The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 14, 2010
Filed:
May. 13, 2005
Amar S. Wanni, Falls Church, VA (US);
Marciano Madrid Calanog, Gainesville, VA (US);
Thomas M. Rudy, Warrenton, VA (US);
Malcolm D. Keen, Fairfax Station, VA (US);
Amar S. Wanni, Falls Church, VA (US);
Marciano Madrid Calanog, Gainesville, VA (US);
Thomas M. Rudy, Warrenton, VA (US);
Malcolm D. Keen, Fairfax Station, VA (US);
ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ (US);
Abstract
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.