Methods and systems for controlling temperature in a vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10619933-B2
Application number	US-201715660383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jan 8, 2008
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A syngas cooler system includes a pressure vessel, a conduit, a plenum, a plenum, a conduit, and a bellows assembly. The pressure vessel includes a throat and a dome adjacent to the throat. The throat includes an area of excess heat, and the dome includes an area of deficient heat. The plenum extends between the throat and the bellows assembly. The bellows assembly is coupled at least partially within the dome. The conduit is coupled to the plenum for channeling a flow of purge fluid from external to the pressure vessel into the plenum such that purge fluid transfers heat from the area of excess heat into the area of deficient heat to facilitate reducing temperature differential stresses within the dome and the pressure vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A syngas cooler system comprising:
a pressure vessel comprising an outer shell, a floor, a throat, and a dome adjacent to said throat and at least partially defined by said outer shell and said floor, said throat comprises an area of excess heat, said dome comprising an area of deficient heat;
a divider circumscribing said throat and coupled to at least one of said outer shell and said floor;
a bellows assembly between said divider and said throat;
a plenum extending between said divider and said bellows assembly, said plenum in fluid communication with said dome via at least one gap, said at least one gap defined by at least one of a space between said divider and said outer shell, a space between said divider and said floor, and an opening formed in said divider; and
a conduit coupled to said plenum for channeling a flow of purge fluid from external to said pressure vessel into said plenum such that said purge fluid transfers heat from said area of excess heat into said area of deficient heat to facilitate reducing temperature differential stresses within said dome and said pressure vessel.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said bellows assembly comprises a plurality of cylindrical bellows circumscribing said throat, and wherein at least one insulation layer extends between at least some of the plurality of cylindrical bellows.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said floor is planar and separates said pressure vessel into a first compartment and a second compartment, said first compartment in flow communication with said second compartment via an aperture extending through said floor.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said outer shell comprises a penetration therethrough.

5. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said at least one insulation layer facilitates creating a stepped temperature gradient within said pressure vessel.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said at least one insulation layer facilitates maintaining a temperature proximate said plurality of cylindrical bellows above a dewpoint temperature of a syngas flowing through said pressure vessel.

7. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said throat comprises a refractory based lining.

8. The system in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising a supplemental heat exchanger having a first flow path coupled in flow communication with said plenum, said supplemental heat exchanger configured to add supplemental heat to the flow of the purge fluid.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said supplemental heat exchanger further includes a second flow path in thermal communication with the first flow path, the second flow path coupled in flow communication with a supplemental heat source.

10. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the heat from the area of excess heat is transferred to the flow of the purge fluid in said plenum and the heat is carried by the flow of the purge fluid into the area of deficient heat such that the flow of the purge fluid simultaneously purges the area of deficient heat.

11. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said divider comprises at least one drum.

12. The system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said at least one drum comprises an upper drum extending downwardly from said outer shell towards said floor, wherein said at least one gap comprises a lower gap defined between said upper drum and said floor.

13. The system in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said at least one drum further comprises a lower drum extending upwardly from said floor towards said outer shell and circumscribing said upper drum, wherein said at least one gap further comprises an upper gap defined between said lower drum and said outer shell.

14. The system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said plenum, said lower gap, and said upper gap define a tortuous path for said purge fluid such that said purge fluid is channeled into said plenum, said tortuous path provides a predetermined residence time for said purge fluid proximate said bellows assembly.

Assignees

• Air Prod & Chem

Inventors

• Storey James Michael
• Solomon Alex Clinton
• Steinhaus Benjamin Campbell
• Corry Judeth Brannon
• Russell Steven Craig
• Gauthier Robert Henri
• Abbasi Yasir Hafeez
• Chen Lien-Yan

Classifications

• F28D21/0003

  the heat being recuperated from exhaust gases (F28D21/0014 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F9/0229

  Double end plates; Single end plates with hollow spaces · CPC title

• C10J3/82

  Gas withdrawal means · CPC title

• F01K23/068

  in combination with an oxygen producing plant, e.g. an air separation plant · CPC title

• C10J2300/165

  integrated with a gas turbine or gas motor · CPC title