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 reactor and process for the production of bio-diesel. The reactor includes one or more coiled reaction lines. The lines are positioned within a tank containing a heat transfer media such as molten salt, maintained at about 750° F. A pump circulates the media within the tank. An emulsion of alcohol; refined feed stock, including glycerides and/or fatty acids; and preferably water is pumped through the reaction lines at temperatures and pressures sufficient to maintain the alcohol in a super-critical state. The curvature of the coils, pump pulsing, and the flow rate of the emulsion keep the emulsion in a turbulent state while in the reactor, ensuring thorough mixing of the alcohol and feed stock. The alcohol reacts with the glycerides and fatty acids to form bio-diesel. The reaction is fast, efficient with regard to energy input and waste generation, and requires minimal alcohol.

A reactor and process for the production of bio-diesel. The reactor includes one or more coiled reaction lines. The lines are positioned within a tank containing a heat transfer media such as molten salt, maintained at about 750° F. A pump circulates the media within the tank. An emulsion of alcohol; refined feed stock, including glycerides and/or fatty acids; and preferably water is pumped through the reaction lines at temperatures and pressures sufficient to maintain the alcohol in a super-critical state. The curvature of the coils, pump pulsing, and the flow rate of the emulsion keep the emulsion in a turbulent state while in the reactor, ensuring thorough mixing of the alcohol and feed stock. The alcohol reacts with the glycerides and fatty acids to form bio-diesel. The reaction is fast, efficient with regard to energy input and waste generation, and requires minimal alcohol.

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.

A system for overheating gases at the inlet of a SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack, the stack including a main body that has first and second zones separated by a median plane, and inflow and outflow conduits, the zones include gas circulation circuits extending in the form of a spiral and communicating by means of a passage passing through the main body. A gas flow to be heated entering the inflow conduit circulates in the first gas circulation circuit and passes through the passage to then circulate in the second gas circulation circuit and in the conduit for the outflow of the reheated gases in order to reach the inlet of the SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack.

A system for overheating gases at the inlet of a SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack, the stack including a main body that has first and second zones separated by a median plane, and inflow and outflow conduits, the zones include gas circulation circuits extending in the form of a spiral and communicating by means of a passage passing through the main body. A gas flow to be heated entering the inflow conduit circulates in the first gas circulation circuit and passes through the passage to then circulate in the second gas circulation circuit and in the conduit for the outflow of the reheated gases in order to reach the inlet of the SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack.

A coil-wound heat exchanger with mixed refrigerant shell side cooling that is adapted to reduce radial temperature maldistribution by providing tube sheets at one end of a warm bundle that are each connected to tube sheets in a single circumferential zone and are in fluid flow communication with a control valve. Tube sheets at the other end of the warm bundle are each connected to tube sheets in a single radial section and in multiple circumferential zones. A temperature sensor is provided in each circumferential zone. When a temperature difference is detected, one or more of the control valves is adjusted to reduce the temperature difference.