Property interchange system for fluids

Claim 2

A property interchange system for fluids comprising: a plurality of corrugated membranes of a material of low conductivity with respect to said property having corrugations lying substantially parallel to a selected longitudinal axis, said membranes being stacked coextensively to define a multilayer laminate body, the corrugations being in-phase relation and the interior space between each successive pair of membranes defining fluid passages substantially separated by said corrugations into separate longitudinal passageways; first header means communicating with first fluid passage sets between first selected pairs of membranes to pass a first fluid therealong; second header means communicating with second fluid passage sets between second selected pairs of membranes to pass a second fluid therealong in countercurrent relationship to the first fluid, said first and second selected pairs of membranes alternating across the height of the laminate body, such that different fluids pass on opposite sides of each membrane and property transfer takes place through each membrane; the corrugations of said membranes having a height to width ratio of approximately one, there being in excess of approximately 20 corrugations per inch and each passageway thereby being substantially encompassed by passageways for the other fluid; means laterally disposed relative to the longitudinal axis along said membranes for equalizing the property state of at least one of said fluids at least one region along said longitudinal axis.

Claim 3

A heat exchanger comprising: a substantially rectangular body including a plurality of thin laminate membranes of low heat conductivity, said membranes having corrugations whose length lies parallel to a selected axis of the body, the broad faces of adjacent pairs of membranes defining substantially distinct sheet-like passages along the selected axis, the corrugations thereof providing an extended surface area and dividing the passages into substantially distinct passageways; means feeding different ones of a pair of fluids alternately into the passages between adjacent membrane pairs, such that heat transfer between fluids takes place directly through the membranes; and, wherein there are at least about 250 passageways per square inch in cross-section of said body, wherein said membrane thicknesses are no greater than approximately 0.005 inch, and wherein the corrugations are periodic and similar within the corrugated membranes, and disposed in an in-phase relationship between adjacent membranes such that heAt exchange between the fluid in a passageway and gas of the other type in adjacent passageways takes place in three dimensional and omni-directional fashion directly through the membranes, wherein said exchanger further includes a plurality of planar support membranes interposed between each pair of corrugated membranes, and having thickness of no greater than approximately 0.020 inch, wherein at least the central portions of said membranes are corrugated, the corrugated membranes are of thermo-formed polycarbonate resin material having corrugations of generally sinusoidal form, in which the height-to-width relationship of the corrugations average no less than approximately 1:1, wherein in addition means disposed between said corrugated membranes adhesively join abutting surfaces of adjacent support and corrugated membranes, wherein the corrugated membranes include transverse and longitudinal edge sealing members disposed in substantially mirror image relationship and joined together in selected patterns, lateral temperature equalization means comprising a plurality of thin conductive strips, each disposed within a different passage at a longitudinally spaced region therealong and conducting heat between the passageways of the passage to equalize the temperature in such passageways at said longitudinally spaced region, and wherein the heat exchanger operates from the near cryogenic temperature range to an approximately ambient temperature range.

Claim 4

A heat exchanger comprising: a substantially rectangular body including a plurality of thin laminate membranes of low heat conductivity, said membranes having corrugations whose length lies parallel to a selected axis of the body, the broad faces of adjacent pairs of membranes defining substantially distinct sheet-like passages along the selected axis, the corrugations thereof providing an extended surface area and dividing the passages into substantially distinct passageways; means feeding different ones of a pair of fluids alternately into the passages between adjacent membrane pairs, such that heat transfer between fluids takes place directly through the membranes; and, wherein there are at least about 250 passageways per square inch in cross-section of said body, wherein said membrane thicknesses are no greater than approximately 0.005 inch, and wherein the corrugations are periodic and similar within the corrugated membranes, and disposed in an in-phase relationship between adjacent membranes such that heAt exchange between the fluid in a passageway and gas of the other type in adjacent passageways takes place in three dimensional and omni-directional fashion directly through the membranes, wherein said exchanger further includes a plurality of planar support membranes interposed between each pair of corrugated membranes, and having thickness of no greater than approximately 0.020 inch, wherein at least the central portions of said membranes are corrugated, the corrugated membranes are of thermo-formed polycarbonate resin material having corrugations of generally sinusoidal form, in which the height-to-width relationship of the corrugations average no less than approximately 1:1, wherein in addition means disposed between said corrugated membranes adhesively join abutting surfaces of adjacent support and corrugated membranes, wherein the corrugated membranes include transverse and longitudinal edge sealing members disposed in substantially mirror image relationship and joined together in selected patterns, lateral temperature equalization means comprising a plurality of thin conductive strips, each disposed within a different passage at a longitudinally spaced region therealong and conducting heat between the passageways of the passage to equalize the temperature in such passageways at said longitudinally spaced region, and wherein the heat exchanger operates from the near cryogenic temperature range to an approximately ambient temperature range.

Claim 5

A property interchange system for fluids comprising a substantially rectangular body including a plurality of thin membranes including central corrugated regions whose length lies parallel to a selected axis of the body, the broad faces of adjacent pairs of membranes defining a set of substantially distinct passages along the selected axis, means feeding different ones of a pair of fluids along opposite sides of the individual membranes, such that transfer of properties takes place directly through the membranes, and wherein said corrugations divide said passages into at least about 1000 passageways per square inch in cross-section of said body, the passageways for each fluid being directly aligned throughout the height of said body with the superposed passageways for the opposite fluid such that an approximate checkerboard distribution of passageways is achieved.

Claim 6

A property interchange system for fluids comprising a substantially rectangular body including a plurality of thin membranes including central corrugated regions whose length lies parallel to a selected axis of the body, the broad faces of adjacent pairs of membranes defining a set of substantially distinct passages along the selected axis, means feeding different ones of a pair of fluids along opposite sides of the individual membranes, such that transfer of properties takes place directly through the membranes, and wherein said corrugations divide said passages into at least about 1000 passageways per square inch in cross-section of said body, the passageways for each fluid being directly aligned throughout the height of said body with the superposed passageways for the opposite fluid such that an approximate checkerboard distribution of passageways is achieved.

Claim 7

A property exchanger comprising a central matrix of passageways for fluids whose properties are to be interchanged, said matrix being defined by a plurality of layers of corrugated membranes, the corrugations having a height-to-width ratio of about 1:1, the membranes being less than about 0.005 inches thick and of thermoformable plastic material, there being approximately 50 corrugations per inch, and the corrugations in successive layers being in in-phase relation; means for feeding fluids whose properties are to be interchanged into alternate adjacent passageways in countercurrent relationship, such that a checkerboard fluid flow pattern is established in the respective passageways throughout the matrix.

Claim 8

A property exchanger comprising a central matrix of passageways for fluids whose properties are to be interchanged, said matrix being defined by a plurality of layers of corrugated membranes, the corrugations having a height-to-width ratio of about 1:1, the membranes being less than about 0.005 inches thick and of thermoformable plastic material, there being approximately 50 corrugations per inch, and the corrugations in successive layers being in in-phase relation; means for feeding fluids whose properties are to be interchanged into alternate adjacent passageways in countercurrent relationship, such that a checkerboard fluid flow pattern is established in the respective passageways throughout the matrix.

Claim 9

The invention as set forth in claim 4 above, wherein said corrugated membranes have relatively low thermal conductivity and wherein, in addition, planar support membranes are disposed between said corrugated membranes, said planar support membranes being less than approximately 0.020 inches thick, and wherein bonding means couple the opposite extremities of the ridges and grooves of the corrugations to said planar support membranes.

Claim 10

The invention as set forth in claim 5 above, wherein said property exchanger is of rectangular form, wherein said first and second corrugated membranes have coextensive rectangular outlines, and wherein said means for feeding fluids comprises extended inter-layer openings having heights substantially equal to the corrugation heights.

Claim 11

The invention as set forth in claim 6 above, wherein selected pairs of said corrugated membranes include integral headEr transition regions in communication with selected ones of the inter-layer openings.

Claim 12

The invention as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein the different apertures comprise spaced apart side and end apertures.

Claim 13

The invention as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein said exchanger also includes planar support sheets between adjacent pairs of membranes, and wherein said membranes also include integral longitudinal edge sealing members, defining side apertures between selected pairs of membranes, and integral transverse edge sealing members defining end apertures between other selected pairs of membranes.

Claim 14

A heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of thermoformed sheets of first and second types; a plurality of support sheets; said thermoformed sheets and support sheets being stacked in multilayer laminate relation, said thermoformed sheets being alternated between said first and second types, said support sheets being interposed between each adjacent pair of thermoformed sheets, all said sheets being substantially coextensive and rectangular in plan; said thermoformed sheets each having a central corrugated region with corrugations running lengthwise, said corrugations having selected heights and depths from the median plane of the sheet, such that the heights and depths lie tangential to first and second reference planes respectively, said sheets also each including terminal header transition areas adjacent each end thereof and comprising half-corrugation segments and planar webs disposed approximately in the median plane joining said half-corrugation segments, said thermoformed sheets also including integral side and end sealing surfaces, said side sealing surfaces comprising a longitudinal side lip and an adjacent channel, and said end sealing surfaces comprising a transverse end lip and terminating shoulders in said corrugations, said side sealing surfaces further including shaped aperture-defining surfaces in communication with the interior header transition regions, the corrugations in the sheets of the first and second types having like periodicity and being directly in phase; first inlet and outlet header means communicating with said transition regions; second inlet and outlet header means communicating with the lengthwise ends of the laminate.

Claim 15

A heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of thermoformed sheets of first and second types; a plurality of support sheets; said thermoformed sheets and support sheets being stacked in multilayer laminate relation, said thermoformed sheets being alternated between said first and second types, said support sheets being interposed between each adjacent pair of thermoformed sheets, all said sheets being substantially coextensive and rectangular in plan; said thermoformed sheets each having a central corrugated region with corrugations running lengthwise, said corrugations having selected heights and depths from the median plane of the sheet, such that the heights and depths lie tangential to first and second reference planes respectively, said sheets also each including terminal header transition areas adjacent each end thereof and comprising half-corrugation segments and planar webs disposed approximately in the median plane joining said half-corrugation segments, said thermoformed sheets also including integral side and end sealing surfaces, said side sealing surfaces comprising a longitudinal side lip and an adjacent channel, and said end sealing surfaces comprising a transverse end lip and terminating shoulders in said corrugations, said side sealing surfaces further including shaped aperture-defining surfaces in communication with the interior header transition regions, the corrugations in the sheets of the first and second types having like periodicity and being directly in phase; first inlet and outlet header means communicating with said transition regions; second inlet and outlet header means communicating with the lengthwise ends of the laminate.

Claim 16

The invention as set forth in claim 10 above, wherein said support sheets comprise planar membranes, and both said thermoformed and said support sheets are of thin plastic material of relatively low heat conductivity, wherein said first and second types of thermoformed sheets have substantially mirror image configurations with the web portions of said header transition regions in adjacent ones of each thermoformed sheets being in facing relation, wherein aperture-defining surfaces of said side sealing surfaces are between first alternate pairs of said thermoformed sheets, to provide a first set of apertures along the side of said exchanger, and wherein the end sealing surfaces seal the ends of said first alternate pairs and are open between the remaining alternate pairs of said thermoformed sheets, to provide a second set of apertures along the end of said exchanger, and spaced apart from said first set of apertures.

Claim 17

A heat exchanger for operation between the near cryogenic range and an ambient temperature range comprising: a plurality of thermoformed sheets of first and second types having substantially mirror image relationships, said thermoformed sheets each having a central corrugated region with corrugations running lengthwise relative to the longitudinal exchanger axis, said corrugations varying from the median plane of the sheet in generally sinusoidal fashion to define ridge nodes tangential to an upper reference plane and groove nodes tangential to a lower reference plane, said upper and lower reference planes and the sinusoidal variations of said corrugations providing a height-to-width ratio for said corrugations of approximately 1:1, there bEing in excess of approximately 50 corrugations per inch, and said thermoformed sheets being of approximately 0.001 inch in thickness and of polycarbonate resin material, said sheets also each including header transition regions in the form of a corrugated area comprising unidirectionally varying half-corrugation segments and planar webs joining said half-corrugation segments at approximately the median plane, said thermoformed sheets also including peripheral sealing means extending thereabout and including side channel means having a base lying in one of the reference planes, and a side peripheral lip lying in the other of the reference planes, said side channel means and side peripheral lip including a generally U-shaped notch having an extended base lying approximately in the median plane adjacent to and communicating with the different header transition regions, said sheets further including edge peripheral lips at each lengthwise end transverse to the longitudinal axis, said edge peripheral lips lying in one of said reference planes, said sheets of first and second types being substantially coextensive and rectangular in plan; a plurality of planar support sheets of thin plastic material coextensive with said thermoformed sheets, and including areal apertures adjacent each end corresponding to the outline of the header transition regions and including an opening corresponding to the U-shaped notch portions; said thermoformed sheets and said planar support sheets being stacked in multilayer laminate relation, said thermoformed sheets being alternated between said first and second types, with the U-shaped notch portions facing to define the peripheries of side apertures communicating with interior header transition volumes defined by facing header transition regions, said support sheets being interposed between each adjacent pair of thermoformed sheets, with the side openings therein corresponding to the side apertures defined by said U-shaped notch portions; adhesive means disposed between said thermoformed sheets and said support sheets and bonding corrugation nodes of said thermoformed sheets to the facing adjacent support sheet along the length of the corrugations; first inlet and outlet header means disposed along the sides of said heat exchanger, and each communicating with the side openings defined by the exchanger; and second inlet and outlet header means disposed adjacent to the longitudinal ends of the exchanger and each communicating with the set of side apertures between adjacent alternate pairs of thermoformed sheets within the exchanger at the corresponding end of the exchanger.

Claim 18

A heat exchanger for operation between the near cryogenic range and an ambient temperature range comprising: a plurality of thermoformed sheets of first and second types having substantially mirror image relationships, said thermoformed sheets each having a central corrugated region with corrugations running lengthwise relative to the longitudinal exchanger axis, said corrugations varying from the median plane of the sheet in generally sinusoidal fashion to define ridge nodes tangential to an upper reference plane and groove nodes tangential to a lower reference plane, said upper and lower reference planes and the sinusoidal variations of said corrugations providing a height-to-width ratio for said corrugations of approximately 1:1, there bEing in excess of approximately 50 corrugations per inch, and said thermoformed sheets being of approximately 0.001 inch in thickness and of polycarbonate resin material, said sheets also each including header transition regions in the form of a corrugated area comprising unidirectionally varying half-corrugation segments and planar webs joining said half-corrugation segments at approximately the median plane, said thermoformed sheets also including peripheral sealing means extending thereabout and including side channel means having a base lying in one of the reference planes, and a side peripheral lip lying in the other of the reference planes, said side channel means and side peripheral lip including a generally U-shaped notch having an extended base lying approximately in the median plane adjacent to and communicating with the different header transition regions, said sheets further including edge peripheral lips at each lengthwise end transverse to the longitudinal axis, said edge peripheral lips lying in one of said reference planes, said sheets of first and second types being substantially coextensive and rectangular in plan; a plurality of planar support sheets of thin plastic material coextensive with said thermoformed sheets, and including areal apertures adjacent each end corresponding to the outline of the header transition regions and including an opening corresponding to the U-shaped notch portions; said thermoformed sheets and said planar support sheets being stacked in multilayer laminate relation, said thermoformed sheets being alternated between said first and second types, with the U-shaped notch portions facing to define the peripheries of side apertures communicating with interior header transition volumes defined by facing header transition regions, said support sheets being interposed between each adjacent pair of thermoformed sheets, with the side openings therein corresponding to the side apertures defined by said U-shaped notch portions; adhesive means disposed between said thermoformed sheets and said support sheets and bonding corrugation nodes of said thermoformed sheets to the facing adjacent support sheet along the length of the corrugations; first inlet and outlet header means disposed along the sides of said heat exchanger, and each communicating with the side openings defined by the exchanger; and second inlet and outlet header means disposed adjacent to the longitudinal ends of the exchanger and each communicating with the set of side apertures between adjacent alternate pairs of thermoformed sheets within the exchanger at the corresponding end of the exchanger.

Claim 19

The invention as set forth in claim 12 above, wherein one type of thermoformed sheet includes at least one additional corrugation therein relative to the other type of thermoformed sheet, wherein the corrugations in said thermoformed sheets are disposed in in-phase relation, and wherein said thermoformed sheets and bonding means have substantially like thermal coefficients of expansion.