A coating composition contains silica fine particles having an average particle size of 3 nm or more and 25 nm or less, a solvent having a boiling point of 150° C. or higher and 300° C. or lower, and water. The content of the silica fine particles is 0.1 mass% or more and 5 mass% or less. The content of the solvent is 20 mass% or more and 70 mass% or less.

Heat exchanger processes are disclosed. A heat exchanger process uses a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a surface positioned to be contacted by a fluid. The heat exchanger process includes contacting the surface with the fluid by transporting the fluid through the heat exchanger and transferring heat between the surface and the fluid. The transporting is at a rate of less than 2 meters per second, the surface includes a fouling-resistant coating, the fluid includes particles known to cause fouling, or a combination thereof.

A system and method for operating a selective emitter is provided. One embodiment comprises a heat sink that absorbs heat from an ambient environment, a heat pipe comprising a cooling portion thermally coupled to the heat sink, a wick portion and a heat dissipation portion, and a selective emitter that is thermally coupled to the cooling portion of the heat pipe. The selective emitter converts absorbed heat into radiative energy that is emitted out through the Earth's atmosphere.

This invention relates generally to articles, devices, and methods for inhibiting or preventing the formation of scale during various industrial processes. In certain embodiments, a vessel is provided for use in an industrial process, the vessel having a textured, liquid-impregnated surface in contact with a mineral solution, wherein the liquid-impregnated surface comprises a matrix of features spaced sufficiently close to stably contain an impregnating liquid lubricant therebetween or therewithin, wherein the impregnating lubricant has a low surface energy density, and wherein the spreading coefficient S.sub.os(w) of the impregnating lubricant (subscript ‘o’) on the substrate (subscript ‘s’) in the presence of the salt solution (subscript ‘w’) is greater than zero, such that the impregnating lubricant fully submerges the textured substrate.

A stack of heating surface elements includes a first heating surface element (4) having first (10), second (12) and third (14) zones arranged sequentially along a primary gas flow direction (A). The first zone (10) includes a herringbone structure, the second zone (12) includes a flat structure, and the third zone (14) includes a plurality of corrugations extending in the primary gas flow direction (A). The corrugations have flat peak and trough regions. The stack also includes a second heating surface element (36), where the second heating surface element includes a plurality of corrugations extending in the primary gas flow direction (A).

A condensation management apparatus comprises a first microstructured film arranged to condense water vapor on a substantially vertical surface of a component. The first film comprises channels disposed on first and second major surfaces of the first film and dimensioned to support capillary movement of condensate. The channels have a channel axis substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the first film. The longitudinal axis of the first film is tilted at a tilt angle of at least 4 degrees with respect to an axis normal to a direction of gravity. Openings in the channels are disposed at one or both end edges of the first film. The openings provide condensate release locations of the first film. A second film is disposed over a portion of the first film. The second film attaches the first film to the substantially vertical surface of the component.

This invention relates generally to articles, devices, and methods for inhibiting or preventing the formation of scale during various industrial processes. In certain embodiments, a vessel is provided for use in an industrial process, the vessel having a textured, liquid-impregnated surface in contact with a mineral solution, wherein the liquid-impregnated surface comprises a matrix of features spaced sufficiently close to stably contain an impregnating liquid lubricant therebetween or therewithin, wherein the impregnating lubricant has a low surface energy density, and wherein the spreading coefficient S.sub.os(w) of the impregnating lubricant (subscript o) on the substrate (subscript s) in the presence of the salt solution (subscript w) is greater than zero, such that the impregnating lubricant fully submerges the textured substrate.

A heat-exchanger fin material (1) has a coating film (3) formed on at least one surface of an aluminum substrate (2). An outermost surface of the coating film (3) is a positively-chargeable coating (31) that is essentially composed of only one or more resins selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based resins, acrylic-based resins, vinyl alcohol-based resins, acrylamide-based resins, and ester-based resins. The surface roughness Ra of the coating film (3) is 100 nm or less. A heat exchanger (5) includes a plurality of fins composed of the fin material (1) and at least one metal tube (7) passing through the plurality of fins (1).