LIQUID METAL HEAT EXCHANGER

• US 3,656,543 A
• Filed: 05/25/1970
• Issued: 04/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tobias Stern, Walter Wolowodiuk
• Original Assignee: Tobias Stern, Walter Wolowodiuk
• Inventors: Wolowodiuk, Walter, Stern, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Sukalo, Charles
• Application Number:
  US05/040,036
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 165/73-75,158-161,162,145,158 122/32,34 176/62-65
• US Class Current: 165/74
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0054 for nuclear applications cooling arrangements for nuclear reactors G21C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/005 the conduits for only one medium being tubes having bent portions or being assembled from bent tubes or being tubes having a toroidal configuration F28D7/0008, F28D7/02, F28D7/04, F28D7/06, F28D7/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/1669 the conduit assemblies having an annular shape; the conduits being assembled around a central distribution tube
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2009/226 Transversal partitions
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2280/02 Removable elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/013 for tubes or tube-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/22 Arrangements for directing heat-exchange media into successive compartments, e.g. arrangements of guide plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/432 including a tube sheet

Abstract

A liquid metal heat exchanger providing for a single pass of primary liquid metal and two passes of secondary liquid metal consisting of a removable core suspended at the top by an annular tube sheet clamped by a bolted ring for convenient removal. A funnel leading into a central downcomer separates cold incoming secondary liquid metal from the relatively hot outgoing secondary liquid metal.

Claims

1. A liquid metal heat exchanger comprising:

a cylindrical shell having an upper section and a lower section;

a funnel-shaped member in said upper section, said member being removably attached at tHe periphery thereof to said upper section;

an axially disposed removable core means extending down into the lower section of said shell;

said core means comprising a cylindrical tube extending down into said lower section and positioned so that the narrow part of said funnel communicates with said tube;

a lower annular tube sheet mounted on the bottom of and surrounding said tube;

a closure enclosing the bottom of said tube and lower tube sheet forming a lower compartment;

an upper annular tube sheet encircling said tube and removably attached at its periphery to said shell; and

a bundle of tubes extending between said upper and lower tube sheets to complete a flow path of secondary coolant flowing down through said funnel-shaped member, tube, lower compartment, and up through said bundle of tubes;

means in said upper section for suspending and clamping the top of said removable core means at the periphery of said upper tube sheet;

a secondary sodium inlet and a secondary sodium outlet in said upper section, said inlet and outlet both being in the side wall of said upper section of said shell at a location laterally beyond the peripheries of said upper and lower annular tube sheets, said inlet being laterally beyond the periphery of said funnel-shaped member, said inlet directing fluid over said funnel-shaped member to flow downward through said tube, said outlet being disposed below said funnel-shaped member but above said upper tube sheet to direct secondary fluid coming out of said tube bundle out of said exchanger; and

a primary sodium inlet in the upper portion of said lower section said primary sodium inlet being laterally beyond said bundle of tubes and said lower tube sheet, and a primary sodium outlet below said lower chamber.

2. The liquid metal heat exchanger defined in claim 1 wherein said means for suspending and clamping the top of said removable core means comprises an annular flange, said upper tube sheet being removably connected with said flange.

3. The liquid metal heat exchanger defined in claim 2 wherein said means for suspending and securing the top of said removable core means further comprises a clamping ring bolted to said flange, said clamping ring clamping said upper tube sheet between said ring and said flange.

4. The liquid metal heat exchanger defined in claim 3 wherein said upper tube sheet is supported upon the top of said cylindrical tube.

5. The liquid metal heat exchanger defined in claim 4 further comprising a head, said head closing the top of said upper section and being bolted about its periphery to the top of said upper section.

6. A heat exchanger for placing two fluids in indirect heat exchange comprising:

a shell;

an intake in the side wall of said shell for a first of said fluids;

an exhaust for said fluid positioned below said intake;

a tube;

a first annular tube sheet and a second annular tube sheet, said tube sheets encircling and being axially positioned with respect to said tube, said first tube sheet being closer to said intake than said second tube sheet;

a tube bundle extending between said tube sheets;

a chamber contiguous to said second tube sheet whereby said first fluid comes in through said intake, flows over said tube bundle outside of said chamber and exits at said exhaust, an inlet for a second of said fluids, said inlet being positioned laterally of said tube sheets, a funnel-like member for directing said second fluid from said inlet to said tube;

an outlet for the second of said fluids, said outlet being between said first tube sheet and said funnel-like member, whereby said second fluid comes in through said inlet, passes through said funnel and said tube to said chamber, then passes through said tube bundle and out said outlet, said funnel-like member and said first tube sheet being removably secured at their peripheries to said shell to permit access to said tube bundle by moving said funnel and then said first tube sheet and attached tube bundle axially out of said shelL.

7. The heat exchanger defined in claim 6 further comprising a support ring, the peripheral marginal portion of said funnel-like member being bolted to said ring.

8. The heat exchanger defined in claim 6 further comprising a clamping ring, said clamping ring being positioned over the outer peripheral marginal portion of said first tube sheet and bolted to said heat exchanger.

9. The heat exchanger defined in claim 8 wherein said tube and said tube bundle are substantially vertically disposed with said first tube sheet at a higher elevation than said second tube sheet, said funnel-shaped member having a lower cylindrical portion extending down into said tube, said first tube sheet having an inner marginal portion resting on the top of said tube.