Tertiary heat exchanger

Claim 2

A tertiary heat exchanger, comprising: a container including inlet and outlet means; a first fluid conducted into said container through one of said inlet means; first conducting means spirally disposed within said container, and forming a passageway extending from said one inlet means outward to one outlet means, for conducting said first fluid out of said container; second conducting means for conducting a second fluid through said container; third conducting means for conducting a third fluid through said container;

Claim 3

at least one of said conducting means having a length which is different from the other conducting means; one of said fluids being heated, and a substantial portion of said second and third conducting means is coiled within said first conducting means so that each of said second and third conducting means comprises a layered stack wherein each turn of the respective coil defines one layer, and heat from the heated fluid is imparted to the remaining fluids by conduction when said fluids are caused to flow through their respective conducting means; the direction of flow of fluid in said second conducting means is opposite to the direction of flow of fluid in said third conducting means; and said container further comprises surface means located above and below said second and third conducting means for pressing said second conducting means against said third conducting means throughout their entire lengths to facilitate maximum heat transfer between said conducting means.

Claim 4

at least one of said conducting means having a length which is different from the other conducting means; one of said fluids being heated, and a substantial portion of said second and third conducting means is coiled within said first conducting means so that each of said second and third conducting means comprises a layered stack wherein each turn of the respective coil defines one layer, and heat from the heated fluid is imparted to the remaining fluids by conduction when said fluids are caused to flow through their respective conducting means; the direction of flow of fluid in said second conducting means is opposite to the direction of flow of fluid in said third conducting means; and said container further comprises surface means located above and below said second and third conducting means for pressing said second conducting means against said third conducting means throughout their entire lengths to facilitate maximum heat transfer between said conducting means.

Claim 5

The tertiary heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second and third coiled conducting means form a single stack having a plurality of layers, wherein every n th layer comprises said second conducting means, and every n+1 th layer comprises said third conducting means.

Claim 6

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein the layered stack formed by said second conducting means comprises, with the layered stack formed by said third conducting means, a single layered stack wherein successive layers of said first stack alternate with successive layers of said second stack.

Claim 7

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said single layered stack defines, in vertical cross-section, a plurality of vertically extending rows, each said row compressed between said surfaces means, and said first conducting means defines, in vertical cross-section, a plurality of compartments, each compartment being configured to jacket a single row.

Claim 8

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 4 wherein at least one of said fluids is liquid and is conducted through said container under pressure, and at least one of said fluids in said second and third means is heated.

Claim 9

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 2 wherein said single layered stack defines, in vertical cross-section, a plurality of vertically extending rows, each said row compressed between said surfaces means, and said first conducting means defines, in vertical cross-section, a plurality of compartments, each compartment being configured to jacket a single row.

Claim 10

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 6 wherein at least one of said fluids is liquid and is conducted through said container under pressure, and at least one of said fluids in said second and third means is heated.

Claim 11

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 3 wherein said single layered stack defines, in vertical cross-section, a plurality of vertically extending rows, each said row compressed between said surfaces means, and said first conducting means defines, in vertical cross-section, a plurality of compartments, each compartment being configured to jacket a single row.

Claim 12

The tertiary heat exchanger as defined in claim 8 wherein at least one of said fluids is liquid and is conducted through said container under pressure, and at least one of said second and third fluids is heated.

Claim 13

The tertiary heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said container outlet means comprises two outlets associated with said first conducting means including means for selectively rerouting said first fluid through one of said two outlets so that said first fluid can be conducted out of said container through only one of said two outlets.

Claim 14

The tertiary heat exchanger of claim 10 wherein; one of said two outlets is located in a side wall of said container, and said one of said container inlet means is located at the center of one of said surface means, so that the distance over which said first fluid is conducted is maximized.

Claim 15

The tertiary heat exchanger of claim 11 wherein the other of said two outlets is disposed in the surface means at a first location between said one of said inlet means and said one of said two outlets, and said rerouting means comprises means for intersecting said first conducting means along the length thereof at said first location, so that when said rerouting means becomes operative, said other of said two outlets are opened causing said first fluid to flow out of said container through said other outlet and thereby altering, by shortening, the effective length of said first conducting means.

Claim 16

The tertiary heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said container includes inlet means for each of said second and said third conducting means, one of said second and third conducting means comprising two outlets, and further comprising means, associated with said outlets, for alternately rerouting the fluid in said one of said conducting means through an appropriate one of said outlets so that only one outlet at a time is operative, and the distance between the inlet means of said one of said second and third conducting means and one of said appropriate outlets being greater than the distance between the other inlet means and said other of said appropriate outlets, so that alternate rerouting of said fluid in said one of said second and third conducting means to said appropriate one of said outlets causes heat transfer to occur for differing periods of time between the respective said one fluid and the remaining fluids.