Indirect Heat Exchanger Pressure Vessel with Controlled Wrinkle Bends

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022228817-A1
Application number	US-202217576061-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 18, 2021
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect of the present disclosure, an indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel is provided that includes an inlet header to receive a pressurized working fluid, such as water, glycol, ammonia, and/or CO2. The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel includes an outlet header to collect the pressurized working fluid and a serpentine circuit tube connecting the inlet and outlet headers. The serpentine circuit tube permits the pressurized working fluid to flow from the inlet header to the outlet header. The serpentine circuit tube includes runs and a return bend connecting the runs. The return bend has a controlled wrinkled portion comprising alternating ridges and grooves. The alternating ridges and grooves strengthen the return bend and permit the indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel to facilitate working fluid heat transfer at a high internal operating pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel comprising:
an inlet header to receive a pressurized working fluid; an outlet header to collect the pressurized working fluid; a serpentine circuit tube connecting the inlet and outlet headers and permitting the pressurized working fluid to flow from the inlet header to the outlet header; the serpentine circuit tube comprising runs and a return bend connecting the runs; the return bend having a controlled wrinkled portion; and the controlled wrinkled portion including alternating ridges and grooves.

2 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the inlet header, the outlet header, and the serpentine circuit tube are configured to operate at an internal pressure of at least 150 psig.

3 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the inlet header, the outlet header, and the serpentine circuit tube are configured to operate at an internal pressure of at least 410 psig.

4 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the inlet header, the outlet header, and the serpentine circuit tube are configured to operate at an internal pressure of at least 1200 psig.

5 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the serpentine circuit tube includes a pair of tangent points at junctures between the return bend and the runs of the serpentine circuit tube;
the return bend having a bend angle;
the controlled wrinkled portion of the return bend spaced from the tangent points along the serpentine circuit tube; and
wherein the controlled wrinkled portion of the return bend has an angular extent about an inside of the return bend that is less than the bend angle.

6 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the controlled wrinkled portion of the return bend includes a sinusoidal pattern at an intrados of the return bend, the sinusoidal pattern including peaks at the ridges and valleys at the grooves of the bend.

7 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 6 wherein the controlled wrinkled portion of the return bend includes an arc pattern intersecting the sinusoidal pattern of the bend, the arc pattern comprising:
peak arcs intersecting the peaks; and
valley arcs intersecting the valleys.

8 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 7 wherein the peak arc has a first radius of curvature and the valley arc has a second radius of curvature, wherein the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature are substantially the same.

9 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the ridges include end ridges adjacent the runs of the serpentine circuit tube; and
wherein at least one of the end ridges includes a tapered lead-in portion to smooth the flow of pressurized working fluid about the ridges and grooves.

10 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the return bend has a bend radius and includes a tubular side wall extending about an interior of the return bend;
wherein the tubular side wall includes:
a first semicircular inner wall portion at each ridge of the return bend, a first outer wall portion, and a pair of first connecting wall portions on opposite sides of the return bend interior connecting the first semicircular inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, wherein the first semicircular inner wall portion, outer wall portion, and the first connecting wall portions are radially aligned; and
a second semicircular inner wall portion at each groove of the return bend, a second outer wall portion, and a pair of connecting wall portions on opposite sides of the return bend interior connecting the second semicircular inner wall portion and the second outer wall portion, wherein the second semicircular inner wall portion, second outer wall portion, and the second connecting wall portions are radially aligned.

11 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 10 wherein the first semicircular inner wall portion has a first radius of curvature and the second semicircular wall portion has a second radius of curvature that is substantially the same as the first radius of curvature.

12 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 10 wherein the first semicircular inner wall portion has a first angular extent and the second semicircular inner wall portion has a second angular extent, wherein the first angular extent and the second angular extent are each greater than 90 degrees.

13 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 12 wherein the first angular extent is greater than the second angular extent.

14 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the runs of the serpentine circuit tube comprise a plurality of pairs of runs; and
wherein the return bend comprises a plurality of return bends connecting the pairs of runs.

15 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the return bend comprises:
a first bend including a first controlled wrinkled portion of the controlled wrinkled portion;
a second bend including a second controlled wrinkled portion of the controlled wrinkled portion; and
a straight portion of the serpentine circuit tube connecting the first and second bends.

16 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 15 wherein the first bend has a first bend angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees and the second bend has a second bend angle less than or equal to 90 degrees.

17 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the return bend comprises a plurality of return bends; and
wherein the return bends of the serpentine circuit tube have centerlines that are all coplanar.

18 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the return bend has a bend angle of 180 degrees and the controlled wrinkled portion of the bend has an arc length of less than or equal to 180 degrees

19 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the runs of the serpentine circuit tube include runs having a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

20 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the controlled wrinkle portion includes at least one tapered lead-in portion.

21 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the serpentine circuit tube has an outer diameter (OD), the serpentine circuit tube has a wall thickness (WT), and the return bend has a centerline radius (CLR);
wherein the return bend has a bend complexity factor (CB) given by the following equation:

C
B

=

OD
2

C
⁢
L
⁢
R
×
W
⁢
T

wherein the bend complexity factor is greater than or equal to 10.

22 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 21 wherein the bend complexity factor is less than or equal to 20.

23 . The indirect heat exchanger pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the serpentine circuit tube includes a plurality of

Assignees

• Baltimore Aircoil Co Inc

Inventors

• Parker Daniel E
• Damle Advait
• Morrison Frank T

Classifications

• F28D1/0477 Primary

  the conduits being bent in a serpentine or zig-zag · CPC title

• F28F2225/04

  for conduits · CPC title

• F28D7/085

  in the form of parallel conduits coupled by bent portions · CPC title

• F28D7/087

  assembled in arrays, each array being arranged in the same plane · CPC title

• F28F1/006 Primary

  with variable shape, e.g. with modified tube ends, with different geometrical features (F28F1/025, F28F1/06, F28F1/08, F28F9/16, F28F9/18 take precedence) · CPC title