Patent ID: 6138746
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: F25D,F28D,Y02E,Y10S

Abstract:
A cooling coil arrangement for transfer of cooling fluid through a thermal-storage, phase-change fluid in a generally cylindrical cooling tower,said tower having a longitudinal axis,a generally circular cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis,a housing with an outer surface and an inner surface,said housing defining a cooling-tower volume for maintaining said thermal storage phase-change fluid,said cooling tower having a plurality of cross-sectional planes intersecting said longitudinal axis and said housing, each said cooling tower cross-sectional plane having a plurality of radii extending from said longitudinal axis to intersect said housing, a first radius and a second radius cooperating to define an adjacent pair of said radii, each adjacent pair of radii in each said cross-sectional plane cooperate with said housing between said adjacent radii to define a planar sector with an area in each said transverse cross-section, each said planar sector tapering inward from said inner surface to said longitudinal axis,a chord extending between the intersection of said housing and each said adjacent radii in each said sector, said chord defining the longest length between said adjacent radii in each said sector,said cooling coil arrangement in each said sector comprising:a plurality of tubing lengths, each said tubing length having a central passage for fluid transfer, a first end and a second end;each said tubing length provided in one of said cross-sectional planes and having a plurality of continuously connected u-shaped segments cooperating to define a serpentine configuration from said tubing length,each said u-shaped segment having a closed end and an open end with said adjacent tube segment closed ends in proximity to adjacent tube segment open ends;a plurality of manifolds, each said manifold having at least one inlet port and at least one discharge port,at least one of said manifolds positioned in proximity to said longitudinal axis, and at least another of said manifolds positioned in proximity to said housing inner surface, each of said manifolds generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, each said sector intersecting normally a manifold in proximity to said longitudinal axis and a manifold in proximity to said housing inner surface;each said tubing length first end connected to one of said inlet and outlet ports of one of said manifolds in proximity to said axis and said inner surface, and the tubing length second end connected to the other of said inlet and outlet ports of the other of said manifolds in proximity to said axis and said inner surface,each said unshaped segment having a separation distance between said open end and said closed end, said separation distance increasing in length for each unshaped segment between said one manifold in proximity to said axis and said chord of said sector,each said open end and closed end in close proximity to one of said adjacent radii defining said sector with adjacent open ends and closed ends of adjacent u-shaped segments in proximity to the same radius,said serpentine configuration for said tubing length providing coverage of said sector area of at least seventy-percent of said area.