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.

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.

A spiral heat exchanger features: a cold fluid inlet manifold, a hot fluid inlet manifold and at least one spiral fluid pathway. The cold fluid inlet manifold receives cold fluid and provide cold inlet manifold fluid. The hot fluid inlet manifold receives hot fluid and provide hot inlet manifold fluid. The at least one spiral fluid pathway includes cold spiral pathways configured to receive the cold inlet manifold fluid and provide cold spiral fluid pathway fluid, and hot spiral pathways configured to receive the hot inlet manifold fluid and provide hot spiral fluid pathway fluid. The cold spiral pathways and the hot spiral pathways are configured in relation to one another to exchange heat between the cold spiral pathway fluid and the hot spiral pathway fluid so that the hot spiral fluid pathway fluid warms the cold spiral fluid pathway fluid, and vice versa.

A spiral heat exchanger features: a cold fluid inlet manifold, a hot fluid inlet manifold and at least one spiral fluid pathway. The cold fluid inlet manifold receives cold fluid and provide cold inlet manifold fluid. The hot fluid inlet manifold receives hot fluid and provide hot inlet manifold fluid. The at least one spiral fluid pathway includes cold spiral pathways configured to receive the cold inlet manifold fluid and provide cold spiral fluid pathway fluid, and hot spiral pathways configured to receive the hot inlet manifold fluid and provide hot spiral fluid pathway fluid. The cold spiral pathways and the hot spiral pathways are configured in relation to one another to exchange heat between the cold spiral pathway fluid and the hot spiral pathway fluid so that the hot spiral fluid pathway fluid warms the cold spiral fluid pathway fluid, and vice versa.

A wet surface air cooler (WSAC), including an evaporative spiral heat exchanger for flowing a process medium therethrough, a spray system for spraying a cooling medium directly onto the spiral heat exchanger and a fan for causing air to flow through the evaporative spiral heat exchanger, the combination of the sprayed cooling medium onto the evaporative spiral heat exchanger and the air flowing therethrough causes the cooling medium to at least partially evaporate to lower the temperature of the process medium.

This invention relates to a polymerization process for forming polymer comprising: contacting (typically in a solution or slurry phase), a monomer and a catalyst system in a reaction zone comprising at least one spiral heat exchanger and recovering polymer, wherein the monomer, the catalyst system and the polymer flow through the at least one spiral heat exchanger in a cross-flow direction relative to spirals of the at least one spiral heat exchanger.

A spiral heat exchanger is formed of at least two sheets extending along a spiral-shaped path around a common centre body and separated to form at least a first and a second spiral-shaped substantially parallel flow channels extending and enabling flow communication between a radially outer orifice and a radially inner orifice. The centre body includes a wall body with a first conduit at the inner surface of the wall body being in fluid connection to the first flow channel, and a second conduit formed at the outer surface of the wall body and being in fluid connection to the second flow channel.

A spiral heat exchanger is formed of at least two sheets extending along a spiral-shaped path around a common centre body and separated to form at least a first and a second spiral-shaped substantially parallel flow channels extending and enabling flow communication between a radially outer orifice and a radially inner orifice. The centre body includes a wall body with a first conduit at the inner surface of the wall body being in fluid connection to the first flow channel, and a second conduit formed at the outer surface of the wall body and being in fluid connection to the second flow channel.

A heat exchanger (9) comprises a first conduit module (10a) for the flow of a first fluid, and a second conduit module (11a) for the flow of a second fluid. The second conduit module (11a) is fluidly isolated from the first conduit module (10a). The heat exchanger further comprises a first fluid flow path (12) for the flow of a third fluid in heat exchange with the first and second fluids. The first fluid flow path (12) extends in a substantially radial direction (13) of the heat exchanger (9). At least a portion of the first conduit module (10a) and at least a portion of the second conduit module (11a) are each arranged in a respective path that gradually widens or tightens about a longitudinal axis (14) of the heat exchanger (9). The first conduit module (10a) and the second conduit module (11a) are nested with one another.

A heat exchanger (9) comprises a first conduit module (10a) for the flow of a first fluid, and a second conduit module (11a) for the flow of a second fluid. The second conduit module (11a) is fluidly isolated from the first conduit module (10a). The heat exchanger further comprises a first fluid flow path (12) for the flow of a third fluid in heat exchange with the first and second fluids. The first fluid flow path (12) extends in a substantially radial direction (13) of the heat exchanger (9). At least a portion of the first conduit module (10a) and at least a portion of the second conduit module (11a) are each arranged in a respective path that gradually widens or tightens about a longitudinal axis (14) of the heat exchanger (9). The first conduit module (10a) and the second conduit module (11a) are nested with one another.