Chicago Bridge & Iron Company

Vincent F Allo

Donald C Stafford

Tushar K Shah

Gerald E Engdahl

James A Nail

A falling film heat exchanger in which a continuous weld circumferentially joins each tube to the outer surface of the upper, and desirably also the lower, tubesheet. The welds seal the crevices between the tubes and tubesheet holes and prevent corrosion. Since the circumferential welds cannot be deposited if the tube ends extend more than about 2 inches past the tubesheet, extensions can be added by welding.

Shell and tube heat exchanger with welds joining the tubes to tube sheet

This invention relates to shell and tube vertical falling film heat exchangers. More particularly, this invention is concered with an improved heat exchanger which has an insert or cap on the upper ends of the tubes to direct the liquid against the inner surfaces of the tubes to form a thin falling film, thereby increasing heat exchange.

Falling film heat exchanger with film forming members

A heat exchanger comprising a shell connected to vertically spaced apart horizontally arranged circular upper and lower tube sheets; a plurality of vertically positioned parallel tubes, with each tube extending through and connected to a hole in each tube sheet; a bottom sleeve-supporting plate positioned above, and spaced apart from, the lower tube sheet; a top sleeve-supporting plate positioned below, and spaced apart from, the upper tube sheet; a plurality of sleeves joined to holes in the top and bottom sleeve-supporting plates; each of said tubes being axially positioned in a sleeve so as to provide an annular space between the tube outer surface and the sleeve inner surface so that liquid can flow into the sleeve bottom end and out the sleeve upper end; an inlet to feed a heat exchange liquid into a space between the bottom sleeve-supporting plate and the lower tube sheet; an outlet to withdraw heat exchange fluid from the shell side of the heat exchanger above the bottom sleeve-supporting plate; and a liquid distribution box positioned above the upper tube sheet and a feed inlet to deliver a feed liquid to the liquid distribution box.

Shell and tube vertical heat exchanger with sleeves around the tubes

A falling film heat exchanger of the shell and tube type has the tubes positioned in concentric rings. A liquid distribution box is positioned above the tube upper ends. Short pipes extend downwardly from the box to feed liquid between the rings of tubes to distribute the liquid uniformly to the tubes. The box desirably rotates slowly. Also, the pipes desirably extend between upwardly extending tube ends so as to provide a uniform pool of liquid which overflows uniformly into the tubes.

Shell and tube falling film heat exchanger with tubes in concentric

A falling film heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes is provided with a liquid distribution member surrounding each tube which directs liquid against the tube external wall to control the falling film flow and to form uniform films on each tube. The liquid can be a feed liquid or a heat exchange liquid such as a refrigerant.

Falling film heat exchanger with member to distribute liquid on external

A falling film freeze exchanger having a shell connected to vertically spaced apart horizontally arranged circular upper and lower tube sheets; a plurality of vertically positioned parallel tubes, with each tube extending through and connected to a hole in each tube sheet; an inlet to feed a liquefied refrigerant gas to the lower part of the shell side of the heat exchanger and an outlet to withdraw refrigerant vapor from the upper part of the shell side of the heat exchanger; a liquid distribution box positioned above the upper tube sheet and a conduit to deliver an aqueous feed liquid to the liquid distribution box; a solid walled sleeve, surrounding and spaced outwardly from each tube, joined to the upper tube sheet and extending downwardly a short distance below the refrigerant liquid/gas interface on the shell side thereby providing a refrigerant vapor space between each sleeve and tube; and a hole in and through the upper part of the sleeve wall near the upper tube sheet.

Vertical shell and tube heat exchanger with sleeves around upper part of

A heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced apart tubes loosely penetrating aligned oversized holes in two spaced apart tube sheets; a shell around the tube sheets; each tube sheet being secured against inward displacement axial to the tubes by contact with stop means on the shell; each tube sheet being barred against outward displacement axial to the tubes by keys mechanically engaging the tube sheet and shell so that upon release of the keys they no longer bar removal of the tube sheet from the shell; a solid binder joining and sealing the tubes to the tube sheet and joining and sealing the tube sheet to the shell, with said solid binder having substantial compressive, tensile and shear strength, and being convertible by heat at a sufficiently high temperature to a physical state in which it has much lower compressive, tensile and shear strength; a conduit to deliver a heat exchange fluid around the tubes inside of the shell between the tube sheets; and a conduit to deliver a liquid feed stream into a feed box partially defined by one of the tube sheets.

Shell and tube heat exchanger with removable tubes and tube sheets

A heat exchanger having a plurality of spaced apart tubes, a shell around the tubes; a pair of spaced apart molded in place tube sheets of solid polymeric material bonded to the tubes and to the shell interior surface and providing the primary support for the tubes, a conduit to deliver a heat exchange fluid around the tubes inside of the shell between the tube sheets; and a conduit to deliver a liquid feed stream into a feed box partially defined by one of the tube sheets.

Shell and tube heat exchanger with polymeric tube sheets

A freeze exchanger comprising at least one freeze tube secured in, and penetrating, first and second spaced-apart tube sheets; a cover beyond the first tube sheet; a shell around the tube sheets and connected thereto, with said cover supported by the shell; a removable tubular liner, in the freeze tube, of smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of the freeze tube thereby defining an annulus between the two tubes; a conduit to deliver a liquid feed stream into a feed box space between the first tube sheet and the cover; and a conduit to deliver a cooling fluid around the freeze tube inside of the shell between the first and second tube sheets and a conduit to remove cooling fluid therefrom.

Freeze exchanger with removable tube liner

A falling film freeze exchanger having a plurality of spaced apart vertical freeze tubes secured in, and penetrating, an upper and a lower tube sheet; a cover above the upper tube sheet; a shell around the tube sheets and connected thereto, with said cover supported by the shell; the upper ends of the freeze tubes desirably extending above the upper tube sheet and, optionally, the lower ends of the freeze tubes not being enclosed by the shell; a conduit to deliver a liquid feed stream into a feed box between the upper tube sheet and the cover; a conduit to deliver a cooling fluid around the tubes inside of the shell between the upper and lower tube sheets; and, a conduit to remove cooling fluid therefrom. A falling film freeze exchanger comprising a vessel having a top, bottom and side wall enclosing a liquid feed box in the bottom portion, and a cooling fluid space in the top portion separated by a tube sheet; a plurality of freeze tubes, supported by the tube sheet, extending downwardly in the feed box and out through holes larger than the freeze tubes in the vessel bottom; a conduit to deliver a liquid feed stream into the feed box; a conduit to deliver a cooling fluid into the cooling fluid space; and, a conduit to remove cooling fluid therefrom.

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Warrenville, IL, United States of America

Vincent F Allo