Heat Transfer Packing With Sharp Rib Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packing designs for heat and mass transfer between liquid and gaseous media in cooling towers, while effective, have room for improvement in efficiency without significant increases in production costs, and current designs with transition radii can minimize the barrier effect of fine contouring, promoting laminar flow rather than turbulent flow which is beneficial for heat exchange.
Innovation Solution
The packing design features ribbing with rib webs and grooves where transitions between successive rib webs and grooves are substantially free of radii, creating a sharp-edged design that promotes turbulent flow conditions, along with inclined zigzag flow passages and specific dimensions for rib web and groove depths and widths to enhance heat and mass exchange, while minimizing pressure loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If transition radii are used in the ribbing design, then manufacturing ease is improved, but heat exchange efficiency deteriorates due to minimized barrier effect promoting laminar flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of transition radii from present (with radii) to inventive (substantially free of radii). This parameter change transforms the flow regime from laminar to turbulent at the rib transitions, thereby enhancing heat exchange efficiency while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding processes.
2Productivity
If fine contouring with ribbing is applied to film elements, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing fine contouring (ribbing) only on the large surfaces of the film elements that are in contact with each other, while leaving other surfaces smooth. This localized application enhances heat exchange at the critical interfaces without unnecessarily increasing pressure loss throughout the entire structure.
3Volume of moving object
If film elements are arranged one behind the other in the thickness direction, then space utilization is improved, but flow passage complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the packing into multiple film elements arranged one behind the other in the thickness direction, with each element having corrugations that form flow passages. This segmentation allows efficient space utilization while the corrugation pattern provides a systematic, repeating flow passage geometry that manages complexity.
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 achieves improved heat and mass exchange efficiency, increasing overall efficiency by up to 8-10% compared to previous designs, with significant cost savings from reduced installation height and volume, and lower operating costs due to optimized energy usage.
Implementation Method 1
Air flows through the packings preferably in counter-flow to the fluid to be cooled, for the purpose of cooling
Implementation Method 2
the transitions between successive rib webs and rib grooves are substantially free of radii... creates a sharp-edged design that promotes turbulent flow conditions
Implementation Method 3
As a result of the contact between the fluid to be cooled and the air inside the packings, cooling of the fluid to be cooled takes place as intended
Data Source
AI summary
A packing for heat and/or mass transfer between liquid and gaseous media in counter-flow, in particular for water cooling by air in cooling towers, includes a plurality of film elements contoured by corrugations. The corrugations provide flow passages and the film elements are successively arranged behind each other in the thickness direction forming points of contact. Adjacent film elements are connected to one another at their points of contact and mutually facing large surfaces of adjacent film elements have a fine contouring. The fine contouring includes a ribbing with rib webs and rib grooves running transversely to the flow passages. A rib groove is disposed between two adjacent rib webs. The transitions between successive rib webs and rib grooves are designed such that they are substantially free of radii.