The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 24, 1992
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1990
Gad Assaf, Rehovot, IL;
Geophysical Engineering Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
A heat exchanger according to the present invention comprises a housing for containing an upper and a lower layer of fluid, means for preventing intermixing of the two fluids, and heat transfer means for enhancing the transfer of heat between the layers. Specifically, the heat exchanger means is in form of a plurality of elongated cylinders extending into both layers, each of said cylinders containing a convective fluid. Preferably, the convective fluid is a liquid; and the preferred liquid includes water. Where the fluid in each of said upper and lower layers is a gas, the preferred orientation of the cylinders is vertical. The hotter fluid should be beneath the cooler fluid so that heat from the hotter fluid is first transferred to the liquid in the lower ends of each cylinder. The buoyancy of the heated liquid sets up convection currents which carry the heated liquid upwardly in the vertical cylinders where the heat is given up to the cooler fluid. Although a larger heat transfer surface is involved, the material cost of the heat exchanger is relatively low, and a relatively compact heat exchanger results. To further enhance heat transfer, the hotter and cooler fluids should be in counterflow arrangement.