Moving film, direct contact, liquid to liquid heat transfer process

Abstract

A heat transfer process focused for heating or cooling an aggressive liquid employing direct contact through an immiscible fluid film of differing density. The fluid film adheres to a solid wall heat transfer surface purveying both transference of heat therein as well as isolation protection of the heat transfer surface from damage, coating or scaling from the adjacent aggressive liquid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for transferring heat between a liquid and a fluid comprising:
 partially submerging the lower end of at least one tube within a liquid, wherein the upper end of said at least one tube is above said liquid;   allowing a fluid to access the upper end of said at least one tube, wherein said fluid is immiscible with said liquid, and wherein said fluid is a different temperature than said liquid, thereby directly transferring heat between said fluid and said liquid; and   as said fluid leaves said lower end of said at least one tube and rises, said fluid separates said at least one tube from said liquid.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is heated and, as said fluid passes through said at least one tube, said fluid heats said at least one tube in passing and, as said fluid leaves said lower end of said at least one tube, said fluid maintains contact with said at least one tube, thereby separating said liquid from said at least one tube. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said separation afforded by said fluid between said liquid and said at least one tube prevents damage to, or coating of, said at least one tube from said liquid or constituents entrained therein. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tube is preferentially wetted by said fluid in deference to said liquid thereby enhancing adherence of said fluid to said at least one tube and purveying improved heat transfer from said at least one tube through said fluid to said liquid. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tube is preferentially wetted by said fluid in deference to said liquid thereby enhancing adherence of said fluid to said at least one tube and providing improved protection from damage to, or coating of, said at least one tube from said liquid or constituents entrained therein. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is cooled below the temperature of said liquid and said fluid cools said at least one tube when passing through said at least one tube. 
     
     
         7 . A device for transferring heat between a fluid and a liquid comprising:
 a container containing a liquid;   one or more tubes configured so all upper ends of said one or more tubes are above said liquid and all lower ends of said one or more tubes are submerged in said liquid;   a fluid positioned to be accessible to said upper ends of said one or more tubes, said fluid being immiscible with said liquid and having a different temperature and density than said liquid;   wherein as said fluid accesses said one or more tubes, heat is transferred between said fluid and said liquid;   wherein said differing density purveys relative motion between said fluid and said liquid; and   wherein, after said fluid passes through said lower ends of said one or more tubes, said fluid affords separation between said one or more tubes and said liquid.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said fluid is heated and, as said fluid accesses said upper ends of said one or more tubes and passes through said one or more tubes, said fluid heats said one or more tubes and said one or more tubes heat said liquid. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said separation provides protection from damage to, or coating of, said one or more tubes from said liquid or constituents entrained therein. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said one or more tubes is preferentially wetted by said fluid in deference to said liquid, thereby enhancing adherence of said fluid to said one or more tubes and improving heat transfer between said one or more tubes and said liquid through said fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said one or more tubes is preferentially wetted by said fluid in deference to said liquid thereby enhancing adherence of said fluid to said one or more tubes, thereby improving protection from damage to, or coating of, said one or more tubes from said liquid or constituents entrained therein. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said fluid is cooled and, as said fluid accesses the upper end of said one or more tubes and passes through said one or more tubes, said fluid cools said one or more tubes and said one or more tubes cools said liquid. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said immiscibility and said differing density affords separation of said fluid and said liquid subsequent to heat transfer. 
     
     
         14 . A heat transfer system comprising:
 a. a first container containing a liquid, said first container having at least one liquid ingress, at least one liquid egress and at least one fluid egress;   b. at least one vertical tube with a first end positioned within said liquid and a second end positioned to receive a fluid from a second container, wherein said fluid is immiscible with said liquid and wherein said fluid and said liquid are of differing density;   c. wherein as said fluid passes from said second container through said tube, heat is transferred between said fluid and said liquid;   d. wherein said differing density purveys relative motion between said fluid and said liquid; and   e. wherein upon exiting said tube, said fluid affords separation between said tube's external surface and said liquid.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14  wherein said fluid is conveyed into said second container, wherein said second container is elevated relative to said first container and wherein said liquid is cooler and denser than said fluid, as said fluid passes from said second container downward through said tube, said fluid heats said tube, thereby cooling said fluid, as said fluid exits said first end of said tube into said liquid, said fluid, due to its lower density than said liquid rises upward while adhering in a film-like sheath to said tube's external surface, said tube thereby transferring heat to said fluid as it rises which, in turn, transfers heat to said liquid,
 wherein movement of said liquid between said at least one liquid ingress and said at least one liquid egress creates movement of said liquid in said first container and, therefore, across said sheath, thereby imbuing heat transfer from said sheath to said liquid; and 
 wherein, after said fluid rises above said liquid, said fluid exits said first container through said at least one fluid egress. 
 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14  wherein said fluid is conveyed into said second container, wherein said second container is elevated relative to said first container and wherein said liquid is warmer and denser than said fluid, as said fluid passes from said second container downward through said tube, said fluid cools said tube, thereby warming said fluid, as said fluid exits said first end of said tube into said liquid, said fluid, due to its lower density than said liquid rises upward while adhering in a film-like sheath to said tube's external surface, said tube thereby extracting heat from said fluid as it rises which, in turn, extracts heat from said liquid,
 wherein movement of said liquid between said at least one liquid ingress and said at least one liquid egress creates movement of said liquid in said first container and, therefore, across said sheath, thereby extracting heat from said sheath to said liquid; and 
 wherein, after said fluid rises above said liquid, said fluid exits said first container through said at least one fluid egress. 
 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 14  wherein said fluid is conveyed into said second container, wherein said second container is lower relative to said first container and wherein said liquid is cooler and denser than said fluid, as said fluid passes from said second container upward through said tube, said fluid heats said tube, thereby cooling said fluid, as said fluid exits said first end of said tube into said liquid, said fluid, due to its higher density than said liquid moves downward while adhering in a film-like sheath to said tube's external surface, said tube thereby transferring heat to said fluid as it falls which, in turn, transfers heat to said liquid,
 wherein movement of said liquid between said at least one liquid ingress and said at least one liquid egress creates movement of said liquid in said first container and, therefore, across said sheath, thereby transferring heat from said sheath to said liquid; and 
 wherein, after said fluid falls below said liquid, said fluid exits said first container through said at least one fluid egress.