WO1998008039A1 - Heat exchangers - Google Patents
Heat exchangers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1998008039A1 WO1998008039A1 PCT/GB1997/002214 GB9702214W WO9808039A1 WO 1998008039 A1 WO1998008039 A1 WO 1998008039A1 GB 9702214 W GB9702214 W GB 9702214W WO 9808039 A1 WO9808039 A1 WO 9808039A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- passages
- group
- liquid
- heat exchanger
- finning
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- 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
- F28D9/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
- F28D9/0062—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by spaced plates with inserted elements
- F28D9/0068—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by spaced plates with inserted elements with means for changing flow direction of one heat exchange medium, e.g. using deflecting zones
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
- F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
- F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
- F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
- F25J3/04406—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system
- F25J3/04412—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
- F25J5/00—Arrangements of cold exchangers or cold accumulators in separation or liquefaction plants
- F25J5/002—Arrangements of cold exchangers or cold accumulators in separation or liquefaction plants for continuously recuperating cold, i.e. in a so-called recuperative heat exchanger
- F25J5/005—Arrangements of cold exchangers or cold accumulators in separation or liquefaction plants for continuously recuperating cold, i.e. in a so-called recuperative heat exchanger in a reboiler-condenser, e.g. within a column
-
- 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
- F28F9/02—Header boxes; End plates
- F28F9/026—Header boxes; End plates with static flow control means, e.g. with means for uniformly distributing heat exchange media into conduits
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
- F25J2250/00—Details related to the use of reboiler-condensers
- F25J2250/04—Down-flowing type boiler-condenser, i.e. with evaporation of a falling liquid film
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
- F25J2290/00—Other details not covered by groups F25J2200/00 - F25J2280/00
- F25J2290/32—Details on header or distribution passages of heat exchangers, e.g. of reboiler-condenser or plate heat exchangers
Definitions
- the present invention relates to heat exchangers and more particularly but not exclusively to heat exchangers used in so-called oxygen boiling processes to liquify nitrogen.
- Such boiling processes result in the vaporisation of a liquid (e.g. liquid oxygen) in one group of passages of a heat exchanger, whilst in an adjacent group of passages a second fluid (e.g. nitrogen) is cooled sufficiently to liquefy it.
- a liquid e.g. liquid oxygen
- a second fluid e.g. nitrogen
- Gaseous nitrogen is presented in a second set of layers of the exchanger such that it is condensed to provide a downward flow of liquid nitrogen at the bottom of these second layers.
- the boiling temperature of oxygen at the bottom of the exchanger is elevated slightly by the increased pressure placed upon it by the weight of liquid above it. This increase in boiling temperature reduces the efficiency of liquification particularly with oxygen and nitrogen as their respective boiling and dew points are so similar.
- the oxygen liquid enters at the bottom of the exchanger into alternate adjacent passages to the nitrogen and then flows vertically upward boiling and so absorbing heat from the nitrogen before exiting at the top as a vapour-liquid mixture.
- the pressure of the oxygen at the bottom of the exchanger must be greater than the pressure at the top to force the flow through.
- the difference in these two pressures is the sum of the frictional pressure drop through the oxygen passages, and the static pressure due to the weight of the vapour-liquid mixture in the oxygen passages.
- the effect of the higher pressure at the bottom of the exchanger is to increase the boiling temperature at that point. This increase in boiling temperature reduces the temperature difference between the condensing nitrogen and the boiling oxygen streams, resulting in the size of heat exchanger presently found in air separation plants.
- a heat exchanger comprising means designed for vaporizing a liquid by heat exchange with a second fluid while maintaining no more than a small temperature difference between said liquid and said second fluid, said exchanger having side walls enclosing an assembly of parallel vertical plates having walls defining therebetween a multitude of flat passages, said passages comprising a first group of said passages, and a second group of passages available for the flow of said second fluid, constituting the remainder of said passages defined by said walls of said plates, said second group of passages extending upwardly to a height less than the height of said first group of passages so as to provide regions of said group of first passages above the second group of passages.
- a header tank located laterally adjacent the uppermost portion of said assembly for supplying said liquid into said regions, and each said region has respective weir means over which said liquid may flow into the uppermost part of an adjacent first set of passages and thereby pass downwardly through said first set of passages.
- the uppermost portions of each first group of passages incorporate distribution means extending at least partly along their depth, said distribution means being adapted to spread said liquid in a horizontal direction and to permit it to percolate downwardly.
- the first group of passages will typically alternate with the second group of passages.
- the distribution means may include means for preferentially feeding the liquid onto the walls of said vertical plates as the liquid leaves the distribution means.
- Each said region may incorporate horizontally corrugated finning, typically perforated, extending across the depth of the region, such finning acting to distribute the liquid along the depth of each region.
- Such vertically corrugated finning may be perforated.
- the distribution means may comprise perforated hardway in the form of horizontally corrugated finning. This hardway may extend across the full width of each first passage (i.e. between the walls of the vertical plates) over only a portion of its height. The lowermost fin of the hardway may terminate short of the wall towards which it is directed, leaving a gap between the wall and the edge of the fin.
- the hardway may comprise a plurality of corrugations between each pair of plates providing a first passage.
- There may for example be a pair of corrugations each extending on opposite sides of an intermediate hardway plate which runs parallel to the vertical heat exchanger plates and which may be positioned midway between them.
- the lowermost fin of one or each corrugation may be shorter than the remaining fins.
- the lowermost fin may be directed towards a heat exchanger plate rather than a hardway plate, such that the lowermost fin terminates leaving a gap between the edge of the fin and the wall of the heat exchanger plate.
- the gap so provided may be of the order of around half the height of the fin.
- the weir means may be provided by the uppermost extent of a number of the heat exchanger plates which are of restricted height i.e. do not extend to the full height of the assembly.
- FIG 1 is a schematic diagram indicating typical gas/liquid flows in a heat exchanger
- Figure 2 is a schematic perspective of a distribution zone of the exchanger
- Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of the upper part of the heat exchanger distribution zone.
- Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section of an alternative construction of the upper part of the heat exchanger. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
- liquid oxygen is to be vaporised and nitrogen gas is to be thereby condensed.
- Plates 10 are separated along their vertical edges by side bars 1 1 except at the top and bottom of the heat exchanger where gaps in side bars 11 permit the entry and exit of nitrogen and entry of oxygen. Over the main heat exchange zone of the heat exchanger plates 10 are separated between the side bars by vertically corrugated finning in contact with each plate 10 which acts as a secondary heat exchange surface. This is a known feature of such heat exchangers and is not illustrated herein.
- the oxygen is distributed across the depth of the assembly along horizontally corrugated perforated finning 13, or hardway, provided between alternate pairs of plates 10.
- the liquid oxygen is prevented from travelling downwardly within the heat exchanger by means of divider bars 14 located beneath the horizontally corrugated finning 13 adjacent the lower rim of header tank 12.
- Divider bars 14 have the same width as side bars 11 and extend across the depth of the heat exchanger.
- Vertically corrugated perforated or plain finning 15, or easyway extends between alternate pairs of plates 10 above the horizontally corrugated finning 13. The uppermost portion of this easyway 15 is visible in Figure 3 although it would in practice be under a header tank. Liquid oxygen being pumped under pressure into header tank 12, rises upwardly through the easyway 15 across the depth of the heat exchanger.
- Nitrogen gas is introduced into the heat exchanger between the same alternate pairs of plates 10 as those between which liquid oxygen is introduced, but is separated from the liquid oxygen by divider bars 14.
- a nitrogen gas header tank (not shown, but similar to the oxygen manifold 12 and positioned below it) feeds nitrogen into horizontally corrugated perforated finning 16 which distributes the nitrogen gas across the depth of the heat exchanger before it passes downwardly to be condensed. It can be seen that the uppermost portions of the nitrogen containing passages form regions between plates 10 which are used to feed oxygen upwardly to the top of the heat exchanger.
- Figure 3 illustrates the passage of liquid oxygen in two identical pairs of layers in the uppermost portion of the heat exchanger.
- Liquid oxygen rising through easyway finning 15 passes over a weir 17 provided by plate 10, alternate ones which stop short of the very top of the heat exchanger.
- the configuration associated with the weir allows even distribution to each layer and also permits any vapourised oxygen to be vented as oxygen falls over the weir.
- the adjacent passage between plates 10 to that which is used to supply liquid oxygen to weir 17, has a short vertical section of perforated easyway finning 18 starting at the edge of the weir located above perforated hardway finning 19.
- the rate of supply of liquid oxygen is typically regulated such that a pool of liquid oxygen remains above hardway finning 19, which acts to distribute the liquid oxygen across the depth of the heat exchanger.
- the lowermost fin of the corrugated hardway 19 may stop short of the plate 10 to which it is directed leaving a gap 20 which serves to preferentially feed liquid oxygen onto the wall of that plate 10.
- Liquid oxygen then moves down the surface of the plate 10 under gravity, which as a result of improved wetting improves the heat exchange characteristics as compared with previous distribution configurations.
- Beneath the easyway finning 18 are two sets of perforated corrugated hardway finning 21 of the same fin height separated by a hardway plate (or secondary tube plate) 22 extending parallel to plates 10 and located in the mid-position between two plates. Both the uppermost and the lowermost fin of each set of finning 21 may be shorter than the remaining fins.
- the lowermost fins of each of the two sets of finning is directed towards an adjacent tube plate 10 (i.e. the sets of finning are mirror images of each other) such that there are gaps 23 between the lowermost fin and the tube plate.
- These gaps are typically of the order of half the height of the finning 21 e.g. if the finning height is 3 mm, the gap may be 1.5 mm.
- An example of an uppermost gap is identified by arrow 24 in Figure 4.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU40210/97A AU4021097A (en) | 1996-08-20 | 1997-08-19 | Heat exchangers |
EP97937662A EP0944804A1 (en) | 1996-08-20 | 1997-08-19 | Heat exchangers |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9617413A GB2316478A (en) | 1996-08-20 | 1996-08-20 | Liquefaction heat exchanger |
GB9617413.1 | 1996-08-20 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1998008039A1 true WO1998008039A1 (en) | 1998-02-26 |
Family
ID=10798683
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB1997/002214 WO1998008039A1 (en) | 1996-08-20 | 1997-08-19 | Heat exchangers |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0944804A1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU4021097A (en) |
GB (1) | GB2316478A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998008039A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1999042780A1 (en) * | 1998-02-17 | 1999-08-26 | Chart Marston Limited | Heat exchangers |
US9890995B2 (en) | 2013-05-01 | 2018-02-13 | Fertilesafe Ltd | Devices and methods for producing liquid air |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP4592125B2 (en) * | 1998-10-05 | 2010-12-01 | 大陽日酸株式会社 | Flowing film condensing evaporator |
FR2938904B1 (en) * | 2008-11-24 | 2012-05-04 | Air Liquide | HEAT EXCHANGER |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
USRE33026E (en) * | 1983-06-24 | 1989-08-22 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Process and device for vaporizing a liquid by heat exchange with a second fluid and their application in an air distillation installation |
EP0566435A1 (en) * | 1992-04-17 | 1993-10-20 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Trickle heat-exchanger and an air destillation comprising such a heat-exchanger |
EP0738862A1 (en) * | 1995-04-14 | 1996-10-23 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Heat exchanger with brazed plates, and corresponding method for processing a two-phase fluid |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3827481A (en) * | 1973-05-01 | 1974-08-06 | Carrier Corp | Distributor for gel-like materials |
-
1996
- 1996-08-20 GB GB9617413A patent/GB2316478A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1997
- 1997-08-19 EP EP97937662A patent/EP0944804A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1997-08-19 WO PCT/GB1997/002214 patent/WO1998008039A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1997-08-19 AU AU40210/97A patent/AU4021097A/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
USRE33026E (en) * | 1983-06-24 | 1989-08-22 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Process and device for vaporizing a liquid by heat exchange with a second fluid and their application in an air distillation installation |
EP0566435A1 (en) * | 1992-04-17 | 1993-10-20 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Trickle heat-exchanger and an air destillation comprising such a heat-exchanger |
EP0738862A1 (en) * | 1995-04-14 | 1996-10-23 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Heat exchanger with brazed plates, and corresponding method for processing a two-phase fluid |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1999042780A1 (en) * | 1998-02-17 | 1999-08-26 | Chart Marston Limited | Heat exchangers |
US9890995B2 (en) | 2013-05-01 | 2018-02-13 | Fertilesafe Ltd | Devices and methods for producing liquid air |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2316478A (en) | 1998-02-25 |
AU4021097A (en) | 1998-03-06 |
GB9617413D0 (en) | 1996-10-02 |
EP0944804A1 (en) | 1999-09-29 |
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