US2020333077A1PendingUtilityA1
Perturbing air cooled condenser fin
Est. expiryApr 18, 2039(~12.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
F28F 2215/10F28F 2215/08F28F 2215/04F28F 1/30F28B 1/06F28F 1/38F28D 1/0535F28F 3/025
36
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Claims
Abstract
An air cooled condenser fin comprises flow channel walls defining an air flow channel. The flow channel walls include planar sections separated by intermittent flow interruptions which are spaced apart along the air flow channel. The intermittent flow interruptions are defined by the flow channel walls. The intermittent flow interruptions may for example comprise splits formed by a staggered arrangement in which the planar sections of the flow channel walls before and after each split are staggered; or intermittent sinusoidal waves formed into the flow channel walls; or louvers formed into the flow channel walls to create openings passing through the flow channel walls at the louvers. The intermittent flow interruptions may be spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters, and in some embodiments by 5-10 hydraulic diameters. A plurality of such air cooled condenser fins are suitably employed with the air flow channels arranged in parallel.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedWe claim:
1 . An air cooled condenser fin comprising:
flow channel walls defining an air flow channel; wherein the flow channel walls include planar sections separated by intermittent flow interruptions which are spaced apart along the air flow channel; wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are defined by the flow channel walls.
2 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 1 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions comprise splits formed by a staggered arrangement in which the planar sections of the flow channel walls before and after each split are staggered.
3 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 2 wherein the staggering of the flow channel walls after each split is about one-half of a width of the air flow channel.
4 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 2 wherein the splits are spaced between 5 hydraulic diameters and 10 hydraulic diameters apart along the air flow channel.
5 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 2 wherein the splits are spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters.
6 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 1 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions comprise intermittent sinusoidal waves formed into the flow channel walls.
7 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 6 wherein the intermittent sinusoidal waves are spaced between 5 hydraulic diameters and 10 hydraulic diameters apart along the air flow channel.
8 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 6 wherein the intermittent sinusoidal waves are spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters.
9 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 1 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions comprise louvers formed into the flow channel walls to create openings passing through the flow channel walls at the louvers.
10 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 9 wherein the louvers are angled between 1 degree and 30 degrees to an air flow direction of the air flow channel.
11 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 9 wherein the flow channel walls are secured to a tube of an air cooled condenser.
12 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 9 wherein the louvers are spaced between 5 hydraulic diameters and 10 hydraulic diameters apart along the air flow channel.
13 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 9 wherein the louvers are spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters.
14 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 1 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are spaced between 5 hydraulic diameters and 10 hydraulic diameters apart along the air flow channel.
15 . The air cooled condenser fin of claim 1 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters.
16 . An air cooled condenser comprising a plurality of air cooled condenser fins as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air flow channels of the air cooled condenser fins are arranged in parallel.
17 . An air cooled condenser comprising:
steam/condensate tubes; fins attached to the steam/condensate tubes; wherein the fins comprise flow channel walls defining parallel air flow channels, the flow channel walls including planar sections separated by intermittent flow interruptions which are spaced apart along the air flow channels; wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are defined by the flow channel walls.
18 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions comprise splits formed by a staggered arrangement in which the planar sections of the flow channel walls before and after each split are staggered.
19 . The air cooled condenser of claim 18 wherein the staggering of the flow channel walls after each split is about one-half of a width of the air flow channel.
20 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions comprise intermittent sinusoidal waves formed into the flow channel walls.
21 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions comprise louvers formed into the flow channel walls to create openings passing through the flow channel walls at the louvers.
22 . The air cooled condenser of claim 21 wherein the louvers are angled between 1 degree and 30 degrees to an air flow direction of the air flow channel.
23 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are spaced between 5 hydraulic diameters and 10 hydraulic diameters apart along the air flow channel.
24 . The air cooled condenser of claim 23 wherein the air flow channels are rectangular with the hydraulic diameter D H,fin of each air flow channel being:
D
H
,
fin
=
2
(
S
f
i
n
×
H
f
i
n
)
S
f
i
n
+
H
f
i
n
where H fin is a fin height and S fin is a separation between the fin walls defining each air flow channel.
25 . The air cooled condenser of claim 23 wherein the hydraulic diameter D H,fin of each air flow channel is:
D
H
,
fin
=
4
A
P
where A is the cross-sectional area of each air flow channel and P is the perimeter of the cross-section of each air flow channel.
26 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters.
27 . The air cooled condenser of claim 26 wherein the air flow channels are rectangular with the hydraulic diameter D H,fin of each air flow channel being:
D
H
,
fin
=
2
(
S
f
i
n
×
H
f
i
n
)
S
f
i
n
+
H
f
i
n
where H fin is a fin height and S fin is a separation between the fin walls defining each air flow channel.
28 . The air cooled condenser of claim 26 wherein the hydraulic diameter D H,fin of each air flow channel is:
D
H
,
fin
=
4
A
P
where A is the cross-sectional area of each air flow channel and P is the perimeter of the cross-section of each air flow channel.
29 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 further comprising:
distribution headers connected to feed steam into the steam/condensate tubes; and
an air moving system comprising a fan arranged to drive an airflow across the fins attached to the steam/condensate tubes.
30 . The air cooled condenser of claim 29 further comprising:
risers connected to feed the steam into the distribution headers;
wherein the steam/condensate tubes, the distribution headers, the risers, and the air moving system are arranged to form the air cooled condenser as an A-frame type air cooled condenser.
31 . The air cooled condenser of claim 17 wherein at least 70% of the intermittent flow interruptions are positioned within a first one-half of a length of the fins closest to an air flow entrance of fins.
32 . A method of cooling using an air cooled condenser fin, the method comprising:
flowing air through an air flow channel defined by flow channel walls; and interrupting the flowing of air at intermittent flow interruptions defined by the flow channel walls which are spaced apart along the air flow channel.
33 . The method of claim 32 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are placed at locations where a boundary layer of the flowing air has normalized.
34 . The method of claim 32 wherein the intermittent flow interruptions are spaced apart along the air flow channel by at least 5 hydraulic diameters.Join the waitlist — get patent alerts
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