Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F27/00—Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus
  • F28F27/02—Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels
• • 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
  • F28D7/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
  • F28D7/0066—Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids
• • 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
  • F28D7/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
  • F28D7/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits being helically coiled
  • F28D7/024—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits being helically coiled the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration
• • 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
  • F28D21/00—Heat-exchange apparatus not covered by any of the groups F28D1/00 - F28D20/00
  • F28D2021/0019—Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for
  • F28D2021/0059—Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for for petrochemical plants
• • 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
  • F28D21/00—Heat-exchange apparatus not covered by any of the groups F28D1/00 - F28D20/00
  • F28D2021/0019—Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for
  • F28D2021/0077—Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for for tempering, e.g. with cooling or heating circuits for temperature control of elements
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
  • Y10T29/4935—Heat exchanger or boiler making

Definitions

• Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to apparatuses and methods used in changing the temperature of fluid flowing through a pipe and, more particularly, to apparatuses and methods in which either heating and/or cooling may be performed with the same equipment.
• a container 10 houses a plurality of pipes 20 through which a cooling agent circulates.
• the cooling agent may be water.
• a fluid flow of oil or gas whose temperature is sought to be lowered is input through an inlet 30, and output through an outlet 40. In its passage from the inlet 30 to the outlet 40, the fluid flow surrounds the pipes 20.
• the cooling agent may be input into the container 10 through a coolant inlet 50 in an inlet plenum 60, and then split to flow through the pipes 20 by a tube sheet 70.
• the cooling agent may pass through an output tube sheet into an output plenum 80, to be output via a coolant outlet 90.
• the output tube sheet is formed as a single piece with the tube sheet 70.
• the input plenum 60 and the output plenum 80 are located on the same side of the container 10, the pipes 20 having a U-shape to extend along the container 10.
• the pipes 20 may be supported inside the container by baffles 95.
• the cooling agent is typically brought back to an initial temperature and re-circulated.
• the pipes 20 being surrounded by the flow of gas or oil leads to degradation of the pipe walls making possible leaks there-through that would yield contamination of both the flow of gas or oil and the cooling agent.
• cooling or heating the flow of gas or oil may become necessary.
• the heating equipment is separate from the cooling equipment.
• the presence of two separate equipments has the disadvantage of an increased cost and of an increased space requirement, which space may be scarce (e.g., on a rig operating offshore). Additionally, the conventional use of two separate equipments limits the possibility to promptly adjust the temperature of the gas or oil flow.
• a gas heater/cooler apparatus includes a heat transfer block, a gas pipe, a coolant pipe and an electric heater.
• the gas pipe is configured to transport a fluid through an inside of the heat transfer block.
• the coolant pipe is configured to transport coolant agent through the inside of the heat transfer block, the coolant pipe being located in the proximity of the gas pipe to cool the fluid flowing therein via heat exchange with the cooling agent flowing through the coolant pipe.
• the electric heater is located inside the heat transfer block close to the gas pipe to heat the fluid flowing therein via radiated heat.
• gas heater/cooler apparatus includes a heat transfer block, a gas pipe, a fan and an electric heater.
• the gas pipe is configured to transport a fluid through an inside of the heat transfer block.
• the fan is configured to push a flow of air towards the gas pipe.
• the electric heater is located inside the heat transfer block close to the gas pipe to heat the fluid flowing therein via radiated heat.
• a method of manufacturing a gas heater/cooler apparatus includes mounting a gas pipe inside a heat transfer block configured to allow a coolant flow to pass therethrough cooling a fluid flowing inside the gas pipe.
• the method further includes mounting an electric heater inside the heat transfer block and in the proximity of the gas pipe.
• Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional gas cooling equipment
• Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a heater/cooler apparatus according to an embodiment
• Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a method of manufacturing a heater/cooler apparatus according to an embodiment
• Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a heater/cooler apparatus according to another embodiment
• Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a heater/cooler apparatus according to another embodiment
• Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a heater/cooler apparatus according to another embodiment.
• FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a heater/cooler apparatus according to another embodiment.
• the prior art equipment has the disadvantage of being bulky because separate pieces of equipment are used for heating and for cooling, respectively. Additionally, exposure of the pipes carrying the cooling agent to the fluid flow leads in time to degradation of the pipes which may result in cross-contaminating leaks.
• a gas heater/cooler apparatus 100 includes a heat transfer block 110 inside which there is a pipe 120 carrying gas (or other fossil fuel, or fluid) whose temperature is sought to be controlled.
• the pipe 120 has a shape designed to increase exposure of a longer portion of the pipe 120 to temperature changing agents.
• the pipe 120 may have a spiral shape (but its shape is not limited thereof).
• the pipe 120 is made preferably from a material that is a good heat conductor, to spend a small amount of energy and time in modifying the temperature of the pipe 120 material.
• the pipe 120 may be made of stainless steel.
• a cooling agent is a fluid flow entering the heat transfer block 110 via an inlet 130 and exiting the heat transfer block via an outlet 140.
• the heating agent is an electric heater 150 located in the proximity of the pipe 120.
• the gas in the pipe 120 may be cooled by the fluid flow and/or may be heated due to heat radiated by the electric heater 150, while passing through the heat transfer block 110.
• a method 200 of manufacturing a gas heater/cooler apparatus includes mounting a gas pipe inside a heat transfer block configured to allow a coolant flow to pass there-through, at S210. Further, the method 200 includes mounting an electric heater inside the heat transfer block and in the proximity of the gas pipe, at S220.
• the method 200 may also include mounting temperature sensors at different locations along the gas pipe, and/or along the path of the coolant flow. Temperature sensors may be located before and after an area where heat exchange between gas in the gas pipe 120 and the fluid flow occurs, to measure a change of the temperature of the gas and a change of the temperature of the coolant.
• the method 200 may further include mounting a fluid regulator on the path of the coolant flow, the fluid regulator being configured to modify the amount of coolant flow entering the heat transfer block.
• the fluid regulator may be connected to one or more temperature sensors configured to measure a temperature of the coolant and/or of the gas exiting the heat transfer block, to enable the fluid regulator to adjust the amount of coolant flow based on the temperature information received from the one or more sensors.
• the method 200 may also include mounting a power supply configured to provide power to the electric heater and a switch configured to cut off the power supply based on temperature information received from one or more temperature sensors.
• the method 200 may include mounting the flow regulator, the power supply, the switch, and the one or more temperature sensors, and, then, connecting these components to a controller.
• the controller is configured to control the flow regulator and the power supply to adjust the amount of coolant and the power supplied to the electric heater based on the temperatures measured by the sensors, in order to achieve a target output temperature of the gas in the gas pipe.
• the method 200 may also include mounting alarms in the apparatus.
• a cooling agent temperature alarm may be connected to a coolant output temperature sensor located and configured to measure an output temperature of the coolant flow.
• the cooling agent temperature alarm may be configured to output an alarm signal when the output temperature has a value outside a predetermined temperature range.
• a switch may be connected to a coolant output temperature sensor located and configured to measure an output temperature of the fluid flowing inside the gas pipe. The switch may be interposed between the power supply and the electric heater, and be configured to cut off the power to the heater when the output temperature exceeds a predetermined value.
• a gas heater/cooler apparatus 300 includes a heat transfer block 310 inside which a pipe 320 carrying gas whose temperature is sought to be controlled is immerged.
• the heat transfer block may be made of a casted piece of aluminum.
• the pipe 320 enters the heat transfer block 310 via an inlet 322 and exits the heat transfer block 310 via an outlet 324.
• a first temperature sensor 326 may be located to measure the input temperature of the gas in the pipe 320.
• a second temperature sensor 328 may be located to measure the output temperature of the gas in the pipe 320.
• the input temperature of the gas in the pipe 320 may be about 250° C
• the output temperature of the gas may be about 150° C.
• Another pipe 330 through which a cooling agent flows, is placed inside the heat transfer block 310 in the proximity of the pipe 320.
• the pipe 320 and the pipe 330 may have spiral shapes running substantially parallel to each other to maximize the heat exchange there-between.
• the cooling agent may be mineral oil.
• the pipe 330 enters the heat transfer block 310 via an inlet 332 and exits the heat transfer block 310 via an outlet 334. Close to the inlet 332, a third temperature sensor 336 may be located inside or outside the heat transfer block 310, to measure the input temperature of the cooling agent in the pipe 330. Close to the outlet 334, a fourth temperature sensor 338 may be located inside or outside the heat transfer block 310, to measure the output temperature of the cooling agent in the pipe 330.
• the input temperature of the cooling in the pipe 330 may be about 70° C
• the output temperature of the cooling agent may be about 75° C.
• the heat transfer block may be made of a casted piece of aluminum or another material or environment.
• a gas temperature alarm 329 and/or a cooling agent temperature alarm 339 may be associated with a respective temperature sensor located close to the outlets.
• the alarms are configured to output alarm signals when the output temperature of the gas or of the cooling agent respectively has a value outside a corresponding predetermined temperature interval or exceeds a corresponding upper or lower value.
• the alarm signal may be a visual or an audio indication or may trigger adjustment of the coolant flow and/or of the power supplied to the electric heater 340.
• the pipes 320 and 330 are made preferably from materials (or the same material) that are good heat conductors, to spend a small amount of energy and time in modifying the temperature of the pipes 320 and 330.
• the pipes 320 and 330 may be made of stainless steel.
• An electric heater 340 is located also in the proximity of the pipe 320 preferentially in a manner in which to optimize a heat transfer towards the pipe 320 while minimizing a heat transfer towards the pipe 330.
• the gas in the pipe 320 may be cooled due to the cooling agent in the pipe 330 having a lower temperature than the gas and/or may be heated due to heat radiated by the electric heater 340.
• the gas heater/cooler apparatus 300 further includes a power supply 350 that provides power to the electric heater 340 and a flow regulator 360 located along a pipe through which the cooling agent enters the heat transfer block 310.
• the flow regulator 360 is configured to control the amount of cooling agent flowing along the pipe 330 inside the heat transfer block 310.
• the flow regulator may be an orifice in the coolant pipe wall, an area of the orifice being adjustable.
• the cooling agent (mineral oil) flow may be about 28 l/min.
• the temperature sensors 326, 328, 336, and 338, the power supply 350 and the flow regulator 360 may be connected to a controller 370.
• the controller 370 may send signals to the power supply 350 and to the flow regulator 360 based on the temperature values received from the temperature sensors 326, 328, 336, and 338 in order to achieve a targeted temperature of the gas exiting the heat transfer block 310.
• the gas heater/cooler apparatus 380 includes a switch 382 interposed between the power supply 350 and the electric heater 340, the switch 382 being configured to cut off the power to the electric heater.
• the power may be cut-off (1) when the output temperature of the gas or the coolant exceeds a predetermined value, (2) when a signal is received from an automatic controller or (3) when the switch is flipped between an open state and a close state by a command received via an interface 384.
• the mineral oil flow may be 28 l/min, the mineral oil temperature raising across the heater/cooler apparatus 380 from 70° C to 75 0 C, and the gas flow may be 56 l/min the gas temperature dropping across the heater/cooler apparatus 380 from 250° C to 150° C.
• FIG. 6 A layout of a heater/cooler apparatus 390 similar to the apparatuses 300 and 380 described above is illustrated in Figure 6.
• the heater/cooler apparatus 390 stands on a mounting foot 392.
• the electric heater 340 may be lowered inside or raised outside the heat transfer block 310 using a lifting mechanism 394.
• the apparatus operation information (including temperature information) may be transmitted via a module 396.
• the heat transfer block 310 may be surrounded by a thermal insulating layer or casing 398.
• the gas pipe 320 and the coolant pipe 330 have helix shapes arranged on the same axis and running substantially parallel to each other.
• a gas heater/cooler apparatus 400 includes a heat transfer block 410 inside which there is a pipe 420 carrying gas whose temperature is sought to be controlled.
• the pipe 420 enters the heat transfer block 410 via an inlet 422 and exits the heat transfer block 410 via an outlet 424.
• the pipe 420 is made preferably from a material that is a good heat conductor, to spend a small amount of energy and time in modifying the temperature of the pipe 420.
• the pipe 420 may be made of stainless steel.
• the pipe 420 may have spiral shape to maximize the heat exchange.
• a first temperature sensor 426 may be located to measure the input temperature of the gas in the pipe 420.
• a second temperature sensor 428 may be located to measure the output temperature of the gas in the pipe 420.
• a fan 430 pushes an air flow through the heat transfer block 410 towards the pipe 420.
• air is mentioned as cooling agent.
• other gas mixtures may be used, cooled and re-circulated through the heat transfer block 410.
• the advantage of using air, even ambient air, with temperature between -40°C to 50°C, is that, in this case, no re-circulating loop is necessary.
• the air flow pushed by the fan 430 towards the pipe 420 may pass through permeable walls (e.g., walls with holes to allow the air to pass there-through) or may be channeled through openings in the walls.
• An electric heater 440 is located also in the proximity of the pipe 420.
• the gas in the pipe 420 may be cooled due to the air flow having a lower temperature than the gas and/or may be heated due to heat radiated by the electric heater 440.
• the gas heater/cooler apparatus 400 further includes a first power supply 450 that provides power to the electric heater 440 and a second power supply 460 that provides power to the fan 430.
• the temperature sensors 426, 428, and the power supplies 450 and 460 may be connected to a controller 470.
• the controller 470 may send signals to the power supplies 450 and 460 based on the temperature information received from the temperature sensors 426, and 428 in order to achieve a targeted temperature of the gas exiting the heat transfer block 410.
• the disclosed exemplary embodiments provide apparatuses and methods of manufacturing thereof in which apparatuses either heating and/or cooling of a fossil fuel (fluid) flow may be performed. It should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention. On the contrary, the exemplary embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which are included in the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Further, in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed invention. However, one skilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may be practiced without such specific details.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Pipe Accessories (AREA)
• Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)
• Cooling Or The Like Of Electrical Apparatus (AREA)
• Cooling Or The Like Of Semiconductors Or Solid State Devices (AREA)
• Heating, Cooling, Or Curing Plastics Or The Like In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 2011
  • 2011-07-28 IT IT000030A patent/ITCO20110030A1/it unknown
• 2012
  • 2012-07-25 CA CA2843107A patent/CA2843107A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-07-25 CN CN201280037828.3A patent/CN103930743A/zh active Pending
  • 2012-07-25 RU RU2014101247/06A patent/RU2014101247A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2012-07-25 WO PCT/EP2012/064614 patent/WO2013014197A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-07-25 EP EP12743709.3A patent/EP2737271A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-07-25 US US14/235,496 patent/US20150083385A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-07-25 BR BR112014001522A patent/BR112014001522A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-07-25 JP JP2014522081A patent/JP2014521914A/ja active Pending
  • 2012-07-25 AU AU2012288835A patent/AU2012288835A1/en not_active Abandoned

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