HEAT EXCHANGER INSTALLATION

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation for exchanging heat between fluids, the installation being of the type comprising a leaktight enclosure, means for exchanging heat between the fluids, and fluid admission and discharge means. The heat exchanger means comprise bundles of plates formed by stacks of horizontal plates and distributed in a star configuration around a tubular central collector concentric with the enclosure. Each bundle of plates has a front vertical wall secured to the collector and a rear vertical wall that is free, and each is slidably supported on a support member secured to the enclosure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section view of a heat exchanger installation in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section view on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing fluid flow in the installation in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the distribution of bundles of plates in the heat exchanger installation in accordance with the invention; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views of the walls, respectively in front of and behind a bundle of plates.

Claims

1. An installation for exchanging heat between fluids, the installation being of the type comprising a vertical leaktight enclosure of elongate shape, heat exchanger means between the fluids, and admission means and discharge means for a first fluid A and for a second fluid B, wherein the heat exchanger means comprise bundles of plates formed by stacks of horizontal plates defining between them two flow circuits for countercurrent flow of the two fluids A and B distributed in a star configuration around a tubular central collector concentric with the enclosure, and wherein each bundle of plates has a front vertical wall secured to the central collector and provided with inlets and outlets for each of the fluids A and B, and a rear vertical wall that is free and provided with inlets and outlets for each of the fluids A and B, each bundle of plates being slidably supported on a support member secured to the leaktight enclosure.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the fluid inlets and outlets provided in the front walls are formed, for each circuit, by an alternating superposition of open or closed ends, the open ends of the circuit inlets for the first fluid A being situated in the middles of the front walls, and the open ends of the circuit outlets for the second fluid B being situated in the side margins of the front walls.

3. An installation according to claim 2, wherein the open ends of the inlets for the first fluid A open out into the central collector connected to the admission means for said first fluid A.

4. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the admission means for the first fluid A are formed by at least one tube passing through the enclosure and connected to the top portion of the central collector, said tube being provided with at least one expansion compensator.

5. An installation according to claim 2, wherein the open ends of the outlets for the second fluid B in the side margins of the front walls of two adjacent bundles of plates are interconnected by an annular collector concentric about said central collector and including, in its bottom heat exchanger, a hemispherical cap connected to the means for discharging said second fluid B.

6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the means for discharging the second fluid B are formed by at least one tube passing through the leaktight enclosure in its bottom portion, said tube being provided with at least one expansion compensator.

7. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the inlets and outlets for the fluids A and B provided in the rear walls are formed, for each circuit, by an alternating superposition of open or closed ends, the open ends of the circuit inlets for the second fluid B being situated in the middles of the rear walls, and the open ends of the outlets for the second fluid A being situated in the side margins of the rear walls.

8. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the fluid inlets and outlets formed in the rear walls are formed, for each circuit, by an alternating superposition of open or closed ends, the open ends of the circuit inlets for the second fluid B being situated in the side margins of the rear walls, and the open ends of the outlets for the first fluid A being situated in the middles of said walls.

9. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the open ends of the inlets for the second fluid B open out into the annular space between the central collector and the enclosure, said annular space being connected to the admission means for said second fluid B.

10. An installation according to claim 9, wherein the admission means for the second fluid B are formed by at least one tube passing through the enclosure and opening out to the inside of said enclosure.

11. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the open ends of the outlets for the first fluid A are covered by a collector connected by at least one pipe provided with at least one expansion compensator to a collector ring connected to the means for discharging the first fluid A.

12. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each bundle of plates on each of its side walls has a respective vertical deflector extending towards the adjacent bundle of plates, the free ends of two contiguous deflectors overlapping.

13. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid A is a hot fluid at about 800° C. on admission into the bundles of plates, and the second fluid B is a cold fluid at a temperature of about 200° C. on admission into said bundles of plates.