US4678029A — Evaporating heat transfer wall

Claim 1

Independent Claim 112 words

In an evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of discrete small longitudinally spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from the ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, the improvement comprising each opening being substantially triangular in shape when viewed along a vertical axis oriented normal to the surface of said heat transfer wall, and a tongue-like projection protruding from an edge wall of each opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving an unevenly dimensioned narrow gap.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 112 words

In an evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of discrete small longitudinally spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from the ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, the improvement comprising each opening being substantially triangular in shape when viewed along a vertical axis oriented normal to the surface of said heat transfer wall, and a tongue-like projection protruding from an edge wall of each opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving an unevenly dimensioned narrow gap.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tongue-like projection has inclination with respect to the surface of said heat transfer wall.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 wherein each respective tongue-like projection protrudes from an edge wall of said substantially triangular opening.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the ceilings of said tunnels have a wavy configuration, and said openings are positioned at larger cross sectional areas in said tunnels.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 33 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said heat transfer wall is of a tubular shape, and said tunnels extend spirally along the axis of the tube.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 53 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gap, when viewed along a vertical axis oriented normal to the surface of said heat transfer wall, is substantially V-shaped having a broad area at the base of the V and a relatively narrow area at each leg of the V.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 3 wherein the ceilings of said tunnels have a wavy configuration, and said openings are positioned at larger cross sectional areas in said tunnels.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall according to claim 4, wherein said heat transfer wall is of a tubular shape, and said tunnels extend spirally along the axis of the tube.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 152 words

In an evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of small longitudinally spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, the improvement comprising a tongue-like projection projecting from an edge of each opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving a narrow gap, wherein each said opening is substantially triangular in shape when viewed along a vertical axis oriented normal to said heat transfer wall surface, and wherein an edge of each said opening is parallel to a wall defining its respective tunnel and is positioned at a common vertical line with said wall of said tunnel, and said tongue-like projection protrudes from one of the remaining two edges of said opening.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 152 words

In an evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of small longitudinally spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, the improvement comprising a tongue-like projection projecting from an edge of each opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving a narrow gap, wherein each said opening is substantially triangular in shape when viewed along a vertical axis oriented normal to said heat transfer wall surface, and wherein an edge of each said opening is parallel to a wall defining its respective tunnel and is positioned at a common vertical line with said wall of said tunnel, and said tongue-like projection protrudes from one of the remaining two edges of said opening.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ceilings of said tunnels have a wavy configuration, and said openings are positioned at larger cross sectional areas in said tunnels.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 31 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 10 wherein said heat transfer wall is of a tubular shape, and said tunnels extend spirally along the axis of the tube.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 31 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 9 wherein said heat transfer wall is of a tubular shape, and said tunnels extend spirally along the axis of the tube.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 206 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of discrete small closely spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from the ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, a plurality of tongue-like projections protruding convexly when viewed perpendicularly to said heat transfer wall surface, and each projection associated with and extending from an edge wall of a respective opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving a continuous gap having at least one first gap portion and at least one second gap portion which second gap portion is dimensionally narrower than said first gap portion and which has relatively higher resistance to fluid flow than said first gap portion such that vapor bubbles formed in the tunnel preferentially pass through said first gap portion and liquid can simultaneously enter said tunnel by capillary action through said second gap portion, the upper and lower surfaces of each tongue-like projection being inclined in the same general direction relative to the surface of said heat transfer wall within a range of from 5 to 80 degrees.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 206 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of discrete small closely spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from the ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, a plurality of tongue-like projections protruding convexly when viewed perpendicularly to said heat transfer wall surface, and each projection associated with and extending from an edge wall of a respective opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving a continuous gap having at least one first gap portion and at least one second gap portion which second gap portion is dimensionally narrower than said first gap portion and which has relatively higher resistance to fluid flow than said first gap portion such that vapor bubbles formed in the tunnel preferentially pass through said first gap portion and liquid can simultaneously enter said tunnel by capillary action through said second gap portion, the upper and lower surfaces of each tongue-like projection being inclined in the same general direction relative to the surface of said heat transfer wall within a range of from 5 to 80 degrees.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 70 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 13, wherein said tunnels are from 0.2 to 1.0 mm high, approximately 0.1 to 1.0 mm wide, have a pitch of approximately 0.2 to 1.5 mm, said openings are triangular and of a size to inscribe a circle of approximately 0.1 to 0.4 mm in diameter, and said openings have a pitch along said tunnels of approximately 0.3 to 1.0 mm.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 38 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 14, wherein the ratio of the area of the upper surface of each of said projection to the area of its respective opening ranges from approximately 20 to 150%.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 13 wherein the ceilings of said tunnels have a wavy configuration, and said openings are positioned at large cross sectional areas in said tunnels.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 31 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 13 wherein said heat transfer wall is of a tubular shape, and said tunnels extend spirally along the axis of the tube.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 188 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of discrete small closely spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from the ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, and a plurality of tongue-like projections protruding convexly when viewed perpendicularly to said heat transfer wall surface, and each projection extending from an edge wall of each respective opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving a continuous gap having at least one first gap portion and at least one second gap portion which second gap portion is dimensionally narrower than said first gap portion and which has relatively higher resistance to fluid flow than said first gap portion such that vapor bubbles formed in the tunnel preferentially pass through said first gap portion and liquid can simultaneously enter said tunnel by capillary action through said at least one second gap portion, a single tongue-like projection extending across each respective opening forming a substantially crescent shaped gap.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 188 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall having a number of fine and elongate tunnels adjacent to each other and positioned a minute distance under the wall surface, a number of discrete small closely spaced openings for communicating said tunnels to the outside of said wall by extending from the ceilings of said tunnels to the wall surface, and a plurality of tongue-like projections protruding convexly when viewed perpendicularly to said heat transfer wall surface, and each projection extending from an edge wall of each respective opening or a vicinity of such opening to extend across said opening leaving a continuous gap having at least one first gap portion and at least one second gap portion which second gap portion is dimensionally narrower than said first gap portion and which has relatively higher resistance to fluid flow than said first gap portion such that vapor bubbles formed in the tunnel preferentially pass through said first gap portion and liquid can simultaneously enter said tunnel by capillary action through said at least one second gap portion, a single tongue-like projection extending across each respective opening forming a substantially crescent shaped gap.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 36 words

An evaporating heat transfer wall as claimed in claim 18, wherein said projection has no inclination and the root of the projection is spaced approximately 0.1 to 0.4 mm below the other surface of said wall.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-07-06	1991-01-05	1991-07-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-07-06	1995-01-05	1995-07-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-07-06	1999-01-05	1999-07-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Evaporating heat transfer wall

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