HEAT EXCHANGER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger used for a vaporizer, steam generator or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A heat exchanger is a device in which two objects having different temperatures contact with each other to heat or cool one of the objects and is widely used for industrial use such as a vaporizer, a steam generator, food manufacture, chemical manufacture, refrigeration storage.

For example, as a vaporizer, there is one described in JP 2010-219421 A. In this vaporizer, a heater heats an inside of a cylindrical vaporizing chamber, liquid for film formation is sprayed into the vaporizing chamber to be vaporized, and the vaporized liquid is discharged from a discharge outlet.

In the conventional vaporizer, however, part of the sprayed liquid adheres to an inner surface of a heating container before being vaporized, and the adhered liquid is deposited by pyrolysis or polymerization reaction. Since the deposition is also arisen in the vicinity of the discharge outlet, there is a problem that the discharge outlet is narrowed by the deposition.

JP S55-8832 Y discloses an evaporator in which a group of heat transfer tubes are arranged in an evaporating chamber and liquid is sprayed to the group of the heat transfer tubes to be evaporated.

In this evaporator, part of the sprayed liquid does not contact with and passes through the group of the heat transfer tubes, and there is a problem that evaporating is not sufficiently conducted.

The configuration of the evaporator is also applicable as an apparatus to heat or cool liquid by controlling temperature of a heating medium passing inside the heat transfer tubes. Similar to the case of the evaporator, however, sprayed liquid does not contact with and passes through the group of the heat transfer tubes and there is a problem that heating or cooling of the liquid is insufficient.

In this way, in the heat exchangers applied to the vaporizer, evaporator, apparatus to heat or cool liquid, and the like, heat exchange is not appropriately conducted to the liquid to be heat-exchanged as sprayed liquid that is a heat exchange object. Due to this, the aforementioned problems are arisen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A problem to be solved is that heat exchange is not appropriately conducted to sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The present invention provides a heat exchanger, capable of appropriately conducting heat exchange to sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange container that conducts heat exchange on an inside, a spray port that sprays liquid to be heat-exchanged into the heat exchange container, an injection port that injects gas to the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged, and a discharge outlet located on an upstream side of the gas to discharge the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The heat exchanger according to the present invention elongates staying time of the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged with the injected gas so that heat exchange is appropriately conducted to the liquid to be heat-exchanged on the inside of the heat exchange container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a vaporizer to which a heat exchanger according to an embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the vaporizer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective sectional view illustrating the vaporizer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective sectional view illustrating the vaporizer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a body of the vaporizer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a spray port and a periphery of the vaporizer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7(A) and FIG. 7(B) are schematic views illustrating an injection direction of an injection port of an injection nozzle of FIG. 1 in which FIG. 7(A) illustrates an angle θ1 relative to an inner surface of a heat exchange container and FIG. 7(B) illustrates an angle θ2 relative to a diametral direction of the heat exchange container;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a vaporizer to which a heat exchanger according to an embodiment 2 of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of a bottom of the vaporizer of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a heating and cooling apparatus to which a heat exchanger according to an embodiment 3 of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating the heating and cooling apparatus of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a section view of a heat exchange chamber, which illustrates a heat exchange part of the heating and cooling apparatus of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the heat exchange chamber, which illustrates an arrangement of nozzles of the heating and cooling apparatus of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating a relationship between the nozzle and the heat exchange part of the heating and cooling apparatus of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view illustrating a heating and cooling apparatus to which a heat exchanger according to an embodiment 4 of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a separation system having a steam generating apparatus to which a heat exchanger according to an embodiment 5 of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of an aerosol formation system having a vaporizer to which a heat exchanger according to an embodiment 6 of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 18 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a venturi used in the aerosol formation system of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 19 is a schematic view illustrating an example of a contacting state between molecules of a dispersion medium and dispersoid of aerosol.

EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The object that heat exchange is appropriately conducted to sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged is accomplished by a heat exchanger that sprays liquid to be heat-exchanged into a heat exchange container and injects gas to the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged.

In particular, the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange container that conducts heat exchange on an inside, a spray port that sprays liquid to be heat-exchanged into the heat exchange container, an injection port that injects gas to the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged, and a discharge outlet located on an upstream side of the injected gas to discharge the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The heat exchanger is applicable as a heating apparatus or a cooling apparatus for liquid to be heat-exchanged, a steam generating apparatus, a vaporizer or the like.

In a case that the heat exchanger is applied as the heating apparatus, the steam generating apparatus, the vaporizer or the like, a heater is provided to heat the heat exchange container to make an inside of the heat exchange container into a heating space to heat the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged. In this case, the gas injected from the injection port is preferably heated gas.

The gas injected from the injection port is preferably a swirl flow in the form of a helix that comes into contact with an inner surface of the heat exchange container while having an orientation reverse to a spray direction of the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

Further, in a case that the heat exchanger is applied as the heating apparatus or the cooling apparatus, a heat exchange part comprising a mesh-patterned heat transfer tube having one side facing the spray port and the other side facing the injection port may be provided.

Further, a separation system may be constructed using the heat exchanger. The separation system comprises a steam separator connected to the discharge outlet of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger generates steam of the liquid to be heat-exchanger, and the steam separator separates the steam discharged from the discharge outlet of the heat exchanger into a steam component and concentrated liquid.

Using the heat exchanger, an aerosol formation system to form aerosol of first liquid of which vapor pressure is relatively high and second liquid of which vapor pressure is relatively low may be constructed.

The aerosol formation system comprises a flow tube connected to the discharge outlet of the heat exchanger, a venturi provided to the flow tube, a supply tube communicated with the venturi, and a storage tank communicated with the supply tube.

The heat exchanger sprays the first liquid as the liquid to be heat-exchanged from the spray port so as to be vaporized in the heating space so that a dispersion medium is formed for the aerosol, the storage tank reserves the second liquid, and the venturi flows the dispersion medium discharged from the discharge outlet of the heat exchanger to cause the second liquid supplied from the storage tank through the supply tube to be sprayed and become dispersoid for the aerosol.

In the aerosol formation system, a venturi heater that heats the venturi may be provided.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vaporizer to which a heat exchanger according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the vaporizer, FIG. 3 is a perspective sectional view of the same, FIG. 4 is a perspective sectional view with a different plane of the same, and FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a body of the vaporizer.

The vaporizer 1 as the heat exchanger of the present embodiment is provided in, for example, a manufacturing line for semiconductors and is to vaporize and supply liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The liquid to be heat-exchanged is, for example, corrosive acid such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, chromic acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, acetic acid, perchloric acid, hydrobromic acid, fluorosilicic acid, or boric acid, alkali such as ammonia, kalium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide, solution of metal salt such as chlorinated silicon or the like, in addition high-purity water, or the like, but is not limited particularly.

The vaporizer 1 of the present embodiment comprises a heat exchange container 3, a spray nozzle 5 having a spray port 5a, an injection nozzle 7 having an injection port 7a, and a discharge outlet 9.

The heat exchange container 3 is to conduct heat exchange to sprayed liquid (mist M) to be heat-exchanged which is explained later on an inside. The material of the heat exchange container 3 is, for example, metal such as stainless steel, vinyl chloride, fluorine resin having fine chemical resistance or the like, but is not limited particularly. The heat exchange container 3 comprises a body 11, a top part 13, and a bottom part 15.

The body 11 is formed into a tubular shape and has a space part 12 having a cylindrical shape on the inside surrounded by a circumferential wall 11a. A diameter of the space part 12 is constant, but it may be changed in an axial direction of the heat exchange container 3.

In the circumferential wall 11a of the body 11, heaters 11 are axially arranged at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction. The heaters 17 are to heat the heat exchange container 3 to make the inside of the heat exchange container 3 into a heating space that heats the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged which is explained later.

The heaters 17 of the present embodiment are held in holding holes 11b passing through the circumferential wall 11a in the axial direction. The heater 17, however, is not particularly limited as long as it heats the heat exchange container 3. For example, the heater 17 may be one wound around the body 11.

Both ends of the body 11 in the axial direction are close by the top part 13 and the bottom part 15.

The top part 13 is to compose one end part of the heat exchange container 3. The top part 13 is formed into a plate shape separated from the body 11, an outer peripheral part of which is fastened and fixed to the body 11 using bolts 19.

In particular, male thread parts 19a of the bolts 19 passing through the outer peripheral part of the top part 13 are screwed to female thread parts 11c provided on the body 11. The female thread parts 11c of the body 11 are formed on a plurality of circumferential spots of the circumferential wall 11a of the body 11 in positions avoiding the holding holes 11b for the heaters. It should be noted that the top part 13 may be configured integrally with the body 11 by welding or the like.

To a central part of the top part 13, the spray nozzle 5 is attached. FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the spray nozzle 5 and a periphery.

The spray nozzle 5, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, is supported in a condition of passing through the top part 13 of the heat exchange container 3, and causes the spray port 5a at a front end to face an interior space of the heat exchange container 3.

A body part 5b of the spray nozzle 5 is located outside the top part 13. To the body part 5b, a liquid supply tube 21 for the liquid to be heat-exchanged and a gas supply tube 23 for carrier gas are connected.

Accordingly, the spray nozzle 5 is configured to spray the liquid to be heat-exchanged supplied from the liquid supply tube 21 into the heat exchange container 3 by the carrier gas such as nitrogen supplied from the gas supply tube 23.

The spray nozzle 5 as a whole is hard to be affected by the heat of the heat exchange container 3 because of the body part 5b being located outside the heat exchange container 3, and the spray port 5a is cooled by the spraying of the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The spray nozzle 5, therefore, is prevented from being clogged by pyrolyzing or thermally polymerize the liquid to be heat-exchanged at the spray port 5a.

Supply volume of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is controlled by a flow controller 25a provided to the liquid supply tube 21. Similarly, supply volume of the carrier gas is controlled by a flow controller 25b provided to the gas supply tube 23.

A spray central axis X of the spray nozzle 5 is along the axial direction of the heat exchange container 3 according to the present embodiment, and accordingly, a spray direction is a direction toward the other end of the heat exchange container 3 along the axial direction. It should be noted that the spray central axis X may be inclined relative to the axial direction of the heat exchange container 3.

A spray flow and a spray angle of the spray nozzle 5 are respectively approximate 45 degrees and approximate 15 degrees according to the present embodiment, but are not limited particularly.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the bottom part 45 is to compose the other end of the heat exchange container 3. The bottom part 15 is formed into a block shape, an outer peripheral part of which is fastened and fixed to the body 11 by bolts 27.

In particular, similar to the top part 13, male thread parts 27a of the bolts 27 passing through the outer peripheral part of the bottom part 15 are screwed to female thread parts 11d formed to the body 11. The female thread parts 11d of the body 11 are formed at a plurality of spots in the circumferential direction of the circumferential wall 11a of the body 11 in positions avoiding the holding holes 11b for the heaters.

The bottom part 15 has a recessed part 29 on an inside. The recessed part 29 communicates with the space part 12 of the body 11 and composes the interior space of the heat exchange container 3 together with the space part 12. The recessed part 29 is formed by a first part 29a and a second part 29b.

The first part 29a of the recessed part 29 adjoins to the space part 12 of the body 11 so as to have the same diameter. The second part 29b of the recessed part 29 has a tapered shape, a diameter of which is gradually reduced toward the other end of the heat exchange container 3. In the second part 29b according to the present embodiment, the diameter is parabolically reduced, however, the diameter may be linearly reduced.

To the bottom part 15, the injection nozzle 7 and the discharge outlet 9 are provided.

The injection nozzle 7 is to inject gas to the liquid to be heat-exchanged sprayed from the spray nozzle 5. The gas is heated air according to the present embodiment, however, it may be the other gas such as nitrogen. In a case of the other gas, it is preferably the same gas as the carrier gas since it is required not to affect the liquid to be heat-exchanged. Further, the injected gas may not be heated.

The injection nozzle 7 of the present embodiment passes through the bottom part 15 inwardly and outwardly and is connected to an injection gas supply tube 31 on an outside of the heat exchange container 3, and the injection port 7a faces an inner surface of the first part 29a of the recessed part 29 within the heat exchange container 3.

The injection gas supply tube 31 to which a flow controller 25c and a heat exchanger 33 are connected supplies gas to be injected to the injection nozzle 7 while heating the gas through the heat exchanger 33 under control of the flow controller 25c. The supplied gas is injected from the injection port 7a of the injection nozzle 7.

It should be noted that the heat exchanger 33 may be a heat exchanger proposed in PCT/JP2016/003080 by the present applicant, however, a general heat exchanger is sufficient.

The injection port 7a of the injection nozzle 7 has an injection direction of the gas from the injection port 7a, the injection direction inclining toward the one end of the heat exchange container 3 relative to a diametral direction of the heat exchange container 3 and oriented so as to flow the gas along an inner surface of the heat exchange container 3.

FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) are schematic views illustrating the injection direction of the injection port 7a of the injection nozzle 7 in which FIG. 7(A) illustrates a tilt angle θ1 relative to the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and FIG. 7(B) illustrates an inclination angle θ2 toward the spray nozzle 5 of the heat exchange container 3.

In addition, FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) schematically illustrate the angles of the injection port 7a. Accordingly, the angles are ones of a direction in which the injection port 7a is oriented with respect to the diametral direction Y of the heat exchange container 3 in a form in which a front end is bent like the injection nozzle 7 of the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7, the injection direction of the injection port 7a according to the present embodiment has the tilt angle θ1 of approximate 45 degrees and the inclination angle θ2 of approximate 75 degrees. It should be noted that the tilt angle θ1 and the inclination angle θ2 may be changed according to a flow rate and the like of the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The gas injected from the injection port 7a of the injection nozzle 7 becomes a swirl flow SF toward the one end of the heat exchange container 3 while turning in the form of a helix along the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3. Namely, the swirl flow SF is in the form of the helix which comes into contact with the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 while having an orientation reverse to the spray direction of the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

A central axis of the swirl flow SF is along the axial direction of the heat exchange container 3 and accordingly an injected direction of the swirl flow SF is a direction toward the one end of the heat exchange container 3 along the axial direction. The injected direction of the swirl flow SF, therefore, is exactly opposite to the spray direction of the liquid to be heat exchanged.

The injected direction of the swirl flow SF and the spray direction of the liquid to be heat-exchanged, however, are required to have reverse orientations and may be set to have an obtuse angle therebetween by, for example, inclining the spray direction relative to the axial direction.

On the other end side in the axial direction of the heat exchange container 3 relative to the injection nozzle 7, the discharge outlet 9 is provided. With this, the discharge outlet 9 is located on an upstream side of the swirl flow SF. The upstream side of the swirl flow SF means an upstream side relative to a downstream side of the swirl flow SF that is part striking the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The upstream side of the swirl flow SF, therefore, includes not only part of an upstream side of the swirl flow SF relative to the injection port 7a but also an inside of the swirl flow SF of the downstream side relative to the injection port 7a.

The discharge outlet 9 of the present embodiment is formed by passing through the bottom part 15 of the heat exchange container 3 inwardly and outwardly and by having an axially extending hole being open on the inside of the heat exchange container 3. The discharge outlet 9 is located so as to be displaced from an axial center part of the heat exchange container 3 in the diametral direction. To an outer end part of the discharge outlet 9, a discharge tube 35 is attached. With the discharge tube 35, the vaporized liquid to be heat-exchanged is conveyed to a next process of, for example, semiconductor manufacturing.

The vaporizer 1 of the present embodiment, under control of a controller which is not illustrated, heats the heat exchange container 3 by the heaters 17 to set the inside of the heat exchange container 3 to a predetermined temperature. Then, through control of the flow controllers 25a, 25b and 25c, the liquid to be heat-exchanged is sprayed from the spray nozzle 5 and the swirl flow SF is injected from the injection nozzle 7 against the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The sprayed liquid (mist M) to be heat-exchanged strikes the swirl flow SF while conducting the heat exchange relative to the heating space within the heat exchange container 3. At this time, since the swirl flow SF is the heated gas, heat exchange is also conducted between the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged and the swirl flow SF.

The mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged, therefore, is promoted to be vaporized by conducting the heat exchange relative to not only the heating space of the heat exchange container 3 but also the swirl flow SF.

Further, the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is caught by the swirl flow SF and is carried so as to be apart from the discharge outlet 9, thereby to be prevented from adhering to the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and be elongated in staying time in the heat exchange container 3.

Particularly, since the swirl flow SF contacts the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3, the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is surely caught in the vicinity of the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and is surely prevented from adhering to the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3. Further, the swirl flow SF carries the caught mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged along the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 in the form of the helix, to conduct heat exchange between the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and the mist M to promote the vaporization efficiently using the heat of the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3. Further, the mist M is carried in the form of the helix, and therefore, is elongated in the staying time.

The present embodiment, therefore, surely vaporizes the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged while staying. It should be noted that the gas injected from the injection nozzle 7 may be one linearly injected without the swirl flow SF as long as the staying time of the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is elongated.

Further, forcibly staying the mist M as mentioned above, a density difference is caused between molecules with low temperature of the mist M just after being sprayed and molecules with high temperature of the mist M heated with the injected gas, the molecules with the low temperature efficiently adsorb the heat from the molecules with the high temperature during the staying, and the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is more surely vaporized.

Even if the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged adheres to the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3, the swirl flow SF scrapes and catches the liquid to be heat-exchanged from the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3.

The present embodiment, therefore, more surely vaporizes the liquid to be heat-exchanged while staying.

The vaporized liquid to be heat-exchanged greatly increases in volume, causes pressure in the heat exchange container 3 to be greatly increased, and is discharged from the discharge outlet 9 even while the swirl flow SF oriented oppositely to the discharge outlet 9 is presented.

The vaporizer 1 to which the heat exchange of the present embodiment is applied comprises the heat exchange container 3 that conducts the heat exchange on the inside, the spray nozzle 5 that sprays the liquid to be heat-exchanged into the heat exchange container 3, the injection nozzle 7 that injects the gas to the mist M of the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged, and the discharge outlet 9 located on the upstream side of the injected gas to discharge the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The vaporizer 1, therefore, elongates the staying time of the sprayed mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged with the injected gas so that the heat exchange is appropriately conducted to the liquid to be heat-exchanged on the inside of the heat exchange container 3, thereby to surely vaporize the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

Further, in the present embodiment, forcibly staying the mist M as mentioned above, the density difference is caused between the molecules with the low temperature of the mist M just after being sprayed and the molecules with the high temperature of the mist M heated with the injected gas, the molecules with the low temperature efficiently adsorb heat from the molecules with the high temperature during the staying, and the liquid to be heat-exchanged is more surely vaporized.

Accordingly, the vaporizer 1 of the present embodiment elongates a life without making the discharge outlet 9 narrow by adhesion of the liquid to be heat-exchanged to the heat exchange container 3 even if gas for film formation is produced, for example. Further, in the present embodiment, the body part 5b of the spray nozzle 5 is exposed outside the heat exchange container 3, the spray nozzle as a whole is hard to be affected by the heat of the heat exchange container 3, and the spray port 5a is cooled by spraying the liquid to be heat-exchanged. Accordingly, the spray port 5a is prevented from being clogged, to further elongate the life.

Further, even if the liquid to be heat-exchanged reaches the heat exchange container 3 with a large flow rate, the present embodiment stays the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged in the heat exchange container 3 as mentioned above, thereby to surely vaporize the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

Further, the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is stayed in the heat exchange container 3 as mentioned above, thereby to surely vaporize the liquid to be heat-exchanged. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the heating temperature of the heaters 17 that heat the heat exchange container 3.

As a result of this, in the apparatus such as an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors to vaporize the liquid to be heat-exchanged that corrode metal, which is required that the heat exchange container 3 is formed of resin with fine chemical resistance, the heat exchange container 3 made of resin is prevented from being damaged with heat according to the reduction of the heating temperature while surely vaporizing the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

For example, in a HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) process for processing a surface of a wafer, a bubbling method is normally used to vaporize the HMDS liquid as the liquid to be heat-exchanged, a vaporization capacity thereof is limited to a flow rate of approximate 5 g per minute, and the flow rate is unstable.

In contrast, the vaporizer 1 of the present embodiment deals with the HMDS process by the heat exchange container 3 made of resin, handles a large flow rate up to approximate 50 g per minute besides, and therefore, is useful for the HMDS process.

Further, since the present embodiment surely vaporizes the liquid to be heat-exchanged by staying the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged within the heat exchange container 3 as mentioned above, a rate of the carrier gas is reduced when the liquid to be heat-exchanged is sprayed.

Further, since the present embodiment is simple in the structure, the number of parts is greatly reduced.

Further, the discharge outlet 9 of the present embodiment is located so as to be displaced from the axial center part of the heat exchange container 3 in the diametral direction. Even in a case such that the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged adheres to and flows down the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3, the liquid to be heat-exchanged reaching the discharge outlet 9 is reduced to contribute to elongate the life.

The vaporized liquid to be heat-exchanged is greatly increased in volume, causes the pressure in the heat exchange container 3 to be greatly increased, and is surely discharged from the discharge outlet 9 even when the gas is injected so as to make the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged apart from the discharge outlet 9.

In the present embodiment, since the gas injected from the injection nozzle 7 is the swirl flow SF in the form of the helix that comes into contact with the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 while having the orientation reverse to the spray direction of the liquid to be heat-exchanged, the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is caught in the vicinity of the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and is surely prevented from adhering to the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3. Furthermore, the caught mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is carried in the form of the helix along the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3, and therefore, the heat exchange is conducted between the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and the mist M to efficiently use the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3 and also surely elongate the staying time.

The present embodiment, therefore, more appropriately conducts the heat exchange relative to the liquid to be heat-exchanged within the heat exchange container 3.

Since, in the present embodiment, the swirl flow SF injected from the injection nozzle is the heated air, the heat exchange is also conducted between the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged and the swirl flow SF, thereby to promote to vaporize the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a vaporizer to which a heat exchanger according to the embodiment 2 of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a bottom part of a heat exchange container of the vaporizer of FIG. 8. In the embodiment 2, components corresponding to of the embodiment 1 are represented using the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals with A to avoid repetition in the description.

A vaporizer 1A of the present embodiment is changed in a shape of a recessed part 29A of a bottom part 15A of a heat exchange container 3A in comparison with the embodiment 1.

The recessed part 29A has an inner surface as a whole formed into a parabolic shape and part of an inner surface of a body 11A is also formed into a parabolic shape continuous to the inner surface of the recessed part 29A.

These inner surfaces of the body 11A and the recessed part 29A of the bottom part 15A, namely an inner surface of the heat exchange container 3A is covered with a resin liner 36 detachably attached.

The liner 36 has a cylindrical body made of vinyl chloride, fluorocarbon resin or the like with fine chemical resistance, and is fitted to the inner surfaces of the body 11A and the recessed part 29A of the bottom 15A of the heat exchange container 3A made of metal according to the present embodiment.

The liner 36 protects the heat exchange container 3A from liquid to be heat-exchanged and is configured to be changeable if the liquid to be heat-exchanged adheres to cause compounds to be deposited. It should be noted that the heat exchange container 3A may be made of resin or metal according to a kind of the liquid to be heat-exchanged if the liner 36 is omitted in the present embodiment.

An injection nozzle 7A is along the inner surface of the recessed part 29A in a circumferential direction and inclines toward one end of the heat exchange container 3A relative to a diametral direction of the heat exchange container 3A.

With this, the present embodiment expands air injected from an injection port 7Aa of the injection nozzle 7A in the form of a helix along the inner surface of the recessed part 29A to easily generates a swirl flow SF.

Further, the vaporizer 1A of the present embodiment detachably covers the inner surface of the heat exchange container 3A with the liner 36, and therefore, is applicable to a case that the liquid to be heat-exchanged is liquid which corrodes metal and is capable of elongating a life even if the heat exchange container 3A is made of metal.

In addition, the present embodiment also provides effects similar to those of the embodiment 1.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a heating and cooling apparatus to which a heat exchanger according to the embodiment 3 of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view partly illustrating the heating and cooling apparatus of FIG. 10. In the embodiment 3, components corresponding to of the embodiment 1 are represented using the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals with B to avoid repetition in the description.

A heating and cooling apparatus 1B as a heat exchanger of the present embodiment is used for controlling temperature of liquid to be heat-exchanged, and is to heat or cool the liquid to be heat-exchanged to a predetermined temperature. The heating and cooling apparatus 1B comprises a heat exchange container 3B, a spray nozzle 5B, an injection nozzles 7B, and a discharge outlet 9B.

The heat exchange container 3B of the present embodiment is formed into a box shape, provides the spray nozzle 5B on one end, and defines a storage part 37 reserving the heated or cooled liquid to be heat-exchanged on the other end. To the storage part 37, the discharge outlet 9B is provided.

To the heat exchange container 3B, a heat exchange part 39 is provided to face the spray nozzle 5B.

FIG. 12 is a section view of the heat exchange part 39 of the heating and cooling apparatus 1B of FIG. 11.

The heat exchange part 39, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, is what mesh-arranged heat transfer tubes 39a are arranged in a plurality of layers and the respective heat transfer tubes 39a are connected to each other. The heat transfer tubes 39a of the heat exchange part 39 are led outside the heat transfer container 3B to be connected to a heat pump 41. The heat pump 41 is to convey a heating medium to the heat exchange part 39 through the heat transfer tubes 39a.

Between the heat exchange part 39 and the storage part 37, the injection nozzles 7B are provided to the heat exchange container 3B.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the heat exchange container 3B, which illustrates an arrangement of the injection nozzles 7B of the heating and cooling apparatus 1B of FIG. 11.

A plurality of the injection nozzles 7B, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 13, are provided in a circumferential direction of the heat exchange container 3B. According to the present embodiment, the heat exchange container 3B is formed into a tubular shape with inner and outer peripheries formed into rectangular sectional shapes, and two injection nozzles 7B are arranged on each side of the heat exchange container 3B. Each injection nozzle 7B is arranged obliquely toward the heat exchange part 39.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating the spray nozzle and the heat exchange part of the heating and cooling apparatus 1B of FIG. 11.

In the heating and cooling apparatus 1B of the present embodiment, when the liquid to be heat-exchanged is sprayed from the spray nozzle 5B, mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged reaches the heat exchange part 39 as illustrated in FIG. 14. At the heat exchange part 39, heat exchange is conducted between the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged and the heat transfer tubes 39a, thereby to conduct heating or cooling of the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

At this time, the gas from the injection nozzles 7B strike the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged and the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is caught by the injected gas, to elongate staying time within the heat exchange container 3B.

Particularly, since the heat exchange part 39 comprises the mesh-patterned heat transfer tubes 39a in the present embodiment, a turbulent flow is generated in the heat exchange part 39 so that the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged staying in the heat exchange part 39 is heat-exchanged relatively to the heat transfer tubes 39a of the heat exchange part 39.

Further, the mist M just after being sprayed before the heat exchange contacts with the mist M after the heat exchange during the staying, thereby to more surely conduct the heat exchange according to the density difference between the molecules of the both mists M.

The present embodiment, therefore, surely heats or cools the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged while staying.

The liquid to be heat-exchanged heated or cooled by the heat exchange part 39 flows down from the heat exchange part 39 to be reserved in the storage part 37. The reserved heated or cooled liquid to be heat-exchanged is discharged from the discharge outlet 9.

The heating and cooling apparatus 1B to which the heat exchanger of the present embodiment is applied comprises the heat exchange container 3B that conducts the heat exchange on the inside, the spray nozzle 5B that sprays liquid to be heat-exchanged into the heat exchange container 3B, the injection nozzle 7B that injects gas to the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged, and the discharge outlet 9B located on the upstream side of the injected gas to discharge the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

The heating and cooling apparatus 1B, therefore, elongates the staying time of the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged using the injected gas, and appropriately conducts the heat exchange with respect to the liquid to be heat-exchanged on the inside of the heat exchange container 3B, thereby to surely heat or cool the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

In the present embodiment, the heat exchange part 39 is the mesh-patterned heat transfer tube 39a and the liquid to be heat-exchanged is sprayed from the one side of the heat exchange part 39 by the facing spray nozzle 5B and the gas is injected from the other side thereof by the facing injection nozzle 7B, and therefore, the turbulent flow is generated and the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged stays in the heat exchange part 39, thereby to more appropriately conducts the heat exchange.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view illustrating a heating and cooling apparatus to which a heat exchanger according to the embodiment 4 of the present invention is applied. In the embodiment 4, components corresponding to of the embodiment 3 are represented using the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals with C to avoid repetition in the description.

A heating and cooling apparatus 1C as the heat exchanger of the present embodiment is what the heat exchange part 39 is omitted from the heating and cooling apparatus 1B of the embodiment 3 and liquid to be heat-exchanged is heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature by injecting hot wind or cold wind from injection nozzles 7C.

Namely, the injection nozzles 7C of the present embodiment has a heat exchange part 40 to heat or cool gas provided in a supply path 38 for supplying the gas. The heat exchange part 40 is connected to a heat pump 42 and heats or cools the gas in the supply path 38 by a heating medium from the heat pump 42.

In the heating and cooling apparatus 1C, when spraying the liquid to be heat-exchanged from a spray nozzle 5C, the gas is injected from the injection nozzles 7C to mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged. Since the injected gas is heated or cooled by the heat exchange part 40, the gas strikes to the mist M to conduct heat exchange. With this, the mist M is heated or cooled.

Further, the gas strikes the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged so that the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is caught by the injected gas and stays in the heat exchange container 3C.

At the time of the staying, a density difference is caused between the molecules with the low temperature and the molecules with the high temperature of the mist M just after being sprayed and the mist M heated or cooled by the injected gas.

With this density difference, the molecules with the low temperature efficiently adsorb heat from the molecules with the high temperature and the mist M of the liquid to be heat-exchanged is surely heated or cooled.

The heating and cooling apparatus 1C, therefore, forcibly stays the sprayed liquid to be heat-exchanged while being cooled or heated using the injected gas, and brings the liquids to be heat-exchanged before and after heated or cooled during the staying into contact with each other, thereby to surely heat or cool the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

In addition, the present embodiment provides effects similar to those of the embodiment 3.

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a separation system having a steam generating apparatus to which a heat exchanger according to the embodiment 5 of the present invention is applied. In the embodiment 5, components corresponding to of the embodiment 1 are represented using the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals with D to avoid repetition in the description.

A separation system 43 of the present embodiment uses first and second steam generating apparatuses 1Da and 1Db as a heat exchanger having the same configuration as the vaporizer 1 of the embodiment 1. It should be noted that the steam generating apparatuses 1Da and 1Db are set lower than the vaporizer 1 of the embodiment 1 in temperature of heaters 17 and liquid to be heat-exchanged sprayed into a heat exchange container 3D is not vaporized and is turned to steam.

In the separation system 43, a storage tank 45 for the liquid to be heat-exchanged which is a separation target is connected to a liquid supply tube 21D on an upstream side of the first steam generating apparatus 1Da. On a downstream side of the first steam generating apparatus 1Da, a first steam separator 47a is connected to a discharge tube 35D.

The first steam separator 47a is to separate a steam component and concentrated liquid according to, for example, a difference in specific gravity. A steam extracting tube 49 of the first steam separator 47a is wound in a coiled shape around an outer periphery of the heat exchange container 3D of the first steam generating apparatus 1Da. With this, the heat exchange container 3D is secondarily heated using the steam.

A liquid extracting tube 51 of the first steam separator 47a serves as a liquid supply tube on an upstream side of the second steam generating apparatus 1Db. The second steam generating apparatus 1Db is smaller than the first steam generating apparatus 1Da in volume. On a downstream side of the second steam generating apparatus 1Db, a second steam separator 47b is connected to a discharge tube 35D.

Around an outer periphery of a heat exchange container 3D of the second steam generating apparatus 1Db, the steam extracting tube 49 of the first steam separator 47a via the heat exchange container 3D of the first steam generating apparatus 1Da is wound in a coiled shape. The second steam generating apparatus 1Db is, therefore, configured to conduct secondarily heating using the steam.

The second steam separator 47b has the same configuration as the first steam separator 47a, and is smaller than the first steam separator 47a in volume. In the second steam separator 47b, the steam extracting tube 49 is connected to a discharge destination or the like, and the liquid extracting tube 51 reaches a storage tank 53 for the concentrated liquid.

In the separation system 43, when supplying heavy metal polluted liquid as the liquid to be heat-exchanged to the first steam generating apparatus 1Da for example, steam of the heavy metal polluted liquid is generated by process similar to the vaporization of the embodiment 1.

The generated steam is conveyed through the discharge tube 35D of the first steam generating apparatus 1Da to the first steam separator 47a. The first steam separator 47a separates the steam and the concentrated liquid according to the difference in specific gravity.

The separated steam is extracted from the steam extracting tube 49 of the first steam separator 47a and is conveyed to the discharge destination after being used for heating the heat exchange container 3D of the first steam generating apparatus 1Da and the heat exchange container 3D of the second steam generating apparatus 1Db.

On the other hand, the separated liquid is conveyed to the second steam generating apparatus 1Db from the liquid extracting tube 51 and the second steam generating apparatus generates the steam with respect to the concentrated liquid in the same way as the first steam generating apparatus 1Da.

The generated steam is conveyed to the second steam separator 47b through the discharge tube 35D and is separated into steam and concentrated liquid with the second steam separator 47b according to the difference in specific gravity.

The separated steam is extracted from the steam extracting tube 49 of the second steam separator 47b to be conveyed to the discharge destination and the separated concentrated liquid is conveyed to the storage tank 53.

In this way, the present embodiment purifies the heavy metal polluted liquid or the like according to the separation. It should be noted that the case of the heavy metal polluted liquid as the liquid to be heat-exchanged has been explained, however, the present invention is not limited thereto and liquid required to be separated or purified is applicable as the liquid to be heat-exchanged.

For example, radioactively contaminated water is applicable as the liquid to be heat-exchanged for the separation system 43 to be separated into radioactive substances (concentrated liquid) and purified water (steam).

Further, the separation system 43 of the present embodiment may be used as a concentrator. For example, extract or solution of a drug or the like may be applied as the liquid to be heat-exchanged, thereby to concentrate the chemical agent or the like.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of an aerosol formation system having a vaporizer to which a heat exchanger according to the embodiment 6 of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 18 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a venturi used in the aerosol formation system of FIG. 17. In the embodiment 6, components corresponding to of the embodiment 1 are represented using the same reference numerals to avoid repetition in the description.

An aerosol formation system 55 of the present embodiment comprises a vaporizer 1 as a heat exchanger, flow tubes 57 and 58, a venturi 59, a supply tube 61, and a storage tank 63, and is to form aerosol AS of first liquid L1 of which vapor pressure is relatively high and second liquid L2 of which vapor pressure is relatively low.

The vaporizer 1 has the same configuration as the vaporizer 1 of the embodiment 1. On an upstream side of the vaporizer 1, a liquid supply tube 21 and a gas supply tube 23 for carrier gas are connected similar to the embodiment 1. To the liquid supply tube 21, a storage tank 65 is connected to reserve the first liquid L1.

In addition, the first liquid L1 is heptane according to the present embodiment. The first liquid L1, however, is not limited to the heptane as long as the first liquid is a substance with the vapor pressure higher than that of the second liquid L2.

The vaporizer 1 sprays the first liquid as the liquid to be heat-exchanged from a spray port 5a (see FIG. 1) of a spray nozzle 5 so that the sprayed first liquid L1 is vaporized in a heating space of the vaporizer 1 to form a dispersion medium DM for aerosol AS. The formed dispersion medium DM is discharged from a discharge outlet 9 (see FIG. 1) of the vaporizer 1.

On a downstream side of the vaporizer 1, a flow tube 57 connected to the discharge outlet 9 is provided. The flow tube 57 is to flow the dispersion medium DM discharged from the vaporizer 1. To the flow tube 57, the venturi 59 is provided.

The venturi 59 of the present embodiment is configured as a unit. Namely, the venturi 59 is configured by attaching, to both ends of a tubular venturi body 59a, a top part 59b and a bottom part 59a using bolts 59d.

The venturi body 59a, the top part 59b, and the bottom part 59c are made of metal such as stainless steel. On the inside of the venturi body 59, a first chamber 59aa, a constricted part 59ab, and a second chamber 59ac are formed.

The flow tube 57 connected to the top part 59b is communicated with the first chamber 59aa so that the dispersion medium DM is flowed into the first chamber from the flow tube 57. An inner diameter of the first chamber 59aa is larger than an inner diameter of the flow tube 57 so as to reduce flow velocity of the dispersion medium DM which flows into the first chamber.

The constricted part 59ab is a part which locally reduces the inner diameter of the venturi body 59a. Namely, constricted part 59ab is smaller than the first chamber 59aa in the inner diameter. According to the present embodiment, the constricted part 59b gradually reduces the inner diameter of the first chamber 59aa and transitions to the second chamber 59ac while gradually increasing the inner diameter after the inner diameter is minimized.

The second chamber 59ac has an inner diameter equivalent to that of the first chamber 59aa and reduces flow velocity of the aerosol AS caused by the dispersion medium DM which flows from the constricted part 59ab and dispersoid DS which is explained later. It should be note that the inner diameter of the second chamber 59ac may not be equivalent to that of the first chamber 59aa as long as the inner diameter of the second chamber is larger than that of the constricted part 59ab. Further, on an inner periphery of the second chamber 59ac, coating may be formed by fluorine or the like for preventing the dispersoid DS from depositing.

From the second chamber 59ac, the aerosol AS flows out from the flow tube 58 connected to the bottom part 59c.

The venturi 59 of the present embodiment comprises venturi heaters 67. The venturi heaters 67 are to heat the venturi 59. The venturi heater 67 of the present embodiment is configured by a cartridge heater and is buried in a tube wall 60 of the venturi 59.

The venturi heater 67 may, however, employ the other heater and may be configured to be one wound around an outer periphery of the venturi 59. The configuration of the venturi heater 67 is appropriately changed according to the vapor pressures or the like of the first liquid L1 and the second liquid L2.

The supply tube 61 communicates with the venturi 59 to supply the second liquid L2. According to the present embodiment, the supply tube 61 has one end being connected to the constricted part 59ab of the venturi body 59a and having an opening part 61a facing the constricted part 59ab.

The supply tube 61 is provided with a flow controller 61b and is controlled supply volume of the second liquid L2. The supply tube 61 has the other end communicating with the storage tank 63.

The storage tank 63 reserves the second liquid L2. The second liquid L2 is silicone according to the present embodiment. The second liquid L2, however, is not limited to the silicone as long as the second liquid is substance having the vapor pressure lower than that of the first liquid L1.

In addition, since silicone has high viscosity, the silicone as the second liquid L2 is diluted by mixing heptane as a solvent at approximate 30 wt %. In a case that a substance with low viscosity is used as the second liquid L2, however, the dilution is not needed.

To the storage tank 63, a pressurization tube 63a is connected. From the pressurization tube 63a, pressurization gas, for example, nitrogen which is the same as the carrier gas is supplied, to pressurize the second liquid L2 in the storage tank 63 to be supplied.

The aerosol formation system 55 with the configuration sprays the first liquid L1 into the heating space on the inside of the vaporizer 1 to be vaporized as mentioned above so that the dispersion medium DM is formed for the aerosol AS, and the formed dispersion medium DM is discharged from the discharge outlet 9 of the vaporizer 1.

The discharged dispersion medium DM flows in the flow tube 57 and into the venturi 59. The dispersion medium DM which flows into the venturi 59 reduces in the flow velocity due to the first chamber 59aa of the venturi body 59a to fill the first chamber at first, and the dispersion medium increases in the flow velocity when passing the constricted part 59ab. At the constricted part 59ab, the second liquid L2 is supplied through the supply tube 61.

The supplied second liquid L2 is sprayed (atomized) by the dispersion medium DM into the constricted part 59ab from the opening part 61a of the supply tube 61 to become the dispersoid DS and be mixed with the dispersion medium DM. As a result, the aerosol AS is formed by the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS.

When forming the aerosol AS, heat is given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS by contact between molecules. FIG. 19 is a schematic view illustrating an example of a contacting state of molecules of the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS of the aerosol AS.

Further, since the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS are compressed at the venturi 59, the heat is surely given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the venturi 59 is heated by the venturi heaters 67, so that the venturi 59 is prevented from adsorbing the heat given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS, to surely give the heat from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS.

It should be noted that the heating temperature of the venturi 59 is required to be set within a range capable of preventing the heat given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS from being adsorbed by the venturi 59 and, for example, is 60 degrees centigrade to 80 degrees centigrade or the like.

In this way, the heat is given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS, thereby to combine particles (molecules) of the dispersion medium DM with the particles (molecules) of the dispersoid DS and to reduce the viscosity of the silicone as the dispersoid DS.

With the combination of the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS, the dispersoid DS is surely conveyed to prevent the silicone as the dispersoid DS from depositing in the vicinity of the opening part 61a of the supply tube 61 or in the second chamber 59ac. Further, with the reduction of the viscosity of the dispersoid DS, the dispersoid DS is more surely prevented from depositing in the vicinity of the opening part 61a of the supply tube 61 or in the second chamber 59ac.

When the aerosol AS formed in the venturi 59 in this way flows from the constricted part 59ab of the venturi 59 toward the downstream side, the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS or the dispersion medium and the dispersoid DS combined with the dispersion medium DM are released from the compression and mixed with each other, thereby to uniform density of the aerosol AS.

As mentioned above, the aerosol formation system 55 of the present embodiment comprises the flow tube 57 connected to the discharge outlet 9 of the vaporizer 1, the venturi 59 provided to the flow tube 57, the supply tube 61 communicating with the venturi 59, and the storage tank 63 communicating with the supply tube 61. The vaporizer 1 sprays the first liquid L1 of which vapor pressure is relatively high as the liquid to be heat-exchanged from the spray port 5a so as to be vaporized in the heating space so that the dispersion medium DM is formed for the aerosol AS, the storage tank 63 reserves the second liquid L2 of which vapor pressure is relatively low, and the venturi 59 flows the dispersion medium DM discharged from the discharge outlet 9 of the vaporizer 1 to cause the second liquid L2 supplied from the storage tank 63 through the supply tube 61 to be sprayed and become the dispersoid DS for the aerosol AS.

The present embodiment, therefore, vaporizes the first liquid L1 which is relatively easy to be vaporized to form the dispersion medium DM, and sprays (atomizes) the second liquid L2 which is relatively hard to be vaporized at the venturi 59 to form the dispersoid DS, thereby to easily and surely form the aerosol AS.

Further, at the time of forming the aerosol AS, the heat is given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS by the contact between the molecules, thereby to combine the particles (molecules) of the dispersoid DS with the particles (molecules) of the dispersion medium DM and reduce the viscosity of the silicone as the dispersoid DS.

The present embodiment, therefore, prevents the silicone as the dispersoid DS from depositing in the vicinity of the opening part 61a of the supply tube 61 and in the second chamber 59ac.

Further, since the present embodiment compresses the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS at the venturi 59, the heat is surely given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS.

Further, the aerosol AS formed at the venturi 59 flows from the constricted part 59a of the venturi 59 toward the downstream side and then the dispersion medium DM and the dispersoid DS are released from the compression to be mixed with each other, to uniform the density of the aerosol.

Since the present embodiment comprises the venturi heaters 67 that heat the venturi 59, the heat given from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS is prevented from being adsorbed by the venturi 59, thereby to more surely give the heat from the dispersion medium DM to the dispersoid DS.

HEAT EXCHANGER

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