Polymer tube dry cooling tower

Abstract

A polymer tube dry cooling tower designed to operate with internal fluid at or near atmospheric pressure.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of rectangular polymer tubes in a parallel arrangement;   said rectangular tubes connected at each end to fluid headers to form a coil bundle;   at least one said coil bundle mounted into an air conducting box;   the air conducting box fitted with a fan to move air across the coil bundle.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein said coil bundle comprises a closed circuit system configured to operate at atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  further comprising aluminum fins affixed to the rectangular polymer tubes. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  arranged in a parallel path wet-dry cooling tower. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  further comprising an expansion device open to atmospheric pressure and in fluid communication with said plurality of rectangular polymer tubes. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said rectangular polymer tubes each constitute a single channel in an integrated multi-channel tube. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein tube walls of said rectangular polymer tubes have a thickness of about 0.008 inches to about 0.20 inches. 
     
     
         8 . An isolated and atmospheric pressure indirect heat exchange dry cooling tower for the cooling of water that has been heated in a different heat exchanger in which the water is used in an indirect heat exchange to cool a process fluid, the isolated and atmospheric pressure indirect heat exchange dry cooling tower comprising:
 a rectangular housing;   a fan placed adjacent said housing and configured to force or draw air through said housing;   a tube bundle situated inside said rectangular housing;   an expansion device in fluid communication with said tube bundle that is open to atmospheric pressure;   said tube bundle comprising an inlet header, an outlet header, and a plurality of rectangular polymer tubes extending between and in fluid communication with said inlet and outlet headers.   
     
     
         9 . The isolated and atmospheric pressure indirect heat exchange dry cooling tower according to  claim 8  further comprising aluminum fins affixed to the rectangular polymer tubes. 
     
     
         10 . The isolated and atmospheric pressure indirect heat exchange dry cooling tower according to  claim 8 , wherein said rectangular polymer tubes each constitute a single channel in an integrated multi-channel tube. 
     
     
         11 . The isolated and atmospheric pressure indirect heat exchange dry cooling tower according to  claim 8 , wherein tube walls of said rectangular polymer tubes have a thickness of about 0.008 inches to about 0.20 inches. 
     
     
         12 . A system for cooling a process fluid comprising:
 a first indirect heat exchanger configured to receive said process fluid from a cooling system such as a building HVAC system, data center cooling system, or other industrial cooling system, allow indirect heat exchange between said process fluid and a cooling liquid, and return cooled process fluid to said cooling system;   a second indirect heat exchanger configured to receive said cooling liquid from said first heat exchanger, allow indirect heat exchange between said cooling liquid and atmospheric air, and return cooled cooling liquid to said first heat exchanger,   wherein said second indirect heat exchanger comprises an isolated and atmospheric pressure indirect heat exchange dry cooling tower comprising:
 a rectangular housing; 
 a fan placed adjacent said housing and configured to force or draw air through said housing; 
 a tube bundle situated inside said rectangular housing; 
 an expansion device in fluid communication with said tube bundle that is open to atmospheric pressure; 
 said tube bundle comprising an inlet header, an outlet header, and a plurality of rectangular polymer tubes extending between and in fluid communication with said inlet and outlet headers. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12  wherein said coil bundle comprises a closed circuit system configured to operate at atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12  further comprising aluminum fins affixed to the rectangular polymer tubes. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said rectangular polymer tubes each constitute a single channel in an integrated multi-channel tube. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein tube walls of said rectangular polymer tubes have a thickness of about 0.008 inches to about 0.20 inches.