US1607611A - Liquid-distributing means for heat-exchange devices - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 23 1926. V

H FELDMEIER LIQUID DISTRIBUTING MEANS FOR HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICES Filed Dec.

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

Nrrsn s'ra'rss I'EARVEY FELDMEIER, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YEP- PATENT FFECE.

ASSIGNQP. 'lO D. H. BU'RRELL &

C0. INS, C-F LITTLE FALL, NEEV YORK.

Application filed December 3, 1924. Serial No. 753,594.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid distributing means for liquid coolers or heat exchange devices of the surface type in. which milk or other iquid is caused to (low over the outer surfaces of a tubular or other structure through which a suitable medium passes for cooling or heating the'milk or other liquid.

In the following description, for the sake of brevity and clearness, the heat exchange device is called a cooler, but it is not thereby intended to limit theimprovements to a liquid cooler, since they are applicable to either a heater or cooler or analogous device for treating liquids.

These distributors are usually in the form of a horizontal tube or trough arranged longitudinally above the cooler adjacent-the top tube or portion thereof, and provided with spaced discharge holes in its bottom through which the liquid is intended to discharge from the distributor onto the topmost. tube or portion of the cooler so as to flow downwardly over the opposite sides thereof. It is desirable that the liquid to be cooled should flow over the cooling surface in an unbroken, thin film covering the entire surface, in order to effect a rapid exchange of heat with the minimum area of coolingsurface and amount of cooling medium, to attain the maximiun eiiiciency and economy in operation. However, the distributors as heretofore constructed do not entirely meet these requirements for the reason that the liquid discharging from the orifices or holes iuthe distributors flows over the cooling surfaces in more or less separated. or independent streams, which do not entirely cover the surfaces so that the whole area of the cooling surfaces is not utilized in cooling the liquid.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a distributor for liquid coolers or heat exchange devices which is constructed so as to cause the liquid to flow in a continuous or unbroken sheet or film extending substantially over the whole effective width of the cooling surface; also to provide a distributor of this kind having spaced discharge holes inthe bottom thereof and so constructed and disposed with reference to the top tube or part of the cooler that the separate streams of liquid discharging from the dis tributor will be caused to spread and form a continuous film before flowing downwardly over the cooling surfaces; also to provide a distributor having a depending drip strip provided with discharge holes registering with the holes in the distributor tube or trough, the bottom surface of said strip being disposed in such proximity to the top of the cooler that the separate streams of liquid discharging from the holes will be caused to unite by capillary action into a single body of liquid adapted to flow in thin, continuous films downwardly over the opposite cooling surfaces of the cooler; also to provide spacing means between the bottom of the dis tributorand the top of the upper tube or part of the cooler adapter. to maintain the distributor in proper spaced relation to, or at therequired distance from the cooler to ensure said capillary action and spreading of the liquid; and also to improve distributors for liquid coolers or heat exchange devices in the other respects hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of the upper portion of a tubular liquid cooler provided with liquid distributor embodying the invention.

F 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, section thereof on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the lower partof the distributor, and the spacing means between the same and the top of the cooler.

Fig. 5 is similar view illustrating the manner in which the liquid discharges from the distributor upon the cooler.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, on the same scale as Figs. 52 and 3, showing a trough type of distributor constructed in accordance with the invention.

The distribui'zor of the present invention may be used in conjunction with a surface type cooler or heat eizcl'iange device of any suitable construction. The cooler 10 shown in the drawings is of ordinaryconstructimi comprising a plurality of horizontal, superposed tubes 11 connected at their opposite ends by headers 12 for permitting flow of the cooling or other medium through the tube. In th spaces between the tubes 11 are provided drip strips 11 adapted to direct the films flowing off of one tube onto the next lower tube. Each strip 11 shown is soldered to the underside of one of the tubes.

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An outlet pipe 13 is shown at the upper end of one of the headers, while an inlet pipe (not shown) enters the lower portion thereof in the usual manner for providing the neces sary circulation of the fluid in the cooler. 14 represents a supporting frame for the cooler, said frame having forwardly eXtend ing brackets 15 having seats for the reception of the ends of the upper tube 11.

The liquid distributor can be a receptacle of any suitable form, either an open trough or a closed pipe disposed to discharge the liquid on the upper part of the cooler. As shown in Figs. 1-5, the distributor comprises a horizontal pipe or tube 18 extending parallel with and directly over the topmost tube 11 of the cooler and having discharge holes for the liquid in its bottom portion which is adjacent the top of said tube 11. The distributor pipe 18 is closed at its opposite ends and consists of two pieces of pipe connected at midlength of the distributor by a T fitting 19 to the liquid feed pipe 20, but if desired, the distributor may comprise a single pipe receiving its supply of liquid at one or both ends.

In accordance with this invention, the distributor 18 is provided with a plurality of spaced discharge openings 21 through its bottom, these openings being preferably vertical cylindrical holes of relatively small diameter arranged in asingle row in the vertical plane of the axis of the adjacent cooler tube 11 with the bottom face of the distributor and the lower ends of the holes disposed in such close proximity to the top of the tube 11 that the liquid will not drop or flow from the distributor upon the tube 11 in small separate streams, but will collect and spread or run together by capillaryv action in the narrow space between the bottom of the distributor and the top of the tube 11 so as to join the streams from the small holes and form a continuous body of liquid in this space and flow downwardly in unbroken films over the opposite sides of the tube 11 or cooling surfaces of the cooler. In the construction shown in the drawings, a narrow, longitudinal strip 28 is secured to the under side of the distributor pipe 18,. as by soldering, brazing or otherwise, and the holes 21 extend from the interior of the pipe 18 through this strip to its bottom face. This strip preferably has vertical side faces and a flat bottom face 24 disposed close to and parallel with the top face of the cooler 10. A metal strip about one-quarter of an inch wide and with a clearance of about one thirty-second of an inch between the tube 11 and the bottom face of the strip has been found to give entirelv satisfactory results. The liquid discharging through the holes 21 of the distributor collects in the space be tween the bottom of the strip 23 and the top surface of the cooler and by capillary action spreads lengthwise and laterally until it fills the space to the opposite side edges or corners 25 of the strip, as shown in Fig. 5. The pressure of the liquid in the distributor on this body of liquid causes the liquid, after filling the space between the strip 23 and the tube 11, to flow down over the opposite sides of the tube'in substantially uniform, thin and continuous or unbroken films or shec 2 such that the liquid will cover the heat change surfaces and be rapidly and efficiently cooled.

To enable the bottom face 23 to be easily and correctly positioned and maintained. at the required distance above the top face of the cooler. spa provided such as flat disks 0.! which can he soldered or otherwise fired at suitable distances along and to the bottom face of the strip 23 or on top of the tube 11 so as to form seats by which the distributor may rest on the top of the cooler or tube ll. The distributor can be held in place by any suitable means, such as clips or straps 2? straddling the distributor tube 18 and releasably secured to the headers 12 by screws or the like 28. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, in which the distributor pipe is composed of connected sect-ions, the strip 23 also is made in sections, One for each section of the distributor pipe 18, but when a singlepiece pipe is usec, a single-piece strip can be employed extending from end to end of the distributor.

The distributor shown in Fig. 6 is in the form of an open trough 30 secured by brackets 31 at its ends to the headers or other parts of the cooler. This distributor is provided with a metal strip 23 through which the openings 2:2 extend into the bottom of the trough, and the strip rest; by spacers 26 on the top of the tube 11 or cooler and is arranged relatively to the heat exchange tube 11 and functions to spread and distribute the liquid as above described in connection with pipe distributor shown in Figs. 1-5.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a heat exchange device having a surface over which a liquid flows. of a distributor for the liquid having a series of spaced discharge holes passing through a wall thereof, the outer face of said wall about said holes extending along and being spaced from but in such relation to an opposed part of said heat exchange surface that capillary action will cause the liquid discharging through said holes to spread and form a continuous body of the liquid between said surfaces from which the liquid flows in an unbroken film over the heat exchange surface.

2. The combination with a heat exchange device having a surface over which a liquid flows, of a distributor for the liquid, having 2dof the strip a series of spaced discharge holes for the liquid passing through the bottom of the re ceptacle, the outer face of said bottom about said holes overlying the top face of said heat exchange device and being spaced such a distance therefrom as to cause the liquid discharging through said holes to spread and form a continuous body of the liquid between said surfaces from which the liquid flows in an unbroken film over the surface of said heat exchange device.

3. The combination with a heat exchange device having a series of superposed tubes over the outer surfaces of which a liquid flows, of a distributor for the liquid arranged longitudinally above said tubes, a plurality of spaced holes extending through the bottom of said distributor to the outer face of the bottom and adapted to discharge liquid from the distributor upon said tubes, said outer bottom face being parallel with and spaced from the top of the uppermost tube of said series at such a distance therefrom as to cause the liquid discharging through said holes to spread and form a continuous body of liquid between said face and said upper tube from which the liquid flows in an unbroken film downwardly over the opposite sides of said tubes.

4t. The combination with a heat exchange device in which a liquid flows over a heat exchange surface, of a distributor for the liquid arranged longitudinally above said heat exchange device and having a depending strip extending along the underside of said distributor and having a plurality of spaced holes extending through the same and the bottom of said distributor for the discharge of liquid upon said heat exchange device, the bottom face of said strip being parallel with and spaced from the top edge of said heat exchange device at a distance therefrom such that capillary action will cause the liquid discharging through said holes to spread being along tween said face and form a continuous body of liquid therebetween from which the liquid flows in an unbroken film downwardly over the opposite sides of said tubes.

5. The combination with a heat exchange device having a series of superposed tubes over the surfaces of which a distributor arranged longitudinally above said tubes, a median projecting strip extend the underside of said receptacle and having a flat bottom face terminatingin abrupt side edges disposed parallel to the axis of the upper tube of said series, said receptacle having a series of spaced discharge holes extending through said strip to the bottom face thereof, said bottom face being parallel with and spaced from the top edge of said tube at a distance therefrom such that capillary action will cause the liquid discharging through holes to spread between said faces and form a continuous between from which the liquid flows in unbroken films downwardly over the opposite sides of said series of tubes.

6. The combination With a heat exchange device having a surface over which a liquid flows, of a distributor for said liquid longitudinally disposed above said device and having a flat bottom face with abrupt and side edges, and a plurality of spaced discharge holes for the liquid extending through said receptacle to said bottom face, and spacing devices arranged between said distributor and the top face of said heat exchange device and adapted to hold said bottom face parallel with the adjacent edge of said top face and at such a distance therefrom that capillary action will cause liquid dischar ing through said holes to spread and form a continuous body of liquid between said faces from which the liquid flows in an unbroken film over the heat exchange device.

HARVEY FELDMEIER.

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