| a device for transferring the heat of one substance to another, as from the exhaust gases to the incoming air in a regenerative furnace. |
heat exchanger  (click for larger image in new window) n. A device, such as an automobile radiator, used to transfer heat from a fluid on one side of a barrier to a fluid on the other side without bringing the fluids into direct contact. |
heat exchanger
(click for larger image in new window) A device used to transfer heat from one fluid to another without direct contact of the fluids. Heat exchangers usually maximize the transfer of heat by maximizing the contact surface area between fluids, as when the warmer fluid is passed through a series of coils or thin plates. A car radiator is a heat exchanger, transferring the heat in a liquid that has circulated through the engine to the air. |