U.S. patent number 3,670,522 [Application Number 05/064,695] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-20 for exchanger for cooling fluids.
Invention is credited to Adam Bresin.
United States Patent |
3,670,522 |
Bresin |
June 20, 1972 |
EXCHANGER FOR COOLING FLUIDS
Abstract
This invention relates to a cooling exchanger for cooling fluids
in which there are two pipe systems through which are passed
respectively the fluid to be cooled and the cold-producing fluid.
The pipes for the cold-producing fluid are distributed among the
pipes for carrying the fluid to be cooled and both sets of pipes
are submerged in a refrigerating liquid.
Inventors: |
Bresin; Adam (75 Paris 10,
FR) |
Family
ID: |
9039719 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/064,695 |
Filed: |
August 18, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/333; 62/98;
62/99; 62/393; 62/434; 62/435; 165/140 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D
15/00 (20130101); F28D 7/0083 (20130101); F28F
9/22 (20130101); F28D 7/0066 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F28F
9/22 (20060101); F28D 7/00 (20060101); F25D
15/00 (20060101); F25d 017/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;165/140
;62/434,435,98,99,393,333 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wye; William J.
Claims
I claim:
1. In an exchanger for cooling fluids of the type in which heat is
transferred from the fluid to be cooled to an intermediate
refrigerating fluid and then to a cooling fluid, said exchanger
including an enclosure, first and second pipe systems arranged
within said enclosure, each pipe system comprising a multiplicity
of pipes, means for passing a cooling fluid through said first
system, said first system having connector means for coupling to a
refrigerating machine, means for passing a fluid to be cooled
through said second system, and an intermediate refrigerating
liquid within the enclosure, the improvement wherein said pipes of
both said first and second systems are distributed within said
enclosure and submerged in said refrigerating liquid, said pipes of
said first and second pipe systems being interspersed respectively
with each other throughout such liquid.
2. A cooling exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said pipes of
said second system are regularly spaced over the cross-section of
the enclosure and said pipes of said first system are arranged
horizontally or at an incline relative to a horizontal longitudinal
plane of symmetry of the enclosure.
3. A cooling exchanger according to claim 1, comprising transverse
partitions spaced apart in said enclosure and forming a baffle
passage, apertures in said partitions through which pass the pipes
of said first and second pipe systems, and pump means for
circulating said refrigerating liquid through said baffle
passage.
4. A cooling exchanger according to claim 1, in which said
enclosure includes a substantially cylindrical container, first and
second transverse plates adjacent respective ends of the container,
apertures in said first and second plates for receiving ends of
pipes of said second pipe system, apertures in said second plate
for receiving ends of pipes of said first pipe system, first and
second cap members closing the ends of the cylindrical container,
first and second chambers defined between said cap members and said
first and second transverse plates, a longitudinal partition in
said first chamber defining first and second compartments, inlet
and outlet ports in said first and second compartments respectively
for said fluid to be cooled, means for feeding said cooling fluid
to the ends of said pipes of said first system at said second
chamber, a collector in said second chamber for receiving vaporized
cooling fluid from ends of pipes of said first system, and a
refrigerating machine connected to said connector means of said
first pipe system through said feeding means and said
collector.
5. A cooling exchanger according to claim 4, wherein pump means for
circulating said refrigerating liquid is connected to said
enclosure adjacent the inlet and outlet for the fluid to be
cooled.
6. A cooling exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the volume of
the refrigerating liquid in circulation is selected so as not to
completely fill the enclosure.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an exchanger for cooling fluids,
particularly gas and air, of the type in which cold is transferred
between the cold-producing fluid and the fluid to be cooled through
the agency of a "refrigerating fluid," as it is called, for example
a liquid which may be capable of freezing hard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In cooling exchangers of this type, the refrigerating fluid is
contained in an enclosure in which are immersed two pipe systems,
one of which carrys the cold-producing fluid and is connected to a
refrigerating sleeve, wherein the fluid to be cooled passes through
the other pipe system. Exchangers of this kind, in contrast to
those in which a fluid is cooled by direct contact with a bank of
tubes in which the cold-producing fluid is evaporated, offer the
advantage of providing an accumulation of cold built up in the
intermediate refrigerating fluid so enabling the frequency of
start-up of the refrigerating machine to be reduced. However, the
output is nevertheless not very satisfactory. In effect, the
transfer of cold at the exchange surface between the refrigerating
fluid and the gas to be cooled occurs under poor conditions, since
the mass of the gas is small. To improve the rate of transfer of
cold, recourse has been made to reducing the gap between the
temperature of the gas to be cooled and that of the refrigerating
fluid, but there is a minimum gap that cannot be decreased, since
it would then be necessary to increase excessively the throughput
of refrigerating fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The cooling exchanger in accordance with the invention enables this
drawback to be decreased. The pipes for the cold-producing fluid
are arranged in the pipe system for handling the fluid to be cooled
and the whole of both banks are submerged in the refrigerating
liquid.
In a preferred embodiment, the pipes through which passes the fluid
to be cooled are regularly spaced over the cross-section of the
enclosure. The pipes of the cold-producing pipe system are arranged
in several planar and horizontal banks, which are horizontal or
inclined to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the enclosure and
are interposed between the pipes of the first system.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, transverse
partitions, through which pass the pipes of the two systems and
which form a baffle passage, are fitted in the enclosure containing
the refrigerating fluid. An exterior pump causes the refrigerating
fluid to circulate at a great rate through this passage, so that it
moves successively into contact with the cold pipes and the pipes
that are to be cooled.
Because of this arrangement, the refrigerating fluid is forced to
flow perpendicularly to the pipes of the two systems so that the
turbulence so caused provides a good transfer co-efficient.
Furthermore, since the pipes through which the cold-producing fluid
pass are interposed between the pipes through which the fluid to be
cooled pass, the refrigerating fluid moves successively and
alternately into contact with the cold pipes and the pipes to be
cooled. As a result, the refrigerating fluid is cooled a great
number of times so that its temperature is practically constant and
very close to that of the cold-producing fluid. The equipment thus
possesses the advantages of refrigerators in which the fluid to be
cooled moves in direct contact with the pipes for directly
expanding the cold-producing fluid, and it also possesses the
advantages of apparatus employing an intermediate refrigerating
fluid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the invention reference will now be
made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment
of an apparatus according to the invention.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section on the line II--II of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a further cross-section on the line III--III of FIG.
1.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT
As shown in the drawing, the refrigerating exchanger of the
invention is constituted by a cylindrical container 1 closed at its
two ends by caps 2 and 3, which are connected to the container 1 by
means of flanges and bolts (not illustrated). Between that end of
the container 1 closed by the cap 3 and this cap there is fitted a
plate 4, a similar plate 5 being fitted in the container 1 at some
distance away from its other end so as to form a chamber 6.
Pipes 7, 7' etc. (FIGS. 1 and 2) extend between the two plates 4
and 5 and pass through them. They form a first pipe system through
which passes the fluid to be cooled. Fluid enters the system
through a port 8 in end cap 3. The end cap is divided into two
chambers 9 and 9' by a median partition 10, and fluid is discharged
through the port 8'. The pipes 7 of the bank thus form two groups,
an upper group of pipes through which the fluid to be cooled passes
from right to left, and a lower group of pipes through which this
fluid passes from left to right.
The pipes 7, 7' etc. in which the fluid to be cooled circulates are
distributed substantially uniformly over the cross-section of the
enclosure defined by the container 1. In this pipe system are
inserted or interposed the pipes through which passes the
refrigerating fluid supplied by the refrigerating machine 11. These
pipes are staggered over the transverse plate 5 and are divided
into three planar banks 12, 12' and 12" (FIGS. 1 and 2), each of
which is constituted by three pipes which are interconnected by
return bends as can be seen in FIG. 1. The three lower pipes are
connected, as shown in FIG. 1, to the distributor 13 connected to
the refrigerating machine, in which distributor the fluid expands,
whereas the three upper pipes are connected to a collector 14 which
passes the vaporized fluid to the machine 11. The cold pipework 12
must be horizontal or must slope downwards so as not to form
pockets in which lubricating oil could be trapped. The distributor
13 and the collector 14 are connected to the refrigerating machine
11 by pipes 15 and 16 which pass through the wall of the container
1 to the interior of the chamber 6, fluid-tight seals being
provided between these pipes and said wall. Thus, these fluid-tight
conduits do not require to be dismantled when it is required to
clean the banks of pipes or to replace certain of the pipes. For
this purpose, it suffices to remove the end caps 2 and 3, which
operation can be carried out without difficulty.
Transverse partitions 17-18, 17'-18', 17"-18" etc. are fitted
inside the container 1 so as to form a baffle path for the
refrigerating fluid. A pump 19, connected to the container 1 at 20
and 21 near the plates 4 and 5, causes the refrigerating fluid to
circulate through the enclosure and in contact with the pipes. The
pipes 7 and 12 pass through the partitions 17 and 18 which help to
support these pipes.
It will be seen that, due to the partitions 17 and 18, the interior
of the container 1 is divided into a certain number of successive
chambers through which the refrigerating liquid, pressurized by the
pump 19, passes alternately in the upward and downward directions.
Consequently, this liquid, during its entire travel through the
container 1, moves alternately into contact with the cold pipes 12
and with the pipes 7 to be cooled, and this enables the
above-mentioned advantages to be achieved.
The volume of refrigerating liquid supplied by the pump is kept at
such a level that it does not entirely fill the container 1. This
level can be checked through an inspection window 22. This gives,
on the one hand, turbulent flow between the pipes of the two
systems and, on the other hand, a good coefficient of cold
transfer. However, if it is required to create an accumulation of
cold by freezing the refrigerating liquid, this incomplete filling
of the container 1 ensures the necessary margin of safety to cover
expansion caused by the freezing.
When it is required to use a non-freezing liquid, alcohol, glycol
or aqueous solutions of these substances will be employed so as to
lower the freezing point. Mercury may also be used.
Where it is required to use a liquid that can freeze, pure water, a
low-concentration brine or an eutectic solution may be
employed.
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