Tube and shell heat exchanger with annular distributor

• US 4,539,940 A
• Filed: 04/26/1984
• Issued: 09/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Original Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company (ConocoPhillips)
• Inventors: Young, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Favors, Edward G.
• Application Number:
  US06/604,336
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 122/32, 122/33, 122/511, 122/512, 165/159, 165/158, 165/157
• US Class Current: 122/32
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/021 with heating tubes in which flows a non-specified heating fluid for nuclear reactors F22B1/023, for hot gas F22B1/1884
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/02 Header boxes; End plates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0278 in the form of stacked distribution plates or perforated plates arranged over end plates

Abstract

A tube and shell heat exchanger with annular distributor has openings in the shell extending to the tube sheet and an annular distributor extending beyond the tube sheet.

Claims

1. Apparatus for passing two fluids into indirect heat exchange relationship with each other comprising

(a) a shell,

(b) at least one tube sheet attached to the shell,

(c) a plurality of tubes piercing the tube sheet,

(d) an annular distributor surrounding the tube sheet and at least a portion of the shell, said annular distributor providing an annular space which extends in axial direction beyond the shell side surface of the tube sheet,

(e) a plurality of openings through said shell providing a fluid connection between the inside of said shell and said annular space, said openings extending all the way to the shell side surface of said tube sheet.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 comprising an opening in said annular distributor which is located axially at least in part at or beyond the shell side surface of the tube sheet in direction toward the respective end of the heat exchanger.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the openings through said shell have substantially a rectangular shape with one side of the rectangular opening being flush with the shell side surface of the tube sheet.

4. A tube and shell heat exchanger comprising

(a) a tube sheet having a shell side surface and an opposite exterior surface,

(b) a plurality of tubes attached to said tube sheet permitting flow of a first fluid through the tube sheet and through said tubes, which tubes are parallel to each other and to a heat exchanger axis,

(c) a shell attached to said tube sheet and surrounding said tubes thereby defining a flow space for a second fluid in said shell and in contact with the outside of said tubes, said shell having a shell axis substantially parallel to said heat exchanger axis and said flow space being defined between the interior of the shell, the shell side surface of the tube sheet and the exterior of the tubes,

(d) a ring shaped housing surrounding the outside of said shell in the proximity of where said shell is attached to said tube sheet, said housing being in fluid connection with said shell and defining an annular space extending in the direction of the heat exchanger axis and said flow space in the proximity of said tube sheet, said annular space extending in direction of the heat exchanger axis from an area where this annular space surrounds a portion of the flow space within the shell in the proximity of the tube sheet to beyond the shell side surface of said tube sheet in the direction toward the respective end of the heat exchanger,

(e) a plurality of openings through said shell connecting the interior of said shell with said annular space, said openings through said shell connecting the interior of said shell extending axially all the way to the shell side surface of said tube sheet,

(f) an opening in said housing permitting flow of fluid into said annular space or from said annular space.

6. Heat exchanger in accordance with claim 4 wherein said openings through said shell are substantially rectangularly shaped with one side of said rectangular opening coinciding with the shell side surface of said tube sheet.

5. A shell and tube heat exchanger comprising

(a) a tube sheet having a shell side surface and an opposite exterior surface,

(b) a plurality of tubes attached to said tube sheet permitting flow of a first fluid through the tube sheet and through said tubes, which tubes are parallel to each other and to a heat exchanger axis,

(c) a shell attached to said tube sheet and surrounding said tubes thereby defining a flow space for a second fluid in said shell and in contact with the outside of said tubes, said shell having a shell axis substantially parallel to said heat exchanger axis and said flow space being defined between the interior of the shell, the shell side surface of the tube sheet and the exterior of the tubes,

(d) a ring shaped housing surrounding the outside of said shell in the proximity of where said shell is attached to said tube sheet, said housing being in fluid connection with said shell and defining an annular space extending in the direction of the heat exchanger axis said flow space in the proximity of said tube sheet, said annular space extending in direction of the heat exchanger axis from an area where this annular space surrounds a portion of the flow space within the shell in the proximity of the tube sheet to an area at least coinciding with the shell side surface of the tube sheet,

(e) a plurality of openings through said shell connecting the interior of said shell with said annular space, said openings through said shell connecting the interior of said shell extending axially all the way to the shell side surface of said tube sheet, wherein said opening in said housing is located axially at least in part beyond said shell side surface of said tube sheet in the direction toward the respective end of the heat exchanger and

(f) an opening in said housing permitting flow of fluid into said annular space or from said annular space.

7. A steam generator apparatus comprising

(a) a steam drum at least partially filled with water having a water outlet, a steam inlet and a steam outlet,

(b) a downcomer conduit connected with one end to said water outlet and with the other end at least indirectly with the shell side of a tube and shell heat exchanger which tube and shell heat exchanger comprises

(aa) a tube sheet having a shell side surface and an opposite exterior surface,

(bb) a plurality of tubes attached to said tube sheet permitting flow of a first fluid through the tube sheet and through said tubes, which tubes are parallel to each other and to a heat exchanger axis,

(cc) a shell attached to said tube sheet and surrounding said tubes thereby defining a flow space for a second fluid in said shell and in contact with the outside of said tubes, said shell having a shell axis substantially parallel to said heat exchanger axis and said flow space being defined between the interior of the shell, the shell side surface of the tube sheet and the exterior of the tubes,

(dd) a ring shaped housing surrounding the outside of said shell in the proximity of where said shell is attached to said tube sheet, said housing being in fluid connection with said shell and defining an annular space extending in direction of the heat exchanger axis around said flow space in the proximity of said tube sheet, said annular space extending in direction of the heat exchanger axis from an area where this annular space surrounds a portion of the flow space within the shell in the proximity of the tube sheet to beyond the shell side surface of said tube sheet in a direction toward the respective end of the heat exchanger,

(ee) a plurality of openings through said shell connecting the interior of said shell with said annular space, said openings through said shell connecting the interior of said shell extending axially all the way to the shell side surface of said tube sheet,

(ff) an opening in said housing permitting flow of fluid into said annular space or from said annular space,

(c) a riser conduit attached to said housing and to said steam drum providing fluid communication between said opening in said housing and said steam drum,

(d) a source of heating fluid in fluid communication with the inlet ends of said plurality of tubes.

8. A steam generator in accordance with claim 7 wherein said opening in said housing is located axially at least in part beyond said shell side surface of said tube sheet in a direction toward the respective end of the heat exchanger.

9. A steam generator in accordance with claim 7 wherein said openings through said shell are substantially rectangularly shaped with one side of said rectangular opening coinciding with the shell side surface of said tube sheet.

10. In a vertical tube and shell heat exchanger wherein a substantially vertically shell surrounds a plurality of tubes attached to an upper tube sheet and wherein the upper tube sheet is attached to the shell the improvement comprising

a ring-shaped housing surrounding the shell in the proximity of the upper tube sheet forming an annular chamber extending axially upwardly at least to an axial location coinciding with the shell side surface of the upper tube sheet,

a plurality of openings through said shell providing fluid connection between the inside of said shell and said annular chamber, said openings extending all the way to the shell side surface of the tube sheet,

at least one opening through said housing which opening is at least in part above the shell side surface of the tube sheet.

11. Heat exchanger in accordance with claim 10 wherein said annular chamber extends upwardly beyond the axial location of the shell side surface of said tube sheet.

12. Heat exchanger in accordance with claim 10 wherein said openings through said shell are substantially rectangularly shaped and wherein one side of said rectangularly shaped openings coincides with the shell side surface of said tube sheet.

13. A process to heat a liquid comprising

(a) passing said liquid into the lower portion of the shell side of a tube and shell heat exchanger, which tube and shell heat exchanger comprises a shell surrounding a plurality of tubes, said tubes being attached to an upper tube sheet,

(b) passing a heating fluid at a temperature higher than the temperature of the liquid through the tubes of the tube and shell heat exchanger thereby heating said liquid,

(c) providing a plurality of openings through said shell, which openings extend all the way to the shell side surface of the upper tube sheet and which openings provide fluid communication between the inside of the shell and an annular chamber defined by a housing annularly surrounding the shell in the proximity of said upper tube sheet, said annular chamber extending axially upwardly at least to the height of where the shell side surface of the upper tube sheet is located,

(d) passing fluid from the annular chamber through an opening in said housing to further use, said opening being located axially so that a least a portion of said opening is located above the axial position of the shell side surface of the upper tube sheet.

14. Process in accordance with claim 13 wherein said annular chamber extends upwardly beyond the axial location of the shell side surface of the upper tube sheet.

15. Process in accordance with claim 13 wherein said openings through said shell are substantially rectangularly shaped and wherein one side of said rectangularly shaped openings coincide with the shell side surface of said upper tube sheet.

16. Process in accordance with claim 13 wherein said liquid is at least partially evaporated in said shell.

17. A process to heat a liquid in a tube and shell heat exchanger which heat exchanger comprises a shell surrounding a plurality of tubes, said tubes being attached to a tube sheet and said tube sheet being attached to said shell, said process comprising

(a) passing said liquid into an annular chamber surrounding said shell in the vicinity of said tube sheet, said annular chamber extending axially at least into an area coinciding with the geometrical extension of the shell side surface of the tube sheet, said shell being provided with a plurality of openings extending all the way to the shell side surface of the tube sheet,

(b) passing the liquid from said annular chamber through said openings into the inside of said shell and in a direction sweeping the surface of the tube sheet into contact with the outside of the tubes,

(c) withdrawing heated fluid from the shell.

18. Process in accordance with claim 17 wherein said annular space extends beyond the axial location of the shell side surface of the tube sheet in the direction toward the respective end of the heat exchanger.

19. Process in accordance with claim 17 wherein said openings through said shell are substantially rectangularly shaped and wherein one side of said rectangularly shaped openings coincides with the shell side surface of said tube sheet.

20. Process in accordance with claim 17 wherein said liquid is at least partially evaporated in said shell.