridging said annular space between the outer surface of said inner wall and the inner surface of said outer wall and slanted axially downwardly in the longitudinal dimension of the strip thereby to provide a continuous downwardly-sloping liquid passageway between said walls and adjacent turns of said strip, an evaporator tube assembly comprising a tube positioned within and extending along said passageway and providing a continuous refrigerant flow path, said tube assembly having a fluted exterior surface substantially throughout its entire length for producing turbulence in the flow of the liquid in said passageway and thereby improve the heat exchange relationship between refrigerant respectively passing through said tube and liquid flowing along said passageway exterior of said tube; insulating means surrounding said tank, means for supplying liquid refrigerant to one end of said tube and for withdrawing refrigerant gas from the other end of said tube, and means for directing a stream of liquid to be cooled through said passageway.

Claim 12

Apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein the said liquid which is cooled is stored in said tank.