Hybrid heat exchanger apparatus and method of operating the same

Abstract

A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus having a heat exchanger device with a hot fluid flowing therethrough includes a cooling water distribution system and an air flow mechanism for causing ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device. The cooling water distribution system distributes evaporative cooling water onto the heat exchanger device to wet only a portion of the heat exchanger device while allowing a remaining portion of the heat exchanger device to be dry. The air flow mechanism causes ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate hot humid air from the ambient air flowing across the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and hot dry air from the ambient air flowing across the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device. Methods are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger apparatus having a heat exchanger device with a hot fluid flowing therethrough, the heat exchanger apparatus comprising:
 means for distributing evaporative cooling water onto the heat exchanger device in a manner to wet a portion of the heat exchanger device while allowing a remaining portion of the heat exchanger device to be dry; and   means for causing ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate hot humid air from the ambient air flowing across the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and hot dry air from the ambient air flowing across the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device.   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for distributing evaporative cooling water includes a water distribution manifold and a pump in fluid communication with the water distribution manifold and operative to pump the evaporative cooling water to the water distribution manifold. 
     
     
         3 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for distributing evaporative cooling water includes a plurality of spray nozzles connected to and in fluid communication with the water distribution manifold, the pump operative to pump the evaporative cooling water to the water distribution manifold and through the plurality of spray nozzles. 
     
     
         4 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for causing the ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device is a air flow mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for mixing the hot humid air and the hot dry air together to form a hot air mixture thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the means for mixing the hot humid air and the hot dry air together includes a mixing baffle structure positioned above the means for distributing evaporative cooling water. 
     
     
         7 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a partition for vertically dividing at least the heat exchanger device into the wet portion and the remaining dry portion. 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger device includes a first heat exchanger component and a second heat exchanger component in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger component, one of the first and second heat exchanger components being the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and a remaining one of the first and second heat exchanger components being the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device. 
     
     
         9 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising isolating means for isolating the hot humid air and the hot dry air from one another inside the heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the means for causing the ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate the hot humid air from the ambient air flowing across the wet portion of the heat exchanger device is a first air flow mechanism and for causing the ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate the hot dry air from the ambient air flowing across the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device is a second air flow mechanism. 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising means for exhausting the hot humid air and the hot dry air from the heat exchanger apparatus,
 wherein the exhaust means is the first air flow mechanism for exhausting the hot humid air from the heat exchanger apparatus and is the second air flow mechanism for exhausting the hot dry air from the heat exchanger apparatus.   
     
     
         12 . A method for inhibiting formation of a water-based condensate from a heat exchanger apparatus having a cooling water distribution system and a heat exchanger device, the heat exchanger device having a hot fluid flowing therethrough, the method comprising the steps of:
 distributing evaporative cooling water from the cooling water distribution system onto the heat exchanger device in a manner to wet only a portion of the heat exchanger device while allowing a remaining portion of the heat exchanger device to be dry; and   causing ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate hot humid air from the ambient air flowing across the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and hot dry air from the ambient air flowing across the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of mixing the hot humid air and the hot dry air together to form a hot air mixture thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising the step of causing the hot air mixture of the hot humid air and the hot dry air to exit the heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the hot air mixture of the hot humid air and the hot dry air exits the heat exchanger apparatus at least substantially without a visible plume of the water-based condensate. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein when the hot air mixture of the hot humid air and the hot dry air exits the heat exchanger apparatus, visible wisps of the water-based condensate appear exteriorly of the heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of isolating the hot humid air and the hot dry air from one another inside the heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the step of exhausting the hot humid air and the hot dry air from the heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of providing a partition extending vertically at least between the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device. 
     
     
         20 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus, comprising:
 a container having a top wall, a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls connected to the top and bottom wall to form a generally box-shaped chamber, the chamber having a water basin chamber portion defined, in part, by the bottom wall for containing evaporative cooling water, an exit chamber portion defined, in part, by the top wall and a central chamber portion defined, in part, between opposing ones of the side walls and positioned between the water basin chamber portion and the exit chamber portion, the top wall being formed with an air outlet in communication with the exit chamber portion, at least one side wall formed with an air inlet in communication with the central chamber portion;   a heat exchanger device disposed in and extending across the central chamber portion adjacent to and below the exit chamber portion and operative to convey hot fluid therethrough from a hot fluid source;   a cooling water distribution system including at least one water distribution manifold extending across the central chamber portion and disposed above and adjacent to the heat exchanger device and at least one pump operative for pumping the evaporative cooling water from the water basin chamber portion to and through the water distribution manifold thereby distributing the evaporative cooling water onto the heat exchanger device;   an air flow mechanism operative for causing ambient air to flow through the hybrid heat exchanger apparatus from the air inlet, across the heat exchanger device and the water distribution manifold and through the air outlet; and   a controller operative for causing the hybrid heat exchanger apparatus to operate in one of a wet mode, a dry mode and a hybrid wet/dry mode,   wherein, in the wet mode, both the air flow mechanism and the cooling water distribution system are energized resulting in the ambient air flowing across the heat exchanger device and the evaporative cooling water being distributed onto and across the heat exchanger device to generate hot humid air that subsequently exits through the air outlet,   in the dry mode, only the air flow mechanism is energized while the cooling water distribution system is de-energized resulting in the ambient air flowing across the heat exchanger device without the evaporative cooling water being distributed onto and across the heat exchanger device to generate hot dry air that subsequently exits through the air outlet, and   in the hybrid wet/dry mode, both the air flow mechanism and the cooling water distribution system are energized such that the cooling water distribution system distributes evaporative cooling water across and onto the heat exchanger device in a manner to wet only a portion of the heat exchanger device while a remaining portion of the heat exchanger device is dry and simultaneously the air flow mechanism causes the ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate hot humid air from the ambient air flowing across the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and hot dry air from the ambient air flowing across the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device.   
     
     
         21 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein, after the cooling water distribution system distributes evaporative cooling water across and onto the heat exchanger device in a manner to wet a portion of the heat exchanger device while a remaining portion of the heat exchanger device is dry and the air flow mechanism causes the ambient air to flow across the heat exchanger device to generate the hot humid air from the ambient air flowing across the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and the hot dry air from the ambient air flowing across the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device, the hot humid air and the hot dry air mix together to form a hot air mixture that subsequently exits through the air outlet. 
     
     
         22 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising a partition for vertically dividing at least the heat exchanger device so that, when the hybrid heat exchanger apparatus is in the hybrid wet/dry mode, the wet portion of the heat exchanger device and the remaining dry portion of the heat exchanger device are delineated. 
     
     
         23 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the partition is disposed in the hybrid heat exchanger apparatus in a manner to isolate the hot humid air and the hot dry air from one another inside the heat exchanger apparatus so that the hot humid air and the hot dry air are exhausted separately from the hybrid heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the heat exchanger device includes a first heat exchanger component and a second heat exchanger component either in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger component or in fluid isolation from the first heat exchanger component. 
     
     
         25 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 24 , further comprising a partition vertically disposed at least between the first heat exchanger component and the second heat exchanger component such that, when the hybrid heat exchanger apparatus is in the hybrid wet/dry mode, a first operating zone of the central chamber portion and a second operating zone of the central chamber portion are delineated. 
     
     
         26 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the first operating zone of the central chamber portion has a horizontal first operating zone width and the second operating zone of the central chamber portion has a horizontal second operating zone width, the horizontal first operating zone width and the horizontal second operating zone width being one of equal to each other and different from one another. 
     
     
         27 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein either the first heat exchanger component and the second heat exchanger component are in parallel fluid communication with one another or the first heat exchanger component and the second heat exchanger component are in serial fluid communication with one another or the first heat exchanger component and the second heat exchanger component are in fluid isolation from one another. 
     
     
         28 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the first heat exchanger component is one of a tube structure, a fill material structure and a combination of both the tube structure and the fill material structure vertically arranged with one on top of the other and the second heat exchanger component is one of the tube structure, the fill material structure and the combination of both the tube structure and the fill material structure vertically arranged with one on top of the other. 
     
     
         29 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the tube structure is one of a serpentine tube configuration, a header-box configuration and a straight-through configuration. 
     
     
         30 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the tube structure includes either a plurality of finned tubes or a plurality of bare tubes or a combination of the plurality of the finned tubes and the plurality of the bare tubes. 
     
     
         31 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the cooling water distribution system includes at least one valve and the at least one water distribution manifold includes a first water distribution manifold section and a second water distribution manifold section in selective fluid communication with the first water distribution manifold section with the at least one valve disposed therebetween such that, when the at least one valve is in an opened state, the first and second water distribution manifold sections are in fluid communication with one another and, when the at least one valve is in a closed state, the first and second water distribution manifold sections are in fluid isolation from one another, the partition being disposed between the first water distribution manifold section and the second water distribution manifold section. 
     
     
         32 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one pump includes a first pump and a second pump and the at least one water distribution manifold includes a first water distribution manifold and a second water distribution manifold, the first pump and the first water distribution manifold are in selective fluid communication with one another and the second pump and the second water distribution manifold are in selective fluid communication with one another, the partition being disposed between the first water distribution manifold and the second water distribution manifold. 
     
     
         33 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the cooling water distribution system includes a valve and wherein the at least one water distribution manifold includes a first water distribution manifold section and a second water distribution manifold section with the valve disposed therebetween such that, when the valve is in an opened state, the first and second water distribution manifold sections are in fluid communication with one another and, when the valve is in a closed state, the first and second water distribution manifold sections are in fluid isolation from one another. 
     
     
         34 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the at least one pump includes a first pump and a second pump and the at least one water distribution manifold includes a first water distribution manifold and a second water distribution manifold, the first pump and the first water distribution manifold are in selective fluid communication with one another and the second pump and the second water distribution manifold are in selective fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
         35 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the controller is operative to energize or de-energize at least one of the cooling water distribution system and the air flow mechanism by automatically or manually switching the at least one of the cooling water distribution system and the air flow mechanism between an ON state and an OFF state. 
     
     
         36 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising an eliminator structure extending across the chamber and disposed between the water distribution manifold and the air outlet with the exit chamber portion of the chamber disposed above the eliminator structure and the central chamber portion of the chamber disposed below the eliminator structure. 
     
     
         37 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising a mixing baffle structure extending across the chamber in the exit chamber portion thereof. 
     
     
         38 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising at least one louver module mounted to one of the plurality of the side walls in the air inlet, disposed adjacent to and above the water basin chamber portion and operative to permit ambient air to enter into the central chamber portion. 
     
     
         39 . A hybrid heat exchanger apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the cooling water distribution system includes a plurality of spray nozzles, each spray nozzle being operatively connected to the at least one water distribution manifold.