Square Conduit Heat Exchanger with Helical Turbulator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers face challenges in efficiently recovering heat from waste water due to limited temperature differences and fouling issues, particularly in horizontal installations, where the vertical falling film design is not effective and previous solutions like pipe-in-pipe and serpentine designs are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a turbulator into the cold fluid channels of the heat exchanger to enhance heat transfer by forcing the fluid to follow a helical path, increasing the heat transfer coefficient and simplifying the construction to reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vertical falling film heat exchanger is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but installation flexibility deteriorates (can only be installed vertically)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical falling film configuration by implementing a horizontal heat exchanger design. Waste water flows horizontally through the heat exchanger channels instead of vertically downward, allowing the device to be installed in horizontal orientations while maintaining effective heat transfer through the inverted flow configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a vertical one-dimensional flow configuration to a horizontal multi-dimensional flow path. The heat exchanger channels are arranged to accommodate horizontal waste water flow while maintaining adequate contact between the waste water and heat transfer surfaces, effectively adding spatial flexibility to the installation configuration.
2Area of stationary object
If pipe-in-pipe or serpentine channel designs are used, then heat transfer surface area is increased, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple separate channels or passages that waste water flows through. These segmented channels increase the total heat transfer surface area by providing multiple contact interfaces between the waste water and the heat exchanger walls, while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that is easier to manufacture than complex pipe-in-pipe or serpentine designs.
3Productivity
If heat exchanger enhancements are added to increase heat transfer, then heat transfer coefficient is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the heat exchanger channels, such as channel dimensions, flow velocity, and contact surface characteristics, to enhance heat transfer coefficients. By carefully selecting and adjusting these parameters within a simple horizontal channel configuration, the patent achieves improved heat transfer performance without requiring complex enhancements that would increase manufacturing costs.
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
The turbulator design significantly improves heat transfer performance and reduces construction costs, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for recovering heat from waste water in horizontal installations.
Implementation Method 1
the turbulator forces the fluid to follow a helical path, increasing the heat transfer coefficient
Implementation Method 2
The warm waste water is then transferred to the heat exchanger, where it is cooled by the cold water
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger comprising substantially square (rectangle) conduits featuring a screw like turbulator designed for square conduits. The tubes are designed for reclaiming heat from waste fluids. The tubes are substantially parallel to the flow direction of the waste fluid, thus resulting in a simple and cost effective construction.