| abstract |
Continuous, counter-current, plate heat exchanger particularly suited to temp. at 1 degrees, and where the two fluids are different concentrations of helium 3 in helium 4. The exchanger comprises a pile of thin sheets alternating with spacer plates each having a fluid-conveying channel, alternate spacer plates form a continuous flow path for a first fluid while the other plates form a continuous flow path for the second fluid, the thin sheets may have poor thermal conductivity but must have very low Kapitza resistance w.r.t. the 2 fluids, e.g. 'Kapton' (RTM), 'Mylar' (RTM) copper, stainless steel, super-conductor metals. The thin sheets do not exceed several microns thickness. The exchanger is simple, highly efficient and very safe. |