US3286767A

US3286767A - Tube support arrangement

Info

Publication number: US3286767A
Application number: US400736A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur L Evans
Original assignee: Babcock and Wilcox Co
Current assignee: Babcock and Wilcox Co
Priority date: 1964-10-01
Filing date: 1964-10-01
Publication date: 1966-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-22
Also published as: GB1096410A

Description

NOV. 22, EVANS TUBE SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 1, 1964 I; I; M!

INVENTOR. Anhur L. Evans ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,286,767 TUBE SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT Arthur L. Evans, Massillon, Ohio, assignor to The Babcoclr & Wilcox Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,736 4 Claims. (Cl. 165-82) This invention relates to a tube support arrangement for use in a heat exchanger tube bundle and more particularly to a tube support and spacer for use in a tube bundle comprising a plurality of nested helical tube coils wherein the tube support arrangement provides support for the tubes both in a horizontal and in a vertical direction while permitting relative differential expansion between adjacent coils of tubes.

Heat exchangers incorporating a plurality of tubes arranged as a tube bundle therein are widely used in heat transfer systems. Many such heat exchanger tube bundle arrangements are provided with combination spacers and supports which align, space, and support the tubes within the bundle while permitting differential thermal expansion to occur. However, most tube supports of'the prior art function only when the heat exchanger assembly is in its intended operating position. Thus, with a heat exchanger intended to operate in a vertical position, the tube support and spacer arrangement is designed and arranged to support and space the tubes when the heat exchanger is in the vertical position only, but not when it is in horizontal position. It is common practice to shop assemble apparatus whenever possible, and to ship the assembled apparatus to the erection site as complete unitary components to minimize cost and maximize quality of the product. Tubular heat exchangers are in this category and this apparatus has customarily been shop assembled for shipment via standard methods of transportation to the erection site. Thus, because of right of way clearance limits it is often necessary to transport a heat exchanger lying on its side, i.e., horizontal, even though it is later to be vertically disposed. In this circumstance the tube spacers, installed in the shop to support and align the tube bundles in the vertical operating position, are not functioning during the time the heat exchanger is in the horizontal position. As a result, it has been necessary to pro vide supplementary spacers and supports for the shipment horizontally of such vertical heat exchanger apparatus to prevent undesirable shifting of the tube bundles during shipment and to minimize vibrations which may damage the structure. Since the tube supports and spacers used for shipment are supplemental to those used in normal operation they add to the cost of the unit since they must either be left in the unit or be removed at the erection site, with either procedure resulting in added expense.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tube support and spacer arrangement which will support and space the tubes of a heat exchanger both vertically and horizontally so as to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages. In the support arrangement of the present invention each tube support supports and spaces a row of tubes within the tube bundle while at the same time guiding and supporting the next adjacent tube support, irrespective of whether the heat exchanger unit is in a vertical or a horizontal position. With this arrangement, it is possible to ship a heat exchanger, intended for ultimate disposition vertically, in a horizontal position without the necessity of utilizing additional tube spacers and supports, since the support structure will prevent vibration of the tubes during shipment and will maintain the spacing of the tube assembly. At the same time, tube supports of the present invention permit differential thermal expansion of the several rows of tubes within the tube bundle during normal operating conditions.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a tube support arrangement in a heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced parallel tubes arranged as a tube bundle wherein the tube support comprises a first member extending transversely of a first row of tubes and arranged to project between adjacent tubes to space the tubes in that row, with a clamping or retaining means positioned on the opposite side of the tubes from the first member and cooperating with the member to maintain the tube spacing while at the same time forming a guide channel, and a second member disposed in the guide channel and extending substantially parallel to the first member and projecting between adjacent tubes in a second row of tubes adjacent to the first row of tubes.

The first member of the tube support may be slotted to accept the row of tubes while the clamping member includes a pair 'of clamping bars disposed one on each side of the portion of the slotted member which extends between the tubes so that the two clamping bars and the first member form a guide slot in which the second member is disposed.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages andspecific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a vertically arranged heat exchanger incorporating the tube spacers of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged vertical sectional detail of a plurality of spacers of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the spacer arrangement taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view of the spacer arrangement taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

A vertical heat exchanger 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a pressure vessel 12 having a plurality of tubes 14 arranged therein as a tube bundle. The tubes are supported from a support member 16 positioned in the upper portion of the pressure vessel by the support and spacer assembly 18 0f the present invention. In the heat exchanger arrangement illustrated the tubes are arranged in a plurality of concentric coils. The tubes are appropriately connected to headers, not shown, for the supply of suitable heat transfer fluid in a manner well known in the art. f

Referring now to FIG. 2, an enlarged detail of a portion of the tube support and spacer assembly 18 of the present invention is illustrated, showing the support as applied to three uniformly spaced rows of tubes 14. The assembly 18 comprises a first member 20 which is a bar member having a straight first edge 21 and a scalloped or slotted opposite edge 23 which is arranged to provide the desired spacing between the tubes 14 in the first row. The scalloped or slotted edge 23 of the first member 20 has an elongated portion 22 which extends between adacent tubes 14 to positively space the tubes from each other. A clamping means comprising a pair of clamping bars 24 are positioned on the opposite side of the first row of tubes from the first member 20 and are disposed on opposite sides of the portion 22 which extends between the tubes 14 as may be readily seen in FIGS. 3

and 4. These clamping bars 24 are secured, as by welds 25, to the projecting portions 22 of the first member 20 after the tubes 14 have been positioned in the first member and cooperate with the first member in maintaining the desired tube spacing. The clamping bars 24 may have a first edge slotted or scalloped as at 27 to fit around the tubes 14 in the first row and a second or opposite edge 28 which extends beyond the projecting portions 22 of the first member and cooperate therewith to form a guide slot extending the full length of the row of tubes. A second member 20A, similar to the first member 20, is arranged in corresponding relationship with a second row of tubes 14A, the axis of which is substantially parallel to the axis of the first row of tubes, and is guided and aligned by the guide channel formed between the clamping bars 24 connected to the first member 20. This arrangement is similarly repeated for each row of tubes across the heat exchanger, i.e., tubes 14B, etc. The

several support members

20, 20A and 20B, are secured to and suspended from the upper support 16 in the pressure vessel with the tubes of the heat exchanger supported by members 20. The support members on the outermost edges of the tube bundle may be guided in a suitable manner by guides 29 provided on the inner surface of the pressure vessel wall 30.

With the support structure of the present invention, each row of tubes is both positively supported and aligned while at the same time the individual tubes of a row are permitted to expand differentially with respect to each other by moving through the supports in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2. At the same time the entire row of tubes may expand in a vertifical direction with the support members sliding therewith. Inasmuch as adjacent rows of tubes are not integrally connected to the other rows of tubes, each row may also expand in a vertical direction independently of adjacent rows with the support member 20A sliding within the slot formed between the clamping bars 24 of the first row. At the same time the support arrangement for the second row of tubes is positively aligned by this guide channel. It is readily apparent that should the heat exchanger arrangement illustrated be placed in a horizontal position, the support arrangement will still provide the necessary support and relative tube spacing for the tube bundle since each support member will guide and support the next adjacent support member by means of the guide channel while at the same time providing the necessary support and rigidity to prevent damage to the tube bundle.

It will thus be seen that the present tube support arrangement provides positive support and alignment of the tubes within a heat exchanger while permitting differential expansion regardless of whether the heat exchanger is in a vertical or horizontal position, simplifying maintenance, installation, and shipment of such units.

Furthermore, in a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of concentric coilea tubes, the support structure of the present invention will provide support across the entire diameter of the tube bundle and throughout the entire length thereof. Also, if desired, additional supports may be utilized in various other diametral planes of the tube bundle in addition to that illustrated.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes there is illustrated and described herein a specific embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in the form of the invention covered by the claims, and that certain features of the invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of the other features.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced substantially parallel tubes arranged as a tube bundle, a tube support arrangement comprising a first member extending transversely of a first row of tubes on one side thereof and having a portion projecting between adjacent tubes in said first row to define openings wherein the tubes of said first row are confined, clamping means positioned on the opposite side of the tubes of said first row from said first member, said clamping means being connected with and cooperating with said first member to maintain the tubes of said first row in said openings, a second member in alignment with said first member and extending transversely of a second row of tubes which are substantially parallel to said first row of tubes, said second member having a portion projecting between adjacent tubes in said second row to define openings wherein the tubes of said second row are confined, said clamping means being engaged with and arranged to align and guide said second member.

2. In a heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced substantially parallel tubes arranged as a tube bundle, a tube support arrangement comprising a first member extending transversely of a first row of tubes on one side thereof and having a portion projecting between adjacent tubes in said first row to define openings wherein the tubes of said first row are confined, a pair of clamping bars arranged on the opposite side of said tubes and extending transversely of said tubes, said clamping bars being connected with said first member and disposed on opposite sides of said projecting portion of said member to maintain the tubes of said first row in said spaces, said clamping bars cooperating with the projecting portion of said first member to form a guide channel extending transversely of said first row of tubes, and a second member disposed in said guide channel and extending transversely of a second row of tubes which are substantially parallel to said first row of tubes, said second member being arranged to project between adjacent tubes in said second row to define openings wherein the tubes of said second row are confined.

3. In a heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced substantially parallel tubes arranged as a tube bundle, a tube support arrangement comprising a first slotted member extending transversely of a first row of tubes on one side thereof and having portions thereof projecting between adjacent tubes in said first row to define openings wherein the tubes of said first row are confined, a pair of slotted clamping bars arranged on the opposite 'side of said tubes and extending transversely of said tubes and parallel with said first slotted member, said clamping bars being connected with said first slotted member and disposed on opposite sides of said projecting portions of said first slotted member to maintain said tubes in said slots, said clamping bars cooperating with the projecting portions of said first member to form a guide channel extending transversely of said first row of tubes on the opposite side of said first row of tubes from said first member and, a second slotted member disposed slidably within said guide channel and extending transversely of a second row of tubes which are substantially parallel to said first row of tubes, said second slotted member being arranged to project between adjacent tubes in said second row to define openings wherein the tubes of said second row are confined.

4. In a vertical heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced coiled substantially parallel tubes arranged as a vertical tube bundle therein, a tube support arrangement comprising a first slotted member extending transversely of a first vertical row of tubes on one side thereof and having portions thereof projecting between adjacent tubes in said first row to at least the opposite side thereof to define openings wherein the tubes of said first row are confined, a pair of slotted clamping bars arranged on the opposite side of said tubes and extending transversely of said tubes and parallel with said first slotted member, said clamping bars being connected with said first slotted member and disposed on opposite sides of said projecting portions of said first slotted member to maintain said tubes in said slots, said clamping bars cooperating with the projecting portion of said first member to form a guide channel extending transversely of said first row of tubes on the op- 6 7 meat supports and spaces said tubes when said heat ex- 2,980,404 4/1961 Andersen et a1. 165-162 X changer is vertical and horizontal. FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 842,494 6/ 1952 Germany. 2 090 345 ZTATES PATENTS 165 82 5 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

8 9 0y 2,328,039 8/1943 Toorney et a1 165162 X Exammer-

Claims

1. IN A HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TUBES ARRANGED AS A TUBE BUNDLE, A TUBE SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A FIRST MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF A FIRST ROW OF TUBES ON ONE SIDE THEREOF HAVING A PORTION PROJECTING BETWEEN ADJACENT TUBES IN SAID FIRST ROW TO DEFINE OPENINGS WHEREIN THE TUBES OF SAID FIRST ROW ARE CONFINED, CLAMPING MEANS POSITIONED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TUBES OF SAID FIRST ROW FROM SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID CLAMPING MEANS BEING CONNECTED WITH AND COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER TO MAINTAIN THE TUBES OF SAID FIRST ROW IN SAID OPENINGS, A SECOND MEMBER IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF A SECOND ROW OF TUBES, SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING A TO SAID FIRST ROW OF TUBES, SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING A PORTION PROJECTING BETWEEN ADJACENT TUBES IN SAID SECOND ROW TO DEFINE OPENINGS WHEREIN THE TUBES IN SAID SECOND ROW ARE CONFINED, SAID CLAMPING MEANS BEING ENGAGED WITH AND ARRANGED TO ALIGN AND GUIDE SAID SECOND MEMBER.