A heat exchanger has a tubular structure inside of which a medium flows. The heat exchanger includes a liquid film removal structure and a liquid film flowing-down assistance structure. The liquid film removal structure is joined to the tubular structure. The liquid film flowing-down assistance structure is coupled directly to the liquid film removal structure and is arranged between the tubular structure and an adjacent tubular structure and in parallel to the tubular structure.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates of a first and a second type. The plates of the second type have a shape which is substantially mirrored to the shape of the plates of the first type. The plurality of plates of the first and the second type are arranged in a stack on top of each other, with plates of the first and second type arranged alternatingly, with corresponding ones of dimples and ridges of adjacent plates come and stay into direct contact with each other, so that corresponding first and/or second surfaces of adjacent plates abut each other and so that flow channels for the first and second media are formed between the surfaces.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates of a first and a second type. The plates of the second type have a shape which is substantially mirrored to the shape of the plates of the first type. The plurality of plates of the first and the second type are arranged in a stack on top of each other, with plates of the first and second type arranged alternatingly, with corresponding ones of dimples and ridges of adjacent plates come and stay into direct contact with each other, so that corresponding first and/or second surfaces of adjacent plates abut each other and so that flow channels for the first and second media are formed between the surfaces.

In a dual material vapor chamber and an upper shell thereof, the dual material vapor chamber includes an upper shell, a copper lower shell, and a working fluid. The upper shell includes an aluminum substrate and plural aluminum fins. The aluminum substrate has an outer surface and an inner wall. The aluminum fins individually extend from the outer surface and are formed integrally. A copper deposition layer is coated on the inner wall. The copper lower shell is sealed to the upper shell correspondingly. A chamber is formed between the upper shell and the copper lower shell. The working fluid is filled in the chamber. Therefore, the weight and material cost of the whole vapor chamber can be reduced, and the packing combination between the upper shell and the copper lower shell can be simplified.

An energy-efficient liquid-gap distillation apparatus includes a source of a feed liquid; a distillation module comprising: (a) a feed-liquid chamber n fluid communication with the feed-liquid source to establish a flow of the feed liquid there through, wherein the feed-liquid chamber includes a selectively porous material that allows a component of the feed liquid to pass through the selectively porous material and exit the feed-liquid chamber in vapor form but not in liquid form; (b) a condensing surface maintained at a lower temperature than the feed liquid in the feed-liquid chamber, wherein the condensing surface is sufficiently hydrophobic to produce a contact angle with water of at least 150; and (c) a gap between the selectively porous material and the condensing surface. Vapor passing through the membrane can be condensed as jumping droplets at the condensing surface.

An energy-efficient liquid-gap distillation apparatus includes a source of a feed liquid; a distillation module comprising: (a) a feed-liquid chamber n fluid communication with the feed-liquid source to establish a flow of the feed liquid there through, wherein the feed-liquid chamber includes a selectively porous material that allows a component of the feed liquid to pass through the selectively porous material and exit the feed-liquid chamber in vapor form but not in liquid form; (b) a condensing surface maintained at a lower temperature than the feed liquid in the feed-liquid chamber, wherein the condensing surface is sufficiently hydrophobic to produce a contact angle with water of at least 150; and (c) a gap between the selectively porous material and the condensing surface. Vapor passing through the membrane can be condensed as jumping droplets at the condensing surface.

Coatings for enhancing performance of materials surfaces, methods of producing the coating and coated substrates, and coated condensers are disclosed herein. More particularly, exemplary embodiments provide chemical coating materials useful for coating condenser components.

A condensation enhancement heat transfer pipe that includes an optical pipe section, a fin section, and a transition section connecting the optical pipe section and the fin section. The outer surface of the fin section includes a plurality of individual fins, each having an acute shape of zigzag and forms an angle relative to the axial direction, an axial fin channel forms between the two adjacent ones of said individual fins along the axial direction, a peripheral fin channel forms between the two adjacent ones of said individual fins along the peripheral direction, an end, which is distributed along said axial direction, of each of said individual fins includes platforms, the fin side walls are connected with the platform by an arc, and the platforms are parallel to each other along the peripheral direction.

A condensation enhancement heat transfer pipe that includes an optical pipe section, a fin section, and a transition section connecting the optical pipe section and the fin section. The outer surface of the fin section includes a plurality of individual fins, each having an acute shape of zigzag and forms an angle relative to the axial direction, an axial fin channel forms between the two adjacent ones of said individual fins along the axial direction, a peripheral fin channel forms between the two adjacent ones of said individual fins along the peripheral direction, an end, which is distributed along said axial direction, of each of said individual fins includes platforms, the fin side walls are connected with the platform by an arc, and the platforms are parallel to each other along the peripheral direction.

A method for solidifying a polar substance, in particular water, is presented which comprises the steps of: providing a coolable, hydrophobic, preferably super-hydrophobic, condensation surface within an interior of a container; partially filling the container with a polar substance, preferably in liquid form, and an immiscible additive, preferably in liquid form, so that the condensation surface remains at least partially unsubmerged; cooling the hydrophobic condensation surface to a temperature T.sub.cond below a solidification temperature T.sub.solid of the polar substance; and removing solidified polar substance from the container.