Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
  • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
  • F28D1/0206—Heat exchangers immersed in a large body of liquid
  • F28D1/022—Heat exchangers immersed in a large body of liquid for immersion in a natural body of water, e.g. marine radiators
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D9/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B3/00—Hulls characterised by their structure or component parts
  • B63B3/14—Hull parts
  • B63B3/38—Keels
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H21/00—Use of propulsion power plant or units on vessels
  • B63H21/38—Apparatus or methods specially adapted for use on marine vessels, for handling power plant or unit liquids, e.g. lubricants, coolants, fuels or the like
  • B63H21/383—Apparatus or methods specially adapted for use on marine vessels, for handling power plant or unit liquids, e.g. lubricants, coolants, fuels or the like for handling cooling-water
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
  • F01P3/00—Liquid cooling
  • F01P3/20—Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine
  • F01P3/207—Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine liquid-to-liquid heat-exchanging relative to marine vessels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
  • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
  • F28D1/04—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits
  • F28D1/053—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being straight
  • F28D1/0535—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being straight the conduits having a non-circular cross-section
  • F28D1/05366—Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F1/00—Tubular elements; Assemblies of tubular elements
  • F28F1/02—Tubular elements of cross-section which is non-circular
  • F28F1/04—Tubular elements of cross-section which is non-circular polygonal, e.g. rectangular
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
  • F28F9/02—Header boxes; End plates
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
  • F28F9/02—Header boxes; End plates
  • F28F9/0219—Arrangements for sealing end plates into casing or header box; Header box sub-elements
  • F28F9/0224—Header boxes formed by sealing end plates into covers
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
  • F28F9/02—Header boxes; End plates
  • F28F9/0246—Arrangements for connecting header boxes with flow lines

Definitions

• This invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to heat exchangers for cooling engines, generators, gear boxes and other heat generating sources in industrial apparatuses having fluid cooled heat sources, such as marine vessels.
• the invention more particularly relates to open heat exchangers (where heat transfer tubes are exposed to the ambient cooling or heating fluid, rather than being in a shell to shell container holding the cooling or heating fluid) used for cooling heat sources, where the heat exchangers are efficient, and thus have lower weight and volume compared to other heat exchangers known in the art.
• the heat exchanger according to the invention could be used as a heater, wherein relatively cool fluid absorbs heat through the heat transfer tubes.
• Heat generating sources in industrial applications such as marine vessels are often cooled by water, other fluids or water mixed with other fluids.
• the cooling fluid or coolant flows through the engine or other heat generating source where the coolant picks up heat, and then flows to another part of the plumbing circuit.
• the heat must be transferred from the coolant to the ambient surroundings, such as the body of water in which the vessel is located.
• ambient water pumped through the engine is a sufficient coolant.
• ambient water pumped through the engine may continue to provide good cooling of the engine, but also serves as a source of significant contamination damage to the engine.
• One apparatus for cooling the engine of a vessel is channel steel, which is basically a large quantity of shaped steel which is welded to the bottom of the hull of a vessel for conveying engine coolant and transferring heat from the coolant to the ambient water.
• Channel steel has severe limitations: it is very inefficient, requiring a large amount of steel in order to obtain the required cooling effect; it is very expensive to attach to a vessel, since it must be welded to the hull - a very labor intensive operation; since channel steel is very heavy, the engine must be large enough to carry the channel steel, rendering both the initial equipment costs and the operating costs very high; the larger, more powerful engines of today are required to carry added channel steel for their cooling capacity with only a relatively small amount of room on the hull to carry it; the payload capacity is decreased; the large amount of channel steel is expensive; and finally, channel steel is inadequate for the present and future demands for cooling modern day, marine vessels. Even though channel steel is the most widely used heat exchanger for vessels, segments of the marine industry are abandoning channel steel and using smaller keel coolers for new construction to overcome the limitations cited earlier.
• a keel cooler was developed in the 1940's and is described in U.S. Patent No. 2,382,218 (Fernstrum).
• the Fernstrum patent describes a heat exchanger for attachment to a marine hull structure which is composed of a pair of spaced headers secured to the hull, and a plurality of heat conduction tubes, each of whose cross- section is rectangular, which extend between the headers. Cylindrical plumbing through the hull connects the headers to coolant flow lines extending from the engine or other heat source. Hot coolant leaves the engine, and runs into a heat exchanger header located beneath the water level (the water level refers to the water level preferably below the aerated water, i.e.
• the coolant then flows through the rectangular heat conduction tubes and goes to the opposite header, from which the cooled coolant returns to the engine.
• the headers and the heat conduction tubes are disposed in the ambient water, and heat transferred from the coolant, travels through the walls of the heat conduction tubes and the headers, and into the ambient water.
• the rectangular tubes connecting the two headers are spaced fairly close to each other, to create a large heat flow surface area, while maintaining a relatively compact size and shape.
• these keel coolers are disposed in recesses on the bottom of the hull of a vessel, and sometimes are mounted on the side of the vessel, but in all cases below the water line.
• the foregoing keel cooler is referred to as a one-piece keel cooler, since it is an integral unit with its major components welded or brazed in place.
• the one-piece keel cooler is generally installed and removed in its entirety.
• the keel cooler is a multiple-pass keel cooler where the headers and heat conduction tubes are arranged to allow at least one 180° change in the direction of flow, and the inlet and outlet ports may be located in the same header.
• the rectangular heat exchangers of the prior art have the outward shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having headers at their opposite ends. These headers have opposing end walls which are pe ⁇ endicular to the hull of the vessel and parallel to each other, and act as a barrier to ambient water flow relative to the keel cooler as the vessel with the heat exchanger travels through the water.
• the pe ⁇ endicular header walls are responsible for the creation of dead spots (lack of ambient water flow) on the heat exchanger surfaces, which largely reduce the amount of heat transfer occurring at the dead spots.
• the pe ⁇ endicular walls diminish the flow of ambient water between the heat conduction tubes, which reduces or diminishes the amount of heat which can be transferred between the coolant in the tubes and the ambient water.
• the beveled header contributes to the increase of the overall heat transfer efficiency of the keel cooler according to the invention, since the ambient water is caused to flow towards and between the respective heat conduction tubes, rendering the heat transfer substantially higher than in the keel cooler presently being used.
• This increase in heat transfer is due at least in part to the increase in turbulence in the flow of ambient water across the forward header and along and between the coolant flow tubes.
• keel coolers for vessels are the requirement that they take up as small an area on the vessel as possible, while fulfilling or exceeding their heat exchange requirement with minimized pressure drops in coolant flow.
• the area on the vessel hull which is used to accommodate a keel cooler is referred to in the art as the footprint.
• keel coolers with the smallest footprint and least internal pressure drops are desirable.
• One of the reasons that the keel cooler described above with the rectangular heat conduction tubes has become so popular, is because of the small footprint it requires when compared with other keel coolers.
• keel coolers according to the design of rectangular tubed keel coolers presently being used have been found by the present inventors to be larger than necessary both in terms of size and the related internal pressure drop.
• keel coolers having smaller footprints and lower internal pressure drops are possible.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved heat exchanger for industrial applications which is more efficient than heat exchangers presently known and used.
• a further object is to provide an improved one-piece heat exchanger which reduces the pressure drop of coolant flowing therethrough.
• a still further object of the present invention is to provide a new one-piece heat exchanger having rectangular shaped heat conduction tubes which has enhanced durability compared to keel coolers presently on the market.
• a related object of the invention is to provide an improved heat exchanger and headers thereof which is capable of deflecting debris more readily, and for presenting a smaller target to debris in the ambient water.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved one-piece keel cooler which is easier to install on vessels than corresponding keel coolers presently on the market.
• Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece heat exchanger and a header having a lower weight, and therefore lower cost, than corresponding one-piece heat exchangers presently in use.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece heat exchanger and headers thereof having rectangular heat conduction tubes having a lower pressure drop in coolant flowing through the heat exchanger than corresponding heat exchangers presently known.
• Another object of the present invention is the provision of a one-piece heat exchanger for a vessel, for use as a retrofit for previously installed one-piece heat exchangers which will su ⁇ ass the overall heat transfer performance and provide lower pressure drops than the prior units without requiring additional plumbing, or requiring additional space requirements, to accommodate a greater heat output.
• Another object is to provide an improved header for a one-piece heat exchanger with rectangular coolant flow tubes which reduces the dead spots which have heretofore reduced the heat transfer capabilities of one-piece heat exchangers, the dead spots reducing the flow of ambient water around and between the coolant flow tubes.
• a further object of the invention is to provide an improved header for a one- piece keel cooler with rectangular coolant flow tubes, by reducing the likelihood of damage to the header from striking debris and underwater objects which could damage the keel cooler.
• Another object is to provide a header for a one-piece heat exchanger which provides for enhanced heat exchange between the coolant and the ambient cooling medium such as water.
• a general object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece heat exchanger and headers thereof which is efficient and effective in manufacture and use.
• the invention to which this application is directed is a one-piece heat exchanger, i.e. heat exchangers having two headers which are integral with coolant flow tubes. It is particularly applicable to heat exchangers used on marine vessels as discussed earlier, which in that context are also called keel coolers. However, heat exchangers according to the present invention can also be used for cooling heat generating sources (or heating cool or cold fluid) in other situations such as industrial and scientific equipment, and therefore the term heat exchangers covers the broader description of the product discussed herein.
• the heat exchanger includes two headers, and one or more coolant flow tubes integral with the header.
• keel coolers use ambient water as the cooling medium, the broader term for a cooling medium is a heat sink or a fluid heat sink.
• FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a heat exchanger on a vessel in the water.
• FIGURE 2 is a side view of an engine for a vessel having a one-piece keel cooler according to the prior art installed on the vessel and connected to the engine;
• FIGURE 3 is a pictorial view of a keel cooler according to the prior art;
• FIGURE 4 is a partial pictorial view of a partially cut-away header and a portion of the coolant flow tubes of a one-piece keel cooler according to the prior art;
• FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a keel cooler according to the prior art, showing a header and part of the coolant flow tubes;
• FIGURE 6 is a side, cross-sectional, partial view of a portion of one-piece keel cooler according to the invention, showing a header and part of the coolant flow tubes;
• FIGURE 7 is a pictorial view of a portion of a one-piece keel cooler according to the invention, with portions cut away;
• FIGURE 8 is a pictorial view of a header and part of the coolant flow tubes of a one-piece keel cooler according to the invention.
• FIGURE 9 is a side view of part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 8;
• FIGURE 10 is a front view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 8;
• FIGURE 11 is a partial bottom view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 8;
• FIGURE 12 is a side view of a portion of a header according to the invention showing the flow lines of ambient water;
• FIGURE 13 is a pictorial view of a keel cooler according to the invention.
• FIGURE 1 The fundamental components of a heat exchanger system for a water going vessel are shown in FIGURE 1.
• the system includes a heat source 1 , a heat exchanger 3, a pipe 5 for conveying the hot coolant from heat source 1 to heat exchanger 3, and a pipe 7 for conveying cooled coolant from heat exchanger 3 to heat source 1.
• Heat source 1 could be an engine, a generator or other heat source for the vessel.
• Heat exchanger 3 could be a one-piece keel cooler (since only one-piece keel coolers are discussed herein, they are generally only referred to herein as "keel coolers.") Heat exchanger 3 is located in the ambient water, below the water line (i.e. below the aerated water line), and heat from the hot coolant is transferred through the walls of heat exchanger 3 and expelled into the cooler ambient water.
• FIGURE 2 shows a heat exchanger 11 mounted on a vessel, for transferring heat from the coolant flowing from an engine or other heat source 13 to the ambient water. Coolant flows from one of lines 14 or 15 from engine 13 to keel cooler 1 1. and back through the other flow pipe from keel cooler 1 1 to engine 13. Keel cooler 1 1 is attached to, but spaced from the hull of vessel.
• a keel cooler 17 according to the prior are is shown in FIGURE 3. It includes a pair of headers 19, 21 at opposite ends of a set of parallel, rectangular coolant flow tubes 23, having interior tubes 25 and two exterior tubes (discussed below). A pair of nozzles 27, 28 conduct coolant into and out of keel cooler 17. Nozzles 27, 28 have cylindrical threaded connectors 29, 30, and nipples 31, 32 at the ends of the nozzles. Headers 19, 21 have a generally prismatic construction, and their ends 34, 35 are pe ⁇ endicular to the parallel planes in which the upper and lower surfaces of tubes 23 are located. Keel cooler 17 is connected to the hull of a vessel through which nozzles 27 and 28 extend.
• Large gaskets 36, 37 each have one side against headers 19, 21 respectively, and the other side engages the hull of the vessel.
• Rubber washers 38, 39 are disposed on the inside of the hull when keel cooler 17 is installed on a vessel, and metal washers 40, 41 sit on rubber washers 38, 39.
• Nuts 42, 43 which typically are made from metal compatible with the nozzle, screw down on sets of threads 44, 45 on connectors 29, 30 to tighten the gaskets and rubber washers against the hull to hold keel cooler 17 in place and seal the hull penetrations from leaks
• Keel cooler 17 is composed of the set of parallel heat conduction or coolant flow tubes 23 and the header or manifold 19.
• Nozzle 27 is connected to header 19 as described below.
• Nozzle 27 has nipple 31 , and connector 29 has threads 44 as described above, as well as washer 40 and nut 42.
• Nipple 31 of nozzle 27 is normally brazed or welded inside of a connector 29 which extends inside the hull.
• Header 19 has an upper wall or roof 47, outer back wall 34, and a bottom wall or floor 48.
• Header 19 includes a series of fingers 52 which are inclined with respect to tubes 23, and define spaces to receive ends 55 of interior tubes 25.
• header 19 further includes an inclined surface 49 composed of fingers 52. End portions 55 of interior tubes 25 extend through surface 49.
• Interior tubes 25 are brazed or welded to fingers 52 to form a continuous surface.
• a flange 56 surrounds an inside orifice 57 through which nozzle 27 extends and is provided for helping support nozzle 27 in a pe ⁇ endicular position on the header 19.
• Flange 56 engages a reinforcement plate 58 on the underside of wall 47.
• the terms “upper”, “inner”, “downward”, “end” etc. refer to the heat exchanger, keel cooler or header as viewed in a horizontal position as shown in FIGURE 5. This is done realizing that these units, such as when used on water going vessels, can be mounted on the side of the vessel, or inclined on the fore or aft end of the hull, or various other positions.
• Each exterior side wall of header 19 is comprised of an exterior or outer rectangular tube, one of which is indicated by numeral 60 in FIGURE 4.
• the outer tubes extend into header 19.
• FIGURES 4 and 5 show both sides of outside tube wall 61. Both sides of interior wall 65 are shown in FIGURE 4 and 5.
• a circular orifice 69 is shown extending through interior wall 65 of the outside rectangular tube of keel cooler 17, and is provided for carrying coolant flowing through the outside tube into or out of header 19.
• nozzle 27 can either be an inlet conduit for receiving hot coolant from the engine whose flow is indicated by the arrow A in FIGURE 5, or be an outlet conduit for receiving cooled coolant from header 19 for circulation back to the heat source.
• FIGURE 4 also shows that keel cooler header 19 has a drainage orifice 71 for receiving a correspondingly threaded and removable plug. The contents of keel cooler 17 can be removed through orifice 71.
• outer back wall 34 and floor 48 are formed at right angles.
• This configuration has led to a number of disadvantages, previously unrecognized by those designing and working on keel coolers.
• the vertical wall acts as an obstruction to the flow of ambient water, and diminishes the amount of ambient water which is able to flow between and around tubes 23.
• vertical wall 34 serves as an obstruction to debris in the ambient water and absorbs the full impact of the debris leading to potential damage to the keel cooler.
• having wall 34 and floor 48 defining a right angle increases the amount of material used for keel cooler 17, which adds to its expense.
• Most keel coolers are made from 90-10 copper-nickel (or some other material having a large amount of copper), which is a relatively expensive material.
• significant drag is created by the resistance which the vertical wall presents to ambient water.
• gaskets 36, 37 are provided for three essential pu ⁇ oses: (1) they insulate the header to prevent galvanic corrosion, (2) they eliminate infiltration of ambient water into the vessel, and (3) they permit heat transfer in the space between the keel cooler tubes and the vessel by creating a distance of separation between the heat exchanger and the vessel hull, allowing ambient water to flow through that space.
• Gaskets 36, 37 are generally made from a polymeric substance. In typical situations, gaskets 36, 37 are between one quarter inch and three quarter inches thick. Keel cooler 17 is installed on a vessel as explained above.
• the plumbing from the vessel is attached by means of hoses to nipple 31 and connector 29 and to nipple 32 and connector 30.
• a cofferdam or sea chest (part of the vessel) at each end (not shown) contains both the portion of the nozzle 27 and nut 42 directly inside the hull. Sea chests are provided to prevent the flow of ambient water into the vessel should the keel cooler be severely damaged or torn away, where ambient water would otherwise flow with little restriction into the vessel at the penetration location.
• the embodiment includes a keel cooler 200 with coolant flow tubes (or heat transfer fluid flow tubes, since in some instances the fluid may be heated instead of cooled) 202 having a generally rectangular cross section.
• a header 204 is an integral part of keel cooler 200.
• Tubes 202 include interior or inner coolant flow tubes 206 and outermost or exterior tubes 208.
• a nozzle 27 having nipple 31 and threaded connector 29, are the same as those described earlier and are attached to the header.
• Header 204 includes an upper wall or roof 210, a beveled closed end portion 212 having an end wall 214 transverse to (and preferably pe ⁇ endicular to) upper wall 210 and a beveled, bottom wall 216 beginning at end wall 214 and terminating at a generally flat lower wall 217.
• Beveled wall 216 should be greater in length (from end wall 214 to lower wall 217) than the height of end wall 214.
• An interior wall 218 (FIGURES 6-7) of exterior or outermost rectangular flow tube 208 has an orifice 220 (one per header for each tube 208) which is provided as a coolant flow port for coolant flowing between the chamber of header 204 and outer flow tubes 208 (The chamber is defined by upper wall 210, an inclined surface or inner end or inlet end portion 229, beveled bottom wall 216, lower wall 217 and end wall 214). Header 204 also has an anode assembly (not shown) for reducing corrosion of the keel cooler.
• keel cooler 200 includes rectangular tubes 202 with interior tubes 206 and outermost tubes 208, and inner wall 218 (with orifice 220) of the outermost tubes.
• the open ends or inlets or ports for interior tubes 206 are shown by numerals 227.
• Tubes 206 join header 204 through inclined surface 229 (FIGURE 6) on the opposite part of header 204 from beveled wall 216.
• Exterior tubes 208 have outer walls 230, part of which are also the side walls of header 204.
• a gasket 232 similar to and for the same pu ⁇ ose as gasket 36, is disposed on roof 210.
• the angle of beveled wall 216 is an important part of the present invention. As discussed herein, the angle, designated as ⁇ (theta), is appropriately measured from the plane pe ⁇ endicular to the longitudinal direction of coolant flow tubes 202 and located at the part of the closed end portion of header 204 spaced furthest from the set of open ends or ports 227 of tubes 206, i.e. from end wall 214, to beveled wall 216. Angle ⁇ is described as an exterior angle, since it is exterior to end wall 214 and beveled bottom wall 216; it is measured from a plane pe ⁇ endicular to the longitudinal axes of the flow tubes 202 and roof 210, and it is along end wall 214 at the beginning of beveled bottom wall 216.
• angle ⁇ The factors for determining angle ⁇ are to maintain the center to center distance of the nozzle spacing, to maintain the overall length of the keel cooler, to provide vertical drop beneath the roof of the header so that the header can hold the anode insert, to keep the anode assembly from extending longitudinally beyond wall 5 214, and to allow for the maximum length of heat transfer tubing (and the associated reduction of the length of the header). Angle ⁇ could be affected by the size of orifice 220, but generally the other factors limit angle ⁇ before the orifice would affect it.
• beveled wall 216 Another important aspect to beveled wall 216 is the manner in which it directs the flow of ambient water over and between the exterior walls of coolant flow tubes
• FIGURE 12 which shows a side view of keel cooler 200, arrows
• FIGS 3 - 5 show the flow pattern of ambient water across keel cooler 200 as the keel cooler moves to the right through the ambient water.
• Arrows B show that the water impinges on beveled wall 216, flows around the beveled wall, and, due to the drop in pressure, along inclined surface 229 and up and between coolant flow tubes 202.
• This flow is 0 turbulent which greatly increases the transfer of heat from the heat conduction tubes as compared to the prior art shown in FIGURES 3 - 5, yielding a more efficient and effective heat exchanger than those of the prior art.
• Keel coolers according to the invention are used as they have been in the prior art, and inco ⁇ orate two headers which are connected by an array of parallel coolant 5 flow tubes.
• a common keel cooler according to the invention is shown in FIGURE 13, which illustrates a keel cooler 200' having opposing headers 204 like the one shown in FIGURE 7.
• the headers shown have the identical numbers to those shown in FIGURE 7.
• Heated coolant fluid flows into one nozzle 27 from a heat source in the vessel, then flows through one header 204, the coolant flow tubes 202, the other 0 header 204, the other nozzle 27, and the cooled coolant flows back to the heat source in the vessel. While flowing through headers 204 and coolant flow tubes 202, the coolant transfers heat to the ambient water. All of the advantages of the beveled wall
• the keel coolers described above show nozzles for transferring heat transfer fluid into or out of the headers.
• there are other means for transferring fluid into or out of the headers for example, in flange mounted keel coolers, there are one or more conduits such as pipes extending from the hull and from the keel cooler having end flanges for connection together to establish a heat transfer fluid flow path.
• a gasket is inte ⁇ osed between the flanges.

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• 2000
  • 2000-10-26 WO PCT/US2000/041599 patent/WO2001031264A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2000-10-26 CN CNB008148112A patent/CN1270938C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-10-26 EP EP00990445A patent/EP1242278A4/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-10-26 AU AU27472/01A patent/AU2747201A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-10-26 BR BRPI0015212-9A patent/BR0015212B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-26 KR KR1020027005240A patent/KR20020047266A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-10-26 CA CA002389845A patent/CA2389845C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2002
  • 2002-04-11 ZA ZA200202796A patent/ZA200202796B/en unknown

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