HIGH EFFICIENCY DIRECT CONTACT HEAT EXCHANGER

• US 20130340691A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Tilmont, Daniel, Alifano, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,383,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 122/31.1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/02 using burners
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/122 Gas lift
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/243 Combustion in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/263 using explosives
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/1853 coming in direct contact with water in bulk or in sprays
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 27/02 built-up from fire tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 27/12 built-up from rotary heat-exchange elements, e.g. from tube assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/02 Premix gas burners, i.e. in which gaseous fuel is mixed with combustion air upstream of the combustion zone
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/70 Baffles or like flow-disturbing devices
• CPC Class Codes: F23Q 7/00 Incandescent ignition; Igniters using electrically-produced heat, e.g. lighters for cigarettes circuits therefor H01T15/00; Electrically-heated glowing plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/343 Pilot flames, i.e. fuel nozzles or injectors using only a very small proportion of the total fuel to insure continuous combustion ignition in gas-turbine plants F02C7/264; pilot flame igniters F23Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0329 Mixing of plural fluids of diverse characteristics or conditions

Abstract

A direct contact heat exchanger assembly is provided. The direct contact heat exchanger includes an evaporator jacket and an inner member. The inner member is received within the evaporator jacket. A sleeve passage is formed between the evaporator jacket and the inner member. The sleeve passage is configured and arranged to pass a flow of liquid. The housing has an inner exhaust chamber that is coupled to pass hot gas. The inner member further has a plurality of exhaust passages that allow some of the hot gas passing through the inner exhaust chamber to enter the flow of liquid in the sleeve passage.

Claims

1. A direct contact heat exchanger assembly comprising:

an evaporator jacket; and

an inner member received within the evaporator jacket, a sleeve passage formed between the evaporator jacket and the inner member, the sleeve passage configured and arranged to pass a flow of liquid, the housing having an inner exhaust chamber coupled to pass hot gas, the inner member further having a plurality of exhaust passages that allow some of the hot gas passing through the inner exhaust chamber to enter the flow of liquid in the sleeve passage.

2. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

the evaporator jacket being elongated and generally cylindrical in shape; and

the inner member including,

a generally cylindrical turning vane received within the evaporator jacket, the turning vane having an inner surface that defines at least part of the inner exhaust chamber, the turning vane coupled to pass hot fluid through the inner exhaust chamber, an outer surface of the turning vane and an inner surface of the elongated jacket are spaced to form at least in part the sleeve passage that is annulus shaped and extends around the outer surface of the turning vane, the turning vane having a plurality of elongated raised directional turning fins that extend out from the outer surface of the turning vane within the sleeve passage, the turning fins positioned to direct a flow of water in the sleeve passage into a swirling path around the inner exhaust chamber, and

a generally cylindrical stator received within the evaporator jacket, the stator coupled to the turning vane, the stator having an inner surface configured and arranged to form at least a part of the inner exhaust chamber, the stator having an outer surface, the outer surface of the stator and the inner surface of the elongated jacket are spaced to form at least a part the sleeve passage, the stator having a plurality of elongated outer extending directional maintaining fins that extend out from the outer surface of the stator within the sleeve passage to maintain the swirling path started by the turning fins of the turning vane, the stator having the plurality of exhaust passages that extend between the inner exhaust chamber and the sleeve passage.

3. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, wherein each turning fin includes a curved surface configured and arranged to direct the flow of fluid in the swirling path in the sleeve passage.

4. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of the directional maintaining fins further includes a length defined between a first end and a second end, the first end being rounded to minimize losses of the spiral flow, the second end of the directional maintaining fin having an opening to one of the exhaust passages.

5. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of the exhaust passages extends through a portion of an associated directional maintaining fin on the stator.

6. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

a cylindrical end portion having a first end coupled to the stator, the end portion received within the evaporator jacket, the end portion having an inner surface that forms in part the inner exhaust chamber, the end portion further having an outer surface, the outer surface of the end portion spaced a distance from the evaporator jacket to form in part the sleeve passage, the end portion further having a second end, the inner surface having a narrower diameter at the second end than a diameter at the first end of the end portion.

7. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 6, further comprising:

the outer surface of the end portion having a shoulder;

a thermal growth spring having a first end and a second end, the first end of the thermal growth spring engaging the shoulder of the end portion; and

a radial support in communication with an end of the evaporator jacket, the second end of the thermal growth spring engaging a portion of the radial support.

8. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 6, further comprising:

an orifice end cap coupled to the second end of the end portion, the orifice end cap having a central opening in which combustion product can pass out of the inner exhaust chamber; and

an orifice member received within the end cap, the orifice member having an orifice passage that leads from the inner exhaust chamber to the central opening of the end cap, the orifice member creating back pressure.

9. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, wherein the stator further comprises:

at least a first and a second stator portion, the first stator portion having a first diameter, the second stator portion having a second different diameter; and

at least one reducer coupling the first stator having the first diameter to the second stator portion having the second diameter.

10. A direct contact heat exchanger assembly comprising:

an elongated cylindrical evaporator jacket;

a cylindrical inner member received within the evaporator jacket, the inner member having an inner surface that defines an inner exhaust chamber, the inner member configured and arranged to pass hot gas through the inner exhaust chamber, an outer surface of the inner member and an inner surface of the evaporator jacket are spaced to form an annulus shaped sleeve passage that extends around the outer surface of the inner member, the sleeve passage configured and arranged to pass a flow of liquid, the inner member having a plurality of exhaust passages that extend from the inner exhaust chamber into the sleeve passage, the exhaust passages allowing at least some of the hot gas passing in the inner exhaust chamber to mix with the liquid passing in the sleeve passage to create a gas mix in the sleeve passage; and

a plurality of raised fins extending out from the outer surface of the inner member within the sleeve passage to cause the flow of liquid to take a swirling path in the sleeve passage.

11. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 10, wherein at least some of the exhaust passages pass through an associated fin.

12. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of raised fins further comprises:

a plurality of elongated raised directional turning fins extending out from the outer surface of the inner member within the sleeve passage, the turning fins positioned to direct the flow of liquid in the sleeve passage into the swirling path around the inner member; and

a plurality of elongated outer extending directional maintaining fins that extend out from the outer surface of the inner member within the sleeve passage to maintain the swirling path started by the directional turning fins,

13. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 12, wherein each turning fin includes a curved surface configured and arranged to direct the flow of water in the swirling path in the sleeve passage.

14. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the directional maintaining fins further includes a length defined between a first end and a second end, the first end being rounded to help maintain the spiral flow, the second end of the directional maintaining fin having an opening to one of the exhaust passages.

15. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a cylindrical end portion having a first end coupled to the stator, the end portion received within the evaporator jacket, the end portion having an inner surface that forms in part the inner exhaust chamber, the end portion further having an outer surface, the outer surface of the end portion spaced a distance from the evaporator jacket to form in part the sleeve passage, the end portion further having a second end, the inner surface having a narrower diameter at the second end than a diameter at the first end of the end portion;

the outer surface of the end portion having a shoulder;

a thermal growth spring having a first end and a second end, the first end of the thermal growth spring engaging the shoulder of the end portion; and

a radial support in communication with an end of the evaporator jacket, the second end of the thermal growth spring engaging a portion of the radial support.

16. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 15, further comprising:

an orifice end cap coupled to the second end of the end portion, the orifice end cap having a central opening in which combustion product can pass out of the inner exhaust chamber; and

an orifice member received within the end cap, the orifice member having an orifice passage that leads from the inner exhaust chamber to the central opening of the end cap, the orifice member creating back pressure.

17. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 10, wherein the inner member further comprises:

a generally cylindrical turning vane, plurality of elongated raised directional turning fins extending out from an outer surface of the turning vane within the sleeve passage; and

at least one generally cylindrical stator coupled to the turning vane, the plurality of elongated outer extending directional maintaining fins extending out from an outer surface of the at least one stator within the sleeve passage to maintain the swirling path started by the turning fins of the turning vane.

18. The direct contact heat exchanger assembly of claim 17, wherein the at least one stator further comprises:

at least a first and a second stator portion, the first stator portion having a first diameter, the second stator portion having a second different diameter; and

at least one reducer coupling the first stator having the first diameter to the second stator portion having the second diameter.

19. A method of forming a direct contact heat exchanger, the method comprising:

passing a body of liquid through a passage; and

injecting hot gas into the moving body of liquid in the passage.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

causing the body of liquid to swirl through the passage.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

passing the hot gas through an inner exhaust chamber;

swirling the body of liquid around the inner exhaust chamber in a sleeve passage; and

injecting the hot gas into the moving body of liquid through a plurality of exhaust passages that lead from the inner exhaust chamber to the moving body of liquid.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein swirling the body of liquid around the inner exhaust chamber in a sleeve passage further comprises:

engaging the body of liquid with elongated raised directional turning fins positioned within the sleeve passage to direct the liquid to flow in a helical flow pattern around the inner exhaust chamber.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

creating back pressure in the inner exhaust chamber.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

thermally extending the length of the sleeve passage.