Heat exchange systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods for a heat exchange system used to heat or cool a space are presented. The system includes an airflow source for providing an airflow and at least one conduit that defines an airflow path for receiving the airflow from the airflow source. The air conduit comprises an upwind portion and a downwind portion such that the airflow passes through the air conduit from the upwind portion to the downwind portion. The system further includes a heat exchange medium flow source for providing a heat exchange medium flow and at least one heat exchange medium conduit that defines a heat exchange medium flow path for receiving the heat exchange medium from the heat exchange medium flow source. The heat exchange medium conduit is positioned inside a corresponding air conduit to define a heat exchanger in which heat may be transferred between the airflow within the air conduit and the heat exchange medium flow within the heat exchange medium conduit.

1 . A heat exchange system comprising:
 an airflow source for providing an airflow;   at least one air conduit, wherein for each air conduit of the at least one air conduit, that air conduit defines an airflow path for receiving the airflow from the airflow source and for discharging the airflow into a discharge space, the air conduit having an upwind portion and a downwind portion such that the airflow passes through the air conduit from the upwind portion to the downwind portion;   a heat exchange medium flow source for providing a heat exchange medium flow;   at least one heat exchange medium conduit, wherein each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit,
 defines a heat exchange medium flow path for receiving the heat exchange medium flow from the heat exchange medium flow source, 
 further comprises a heat exchanger for transferring heat between the airflow within a corresponding air conduit of the at least one air conduit and the heat exchange medium flow within that heat exchange medium conduit, and 
 is inside the corresponding air conduit of the at least one air conduit. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange medium is either slurry ice for cooling the airflow or a heated fluid for heating the airflow. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein for each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit,
 the heat exchange medium flow source supplies the heat exchange medium flow to an upstream end of that heat exchange medium conduit;   the heat exchange medium flow is through the heat exchange medium conduit from the upstream end to a downstream end;   the heat exchange medium flow is dischargeable from the downstream end of that heat exchange medium conduit; and   both the upstream end and the downstream end are located in the upwind portion of the corresponding air conduit.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one air conduit comprises a plurality of air conduits; and   the at least one heat exchange medium conduit comprises a plurality of heat exchange medium conduits.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the downwind portion of each air conduit of the at least one air conduit is movable relative to the upwind portion of that air conduit. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 each air conduit of the at least one air conduit comprises at least one heat exchange medium conduit holder, and   the at least one heat exchange medium conduit holder holds a heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit away from an inner surface of the air conduit to define an airflow gap for a portion of the airflow between the inner surface of the air conduit and the heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 6 , wherein
 each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit comprises,
 an upstream heat exchange medium artery for providing the heat exchange medium flow from the upwind portion of the corresponding air conduit to the downwind portion of the corresponding air conduit; and 
 a downstream heat exchange medium vein for receiving the heat exchange medium flow from the upstream heat exchange medium artery, and for providing the heat exchange medium flow from the downwind portion of the corresponding air conduit back to the upwind portion of the corresponding air conduit; 
   the at least one heat exchange medium conduit holder of each air conduit of the at least one air conduit holds the upstream heat exchange medium artery and the downstream heat exchange medium vein apart to define a heat exchange medium conduit gap; and   each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit receives the heat exchange medium flow from the heat exchange medium flow source.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 5 , further comprising an air conduit reel, wherein
 the at least one air conduit comprises a plurality of air conduits;   the plurality of air conduits are aligned to provide substantially parallel airflow paths to define a first wrapping plane and a second wrapping plane, the substantially parallel airflow paths being disposed side-by-side between the first wrapping plane and the second wrapping plane, the plurality of air conduits being wrappable around the air conduit reel without blocking the substantially parallel airflow paths;   the air conduit reel comprises an air manifold in fluid communication with the airflow source, and a heat exchange medium manifold in fluid communication with the heat exchange medium flow source;   for each air conduit in the plurality of air conduits, the upwind portion is attached to the air conduit reel and is in fluid communication with the air manifold to receive the airflow from the airflow source via the air conduit reel;   the at least one heat exchange medium conduit comprises a plurality of heat exchange medium conduits; and,   each heat exchange medium conduit in the plurality of heat exchange medium conduits comprises an upstream portion for receiving the heat exchange medium flow from the heat exchange medium flow source via the air conduit reel, the upstream portion being in fluid communication with the heat exchange medium manifold of the air conduit reel.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 8  further comprising a substantially planar air conduit guide extending through the first wrapping plane and attached to the plurality of air conduits, the substantially planar air conduit guide being bendable about a bending axis parallel to the first wrapping plane and the second wrapping plane, and orthogonal to the substantially parallel airflow paths while resisting bending about other axes 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the planar air conduit guide comprises a plurality of supply electric power cables, a plurality of fluid conduits, and a plurality of compressed air hoses in parallel with the plurality of the air conduits. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an air mixing box and a hose, wherein
 the air mixing box comprises an air manifold in fluid communication with the airflow source;   the air manifold including a filter for removing moisture from the airflow;   for each air conduit of the at least one air conduit, the downwind portion is attached to the air mixing box and the air mixing box is in fluid communication with the at least one air conduit to receive the airflow from the airflow source;   the hose is in fluid communication with the air manifold of the air mixing box to receive a dried airflow from the air manifold of the mixing box downwind of the filter;   the hose has a first end attached to the air mixing box and a second end movable relative to the first end;   the second end is positionable relative to an aircraft to provide the dried airflow from the air mixing box to the discharge space inside the aircraft.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 4 , further comprising an air mixing box, wherein
 the air mixing box comprises an air manifold in fluid communication with the airflow source;   the air manifold including a humidifier for adding moisture to the airflow;   for each air conduit of the at least one air conduit, the downwind portion is attached to the air mixing box and the air mixing box is in fluid communication with the plurality of air conduits to receive the airflow from the airflow source;   the hose is in fluid communication with the air manifold of the air mixing box to receive a humidified airflow from the air manifold of the mixing box downwind of the filter;   the hose has a first end attached to the air mixing box and a second end movable relative to the first end;   the second end is positionable relative to the discharge space to provide the humidified airflow from the mixing box to the discharge space.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 for each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit, the corresponding air conduit comprises an external membrane defining the airflow path, and   the external membrane of the corresponding air conduit has a thermal resistance exceeding a thermal resistance of the heat exchanger, such that heat transfer between the airflow inside the corresponding air conduit and the heat exchange medium flow exceeds heat transfer across the external membrane of the corresponding air conduit.   
     
     
         14 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1  further comprising an air conduit guide for supporting the at least one air conduit and for straightening the airflow path defined by the at least one air conduit. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the air conduit guide comprises a plurality of supply electric power cables, a plurality of fluid conduits, and a plurality of compressed air hoses in parallel with the plurality of the air conduits. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one air conduit comprises only a single air conduit. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 at least a portion of the at least one air conduit is telescopic defining an extended length of the at least one air conduit and a retracted length of the at least one air conduit;   the heat exchange medium conduit is extendable to at least the extended length of the at least one air conduit and retractable to at least the retracted length of the at least one air conduit, the retracted length being shorter than the extended length; and   the heat exchange system is attached to an aircraft passenger bridge.   
     
     
         18 . A method for providing cooling to a space, the method comprising:
 providing an airflow along an airflow path;   providing a slurry ice flow along a slurry ice flow path, the slurry ice flow path being adjacent to the airflow path, separated by a thermally conductive barrier, the slurry ice flow being provided at a temperature below a temperature of the airflow such that heat is transferred from the airflow to the slurry ice flow via the thermally conductive barrier; and   positioning the airflow path to eject a cooled airflow into the space to be cooled.   
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the space is an interior of a building, a vehicle or an aircraft. 
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing a thermally insulated slurry ice reservoir;   filling the thermally insulated slurry ice reservoir with slurry ice; and   after filling the thermally insulated slurry ice reservoir with the slurry ice, moving the thermally insulated slurry ice reservoir containing the slurry ice closer to the space to be cooled, such that the airflow path is positionable to eject the cooled airflow into the space to be cooled; wherein providing the slurry ice flow along the slurry ice flow path comprises providing the slurry ice flow to the thermally insulated slurry ice reservoir.   
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 18 , wherein
 the slurry ice flow path comprises a slurry ice artery and a slurry ice vein;   the slurry ice artery is surrounded by the airflow path, traverses the airflow path in an outgoing direction, and contains the slurry ice flow to cool the airflow within the airflow path; and   the slurry ice vein is surrounded by the airflow path, traverses the airflow path in an incoming direction, opposite to the outgoing direction, and contains the slurry ice flow to cool the airflow within the airflow path.   
     
     
         22 . The method as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the slurry ice flow path surrounds the airflow path. 
     
     
         23 . A heat exchange system comprising:
 an airflow source for providing an airflow;   at least one air conduit, wherein for each air conduit of the at least one air conduit, that air conduit defines an airflow path for receiving the airflow from the airflow source and for discharging the airflow into a discharge space, the air conduit having an upwind portion and a downwind portion such that the airflow passes through the air conduit from the upwind portion to the downwind portion;   a heat exchange medium flow source for providing a heat exchange medium flow;   at least one heat exchange medium conduit, wherein each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit,
 defines a heat exchange medium flow path for receiving the heat exchange medium flow from the heat exchange medium flow source, and 
 further comprises a heat exchanger for transferring heat between the airflow within a corresponding air conduit of the at least one air conduit and the heat exchange medium flow within that heat exchange medium conduit; 
 wherein for each heat exchange medium conduit of the at least one heat exchange medium conduit, the corresponding air conduit of the at least one air conduit is inside the heat exchange medium conduit. 
   
     
     
         24 . The heat exchange system as defined in  claim 23  wherein the heat exchange medium flow source comprises:
 a slurry ice generator for generating slurry ice; and, 
 a slurry ice conduit in fluid communication with the slurry ice generator for receiving the heat exchange medium flow from the slurry ice generator, the heat exchange medium flow being a slurry ice flow.