Thermal exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger for heating or cooling a liquid, comprises a stationary outer shell and an drum rotatable coaxially in the shell. The outer periphery of the drum is adjacent the inner periphery of the shell and a stationary heat exchanger is disposed within the drum. Liquid to be heated or cooled is fed into the drum past the stationary heat exchanger and then between the outer periphery of the drum and the inner periphery of the shell. Impeller structure is disposed on .[.the.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.extends axially along the outer periphery of the drum, such as a helicoidal vane, to .[.more.]. .Iadd.move .Iaddend.the liquid is a circuitous path along the inner periphery of the stationary shell upon rotation of the drum.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A heat exchanger for heating or cooling a liquid, comprising a stationary outer shell, a drum rotatable coaxially in the shell, the outer periphery of the drum being adjacent the inner periphery of the shell, stationary heat exchange means within the drum, means to feed a liquid into the drum past said stationary heat exchange means and then between said outer periphery of said drum and said inner periphery of said shell, and impeller means on and extending axially along said outer periphery of said drum to move said liquid in a circuitous path along said inner periphery of said stationary outer shell upon rotation of said drum. 
     
     
       2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said drum and shell being cylindrical. 
     
     
       3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said impeller means comprising helicoidal screw means. 
     
     
       4. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said liquid flowing past said stationary heat exchange means in one axial direction and then flowing between said shell and drum in the opposite axial direction. 
     
     
       5. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said drum being open at one end, said liquid flowing within said drum in a direction toward said open end of said drum and then passing about said open end of said drum and then passing between said shell and said drum in a direction away from said open end of said drum. 
     
     
       6. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5, said stationary heat exchange means extending into said drum through said open end of said drum. 
     
     
       7. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, one end of said drum being open, said stationary heat exchange means extending into said drum through said open end of said drum. 
     
     
       8. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, and means outside said shell to heat the outer periphery of said shell. 
     
     
       9. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, and pump means downstream of and coaxial with said impeller means for ejecting said liquid from said heat exchanger. .Iadd. 
     
     
       10.  For use in an exterior heat utilization circuit, a compact heat exchange unit comprising two fluid connections for connecting said unit with said utilization circuit for the input to and outlet of heat exchange fluid from said circuit, said unit comprising: (a) a heating wall for heating said fluid and a heating chamber extending along said heating wall;   (b) means for heating said heating wall to provide more than about 1.8 W/cm 2  to said heat exchange fluid;   (c) a pump for circulating said fluid over said heating wall through said heating chamber; and   (d) stirring means for stirring said fluid circulating in said heating chamber and including means immediately adjacent to said heating wall for preventing localized overheating in said fluid resulting in decomposition thereof by sweeping said fluid from said heating wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 wherein said stirring means further comprises scraping means adapted to sweep away said fluid from said heating wall, thereby improving thermal exchange between said heating wall and said fluid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 wherein said heating wall is cylindrical and said stirring means comprises a helicoidal spiral positioned immediately adjacent said heating wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 12 wherein said helicoidal spiral comprises a single or multiple thread. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 wherein said heating wall is cylindrical and said stirring means further comprising scraping means comprises a helicoidal spiral positioned immediately adjacent said heating wall adapted to sweep away said fluid from said heating wall, thereby improving thermal exchange between said heating wall and said fluid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 comprising a gap between said stirring means and said heating wall as small as machining limits permit while nevertheless avoiding seizure of said stirring means by said heating wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 further comprising a second wall, said heating chamber being defined between said heating wall and said second wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 16 wherein said heating wall is cylindrical and said stirring means is a thread rotatably mounted on said second wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 17 wherein said stirring means further comprises an internal drum rotatably positioned coaxially within said cylindrical heating wall, said heating chamber being located in the space between the wall of said drum and said heating wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 18 wherein said connection for the input of said fluid is positioned to direct said fluid within and then around said internal drum into said heating chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 further comprising cooling means within said drum for cooling said heat exchange fluid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 further comprising cooling means for cooling said heat exchange fluid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 21 wherein said heating wall is cylindrical and said unit further comprises an internal drum rotatably positioned coaxially within said cylindrical heating wall, said cooling means comprising a chamber mounted stationary within said internal drum. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 further comprising measuring means for measuring the outlet temperature of said heat exchange fluid and means for controlling the intensity of heat supplied by said heating wall to said fluid as a function of the outlet temperature of said fluid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 further comprising cooling means for cooling said heat exchange fluid; means for measuring the outlet temperature of said fluid; and control means for controlling the amount of heat removed from said fluid by said cooling means as a function of the temperature of said fluid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The heat exchange unit as defined by claim 10 in combination with said utilization circuit, said unit being adapted to heat said heat exchange fluid and to circulate said fluid through said circuit. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.     For use in an exterior heat utilization circuit, a compact heat exchange unit for circulating a heat exchange fluid in said utilization circuit; said unit comprising two fluid connections for connecting said unit with said utilization circuit for the input to and outlet of heat exchange fluid from said circuit, said unit further comprising: (a) a heating wall for heating said fluid and a heating chamber extending along said heating wall for heating said fluid;   (b) means for heating said heating wall to provide more than about 1.8 W/cm 2  to said heat exchange fluid;   (c) stirring means for stirring said fluid circulating in said heating chamber and including means immediately adjacent to said heating wall for preventing localized overheating in said fluid resulting in decomposition thereof by sweeping said fluid from said heating wall; and   (d) in addition to said stirring means, a pump mounted coaxially with said stirring means, for circulating said fluid through said circuit and over   
     
     
        said heating wall through said heating chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27.  For use in an exterior heat utilization circuit, a compact heat exchange unit for circulating a heat exchange fluid in said utilization circuit; said unit comprising two fluid connections for connecting said unit with said utilization circuit for the input to and outlet of heat exchange fluid from said circuit, said unit further comprising: (a) a heating wall for heating said fluid and a heating chamber extending along said heating wall;   (b) means for heating said heating wall to provide more than about 1.8 W/cm 2  to said heat exchange fluid;   (c) stirring means for stirring said fluid circulating in said heating chamber and including means immediately adjacent to said heating wall for preventing localized overheating in said fluid resulting in decomposition thereof by sweeping said fluid from said heating wall; and   (d) in addition to said stirring means, a pump mounted coaxially with said stirring means and driven by a single common driveshaft with said stirring means, for circulating said fluid through said circuit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. For use in an exterior heat utilization circuit, a compact heat exchange unit for circulating and maintaining the temperature of a heat exchange fluid in said utilization circuit; said unit comprising two fluid connections for connecting said unit with said utilization circuit for the input and outlet of heat exchange fluid from said circuit, said unit further comprising:   (a) a heating wall for heating said fluid and a heating chamber extending along said heating wall;   (b) means for heating said heating wall to provide more than about 1.8 W/cm 2  to said heat exchange fluid;   (c) cooling means for cooling said heat exchange fluid;   (d) stirring means for stirring said fluid circulating in said heating chamber extending along said heating wall and including means immediately adjacent to said heating wall for preventing localized overheating in said fluid resulting in decomposition thereof by sweeping said fluid from said heating wall; and   (e) in addition to said stirring means, a pump mounted coaxially with said stirring means and driven by a single common drive shaft with said stirring means, for circulating said fluid through said circuit and over said heating wall through said heating chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. For use in an exterior heat utilization circuit, a compact heat exchange unit for circulating and maintaining the temperature of a heat exchange fluid in said utilization circuit; said unit comprising two fluid connections for connecting said unit with said utilization circuit for the input to and the output of heat exchange fluid from said circuit, said unit further comprising:   (a) a heating wall for heating said fluid and a heating chamber extending along said heating wall;   (b) means for heating said heating wall to provide more than about 1.8 W/cm 2  to said heat exchange fluid;   (c) cooling means for cooling said heat exchange fluid;   (d) means for sensing the output temperature of said heat exchange fluid from said unit and for regulating said cooling and heating means to maintain said fluid at a desired temperature;   (e) stirring means for stirring said fluid circulating in said heating chamber extending along said heating wall and including means immediately adjacent to said heating wall for preventing localized overheating in said fluid resulting in decomposition thereof by sweeping said fluid from said heating wall; and   (f) in addition to said stirring means, a pump mounted for circulating said fluid through said circuit and over said heating wall through said heating chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. For use in an exterior heat utilization circuit, a compact heat exchange unit for circulating and maintaining the temperature of a heat exchange fluid in said utilization circuit; said unit comprising two fluid connections for connecting said unit with said utilization circuit for input to and outlet of heat exchange fluid from said circuit, said unit further comprising:   (a) a heating wall for heating said fluid and a heating chamber extending along said heating wall;   (b) heating means for heating said heating wall to provide more than about 1.8 W/cm 2  to said heat exchange fluid;   (c) cooling means for cooling said heat exchange fluid;   (d) means for sensing the output temperature of said heat exchange fluid from said unit and for regulating said cooling and heating means to maintain said fluid at a desired temperature;   (e) stirring means for stirring said fluid circulating in said heating chamber extending along said heating wall and including means immediately adjacent to said heating wall for preventing localized overheating in said fluid resulting in decomposition thereof by sweeping said fluid from said heating wall, and means for operating said stirring means to provide a fluid velocity of at least about 10 meters/second through said heating chamber; and   (f) in addition to said stirring means, a pump mounted for circulating said fluid through said circuit and over said heating wall through said heating chamber. .Iaddend.