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
  • F28D1/04—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
  • F28D1/05316—Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F22—STEAM GENERATION
  • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
  • F22B21/00—Water-tube boilers of vertical or steeply-inclined type, i.e. the water-tube sets being arranged vertically or substantially vertically
  • F22B21/02—Water-tube boilers of vertical or steeply-inclined type, i.e. the water-tube sets being arranged vertically or substantially vertically built-up from substantially straight water tubes
  • F22B21/20—Water-tube boilers of vertical or steeply-inclined type, i.e. the water-tube sets being arranged vertically or substantially vertically built-up from substantially straight water tubes involving sectional or subdivided headers in separate arrangement for each water-tube set
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F22—STEAM GENERATION
  • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
  • F22B29/00—Steam boilers of forced-flow type
  • F22B29/02—Steam boilers of forced-flow type of forced-circulation type
  • F22B29/023—Steam boilers of forced-flow type of forced-circulation type without drums, i.e. without hot water storage in the boiler
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F22—STEAM GENERATION
  • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
  • F22B37/00—Component parts or details of steam boilers
  • F22B37/02—Component parts or details of steam boilers applicable to more than one kind or type of steam boiler
  • F22B37/10—Water tubes; Accessories therefor
  • F22B37/20—Supporting arrangements, e.g. for securing water-tube sets
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F22—STEAM GENERATION
  • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
  • F22B37/00—Component parts or details of steam boilers
  • F22B37/02—Component parts or details of steam boilers applicable to more than one kind or type of steam boiler
  • F22B37/24—Supporting, suspending, or setting arrangements, e.g. heat shielding
  • F22B37/242—Supporting, suspending, or setting arrangements, e.g. heat shielding for bottom supported water-tube steam generators
• • 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
  • F28D1/0408—Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids
  • F28D1/0417—Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids with particular circuits for the same heat exchange medium, e.g. with the heat exchange medium flowing through sections having different heat exchange capacities or for heating/cooling the heat exchange medium at different temperatures
• • 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
  • F28D1/0408—Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids
  • F28D1/0426—Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids with units having particular arrangement relative to the large body of fluid, e.g. with interleaved units or with adjacent heat exchange units in common air flow or with units extending at an angle to each other or with units arranged around a central element
• • 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
  • F28F9/001—Casings in the form of plate-like arrangements; Frames enclosing a heat exchange core

Definitions

• the present invention relates, in general, to the field of heat exchangers and, more particularly, to a heat exchanger having an integral support structure and a structural framework for the support thereof.
• One aspect of the present invention is drawn to a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy into a working fluid, such as water.
• the heat exchanger is used to transform at least a portion of the water from the liquid phase into saturated or superheated steam.
• the heat exchanger of the present invention is advantageously comprised of an arrangement of heat transfer surfaces and fluid conveying conduits arranged in a particular fashion to transfer a desired amount of heat energy into the water.
• the heat transfer surfaces are advantageously made of tubes arranged into panels, and are provided with inlet and outlet headers as required.
• heat transfer surfaces which convey steam-water mixtures are commonly referred to as evaporative or boiler surfaces; heat transfer surfaces which convey steam therethrough are commonly referred to as superheating (or reheating, depending upon the associated steam turbine configuration) surfaces.
• the sizes of tubes, their material, diameter, wall thickness, number and arrangement are based upon temperature and pressure for service, according to applicable boiler design codes, such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section I, or equivalent other codes as required by law.
• ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Required heat transfer characteristics, pressure drop, circulation ratios, spot absorption rates, mass flow rates of the working fluid within the tubes, etc. are also important parameters which must be considered.
• applicable seismic loads and design codes are also considered.
• the heat exchanger is bottom supported from a base which is part of an arrangement of interconnected rigid members that surrounds the heat exchanger and forms a structural support framework which, together with the aforementioned integral support structure not only provides structural support and rigidity for the heat exchanger, but also a means by which the heat exchanger can be picked up and lifted for placement at a desired location.
• the structural support framework permits the entire assembly of the heat exchanger and the framework to be assembled on the ground and then lifted and set upon a tower during installation.
• the structural support framework remains with the heat exchanger, thereby facilitating (if nec ⁇ ssary) the removal of the heat exchanger from the tower should it become desirable to do so.
• a heat exchanger comprising an arrangement of heat transfer surfaces and a pair of vertical steam/water separators structurally interconnected to one another and providing an integral support structure for at least a portion of the heat transfer surfaces of the heat exchanger.
• the structural interconnection includes upper and lower structural members formed of heavy wall pipe and extending between the vertical steam/water separators.
• Each of the heavy wall pipes includes a pair of spaced inner partition walls disposed in crosswise fashion to form a central portion therein defining a header.
• the integrally supported portion of the heat transfer surfaces extends between and is fluidically connected to the headers of the upper and lower structural members.
• Each of the vertical steam/water separators includes four coplanar pedestal feet positioned at the lower end of the steam/water separator, and arranged at equally spaced intervals about the outer periphery of the steam/water separator.
• the heat exchanger includes a structural support framework in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a top, a bottom and opposing lengthwise sides surrounding the heat exchanger for bottom support thereof.
• the bottom of the structural support framework is comprised of four horizontally extending parallel spaced lateral and longitudinal beams intersecting one another to form a grid-like structure which includes a lattice of obliquely-disposed web members positioned between intersecting longitudinal and lateral beams.
• Two pairs of lateral braces intersect the inner two of the four longitudinal beams of the bottom of the structural support framework to form support bases for the vertical steam/water separators.
• the pedestal feet of the steam/water separator are fixedly secured to the respective support base.
• Each of the opposing lengthwise sides of the structural support framework has two pairs of parallel spaced vertical beams located at opposite ends of the structural framework and one pair of parallel spaced longitudinal beams intersecting the vertical beams and located at the upper end of each of the opposing sides.
• a lattice of obliquely-disposed web members is positioned between each pair of vertical beams and the pair of longitudinal beams.
• the top of the structural support framework is comprised of two lateral beams intersecting the upper one of the pair of parallel spaced beams extending along each lengthwise side.
• the two lateral beams are located above the heat exchanger and provide a means by which the heat exchanger and the structural support framework can be lifted for placement at a desired location.
• Another aspect of the present invention is drawn to the combination of a heat exchanger and the structural framework used for the support thereof.
• the combination comprises an arrangement of heat transfer surfaces and a pair of vertical steam/water separators structurally interconnected to one another and providing an integral support structure for at least a portion of the heat transfer surfaces.
• the structural interconnection between the heat exchanger surfaces and the pair of vertical steam/water separators is comprised of upper and lower heavy wall pipes, each pipe having partitions therein defining a central header.
• the integrally supported portion of the heat transfer surfaces extends between and is fluidically connected to the headers of the upper and lower heavy wall pipes.
• Each of the steam/water separators includes a plurality of pedestal feet positioned at the lower end of the steam/water separator.
• the structural framework part of the combination has a top, a bottom, and opposing lengthwise sides surrounding the heat exchanger for bottom support thereof.
• the bottom of the structural framework is comprised of four horizontally extending parallel spaced lateral and longitudinal beams intersecting one another to form a grid-like structure and includes a lattice of obliquely-disposed web members positioned between intersecting longitudinal and lateral beams.
• Two pairs of parallel spaced lateral braces intersect the inner two of the four longitudinal beams at the bottom of the structural framework to form support bases for the vertical steam/water separators whose pedestal feet are fixedly secured to their respective support bases.
• Each of the opposing lengthwise sides of the structural framework has two pairs of parallel spaced vertical beams located at opposite ends of the structural framework and one pair of parallel spaced longitudinal beams intersecting the vertical beams and located at the upper end of each of the opposing sides.
• a lattice of obliquely- disposed web members positioned between each pair of vertical beams and the pair of longitudinal beams.
• the top of the structural framework is comprised of two lateral beams intersecting the upper one of said pair of parallel beams.
• the two lateral beams are located above the heat exchanger and provide a means by which the heat exchanger and the structural framework can be lifted for placement at a desired location.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the heat exchanger which is shown, for clarity, without the structural support framework of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger illustrated in FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pair of vertical steam/water separators structurally interconnected to one another to provide an integral support structure in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the integrally supported heat exchanger structure of FIG. 3, together with the structural framework used to support the heat exchanger structure in accordance with the present invention.
• FIGS. 1 -3 there is shown a heat exchanger 10 according to the present invention.
• the heat exchanger 10 has left and right side walls 12, a roof portion 14, and a pair of vertical steam/water separators 16 of the type disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 6,336,429 to Wiener et al.
• the vertical steam/water separators 16 of this type are particularly suited to handle large transient swings in heat input to the heat exchanger 10 which may, in turn, cause large variations in water levels within the steam/water separators 16.
• the side walls 12 are comprised of panels of tubes having a welded membrane between adjacent tubes.
• the roof portion 14 is also comprised of welded membrane tube wall panels. While membrane wall tube panels are typically employed in conventional industrial and utility furnace walls to achieve a gas-tight construction, the provision of the membrane between adjacent tubes in this application also provides for structural rigidity of the panels and it is for that purpose that the side wall panels 12 and roof portion 14 have a membrane wall construction.
• the side walls 12 and roof portion 14 comprise evaporative or boiler heating surface. If the heat exchanger 10 is used to provide superheated steam, and as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some of the heating surface will have to be evaporative surface and other portions will have to be superheater surface.
• the side walls 12 are evaporative or boiler surface, and may be provided with inlet headers 18 and outlet headers 20. The steam-water mixture generated in tubes forming the side walls 12 is collected in the outlet headers 20 which also serve as a mix point to even out temperature imbalances which may exist in the steam-water mixture.
• Stubs 22 on the outlet headers 20 are int ⁇ rconn ⁇ ct ⁇ d via risers (not shown) to stubs 26 on upper portions of each of the vertical steam/water separators 16.
• the vertical steam/water separators 16 operate in known fashion (see U.S. Patent No. 6,336,429 to Wiener et al.), separating the steam from the steam-water mixture. If the heat exchanger 10 is designed for saturated steam production, steam outlet connections (not shown) from the top portions of each of the separators 16 convey the steam to its downstream location and use. If the heat exchanger 10 is designed to produce superheated steam, the steam is conveyed from the separators 16 to superheater surfaces for further heating and eventual collection and conveyance to its downstream location and use.
• the superheater may have to be designed as a multiple-pass superheater in order to provide adequate mass flux rates within the superheater surface tubes, and such concepts are within the scope of the present invention.
• Two-pass, four-pass or additional pass designs may be required, taking into account the temperatures of not only the tubes in the superheater, but also the temperature of the tubes in an adjacent structure, in order to address differential thermal expansion concerns.
• the water separated from the steam-water mixture is conveyed to a lower portion of each of the separators 16, mixed with make-up feedwater, and conveyed to the evaporative surface to start the process over again.
• circulation pumps 28 may advantageously be provided at the lower portion of each of the separators 16 for pumping the water back to the evaporative surface via supplies (not shown).
• FIG. 2 there is shown an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger illustrated in FIG. 1 .
• This view better illustrates the relationship between the side walls 12 and the integral support structure, generally designated 30, comprised of the pair of vertical steam/water separators 16 structurally interconnected to one another by means of upper and lower structural members 32.
• FIG. 3 there is shown a perspective view of the pair of vertical steam/water separators 16 structurally interconnected to one another according to the present invention which provides the integral support structure 30 for the heat exchanger 10.
• the upper and lower structural members 32 are advantageously comprised of heavy wall pipe, rather than a structural I-beam or WF section, for reasons that will become apparent.
• One end of each member 32 is connected to one of the vertical steam/water separators, such as by welding.
• the structural members 32 do not, in and of themselves, provide any direct fluidic interconnection between the separators 16.
• the heavy wall pipe that makes up each of the structural members 32 is fitted with inner partition walls 34 forming a central portion that comprises a header 36 which performs a fluid collecting/conveying function.
• the headers 36 which are part of the upper and lower structural members 32, are interconnected to one another by an arrangement of heating surface 38 which extends between and is fluidically connected to the upper and lower headers 36.
• the heating surface 38 is up-flowing evaporative surface, comprised of tubes.
• Tube stubs 40 provide connections for risers (not shown) which convey the steam-water mixture to the tube stubs 26 on the separators 16 as hereinbefore described.
• the heating surface 38 extends in between the headers 36 of the upper and lower structural members 32 while providing a gap or space 42 between distal edges of the heating surface 38 and the outer wall of the steam/water separators 16.
• the side walls 12 extend into this space 42, with the distal edges of the heating surface 38 extending adjacent to and in close proximity with the inside portions of the side walls 12.
• the heating surface 38 is not connected to the side walls 12 in any rigid fashion.
• the side walls 12 would be bottom supported from a base, in a fashion similar to that described below with respect to the integral support structure 30.
• the sidewalls 12 may also be provided with buckstays, not shown, which are well known to those skilled in the art as providing rigidity and support for membrane tube wall construction.
• FIG. 4 there is shown a perspective view of a portion of the heat exchanger 10 according to the present invention, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 , together with a structural framework 50 which supports the heat exchanger 10.
• a structural framework 50 which supports the heat exchanger 10.
• integral support structure 30 comprised of the pair of vertical steam/water separators 16 structurally interconnected to one another by means of upper and lower structural members 32.
• the three dimensional structural framework 50 is generally in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and is defined by the top 51 , the bottom 52, and the lengthwise sides 55, and includes three sets of flanged beams extending in the three mutually orthogonal directions, eight longitudinal beams 58, six lateral beams 56, and eight vertical beams 54.
• the bottom 52 of the structural framework 50 is comprised of four parallel spaced longitudinal beams 58 and four parallel spaced lateral beams 56 which connectedly intersect one another to form a grid-like structure.
• a lattice of obliquely- disposed web members 60 is positioned between the intersecting longitudinal and lateral beams 58 and 56 to structurally reinforce the grid-like structure forming the bottom 52 and to stiffen or add rigidity to the structural framework 50.
• the bottom 52 of the structural framework 50 includes a pair of support bases 53, each being formed by respective pairs of parallel spaced lateral braces 57 connectedly intersecting the inner pair of longitudinal beams 58.
• Each of the steam/water separators 16 includes four pedestal feet 59 located at or near the bottom of the steam/water separator.
• the pedestal feet 59 extend outwardly from the steam/water separator wall at a substantially right angle, and are coplanar and arranged at equally spaced intervals about the outer periphery of the steam/water separator 16.
• the pedestal feet 59 are each provided with a reinforcing gusset 61 and are fixedly secured to the support base 53.
• Each of the lengthwise sides 55 of the structural framework 50 is comprised of two pairs of parallel spaced vertical beams 54 located at opposite ends of the structural framework 50, and one pair of parallel spaced longitudinal beams 58 located at the upper end of the sides 55 and connectedly intersecting the vertical beams 54.
• a lattice of obliquely-disposed web members 60 is positioned between each pair of vertical beams 54 and the longitudinal beams 58 to structurally reinforce the sides 55 and to stiffen the structural framework 50.
• the top 51 of the structural framework 50 is comprised of two lateral beams 56 which intersect and are connected to the upper one of each of the pairs of longitudinal beams 58 located at the upper end of the lengthwise sides 55.
• the top lateral beams 56 are generally located over the heat exchanger 10 and provide a means by which the heat exchanger 10 and the supporting structural framework 50 can be picked up and lifted for placement at a desired location.

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• 2009
  • 2009-01-14 CN CN2009801025681A patent/CN101910776B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-01-14 US US12/353,716 patent/US20090178779A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-01-14 PT PT2009030978U patent/PT2009091816Y/pt unknown
  • 2009-01-14 WO PCT/US2009/030978 patent/WO2009091816A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-01-14 MX MX2010007654A patent/MX336768B/es unknown
  • 2009-01-14 NZ NZ586755A patent/NZ586755A/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2009-01-14 EP EP09702022.6A patent/EP2245406B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2009-01-14 AU AU2009205434A patent/AU2009205434B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2009-01-14 ES ES201090047A patent/ES2376814B2/es not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-01-14 RO ROA201000607A patent/RO128317A2/ro unknown
  • 2009-01-14 CA CA2712027A patent/CA2712027A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-01-14 BR BRPI0907256A patent/BRPI0907256A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2010
  • 2010-06-30 ZA ZA2010/04604A patent/ZA201004604B/en unknown
  • 2010-06-30 IL IL206741A patent/IL206741A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2010-07-09 MA MA33009A patent/MA32011B1/fr unknown

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