Patent · US Expired

Process for cooling a product in a heat exchanger employing microchannels

US7000427B2 · kind B2 · utility

53Cited by
75References
63Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 8, 2003
Grant dateFeb 21, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 8, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF28F2260/02
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for cooling or liquefying a fluid product (e.g., natural gas) in a heat exchanger, the process comprising: flowing a fluid refrigerant through a set of refrigerant microchannels in the heat exchanger; and flowing the product through a set of product microchannels in the heat exchanger, the product flowing through the product microchannels exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant microchannels, the product exiting the set of product microchannels being cooler than the product entering the set of product microchannels. The process has a wide range of applications, including liquefying natural gas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.