Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
241 words
A gas-liquid heat exchanger apparatus comprising: counterflow heat exchanger means including a first set and a second set of heat exchanger passages separated from each other by heat exchanger plates in heat exchanging relationship with said first and second passages on opposite sides thereof, both sets of said first and second passages extending completely through the heat exchanger between inlets and outlets; support means for supporting the heat exchanger means so that said passages extend substantially vertically between their top ends and bottom ends; gas transmission means for transmitting hot gas into said inlets at the bottom ends of the first passages and causing said gas to flow upward through said first passages out of said outlets at their top ends; and liquid sprayer means fixed in position for spraying cooling liquid directly onto the surfaces of the heat exchanger plates in the second passages adjacent the top ends thereof and cause said liquid to flow downward by gravity as a thin film through said second passages along said surfaces and out of outlets at their bottom ends so that said liquid and said gas flow in opposite directions along the surfaces on opposite sides of the same portion of one of said heat exchanger plates for direct counterflow heat exchange laterally through the thickness of said plates in order to cool said gas sufficiently to cause a portion of such gas to condense on the surfaces of said first passages.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
241 words
A gas-liquid heat exchanger apparatus comprising: counterflow heat exchanger means including a first set and a second set of heat exchanger passages separated from each other by heat exchanger plates in heat exchanging relationship with said first and second passages on opposite sides thereof, both sets of said first and second passages extending completely through the heat exchanger between inlets and outlets; support means for supporting the heat exchanger means so that said passages extend substantially vertically between their top ends and bottom ends; gas transmission means for transmitting hot gas into said inlets at the bottom ends of the first passages and causing said gas to flow upward through said first passages out of said outlets at their top ends; and liquid sprayer means fixed in position for spraying cooling liquid directly onto the surfaces of the heat exchanger plates in the second passages adjacent the top ends thereof and cause said liquid to flow downward by gravity as a thin film through said second passages along said surfaces and out of outlets at their bottom ends so that said liquid and said gas flow in opposite directions along the surfaces on opposite sides of the same portion of one of said heat exchanger plates for direct counterflow heat exchange laterally through the thickness of said plates in order to cool said gas sufficiently to cause a portion of such gas to condense on the surfaces of said first passages.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the liquid sprayer means includes water sprayer means mounted outside the heat exchanger passages above the upper ends of the second passages.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the sprayer means is mounted within the heat exchanger and includes a plurality of perforated sprayer tubes extending across the top ends of the second passages.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the gas transmission means transmits heated air into the first passages and the liquid sprayer means transmits cold water into the second passages.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the heated air is of high humidity so that at least a portion of the moisture in said air condenses on the surface of the first passages and the condensed water is removed from the heat exchanger by a drain means connected to the bottom end of the first passages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the heated air contains pollutants that are cooled sufficiently to condense on the surfaces of the first passages, and which includes means for removing the condensed pollutants from the heat exchanger.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
163 words
A gas-liquid heat exchanger apparatus comprising: counterflow heat exchanger means including a first set and second set of heat exchanger passages separated from each other by heat exchanger plates in heat exchanging relationship with said first and second passages, said heat exchanger plates having their ends split into two end portions which are joined to different heat exchanger plates on opposite sides thereof to form said first and second passages; support means for supporting the heat exchanger apparatus so that said passages extend substantially vertically between top ends and bottom ends; first transmission means for transmitting a first fluid into the bottom ends of the first passages and causing said first fluid to flow upward through said first passages, said first fluid being a gas; and second transmission means for transmitting a second fluid into the top ends of the second passages and cause said second fluid to flow downward through said second passages along said surfaces, said second fluid being a liquid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
163 words
A gas-liquid heat exchanger apparatus comprising: counterflow heat exchanger means including a first set and second set of heat exchanger passages separated from each other by heat exchanger plates in heat exchanging relationship with said first and second passages, said heat exchanger plates having their ends split into two end portions which are joined to different heat exchanger plates on opposite sides thereof to form said first and second passages; support means for supporting the heat exchanger apparatus so that said passages extend substantially vertically between top ends and bottom ends; first transmission means for transmitting a first fluid into the bottom ends of the first passages and causing said first fluid to flow upward through said first passages, said first fluid being a gas; and second transmission means for transmitting a second fluid into the top ends of the second passages and cause said second fluid to flow downward through said second passages along said surfaces, said second fluid being a liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the first and second fluids include an air stream of heated exhaust air containing gaseous pollutants which are cooled sufficiently by the other fluid to condense on the surfaces of one set of passages in the heat exchanger as liquid pollutants which flow down said one set of passages and out of the heat exchanger.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the first fluid is air and the second fluid is water.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the second transmission means is a water sprayer means including a plurality of perforated sprayer tubes mounted within the heat exchanger and extending across the top ends of the second passages.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the first transmission means transmits heated air into the first passages and the second transmission means transmits cold water into the second passages.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which the heated air is of high humidity so that at least a portion of the moisture in said air condenses on the surface of the first passages and the condensed water is removed from the heat exchanger by a drain means connected to the bottom end of the first passages.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which the heated air contains gaseous pollutants that are cooled sufficiently by the cold water to condense on the surfaces of the first passages as liquid pollutants which flow down said first passages and out of the heat exchanger.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with claim 13 which also includes cleaning means for transmitting cleaning fluid into the one set of passages for removing any solid material which is deposited on the surfaces of said one passages.