US1768786A - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

J. A. PQTTER July 1, 1930.

HEAT BXCHANGER Filed Aug. 8, 1927 atented July 1, 1930 I JOHN A. POTTER, OF ROSELLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOFOSTER WHEELER CORPO- RATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK HEAT EXCHANGER Application filed August 8,1927. Serial No. 211,315.

My present invention relates to a heat exchanger in any one of the various forms in which such devices are commonly employed in the art, for example by including a shell, bundles of tubes within the shell,

an auxiliary in refining petroleum, or forexample in power plants for condensers, feed-water heaters and the like.

In this type of apparatus as I am aware, it has been more or less customary to employ a bafiie plate within the shell and adjacent the inlet opening for the incoming fluid. These baflie plates, however, have merely been employed to separate or spread the fluid rather than to shield the adjacent portions of the tubes and to direct the flow of the fluid so that the incoming fluid in the use of baflle plates as ordinarily employed is not so directed to the tubes as to obtain the greatest efficiency in effecting the transfer of the heat from one medium to another.

The apparatus made in accordance with the present invention while particularly adapted for use in the petroleum industry, is,

of course, not limited to such a use, 'and is designed to protect the tubes at the point at which the medium admitted to the interior of the shell enters the same, and to cause this medium to pass to one end of the space within the shell and to then be deflected and .directed to the beginning of its path of flow through the space in the shell. To this end the invention more particularly relates to a shield and'deflector which is emplo ed in conjunction with a baflile plate in sue a manner that the medium passing into the shellof the exchanger is directed toward the tube plate at one end thereof and then deflected so as to change its course and to pass between and among the tubes in starting its flow through the apparatus,

whereby substantiallyall the tube surface 1setlectively utilized in the exchange of heat between the medium passing through the tubes and the medium passing'through the shell, as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a partial elevation and central longitudinal section illustrating a heat exchanger made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part'of the tube shield and flow director to which the invention particularly relates, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on. an enlarged scale showing the use of the tube shield and flow director.

Referring to the drawing the heat exchanger as therein illustrated embodying the present invention includes a shell 10 constructed in a customary manner to inelude a nozzle 11 for the admission of a fluid or other medium to the interior of the shell and a nozzle 12 for the discharge of a .circulating medium from the shell, and suitable flanges at the end of the shell one of the end flanges being indicated at 13. The nozzles 11 and 12 forming the admission and discharge or inlet and outlet connections for the fluid or other medium are preferably in oppositely disposed positions and adjacent one end of the shell. Connected to this end of the shell there is a tube plate 14 and a box 15 foranother fluid or other medium, together with a cover or bonnet l6. These parts are connected to each other and to the shell by any suitable means. The box 15 provided with a suitable nozzles 17 and 18 preferably in oppositely disposed positions to form inlet and outlet connections for the said second medium as the same is admitted to and discharged from the. box which interiorly, as

tudinally disposed baflle 22 placed in a central position and extending from the tube plate 13 to a point adjacent the oppositely disposed tube plate, it being understood that the ends of the tubes at the opposite end of the apparatus are fixed in a floating head or tube plate whereby'the tubes as a bundle or a plurality of bundles may be removed as a unit from the shell. Adjacent the inlet and outlet connections the shell is also provided with a transverse baflie 23 arid in suitably spaced positions with other transverse baflles as indicated at 24 for the purpose of directing the flow of the medium which passes through the space in the shell of the apparatus.

The bafll'es 24 are provided with apertures 24 through which certain tubes pass. The apertures 24' are preferably staggered in adjacent bafiles to prevent a direct flow of the fluid through one baflie to the next.

The invention in the present case relates more particularly to a shield and medium flow director which as'illustrated in these figures of the drawing may comprise oppositely disposed semi-cylindrical me bers 25 and 26. The member 25 for example is provided with side flanges 27 and 28 adapted to rest upon the adjacent surface of the longitudinal baflie 22 and to be secured thereto by means of clamps or cleats 29, 30 engaging the flange 27, and similar clamps or cleats 31, '32 engaging the flange 28. This semi-cylindrical member extends across the admission or inlet opening and at one end is adapted to make a tight joint with the adjacent surface of the transverse baffle 23, while at the opposite end it terminates an appreciable distance from the end of the shell and the inner faceof the tube plate 14. The cylindrical member 26 is similarly constructed and is secured to the opposite face of the longitudinal baflle 22 in a similar manner so as to extend across the outlet or discharge opening and at. one end to make a relatively tight joint with the adjacent surface of the transverse baffle 23 while at the other end it terminates an appreciable distance from the end of the shell and the adja'cent inner face of the tube plate.

' As will now be. understood, one fluid or other medium is caused to flow to and through the tubes by being admitted for example to the box 15, through the inlet connection 17, passing thence to the tubes 21 to the box at the other end of the apparatus,

and then in the opposite direction through the tubes 20 to the box 15 and out of the same by way of the discharge or outlet connection 18. The other fluid or medium to or from which heat is to be exchanged passes into the shell by the inlet or admission nozzle 11 and then is deflected by the semicylindrical' member toward the adjacent tube plate when its course is directed to the plate and thence as its-course is changed is caused to flow from the shell by way of the outlet or discharge connection 12. It will thus be understood that a maximum contact between the medium flowing through the shell and the tubes is effected to obtain a maximum heat transfer between this medium and that passing through the tubes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heat exchanger, a shell, a tube plate, a plurality of tubes each connected at one end in the said tube plate, a centrally disposed longitudinal baiile, a plurality of transverse baflles extending across the shell, admission and discharge connections in corresponding positions on opposite sides at the same end of the said shell and between the tube plate and the transverse bafile next adjacent the same, and a tube shield and fluid flow director lying entirely within the shell and extending across the admission connection and from the said transverse baflle next adjacent the tube plate toward the tube plate, the said tube shield and fluid flow director also surrounding the said tubes on the inlet side of the longitudinal bafile and being connected to the longitudinal bafile whereby the flow of an incoming fluid is directed first toward thetube plate and then through the shield and between the tubes 1 admission connection and from the transverse bafile nearest the tube plate towardthe tube plate, and a second tube shield and flow director extending across the discharge connection and from the said transverse baflle nearest the tube plate toward the tube plate, the said tube shield and fluid flow directors being connected to the said longitudinal baffle whereby the flow of an incoming fluid is directed toward the tube plate and then through the first aforesaid shield and the outgoing fluid is directed-toward the tube plate and thence tothe discharge connection.

'3. In a heat exchanger, a-shell, a tube plate, a plurality of tubes each connected at, one end in the said tube plate, a series of transverse baflies, a longitudinal baffle, admission and discharge connections in oppositely disposed positions on the shell and lying between the tube plate and the said transverse bafile next adjacent thereto, and a tube shield and fluid flow director lying wholly within the shell extending across the admission and discharge connections and associated with the said longitudinal bafiie for directing an incoming fluid toward the tube plate and then to the space between the tubes and directing the outgoing fluid toward the tube plateand thence, to the discharge connection. 7 v

Signed by me this 28th day of July, 1927 s JOHN A. POTTER.

Images