Title of Invention

PLATE-FIN EXCHANGERS WITH TEXTURED SURFACES

Abstract In a plate-fin exchanger having a plurality of fins disposed between neighboring parting sheets, at least a portion of at least one of the fins has a textured surface. The textured surface is in the form of grooves or fluting formed on or applied to the surface of the fin material used in the plate-fin exchanger.
Full Text ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
In a plate-fin exchanger having a plurality of fins disposed between neighboring parting sheets, at least a portion of at least one of the fins has a textured surface. The textured surface is in the form of grooves or fluting formed on or applied to the surface of the fin material used in the plate-fin exchanger.



1. A plate-fin exchanger having a plurality of fins disposed between neighboring parting sheets, at least a portion of at least one of the fins having a textured surface.
2. A plate-fin exchanger comprising an assembly of a plurality of substantially parallel parting sheets and a plurality of corrugated fins disposed between adjacent parting sheets, each of said fins having at least one surface, wherein at least a portion of the at least one surface of at least one fin is textured.
3. A plate-fin exchanger, comprising:
a first parting sheet;
a second parting sheet adjacent and substantially parallel to the first parting sheet;
at least one corrugated fin disposed between the first parting sheet and the second parting sheet, the fin having at least one surface, wherein a surface texture is applied on at least a portion of the surface.
4. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the surface texture is in the form of horizontal striations.
5. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the surface texture is applied at an angle relative to a horizontal position.
6. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 5, wherein the angle is greater than about 0° and less than about 75°.

7. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 5, wherein the angle is greater than about 0° and less than about 50°.
8. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the surface texture is applied in a crisscrossing manner.
9. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein the surface texture is in the form of a groove having a wavelength in a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm.
10. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein the surface texture is in the form of a groove having a wavelength in a range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm.
11. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein the surface texture is in the form of a groove having an amplitude in a range of about 0.05 mm to about 0-75 mm.
12. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein the surface texture is in the form of a groove having an amplitude in a range of about 0.15 mm to about 0.50 mm.
13. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 9, wherein the groove is at an angle relative to a horizontal position, said angle being greater than about 0° and less than about 75°.

14. A piate-fin exchanger as in claim 11, wherein the groove is at an angle relative to a horizontal position, said angle being greater than about 0° and less than about 75°.
15. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 3, wherein the surface texture is in the form of a groove having a wavelength in a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm and an amplitude in a range of about 0.05 mm to about 0.75 mm.
16. A plate-fin exchanger as in claim 15, wherein the groove is at an angle relative to a horizontal position, said angle being greater than about 0° and less than about 75°.
17. A cryogenic air separation unit having a plate-fin exchanger, as in claim 3.
18. A plate-fin exchanger having at least one corrugated fin disposed between neighboring parting sheets, the fin having at least one surface, the improvement comprising a surface texture applied on at least a portion of the at least one surface.
19. A plate-fin heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange of a plurality of fluid streams having a first group of passages adapted to carry a first fluid stream, said first fluid stream being two-phase in at least a portion of the first group of passages, said portion of the first group of passages having a plurality of fins disposed therein, at least one of said fins being disposed between neighboring parting sheets and having a textured surface.

20. A plate-fin heat exchanger for reboiler or condenser service, the heat exchanger comprising a paralielepipeda! body including an assembly of a plurality of substantially parallel parting sheets and a plurality of corrugated fins disposed between adjacent parting sheets, at least one of said fins being disposed between neighboring parting sheets and having a textured surface.
21. A downflow reboiler having a generally parallelepipedal body formed by an assembly of substantially parallel vertically extending passages adapted to receive a first fluid introduced into a first group of passages and a second fluid introduced into a second group of passages, the passages in the second group of passages alternating in position with the passages in the first group of passages, the first group of passages having a plurality of fins disposed between neighboring parting sheets, the fins including hardway fins for fluid distribution of the first fluid and easyway heat transfer fins downstream of the hardway fins, the heat transfer fins forming one or more heat transfer sections with progressively decreasing surface area, at least one heat transfer fin in a first heat transfer section having at least one surface, the improvement comprising a surface texture applied on the at least one surface.
22. A downflow reboiler having a generally parallelepipedal body formed by an assembly of substantially parallel vertically extending passages adapted to receive a first fluid introduced into a first group of passages and a second fluid introduced into a second group of passages, the passages in the second group of passages alternating in position with the passages in the first group of passages, the second group of passages having a plurality of fins disposed between neighboring parting sheets, the fins including inlet and outlet distribution fins for uniform flow of the second fluid into and out of the second group of passages and heat transfer fins forming

at least one heat transfer section between the inlet and outlet distribution fins, at least one heat transfer fin in the at least one heat transfer section having at least one surface, the improvement comprising a surface texture applied on the at least one surface.
23. A downflow reboiier according to claim 21 installed in a column of an air separation plant wherein a liquid oxygen-containing stream is passed through the first group of passages in parallel flow to a nitrogen-containing and/or argon-containing stream in the second group of passages.
24. A downflow reboiier according to claim 22 installed in a column of an air separation plant wherein a liquid oxygen-containing stream is passed through the first group of passages in parallel flow to a nitrogen-containing and/or argon-containing stream in the second group of passages.
25. A plate-fin exchanger for dephlegmator service, the exchanger comprising a parallelepipedal body including an assembly of a plurality of substantially parallel parting sheets and a plurality of corrugated fins disposed between adjacent parting sheets, at least one of said fins being disposed between neighboring parting sheets and having a textured surface.
26. A method for assembling a plate-fin exchanger, comprising the steps of:
providing two substantially parallel parting sheets and an elongated sheet;
forming a surface texture on the elongated sheet;

corrugating the elongated sheet to form a fin having the surface texture thereon; and
disposing the fin having the surface texture thereon between the parting sheets.
27. A method as in claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the surface texture is in the form of at least one groove having a wavelength in a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm and an amplitude in a range of about 0.05 mm to about 0.75 mm, the at least one groove being at an angle relative to a horizontal position, said angle being greater than about 0° and less than about 75°.
28. A method for improving the performance of a plate-fin exchanger having at least one fin between neighboring parting sheets, comprising applying a surface texture on at least a portion of the at least one fin.
N:\DOCNOS\06000-06099\06020\USV\PPLN\06020USA.doc

29. A plate-fin exchanger, substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

723-CHE-2003 POWER OF ATTORNEY 10-05-2011.pdf

723-CHE-2003 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 10-05-2011.pdf

723-CHE-2003 AMENDED CLAIMS 10-05-2011.pdf

723-che-2003 form-3 10-05-2011.pdf

723-CHE-2003 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 10-05-2011.pdf

723-CHE-2003 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 13-01-2011.pdf

723-CHE-2003 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECIEVED 10-05-2011.pdf

723-che-2003-abstract.pdf

723-che-2003-claims.pdf

723-che-2003-correspondnece-others.pdf

723-che-2003-description(complete).pdf

723-che-2003-drawings.pdf

723-che-2003-form 1.pdf

723-che-2003-form 26.pdf

723-che-2003-form 3.pdf

723-che-2003-form 5.pdf


Patent Number 248057
Indian Patent Application Number 723/CHE/2003
PG Journal Number 24/2011
Publication Date 17-Jun-2011
Grant Date 14-Jun-2011
Date of Filing 11-Sep-2003
Name of Patentee AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
Applicant Address 7201 HAMILTON BOULEVARD, ALLENTOWN,PA 18195-1501
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 VLADIMIR VASILIEVICH KUZNETSOV APARTMENT 20,1,PRAVDA STREET, NOVOSIBRISK,630090
2 SWAMINATHAN SUNDAR 6009 HELLEN DRIVE, ALLENTOWN,PA 18104
3 PATRICK ALAN HOUGHTON 4621 COMMONWEALTH DRIVE, EMMAUS PA 18049
PCT International Classification Number B23P15/26
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 10/243149 2002-09-13 U.S.A.