Droplet heat exchange systems and methods

Abstract

A droplet heat exchange system is provided for that includes a heat exchange chamber, at least one injector, and at least one swirler. The chamber is configured to have gas flow through it. The injector can be configured to dispense liquid droplets into the chamber for thermal energy exchange with gas flowing through the chamber. The swirler can disposed within the chamber and can have a body configured to form a spiral gas flow that pushes liquid droplets from the injector, radially outward as gas flows across the body, thereby separating the liquid droplets from the gas flowing across the body and forming a liquid film along an inner wall of the chamber. The collector can be in fluid communication with the heat exchange chamber and configured to collect the liquid film after thermal energy exchange. The collector can be configured to direct at least some of the collected liquid film to the injector for subsequent use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A droplet heat exchange system, comprising:
 a heat exchange chamber configured to have gas flow into the chamber through at least one inlet and flow out of the chamber through at least one outlet;   at least one injector disposed within the heat exchange chamber and configured to dispense liquid droplets into the heat exchange chamber for thermal energy exchange with gas that flows through the heat exchange chamber;   at least one swirler disposed within the heat exchange chamber and having a body that is configured to form a spiral gas flow that pushes liquid droplets from the at least one injector radially outward as gas flows across the body, thereby separating the liquid droplets from the gas flowing across the body of the at least one swirler and forming a liquid film along an inner wall of the chamber; and   at least one collector in fluid communication with the heat exchange chamber and configured to collect the liquid film after thermal energy exchange occurs between the liquid droplets and gas that flows through the heat exchange chamber, the at least one collector being further configured to direct at least some of the collected liquid film to the at least one injector for subsequent use.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one swirler has a helical-shaped body. 
     
     
         3 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a collector of the at least one collector comprises an elongated body and a fluid channel defined therein, the fluid channel being in communication with an interior of the chamber through one or more slots defined in the chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the collector is configured to be disposed on an outer surface of the chamber such that the fluid channel extends longitudinally between the swirler and the outlet of the chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one collector comprises a plurality of collectors disposed substantially around the circumference of the chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a collector of the at least one collector comprises a ring-shaped body having a tapered portion, wherein the tapered portion is configured to allow liquid droplets of varying droplet sizes to transition smoothly from the spiral gas flow into a liquid film that forms along an inner surface of the tapered portion of the collector. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein a leading edge of the tapered portion has a larger diameter than a trailing edge of the tapered portion such that the liquid droplets transition smoothly from the spiral gas flow into the liquid film that forms along the tapered portion from the leading edge to the trailing edge with increasing droplet size. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the collector comprises one or more output ports in fluid communication with a pump, and   wherein the system is configured such that the liquid film is drawn out of the collector through the one or more output ports, into the pump.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the ring-shaped body comprises an opening configured to selectively open and close based on flow conditions of the droplet heat exchange system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange system is integrated into an aircraft. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein one or more of the at least one inlet, the at least one outlet, or the heat exchange chamber comprises a non-thermally conductive material that deforms to modulate an operating parameter, and   wherein the operating parameter includes a gas flow rate.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein one or more of the at least one inlet, the at least one outlet, and the heat exchange chamber comprises a non-thermally conductive material that deforms in response to a change in an operating condition to maintain a target operating parameter, and   wherein the operating condition includes a pressure and the target operating parameter includes a gas flow rate.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the heat exchange chamber, the at least one swirler, and the at least one collector comprises a non-thermally conductive material that collapses for storage. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein grooves or surface features are defined in one or more surfaces of at least one of the heat exchange chamber, the at least one swirler, or the at least one collector to guide liquid film. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pump to suction the collected liquid film for recirculation. 
     
     
         25 . A method of droplet heat exchange, comprising:
 directing a flow of gas into a heat exchange chamber;   dispensing liquid droplets into the heat exchange chamber to cause thermal energy exchange between the liquid droplets and the gas in the heat exchange chamber;   causing a spiral flow of the gas and the liquid droplets in the heat exchange chamber that pushes the liquid droplets radially outward towards an inner wall of the heat exchange chamber as the gas and the liquid droplets pass through at least a portion of the heat exchange chamber; and   collecting a liquid film that forms on the inner wall of the heat exchange chamber.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the liquid droplets that are pushed radially outward towards the inner wall of the heat exchange chamber have varying droplet sizes approximately in the range of about 1 micrometers in diameter to about 1000 micrometers in diameter. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 ,
 wherein the heat exchanger chamber has at least one swirler disposed therein, and   wherein causing a spiral flow of the gas and the liquid droplets in the heat exchange chamber comprises forming a spiral gas flow as the gas flows across the at least one swirler.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 ,
 wherein collecting the liquid film comprises collecting the liquid film that forms along a tapered portion of a collector that is in fluid communication with the heat exchange chamber, and   wherein the liquid film forms along the tapered portion from a leading edge of the tapered portion to a trailing edge of the tapered portion with increasing droplet size.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the gas that is directed to flow into the heat exchange chamber is received from an aircraft.