GB1434754A - Heat exchangers - Google Patents

Abstract

1434754 Pipe couplings AGRESTO AG 24 April 1973 [2 April 1973] 19322/72 Heading F2G [Also in Division F4] In a heat exchanger comprising one or more inner tubes 12 arranged within an outer tubular jacket 10, the passage between the inner tube(s) and the jacket at each end thereof is closed by a sealing unit comprising a deformable sealing member 18 sandwiched between a pair of pressure plates 14, 16. The plate 16 abuts against stop members 46, with the sealing member 18 being deformed into sealing contact with the outer wall(s) of the inner tube(s) and the inner wall of the jacket by pressure applied by a clamping plate 42 and nuts 44, which pressure is transmitted, to the sealing unit via push rods 44 and a further sealing unit comprising a sealing member 38 sandwiched between two pressure plates 34 and 36. As shown a first fluid enters the tubes 12 via inlet connector 28 and leaves via outlet connector 30; a second fluid enters and leaves the jacket 10 through ports 20, 22. The sealing arrangement may be used in multipass heat exchanger constructions wherein two (Figs. 10-15) or more (Fig. 16) heat exchanger units are interconnected by return headers or chambers. Alternatively the sealing arrangement may be applied to a heat exchanger having a single straight tube (Figs. 3 and 4) disposed within a jacket or to a heat exchanger having a single tube of sinuous or serpentine configuration (Fig. 17), the sealing arrangement in this case being additionally used to effect the connection between straight tube portions (12<SP>1</SP>) and return bends (92<SP>1</SP>). Connector pieces serving to distribute inflowing fluid uniformly to a pair of adjacent tubular jackets or to transfer fluid from one tubular jacket to the other are described (see Figs. 5-9 and Figs. 18-20). For example semicircular (Figs. 18-20) or rectangular (Figs. 5-9) shaped cut outs may be provided in the jackets, the cut outs being bridged either by an inlet connector (110, Fig. 18), in the case of fluid distribution, or by cover-plates (58) in the ease of fluid transfer, which are welded to the jackets.