Heat exchanger with heat exchange tubes moveable between aligned and non-aligned positions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11047266-B2
Application number	US-201916668336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged into a first row of tubes and a second row of tubes. A fixed mount fixedly positions the first row of tubes, and a movable mount makes the second row of tubes movable between an aligned position in which tubes in the second row are aligned with tubes in the first row, creating a linear flow path for the fluid through the tubes, and a non-aligned position in which tubes in the second row are not aligned with tubes in the first row, creating a curvilinear flow path for the fluid through the plurality of tubes. Heat is exchanged between the first fluid and a second fluid passing through the plurality of heat exchange tubes. The heat exchanger may be employed as an HRSG in a combined cycle plant, among other applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger, comprising:
a casing configured to direct a first fluid therethrough;
a plurality of heat exchange tubes fluidly coupled to a header and positioned within the casing, the plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged into a first row of tubes and a second row of tubes;
a fixed mount fixedly positioning the first row of tubes relative to the casing; and
a movable mount operatively coupled to the second row of tubes, the movable mount movable between an aligned position in which heat exchange tubes in the second row of tubes are aligned with heat exchange tubes in the first row of tubes, creating a linear flow path for the first fluid through the plurality of heat exchange tubes, and a non-aligned position in which heat exchange tubes in the second row of tubes are not aligned with heat exchange tubes in the first row of tubes, creating a curvilinear flow path for the first fluid through the plurality of heat exchange tubes,
wherein heat is exchanged between the first fluid and a second fluid passing through the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of heat exchange tubes includes a center tube and a plurality of disks extending outwardly therefrom.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the fixed mount includes:
a first opening for each respective heat exchange tube in the first row of tubes, each first opening configured to position a respective first heat exchange tube in a fixed position; and
a second opening for each respective heat exchange tube in the second row of tubes, each second opening configured to allow movement of a respective heat exchange tube between the aligned position and the non-aligned position, and
wherein the movable mount is operatively coupled to each heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes to move the second row of tubes within the second openings between the aligned position and the non-aligned position.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 3 , wherein each second opening has a first extent configured to position a respective heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes in the aligned position and a contiguous second extent configured to position the respective heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes in the non-aligned position.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes is arranged to extend in a substantially horizontal arrangement within the casing, and the first fluid flows in a generally vertical direction.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the fixed mount includes a first mounting member including a seat for each heat exchange tube of the first row of tubes, the first mounting member fixed to the casing; and
wherein the movable mount includes a second mounting member including a seat for each heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes, the second mounting member movable relative to the casing to move the second row of tubes between the aligned and non-aligned positions.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes is arranged to extend in a substantially vertical arrangement within the casing, and the first fluid flows in a generally horizontal direction.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of heat exchange tubes is fixed at opposing ends thereof, and wherein the movable mount moves the second row of tubes between the aligned position and the non-aligned position at a location between the opposing ends of the heat exchange tubes in the second row of tubes.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator operatively coupled to the movable mount to move the second row of tubes between the aligned position and the non-aligned position.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 9 , further comprising a control system configured to activate the actuator to move the second row of tubes between the aligned position and the non-aligned position based on at least one operating parameter of at least one of the heat exchanger and a machine to which the heat exchanger is operatively coupled.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 10 , wherein the machine includes at least one of a gas turbine system and a steam turbine system.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the first row of tubes and a plurality of the second row of tubes.

13. A combined cycle power plant (CCPP), comprising:
a gas turbine system;
a steam turbine system; and
a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) coupled to the gas turbine system to create steam for the steam turbine system using an exhaust of the gas turbine system, wherein the HRSG includes:
a casing configured to direct the exhaust therethrough;
a plurality of heat exchange tubes fluidly coupled to a water/steam header and positioned within the casing, the plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged into a first row of tubes and a second row of tubes;
a fixed mount fixedly positioning the first row of tubes relative to the casing; and
a movable mount operatively coupled to the second row of tubes, the movable mount movable between an aligned position in which heat exchange tubes in the second row of tubes are aligned with heat exchange tubes in the first row of tubes, creating a linear flow path for the exhaust through the plurality of heat exchange tubes, and a non-aligned position in which heat exchange tubes in the second row of tubes are not aligned with heat exchange tubes in the first row of tubes, creating a curvilinear flow path for the exhaust through the plurality of heat exchange tubes,
wherein heat is exchanged between the exhaust and a water/steam flow passing through the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

14. The CCPP of claim 13 , wherein the fixed mount includes:
a first opening for each respective heat exchange tube in the first row of tubes, each first opening configured to position a respective first heat exchange tube in a fixed position; and
a second opening for each respective heat exchange tube in the second row of tubes, each second opening configured to allow movement of a respective heat exchange tube between the aligned position and the non-aligned position, and
wherein the movable mount is operatively coupled to each heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes to move the second row of tubes within the second openings between the aligned position and the non-aligned position,
wherein each second opening has a first extent configured to position a respective heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes in the aligned position and a contiguous second extent configured to position the respective heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes in the non-aligned position, and
wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes is arranged to extend in a substantially horizontal arrangement within the casing, and the exhaust flows in a generally vertical direction.

15. The CCPP of claim 13 , wherein the fixed mount includes a first mounting member including a seat for each heat exchange tube of the first row of tubes, the first mounting member fixed to the casing;
wherein the movable mount includes a second mounting member including a seat for each heat exchange tube of the second row of tubes, the second mounting member movable relative to the casing to move the second row of tubes between the aligned and non-aligned positions, and
wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes is arranged to extend in a substantially vertical arrangement within the casing, and the exhaust flows in a generally horizontal direction.

16. The CCPP of claim 13 , wherein each of the p

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bairley Donald William
• Magee Jeffrey Frederick
• Pschirer James

Classifications

• F28F9/26

  Arrangements for connecting different sections of heat-exchange elements, e.g. of radiators (connecting different sections in water heaters F24H9/14 {, connecting headers with inlet or outlet fittings F28F9/0246}) · CPC title

• F28D7/0066 Primary

  Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids (F28D7/103 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02C6/18

  using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) · CPC title

• Y02E20/16

  Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] · CPC title

• F28F27/02

  for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels ({static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026}; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12) · CPC title