Abstract:
A heat exchanger is disclosed which includes an elongate fluid duct having a series of openings and an outer sleeve disposed outside and extending along the duct to cover the openings. A drive motor is provided for imparting relative motion between the duct and the sleeve so that the sleeve moves across the openings in the peripheral wall of the duct. A temperature control device which may include an outer jacket arranged about the sleeve to define a chamber for receiving a heat exchange fluid, an electric heating element for supplying current to the outer sleeve or duct to heat the outer sleeve or duct, a series of burners for heating the outer surface of the sleeve, or a heating element incorporated in one of the duct and sleeve.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Pat. application 10/363920. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a heat exchanger. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention is a modification and new application of the fluid mixer disclosed in our International patent application No. PCT/AUO1/01127. The contents of that International application are incorporated into this specification by this reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The fluid mixer disclosed in the above International application is in the form of a rotated arc mixer which uses programmed flow reorientation to provide chaotic fluid motion that allows two or more fluid materials to be well-mixed in an efficient manner.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The inventors have now found that a heat exchanger can be produced based on the concepts of the mixer disclosed in the above application, which therefore provide applications unforseen in relation to the mere mixing of two fluids.  
         [0005]     In a first aspect, the present invention may therefore be said to reside in a heat exchanger comprising: 
        an elongate fluid flow duct having a peripheral wall provided with a series of openings;     an outer sleeve disposed outside and extending along the duct to cover said openings in the wall of the fluid flow duct;     a duct inlet for admission into the duct of a fluid;     a duct outlet for outlet of the fluid;     a drive for imparting relative motion between the duct and the sleeve, such that parts of the sleeve move across the openings in the peripheral wall of the duct; and     a temperature control device for heating or cooling at least one of the outer sleeve and inner duct so that the fluid is subjected to heat exchange.        
 
         [0012]     Preferably the relative movement between the duct and the sleeve causes relative movement between the openings and a peripheral wall of the sleeve and those parts of the sleeve covering the openings in directions across the openings to create viscous drag on the fluid within the duct to generate transverse peripheral flows of fluid within the duct simultaneously in the vicinity of the openings.  
         [0013]     The heat exchange can take place in the regions of the openings and also across the sleeve into the fluid within the sleeve.  
         [0014]     Preferably the duct and inner peripheral surface of the outer sleeve are of concentric cylindrical configuration.  
         [0015]     Preferably the outer sleeve is of circular cylindrical form.  
         [0016]     Preferably the drive is a motor for rotating one of the duct and the outer sleeve.  
         [0017]     Preferably the openings are in the form of arcuate windows extending circumferentially of the duct.  
         [0018]     Preferably each window is of constant width in the longitudinal direction of the duct.  
         [0019]     Preferably the windows are disposed in an array in which successive windows are staggered both longitudinally and circumferentially of the duct.  
         [0020]     Successive windows may overlap one another circumferentially of the duct.  
         [0021]     Preferably a series of said windows is disposed at regular circumferential angular spacings about the duct.  
         [0022]     Preferably the series of windows is one of a plurality of such series in which the windows of each series are disposed at equal angular spacings, but there is a differing angular spacing between the last window of one series and the first window of a succeeding series.  
         [0023]     In one embodiment the temperature control device comprises an outer jacket arranged about the sleeve to define a chamber between the jacket and the outer sleeve, the chamber having an inlet for receiving a heat exchange fluid to control the temperature of the outer sleeve, and an outlet for discharge of the heat exchange fluid.  
         [0024]     In this embodiment, if the nature of the heat exchanger is such that the temperature of the fluid passing through the duct is to be heated, the heat exchange fluid supplied to the chamber is a heated fluid to heat the sleeve so that heat exchange occurs between the sleeve and the fluid to in turn heat the fluid in the duct.  
         [0025]     If the nature of the heat exchanger is such that the fluid in the duct is to be cooled, a coolant fluid is supplied to the chamber so that the heat exchange between the fluid at the openings and the cooled outer sleeve causes a cooling of the fluid in the duct.  
         [0026]     Preferably a plurality of baffles are arranged between the jacket and the sleeve to cause the heat exchange fluid to traverse around the baffles and therefore to make good contact with the sleeve during passage of the heat exchange fluid in the chamber.  
         [0027]     In a second embodiment the temperature control comprises an electric heating element for supplying electric current to one of the outer sleeve or the duct to heat the said one of the outer sleeve and duct by ohmic resistance of the outer sleeve or duct.  
         [0028]     This embodiment provides for heating only, as the outer sleeve or duct is heated by the ohmic resistance to in turn provide heat exchange to the fluid in the duct.  
         [0029]     In a third embodiment of the invention the temperature control device could be in the form of a series of burners for providing flames of varying intensities along the outer surface of the outer sleeve.  
         [0030]     In a fourth embodiment an electric heating element may be incorporated in one of the duct and sleeve.  
         [0031]     In still further embodiments other forms of heating or cooling the outer sleeve or duct could be used.  
         [0032]     Whilst in the preferred embodiment the openings are in the form of arcuate windows, the openings may have other shapes and may be of different sizes and offset by different amounts.  
         [0033]     In the preferred embodiment of the invention the duct is rotated and the outer sleeve is stationary. However, the duct could be rotated and the nature of the relative motion between the duct and outer sleeve could be an oscillatory or reciprocating motion in the axial direction of the outer sleeve and duct. Such a motion is most preferred in embodiments where the outer sleeve and duct are other than cylindrical in shape.  
         [0034]     In a first aspect, the present invention may also be said to reside in a heat exchange method: 
        providing a fluid flow through an elongate fluid flow duct having a peripheral wall provided with a series of openings, and encased in an outer sleeve disposed outside and extending along the duct to cover said openings in the wall of the fluid flow duct;     imparting relative motion between the duct and the sleeve, such that parts of the sleeve move across the openings in the peripheral wall of the duct; and     controlling the temperature of at least one of the outer sleeve and duct so that the fluid is subjected to heat exchange.        
 
         [0038]     Preferably the relative movement between the duct and the sleeve causes relative movement between the openings and a peripheral wall of the sleeve and those parts of the sleeve covering the openings in directions across the openings to create viscous drag on the fluid within the duct to generate transverse peripheral flows of fluid within the duct simultaneously in the vicinity of the openings.  
         [0039]     The heat exchange may take place in the regions of the openings and also across the sleeve into the fluid within the sleeve.  
         [0040]     Preferably the duct and inner peripheral surface of the outer sleeve are of concentric cylindrical configuration.  
         [0041]     Preferably the outer sleeve is of circular cylindrical form.  
         [0042]     Preferably the drive is a motor for rotating one of the duct and the outer sleeve.  
         [0043]     Preferably the openings are in the form of arcuate windows extending circumferentially of the duct.  
         [0044]     Preferably each window is of constant width in the longitudinal direction of the duct.  
         [0045]     Preferably the windows are disposed in an array in which successive windows are staggered both longitudinally and circumferentially of the duct.  
         [0046]     Successive windows may overlap one another circumferentially of the duct.  
         [0047]     Preferably a series of said windows is disposed at regular circumferential angular spacings about the duct.  
         [0048]     Preferably the series of windows is one of a plurality of such series in which the windows of each series are disposed at equal angular spacings, but there is a differing angular spacing between the last window of one series and the first window of a succeeding series.  
         [0049]     In one embodiment the temperature control takes place by arranging an outer jacket about the sleeve to define a chamber between the jacket and the outer sleeve, and supplying a heat exchange fluid to the chamber to control the temperature of the outer sleeve.  
         [0050]     In a second embodiment the temperature control takes place by supplying an electric current to one of the outer sleeve or the duct to heat the said one of the outer sleeve and duct by ohmic resistance of the outer sleeve or duct.  
         [0051]     In a third embodiment of the invention the temperature control is provided by a series of burners for providing flames of varying intensities along the outer surface of the outer sleeve. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0052]     Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0053]      FIG. 1  is a schematic cut-away diagram of a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0054]      FIG. 2  is a view of an inner sleeve of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0055]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a heat exchanger according to the first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0056]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  is a cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0058]      FIG. 6  is a view of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0059]      FIG. 7  is a view of a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0060]      FIG. 1  depicts a stationary inner cylinder  1  surrounded by an outer rotatable cylinder  2 . The inner cylinder  1  has windows  3  cut into its wall. A fluid to be heated or cooled is passed through the inner cylinder  1  in the direction of arrow  4  and the rotatable outer cylinder  2  is rotated anti-clockwise in the direction indicated by the arrow  5 . For convenience, rotation in an anticlockwise direction is accorded a positive angular velocity and rotation in a clockwise direction is accorded a negative angular velocity in subsequent description. In other embodiments the inner cylinder  1  may be rotated and the outer cylinder  2  is stationary.  
         [0061]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the geometric design parameters of the mixer are as follows: 
    (i) R —The nominal radius of the device (metres) is the inner radius of the conduit     (ii) Δ—The angular opening of each window (radians)     (iii) Θ—The angular offset between subsequent windows (angle from the start of one window to the start of the subsequent window, radians)     (iv) H —The axial extent of each window (metres) (V) Z J —The axial window gap;, or distance from the end of one window to the start of the next (can be negative, metres)     (vi) N —The number of windows.    
 
         [0067]     In addition to the geometric parameters, there are several operational parameters: 
    (i) W —The superficial (mean) axial flow velocity (m sec —1 )     (ii) Ω—The angular velocity of the inner or outer cylinder (rad sec —1 )     (iii) β—The ratio of axial to rotational time scales (β=HΩ/W) (dimensionless).    
 
         [0071]     Only two of these operational parameters are independent.  
         [0072]     Finally, there are one or more dimensionless flow parameters that are a function of the fluid properties and flow conditions. For example, for Newtonian fluids, axial and rotational flow Reynolds numbers are,  
         Re   ax     =           2   ⁢           ⁢   ρ   ⁢           ⁢   WR     μ     ⁢           ⁢   and   ⁢           ⁢     Re   az       =         ρ   ⁢           ⁢   Ω   ⁢           ⁢     R   2       μ     .           
 
         [0073]     These are related to Ω and W and their values may affect the choice of parameters for optimum heat exchange.  
         [0074]     For non-Newtonian fluids there will be other non-dimensional parameters that will be relevant, e.g. the Bingham number for psuedo-plastic fluids, the Deborah number for visco-elastic fluids, etc. The fluid parameters interact with the geometric and operational parameters in that parameters can be adjusted, or tuned, for optimum heat exchange for each set of fluid parameters.  
         [0075]     The heat exchanger&#39;s geometric and operational specifications are dependent on the rheology of the fluid, the required volumetric through-flow rate, desired shear rate range and factors such as pumping energy, available space, etc., desired overall temperature change or heating or cooling rate. The basic procedure for determining the required parameters is as follows: (Note that steps (ii), (iii) and (iv) are closely coupled and may need to be iterated a number of times to obtain the best mixing) 
    (i) Given the space and pumping constraints, fluid rheology, desired volumetric flow rate and desired shear rate range (if important) the radius, R, and the volumetric flow rate (characterised by W) can be determined.     (ii) Based primarily on fluid rheology, specify the window opening, Δ.     (iii) Factors such as fluid rheology, space requirements, pumping energy, shear rate etc. will then determine the choice of H and Ω (for example whether the rotation rate is low and the windows are long, or whether the rotation rate is high and the windows are short). H and Ω are chosen in conjunction with W and R to obtain a suitable value of β.     (iv) Once Δ and β are specified, the angular offset Θ is specified to ensure good heat exchange.     (v) The axial window gap Z J  is then specified, and is determined primarily by Θ and engineering constraints.     (vi) Finally the number of windows, N, is specified based on the operation mode of the heat exchanger (in-line, batch) and the desired outcome of the heat exchange process.    
 
         [0082]     An optimum selection of the parameters Δ, β and Θ cannot be determined directly from the fluid parameters alone —the design protocol outlined above or an equivalent should be followed. As part of this process, the parameter space must be systematically completed using a numerical algorithm fast enough to give complete parameter solutions. This procedure ultimately identifies a small subset of the full parameter space in which the best heat exchange occurs. Once this subset is found, the differences in heat exchange between close neighbouring points within the subset is small enough to be ignored. Thus any set of parameters within this small subset will result in good heat exchange. For a given application, more than one subset of good heat exchange parameters may exist, and the design procedure will locate all such subsets.  
         [0083]     Heat is transported in the heat exchanger via advection and diffusion, and the dimensionless Peclét number characterises the ratio of rates of these processes. The control (design and operating) parameters determine the flow field and the Peclét number, and can be adjusted to optimise heat exchange within the device. Each of these control parameters has a practical range over which it may vary and so in combination, there exists a control parameter “space” for the heat exchanger. Any specific combination of these parameters represents a single point in the control parameter space, and optimisation of the heat exchanger corresponds to identification of good and robust operating point in this space for heat transfer. There exists many local optima within this parameter space. However, it is desirable to determine the operating point which provides for good heat exchange whilst being robust. That is, good heat exchange should be provided whilst allowing for some “movement” of operating parameters so that heat exchange is not compromised by a slight change in the operating parameters of the heat exchanger. To do so, the heat transfer characteristics of the device need to be determined to very high resolution over the entire parameter space. This is best done by a numerical solution of the heat transfer characteristics of the device. This method allows exploration of the heat transfer characteristics of the device over the parameter space, and so the global optimum can be identified from this information. In one preferred embodiment of the invention there are two distinct modes under which the exchanger may be operated corresponding to different heating or cooling methods. The first mode corresponds to a fixed temperature boundary condition, where efficiency of the device is measured as the rate of heat flux through outer sleeve  2 . The second mode corresponds to a fixed heat flux boundary condition, where efficiency of the device is measured as the rate of temperature homogenisation within the device. An easy way to visualise this is to consider an insulated device, where the heat flux is set to zero, with initially half hot and half cold fluid; efficiency of the device is quantified by the rate at which the fluid goes to a uniform warm state. These two different modes represent separate processes in the context of optimisation, and so optimisation for each case must be considered independently.  
         [0084]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a heat exchanger constructed in accordance with the invention. That exchanger comprises an inner tubular duct  11  and an outer tubular sleeve  12  disposed outside and extending along the duct  11  so as to cover openings  13  formed in the cylindrical wall  14  of the inner duct.  
         [0085]     The inner duct  11  and the outer sleeve  12  are mounted in respective end pedestals  15 ,  16  standing up from a base platform  17 . More specifically, the ends of duct  11  are seated in clamp rings  18  housed in the end pedestals  15  and end parts of outer sleeve  12  are mounted for rotation in rotary bearings  19  housed in pedestals  16 . One end of rotary sleeve  12  is fitted with a drive pulley  21  engaging a V-belt  22  through which the sleeve can be rotated by operation of a geared electric motor  23  mounted on the base platform  17 .  
         [0086]     The duct  11  and the outer sleeve  12  are accurately positioned and mounted in the respective end pedestals so that sleeve  12  is very closely spaced about the duct to cover the openings  13  in the duct and the small clearance space between the two is sealed adjacent the ends of the outer sleeve by O-ring seals  24 . The inner duct  11  and outer sleeve  12  may be made of stainless steel tubing or other material depending on the nature of the fluid.  
         [0087]     A fluid inlet  25  is connected to one end of the inner duct  11  via a connector  26 .  
         [0088]     The downstream end of duct  11  is connected through a connector  31  to an outlet pipe  32  for discharge of the fluid.  
         [0089]     In the heat exchanger illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the openings  13  are in the form of arcuate windows each extending circumferentially of the duct. Each window is of constant width in the longitudinal direction of the duct and the windows are disposed in a array in which successive windows are staggered both longitudinally and circumferentially of the duct so as to form a spiral array along and around the duct. The drawings show the windows arranged at regular angular spacing throughout the length of the duct such that there is an equal angular separation between successive windows.  
         [0090]     As is shown in  FIG. 3 , the preferred embodiment of the heat exchanger has a jacket  40  which surrounds the outer sleeve  12 . The jacket  40  is sealed at ends  41  and  42  to the outer sleeve  12  and defines a chamber  43  between the jacket  40  and the outer sleeve  12 . The chamber  43  has an inlet  44  and an outlet  45 . A heat exchange fluid is supplied to the inlet  44  and leaves the outlet  45 . In the embodiment where the heat exchanger is to heat fluid within the inner duct  11 , the heat exchange fluid is a hot fluid such as hot water which heats the outer sleeve  12  so that heat exchange takes place between the sleeve  12  and the fluid within the duct  11  in the region of the openings  3  as the openings move over the inner surface of the sleeve  5 .  
         [0091]     The relative movement between the closely fitted sleeve  12  and the duct  11  causes relative movement between the windows  13  and the peripheral wall of the sleeve  12  and those parts of the sleeve  12  covering the openings  13  in directions across the openings to create viscous drag on the fluid within the duct  11 , generating transverse peripheral flows of fluid within the duct simultaneously in the vicinity of all of the windows  13 . That is, the relative motion imparts a flow to the fluid in the duct  11  that has a component that is transverse to the direction of the bulk flow of the fluid through the duct  11 .  
         [0092]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show a second and more preferred embodiment of the invention in which the jacket  40  is used to define a chamber to receive heat exchange fluid. In this embodiment the inner duct  11  is rotated and the outer sleeve  12  is stationary.  
         [0093]     With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in which like reference numerals indicate like parts to those described with reference to  FIG. 3 , motor  23  drives a drive gear  59  which drives gear  70  which in turn meshes with a gear  71  through an opening  72  in platform  17 . The gear  70  is fixed to a drive shaft  73  which in turn drives a second gear  75  which in turn meshes with a gear  76  via opening  77  in the platform  17 . The gears  71  and  76  are drivingly connected to inner duct  11  so that the inner duct  11  is rotated with the gears  71  and  76 . The gears  71  and  76  and the drive shaft  73  are provided to balance rotation of the duct  11  because of the relatively thin material from which the duct is used to prevent twisting or buckling which may occur if drive is provided at only one end of the duct  11 . The duct  11  is provided with the windows  13  in the same manner as previously described. Jacket  40  surrounds the sleeve  12  and is provided with bars  78  and  78  which support part circular baffles  80  which are staggered with respect to one another so that fluid flow from inlet  44  to outlet  45  is caused to take a somewhat tortuous or convoluted path around the baffles  80  to provide good contact with the sleeve  12  to prevent any “short circuiting” which may occur if the fluid flows along the outside of the jacket  40  to the outlet  45  and therefore reduce heat contact of the fluid within the chamber  43  with the outer sleeve  12 .  
         [0094]     As also shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the outlet pipe  32  may be in the form of a part which is co-axial with the duct  11 . or arranged at an angle to the duct  11  as shown by reference  32 ′.  
         [0095]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show second and third embodiments of the heat exchanger in which like reference numerals indicate like parts to those previously described.  
         [0096]     In  FIG. 6 a  conductor  50  is schematically shown for supplying an electric current to outer sleeve  12 . An earth conductor  51  may be provided at the other end of the outer sleeve  12  so ohmic resistance of the sleeve  12  causes heating of the sleeve  12  to provide heat exchange to the fluid in the duct  11  in the region of the windows  13 .  
         [0097]     In a modification to the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the electric current can be supplied to the duct  11 , in which case the duct  11  can remain stationary and the sleeve  12  rotated.  
         [0098]     The third embodiment is shown in  FIG. 7  in which a burner arrangement  60  is provided. The burner arrangement  60  has a fuel line  70  for delivering fuel to the burner arrangement  60  which then supplies the fuel to burners  61  so that flames  62  are provided for heating the outer sleeve  12 . The flames  62  may have different intensities along the length of the sleeve  12 .  
         [0099]     Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.  
         [0100]     In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.