Capillary fin media

Claim 2

A wetted surface air-to-air heat exchanger comprising a first and second pair of water-impervious plates, each pair of plates being formed by the joining together of two plates along a pair of opposed edge portions of the plates to form first channels through which air and water can flow, each pair of plates including means for maintaining the plates in a spaced relation and capillary means for distributing water laterally in the first channels by capillary action, the first pair of plates being joined to the second pair of plates along a second pair of opposed edges to form a second channel through which air can pass, the capillary means comprising a series of fins formed on the plates and extending into the second channel, the fins of adjacent plates being alternately spaced.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the fins of adjoining plates are generally parallel to form a series of subchannels in the second channels, the subchannels extending in a direction generally parallel to the flow of air in the second channels.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 further comprising aligning means for aligning adjoining plates with respect to each other, and wherein the capillary means comprises a series of fins, the fins extending from the plate on which they are formed substantially to an adjoining plate.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 further comprising aligning means for aligning adjoining plates with respect to each other, the aligning means comprising at least one projection and at least one dimple, the projection being sized and positioned for being received by a dimple of an adjoining plate and the dimple being sized and positioned for receiving a projection of an adjoining plate.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 wherein the at least one projection includes a plurality of major projections and a plurality of minor projections, the major projections including a projected surface and a dimpled surface, the projected surface being sized and positioned for being received by a dimpled surface of an adjoining plate, and the dimpled surface being sized and positioned for receiving a projected surface of an adjoining plate.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 wherein said capillary means comprises a series of parallel fins formed on the plates and disposed from the plates into the second channel, the fins of adjacent plates being alternately spaced to form a series of subchannels in the second channel, the subchannels extending in a direction generally parallel to the flow of air in the second channels, and the fins extending from the plate on which they are formed substantially to an adjoining plate.

Claim 8

In an indirect evaporative air cooler through which a first and second stream of air can pass for cooling the second stream of air, including means for distributing a cooling liquid to contact the first stream of air, an improved media comprising a plurality of plates, each plate having a series of ridges to maintain adjacent plates in a spaced relation, the plates being joined together to form a series of first channels through which the cooling liquid and the first stream of air can pass, and a series of second channels through which the second stream of air can pass, each plate having a plurality of elongated depressions having a sufficiently small dimension across the depressions so as to exhibit capillarity, the elongated depressions forming elongated fins extending to the second channel, the elongated depressions of adjoining plates being alternately spaced to form a series of subchannels in the second channel.

Claim 9

In an indirect evaporative air cooler through which a first and second stream of air can pass for cooling the second stream of air, including means for distributing a cooling liquid to contact the first stream of air, an improved media comprising a plurality of plates, each plate having a series of ridges to maintain adjacent plates in a spaced relation, the plates being joined together to form a series of first channels through which the cooling liquid and the first stream of air can pass, and a series of second channels through which the second stream of air can pass, each plate having a plurality of elongated depressions having a sufficiently small dimension across the depressions so as to exhibit capillarity, the elongated depressions forming elongated fins extending to the second channel, the elongated depressions of adjoining plates being alternately spaced to form a series of subchannels in the second channel.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 wherein the elongated fins in the second channel formed by the elongated depressions extend from the plate on which they are formed substantially to an adjoining plate, the subchannels extending in a direction generally parallel to the flow of air in the second channels.

Claim 11

A wetted surface air-to-air heat exchanger comprising a first and a second pair of water-impervious plates, each pair of plates being formed by the joining together of two plates along a pair of opposed edge portions of the plates to form first channels through which air and water can flow, each pair of plates including means for maintaining the plates in a spaced relation, capillary means for distributing water laterally in the first channels by capillary action, and aligning means for aligning adjoining plates with respect to each other, the first pair of plates being joined to the second pair of plates along a second pair of opposed edges to form a second channel through which air can pass, the capillary means comprising a series of parallel fins formed on the plates and disposed from the plates into the second channel substantially to an adjoining plate, the fins of adjacent plates being alternately spaced to form a series of subchannels in the second channel, the subchannels extending in a direction generally parallel to the flow of air in the second channels, the aligning means comprising at least one inwardly protruding projection and at least one outwardly protruding projection at at least one inwardly protruding dimple and at least one outwardly protruding dimple, the projections being sized and positioned for being received by dimples of an adjoining plate, the dimples being sized and positioned for receiving projections of an adjoining plate.

Claim 12

A wetted surface air-to-air heat exchanger comprising a first and a second pair of water-impervious plates, each pair of plates being formed by the joining together of two plates along a pair of opposed edge portions of the plates to form first channels through which air and water can flow, each pair of plates including means for maintaining the plates in a spaced relation, capillary means for distributing water laterally in the first channels by capillary action, and aligning means for aligning adjoining plates with respect to each other, the first pair of plates being joined to the second pair of plates along a second pair of opposed edges to form a second channel through which air can pass, the capillary means comprising a series of parallel fins formed on the plates and disposed from the plates into the second channel substantially to an adjoining plate, the fins of adjacent plates being alternately spaced to form a series of subchannels in the second channel, the subchannels extending in a direction generally parallel to the flow of air in the second channels, the aligning means comprising at least one inwardly protruding projection and at least one outwardly protruding projection at at least one inwardly protruding dimple and at least one outwardly protruding dimple, the projections being sized and positioned for being received by dimples of an adjoining plate, the dimples being sized and positioned for receiving projections of an adjoining plate.