Contact body for the transfer of heat and/or substances

Claim 2

A contact body for the direct transfer of heat and/or substances between a liquid medium and a gaseous medium comprising in combination: at least one first vertical flow sheet-panel having a plurality of equidistantly spaced regular undulations in its profile, defining parallel troughs with the undulations inclined to the vertical axis at an angle of less than ninety degrees; at least one second vertical flow panel with similar undulations in its sheet profile, its undulations being oppositely inclined to the vertical axis at an angle likewise less than ninety degrees; the first and second flow panels being contiguously joined together at the prominent areas of their undulations, each said trough comprising: a plurality of first truncations at a first level adjacent to the imaginary tips of the said trough equidistantly spaced from each other; said first level truncations defining ridges and bottoms; a plurality of second truncations at a second level spaced from the said first level at a second level and equidistantly spaced from each other in the spaces between the said first truncations; the latter being a series of contact areas where the bottoms of one flow panel meet the ridges of the adjoining flow panel; the truncations of the first and second flow panels being of limited length in the undulation and being so arranged that a portion of the contact points between adjoining flow panels is eliminated; the adjoining flow panels thus being arranged for a top-to-bottom flow of a liquid medium and a transverse flow of a gaseous medium, the latter flow being facilitated by the elimination of some of the contact points.

Claim 3

A contact body for the direct transfer of heat and/or substances between a liquid medium and a gaseous medium comprising in combination: at least one first vertical flow sheet-panel having a plurality of equidistantly spaced regular undulations in its profile, defining parallel troughs with the undulations inclined to the vertical axis at an angle of less than ninety degrees; at least one second vertical flow panel with similar undulations in its sheet profile, its undulations being oppositely inclined to the vertical axis at an angle likewise less than ninety degrees; the first and second flow panels being contiguously joined together at the prominent areas of their undulations, each said trough comprising: a plurality of first truncations at a first level adjacent to the imaginary tips of the said trough equidistantly spaced from each other; said first level truncations defining ridges and bottoms; a plurality of second truncations at a second level spaced from the said first level at a second level and equidistantly spaced from each other in the spaces between the said first truncations; the latter being a series of contact areas where the bottoms of one flow panel meet the ridges of the adjoining flow panel; the truncations of the first and second flow panels being of limited length in the undulation and being so arranged that a portion of the contact points between adjoining flow panels is eliminated; the adjoining flow panels thus being arranged for a top-tobottom flow of a liquid medium and a transverse flow of a gaseous medium, the latter flow being facilitated by the elimination of some of the contact points.

Claim 4

A contact body for the direct transfer of heat and/or substances between a liquid medium and a gaseous medium comprising in combination: at least one first vertical flow sheet-panel having a plurality of equidistantly spaced regular undulations in its profile, defining parallel troughs with the undulations inclined to the vertical axis at an angle of less than ninety degrees; at least one second vertical flow panel with similar undulations in its sheet profile, its undulations being oppositely inclined to the vertical axis at an angle likewise less than ninety degrees; the first and second flow panels being contiguously joined together at the prominent areas of their undulations, each said trough comprising: a plurality of first truncations at a first level adjacent to the imaginary tips of the said trough equidistantly spaced from each other; said first level truncations defining ridges and bottoms; a plurality of second truncations at a second level spaced from the said first level at a second level and equidistantly spaced from each other in the spaces between the said first truncations; the latter being a series of contact areas where the bottoms of one flow panel meet the ridges of the adjoining flow panel; the truncations of the first and second flow panels being of limited length in the undulation and being so arranged that a portion of the contact points between adjoining flow panels is eliminated; the adjoining flow panels thus being arranged for a top-tobottom flow of a liquid medium and a transverse flow of a gaseous medium, the latter flow being facilitated by the elimination of some of the contact points.

Claim 5

A contact body as defined in claim 1, wherein: the undulations in the sheet profile of the flow panels are essentially of the folded, triangular type, the crosssectional profile across the bottom truncations and ridge truncations being substantially trapezoidal.

Claim 6

A contact body as claimed in claim 2, said trough further comprising: a plurality of third truncations inclined toward connecting and merging with the edges of said first and second truncations, said third truncations being quadrangular.

Claim 7

A contact body as defined in claim 1, wherein: the truncations are regularly spaced along the bottoms and ridges, respectively and are aligned in a pattern of substantially horizontal truncation rows, adjoining flow panels having their truncation rows facing one another in approximate vertical alignment.

Claim 8

A contact body as defined in claim 4, wherein: the length of the bottom truncations and ridge truncations is such that the truncations reach over at least one ondulation wavelength of the adjoining flow panel, but not over two such wavelengths, so that one-half of the contact points between adjoining flow panels are eliminated.

Claim 9

A contact body as defined in claim 1, wherein: the flow panels include on their surfaces a fiber pile for the retention and storage of liquid medium, the truncations being likewise covered by such fiber pile.

Claim 10

A contact body for the direct transfer of heat and/or substances between a liquid medium and a gaseous medium comprising in combination: at least one first vertical flow panel with regular undulations in its sheet profile defining undulation bottoms and undulations ridges, the undulations being inclined to the vertical axis at an angle of less than 90*; at least one second vertical flow panel with similar undulations in its sheet profile, its undulations being oppositely inclined to the vertical axis at an angle likewise less than ninety degrees; the first and second flow panels being contiguously joined together at the prominent points of their undulations, the latter being a series of contact points where the undulation bottoms of one flow panel meet the undulations ridges of the adjoining flow panel; the undulations of the first and second flow panels further including truncations of limited length in the undulation bottoms and undulation ridges, the truncations being so arranged that a portion of the contact points between adjoining flow panels is eliminated; the adjoining flow panels thus being arranged for a top-to-bottom flow of a liquid medium and a transverse flow of a gaseous medium, the latter flow being facilitated by the elimination of some of the contact points; the undulations in the sheet profile of the flow panels are essentially of the folded, triangular type, the cross-sectional profile across the bottom truncations and ridge truncations being substantially trapezoidal; the truncations of the undulations bottoms and undulation ridges are regularly spaced along the bottoms and ridges, respectively and are aligned in a pattern of substantially horizontal truncation rows, adjoining flow panels having their truncation rows facing one another in approximate vertical alignment; the length of the bottom truncations and ridge truncations in the undulations is such that the truncations reach over at least one undulation wavelength of the adjoining flow panel, but not over two such wavelengths, so that one-half of the contact points between adjoining flow panels are eliminated; a plurality of feed grooves arranged at the liquid intake side of the adjoining flow panels in transverse orientation to the truncations and at an obtuse angle to the vertical axis; the length of these feed grooves being no less than one-half of the wavelength of the undulations.

Claim 11

A contact body for the direct transfer of heat and/or substances between a liquid medium and a gaseous medium comprising in combination: at least one first vertical flow panel with regular undulations in its sheet profile defining undulation bottoms and undulations ridges, the undulations being inclined to the vertical axis at an angle of less than 90*; at least one second vertical flow panel with similar undulations in its sheet profile, its undulations being oppositely inclined to the vertical axis at an angle likewise less than ninety degrees; the first and second flow panels being contiguously joined together at the prominent points of their undulations, the latter being a series of contact points where the undulation bottoms of one flow panel meet the undulations ridges of the adjoining flow panel; the undulations of the first and second flow panels further including truncations of limited length in the undulation bottoms and undulation ridges, the truncations being so arranged that a portion of the contact points between adjoining flow panels is eliminated; the adjoining flow panels thus being arranged for a top-to-bottom flow of a liquid medium and a transverse flow of a gaseous medium, the latter flow being facilitated by the elimination of some of the contact points; the undulations in the sheet profile of the flow panels are essentially of the folded, triangular type, the cross-sectional profile across the bottom truncations and ridge truncations being substantially trapezoidal; the truncations of the undulations bottoms and undulation ridges are regularly spaced along the bottoms and ridges, respectively and are aligned in a pattern of substantially horizontal truncation rows, adjoining flow panels having their truncation rows facing one another in approximate vertical alignment; the length of the bottom truncations and ridge truncations in the undulations is such that the truncations reach over at least one undulation wavelength of the adjoining flow panel, but not over two such wavelengths, so that one-half of the contact points between adjoining flow panels are eliminated; a plurality of feed grooves arranged at the liquid intake side of the adjoining flow panels in transverse orientation to the truncations and at an obtuse angle to the vertical axis; the length of these feed grooves being no less than one-half of the wavelength of the undulations.