Assemblies of stacked layers of materials are described. The assemblies include functional and structural layers. Functional layers include binderless ceramic materials on woven or non-woven substrates of natural, synthetic, or metallic materials. The layers of functional and structural materials may be configured to transport moisture or heat from an inner surface to an outer surface that is exposed to an ambient environment.

Coating compositions are provided that eject droplets of condensed fluid from a surface. The coatings include a nanostructured coating layer and in some embodiments, also include a hydrophobic layer deposited thereon. The coating materials eject droplets from the surface in the presence of non-condensing gases such as air and may be deployed under conditions of supersaturation of the condensed fluid to be ejected. A heat exchanger design utilizing the coating is described herein.

The present disclosure relates to a heat transfer tube having rare-earth oxide deposited on a surface thereof and a method for manufacturing the same, in which the rare-earth oxide can be deposited on the surface of the heat transfer tube to implement a superhydrophobic surface even under the high temperature environment and a plurality of assembled heat transfer tubes can be coated by coating a complex shape by depositing rare-earth oxide using a method for dipping a surface of the heat transfer tube and coating the same, thereby reducing or preventing the heat transfer tubes from being damaged during the assembling of the heat transfer tubes after the coating.

Disclosed herein are heat exchanger devices comprising an outer shell defining an interior chamber that is configured to pass a heat transfer fluid therethrough, a tube at least partially disposed within the interior chamber and in thermal communication with the heat transfer fluid, the tube being connected to a pool and configured to flow water from the pool therethrough such that the water flowing through the tube exchanges heat with the heat transfer fluid, and a coating disposed on an interior surface of the tube contacting the water from the pool, the coating comprising Nickel. The coating can comprise an additive, such as an electroless Nickel coating. The coating can also be selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Boron Nitride (BN), Silicon Carbide (SiC), aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), carbon (C), and carbon allotropes.

Coating compositions are provided that eject droplets of condensed fluid from a surface. The coatings include a nanostructured coating layer and in some embodiments, also include a hydrophobic layer deposited thereon. The coating materials eject droplets from the surface in the presence of non-condensing gases such as air and may be deployed under conditions of supersaturation of the condensed fluid to be ejected. A heat exchanger design utilizing the coating is described herein.

The present invention provides a method of preventing high temperature corrosion on a heat exchanging surface of a biomass boiler, including: a first feeding step, supplying a first biomass fuel to the boiler; a deposition step, performing combustion on the first biomass fuel during initial operation of the boiler, and forming an inert deposition layer on a surface of a heat exchanger of the boiler; a second feeding step, supplying a second biomass fuel different from the first biomass fuel to the boiler; and a normal combustion step, performing combustion on the second biomass fuel. A direct contact of an alkali metal chloride with a metal pipe wall is prevented by forming an inert deposition layer on the surface of the heat exchanger of the boiler in the deposition step, thereby establishing a physical barrier between the heat exchanging surface of the boiler and the alkali metal chloride to effectively solve a problem of preventing corrosion on the metal pipe wall of the boiler.

A heat exchanger capable of automatically defrosting or deicing includes row tubes and fins. A refrigerating medium can be led into the row tubes. The fins are arranged on an outer wall of the row tube. And heights of the fins extend in a radial direction of the row tube. Each of the fins include a first heat conducting part and a second heat conducting part that are connected with the row tube in sequence. A thermal conductivity of the second heat conducting part is smaller than a thermal conductivity of the first heat conducting part and a thermal conductivity of the row tube. An outer surface of the first heat conducting part and an outer surface of the row tube are both coated with a micron or nanometer hydrophobic layer, which is a hydrophobic coating or a hydrophobic oil film.

An atmospheric water generator for extracting water droplets from ambient air includes an insulating substrate, a plurality of electrode film units, and a liquid crystal/polymer composite film. Each of surface regions of the liquid crystal/polymer composite film has a plurality of liquid crystal molecules each having a hydrophilic functional group and a hydrophobic moiety. Each of the surface regions normally has one of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. When a voltage is applied to one of the electrode film units, the respective surface region is switched to have the other one of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, to thereby allow the water droplets condensed from the ambient air to move on the surface regions.

A method of forming a heat exchanger tube, particularly suited for condensing applications, contemplates cold-rolling a metallic strip to emboss a hydrophobic surface texture, to thereby form an embossed surface on the metallic strip. The method includes roll forming the metallic strip to a tubular shape, with the embossed surface on the exterior of the tubular shape, and welding the edges of the roll-formed strip to form a heat exchanger tube. Cold-rolling to emboss a hydrophobic surface texture exhibiting a contact angle of at least about 75° is contemplated, with processing including heat-treatment to minimize degradation of the hydrophobic surface texture, and roll-forming to avoid deformation of the hydrophobic surface texture,

In a heat exchanger installed on an intake path or exhaust path of an internal combustion engine and configured to cool gas by transferring heat between the gas containing exhaust and refrigerant, a water-repellent portion is formed at part of a portion that contacts the gas in a gas path through which the gas flows, and a hydrophilic portion is formed at another part of the portion. The water-repellent portion is a portion provided with water-repellent treatment. The hydrophilic portion is a portion provided with hydrophilic treatment. The hydrophilic portion is formed at a part having a temperature lower than the temperature of the part at which the water-repellent portion is formed while the heat exchanger is actuated.