US1626869A - Expansion joint for heat exchangers - Google Patents

Description

May 39 E.y M..o'DoNNELL E11' AL EXPANSION JOINT FOR HEATl EXGHANGERS Filed April l. 1926 heating or cooling luid Patented May 3, 1927,11 j UNITED-sfTA'rasj PATENTOF "1,626,869 rica.

EDWARD n; onoNNELL, or sur rnANcIsco, AND DAvIp D. rEnBLnsQor EUREKA,

' cALIr'on'Nu.

application med April 1, '1926. semi Nu. ,$8,976.

Thsinvention .relates 'to -a paratus ,for sv in w ich the heat is ltransferred from one fluid to another and especially, to an expansion'joint `whereby the lapparatus may freely expand or corbtract when subjected to different temperatures without imposin' any stressron the heads, tube'sheets, or other parts of the apparatus.

Theheat exchanger forming the subject matter of the present application.- comprises an elongated cylindrical shaped shell, a plurality of tubes interior thereof and extending from end to end, tube sheets at each end 'of the shell whereby the tubes are supported,

' means Afor introducing steam to heat 'the tubes', and a pair of end heads which directs the fluid to be heated through the tubes.

The object of the 'resent invention is to generally improve an simplify the construction and-operation ofi heat exchangers of this character, to provide means whereby \one head and an adjacent tube sheet may be mounted for endwise or floating movement with relation to the shell, to provide means whereby both tube sheets and the tubes 4lmounted therein may be moved in unison endwise vof the shell, to provide an expan-v sion joint to form a seal between the floating tube sheet and the shell and further, tor provi-de an' lexpansion jointf-which may beremoved for replacementgannealing, packing, etc.. without disturbing the' floating tube y or any other part ofthe apparatus. l

One form which the invention may 'assume is exemplified' yin the `accompanying drawings in which the figure is a side elevation ofthe heat exchanger, .said lside elevation being partly broken away and being also shown partially in, section.' Therefore,re ferring to the drawing in detailA indicates an elongated -lcylindrical shaped shell con# structed of steel or any other suitable metal.

- by each tube `sheet or by the shell proper, are members 5 and 6 and interposed be- Disposed at veach end of the shell are tube I sheets such as indicated at l2 and 3 andl mounted in' the`tube' sheets. and supported thereby is a plurality of tubes 4.' Supported head tween' the tubel sheet 2 and the shell proper isfanexpansion joint generally indicated at 7. `The tubes 4 are secured in the respective .tube (sheets v2 and 3 in'the usual manner.

The tube sheet 3 is secured to one end of the shellby means of lan annular flange 8 and 'of the tube sheet 2 by means of bolts 23 anch` bolts 9 and a gasket 10 maya/be inter osed between the tube sheet and the ange 8' 'to prevent leakage.y The head member 6 is secured to th'e exterior face of the tube sheet in any suitable manner or as-here illustrated-by means of the bolts 9 and the i 'when certain, liquids or fluids are handled.

The'tube sheet A3 will hereinafter bereferred to a's :the stationary tube sheet and the tube sheet 2 as the floating tubev sheet..`

' The last named tube sheet is mounted and sealed with relation to the shell A in the following manner. Secured to the end of the shell as at 13 is a'n annular flange 14.l

-This flange is provided with asecond annular flange 15. rIhe tube sheet 2 is also provided with an annular flange asindicatecLat 16 and this `flange -telescopes' within the flange 15 and is' guided and' supported thereby. The tubes 4- are 'in most instances constructed of copper and'jas the exterior shell A isr usually constructed of steel,it is o bvious that a considerablediil'erence in coelliciency of expansion isencount'ered. It is for this reason that the'ldating tube sheet 2'- is emplpyed. -In view of the floating tubel sheet, itj'obviously becomes necessary to seal the telescoping joint formed by the flanges i' 15 and 16, and it is. for thisreason that'the expansion joint 7 is; employed. The joint is preferably made of copper or alike fairly flexible metal.. The-joint lering-sha ed or annular and is.-prov1ded-l with two anges', one indicated at 17.'and' theafother at 18. A crosssection vof the expansion rin or joint shows that it .fis .substantially -shapedf This Vis' of considerableimportance, as it lprovides two bends orr curls such as indicated at 19 and 20,*whichA may'give or 'flex durin telescoping action ofthe tube sheet 2.'

ioni

The4 ange. 17 of .the expansion joint is secured to the outer peripheral edge of?- tf1/ange 14 bymeans of bolts or vthe like showngt'21. Tlie second* flange V18 of the expansion jo1nt issecred'by means of Abolts 22`to the 'outer peripheral edge of the'vtube sheet. The head v' as such vmoves or floats with the tube sheet member-'5 Vis secured to tli'e exterior surface ,t

during expanding or contracting action. In,

,collected in the bottom of the shell and may be removed or drained through the discharge connection indicated at 26. i

In actual operation the fluid or liquid to v be heated enters the head member through the connection indicated at 27, then passes through the upper layer of tubes and flows through the same and thereby enters the head member 5. From there the liquid passes'througli-the lowerlayei of tubes and .discharges into the space 28 of the head member 6, from Whereiit finally discharges through the connection 29. The partition i member 11 serves the function of directing the incoming liquid into the upper series of tubes and similarly prevents the discharging warm liquid from mixing with the ,incoming cool liquid, or in other words, di-

rects the discharging hot liquid through the connection 29. The heat-ing medium such as steam or the like admitted, causes expansion or elongation of the heating tubes 4. Such elongation cannot set up any stress in the i tube sheets or in the tube joints as tube sheet 2 is freely movable in an endwise direction. Leakage cannot take place around the lioating tube sheet, as it is completely sealed orpacked by means of the expansion joint 20.

'sion joint as shown, ,readily .and quickly Vdiameter of the The advaiitages of an arrangement and structure such as here shown are as follows. First, by providing the telescoping flanges 15 and 16 in connect-ion with the fioating tube sheet, the expansion relieved of the weight ofthe tube sheet, t-lie tubes, and the' head member 5, and the tubes` proper are also relieved of any bending stress. Secondly, by constructing the expanit becomes possible to remove the same for renewal, annealing, packing, etc. by merely releasing the bolts 21 and 22 and without disturbing the float tube sheet, the head 5, or any other part of the apparatus, this being due to the fact that the inside diameter of the expansionjoint at the point 19 is Slightly larger than the exterior peripheral tube sheet 2, thereby niitting the expansion joint to be slipped over the tube sheet and the head 5, while being removed or replaced. Third, the

packing gasket 10 cooperating with thelsta,

.the old `joint 7 is entirely pep.

lessees The removal of these'bolts releases the floating tube sheet with relation to the expansion joint, and the stationary tube sheet with relation tothe shell, thus permitting the tubes and the tube sheets to be moved end- Wise in -the direction of arrow with relation to the shell, a sufficient distance to remove gasket and'to replace it with a new. Fourth, the removable plate 12 and similar plates indicated at 12L on the head 5 are also important as it permits ready access to the interior of the heads for cleaning the same and also for cleaning the interior of the tubes. This bein 'ot particular iinportance in handling liquids such as milk or the like. Fifth, an expansion ring or jointof S-shaped cross section is also an important feature, as it substantially doubles the flexibility of the joint and the life of the same. I

l'While certain of the details of the present invention have been more or less specifically illustrated, we wish it understood that changes in forni and proportion may be resorted to within the scopeof the appended claims and we wish it understood that the materials and finish of the several parts employed maybe made to suit varying conditions or to suit. the dictates of the manufacturei'.

Having thus described our invention,

2. In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated cylindrical shaped shell, a lplurality of tubes interior thereof .and extending from end to end bf the shell,

a stationary tube 'sheet at one end of the -shell supporting one end of the tubes, a

floating tube sheet at the other end of the shell supporting t-he opposite ends of the tubes, and an annular'ex a-nsion member forming a seal between t sheet'and the shell, and means forming a guide land support for the floating tube sheet to relieve the expansion member `of the weight of the floating tube sheet andthe tubes, and ahead member supported by the floating tube sheet.

l EDWARD M. ODONNELL.

DAVID D. PEEBLES.

e Ufloating tube

Images