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  Heat transfer elementUSPTO Application #: 20070072503Title: Heat transfer element Abstract: Heat transfer elements are made of a polymer matrix having a fibrous material interspersed therein, the heat transfer element comprising a fluoropolymer at least on an outer surface thereof, the interspersion of the fibrous material within the polymer matrix providing rigidity to the heat transfer element. A thermally conductive material is distributed within the heat transfer element. Such a heat transfer element can be used in the manufacture of radiant panels for power generating stations or can be formed as a pipe for similar use. The heat transfer element may comprise a polymer sheet having a fibrous material distributed therein providing structural strength and a fluoropolymer at least on an outer surface of the element which protects the element from physical and chemical corrosion while providing anti-fouling properties and good flow characteristics to the element. (end of abstract) Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC - Arlington, VA, US Inventors: Keith Herbert Dodd, Nicholas Jason Welton, Christopher Barry Price USPTO Applicaton #: 20070072503 - Class: 442180000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Fabric (woven, Knitted, Or Nonwoven Textile Or Cloth, Etc.), Coated Or Impregnated Woven, Knit, Or Nonwoven Fabric Which Is Not (a) Associated With Another Preformed Layer Or Fiber Layer Or, (b) With Respect To Woven And Knit, Characterized, Respectively, By A Particular Or Differential Weave Or Knit, Wherein The Coating Or Impregnation Is Neither A Foamed Material Nor A Free Metal Or Alloy Layer, Coated Or Impregnated Inorganic Fiber Fabric, Coated Or Impregnated Glass Fiber Fabric The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070072503. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional of commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/890,860 filed on Oct. 16, 2001 (now U.S. Patent No.______), the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a heat transfer element, more particularly to a heat transfer element for use in a power generating station or a chemical processing plant. Such a heat transfer element can be in the form of a sheet or tube, for example. [0004] 2. Background [0005] There are currently over six hundred power generating stations in the European Union. An important feature of these stations is the provision of heat exchangers consisting of a number of radiant panels which serve to transfer heat within the station. There may be around 30,000 square metres of radiant panels in a single heat exchanger. A power generating station may use up to twelve or more heat exchangers. [0006] The radiant panels should not only serve their primary heat transfer function, they should also be robust to withstand the conditions in which they operate. Thus, not only are physical conditions harsh, with hot air and steam at up to about 150.degree. C. flowing at high speed past the panels, but also corrosive chemicals, such as sulphurous and nitrous acids, are present in the air stream. Furthermore, the panels may become clogged with soot or debris, which may also impair their function. The panels are also subjected to rapid thermal cycling. [0007] Conventionally, heat transfer elements used to make the radiant panels have been manufactured from a metal with a vitreous enamel coating. The metal base material, conveniently of mild steel, provides the necessary structural strength to the element and also the required thermal conductivity. A coating of vitreous enamel protects the metal base from the corrosive effects of the surrounding environment. [0008] Recently, attempts have been made to provide heat transfer elements by spraying a metal base with a fluoropolymer. However, the resulting composite element is not economical to manufacture. [0009] In U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,347 there is proposed a heat exchanger assembly comprising coaxially arranged inner and outer pipes. The inner pipe can be formed of high strength metal and ensheathed by an extruded heat shrinkable plastics tube of non-reactive material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene or polypropylene. [0010] A plate heat exchanger comprising at least three plate elements consisting of graphite and a fluoropolymer, such as polyvinylidene fluoride is disclosed in European Patent Specification No. 0 203 213 A1. [0011] British Patent Specification No. 2 255 148A teaches a structurally composite metal and plastics tube in which the metal forms a tubular core having openings throughout its length occupying at least 5% of its total surface area while the plastics material forms imperforate inner and outer layers, each at least 0.1 mm thick, covering the inside and outside of the metal core and integrally joined through the openings. [0012] There is a need to improve upon the performance of heat transfer elements in power generating stations. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a heat transfer element with improved heat transfer properties, with improved anti-fouling properties, with improved resistance to physical and chemical corrosion, and with improved mechanical properties. [0013] All of these desiderata are objects of the present invention. [0014] A further object of the present invention is to provide a heat transfer element with the improved properties referred to above but which is relatively economical to manufacture. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0015] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a heat transfer element comprising a polymer matrix having a fibrous material interspersed therein, said heat transfer element comprising a fluoropolymer at least on an outer surface thereof, the interspersion of the fibrous material within the polymer matrix providing rigidity to the heat transfer element, a thermally conductive material being distributed within the heat transfer element. [0016] The fibrous material may comprise metal fibres, such as iron, steel, or stainless steel fibres, in which case additional thermally conductive material is not necessary. However, it is also possible, when using metal fibres, to add a particulate metal such as particles of iron, steel, stainless steel or copper. [0017] The fibrous material may alternatively comprise glass fibres, preferably glass fibres made from a chemically resistant glass, for example boron-free glass fibres, or a mixture of glass fibres and fibres of a plastics material, such as polypropylene or a fluoropolymer. [0018] It is also contemplated that the fibrous material can comprise glass fibres coated with a thermally conductive material. [0019] The fibrous material can be incorporated in any convenient form. Preferably the fibrous material comprises continuous fibres in one of the forms conventionally used for making fibre reinforced articles. Examples include randomly distributed or closely mingled fibres, or rovings braided to form continuous tubes, formed into preimpregnated tapes, or woven into panels. The rovings may themselves be precoated with, for example, a plastics material. One form of continuous tube comprises loosely commingled or interwoven rovings, for example loosely interwoven glass fibre rovings, wherein the individual rovings extend at a small angle, for example about 10.degree. to about 15.degree., to the tube axis. Such glass fibres may be intermingled with polypropylene fibres or with fluoropolymer fibres or coated with polypropylene powder or polyvinylidene powder. Another form of fibrous material which can be used in the practice of the invention comprises a narrow band of parallel fibres as warp interwoven with a similar narrow band of parallel fibres as weft, with the warp and weft crossing each other substantially at right angles to one another. Such narrow bands may be, for example, from about 0.2 cm to about 2 cm wide. [0020] It is also possible to use a mixture of metal and glass fibres as the fibrous material. [0021] Thus one preferred from of heat transfer element according to the invention comprises: Continue reading... 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