Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Marciano M Calanog

Amar S Wanni

Thomas M Rudy

Roberto S Tomotaki

Roberto C Tomotaki

Malcolm D Keen

Roberto Carlos Tomotaki

A tube support device is used with tube bundle devices such as heat exchangers or, condensers with in-line tube arrangements (rectangular tube configuration) to mitigate the possibility of tube damage from flow-induced vibration in the tube bundle. The tube support comprises an elongated member or strip which is intended to be inserted in a tube lane between the tubes of the tube bundle. Raised-tube-engaging zones which include transverse, arcuate tube-receiving saddles are disposed along the length of the strip at successive longitudinal locations corresponding to the tube positions in the bundle. These tube-engaging zones extend laterally out, away from the medial plane of the strip, so that the saddles receive and closely hold the tubes on opposite sides of the tube lane. The support device may be made of two strips joined back-to-back with the tube-engaging zones extending out from one face of each strip or, alternatively, by a single strip with longitudinal slits which enable the tube-engaging zones to extend out on alternate faces of the strip at each tube location.

Anti-vibration tube support

A support device for supporting a plurality of elongated members. The support device having a longitudinally extensive strip having a plurality of sets of transverse corrugations located at successive longitudinal locations along the strip. Each set of transverse corrugations forming a plurality of elongated member engaging zones extending laterally outwards from both faces of the strip to engage the elongated members in the tube bundle on opposite sides of a tube lane. The support device is useful to support elongated members in a bundle and to mitigate the possibility of damage from flow-induced vibration in elongated members.

A method of reducing vibration in a tube bundle includes inserting at least one elongated longitudinally extending support strip within at least one tube lane, wherein each elongated longitudinally extending support strip having a pair of opposing faces and a plurality of successive transverse tube support rows located at successive longitudinal locations along the strip, wherein each tube support row having a plurality of raised, tube-engaging zones, wherein the plurality of raised, tube-engaging zones extend laterally outwards to engage with tubes in the tube bundle on opposite sides of a tube lane, and orienting the at least one elongated longitudinally extending support strip such that each tube adjacent the tube lane contacts at least one of the transverse tube support rows.

A tube bundle device such as a heat exchanger or condenser which has parallel tubes in a triangular configuration in which tubes are adjacent and spaced from six surrounding tubes. The tubes in the tube bundle have wire spacer/support elements comprising helically wound material which surrounds at least a portion of the length of each of the tubes; each tube with a spacer/support coil being in contact only with tubes which do not have a spacer/support coil and each tube without a spacer/support coil is in contact only with tubes which have a spacer/support coil.

Support system for tube bundle devices

A tube support device comprises an elongated strip inserted in a tube lane between the tubes of the tube bundle. Raised-tube-engaging zones are disposed in transverse rows across the strip at successive longitudinal locations along its length; these tube-engaging zones extend laterally outwards from both faces of the strip to engage with tubes on opposite sides of the tube lane. The tube-engaging zones may be arranged so that they extend from the two faces of the strip in an alternate manner, with the tube-engaging zones in each row alternately extending from one face and then from the other along the row.

The present invention comprises a novel tube support system for a heat exchanger that serves to replace the baffles present in typical shell-and-tube heat exchangers. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger of the present invention employs helically coiled wires to form a support structure for the tubes contained within the heat exchanger shell. The elimination of baffles and the use of the coil support structure according to the present invention permits axial fluid flow for the shell side fluid and significantly minimizes fouling problems and tube damage resulting from flow-induced tube vibration.

Heat exchanger flow-through tube supports

A self-cleaning strainer which may be installed upstream of a heat exchanger to prevent debris greater than a critical size from reaching the heat exchanger. The strainer is preferably mounted just upstream of a heat exchanger in order to minimize the possibility of debris reaching the heat exchanger. The strainer comprises a screen element which can be advanced across the flow path of the fluid between two rollers. The screen element is placed so that the fluid must flow across the screen element face to continue through the process pipe; the screen may be perpendicular or parallel to the fluid flow axis of the strainer body or at an intermediate angle to it. Flow blocking members are used so as to direct the flow to pass through the screen element.

Fouling mitigation device with movable screen

The present invention comprises a novel heat exchanger configuration which preferably uses the axial flow direction for the shell-side fluid and in which dead zones and areas of stagnation are significantly minimized or eliminated and in which inlet region tube erosion is addressed by providing a sacrificial portion of tube length so as to make repair and replacement of the eroded portion of tubes significantly cheaper, easier and with minimal process interruption. Because axial flow is employed with respect to the shell-side fluid according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, tube vibration problems are generally eliminated.

Heat exchanger with reduced fouling

A heat exchanger in which dead zones and areas of stagnation are significantly minimized or eliminated. The heat exchanger includes at least one floating tubesheet which is movable in a longitudinal direction in response to tube expansion and contraction relative to the heat exchanger shell. The shell is joined to the ends by conical members which preferably join onto the shell at a distance along its length to provide shell extensions which promote better flow patterns in the regions of the tube ends. Tube erosion may be addressed by providing a sacrificial portion of tube length extending beyond the tube sheets so as to make repair and replacement of the eroded portion of tubes significantly cheaper, easier and with minimal process interruption. Because axial or longitudinal flow is employed with respect to the shell-side fluid, tube vibration problems are generally eliminated and fouling is minimized through the use of high fluid velocities. Multiple heat exchangers may be combined in a modular fashion by placing individual exchangers either in series, in parallel or both in order to satisfy various process requirements.

Growing community of inventors

Stafford, TX, United States of America

Marciano M Calanog