Ammonia heat exchanger unit and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581394-B2
Application number	US-201414523098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchange unit for a heat exchanger system includes a heat exchange tube. The heat exchange tube including a heat exchange tube inlet and one or more heat exchange fins coupled along the heat exchange tube. The heat exchange tube extends from the heat exchange tube inlet to a refrigerant return. A heat exchange jacket is interposed between the heat exchange tube and a unit housing. The heat exchange jacket includes a jacket passage in communication with the refrigerant return. A first product passage extends from the product inlet to a product return. The heat exchange fins turbulate agricultural product in the first product passage while heat is transferred from the agricultural product to refrigerant in one or more of the heat exchange tube or the heat exchange jacket. Heat is transferred from the agricultural product to the refrigerant through the heat exchange jacket in the second product passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchange unit comprising:
a unit housing having a product inlet, a product outlet, and a product return;
a heat exchange tube within the unit housing, the heat exchange tube including:
a heat exchange tube inlet, and
one or more heat exchange fins coupled along the heat exchange tube;

a refrigerant return, the heat exchange tube extending from the heat exchange tube inlet to the refrigerant return;
a heat exchange jacket interposed between the heat exchange tube and the unit housing, the heat exchange jacket including a jacket passage in communication with the refrigerant return;
wherein a first product passage extends from the product inlet to the product return, and the heat exchange tube extends along the first product passage; and
wherein a second product passage extends from the product return to the product outlet, and the jacket passage extends along the second product passage.

2. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange tube extends linearly from the heat exchange tube inlet to the refrigerant return.

3. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat exchange fins includes a continuous helical heat exchange fin extending between the heat exchange tube inlet and the refrigerant return.

4. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat exchange fins includes a first fin zone near the product inlet and a second fin zone near the product return,
the first fin zone having a first spacing between a first turn of the one or more heat exchange fins, and
the second fin zone having a second spacing between a second turn of the one or more heat exchange fins greater than the first spacing.

5. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat exchange fins extend from the heat exchange tube to a position adjacent an interior layer of the heat exchange jacket, and the one or more heat exchange fins are configured to disrupt fluid boundary layers along the heat exchange tube and the interior layer of the heat exchange jacket.

6. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 comprising a refrigerant circuit including the heat exchange tube and the heat exchange jacket, and one or more refrigerant expansion zones are provided along the refrigerant circuit.

7. The heat exchange unit of claim 6 , wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a heat exchange delivery line coupled with the heat exchange tube inlet, and the one or more refrigerant expansion zones includes a plurality of refrigerant expansion zones, the plurality of refrigerant expansion zones includes:
a refrigerant expansion zone in the heat exchange delivery line,
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface of the heat exchange delivery line and the heat exchange tube inlet,
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface between the heat exchange tube and the refrigerant return,
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface between the refrigerant return and the heat exchange jacket, and
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface between the jacket passage and a refrigerant collection reservoir.

8. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant return divides to one or more refrigerant return passages in communication with the jacket passage.

9. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 , wherein the jacket passage is in communication with a refrigerant collection reservoir between the heat exchange jacket and the unit housing.

10. The heat exchange unit of claim 1 , wherein the first product passage is in a first heat exchange zone between the heat exchange tube and the heat exchange jacket, refrigerant within the heat exchange tube and the heat exchange jacket is configured to refrigerate an agricultural product in the first product passage, and
the second product passage is in a second heat exchange zone between the heat exchange jacket and the unit housing, and refrigerant within the heat exchange jacket is configured to refrigerate the agricultural product in the second product passage.

11. A heat exchanger system comprising:
a heat exchange unit including:
a unit housing having a product inlet and a product outlet,
a first product passage extending from the product inlet to a product return,
a second product passage extending from the product return to the product outlet,
a heat exchange tube extending along the first product passage, the heat exchange tube including one or more heat exchange fins extending into the first product passage,
a refrigerant return in communication with the heat exchange tube, and
a heat exchange jacket extending along the first and second product passages, the heat exchange jacket including a jacket passage in communication with the refrigerant return;

wherein the heat exchange unit is configured to cool an agricultural product in the first product passage to a first temperature with the heat exchange tube and the heat exchange jacket, and the heat exchange unit is configured to cool the agricultural product in the second product passage to a second temperature with the heat exchange jacket, the second temperature less than the first temperature;
a pump in communication with the product outlet; and
a distributor in communication with the pump, the distributor configured to distribute the agricultural product to an applicator.

12. The heat exchanger system of claim 11 , wherein the heat exchange tube extends linearly between the heat exchange tube inlet and the refrigerant return.

13. The heat exchanger system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more heat exchange fins includes a continuous helical heat exchange fin.

14. The heat exchanger system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more heat exchange fins includes a first fin zone near the product inlet and a second fin zone near the product return,
the first fin zone having a first spacing between a first turn of the one or more heat exchange fins, and
the second fin zone having a second spacing between a second turn of the one or more heat exchange fins greater than the first spacing.

15. The heat exchanger system of claim 11 comprising a refrigerant circuit including the heat exchange tube and the heat exchange jacket, and one or more refrigerant expansion zones are provided along the refrigerant circuit.

16. The heat exchanger system of claim 15 , wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a heat exchange delivery line coupled with a heat exchange tube inlet, and the one or more refrigerant expansion zones includes a plurality of refrigerant expansion zones, the plurality of refrigerant expansion zones includes:
a refrigerant expansion zone in the heat exchange delivery line,
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface of the heat exchange delivery line and the heat exchange tube inlet,
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface between the heat exchange tube and the refrigerant return,
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface between the refrigerant return and the heat exchange jacket, and
a refrigerant expansion zone at an interface between the jacket passage and a refrigerant collection reservoir.

17. The heat exchanger system of claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant return divides to one or more refrigerant return passages in communication with the jacket passage.

18. The heat exchanger system of claim 11 , wherein the heat exchange unit is configured to cool a first ammonia vapor and liquid mixture to a second ammonia vapor and liquid mixture including a larger percentage by mass of liquid than the first ammonia vapor and liquid mixture, and
the pump is configured to compress

Assignees

• Raven Ind Inc

Inventors

• Jensen Steve S
• Hansen Patrick A
• Thompson Warren L
• Michael Nicholas O

Classifications

• F28D7/106 Primary

  consisting of two coaxial conduits or modules of two coaxial conduits · CPC title

• F28D2021/0098

  for viscous or semi-liquid materials, e.g. for processing sludge · CPC title

• F28F13/12

  by creating turbulence, e.g. by stirring, by increasing the force of circulation (F28F13/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2009/228

  Oblique partitions · CPC title

• F28F1/36

  the means being helically wound fins or wire spirals · CPC title