Plate-fin heat exchanger having defrost and liquid distribution devices and method of defrosting such a heat exchanger

摘要

A plate fin type heat exchanger (10) having open-ended passages (18) containing easyway or hardway finning (27,28) and alternating separate passages (20) is conditioned by introducing conditioning fluid into said open-ended passages (18). The conditioning fluid can be introduced at either end or intermediate the ends of said open-ended passages (18). The invention has particular application to downflow reboilers. IMAGE