U-tube heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10627166-B2
Application number	US-201616074940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A U-tube heat exchanger wherein a tube support plate divides the interior of a tube-exterior fluid chamber into a curved-tube chamber on a second end side including curved-tube sections of the U-tubes, and a chamber on a first end side. A second partition wall divides the interior of the chamber on the first end side inside the tube-exterior fluid chamber into a first straight-tube chamber including inlet-side straight-tube sections of the U-tubes, and a second straight-tube chamber including outlet-side straight-tube sections of the U-tubes. An opening penetrating from the first straight-tube chamber into the second straight-tube chamber is formed in the second partition wall. First passage holes, which penetrate from the first straight-tube chamber into the curved-tube chamber, and second passage holes, which penetrate from the second straight-tube chamber into the curved-tube chamber, are formed in the tube support plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A U-tube heat exchanger, comprising:
an outer cylinder having a cylindrical shape and of which both ends are closed;
a tube plate that divides an inside of the outer cylinder at a position on a first end side of the both ends into a tube-interior fluid chamber on the first end side and a tube-exterior fluid chamber on a second end side;
a plurality of U-tubes disposed in the tube-exterior fluid chamber with both ends being fixed to the tube plate, the both ends of the plurality of U-tubes facing the tube-interior fluid chamber;
a first partition wall that divides the tube-interior fluid chamber into an inlet chamber facing an inlet end group which is a collection of inlet ends of the both ends of the plurality of U-tubes and an outlet chamber facing an outlet end group which is a collection of outlet ends of the both ends of the plurality of U-tubes;
a tube support plate that divides the tube-exterior fluid chamber into a curved-tube chamber including a curved-tube group which is a collection of curved-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes on the second end side and a chamber on the first end side, the tube support plate supporting inlet-side straight-tube sections that extend from the inlet ends of the plurality of U-tubes and outlet-side straight-tube sections that extend from the outlet ends of the plurality of U-tubes; and
a second partition wall that divides the chamber on the first end side relative to the curved-tube chamber of the tube-exterior fluid chamber into a first straight-tube chamber including an inlet-side straight-tube group which is a collection of the inlet-side straight-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes and a second straight-tube chamber including an outlet-side straight-tube group which is a collection of the outlet-side straight-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes,
wherein, in the second end side of the second partition wall closer to the first end side than the tube support plate, an opening is formed that penetrates from the first straight-tube chamber toward the second straight-tube chamber, and
the tube support plate includes at least one first passage hole formed penetrating from the first straight-tube chamber to the curved-tube chamber, and at least one second passage hole formed penetrating from the second straight-tube chamber to the curved-tube chamber.

2. The U-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first passage hole comprises a plurality of first passage holes,
wherein the at least one second passage hole comprises a plurality of second passage holes, and
wherein an area of the opening is greater than a total flow path cross sectional area of the plurality of first passage holes and a total flow path cross sectional area of the plurality of second passage holes.

3. The U-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tube support plate includes first tube holes in which respective inlet-side straight-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes are inserted, and second tube holes in which respective outlet-side straight-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes are inserted,
the first passage holes are formed in positions between the plurality of first tube holes of the tube support plate, and
the second passage holes are formed in positions between the plurality of second tube holes of the tube support plate.

4. The U-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tube support plate includes first tube holes in which respective inlet-side straight-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes are inserted, and second tube holes in which respective outlet-side straight-tube sections of the plurality of U-tubes are inserted,
the first passage holes connect to any one of the plurality of first tube holes, and
the second passage holes connect to any one of the plurality of second tube holes.

5. The U-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide disposed in the curved-tube chamber, separated from the plurality of U-tubes, and having a curved surface that curves along the curved-tube section of a U-tube of any one of the plurality of U-tubes.

6. The U-tube heat exchanger according to claim 5 ,
wherein a radius of curvature of the curved-tube section of a U-tube of any one of the plurality of U-tubes differs from a radius of curvature of the curved-tube sections of other U-tubes, and
the guide includes at least one guide among:
an inner guide that, relative to a smallest curved-tube section which is the curved-tube section with a smallest radius of curvature, is positioned on the radius of curvature side of the smallest curved-tube section, and has
a convex curved surface that curves along the center of curvature side of the smallest curved-tube section;
an outer guide that, relative to a largest curved-tube section which is the curved-tube section with a largest radius of curvature, is positioned on an opposite side of the radius of curvature side of the largest curved-tube section, and has a concave curved surface that curves along the opposite side of the largest curved-tube section; and
a medium guide positioned between the smallest curved-tube section and the largest curved-tube section, and has a concave curved surface that curves along an opposite side of the radius of curvature side of the smallest curved-tube section and a convex curved surface that curves along the radius of curvature side of the largest curved-tube section.

7. The U-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one first baffle disposed in the first straight-tube chamber and widening in a direction intersecting a direction in which the inlet-side straight-tube sections extend; and
at least one second baffle disposed in the second straight-tube chamber and widening in a direction intersecting a direction in which the outlet-side straight-tube sections extend,
wherein the at least one first baffle includes at least one third passage hole penetrating in the direction in which the inlet-side straight-tube sections extend, and

the at least one second baffle includes at least one fourth passage hole penetrating in the direction in which the inlet-side straight-tube sections extend.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Sys

Inventors

• Nakamura Taichi
• Hotta Katsuhiro
• Hiraoka Satoshi

Classifications

• F28D7/1607 Primary

  with particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange media, e.g. change of flow direction (F28D7/1623, F28D7/1638, F28D7/1661, F28D7/1676, F28D7/1692 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2009/226

  Transversal partitions · CPC title

• F28D7/06 Primary

  the conduits having a single U-bend (F28D7/10 takes precedence){(F28D7/0016 and F28D7/0033 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F28F9/22

  Arrangements for directing heat-exchange media into successive compartments, e.g. arrangements of guide plates · CPC title

• F28F9/0131

  formed by plates (F28F9/0138 takes precedence) · CPC title