Idalex Technologies, Inc.

F.f. Seeley Nominees Pty Ltd.

Other

Leland E Gillan

Valeriy S Maisotsenko

Alan Dale Gillan

Timothy Lawrence Heaton

David P Thompson

Steven Slayzak

Robert Finley

Benjamin Manley

Daniel Zube

Rick J Gillan

Valeriy Maisotsenko

Alan D Gillan

Robert Wagner

A method of liquid delivery in an evaporative cooler having an assembly of plates may include delivering liquid from a fill tube to a first trough formed on a first plate of the assembly of plates, the first trough including a first perforation in fluid communication with a second trough formed on a second plate of the assembly of plates, the fill tube configured to deliver the liquid above the first perforation such that an exit point of the fill tube is not submerged in liquid at any point during liquid delivery or operation of the evaporative cooler, draining the liquid from the first trough to the second trough via the first perforation, and filling the second trough to an overflow level before permitting the liquid to exit the second trough via a second perforation, the overflow level defined by a bottom of the second perforation.

Water delivery for an evaporative cooler

A direct evaporative cooler includes a liquid delivery system and an assembly of two or more plates. At least one plate of the assembly of two or more plates may include a top surface having a wicking material with an exposed surface for receiving a liquid thereon from the liquid delivery system, and one or more masks lining a portion of the exposed surface. The one or more masks may be impermeable to the liquid thereby preventing the liquid from evaporating through the one or more masks, and the one or more masks may be sized and shaped such that a wick rate of the liquid on the exposed surface exceeds an evaporation rate of the liquid.

Reduction of scale build-up in an evaporative cooling apparatus

In one embodiment, an evaporative cooler is described. The evaporative cooler may comprise an assembly of one or more plates. At least one trough proximate the one or more plates. A water delivery system may be proximate the at least one trough. The water delivery system may comprise at least one supply tube and at least one fill tube, wherein the water delivery system is positioned to siphon air from the evaporative cooler when a continuous water supply is suspended.

Water delivery system for an evaporative cooler

In one embodiment, a plate for an evaporative cooler is disclosed. The plate may comprise a wicking material with an exposed surface and a sealed surface opposite the exposed surface. An impermeable barrier may be coupled to the sealed surface. One or more masks may line a portion of the exposed surface, wherein the masks may comprise an impermeable material. In some embodiments, the mask may be a strip of impermeable material and may be coupled to a flat area of the top surface. In further embodiments, the one or more masks may align with a liquid wick path of the wicking material. In further embodiments, the one or more masks may line the edge of perforations that pass at least partially through the plate.

Apparatus for distilling a fluid such as water includes a vessel and heat transfer plates within the vessel structures to form at least one each cooling channel, evaporative channel, and condensing channel. Air enters the vessel and passes through the cooling channel, where it is cooled due to evaporation taking place in an adjacent evaporative channel. In the evaporative channel, input fluid is supplied to the walls of the heat transfer plates facing into the evaporative channel and evaporation forms vapor. The vapor is condensed in a condensing channel. In some versions of the apparatus, an evaporation channel forms a vacuum chamber and a condensing channel forms a compression chamber.

Water distillation method and apparatus

Heat exchanger plates for indirect evaporative coolers, of the type having a dry side having low permeability to an evaporative liquid and formed to allow a product fluid to flow over a heat transfer area of its surface, a wet side designed to have its surface wet by an evaporative liquid, and formed to allow a working gas to flow over its surface to evaporate the evaporative liquid, further include edge extensions formed beyond the heat exchange area of the plates to facilitate removal of excess evaporative liquid. The edge extensions may slant or curve away from the wet side of the plates to assist in liquid removal. The plates may be used in a variety of configurations.

Plate heat and mass exchanger with edge extension

An improved method and apparatus for indirect evaporative cooling of a fluid stream to substantially its dew point temperature. Plate heat exchanger has perforationsand channelsandfor gas or a low temperature for liquids on a dry side and wet side. Fluid streamsflow across the dry side, transferring heat to the plate. Gas streamflows across the dry side and through perforations to channelson wet side, which it then cools by evaporative cooling as well as conductive and radiative transfer of heat from plate. A wicking material provides wetting of wet side. In other embodiments, a desiccant wheel may be used to dehumidify the gas, air streams may be recirculated, feeder wicksand a pump may be used to bring water from a water reservoir, and fans may be used to either force or induce a draft. The wicking material may be cellulose, organic fibers, organic based fibers, polyester, polypropylene, carbon-based fibers, silicon based fibers, fiberglass, or combinations of them. The device may be operated in winter months to scavenge heat from exhaust gases of a space and thus pre-heat fresh air, while simultaneously humidifying the fresh air.

Method and plate apparatus for dew point evaporative cooler

A power system includes a device for extracting energy from a hot gas stream to power a driveshaft. An evaporative duplex counterheat exchanger is disposed in flow communication with the energy extracting device. The duplex exchanger includes a first heat exchanger having a first main flow channel, and a counterheat channel joined in flow communication therewith. A second heat exchanger includes a second main flow channel adjacent the counterheat channel. And, an evaporative fluid is injected into the counterheat channel to evaporatively cool the flow through both main flow channels.

Power system and method

A duplex exchanger includes first and second heat exchangers each including a main flow channel and a cooperating counterheat channel. The first counterheat channel is joined to the first main flow channel for receiving a cooled primary stream therefrom. The second counterheat channel is also joined to the first main channel splitting the primary stream therefrom. An evaporative coolant is injected into the first counterheat channel, and an evaporative saturant is injected into the second counterheat channel. Heat from the initially hot primary stream in the first exchanger evaporates the coolant in the first counterheat channel for self-cooling the primary stream in the first main channel. Heat from a hot secondary stream channeled through the second main channel evaporates the saturant in the second counterheat channel for adding mass to the primary stream channeled therethrough.

Evaporative duplex counterheat exchanger

The operating efficiency of indirect evaporative cooling processes and indirect evaporative cooling apparatus employing a dry side channel and a wet side channel separated by a heat exchange plate are improved by placement of holes in the heat exchange plate. Further improvements are obtained when the flow direction in the wet side channel is cross-current to the flow direction in the dry side channel. Placement of desiccant materials in the dry side channel also serve to improve the operating efficiencies of these processes and apparatus.

Method of evaporative cooling of a fluid and apparatus therefor

A fuel cell using fuel and oxidant resulting in the production of water and heat in addition to electrical power. The fuel cell employs an evaporative cooler and has methods to adjust the moisture and temperature for the fuel and oxidant flows to improve the fuel cell efficiency. The water produced by the fuel cell is used to provide the water for wet channels of the evaporative cooler. The evaporative cooler has separate product channels and dry working channels that are cooled by heat transfer across a heat exchanger plate. The heat exchanger plate forms part of each wet working channel on the wet side of the heat exchanger plate and part of the product channel and the dry working channel on the dry side. The fuel passes first through the dry working channel then the wet working channel becoming humidified by the evaporation therein and cooling the heat exchanger plate before going to the anode of the fuel cell. The oxidant is cooled by passing through the product channel before being directed to the cathode. In another embodiment, the evaporative cooler is incorporated with the fuel cell and is formed by an anode separator, with the fuel flowing by a dry side of the heat exchanger plate of the anode separator that is being cooled by the evaporation on the wet side. The evaporation adding moisture to the fuel as it passes by the wet side and the heat exchanger plate cooling the fuel on the dry side.

Fuel cell systems with evaporative cooling and methods for humidifying and adjusting the temperature of the reactant streams

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing enhanced indirect evaporative cooling of air, water, fuel, or other fluids while controlling the humidity. The design makes cooling down to the dew point possible without energy input other than the energy to produce the fluid flow needed. The design makes use of stacked composite plates ( ) with channels ( ) for fluid flow between adjacent plates. On opposing surface areas of these plates, there are wet areas ( ) or dry areas ( ). The wet areas ( ) provide cooling by conventional evaporation which is in turn used to cool the fluids in contact with the dry areas ( ). The benefit is controlled heat transfer, which allows selected cooling of fluid flow such that the temperature as low as dew point are reachable.

Method and apparatus for dew point evaporative product cooling

An improved method and apparatus for indirect evaporative cooling of a fluid stream to substantially its dew point temperature. Plate heat exchanger has perforations ( ) and channels ( and ) for gas on a dry side and wet side. There is a trough formed in a portion of the plate that temporarily holds evaporative fluid which is in contact with the wick material on the wet side surface of the plate. The evaporative fluid flows through the trough by way of liquid perforations into the next trough. The trough of a plate with a wet side up, the liquid perforations are on the side creating a reservoir to wet the opposing wick materials. As streams flow across the dry side ( ), transferring heat to the plate. Working gas stream ( ) flows across the dry side and through perforations to channels ( ) on wet side ( ), which it then cools by evaporative cooling as well as conductive and radiative transfer of heat from plate.

Method and plate apparatus for dew point evaporative cooler using a trough wetting system

An improved method and apparatus for indirect evaporative cooling of a fluid stream to substantially its dew point temperature. Plate heat exchanger has perforations and channels and for gas or a low temperature for liquids on a dry side and wet side. Fluid streams flow across the dry side , transferring heat to the plate. Gas stream flows across the dry side and through perforations to channels on wet side , which it then cools by evaporative cooling as well as conductive and radiative transfer of heat from plate. A wicking material provides wetting of wet side. In other embodiments, a desiccant wheel may be used to dehumidify the gas, air streams may be recirculated, feeder wicks and a pump may be used to bring water from a water reservoir, and fans may be used to either force or induce a draft. The wicking material may be cellulose, organic fibers, organic based fibers, polyester, polypropylene, carbon-based fibers, silicon based fibers, fiberglass, or combinations of them. The device may be operated in winter months to scavenge heat from exhaust gases of a space and thus pre-heat fresh air, while simultaneously humidifying the fresh air.

The within invention improves on the indirect evaporative cooling method and apparatus by making use of a working fluid that is pre-cooled with and without desiccants before it is passed through a Wet Channel where evaporative fluid is on the walls to take heat and store it in the working fluid as increased latent heat. The heat transfer across the membrane between the Dry Channel and the Wet Channel may have dry, solid desiccant or liquid desiccant and may have perforations, pores or capillary pathways. The evaporative fluid may be water, fuel, or any substance that has the capacity to take heat as latent heat. The Wet Channel or excess cooled fluid is in heat transfer contact with a Product Channel where Product Fluid is cooled without adding any humidity. An alternative embodiment for heat transfer between adjacent channels is with heat pipes.

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Arvada, CO, United States of America

Leland E Gillan