US3266566A

US3266566A - Multi-component heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: US3266566A
Application number: US326442A
Authority: US
Inventors: Huet Andre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-12-17
Filing date: 1963-11-27
Publication date: 1966-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-16

Description

Aug. 16, 1966 A. HUET MULTI-COMPONENT HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Nov. 2'7, 1963 T. I J. \hww fi w INVENTOR.

ANDRE HUET United States Patent M MULTI-COMPONENT HEAT EXCHANGER Andre Huet, 48 Ave. du President Wilson, Paris, France Filed Nov. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 326,442 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 17, 1956,

' 783,113, Patent 1,221,652 9 Claims. (Cl. 165-145) This is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 849,320, filed October 28, 1959, now abandoned, which. in turn is a division of Serial No. 702,048, filed December 11, 1957, now Patent No. 2,983,260, granted May 9, 1961.

This invention relates generally to chain reactors and more particularly to heat exchange apparatus for use therein.

Heat exchanger apparatus heretofore have been constructed in which columnar ducts are arranged in an upstanding position. These apparatus have a plurality of heat exchange elements within each columnar duct. Thus, for example, the individual columnar ducts may hold economizers, evaporators, and superheaters therein serially connected or in series parallel flow paths such that in effect, each columnar duct is in effect a complete boiler unto itself. The heating medium is flowed longitudinally of the individual columnar ducts for carrying out heat exchange between the fluid flowing through the duct and a fluid within the above described flow paths through the individual heat exchange elements. This has'resulted in a generally high temperature diiferential between the upper and lower end of the columnar ducts thereby creating areas or zones within the individual ducts in which the duct and the elements therein are subjected to completely different operating temperatures resulting in a wide difference in expansion and contraction of the elements in the various zones of operation of the columnar ducts.

This difference of temperature and resultant contraction and expansion differentials has given rise to com plex problems of construction and suspension of the heat transfer units within steam generating plants, for example chain reactors.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a multi-component heat exchanger for use in steam generating plants, for example in chain reactors, in which the general arrangement of the various columnar ducts and the heat exchange elements therein are arranged such that the apparatus has clearly defined operating zones operating at a given temperature and while the individual zones may operate at different temperatures the arrangement is such that one zone does not affect a next successive zone or create expansion and contraction problems or difliculties therein as heretofore encountered in the known multi-component heat exchange apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective suspension arrangement for the heat exchanger'according to the invention. The suspension arrangement provides for ease of movement for expansion and contraction of the various elements even though this is minimized by virtue of the arrangement of the heat exchange elements in the heat exchanger according to the invention.

A principal feature of the heat exchanger according to the present invention is the arrangement of the heat exchanger elements into a plurality of groups within which the heat exchange elements of the groups are of alike heat exchange elementsand units. According to the invention a pluralityof substantially parallel col'umnar'ducts are arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows. The individual ducts within these rows are positioned vertically anddefine with the ducts of the sequential parallel rows other parallel rows generally dis- Patented August 16, 1966 posed substantially perpendicular to the first mentioned parallel rows.

The apparatus comprises a plurality of inlet headers disposed parallel to corresponding ones of the first mentioned parallel rows and a plurality of outlet headers similarly disposed substantially parallel to the respective ones of the first mentioned parallel rows. The outlet headers of the individual rows are connected by conduitmeans with the inlet header of the next successive row of columnar ducts so that the rows are serially connected. The ducts of each of the parallel rows are con nected to a common inlet header and to a common outlet header. Thus a heating fluid can be flowed through the inlet headers and along parallel paths through the individual columnar ducts of the respective parallel rows and then out the common individual headers of the rows. The columnar ducts of each of the individual first mentioned parallel rows comprise a predetermined type of heating unit. For example, the columnar ducts of a first row may each enclose therein a superheater and these are serially connected to the next successive row in which may be disposed, for example, evaporators or steam generating elements within each one of the re spective columnar ducts. Thus, it will be understood that each parallel row has alike heat exchange units within the individual columnar ducts therein through which the heat transfer medium or fluid is being flowed therethrough in parallel paths. Thus, it will be appreciated that all of the heat exchange units in a given row are being subjected to substantially the same operating conditions in the sense of same operating temperatures such that the heat contraction and expansion incident to the similar operating conditions results in similar expansion and contraction of the elements within a given row or zone of the heat exchanger.

Another feature of the heat exchanger according to the invention is that the individual rows of columnar ducts with heat exchanger elements therein are mounted or suspended within the reactor in a simple suspension system providing optimum support for the columnar ducts even though contraction and expansion problems are minimized by the general arrangement of the heat exchange elements and ducts as above described. The arrangement provides for allowing assembly of the heat exchanger and mounting thereof substantially in a completed condition.

Other features and advantages of the heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be better understood as describedin the following specifica- 'tion and appended claims, in conjunction with the following drawing in which: 9

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vertical section of a heat exchanger unit and illustrates the arrangement of heat exchange elements therein in the manner heretofore employed;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation section view illustrating the arrangement of heat exchange elements and units in a heat exchange apparatus according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to the invention illustrating the parallel and serial arrangement of heat exchanger units and elements according to the invention.

According to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a columnar duct l disposed in an upstanding position provided with an inlet 1a and an outlet 1b for flowing a heating fluid longitudinally through the duct supplied through the inlet and discharged out the outlet. The duct 1 comprises a plurality. of heat exchange elements therein arranged as hereinafter described in a known arrangement resulting in operation such that the duct 1 and the components therein operate in substantial temperature differentials resulting in complex problems of contraction and expansion and difficulties in suspension of the entire heat exchange apparatus, for example, within a steam generating apparatus. The known arrangement provides a low pressure stage comprising an economizer or pre-heater 3 supplied, for example, with water through an inlet 5 and in series with a steam generator or evaporator 6 connected in series with a superheater 7. The steam generated in this low pressure stage is removed from the columnar duct through a conduit 9. Within the same columnar duct 1 is provided a high pressure stage comprising a water inlet 10 for supplying water to a pre-heater 12 in series with a steam generator section or evaporator 14 in series with a superheater 15. The superheated steam is removed through an outlet conduit 17. It can be appreciated that in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, the high pressure and low pressure stages result by virtue of the fact that the superheater 15, evaporator 14 and economizer 12 extract a considerable amount of heat from the incoming heating medium before any of the units of the low pressure stage come into contact with the heating medium. Moreover, those skilled in the art will recognize that by virtue of the operating temperature differentials the heat exchange unit 1 in combination with the heating elements therein is operating under conditions in which there are substantial dilferences in expansion and contraction of the various elements tending to cause distortion and complicate the problem of suspending the heat exchange unit 1, for example, in the steam generating plant or boiler configuration.

A heat exchange apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the general overall arrangement and grouping of the heat exchange units and the heat exchange elements therein and FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a heat exchanger apparatus in accordance with the principles illustrated in FIG. 2.

The heat exchanger apparatus according to the invention comprises a plurality of elongated, tubular columnar ducts 21-25 arranged serially connected as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2. It will be understood that in the diagrammatic illustration in FIG. 2 each of the columnar ducts 21-25 is representative of the row of parallel ducts as hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 3.

In the arrangement according to the invention a heating medium, for example a heating fiuid, is supplied through an inlet conduit 27 and flows longitudinally through the first columnar duct 21 and is discharged through an outlet conduit 29 connected with an inlet 30 of the next successive or sequentially arranged columnar ducts and is finally discharged from the final outlet conduit 32 of the last series columnar duct 25. Internally of the tubular elongated ducts, the heating fluid flows around and about respective heat transfer elements. A superheater 35 is disposed in the first columnar duct 21 of the series and this is connected in series With an evaporator or steam generator 36 in series with an economizer 37 forming the high pressure stage comparable to the high pressure stage in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1. The low pressure stage, on the other hand, is arranged with a superheater 39 in the duct 23 along with the superheater of the high pressure stage and in series connection with an evaporator 40 and a respective economizer 41. It being understood, that the individual heat exchange elements in the ducts are provided with conduit means for providing a series fluid flow therein, for example for water so that steam can be generated within the successive ducts and superheated then delivered to a place where it will be made use of.

In embodying the principles of the invention the heat exchanger apparatus is constructed as illustrated in FIG. 3. In order to correlate the drawings similar reference numbers will be employed in FIG. 3 as in FIG. 2. Moreover, although a plurality of tubes are arranged in the parallel row arrangement of the heat exchanger only one 4 of each of the individual ducts will be referred to in order to correlate FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the practical embodiments of the invention, a plurality of ducts 21 are arranged in a parallel row and are connected by conduits 41 with an inlet header 42 which is common to all of the columnar ducts in the first row. It being understood that the header 42 is comparable to the conduit 27 of FIG. 2. An outlet header 44 in parallel with the row parallel ducts 21 is connected through conduit means 45 providing communication from the individual ducts 21 to the common header 44.

A plurality of rows of columnar ducts designated 22, 23, 24, 25 are provided. The individual rows are formed of a plurality of columnar ducts in the manner described with respect to the first row comprising the ducts 2-1. The outlet header of each of the successive rows is connected to the inlet header of the next successive row. For example, the outlet header 44 is connected to an inlet header 47 of the row of parallel ducts designated 22 which are connected to the header 47 in common. The second row of ducts is connected in common to an outlet header 48 which is connected to an inlet header 49 of the next successive row and this arrangement is continued in sequence until the final row discharges through an outlet header 51 which is comparable to the outlet 32 of the diagrammatic illustration in FIG. 2.

In each of the parallel rows, the ducts of each parallel row have similar heating exchange elements. For example, the first row or ducts comprising the ducts 2 1 has nothing but superheaters as illustrated in the diagramrnatic illustrations in FIG. 2 and the next successive row in each of the ducts evaporators are disposed therein and the final row comprising the ducts 25 has the economizers comparable to the economizer 41. The intermediate rows have similar heat exchange elements to the rows illustrated in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the individual heat exchange elements are therefore grouped and the individual rows of ducts connected to respective inlet and outlet headers have substantially alike operating conditions with respect to any expansion and contraction of the component parts thereof.

The columnar duct-s which are disposed in an upstanding position in the individual rows are preferably arranged with the ducts of the next successive rows in correspondence therewith or parallel alignment so that rows are formed in a direction normal to the pane of the paper or into the pane of the paper to provide optimum symmetrical arrangement. However, it will be understood that although this kind of an alignment is not necessary, the rows must be such that each successive row has a duct in series with the elements of the preceding ducts even through the individual ducts of the first mentioned parallel rows are connected in parallel.

In order to simplify the suspension of the entire assembly, the heat exchange apparatus is preferably mounted in a simple suspension arrangement for example as illustrated in FIG. 3 in which

parallel girders

54, 55 are built within the react-or or boiler, not shown, and across which are disposed a plurality of freely movalble beams 57 spanning the space between the girders and each resting on a pair of rollers 59 at one end thereof and a similar pair at the opposite end for example as illustrated at 60 in the first row. The individual ducts are readily supported on

projections

65, 66 extending outwardly therefrom adjacent an upper portion of the ducts and are supported on a pair of spaced

projections

69, 70 extending normal from the longitudinally extending beams 57.

The arrangement of the ducts and heating elements therein, aside from permitting optimum conditions for operations and a simplified arrangement, permits mass assembly of the individual respective rows and related units and headers. The assembled rows can then easily be transported to a steam generating apparatus readily mounted and finally assembled in view of the easy manner in which the suspension assembly is constructed.

Thus, for example, the whole assembly can be transported into the place of use and then lifted into position and the beams inserted into position for holding the heat exchanger in a suspended condition. Moreover, individ ual rows can be all prefabricated, suspended and then joining conduits installed. The simplicity of the suspension means permits a wide latitude of techniques of preasse'nrbling. After installation the reactor side covering portions, not shown, can be readily installed.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that many modifications and changes can be made within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A multi-component heat exchanger comprising, a plurality of substantially parallel columnar ducts arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows, a plurality of inlet headers comprising one of said inlet headers for each of said rows of ducts, said inlet headers being disposed parallel to the rows of columnar ducts, a plurality of outlet headers comprising an outlet header for said columnar ducts of each one of said parallel rows and disposed parallel to said rows, means for each columnar duct in said rows providing an inletin communication with a respective common inlet header, means for each columnar duct in said ro'ws providing an outlet in communication with a respective one of said outlet headers for flowing a heating fluid through said columnar ducts in parallel in each of said rows, means connecting in series the outlet headers of the columnar ducts arranged in the successive parallel rows of columnar duets with the inlet headers of the next successive row of said parallel rows of columnar ducts, a plurality of heat exchange elements, each of said columnar ducts containing at least one of said heat exchange elements internally thereof, said heat exchange elements having means defining a fluid flow path counter to the direction of flow of heating fluid through a respective columnar duct in which the individual heat exchange elements are disposed and an inlet means and outlet means extending out-wardly of the respective ducts and externally thereof, said heat exchange elements comprising a plurality of evaporators, superheaters and economizers arranged in a predetermined combination in said parallel rows.

2. A multi-comp'onent heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the columnar ducts of one row of said rows contain superheater elements, the columnar ducts of a second row of said rows contain said evaporator elements and the columnar ducts of a third row of said rows contain economizer elements.

3. A multi-component heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the heat exchange elements contained in the ducts of a first of said rows comprise superheaters and the heat exchange elements contained in a second and third next successive row comprise a steam generator in each of the ducts of said second successive row and an economizer in each of the ducts of said successive third row, means connecting the economizers in series with the heat exchange elements of the first and second rows.

4. A multi-component heat exchanger according to claim 3, in which said heat exchange elements in said third row of said successive rows further comprise a superheater in each of said ducts of said third row, means connecting the last-mentioned superheaters in series only with heat exchange elements in a fourth and fifth one of said parallel rows, said heat exchange elements contained in each duct of said fourth row comprising steam generators and the heat exchange elements contained in each duct of said fifth row comprising economizers.

5. A multi-component heat exchanger according to claim 4, in which the inlet header of said first row is disposed for receiving said heating fluid and the outlet header of said fifth row is disposed for discharging the heating fluid from said rows after flowing through the ducts of the successive rows successively.

6. A multi-component heat exchanger according to claim 1, comprising means for suspending said ducts vertically disposed comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed parallel beams having projections comprising paired projections extending laterally therefrom for releasably receiving and supporting each of said ducts, said ducts each comprising lateral projections for suspending said ducts from a respective pair of said paired projections.

7. A multi-component heat exchanger comprising, a plurality of substantially parallel columnar ducts arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows and arranged with the ducts in said rows positioned to define other parallel rows generally disposed perpendicular to the first-mentioned rows, a plurality of inlet headers, comprising one inlet header for each of said first-mentioned rows of ducts, said inlet headers being disposed parallel to the first-mentioned rows of columnar ducts, a plurality of outlet headers comprising an outlet header for each of said columnar ducts in each row of said firstmentioned parallel rows and disposed parallel to said first-mentioned rows, means for each columnar duct in said rows providing an inlet in communication with a respective common inlet header, means for each columnar duct in said rows providing an outlet in communication with a respective one of said outlet headers in common for flowing a heating fluid through said columnar ducts of each respective row in parallel, means connecting in series the outlet header-s of the columnar ducts arranged in the successive parallel rows of columnar ducts with the inlet headers of the next successive row of said parallel rows of columnar ducts, a plurality of heat exchanger elements, each of said columnar ducts containing at least one of said heat exchanger elements internally thereof, said heat exchanger elements having means defining a fluid flow path counter to the direction of flow of fluid through a respective columnar duct in which the individual heat exchanger elements are disposed and an inlet means and outlet means extending outwardly of the respective ducts and externally thereof, said heat exchanger elements comprising a plurality of evaporators, superheaters and economizers arranged in a predetermined combination in said parallel rows.

8. A multi-component heat exchanger according to claim 7, in which the columnar ducts of one row of the first-mentioned rows contain superheater elements, the columnar ducts of a second row of said first-mentioned rows contain said evaporator elements and the columnar ducts of a third row of the first-mentioned rows contain economizer elements.

9. A multi-component heat exchanger according to claim 7, in which said columnar ducts are arranged upstanding and said inlet headers are arranged above respective rows of columnar ducts in communication therewith and said inlet headers are arranged below respective rows of columnar ducts in communication therewith.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,810,178 6/1931 Jacobus -145 2,004,075 6/ 1935 Koenemann 122-32 2,229,554 1/ 1941 Cummings 12232 2,310,801 2/1943 Mayo et a1. 122-510 FOREIGN PATENTS 249,333 3/ 1926 Great Britain.

MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

A. W. DAVIS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A MULTI-COMPONENT HEAT EXCHANGER COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL COLUMNAR DUCTS ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROWS, A PLURALITY OF INLET HEADERS COMPRISING ONE OF SAID INLET HEADERS FOR EACH OF SAID ROWS OF DUCTS, SAID INLET HEADERS BEING DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE ROWS OF COLUMNAR DUCTS, A PLURALITY OF OUTLET HEADERS COMPRISING AN OUTLET HEADER FOR SAID COLUMNAR DUCTS OF EACH ONE OF SAID PARALLEL ROWS AND DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID ROWS, MEANS FOR EACH COLUMNAR DUCT IN SAID ROWS PROVIDING AN INLET IN COMMUNICATION WITH A RESPECTIVE COMMON INLET HEADER, MEANS FOR EACH COLUMNAR DUCT IN SAID ROWS PROVIDING AN OUTLET IN COMMUNNICATION WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID OUTLET HEADERS FOR FLOWING A HEATING FLUID THROUGH SAID COLUMNAR DUCTS IN PARALLEL IN EACH OF SAID ROWS, MEANS CONNECTING IN SERIES THE OUTLET HEADERS OF THE COLUMNAR DUCTS ARRANGED IN THE SUCCESSIVE PARALLEL ROWS OF COLUMNAR DUCTS WITH THE INLET HEADERS OF THE NEXT SUCCESSIVE ROW OF SAID PARALLEL ROWS OF COLUMNAR DUCTS, A PLURALITY OF HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS, EACH OF SAID COLUMNAR DUCTS CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS INTERNALLY THEREOF, SAID HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS HAVING MEANS DEFINING A FLUID FLOW PATH COUNTER TO THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF HEATING FLUID THROUGH A RESPECTIVE COLUMNAR DUCT IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS ARE DISPOSED AND AN INLET MEANS AND OUTLET MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE RESPECTIVE DUCTS AND EXTERNALLY THEREOF, SAID HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF EVAPORATORS, SUPERHEATERS AND ECONOMIZERS ARRANGED IN A PREDETERMINED COMBINATION IN SAID PARALLEL ROWS.