System for accommodating differential thermal expansion in syngas cooler

• US 9,688,927 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Schleicher, Jay Christopher, Chen, Lien-Yan
• Primary Examiner(s): Leo, Leonard R
• Application Number:
  US13/615,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20140069612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 165 81, 165 83, 165178, 165 82, 165154, 285226, 285299
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/86 combined with waste-heat boilers
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/11 the sleeve having the form of a bellows with multiple corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/26 for allowing differential expansion between elements floating header box elements F28F9/0236
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/013 for tubes or tube-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0236 floating elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]

Abstract

A system includes a syngas cooler configured to cool a syngas. The syngas cooler includes a vessel with a head portion and a first opening and a first pipe that extends through the first opening. The first pipe is configured to convey a heated fluid out of the vessel. A first flanged connection is disposed about the first opening, wherein the first pipe extends through the first flanged connection and is coupled to the flanged connection.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a syngas cooler configured to cool a syngas, wherein the syngas cooler comprises;

a vessel comprising an outer wall having a first opening;

a first pipe that extends through the first opening in the outer wall, wherein the first pipe is configured to convey a fluid, and the first pipe is configured to undergo axial thermal expansion or axial thermal contraction along both a first axis of the first pipe and a longitudinal axis of the vessel;

a first flanged connection disposed about the first opening outside of the outer wall and coupled to both the first pipe and the outer wall of the vessel, wherein the first flanged connection comprises first and second flanged portions coupled to one another by at least one removable fastener, the first flanged portion has a first end and a second end, the second flanged portion has a third end and a fourth end, the first end directly contacts and is coupled to the outer wall, and the second and third ends interface and are coupled to each other; and

a first bellows having a fifth end and a sixth end, the fifth end directly contacts and is coupled to the fourth end of the second flanged portion, and the sixth end directly contacts and is coupled to the first pipe at a first location outside of the outer wall, wherein the first bellows is configured to compensate for the axial thermal expansion or axial thermal contraction of the first pipe.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one removable fastener comprises a threaded fastener.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising a physical seal disposed between the first and second flanged portions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first flanged connection is disposed along a head portion of the syngas cooler outside the outer wall.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a second bellows disposed in a pipe wall of the first pipe at a second location both outside of the outer wall and within the first flanged connection, and the second bellows is configured to compensate for the axial thermal expansion or axial thermal contraction of the first pipe.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising a gasifier coupled to the syngas cooler.

7. A system, comprising:

a syngas cooler configured to cool a syngas, wherein the syngas cooler comprises;

a vessel comprising an outer wall having a first opening;

a first pipe that extends through the first opening in the outer wall, wherein the first pipe is configured to convey a fluid, and the first pipe is configured undergo axial thermal expansion or axial thermal contraction along both a first axis of the first pipe and a longitudinal axis of the vessel;

a first expansion joint coupled to the first pipe, wherein the first expansion joint comprises a first bellows configured to compensate for the axial thermal expansion or axial thermal contraction of the first pipe, wherein the first bellows is disposed in a pipe wall of the first pipe at a first location outside of the outer wall; and

a second expansion joint coupled to the first pipe, wherein the second expansion joint comprises a second bellows configured to compensate for the axial thermal expansion or axial thermal contraction of the first pipe, wherein the second expansion joint has the second bellows disposed in an intermediate wall extending between the first pipe and the outer wall of the vessel at a second location outside of the outer wall, and wherein the second expansion joint is circumferentially disposed about the first bellows at the first location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the intermediate wall comprises a flanged connection having first and second flanged portions coupled to one another by at least one removable fastener, and wherein a portion of the second bellows is vertically aligned with the flanged connection.

9. The system of claim 7, comprising a flanged connection disposed about the first opening at an axial location relative to the longitudinal axis outside of the outer wall and directly coupled to both the first pipe and the outer wall of the vessel, wherein the flanged connection comprises first and second flanged portions coupled to one another by at least one removable fastener.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one removable fastener comprises a threaded fastener, a welded connection, or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 9, comprising a physical seal disposed between the first and second flanged portions.

12. The system of claim 7, comprising a gasifier coupled to the syngas cooler.