US3428119A - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Heat exchanger Download PDF

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Publication number
US3428119A
US3428119A US633557A US3428119DA US3428119A US 3428119 A US3428119 A US 3428119A US 633557 A US633557 A US 633557A US 3428119D A US3428119D A US 3428119DA US 3428119 A US3428119 A US 3428119A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tubes
headers
water
sodium
heat exchanger
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US633557A
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English (en)
Inventor
Pierre Pouderoux
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
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Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
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Filing date
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Application filed by Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA filed Critical Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
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Publication of US3428119A publication Critical patent/US3428119A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
    • F28F9/26—Arrangements for connecting different sections of heat-exchange elements, e.g. of radiators
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F22—STEAM GENERATION
    • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
    • F22B1/00—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method
    • F22B1/02—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers
    • F22B1/06—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers the heat carrier being molten; Use of molten metal, e.g. zinc, as heat transfer medium
    • F22B1/063—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers the heat carrier being molten; Use of molten metal, e.g. zinc, as heat transfer medium for metal cooled nuclear reactors
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D7/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
    • F28D7/08—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits being otherwise bent, e.g. in a serpentine or zig-zag
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
    • F28F9/007—Auxiliary supports for elements

Definitions

  • a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of outer tubes disposed in parallel planes and each comprising straight sections joined to each other by bends so as to form snaked coils, said outer tubes being connected in parallel to inlet and outlet headers through which a first heattransfer fluid is admitted and discharged.
  • Each of said outer tubes is designed to contain a plurality of inner tubes for the circulation of a second heat-transfer fluid, the ends of said inner tubes being designed to pass individually through the lateral wall of the corresponding outer tube at each end of it and being connected in parallel externally of said outer tubes to inlet and outlet headers for the admission and discharge of said second fluid.
  • This invention relates to a heat exchanger which is designed for the purpose of transferring heat between two fluids which are liable to react dangerously with each other, the primary object of said heat exchanger being to permit the vaporization of water by heat transfer with a liquid metal such as sodium.
  • a further object of the invention is to solve the problems raised by differential expansion processes between the diflerent tubes and headers while at the same time permitting the utilization of tubes of substantial length within a small space.
  • the invention proposes a heat exchanger which is intended especially for the vaporization of water by heat transfer with a liquid metal such as sodium, said heat exchanger being essentially characterized in that it comprises a plurality of outer tubes disposed in parallel planes and each comprising straight sections joined to each other by bends so as to form snaked coils, said outer tubes being connected in parallel to inlet and outlet headers through which a first heat-transfer fluid such as sodium is admitted and discharged and which are disposed substantially in the mid-plane of said straight sections, each of said outer tubes being designed to contain a plurality of inner tubes for the circulation of a second heat-transfer fluid such as water, the ends of said outer tubes being connected in parallel to the inlet and outlet headers for the admission and discharge of said second fluid.
  • This arrangement of headers in the central zone of the snaked coils makes it possible to provide automatic compensation or differential expansion processes between the inner tubes, outer tubes and headers.
  • said inner tubes are each passed individually through the wall of the corresponding outer tube prior to branching on the headers.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the steam generator herein described
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of the steam generator of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 shows a first mode of assembly of the water tubes inside the outer tube (envelope tube) through which sodium is circulated;
  • FIG. 4 illustrates a second mode of assembly which is employed as an alternative to FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 shows the detail of the outlets of the water tubes from an outer tube.
  • the steam generator herein described employs as heating fluid liquid sodium which constitutes the secondary coolant of a fast reactor. Said secondary coolant is in turn heated by heat transfer with the main reactor coolant which also consists of liquid sodium.
  • the steam generator is supplied with water which is successively reheated, vaporized, then superheated by heat transfer with the liquid sodium which is circulated countercurrent to the water, whether liquid or vaporized.
  • the steam generator is made up of a large number of standard units of identical design, each forming either an economizer and evaporator or a superheater. These standard units are mounted together with the corresponding headers in a number of separate blocks as shown in FIGS.
  • the steam generator can comprise in addition either one or a number of resuper heaters which are also constructed in the form of standard units of similar design to those mentioned above.
  • the block which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a plurality of economizer and evaporator units 1 as shown in the lower half 2 of the figures (there being fourteen in the example shown) and a corresponding number of superheater units 3 as shown in the upper half 4 of the figures.
  • These standard units as well as the associated headers are contained in an enclosure 5, the walls of which are lined with insulating material 6.
  • Each standard unit 1 or 2 is constituted by an envelope tube or outer tube 7 in which sodium is circulated and which contains the water circulation tubes 8 (as shown in FIG.
  • Each outer tube 7 is designed in the form of a snaked coil having a double S configuration in a vertical plane.
  • the two ends of the outer tubes are joined to sodium header-pipes which bear the reference numerals 10 and 11 in the case of the economizer and evaporator units and 12 and 13 in the case of the superheater units.
  • These four headers are horizontal and located in a same vertical plane at right angles to the planes defined by the coils in the central zone of these latter.
  • each outer tube 7 comprises five substantially horizontal straight runs joined to each other by bends at 180 which are located alternately in the vicinity of two opposite lateral faces of the heat-insulated enclosure 5.
  • the two straight outer-tube sections which are located at the ends are of shorter length and extend only from one lateral face of the enclosure 5 up to the appropriate header on which they are branched laterally.
  • outer tubes In order to facilitate the connection of outer tubes to the sodium headers and to obtain a highly compact assembly, adjacent outer tubes are accordingly disposed in top-to-tail relation and their ends are joined to the headers alternately along each of two diametrically opposite generatrices. This alternate arrangement of the outer tubes also facilitates subsequent withdrawal of any one casing tube for repair purposes.
  • each outer tube 7 There are disposed inside each outer tube 7 seven water tubes 8 which are all parallel to the outer tube. Said water tubes are held in position by braces of the type shown in FIG. 3 whereby the water tubes are permitted to expand relatively to the outer tubes while remaining at the same distance from each other and whereby any possibility of vibration of the tubes under the action of the flow of fluids is prevented.
  • the brace of FIG. 3 is made up of an assembly of flat welded plates 14 and is provided with fins 15 which are intended to mix the sodium which flows within the outer tube in order to avoid any danger of laminar flow.
  • steel hairpin spacers 16 can be employed to join the different tubes together, as shown in FIG. 4. These hairpins are nevertheless subject to a disadvantage compared With the previous solution in that they must be of relatively substantial thickness, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area which is provided for the flow of sodium.
  • the seven water tubes 8 each pass in leak-tight manner through the surrounding envelope tube 7 in the vicinity of each end of this latter.
  • This arrangement of separate water-tube outlets dispenses with the need of tube-sheets which would have to be of relatively substantial thickness in order to afford adequate resistance to the sodium pressure.
  • said tube can be branched directly on the sodium header, thereby facilitating the circulation of this fluid.
  • each steam sub-header 20 supplies the water tubes 8 of a superheater unit 3 directly.
  • the superheated steam sub-header 21 is connected to a header 22 which collects the whole quantity of superheated steam which is produced in the block.
  • the water header 19 and the superheated steam header 22 are located in the mid-plane of the standard units 1 and 2 in the same manner as the sodium headers.
  • the circulation of the two fluids is carried out in a stage-by-stage process.
  • the hot sodium is distributed to the outer tubes of the superheater units 3 via the feed header 13. After having passed through these units from the top downwards, the sodium flows out of the upper half of the enclosure 5 via the header 12 which is joined by a bend 23 located outside the enclosure to the header 11 which serves to supply the economizer and evaporator units 1. After passing through these latter inside the outer tubes, the sodium is discharged from the block via the cold sodium header 10.
  • the heat exchanger as hereinabove described has the further advantage of readily permitting the isolation of a water tube when a leak has been detected. In fact, it is merely necessary to cut off and isolate said tube to which access can readily be gained between the sub-header and the corresponding outer tube, and the steam generator can be put back into service.
  • the arrangement adopted also makes it possible to eliminate the problems of thermal shock inasmuch as the thicknesses of metal employed always remain of a sufficiently small order.
  • a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of outer tubes disposed in parallel planes and each comprising straight sections joined to each other by bends forming snaked coils, said outer tubes being connected in parallel to inlet and outlet headers through which a first heattransfer fluid is admitted and discharged, each of said outer tubes containing a plurality of inner tubes for the circulation of a second heat-transfer fluid, the ends of said inner tubes passing individually through the lateral wall at each end of the corresponding outer tube and being connected in parallel externally of said outer tubes to inlet and outlet sub-headers and inlet and outlet headers connected to said inlet and outlet sub-headers respectively for the admission and discharge of said second fluid.
  • headers for the first fluid and said headers for the second fluid being disposed substantially in a plane in the outer of and normal to said straight sections.
  • a heat exchanger in accordance with claim 1 said outer tubes being disposed in head-to-tail relation, said outer tubes being connected on the inlet and outlet headers for the first heat-transfer fluid at the ends of said outer tubes and alternately along opposite sides of the header.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)
US633557A 1966-05-05 1967-04-25 Heat exchanger Expired - Lifetime US3428119A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR60478A FR1494771A (fr) 1966-05-05 1966-05-05 échangeur de chaleur

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3428119A true US3428119A (en) 1969-02-18

Family

ID=8607956

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US633557A Expired - Lifetime US3428119A (en) 1966-05-05 1967-04-25 Heat exchanger

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US3428119A (xx)
BE (1) BE697378A (xx)
CH (1) CH481360A (xx)
ES (1) ES340101A1 (xx)
FR (1) FR1494771A (xx)
GB (1) GB1145226A (xx)
IL (1) IL27866A (xx)
LU (1) LU53495A1 (xx)
NL (1) NL157980B (xx)
SE (1) SE323399B (xx)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10948236B2 (en) * 2018-05-29 2021-03-16 Noritz Corporation Heat exchanger and water heater including same

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1823800A (en) * 1929-04-25 1931-09-15 Schmidt Sche Heissdampf Heat transferrer
US1875142A (en) * 1930-11-26 1932-08-30 Griscomrussell Company Heat exchanger
FR1351602A (fr) * 1962-12-29 1964-02-07 Babcock & Wilcox France Perfectionnements aux échangeurs de chaleur de récupération
US3266566A (en) * 1956-12-17 1966-08-16 Huet Andre Multi-component heat exchanger

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1823800A (en) * 1929-04-25 1931-09-15 Schmidt Sche Heissdampf Heat transferrer
US1875142A (en) * 1930-11-26 1932-08-30 Griscomrussell Company Heat exchanger
US3266566A (en) * 1956-12-17 1966-08-16 Huet Andre Multi-component heat exchanger
FR1351602A (fr) * 1962-12-29 1964-02-07 Babcock & Wilcox France Perfectionnements aux échangeurs de chaleur de récupération

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10948236B2 (en) * 2018-05-29 2021-03-16 Noritz Corporation Heat exchanger and water heater including same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE697378A (xx) 1967-10-02
GB1145226A (en) 1969-03-12
DE1551444B2 (de) 1972-01-13
SE323399B (xx) 1970-05-04
DE1551444A1 (de) 1970-04-23
NL157980B (nl) 1978-09-15
CH481360A (fr) 1969-11-15
ES340101A1 (es) 1971-02-16
NL6706298A (xx) 1967-11-06
IL27866A (en) 1970-07-19
FR1494771A (fr) 1967-09-15
LU53495A1 (xx) 1967-06-26

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