Patent ID: 11959708
Assignee: SOLEX THERMAL SCIENCE INC.
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A bulk solids heat exchanger comprising:
an inlet for receiving bulk solids;
a plurality of flat heat transfer plate assemblies, each of the heat transfer plate assemblies comprising:
a flat first sheet having a first pair of holes extending through the first sheet and channels formed in a surface thereof by removal of material from a surface of the first sheet such that the channels do not extend through the entire thickness of the first sheet, for the flow of fluid from a first of the first pair of holes, through the channels, to a second of the first pair of holes, wherein the channels are spaced apart and separate from each other along an entire length thereof from the first of the first pair of holes to the second of the first pair of holes; and
a flat second sheet bonded to the first sheet, wherein a majority of the surface of the first sheet is bonded to the second sheet to enclose the channels between the first sheet and the second sheet, the second sheet including a second pair of holes aligned with the first pair of holes of the first sheet to form a first through hole extending from one side of the heat transfer plate assembly to an opposing side of the heat transfer plate assembly, and a second through hole extending from the one side of the heat transfer plate assembly to the opposing side of the heat transfer plate assembly to facilitate flow of the fluid through the first through hole, through the channels, and through the second through hole;

wherein first through holes, including the first through hole of each of the heat transfer plate assemblies are aligned and second through holes, including the second through hole of each of the heat transfer plate assemblies are aligned; and
a plurality of flat first spacers and flat second spacers disposed between adjacent heat transfer plate assemblies arranged in parallel, and spacing parallel and flat center portions of the adjacent heat transfer plate assemblies apart to facilitate the flow of the bulk solids from the inlet, along vertical flow paths between the parallel and flat center portions of the adjacent heat transfer plate assemblies, the first spacers and the second spacers each including a linear top edge with vertically extending side edges, wherein the linear top edge of the first spacers and the linear top edge of the second spacers are parallel to and aligned with top edges of the adjacent heat transfer plate assemblies, the first spacers including first spacer holes extending through the first spacers and aligned with the first through holes of the adjacent heat transfer plate assemblies, the second spacers including second spacer holes extending through the second spacers and aligned with the second through holes of the adjacent heat transfer plate assemblies, wherein the first through holes extending through the plurality of heat transfer plate assemblies and the first spacer holes extending through the first spacers are aligned to form a first fluid manifold, and the second through holes extending through the plurality of heat transfer plate assemblies and the second spacer holes extending through the second spacers are aligned to form a second fluid manifold, and the plurality of channels of each of the heat transfer plate assemblies extend from the first fluid manifold to the second fluid manifold.