Foster Wheeler Corporation

Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation

Anthony Ruhe

James H Nickerson

Peter J Adams

A support structure for a bundle of tubes includes a plurality of parallel grid strips having indentations, wherein the strips are fixed in pairs and are attached by fasteners to other pairs to define a support grid. The indentations of adjacent pairs of grid strips are in alignment to receive the tubes and maintain them in a spaced arrangement. The support grid is reinforced by key strips which extend along opposite sides of the support grids. The grids are prevented from moving along the tubes by collars secured to selected tubes adjacent to the sides of the support grid. The bundle may be arranged in sections wherein a support grid is provided for each section, in which case keeper bars having flanges are inserted between adjacent sections to support the sections with respect to one another and to prevent the shifting of one section with respect to another.

Tube bundle support structure

A vapor generator is provided for producing vapor such as steam to be used for heavy oil recovery and the like. The vapor generator includes an octagonal cross-section furnace, which has evaporator surface arranged to allow for heating of said fluid to final evaporation in a relatively low heat flux portion of the generator to lessen the likelihood of scale formation on heat transfer elements of the vapor generator.

Vapor generator

A heat exchanger having a number of heat exchange tubes and an improved tube support. The support comprises a plurality of strips which are identical and joined together so that the support engages each tube.

Heat exchanger tube supports

U-tubes in a heat exchanger are arranged so that at intervals about the periphery of the tube bundle lanes are formed in the layout for more evenly distributing the flow of downcomer fluid through the entire bundle. Ducts are also provided for distributing downcomer fluid into upper portions of the bundle, the ducts providing a one-way communication between the downcomer area and the central portion of the bundle providing both circulation of fluids and preventing backflow of steam formed in the heat exchanger into the downcomer area. A torus header has outlet nozzles communicating with the lower portion of the heat exchanger which header introduces makeup water to the exchanger which is directed through the nozzles at the top surface of the tube sheet for reducing sludge buildup thereon.

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Fonthill, Canada

Anthony Ruhe