Gea Power Cooling Systems, LLC

Sandkuhl Clay Works, Inc.

General Atomic Company

Herman P Fay

Ann L Engh

Robert Edward Potthoff

The present invention involves a fill formed of a plurality of plates that are pre-assembled into fill packs for application as fill media in cooling towers. A unique spacing and fastening system is employed to assemble individual plates into fill packs. The spacing system of the current invention utilizes a tube or rod which traverses apertures in the plates of the fill pack. The tube or rod is flattened or expanded in the area between the fill plates, thus locking the fill plates in place. The spacing system of the current invention provides substantially complete adjustability of the pitch of the fill plates. Alternatively, plate spacing can be effected by employing integral protrusions which bond to adjacent plates. The plates are designed to deploy a large amount of surface area in a compact volume and to allow free flow of fluids through the media. The plates utilize a ribbed structure which creates a relatively high strength-to weight ratio for the individual plates. The plate ribs slightly increase air flow turbulence and therefore heat transfer, while not adversely affecting flow velocity of the liquid to be cooled. Since flow velocity of the liquid to be cooled remains high, the plates of the current invention are low fouling. The plates can be employed in other applications such as trickle filters in wastewater plants or as catalyst carriers in chemical processes. In one exemplary embodiment, plates are made of ceramic material.

Fill packs for use in heat and mass transfer devices

The present invention involves a fill consisting of a plurality of plates that are pre-assembled into fill packs for application as fill media in cooling towers. A unique spacing and fastening system is employed to assemble individual plates into fill packs. The spacing system of the current invention utilizes a tube or rod which traverses apertures in the plates of the fill pack. The tube or rod is flattened or expanded in the area between the fill plates, thus locking the fill plates in place. The spacing system of the current invention provides substantially complete adjustability of the pitch of the fill plates. Alternatively, plate spacing can be effected by employing integral protrusions which bond to adjacent plates. The plates are designed to deploy a large amount of surface area in a compact volume and to allow free flow of fluids through the media. The plates utilize a ribbed structure which creates a relatively high strength-to-weight ratio for the individual plates. The plate ribs slightly increase air flow turbulence and therefore heat transfer, while not adversely affecting flow velocity of the liquid to be cooled. Since flow velocity of the liquid to be cooled remains high, the plates of the current invention are low fouling. The plates can be employed in other applications such as trickle filters in wastewater plants or as catalyst carriers in chemical processes. In one exemplary embodiment, plates are made of ceramic material.

An air cooled condenser is provided which improves the heat transfer in the dephlegmator pipes and reduces the risk of condensate back-up. A condensate outlet extending from the bottom end to the top is arranged in selected dephlegmator pipes. The cross section and the geometry of the condensate outlet is configured in accordance with the respective cross section geometry and the dimensions of the dephlegmator pipe. The length of the condensate outlet is preferably between 100 mm and 500 mm. By separating the steam phase and the condensate phase at the entrance to the dephlegmator pipes, a mutual disadvantageous influence of the two phases on each other is prevented. In particular, the frictional forces between the steam and condensate can be appreciably reduced. As a result, the back-up velocity, that is, the steam inlet velocity at which the condensate starts to back up, is appreciably reduced. Depending on the length of the condensate outlets, a condensate back-up or swallowing can be prevented entirely.

Air-cooled surface condenser

A method for uniformly distributing the vapor conducted from a parallel flow condenser section of an air cooled condenser into the dephlegmator cubes of a subsequently arranged countercurrent condenser includes throttling gaseous fluids present at the ends of the dephlegmator tubes on the collector side when the gaseous fluids are withdrawn from the dephlegmator tubes. In the air cooled condenser for carrying out the method, at least the predominant majority of the dephlegmator tubes has resistance elements at or near where they connect to the gas collector.

Air cooled condenser

A cooling tower is described employing a heat exchanger and duct means defining a passage for directing the air over the heat exchanger for cooling same. The duct means have upper and lower air intake orifices, the former being positioned a substantial distance above ground level and the latter being positioned substantially at ground level. Means are provided for selectively drawing air into the duct means through either of said orifices.

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Solana Beach, CA, United States of America

Herman P Fay