Helically baffled heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020378697-A1
Application number	US-201916428582-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heat exchanger including a shell having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of baffles, such as elliptical sector-shaped baffles, each mounted in the shell at a helix angle HB to guide a fluid flow into a helical pattern through the shell. Each of the plurality of baffles includes an outer circumferential edge, a proximal radial edge, a distal radial edge, a proximal side, a distal side, and a plurality of spaced apart holes that are traversed by a plurality of axially extending tubes. Each of the first plurality of seal strips is disposed from a proximal of the plurality of baffles to a distal of the plurality of baffles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
a shell having a longitudinal axis and configured to receive a first fluid; a plurality of baffles each mounted in the shell at a helix angle H B to guide a first fluid flow into a helical pattern through the shell, wherein each of the plurality of baffles comprises:
an outer circumferential edge longitudinally spaced apart from the outer circumferential edge positions of the rest of the plurality of baffles;
a proximal radial edge spaced from a distal radial edge;
a proximal side opposite from a distal side; and
a plurality of spaced apart holes configured to be traversed by a plurality of axially extending tubes configured to carry a second fluid; and
a first plurality of seal strips, each having a first end and a second end, radially disposed between the shell and the plurality of axially extending tubes and each respectively positioned between any two adjacent baffles; wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips is disposed from a proximal of the plurality of baffles to a distal of the plurality of baffles at a helix angle H s that is greater than 5° and less than the baffle helix angle H B , where the helix angles H B and H s are defined as the angle of the respective baffle or seal strip relative to the longitudinal axis of the shell.

2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the seal strips, in part, are configured in part to direct a flow of fluid helically toward the outlet and in part to direct a flow of fluid away from the shell and toward the plurality of axially extending tubes.

3 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plurality of seal strips are disposed from a distal side of a first baffle from adjacent to a proximal radial edge of the first baffle to a proximal side of a second baffle adjacent to a distal radial edge of the second baffle, wherein the first and second baffles are located in a same sector or quadrant; or the first plurality of seal strips are disposed from a distal side of a first baffle from intermediate the proximal radial edge and distal radial edge of the first baffle to a proximal side of a second baffle intermediate a proximal radial edge and a distal radial edge of the second baffle, wherein the second baffle is located in a different sector or quadrant than the first baffle.

4 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first end of each of the first plurality of seal strips is coupled to the distal side of a first of the plurality of baffles, and wherein the second end of each of the first plurality of seal strips is coupled to the proximal side of a second of the plurality of baffles.

5 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of baffles are elliptical sector-shaped baffles.

6 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of seal strips have an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the first plurality of seal strips are angled from the outer surface to the inner surface by an angle from orthogonal to the shell in the direction defined from a proximal radial edge to a distal radial edge of the one of the plurality of baffles.

7 . The heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips is angled by 15° up to 45° from orthogonal to the shell.

8 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of each of the first plurality of seal strips is disposed substantially proximate to an inner surface of the shell.

9 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of each of the first plurality of seal strips is spaced from an outer surface of a closest tube of the plurality of axially extending tubes by a distance that is equal to a distance between outer diameters of two adjacent tubes of the plurality of axially extending tubes.

10 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of baffles includes at least one of the first plurality of seal strips coupled to the proximal side and at least one of the first plurality of seal strips coupled to the distal side.

11 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips coupled to the distal side of each of the plurality of baffles is offset rotationally about the longitudinal axis from each of the plurality of seal strips coupled to the proximal side of each of the plurality of baffles.

12 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips have a curved outer diameter with a curvature that is elliptical and/or wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips have a curved inner diameter with a curvature that is elliptical.

13 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips has a width, outer diameter minus inner diameter, that varies along a length, first end to second end, of the seal strip, and/or wherein each of the first plurality of seal strips has a depth, proximal side to distal side, that varies along the width or the length of the seal strip.

14 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein an equal number of seal strips are coupled to each baffle of the plurality of baffles.

15 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a number of seal strips per rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shell is a multiple of a number of baffles per rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shell.

16 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of seal strips are formed of steel.

17 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second plurality of seal strips, each having a first end and a second end radially disposed between the shell and the plurality of axially extending tubes and each respectively positioned between any two baffles, wherein each of the second plurality of seal strips is disposed from a proximal of the plurality of baffles to a distal of the plurality of baffles at a helix angle H 2s that is greater than 5°, different than helix angle H s , and less than the baffle helix angle H B , where the helix angles H B , H s , H 2s are defined as the angle of the respective baffle or seal strip relative to the longitudinal axis of the shell.

18 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second plurality of seal strips, each having a first end and a second end radially disposed between the shell and the plurality of axially extending tubes and each respectively positioned between any two adjacent baffles, wherein each of the second plurality of seal strips is disposed from a proximal radial edge of a baffle to a distal radial edge of the adjacent baffles.

19 . The heat exchanger of claim 18 , wherein an inner surface of each of the second plurality of seal strips is spaced from an outer surface of a closest tube of the plurality of axially extending tubes by a distance that is equal to a distance between outer diameters of two adjacent tubes of the plurality of axially extending tubes.

20 . A method of assembling of a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
providing a center rod having a longitudinal axis; mounting a plurality of elliptical sector-shaped baffles to the center rod at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the center rod such that a helical pattern is formed by the plurality of baffles, wherein each of the plurality of baffles comprises:
an outer circumferential edge longitudinally spaced apart from the outer circumferential edge positions of the rest of the plurality of baffles;
a proximal radial edge spaced from a distal radial edge;
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Assignees

• Lummus Technology Inc

Inventors

• Macedo Eric Drew
• Jibb Richard John
• Elsayed Sherif
• O'Sullivan Melanie

Classifications

• F28F2009/228

  Oblique partitions · CPC title

• F28F11/00

  Arrangements for sealing leaky tubes and conduits (stopping flow from or in pipes in general F16L55/10) · CPC title

• F28D7/16 Primary

  the conduits being arranged in parallel spaced relation ({F28D7/0008 - F28D7/0058 take precedence}; F28D7/02 - F28D7/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F9/22 Primary

  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