US1862707A - Heat exchanger unit - Google Patents

Description

June 14, 1932- W. L. RIFENBERICK ET AL 1,862,707

HEAT EXCHANGE-R UNI T Filed June 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l i o o /e Z Z ELF-i f/g i r-- I UUUUL/ ooooooooooooaoooooo qoooooooooooooooooo ooooo oooooooooooooooooo I F EU Fig.2 I

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 14, 1932- w. L. RIFENBERICK ET AL 1,862,707

HEAT EXCHANGER UNIT Filed June 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENTOR$ Z Ad H m N F R mvW/m L0 .M Z2 .a/ QW Wm header member taken at Patented J une 14, 1932 winnrnr a. arrmnarcx um cinema 0. sam'as'rnou,

or nos Axe-ems, cnrroimm HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT Application filed June 14,

vide an adjustable and removable partitioning means for the header cavities.

A further object is to provide units of the class described which are particularly adapted for assembly in multiple to provide larger units.

Yet another object is to provide a header structure of the class described having a minimum number of separate parts.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of typical embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side'elevation of a heat exchanger unit embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the unit. Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the unit.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section at 44= in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation at 5-5 in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevation of a header member of the unit as viewed from the tube plate side thereof.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional; view of the header member providin the tube plate, said view being taken at 7 in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an elevation of the member shown in Figure 7 the cover being removed.

Figure 9 is an enlarged plan section of the 9-9 in Figure 6,

1980. Serial No. 461,128.

a partition member below the plane of the view being removed, also .the cover.

Figure 10 is an enlarged view. of a portion of the showing of Figure 8.

Figure 11is an upper tion member for mounting in the header.

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sec-' tion at 12-12 in Figure 7 and showing the details of a partition-securing means invention.

Figure 13 isa view similar to Figure 10, but disclosing an alternative iheans or mounting a partition in the header.

In the provision of a heat exchanger for use with one or more fluids, it has heretofore been a usualcustom to provide units which have been specifically designed for the given fluid, or fluids, at given initial temperatures, reference being made not only to fluid heaters and coolers generally, but to condensers and the like. But conditions as to the nature or temperatures of fluids to be handled may change, whereby the aforesaid special units may become obsolete for use, and must be replaced. In accordance with the present inheat exchanger unit is vention, however, a provided whereby the effective section and length of a fluid stream therethrough may be adjustably varied to meet various situations and the one unit may thus serve to meet many requirements. It will be obvious that units suchas the present, through their adaptability to provide various operative combina tions, may be used more or less universally 1n plants where a number of different such units to meet different conditions are now used, whereby a marked economic advantage results, both through the avoidance of replacement costs and the quantity production of the units made possible by their adaptability face view of a partiof the to'meet a wide range of circulation require ments.

F purposes of illustration, the features of the present invention are disclosed as inunit of flow paths cooler unit 14 wherein a bank of tubes 15 is connected between a pair of headers 16 providing fluid distribution chambers, or cavities, 17. As shown, spacers 18 and braces 19 connect the headers 16, whereby a provision to permit anyrequiredlongqt'udinal expansion mg from their expansion. particularly disclosed, the tubes of the bank are horizontallg' disposed and the tube bank is somewhat hig er than it is wide whereby the headers are seen as elongated elements having their longitudinal axes vertical.

The headers 16 particularly shown, and the present invention is specifically incorporated in the structure of said header By particular reference to Figures 4 to 10 inclusive, each header 16 is seen to comprise a member 21 and a plate 22 arranged for boltmg in place to close the open side of the memthe member 21 is perforated to fixedly receive the extremities of the tubes 15 whereby said wall comprises a tube plate for the assembled unit. The longitudlnal side walls 24 and end walls 25 of the member 21 extend perpendicularly from the wall 23 and terminate at a continuous and finished rim face 26'against which the peripheral portions of the inner face 27 of the cover plate 22 are arranged to be fitted, said latter face being preferably finished and plane for its entire area. Stud bolts 28 are utilized mounted position.

By reference to Figure 5, it will be noted that a transverse partitioning of the header chambers 17 is effected, and that such partithrough the tubes and headers. Bafile members 31 effect the aforesaid partitioning of the chambers, and said partition members are removably and ad ustably mounted in place for accomplishing a majorobject of the present invention; namely, the provision in the of different lengths as may be required or desired. As particularly shown in 1 Figure 5, two partitions 31 are providethin one header cavity and three partitions are provided in the other header cavity whereby the zigzag fluid path provided makes six longitudinal traverses of the unit, the fluid entering and leaving the unit at the lizing more or fewer he partitions 31 in the different headers, the unit may be utilized to provide flow paths of varying length whereby to meet a Wide range of requirements for its operative use.

For mounting the partitions 31 in the headers, we prefer to provide'ridges or ribs 32 extending across and from the inner faces 33 may be exactly alike, as is generally trough-like t of the tube of the opposed header walls 24, and to secure the partitions to appropriate pairs of said ridges. The set of ribs 32 of each wall 24 are integral therewith and are formed with mutually coplanar faces 34. All of the ribs 32 are mutually parallel, and the planes of the two sets of faces 34 are also parallel in the present instance. For reasons to be hereinafter broughtbut, the partitions are arranged to be mounted in oblique relation to the longitudinal axes of the headers. According and as shown, said partitions may comprise rectangular plates having opposite edge portions appropriately bevelled to protition is preferably such that said artition does not obstruct any of the-per orations plate. The partition edge face 38 at the opposite edge from the face 36 is also finished and is arranged to be closely engaged by the inner face 27 of the cover plate 22 when the latter is in place whereby to complete a transverse and sealed partitioning of the cavity' by means of the partition; if desired, a transversely resilient gasket may be engaged between the cover plate 22 and rim face 26 for insuring the desired close fit of a partition in its p k s shown indetail in Figure 12, the means provided for securing a partition 31 to the ribs comprises the provision in the partition of transverse bolt holes 39 for the reception of bolts 41. The holes 39 are with respect to a partition edge face 35 that a portion-of the head 42 of a bolt 41 appropriately engaged therein will lie opposite said face and engage a side 43 of the rib 32 fixing it in place. The number of bolts used as described will, of course, be determined y the size of the partition, it being noted that the pressures at opposite sides of the partitions are always substantially equal. oblique to. make possible the use of the securing bolts as shown and described, and is also, in the vided at header end. and outlet ports are provided in nozzles com- .mounting of the partitions is seen obvious that 'only those passages w prising thimbles 46 extendin transversely from the end walls 25 tending transversely from the side walls 24 and adjacent the end walls 25 whereby connections are provided in three directions at each header end. In the present instance, flanges 48 are provided at the outer ends of the various nozzles for connecting a unit to a similar unit or to pipes as required. In initially providing the headers, integral knock-out partitions 49 are preferably provided in-the various nozzle passages whereby hich are to be used need to be primarily opened. Upon the use of a unit in subsequent and different installations, any nozzles not then to be used would be closed with suitable cover plates (not shown) mounted on the nozzle flanges 48. The present structure of a header member 21 to provide the tube plates, the connection nozzles, and the partition mounting ribs in a one piece structure which may be cast en tire is seen to greatly minimize manufacturing costs while permitting a varied use of the unit as hereinbefore brought out.

While'the present structure is shown and described as an atmospheric cooler, it will be the tubes thereof may be disposed in a liquid medium without in any dvansaid medium being either in the form of spray or drops of liqu1d,or comprising a liquid bath.

In Figure 13 an embodiment is shown in which partition receiving slots 51 are provided in the opposite side walls 52 of a troughlike member 53 similar to the previously described member 21. The baflie or partition 54. comprises an. imperforate and rectangular plate having the opposite edge portions cut off square and arranged for a sliding fit in and between a pair of the slots 51. In correspondence with the previously described embodiment, the partition 51 is oblique to the walls 52. This mounting of a baflie partition, while simpler, has the disadvantage that sedimentary or other deposits may between the partition and slot sides to make a removal of the partition difiicult.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction andmeth- 0d of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and whilewe have described the principle of operation, together with the device which wenow consider to be the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following wav effecting the operativeness and a and in t imbles 47 ex-' penetrate 1. 'In a heat exchanger, a generally troughlike header member having a wall formed as a tube plate and side walls integral with said wall, said side walls provided with mutually parallel and relatively low ribs extending from and across the opposed inner faces thereof, and a partition for removable and entirely lateral engagement with and between ribs of the difi'egent side walls whereby to partition the header space. 2. In a heat exchan er, a generally troughlike header member aving a wall formed as a tube plate and having side walls, said side walls each provided with a plurahty of inwardly protruding ribs extending from and across the inner faces thereof, said ribs presenting mutually parallel and planar outer faces, a cover plate for the open side of said member, a partition for simultaneous and solely lateral engagement with and between said rib faces of the different side walls and with and between said tube plate and cover plate for completely partitioning the header cavity, and means coactive between said partition and the ribs engaged thereby to releasably fix the partition to the ribs.

3'. In a heat exchanger, a generally troughlike header member having a wall formed as a tube plate and side walls extending from said-wall, said side walls each provided with a rib extending from and across the inner face thereof, said ribs. being mutually parallel, and a partition removably and engaged solely laterally thereof with and between said ribs whereby to partition the header space.

4. In a heat exchanger, a generally troughlike header member having a wall formed as a tube plate and side walls extending from said wall, said side walls each provided with a rib extending from and across the inner face thereof, said ribs being mutually parallel, and relatively low with respect to the walls from which they extend, a partition for removable and entirely lateral engagement with and between said ribs whereby to partition the header space, and means cooperative with said ribs to releasably secure said partition thereto in operative position.

5. In a heat exchanger, like header member having a wall formed as. a tube plate and side walls extending from said wall, said side walls each provided with a generally trough-- a rib extending from and across the inner face for removable and sealed engagement in the open-side of'said member, integral thimbles at the entremities of the member extending like thimbles of a like member disposed adjacent the first member and while the mem bers are axially aligned or laterally related.

In testimony whereof we a tures.

WILLIAM L. RIFENBERICK. CHARLESO. SANDSTROM.

ur signa-

Images