NL1025084C2 - Heat exchanger for cooling ship engines with outboard water, contains pipe bundle with pipe segment extending parallel to water surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat exchanger (3) contains a pipe bundle (5) with at least one pipe segment (51-54) extending parallel to the water surface. The heat exchanger is located at least partly below the water surface and is in open communication with the outboard water (8) via openings in the ship hull. The heat exchanger comprises a connection plate for sealing the space in which it is mounted and containing at least one inlet (7a) for a coolant with a high temperature and at least one outlet (7b) for a coolant with a low temperature. At least one pipe bundle for transporting coolant between the inlet and outlet is surrounded by the outboard water.

Description

Short indication: bin cooler.

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a bin cooler for cooling a cooling medium from a drive unit on a ship, such as a ship's engine, with the aid of outboard water, which bin cooler can be accommodated in a bin space present in the ship and at least partially below the outboard water level, which bin space by means of openings arranged in the ship's wall is in open communication with the outboard water and wherein the hopper cooler comprises at least: a connecting plate closable in the hopper space provided with at least one supply for the cooling medium with a high temperature and at least one outlet for the cooling medium with a low temperature, as well as at least one bundle pipe for the cooling medium which is included between the one inlet and the one outlet and which extends into the hopper and extends during operation through outboard water.

Bin coolers of the above-mentioned type have already been known for a long time and are used in particular for the cooling of ship engines, such as propulsion, generator, pump and auxiliary engines, which are often present on a ship. The functionality of such bin coolers can be seen in the effective utilization of the outboard water as a continuously supplied coolant for the cooling medium (engine water) of the various drive units.

The outboard water enters the storage space 25 via an opening and flushes the cooling element of the storage cooler. The warm cooling medium is transported through the cooling element from the drive unit, which medium is cooled by means of heat transfer through the outboard water. The cooled cooling medium is returned to the drive unit, while the outboard water can leave the hopper space through another opening. As a result of the warming of colder outboard water by the warm cooling water, an upward outboard water flow occurs in the hopper space. Thus, the 1025084 ”2 entry and exit openings (s) for the outboard water in the hopper area are often arranged at different heights in the ship's wall of the hopper area.

The current construction of the bin cooler has a number of drawbacks, which are on the one hand of a structural nature and on the other hand of a thermodynamic nature. In the current bin coolers, the cooling element is made up of a large number of U-pipes, which are connected on the one hand to a supply for hot cooling medium and on the other hand to a discharge for the cooled cooling medium. In order to achieve an effective cooling effect, the bundle of pipes has a considerable length and for this purpose are arranged vertically oriented freely in the hopper space. Thus, the bundle pipes have poor stability and are sensitive to vibrations and movements, so that damage to the bundle pipes can easily occur, which deteriorates the effectiveness of the bin cooler.

Furthermore, the known bin cooler and in particular the bundle pipes are very vulnerable due to their structure and construction to damage during transport as well as during mounting.

In addition, the known bin cooler is characterized by a poor thermal efficiency with regard to the cooling effect on the cooling medium. This is mainly caused by the orientation of the bundle of bundle pipes relative to the outboard water flowing past. On the one hand, the flow of the outboard water along and through the bundle of bundle pipes is prevented by the possibly present spacers, which are arranged between the bundle pipes and block the outer water flowing past and the cooling effect thereof deteriorates.

In addition, the outflow of heated outside water in the currently used embodiments is for the most part through the bundle of bundle pipes, which further deteriorates the cooling effect of the outboard water.

The invention has for its object to provide a bin cooler according to the aforementioned preamble, which on the one hand is characterized by a simpler and robust construction and furthermore hardly disrupts the cooling effect of the outboard water on the cooling medium, which improves the overall thermal efficiency of the bin cooler.

According to the invention, the at least one bundle of pipe comprises at least one pipe segment oriented at least partially parallel to the outboard water level. On the one hand, an improved interaction with the flowing outboard water is thus obtained, which considerably improves the cooling efficiency of the bin cooler. Furthermore, a simpler and more robust construction is thus obtained, which is less susceptible to vibrations and movements, which extends its lifespan. Furthermore, the bin cooler according to the invention is less susceptible to damage during transport and assembly due to this construction.

In a special embodiment the at least one bundle of pipe is situated in a vertically oriented cooling surface, wherein the cooling surface is made up of a plurality of bundle pipes oriented parallel to each other. In contrast to the already known bin cooler, the enlarged cooling surface thus results in an improved utilization of the installation space in the bin space, which also increases the efficiency of the bin cooler.

In an embodiment with an even larger cooling surface area and therefore improved efficiency, the bin cooler comprises several cooling surfaces oriented parallel to each other.

More specifically, spacers can be accommodated between the cooling surfaces, which spacer is optionally provided with at least one recess for receiving a bundle of pipe. The spacers with their free ends can each be accommodated in a clamp holder, which can herein comprise at least one U-profile.

With the above-mentioned aspects, a bin cooler according to the invention is obtained built up from a large number of bundle pipes, all of which are formed into one whole by means of the spacers. The bin cooler is therefore characterized by a stable construction that is not sensitive to vibrations and movements

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4 could damage the bundle pipes.

Because in a specific embodiment a support guide connected to the clamp holders can be arranged around the cooling surfaces, the bin cooler can thus be easily displaceable with a greatly reduced risk of damage during transport and assembly.

In a special embodiment, each bundle pipe is connected with its one end or its other end to a first or second mixing chamber included in the pipe plate. This results in a greatly simplified construction, which construction can be further simplified, because more specifically the first and second mixing chamber are located directly next to each other.

More specifically, the first and second mixing chamber can be closed by a flange plate provided with the supply and discharge for the cooling medium. This makes the bin cooler easier to place and connect, but moreover easy to check for defects, such as leaking bundle pipes.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of example with reference to a drawing, which drawing successively shows: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a section of a ship provided with a bin cooler according to the prior art;

Figure 2 shows a bin cooler according to the state of the art in more detail;

Figures 3 shows a first embodiment of a bin cooler 25 according to the invention;

Figures 4 is a detailed view of the bin cooler shown in Figure 3.

For a better understanding of the invention, the corresponding parts are designated in the following description with the same reference numeral.

Figure 1 shows a ship provided with a known bin cooler according to the prior art. In 1025084 the ship 1 has its closed hull space 2 in its hull 1a, which space is in open communication with the outboard water 8 via one or more entrance openings 2a and exit openings 2b respectively.

A bin cooler 3 can be received in the hopper space 2 via an opening 3a, which opening can be closed with a pipe plate 6. A known embodiment of a bin cooler according to the prior art is shown in Figure 2. The known bin cooler 3 is provided with a cooling element 4, which is built up from a large number of vertically arranged bundle pipes 5. The bundle pipes 5 are fixed with their one end 5a 10 and with their other end 5b on the pipe plate 6. The pipe plate 6 is thereby provided with a supply 7a and a drain 7b for a cooling medium (cooling water) for a ship drive unit.

In this application, propulsion units include propulsion, generator, pump and auxiliary engines that can be used on a ship.

Because such drive units are usually operated at full capacity on a ship, the cooling of these drive units is of great importance. For this purpose, the cooling medium (cooling water) with a high operating temperature is led through the supply 7a and the one ends 5a into the bundle pipes 5. Under the influence of pressure, the cooling medium is transported through the bundle pipes 5 in the direction of the other ends 5b and the outlet 7b, after which it is guided back to the drive unit.

During operation, the vertically arranged bundle pipes 5 are flushed by the outboard water 8 present in the hopper space 2. Due to the generally present temperature difference between the warmer cooling medium in the bundle of pipe 5 and the temperature of the outboard water, heat transfer to the outboard water is created, which is heated thereby. The rinsing of the bundle pipes 5 by flowing outboard water cools the warmer cooling medium flowing through the bundle pipes 5, which leaves the hopper cooler 3 via the outlet 7b in the direction of the drive unit with a lower operating temperature.

The heated outboard water rises thereby, which results in a convection current of outboard water prevailing in the hopper space 2, which is directed from the bottom upwards. Due to the created vertical convection flow of the outboard water 8 in the hopper space 2, the entrance openings 8a and the exit openings 8b are arranged at different heights in the ship's wall 1a, the exit openings 8b being located higher and more near the outboard water level. Thus, during operation in the hopper space 2, an upward flow of entering outboard water 8a (with a low temperature) and an outgoing flow of outboard water 8b (with a higher temperature) is created.

The flow of outboard water through the bin space can be increased to a greater or lesser extent as a result of the ship's sailing.

In order to give the bin cooler 3 built up from a large number of bundle pipes 5 a sturdy stable construction, the bin cooler 3 is furthermore provided with horizontally extending support plates 9, which connect the bundle of pipes 5 to each other. Although a stable construction of the bin cooler 3 is hereby obtained, the horizontally extending supporting plates 9 function as an obstacle to the outboard water flow created by heat convection and directed upwards.

As a result, the collapsing of the cooling elements 5 is seriously disturbed by the colder outboard water. The latter considerably limits the cooling efficiency of the bin cooler.

Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of a bin cooler according to the invention. In this embodiment, the bin cooler 3 has at least one bundle pipe 5, which is provided with at least one pipe segment 5X, which pipe system 5X extends at least partially parallel to the outboard water level.

As a result of this construction, the warm cooling medium 30 is guided directly through the lower horizontally oriented conduit segment 5X, so that an optimum heat exchange can take place with the colder outboard water 8.

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As a result of the heating of the outboard water at the location of the lower horizontally extending conduit segments 5j, an upward flow of warm outboard water is created, which flow thus surrounds the more upwardly oriented horizontally oriented conduit segments 52, 53 and 5 *.

An upward outboard water flow is thus realized in the hopper space 2, which flow is oriented transversely to the horizontally oriented conduit segments 5r54. This allows a more optimal heat exchange between the cooling medium flowing through the horizontal conduit segments 5x-54 with the outboard water, which considerably increases or improves the cooling capacity and the cooling efficiency of the bin cooler according to the invention.

With identically installed bundle of pipe surface of a bin cooler in the embodiment according to Figure 2 and Figure 3, the temperature difference between the inflowing cooling medium via supply 7a and the outflowing cooling medium via discharge 7b will be at the bin cooler according to the invention and as shown in Figure 3 considerably larger than with a bin cooler according to the prior art, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each curved bundle pipe 5 forms a vertically oriented cooling surface 10a-101. More specifically, each cooling surface 10a-101 is composed of a plurality of bundle pipes 5 ', which are oriented parallel to each other in the cooling surface 10a-101.

In order to obtain a bin cooler 3 with a sturdy stable construction, spacers 11 are arranged between the plurality of cooling surfaces 10a-101 oriented parallel to each other, which spacers 11 are placed between the bundle pipes 5 of the adjacent cooling surfaces 10a-101. In order to ensure a good abutment of the adjacent pipes as well as a good confinement thereof, the spacers 11 are provided with notches 11a, in which a bundle pipe 5 can be received. The entire construction of different cooling surfaces 10a-101 and a plurality of spacers 11 1025084 t 8 included between them results in a stable and sturdy construction by the assembly thus obtained (bundle pipes 5 and spacers 11) by means of retaining profiles 12a-12b and a screw bolt construction 13-14 to lock up.

This construction results in an extremely rigid construction of the various bundle pipes 5 of the bin cooler according to the invention, as a result of which the entire construction is less sensitive to vibrations and movements. As a result, the chance of an unexpectedly leaking bundle of pipe 5, for example supplied by a vibrating bundle pipe 5, which bundle pipe must subsequently be closed by means of a plug near its one and other end 5a-5b, is considerably reduced.

In addition, the spacers 11 together with the retaining profiles 12 form vertically oriented support or fixation surfaces 15, which do not impede the upward flow of the warm outboard water around and between the various bundle pipes 5. The flow of outboard water transversely to the horizontally oriented lining segments 5j-54 thus ensures optimum heat transfer from the warm cooling medium to the colder outboard water, which greatly improves the cooling capacity (cooling capacity) and efficiency of the bin cooler according to the invention.

By designing the bundle pipes 5 in one or more horizontally oriented conduit segments 5, a considerably increased heat-exchanging surface is created in comparison with the known bin cooler, which considerably increases the cooling effect and efficiency of the bin cooler.

As the top view of the pipe plate 3 in Figure 3 shows, the bin cooler according to the invention leads to a simplified and cheaper construction, because all supply ends 5a of the bundle pipes 5 end up as a bundle grouped in the first mixing chamber 15a, while the discharge ends 5b of the bundle pipes 5 open grouped into the second mixing chamber 9b. The first 1025084 '9 and the second mixing chambers 15a-15b are arranged directly next to each other in the pipe plate 3, which makes it possible to close them with a simple and reliable flange plate 7.

In the other embodiment, not shown, the mixing chamber 15b for discharging the cooling medium can be arranged on the left-hand side (seen in Figure 3) of the pipe plate 3. In this embodiment, the bundle pipes 5 do not have a horizontally oriented conduit segment 54, but the bundle pipes 5 run straight up the bend 5 "in the direction of the pipe plate 6. This embodiment does require two closing flanges for both the first and second mixing chamber 15a 15b.

Figure 3 shows yet another aspect of the bin cooler according to the invention. Due to the structure of the bundle pipes 5 shown in Figure 3, all input ends 5a and discharge ends 5b of the bundle pipes 5 can be bundled or grouped together with the pipe plate 3, which closes the hopper space 2.

In one embodiment - analogous to the embodiment of the bin cooler according to the prior art as shown in Figures 1 and 2 - the bundle pipes 5 with their input and discharge ends 5a and 5b, respectively, can be directly connected to the pipe plate 3. However, this requires for each bundle of pipe 5 two drilling operations 1 in the pipe plate 3 (for the supply end 5a and the discharge end 5b). The latter makes the construction of the bin cooler unnecessarily complex, workable and expensive, especially since the pipe plate 3 must have a considerable thickness due to the closing function of the bin space 2.

The large number of complex and expensive drilling operations in the pipe plate 3 can be avoided with the simplified construction of the pipe plate 3, as shown in Figure 3. Here, the pipe plate 3 is provided with a mixing chamber assembly 15, composed of a first and second mixing chamber 15a -15b, which are separated from each other by means of a partition 16. The first mixing chamber 15a is connected to the 1025084 '10 input ends 5a of the different bundle pipes 5, while the discharge ends 5b of the bundle pipes 5 end in the second mixing chamber 15b.

The mixing chamber assembly 15 is lockable or c.q.

5 is placed in an opening 3a of the pipe plate 3. The two mixing chambers 15a-15b can be closed by means of a flange plate 7, provided with the supply flange 7a and the discharge flange 7b for the cooling medium (engine cooling water). For a good seal of the called first and second mixing chambers 15a-15b with respect to each other and the environment humps the hopper space 2, gaskets are arranged between the pipe plate 3 and the partition 16 and the flange plate 7, respectively.

Similar gaskets are also arranged between the pipe plate 3 and the wall 2 of the hopper space 4. With this embodiment, a simplified connection of the supply 7a and the drain 7b of the cooling medium (engine cooling water) to the hopper cooler according to the invention is obtained. This construction is simple and less complex to manufacture and also very reliable. Also performing maintenance on the bin cooler according to this embodiment can now be carried out very easily, without the risk of the bundle pipes 20 becoming slightly detached relative to the pipe plate 6 of the bin space 4, as a result of which outboard water can leak into the engine chamber.

The flange plate 7 can easily be removed from the pipe plate 3, so that the first and second mixing chamber 15a-15b and the ends 5a and 5b of the bundle pipes 5 become visible for inspection. A possibly leaking bundle of pipe 5 can thus be traced quickly and easily and closed off by means of a plug or plug in both ends 5a-5b. Although the plugged bundle pipe 5 no longer contributes to cooling of the cooling medium, it prevents any contamination of the cooling medium with outboard water 8 originating from the hopper space 2.

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Claims (11)

1. Tank cooler for cooling a cooling medium from a drive unit on a ship using outboard water, such as a ship's engine, which bin cooler can be accommodated in a bin space present in the ship and located at least partially below the outboard water level, which bin space by means of openings arranged in the ship's wall is in open communication with the outboard water and the hopper cooling comprises at least: a connecting plate closable in the hopper space provided with at least one supply for the cooling medium with a high temperature and at least one outlet for the cooling medium with a low temperature, and at least one bundle pipe for the cooling medium received between the one inlet and the one outlet and extending into the hopper and extending into operation by outboard water, characterized in that the at least one bundle of pipe at least one conduit segment oriented at least partially parallel to the outboard water levelincludes. Bin hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one bundle pipe is located in a vertically oriented cooling surface. A bin cooler according to claim 2, characterized in that the cooling surface is made up of a plurality of bundle pipes oriented parallel to each other. A bin cooler according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bin cooler comprises a plurality of cooling surfaces oriented parallel to each other. Bin cooler according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that spacers can be accommodated between the cooling surfaces. A bin cooler according to claim 5, characterized in that each spacer is provided with at least one recess for receiving a bundle pipe. 1025084- Bin hopper according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the spacers with their free ends can each be received in a clamp holder. 8. Bin cooler according to claim 7, characterized in that the clamp holder comprises at least one U-profile. A bin cooler according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a support guide connected to the clamp holders is provided around the cooling surfaces. 10. Bin cooler according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each bundle pipe is connected with its one end or its other end to a first or second mixing chamber accommodated in the pipe plate. 11. Bin cooler according to claim 10, characterized in that the first and second mixing chamber can be closed by a flange plate provided with the supply and discharge for the cooling medium. 1025084