Cryogenic apparatus and method for spraying a cryogen incorporating generation of two phase flow
US5813237A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 29, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25D3/11
- WIPO fieldFood chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An apparatus and method for spraying a cryogen in which a heat load is sprayed with a cryogen from one or more spray nozzles within a spray zone. A heat conductive element is positioned below the article and is provided with a surface sized to catch the liquid content of the cryogen that has been oversprayed, thereby to vaporize the overspray through direct heat transfer with the conductive element. In another aspect the present invention provides an apparatus and method in which a flow network a flow of a liquid cryogen is divided into first and second subsidiary streams. The second subsidiary stream is vaporized within a branch of the network and then mixed back into the first subsidiary stream to produce a two phase flow of the cryogen. The cryogen is then sprayed as the two phase flow. The flow rate of the second subsidiary stream can be controlled with a proportional valve to adjust the quality of the cryogen being sprayed so that pooling of overspray on said heat conductive element is inhibited.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.