HEAT EXCHANGERS
A heat exchanger which may be used in an engine, such as a vehicle engine for an aircraft or orbital launch vehicle. is provided. The heat exchanger may be configured as generally drum-shaped with a multitude of spiral sections, each containing numerous small diameter tubes. The spiral sections may spiral inside one another. The heat exchanger may include a support structure with a plurality of mutually axially spaced hoop supports, and may incorporate an intermediate header. The heat exchanger may incorporate recycling of methanol or other antifreeze used to prevent blocking of the heat exchanger due to frost or ice formation.
1 - 73 . (canceled)
74 . A heat exchanger for cooling a fluid in a flow path and containing a component liable to phase change below a temperature thereof, the heat exchanger comprising a series of tubes for the passage of coolant and an injector for introducing an anti-freeze component into the fluid in the flow path.
75 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 74 , wherein the injector comprises an antifreeze injector, wherein the antifreeze injector comprises a methanol injector arranged for connection to a source of methanol.
76 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 75 , further comprising a removal arrangement for removing liquid located within a body of moving fluid within the flow path.
77 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 76 , wherein the removal arrangement is located downstream of the injector.
78 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 76 , wherein the removal arrangement comprises at least one catcher element arranged to extend generally transverse to a general flow direction of the fluid therepast.
79 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 78 , comprising at least one row of said catcher elements.
80 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 79 , wherein the catcher elements are spaced apart in the row by a spacing distance which is less than the maximum cross-dimension of each said catcher element in the direction of spacing.
81 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 80 , wherein the spacing distance is about one quarter, one third or half of said maximum cross-dimension.
82 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 80 , wherein the catcher arrangement comprises a second row of catcher elements, the second row of catcher elements being staggered, in a direction from one catcher element to another along a row, with the first row of catcher elements.
83 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 82 , wherein the catcher elements in the first and second rows are spaced from the catcher elements in the same row substantially the same distance that they are spaced from the catcher elements in the other row.
84 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 78 , wherein the at least one catcher element has a longitudinal extent and has at least one point therealong a substantially circular cross section.
85 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 84 , wherein the at least one catcher element comprises a hollow tube having at least one liquid collection pocket located on an exterior surface thereof.
86 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 85 , wherein the hollow tube is hydroformed of metallic material.
87 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 85 , wherein the at least one liquid collection pocket comprises a scavenge aperture communicating from the liquid collection pocket into an interior conduit of the hollow tube, the scavenge aperture area being of small size for limiting airflow drawn thereinto with liquid.
88 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 85 , further comprising a mesh covering the at least one liquid collection pocket, with a cavity formed between the pocket and the mesh.
89 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 88 , wherein the mesh is an approximately 25 micron to 100 micron mesh.
90 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 88 , wherein the mesh is coated with a wetting agent.
91 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 89 , wherein the mesh is generally flat in the region of each pocket.
92 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 85 , further comprising a suction system fluidly connected to the hollow tube for removing liquid from the at least one liquid collection pocket.
93 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 76 , further comprising a second removal arrangement which is located downstream of said removal arrangement.
94 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 93 , wherein the antifreeze injector comprises a plurality of injection portions and is arranged to inject a more concentrated antifreeze at a first injection portion in a first region of air flow and a more water-diluted antifreeze at a second injection portion which is more upstream than the first injection portion at a second region of air flow that is warmer than the first region.
95 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 94 , further comprising a recycle path for recycling antifreeze and liquid water removed from air flow at the second removal arrangement for re-injection, upstream of the first removal arrangement, at the second injection portion, wherein each such re-injection in a plural sequence of such re-injections having the antifreeze more dilute, into warmer air and more upstream in the airflow than upon the previous injection, the antifreeze being re-injectable along a sequence of re-injection points along a path that is counter to the direction of air flow through the heat exchanger.
96 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 74 , which is adapted to cool air to below 0° C.
97 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 78 , which is adapted to cool air to or to below about minus 100° C.
98 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 97 , further comprising a control for controlling the environment in the vicinity of the coldest catcher element to be about 80 mol % or about 88 wt % methanol, on a water-methanol solid-liquid phase diagram, as temperature approaches about minus 100° C.
100 . A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 78 , wherein the removal arrangement comprises a sufficient number of catcher elements to remove over 90% of water content from air passing through the heat exchanger.
101 - 111 . (canceled)
112 . An engine, comprising a combustion section and a heat exchanger as claimed in claim 75 , wherein the heat exchanger is adapted to cool air in a flow path directed towards the combustion section.
113 . An engine as claimed in claim 112 , further comprising a helium supply for providing helium as coolant flowable through the heat exchanger.
114 . A flying machine, comprising a heat exchanger as claimed in claim 75 .
115 . (canceled)