Cross Reference to Related Applications

Abstract

A heat exchanger system is described that includes an inlet and an outlet for a first fluid and a heat exchanger between the inlet and the outlet wherein the first fluid circulates, wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one deflector to guide the flow of a second fluid. A method is also described to exchange heat between a first and a second fluid using free convection velocity field to create forced convection in the heat exchanger of a heat exchanger system. A method to exchange heat between a first and a second fluid comprising providing a heat exchanger system between the first and the second fluids, said heat exchanger system comprising a heat exchanger wherein the first fluid circulates and increasing the flow turbulences of a second fluid around the heat exchanger.

1 . A heat exchanger system for transferring heat between a first fluid and an ambient second fluid, the system comprising:
 an inlet configured to accept the first fluid;   an outlet configured to expel the first fluid;   a plurality of vertically oriented parallel conduits positioned between the inlet and the outlet configured to carry the first fluid therein, the conduits each having an exterior surface that is exposed to an ambient second fluid when the system is submersed in said second fluid, wherein heat is transferred between the first fluid flowing through the conduits and said second fluid flowing a vertical direction along the exterior surfaces of and parallel to the conduits by free convection; and   at least one deflector fixedly mounted exterior to the conduits configured to impart non-vertical momentum in said flowing second fluid thereby enhancing heat transfer between said first fluid and said second fluid.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said conduits are tubular pipes grouped into one or more groups, the tubular pipes of each group being arranged symmetrically about a central axis of the group. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein said at least one deflector are two horizontally oriented disks. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein said at least one deflector are three or more horizontally oriented disks for each group of tubular pipes. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said three or more horizontally oriented disks are five horizontally oriented disks. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 3  wherein said group of pipes and said horizontally oriented disks have a large central opening configured to allow free passage of the second therethrough, and said horizontally oriented disks are configured to force the second fluid into and out of the said central opening of the group of pipes thereby enhancing heat transfer. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein said at least on deflector includes at least one non-horizontally oriented structures that are asymmetric with respect to said central axis of the group. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 7  wherein said at least one non-horizontally oriented structure is configured to impart momentum in a tangential direction with respect to said central axis of the group. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8  wherein said at least one non-horizontally oriented structures is helical in shape. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 1  where said conduits are tubular pipes arranged into a rectangular pattern of columns and rows. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 10  wherein said one or more deflectors includes at least one horizontally arranged baffle. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 10  wherein said one or more deflectors includes at least one non-horizontally arranged baffle. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said second fluid is water. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said second fluid is seawater. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said system does not use powered equipment to force said second fluid to flow past said conduits. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 14  wherein said first fluid includes hydrocarbon gas produced from one or more wellbores penetrating a subterranean rock formation. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one deflector is configured to increase turbulent flow in the second fluid thereby enhancing heat transfer. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool said first fluid by transferring heat by free convection from the first fluid to the said second fluid. 
     
     
         19 . A method of transferring heat between a first fluid and an ambient second fluid surrounding a plurality of conduits through which the first fluid flows, the method comprising:
 exposing exterior surfaces of said plurality of conduits to said surrounding second fluid; and   flowing the first fluid through the plurality of conduits, wherein the plurality of conduits are vertically oriented and parallel to each other, and heat is transferred between the first fluid and said second fluid flowing in a vertical direction along the exterior surfaces of an parallel to the conduits by free convection and wherein at least one stationary deflector is fixedly mounted exterior to the conduits configured to impart non-vertical momentum in said flowing second fluid thereby enhancing heat transfer between said first fluid and said second.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said conduits are tubular pipes grouped into one or more groups, the tubular pipes of each group being arranged symmetrically about a central axis of the group. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said at least one deflector are two horizontally oriented disks. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said at least one deflector are five horizontally oriented disks. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein said group of pipes and said horizontally oriented disks have a large central opening configured to allow free passage of the second fluid therethrough, and said horizontally oriented disks are configured to force the second fluid into and out of the said central opening of the group of pipes thereby enhancing heat transfer. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said at least one deflector includes at least one non-horizontally oriented structure that is asymmetric with respect to said central axis of the group, said non-horizontally oriented structure being configured to impart momentum in a tangential direction with respect to said central axis of the group. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  wherein said at least one non-horizontally oriented structures is helical in shape. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said second fluid is seawater. 
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said first fluid includes hydrocarbon gas produced from one or more wellbores penetrating a subterranean rock formation. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said flowing includes pumping the first fluid through said plurality of pipes. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein heat is transferred from said first fluid to said second fluid thereby cooling said first fluid. 
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein heat is transferred from said second fluid to said first fluid thereby heating said first fluid.