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Abstract

A liquid-loop compound recuperator is disclosed for high-ε heat exchange between a first shell-side fluid stream and a second shell-side fluid stream of similar thermal capacity rates (W/K). The compound recuperator is comprised of at least two fluid-to-liquid (FL) recuperator modules for transfer of heat from a shell-side fluid, usually a gas, to an intermediary tube-side heat transfer liquid (HTL). Each FL module includes a plurality of thermally isolated, serially connected, adjacent exchanger cores inside a pressure vessel. The cores are rows of finned tubes for cross-flow transfer of heat, and they are arranged in series to effectively achieve counterflow exchange between the HTL and the shell-side stream. The HTL may be water, an organic liquid, a molten alloy, or a molten salt. Alumina-dispersion-strengthened-metal fins, superalloy tubes, and a lead-bismuth-tin alloy HTL may be used for high temperatures. Cumene may be used as the HTL in cryogenic applications.

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First Claim