Heat exchanger for the cooling of hot gases and heat exchange system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9453684-B2
Application number	US-201113976838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2011
Priority date	Dec 29, 2010
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A heat exchanger for the cooling of hot gases by means of a cooling fluid includes at least one vertically oriented tank containing a cooling fluid bath and having a collection space of the vapor phase generated above said cooling fluid bath, at least one vertical tubular element inserted inside said tank, and submerged in the bath open at the ends and coaxial to the tank, at least one spiral duct which rotates around the axis of the tank, inserted in the coaxial tubular element, at least one outlet for the vapor phase generated on the head of tank, wherein at least one transfer line is inserted in the lower part of the vertical tank for feeding the hot gases to the tank, the transfer line being open at the two ends, of which one is connected with the vertical tank and the other is free and outside the tank, the transfer line being tubular and protruding laterally outside the exchanger, the transfer line containing at least one central internal duct having an outer jacket in which a cooling fluid circulates, said central internal duct being in fluid connection with the spiral duct and developing vertically along the tubular element inserted in the vertical tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger for the cooling of hot gases by means of a cooling fluid, said exchanger comprising:
at least one vertically oriented tank containing a cooling fluid bath and having a collection space of the vapour phase generated above said cooling fluid bath,
at least one vertical tubular element inserted inside said tank, and submerged in the bath open at the ends and coaxial to said tank,
at least one spiral duct which turns around the axis of the tank, inserted in said coaxial tubular element, and
at least one outlet for the vapour phase generated on the head of said tank,
wherein at least one transfer line is inserted in the lower part of the vertical tank for feeding the hot gases to said tank,
said transfer line being open at the two ends, of which one is connected with the vertical tank and the other is free and outside said tank,
said transfer line being tubular and protruding laterally outside said exchanger,
said transfer line containing at least one central internal duct having an outer jacket in which a cooling fluid circulates,
said central internal duct receives the hot gases and is in fluid connection with the spiral duct and wherein the central internal duct develops vertically along the tubular element inserted in the vertical tank and wherein the jacket of the central internal duct also comprises a septum for allowing the internal circulation of the cooling fluid and wherein the septum contained in the jacket develops for the whole length of the central internal duct as far as the upper end of said central internal duct.

2. The exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer line also contains a conically-shaped interspace which divides the water bath into two spaces, one space open towards the vertical tank and one space open towards the free and open end of said transfer line.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein said transfer line is horizontal or tilted.

4. The exchanger according to claim 1 , which also comprises a connection line between the bottom of the vertical tank and the transfer line.

5. The exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein at least one means for circulating the cooling fluid is present on the connection line.

6. The exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein the means for circulating the cooling fluid is a circulation pump or an ejector fed by a circulation pump.

7. The exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the central internal duct is tubular.

8. The exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the jacket is tubular and coaxial to the central internal duct.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the septum is tubular and coaxial to the central internal duct.

10. The exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid is water.

11. The exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the hot gas is synthesis gas.

12. A thermal exchange system comprising at least one reaction apparatus for catalytic partial oxidation and the exchanger according to claim 1 , said reaction apparatus comprising:
a feeding area comprising at least one access for the reagents and oxidant,
a nebulization and/or vaporization area comprising at least one nebulization and/or vaporization device,
a mixing area of the compounds fed, situated downstream of the nebulization and/or vaporization device, having a constant or decreasing section along the axis of the apparatus,
a reaction area containing at least one catalytic system and at least one thermal shield in which reagents and oxidant are converted into hot gases, and
a rapid cooling area of the hot gases produced,
wherein the transfer line for feeding to the exchanger said hot gases coming from the reaction apparatus, to the exchanger, is directly inserted inside said reaction apparatus.

13. The thermal exchange system according to claim 12 , wherein the reaction area has a constant or increasing section along the axis of the reaction apparatus.

14. The thermal exchange system according to claim 12 , wherein the transfer line of the hot gases is inserted in the rapid cooling area of the reaction equipment.

15. The thermal exchange system according to claim 12 , wherein the mixing area has a cylindrical or truncated-conical form.

16. The thermal exchange system according to claim 12 , wherein the reaction area has a cylindrical or truncated-conical or truncated-pyramidal form.

17. A catalytic partial oxidation process for the production of synthesis gas and hydrogen starting from reagents selected from liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons, and/or oxygenated compounds, also deriving from biomasses, and mixtures thereof, comprising:
a pre-heating phase of said reagents,
a reaction phase of the reagents with an oxidizing stream selected from oxygen, air or enriched air to give a stream comprising synthesis gas,
a rapid cooling phase of the synthesis gas, and
wherein the rapid cooling of the synthesis gas is effected using the exchanger according to the claims from 1 to 11.

18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the oxidizing agent is oxygen and the reaction temperature ranges from 500° C. to 2,000° C.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the reaction temperature ranges from 750° C. to 1,600° C.

Assignees

• Wilhelm Alfred Joachim
• Basini Luca Eugenio
• Eni Spa

Inventors

• Wilhelm Alfred Joachim
• Basini Luca Eugenio

Classifications

• C01B2203/0283

  containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step · CPC title

• F28D7/024 Primary

  the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration · CPC title

• F28D7/02 Primary

  the conduits being helically coiled (F28D7/10 takes precedence {F28D7/0016 and F28D7/0033 take precedence}) · CPC title

• C01B3/48

  followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide · CPC title

• Y02P30/20

  using bio-feedstock · CPC title