Patent US4098852A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4098852A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Process for carring out a gas/liquid heat-exchange
Assignee: Rhone Poulenc SA
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Filing: 1975-05-01
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Granted: 1978-07-04
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Expires: 1995-05-01
Abstract
Abstract A gas/liquid heat exchanger is provided which comprises means for circulating gas and/or liquid and a plurality of hollow fibres, adapted to receive said gas or said liquid, said fibres being of polymeric material which is inert with respect to said liquid and are permeable to said liquid. Such a heat exchanger considerably improves the efficiency/volume ratio of the appratus, largely as a result of the liquid which permeates through the fibres vaporizing.
Inventors
- 👤 Gilbert Christen
- 👤 Bernard Favre
- 👤 Xavier Marze
- 👤 Michel Salmon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 08:13
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28F; F28F21/00; F28F21/06; F28F21/062; C; C09; C09K; C09K5/00; C09K5/08; C09K5/14; F24; F24F; F24F5/00; F24F5/0007; F24F5/0035; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B30/00; Y02B30/54; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
A gas-liquid heat exchange process which comprises (a) causing a gas to flow on one side of the walls of the hollow fibres of a heat exchanger which comprises a gas and/or liquid circulator and a plurality of spun flexible hollow fibres having an external diameter of less than 1 mm, adapted to receive said gas or said liquid, said fibres being of an organic polymeric material which is inert with respect to said liquid and are permeable to said liquid; (b) causing a liquid to flow on the other side of the walls of the fibres relative to the gas; (c) applying a differential pressure across the walls of the hollow fibres such that the absolute pressure of the liquid is substantially greater than the absolute pressure of the gas, said differential pressure being greater than the drip point of the hollow fibres; and (d) adjusting the rate of flow of gas in the heat exchanger relative to the rate of flow of liquid therein such that the liquid which passes through the walls of the fibres is at least partially vaporised in the gas.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
A gas-liquid heat exchange process which comprises (a) causing a gas to flow on one side of the walls of the hollow fibres of a heat exchanger which comprises a gas and/or liquid circulator and a plurality of spun flexible hollow fibres having an external diameter of less than 1 mm, adapted to receive said gas or said liquid, said fibres being of an organic polymeric material which is inert with respect to said liquid and are permeable to said liquid; (b) causing a liquid to flow on the other side of the walls of the fibres relative to the gas; (c) applying a differential pressure across the walls of the hollow fibres such that the absolute pressure of the liquid is substantially greater than the absolute pressure of the gas, said differential pressure being greater than the drip point of the hollow fibres; and (d) adjusting the rate of flow of gas in the heat exchanger relative to the rate of flow of liquid therein such that the liquid which passes through the walls of the fibres is at least partially vaporised in the gas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 1, in which the hollow fibres are permeable to water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 1, in which the hollow fibres have an external diameter less than 600μ.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process according to claim 1, in which the walls of the fibres are between 20 and 70% of a quarter of the sum of the external and internal diameters thick.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A process according to claim 1, in which the hollow fibres are ultra-filtering hollow fibres which, under a relative pressure of 2 bars inside the fibres, have a liquid permeability greater than 5 l/day.m 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process according to claim 5, in which the hollow fibres are ultra-filtering fibres having a degree of rejection greater than 99% towards proteins of molecular weight higher than 1,000,000.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 5, in which the hollow fibres have a permeability greater than 30 l/day.m 2 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A process according to claim 1, in which the hollow fibres are osmotic hollow fibres which, under a relative pressure of 2 bars inside the hollow fibres, have substantially zero liquid permeability and, under a relative pressure of 30 bars inside the hollow fibres, have a permeability towards said liquid greater than 5 l/day.m 2 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 8, in which the hollow fibres have a permeability greater than 30 l/day.m 2 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
A process according to claim 1, in which the hollow fibres are made of hydrophilic polymeric material which is selected from regenerated cellulose, a cellulose ester, a cellulose ether, polyvinyl alcohol, a copolymer of vinyl alcohol and a vinyl ester, a polysaccharide, casein, or a copolymer of acrylonitrile and an ionic monomer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 10, in which the hollow fibres are made of a copolymer of acrylonitrile and a monomer containing sulphonic acid groups.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
Process according to claim 1, in which the gas is caused to flow through the hollow fibres.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
Process according to claim 1, in which the liquid is an aqueous liquid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
11 words
Process according to claim 1, in which the gas is air.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
Process according to claim 1, in which from 20 to 100% of the liquid which passes through the walls of the fibres is vaporised.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
Process according to claim 1, in which all the liquid introduced into the heat exchanger passes through the walls of the hollow fibres.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
Process according to claim 1, in which the liquid in the heat exchange flows to an outlet, only a part of this liquid passing through the walls of the hollow fibres.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
Process according to claim 1 for cooling water or conditioning air.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-07-03 | 1982-01-02 | 1982-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-07-03 | 1986-01-02 | 1986-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-07-03 | 1990-01-02 | 1990-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |