초록 ▼

A heat exchange element, particularly suitable for use as a recuperator for external combustion engines, or a body for use as an afterburner or in filtration and osmosis, may be produced as a monolithic, ceramic, honeycombed body having a plurality of flow paths therethrough for two or three fluids

A heat exchange element, particularly suitable for use as a recuperator for external combustion engines, or a body for use as an afterburner or in filtration and osmosis, may be produced as a monolithic, ceramic, honeycombed body having a plurality of flow paths therethrough for two or three fluids wherein multiple flow paths of separate fluids are separated by walls which may be less than 10 mils thick. In a preferred method, a honeycombed ceramic body is provided with a plurality of open-ended cells extending from one face end to another face end and arranged in vertical columns of cells separated by vertical fluid barrier wall surfaces. Selected columns of open-ended cells are closed on both face ends of the body and entrance to and exit from the selected cells is provided by removing portions of cell walls near face ends of the body between fluid barrier wall surfaces. A first fluid may enter the selected columns of cells through inlet openings on the top or bottom of the body and exit from the other end of the body through outlet openings. A second fluid may pass through unselected columns of cells. Three fluids may be accommodated by dividing the honeycombed body into independent upper and lower halves separated by an intermediate fluid barrier. Fluids are applied to the heat exchanger and removed therefrom through appropriate use of sealable header or flue assemblies communicating with all entrance or exit openings.

대표청구항 ▼

The method of fabricating a multiple flow path body having a plurality of contiguous flow paths extending therethrough for separate fluid flow, the method comprising the steps of a. providing a honeycombed body having a matrix of thin walls defining a multiplicity of open-ended cells extending from

The method of fabricating a multiple flow path body having a plurality of contiguous flow paths extending therethrough for separate fluid flow, the method comprising the steps of a. providing a honeycombed body having a matrix of thin walls defining a multiplicity of open-ended cells extending from one face end thereof to another face end thereof and being bounded on sides generally parallel to cell axes by generally opposed upper and lower boundary surfaces connected by first and second side boundary surfaces, the cells being grouped into a plurality of columns of cells, each column being separated from adjacent columns of cells by a fluid barrier wall surface extending continously from the upper boundary surface to the lower boundary surface and from the one face end of the honeycombed body to the other face end thereof, b. removing portions of at least one of the upper and lower boundary surfaces and portions of the cell walls joining opposed fluid barrier wall surfaces in selected columns of cells near at least one face end of the honeycomed body to provide, respectively, fluid openings in the boundary surface or surfaces and fluid flow grooves extending from the openings and face end to cells in the selected columns, and c. sealably enclosing the fluid flow grooves near a face end of the honeycombed body to form fluid flow conduits, such that first fluid flow paths are formed from the openings through the fluid flow conduits and the cells in the selected columns of cells to the other open ends thereof; and second fluid flow paths are formed through open-ended cells in unselected columns of cells.