Heat exchanger comprising microstructure elements and separation unit comprising such a heat exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers with small transverse dimensions in primary channels lead to uneven liquid distribution, resulting in dry areas that reduce performance and increase the risk of impurity deposits, compromising safety and efficiency in cryogenic gas separation units.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger features parallel plates with microstructure elements in primary channels, enhancing heat transfer and safety by increasing the wetted surface area without additional pressure drops, using microstructure elements with specific dimensions and distributions to ensure even liquid distribution and high wettability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional smooth primary channels with small transverse dimensions are used, then the heat exchanger structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the primary liquid is not distributed evenly leading to dry areas that reduce heat transfer performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous or rough surface materials on the primary channel walls to enhance capillary action. The microstructured surface creates capillary forces that actively draw the primary liquid across the entire channel perimeter, ensuring uniform distribution and eliminating dry areas while maintaining conventional channel geometry for ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the surface parameters of the primary channel by introducing microstructures with specific dimensional parameters (porosity, surface area, roughness). These parameter changes enhance the wettability and capillary action without altering the overall channel geometry, thus improving heat transfer performance while keeping the structure manufacturable
2Ease of manufacture
If smooth primary channels are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but dry areas form that increase the risk of impurity deposits and compromise safety
Solution Approach 1:
The porous or rough surface materials create capillary forces that ensure continuous liquid coverage of the channel perimeter. This complete wetting prevents the formation of dry areas where impurities could accumulate, thereby eliminating the safety hazard while maintaining simple conventional channel geometry for ease of manufacture
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design improves heat transfer coefficients and safety by ensuring complete wetting of the primary channel perimeter, preventing dry vaporization and reducing the risk of impurity deposits, while maintaining conventional geometry for ease of manufacturing and operation.
Implementation Method 1
the microstructure elements are configured so that, for each rough primary channel: r>1+1.3⋅103⋅Ra⋅ε where r is the ratio of the actual area of a respective rough primary channel to the geometric area, Ra is the arithmetic mean deviation from the mean line representing roughness, and ε is the actual surface void ratio
Data Source
Figure 1~6
Figure 4~5
Figure 7
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising parallel plates and spacers arranged in parallel and defining i) rough primary channels (21) and ii) secondary channels arranged so as to exchange heat. Said heat exchanger comprises a primary liquid inlet to be fluidically connected to a primary liquid dispenser. Each rough primary channel (21) has the shape of a prism having a polygonal cross-section and consisting of a plurality of essentially flat faces. The primary channels comprise rough primary channels. Each rough primary channel (21) has microstructure elements (30) which are distributed along the entire length of the channel and have dimensions of between 1 μm and 300 μm.