Fluid handling apparatus

Claim 2

In a fluid handling apparatus an interrupter structure providing multiple interruptions of the boundary layer of a fluid flow over a surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the structure, the structure comprising: a multiplicity of individual interrupter elements disposed sequentially at predetermined distances so as not to be contiguous and extending longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of the said fluid flow; each interrupter element comprising a common core of small diameter relative to the overall diameter of the respective element and at least three elongated blade-like members extending outwards from the common core, so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces adjacent to the respective element; each blade-like member in side elevation being radially outwardly tapered to a tip which touches or nearly touches the respective surface, and so that the tip protrudes into the respective zone of the fluid flow boundary layer for corresponding interruption thereof.

Claim 3

The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade-like members decrease progressively in thickness radially outwards from the respective common core.

Claim 4

The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacing between immediately successive interrupter elements of an interrupter structure is such as to produce wake interferences flow in the fluid.

Claim 5

The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said bladed interrupter structure comprises an axial core member constituted by the respective element common cores connected to one another and along which the bladed interrupter elements are longitudinally spaced from one another.

Claim 6

The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid handling apparatus comprise a fluid reactor in which the interrupter structure is coated with a material exhibiting reactive and/or catalytic properties toward the fluid.

Claim 7

In a fluid handling apparatus an interrupter structure providing multiple interruptions of the boundary layer of a fluid flow over a surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the structure, the structure comprising: a multiplicity of individual interrupter elements disposed sequentially at predetermined distances so as not to be contiguous and extending longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of the said fluid flow; each interrupter element comprising a common core of small diameter relative to the overall diameter of the respective element and at least three elongated blade-like members extending outwards from the common core, so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces adjacent to the respective element; each blade-like member in side elevation being radially outwardly tapered to a tip which touches or nearly touches the respective surface, and so that the tip protrudes into the respective zone of the fluid flow boundary layer for corresponding interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent boundary layer interruptions in respective zones of the boundary layer corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof; the said multiplicity of successive elements providing within each element between the blade-like members a volume of increased fluid velocity and between immediately successive elements a volume of decreased fluid velocity so as to provide a corresponding multiplicity of changes in fluid velocity, the said multiplicity of successive elements each providing greater friction drag adjacent to its core than to its tip portion such as to produce a corresponding multiplicity of changes in fluid flow direction through the structure, the said multiplicity of successive changes in fluid velocity and flow direction promoting fluid mixing between the separated fluid boundary layer and the corresponding fluid core.

Claim 8

In a fluid handling apparatus an interrupter structure providing multiple interruptions of the boundary layer of a fluid flow over a surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the structure, the structure comprising: a multiplicity of individual interrupter elements disposed sequentially at predetermined distances so as not to be contiguous and extending longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of the said fluid flow; each interrupter element comprising a common core of small diameter relative to the overall diameter of the respective element and at least three elongated blade-like members extending outwards from the common core, so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces adjacent to the respective element; each blade-like member in side elevation being radially outwardly tapered to a tip which touches or nearly touches the respective surface, and so that the tip protrudes into the respective zone of the fluid flow boundary layer for corresponding interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent boundary layer interruptions in respective zones of the boundary layer corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof; the said multiplicity of successive elements providing within each element between the blade-like members a volume of increased fluid velocity and between immediately successive elements a volume of decreased fluid velocity so as to provide a corresponding multiplicity of changes in fluid velocity, the said multiplicity of successive elements each providing greater friction drag adjacent to its core than to its tip portion such as to produce a corresponding multiplicity of changes in fluid flow direction through the structure, the said multiplicity of successive changes in fluid velocity and flow direction promoting fluid mixing between the separated fluid boundary layer and the corresponding fluid core.

Claim 9

The invention as claimed in claim 6, wherein the blade-like members decrease progressively in thickness radially outwards from the respective common core.

Claim 10

In a fluid handling apparatus an interrupter structure adapted for pointwise interruption of the boundary layer of a fluid flow over a surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the structure, the structure comprising: a multiplicity of closely spaced interrupter elements extending longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of the said fluid flow; each interrupter element comprising a common core of small diameter relative to the overall diameter of the respective element and from three to ten blade-like members extending radially outwards from the common core, so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces adjacent to the respective element; each blade-like member being of at least approximately spherical segment profile in side elevation, so that the portion thereof most closely adjacent to the respective apparatus surface protrudes into the fluid flow boundary layer for corresponding pointwise interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent pointwise boundary layer interruptions corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof.

Claim 11

In a fluid handling apparatus an interrupter structure adapted for pointwise interruption of the boundary layer of a fluid flow over a surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the structure, the structure comprising: a multiplicity of closely spaced interrupter elements extending longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of the said fluid flow; each interrupter element comprising a common core of small diameter relative to the overall diameter of the respective element and from three to ten blade-like members extending radially outwards from the common core, so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces adjacent to the respective element; each blade-like member being of at least approximately spherical segment profile in side elevation, so that the portion thereof most closely adjacent to the respective apparatus surface protrudes into the fluid flow boundary layer for corresponding pointwise interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent pointwise boundary layer interruptions corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof.

Claim 12

The invention as claimed in claim 8, wherein the blade-like members decrease progressively in thickness radially outwards from the respective common core.

Claim 13

In a fluid handling apparatus a bladed interrupter structure adapted for pointwise interruption of the boundary layer of a fluid flow at an apparatus surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the interrupter structure, the said structure comprising: a multiplicity of bladed interrupter elements disposed longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of flow of the fluid, each bladed interrupter element comprising a common core and at least three blade-like members extending mutually outwardly from the common core so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces immediately adjacent to the respective element, each blade-like member being of at least approximately spherical segment profile in side elevation so that the portion thereof most closely adjacent to the respective apparatus surface protrudes into the said fluid flow boundary layer for pointwise interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent pointwise boundary layer interruptions corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof, wherein the fluid handling apparatus comprises heat exchange apparatus of the shell and tube type, wherein each tube has therein an interrupter structure, and wherein each tube has at least one interrupter structure in contact with its external surface through which heat exchange takes place to fluid in the shell thereof, each last-mentioned interrupter structure comprising: an elongated axial core element extending in the direction of fluid flow of the fluid, and a plurality of spaced spherical interrupter elements extending along the said core element.

Claim 14

In a fluid handling apparatus a bladed interrupter structure adapted for pointwise interruption of the boundary layer of a fluid flow at an apparatus surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the interrupter structure, the said structure comprising: a multiplicity of bladed interrupter elements disposed longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of flow of the fluid, each bladed interrupter element comprising a common core and at least three blade-like members extending mutually outwardly from the common core so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces immediately adjacent to the respective element, each blade-like member being of at least approximately spherical segment profile in side elevation so that the portion thereof most closely adjacent to the respective apparatus surface protrudes into the said fluid flow boundary layer for pointwise interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent pointwise boundary layer interruptions corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof, wherein the fluid handling apparatus comprises heat exchange apparatus of the shell and tube type, wherein each tube has therein an interrupter structure, and wherein each tube has at least one interrupter structure in contact with its external surface through which heat exchange takes place to fluid in the shell thereof, each last-mentioned interrupter structure comprising: an elongated axial core element extending in the direction of fluid flow of the fluid, and a plurality of spaced spherical interrupter elements extending along the said core element.

Claim 15

The invention as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spacing between immediately successive interrupter elements of an interrupter structure is such as to produce wake interference flow in the fluid.

Claim 16

The invention as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said bladed interrupter structure comprises an axial core member constituted by the respective element common cores connected to one another and along which the bladed interrupter elements are longitudinally spaced from one another.

Claim 17

In a fluid handling apparatus a bladed interrupter structure adapted for pointwise interruption of the boundary layer of a fluid flow at an apparatus surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the interrupter structure, the said structure comprising: a multiplicity of bladed interrupter elements disposed longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of flow of the fluid, each bladed interrupter element comprising a common core and at least three blade-like members extending mutually outwardly from the common core so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces immediately adjacent to the respective element, each blade-like member being of at least approximately spherical segment profile in side elevation so that the portion thereof most closely adjacent to the respective apparatus surface protrudes into the said fluid flow boundary layer for pointwise interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent pointwise boundary layer interruptions corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof, wherein the fluid handling apparatus comprises heat exchange apparatus of the shell and tube type, wherein each tube has therein an interrupter structure, and wherein each tube has at least one interrupter structure in contact with its external surface through which heat exchange takes place to fluid in the shell thereof, each last-mentioned interrupter structure comprising: an elongated axial core element extending in the direction of fluid flow of the fluid, and a plurality of spaced spherical interrupter elements extending along the said core element, the core element being free of interrupter elements at its ends.

Claim 18

In a fluid handling apparatus a bladed interrupter structure adapted for pointwise interruption of the boundary layer of a fluid flow at an apparatus surface or surfaces of the apparatus immediately adjacent to the interrupter structure, the said structure comprising: a multiplicity of bladed interrupter elements disposed longitudinally relative to one another in the direction of flow of the fluid, each bladed interrupter element comprising a common core and at least three blade-like members extending mutually outwardly from the common core so as to separately touch or nearly touch the said apparatus surface or surfaces immediately adjacent to the respective element, each blade-like member being of at least approximately spherical segment profile in side elevation so that the portion thereof most closely adjacent to the respective apparatus surface protrudes into the said fluid flow boundary layer for pointwise interruption thereof; each element thereby providing a number of adjacent pointwise boundary layer interruptions corresponding to the number of blade-like members thereof, wherein the fluid handling apparatus comprises heat exchange apparatus of the shell and tube type, wherein each tube has therein an interrupter structure, and wherein each tube has at least one interrupter structure in contact with its external surface through which heat exchange takes place to fluid in the shell thereof, each last-mentioned interrupter structure comprising: an elongated axial core element extending in the direction of fluid flow of the fluid, and a plurality of spaced spherical interrupter elements extending along the said core element, the core element being free of interrupter elements at its ends.

Claim 19

The invention as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacing between immediately successive interrupter elements of an interrupter structure is such as to produce wake interference flow in the fluid.

Claim 20

The invention as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said bladed interrupter structure comprises an axial core member constituted by the respective element common cores connected to one another and along which the bladed interrupter elements are longitudinally spaced from one another.

Claim 21

The invention as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fluid handling apparatus comprises a fluid reactor in which the interrupter structure is coated with a material exhibiting reactive and/or catalytic properties toward the fluid.