Heat exchange system

• US 7,124,587 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnathan W. Linney
• Original Assignee: Johnathan W. Linney
• Inventors: Bauer, Timothy Ray, Linney, Jonathan W., Bibb, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Sheldon J
• Application Number:
  US10/413,835
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 606/49, 606/51, 606/53, 606/71, 606/76, 606/77
• US Class Current: 60/649
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/224 Heating fuel before feeding to the burner
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0014 the heat being recuperated from waste air or from vapors for air conditioning F24F12/001

Abstract

The invention is a system for heating hydrocarbon flows with three heat exchangers, wherein the first heat exchanger transfers heat from compressed heated air to a pressurized heat exchange fluid; wherein the second heat exchanger transfers heat from the pressurized heat exchange fluid to a hydrocarbon flow and increases the hydrocarbon flow temperature between 50% and 900%; wherein the third heat exchanger receives the pressurized heat exchange fluid from the first heat exchanger and cools the fluid using at least one fan located in the third heat exchanger; and the system also has a vessel to accommodate thermal expansion of the pressurized heat exchange fluid and at least one pump for transporting fluid through the system.

Claims

1. A system for heating hydrocarbon flows, comprising:

a. a first heat exchanger comprising;

i. a housing;

ii. a compressed heated air inlet disposed in the housing, wherein the compressed heated air inlet is adapted to allow compressed heated air to enter a first set of tubes;

iii. a compressed cooled air outlet disposed in the housing, wherein the compressed heated air outlet is adapted to allow a compressed heated air to exit the first set of tubes;

iv. a first housing inlet disposed in the housing;

v. a first housing outlet disposed in the housing;

vi. the first set of tubes disposed within the housing for receiving the compressed heated air through the compressed heated air inlet and exhausting the compressed heated air through the compressed cooled air outlet;

vii. a pressurized heat exchange fluid contained with the first housing in fluid communication with the first housing inlet and first housing outlet; and

viii. wherein said fist heat exchanger is adapted to transfer heat from the compressed heated air to the pressurized heat exchange fluid;

b. a second heat exchanger comprising;

i. a second housing;

ii. a hydrocarbon flow inlet disposed in said second housing, wherein the hydrocarbon flow inlet is adapted to allow a hydrocarbon stream to enter a second set of tubes;

iii. a second housing inlet for receiving the pressurized heat exchange fluid from die first heat exchanger disposed in said second housing;

iv. a second housing outlet disposed in said second housing;

v. a heated hydrocarbon flow outlet disposed in said second housing, wherein the heated hydrocarbon flow outlet is adapted to allow the hydrocarbon stream to exit the second set of tubes;

vi. the second set of tubes disposed within the second housing connected to the hydrocarbon flow inlet for receiving the hydrocarbon stream and exhausting the hydrocarbon stream through the heated hydrocarbon flow outlet; and

vii. wherein the second heat exchanger transfers heat from the pressurized heat exchange fluid to the hydrocarbon flow forming a heated hydrocarbon flow, and wherein the second heat exchanger increases the hydrocarbon flow temperature between 50% and 900%;

c. a third heat exchanger comprising;

i. a third beat exchanger housing;

ii. at least one tube disposed in the third heat exchanger housing for receiving the pressurized heat exchange fluid from the first heat exchanger and communicating the pressurized heat exchange fluid from the third heat exchanger to a vessel; and

iii. at least one fan disposed in the third heat exchanger housing to cool the pressurized heat exchange fluid in the at least one tube;

d. the vessel accommodates thermal expansion of the pressurized heat exchange fluid in communication with the outlets for pressurized beat exchange fluid from the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger or combinations thereof;

to receive pressurized heat exchange fluid; and

with the first housing inlet;

e. at least one pump in communication with the vessel for transporting fluid through a member of the group;

the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the third beat exchanger and combinations thereof;

f. wherein at least one pump is a centrifugal pump; and

g. wherein the compressed heated air flows from a combustion gas turbine rotor exhaust.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is at a refinery or chemical plant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is at a power plant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is in a hot mix asphaltic concrete plant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is in a cement plant.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is on a floating platform.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is in a lime production plant.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a compressor as a source of heated compressed air.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressed cool air is at a pressure between 80 psia and 300 psia.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first heal exchanger cools the compressed heated air between 300 degrees F. and 500 degrees F.

11. The system or claim 1, wherein the third heat exchanger further comprises at least one fin on the at least one tube.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fan cools the pressurized heat exchange fluid by up to 95%.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is adapted to sustain the pressured heat exchange fluid between 15 psia and 300 psia.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressurized heat exchange fluid is a mineral oil, synthetic oil, silicon based fluid, glycol, or a mixture of terphenyl, quarterphenyl and phenanthrene.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control panel and at least one sensor, a central processing unit to monitor and compare the pressurized heat exchange fluid to preset limits.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressed heated air is at a pressure between 80 psia and 300 psia.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the compressed heated air is at a pressure between 89 psia and 270 psia.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon flow comprises oil, natural gas, methane, propane, and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the hydrocarbon flow inlet receives the hydrocarbon flow at a rate of 30 lbs per second.