METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING HEAT

• US 20160003564A1
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Novothermic Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novothermic Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: THBERGE, Manuel, CHAMPOUX, Benoit, FROHN-VILLENEUVE, Loc, LACROIX, Guillaume, LEGAULT, Marc-Antoine
• Application Number:
  US14/770,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20160003564A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4291 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/006 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/30 Arrangements for energy recovery
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0012 the heat being recuperated from waste water or from condensates
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 3/02 with tubular conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 3/04 Distributing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/024 the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/003 Multiple wall conduits, e.g. for leak detection leak-detection in metal cooled nuclear reactor steam generators F22B1/066
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/02 Tubular elements of cross-section which is non-circular F28F1/08, F28F1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/56 Heat recovery units

Abstract

A method and corresponding device for transferring heat between a discharge fluid (3) of a first system (5) and a second system (7). The discharge fluid (3) from the first system (5) is received and conveyed to a given location (9). There is provided at least one non-vertical elongated member (11) being positioned, shaped and sized so as to define an array of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) extending within at least one wall segment (15), said at least one wall segment (15) being operatively connectable to the second system (7). The discharge fluid (3) is allowed to free-flow (ex. free-fall, cascade, etc.) over said at least one wall segment (15) of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) so as to allow a heat exchange between the discharge fluid (3) and the array of stacked cross-sectional profiles.

Claims

1-61. -61. (canceled)

62. A device (1) for transferring heat between a discharge fluid (3) of a first system (5) and a second system (7), the device (1) including:

a housing (37);

a conveying assembly (55) for conveying the discharge fluid (3) from the first system (5) to a given location (9);

a heat exchanger assembly (57) operatively connectable to the conveying assembly, the heat exchanger assembly (57) including at least one non-vertical elongated member (11) being positioned, shaped and sized so as to define an array of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) extending within at least one wall segment (15), said at least one wall segment (15) being operatively connectable to the second system (7); and

a distributing assembly (59) for allowing discharge fluid (3) provided by the conveying assembly (55) to free-flow over a part of the array of cross-sectional profiles (13) so as to allow a heat exchange between the discharge fluid (3) and the array of cross-sectional profiles (13).

75. The device (1) according to claim 62, wherein the distributing assembly (59) includes a flow equalizer (61) for repartitioning a flow of discharge fluid (3) to free-fall over the array of cross-sectional profiles (3).

83. The device (1) according to claim 75, wherein the device (1) includes at least one fluid intake (71).

87. The device (1) according to claim 83, wherein the housing (37) includes a fluid receptacle (75) for collecting discharge fluid (3) from the first system (5).

89. The device (1) according to claim 87, wherein the device (1) includes at least one pump (19) for use with the conveying assembly (55).

91. The device (1) according to claim 89, wherein the device (1) includes a filtering apparatus (77) for filtering debris (47) from the discharge fluid (3).

92. The device (1) according to claim 91, wherein the device (1) includes a tank (79) for storing the discharge fluid (3) prior to heat exchange with a second fluid of the second system (7).

93. The device (1) according to claim 92, wherein the device (1) includes a detector (81) for detecting a presence of fluid in a given location.

94. The device (1) according to claim 93, wherein the conveying assembly (55) includes an upwardly extending fluid circuit (17).

95. The device (1) according to claim 94, wherein the array of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) includes at least one hollow tube (21) so as to define a fluid path (23) along which a working fluid (25) of the second system (7) is allowed to travel.

96. The device (1) according claim 95, wherein the array of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) includes a plurality of hollow tubes (21) being interconnectable to one another so as to define a fluid path (23) along which a working fluid (25) of the second system (7) is allowed to travel.

105. The device (1) according claim 96, wherein the device (1) includes a controller (53) for adjusting flow rate parameters to ensure that the discharge fluid (3) free-falling directly over outer peripheral surfaces (13c) of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) creates a falling-fluid-film (3f) which coats said stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) via a capillary action of the discharge fluid (3) travelling over said stacked cross-sectional profiles (13).

106. The device (1) according to claim 105, wherein the controller (53) is further configured for controlling at least one of the following:

i) an energy exchange between the discharge fluid (3) and the least one wall segment (15) of cross-sectional profiles (13), ii) a pumping rate of the discharge fluid (3) free-falling over said at least one wall segment (15) of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13), and iii) a temperature difference between two different points of the at least one non-vertical elongated member (11).

110. The device (1) according to claim 105, wherein the device includes internal sprayers (85) for spraying cleaning product (49) within the housing (37) and onto the stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) of the at least one wall segment (15) of stacked cross-sectional profiles (13) so as to remove discharge fluid debris (47) from said stacked cross-sectional profiles (13).

114. The device (1) according to claim 110, wherein the device (1) includes a hot water make-up assembly (91).

115. The device (1) according to claim 114, wherein the hot water make-up assembly (91) includes a storage tank (91a), a pair of control valves (91b), a circulation pump (91c) and a control module (91d) with temperature sensors (91e).

120. A kit with corresponding components for assembling a device (1) according to claim 62.

121. An assembly being provided with a device (1) according to claim 62.

122. The assembly according to claim 121, wherein the assembly is an assembly selected from the group consisting of a dishwasher, a washing machine, a system for processing discharge fluid from an industrial process, a system for processing discharge fluid from a cooling process, a system for processing residential discharge fluid, a system for processing commercial discharge fluid, a system for processing sewer discharge fluid, and a system conveying a natural water stream.

123. The assembly according to claim 122, wherein the assembly is a dishwasher, wherein the discharge fluid (3) is hot discharge fluid from the dishwasher, and wherein the device (1) is used for recuperating heat from the hot discharge fluid of the dishwasher.

63-74. -74. (canceled)

76-82. -82. (canceled)

84-86. -86. (canceled)

88. (canceled)

90. (canceled)

97-104. -104. (canceled)

107-109. -109. (canceled)

111-113. -113. (canceled)

116-119. -119. (canceled)