Tubular Heat Exchange

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a heat exchanger suitable for use with a thermodynamic cycle-based machine such as an engine, an energy conversion machine, a cooling machine or other suitable systems and machines. The heat exchanger can include one or more tubes arranged to form a heat exchanger. In one embodiment, a unitary tube is used. The heat exchanger can include a canister that includes a regenerator material. The canister can be in thermal communication with a working material and a containment vessel having a containment chamber in one embodiment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger assembly comprising:
 a regenerator assembly comprising,
 a regenerator heat exchanger comprising
 a first tube section defining a first bore and 
 a regenerator material disposed in the first bore; 
 
 an acceptor heat exchanger comprising
 a second tube section defining a second bore, a first regenerator interface and an acceptor port; and 
 
 a rejector heat exchanger comprising 
 a third tube section defining a third bore, a second regenerator interface and a rejector port, wherein the regenerator material is disposed between the first regenerator interface and the second regenerator interface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each of the first tube section, the second tube section, and the third tube section are each a section of a unitary tube. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  further comprising a working material disposed in the first bore, the second bore, and the third bore. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the first tube section is a canister and further comprising a first endcap defining a first regenerator port and a second endcap defining a second regenerator port, wherein the first bore is in fluid communication with the first regenerator port and the second regenerator port. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  further comprising a containment vessel having a vessel wall, an inner surface, an outer surface, and a longitudinal axis, wherein the vessel wall and outer surface defines a first channel and wherein the inner surface at least partially defines a containment chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  wherein either the acceptor port or the rejector port is connected to the first channel and wherein the first bore, the second bore, and the third bore are in fluid communication with the containment chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  wherein the first tube section is a canister and wherein the canister is suspended relative to the outer surface by the second tube section or the third tube section. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  further comprising a working material disposed in the containment chamber and a thermodynamic cycle-based machine in thermal communication with the working material. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  wherein the regenerator assembly is one of N regenerator assemblies and further comprising the N regenerator assemblies. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9  wherein N ranges from 2 to 300. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9  wherein the N regenerator heat exchangers are arranged around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  wherein the first tube section is a canister comprising
 a first endcap having a first plurality of ports and 
 a second endcap having a second plurality of ports, wherein the second tube section is connected to one of the first plurality of ports, wherein the third tube section is connected to one of the second plurality of ports and further comprising one or more tube sections, wherein the one or more tube sections are connected to the other first plurality of ports and the other second plurality of ports. 
 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the regenerator material is selected from the group consisting of a wire, a mesh, one or more spheres, a porous solid, stainless steel, a plastic material, a polymer-based material, a non-ferrous material. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the regenerator assembly is configured to accept or reject an amount of average power through heat transfer, wherein the amount of average power rejected or accepted ranges from about 1 Watts to about 2000 Watts. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9  wherein the N regenerator assemblies are arranged relative to each other based on a pressure drop for each such regenerator assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8  wherein the working material is a gas and the thermodynamic cycle-based machine is a Stirling cycle-based machine. 
     
     
         17 . A heat exchanger assembly comprising:
 a containment vessel having an outer surface defining a plurality of vessel ports;   a plurality of first heat exchangers, each first heat exchanger defining a first heat exchanger bore and a first heat exchanger port;   a plurality of regenerator heat exchangers, each regenerator heat exchanger defining a regenerator bore;   a plurality of second heat exchangers, each second heather exchanger defining a second heat exchanger bore, wherein the plurality of regenerator heat exchangers are suspended relative to or supported by the outer surface and wherein each vessel port is connected to each first heat exchanger port.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 17  wherein each regenerator heat exchanger is a section of a unitary tube. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 17  wherein each regenerator heat exchanger is a canister comprising a canister body, a first end cap, a second end cap and a regenerator material disposed in the canister body. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 19  wherein the first end cap is a conical or curved endcap. 
     
     
         21 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 17  further comprising a displacer, wherein the displacer is configured to reciprocate within the containment vessel and move a working material through each regenerator heat exchanger. 
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of regenerator heat exchangers includes between about 2 to about 300 regenerator heat exchangers.