Heat exchanger with sections

Abstract

The invention relates to a shell and tube heat exchanger (1) having a helical tube bundle (10) within a shell (20), that defines a shell space (200) surrounding the tube bundle (10). The tubes are helically coiled about a core pipe (100) in such a manner that there is formed at least one first section (11) and at least one second section (12), separate from the first section, that surrounds the first section (11). The two sections (11, 12) have in each case at least one associated inlet (E, E′) such that the two sections (11, 12) are able to be charged separately with the first medium.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger for the indirect heat exchange between at least one first medium and one second medium, said heat exchanger comprising: a tube bundle (10) formed from a plurality of tubes, helically coiled about a core pipe (100), for the reception of the first medium, and a shell (20), which encloses the tube bundle (10) and defines a shell space (200) surrounding the tube bundle (10), for the reception of the second medium whereby said first medium and said second medium can enter into indirect heat exchange, said tubes being helically coiled about the core pipe (100) in such a manner that there is formed at least a first section (11) and a second section (12), separate from said first section (11), of the tube bundle (10), said first section encircling the core pipe (100), said second section (12) encircling said core pipe (100) and surrounding or penetrating said first section (11) in a radial direction and along a circumferential direction of the shell (20), wherein each of the first (11) and second (12) sections of the tube bundle (10) have a hollow cylindrical form, and wherein said core pipe (100) has a longitudinal axis which coincides with cylindrical axes of each of said first (11) and second (12) sections of the tube bundle (10), wherein said first section (11) and said second section (12) of the tube bundle each have at least one associated inlet (E, E′) whereby the two sections (11, 12) are able to be charged separately with said first medium, wherein said heat exchanger further comprises control means (30), with which a supply of the first medium via the at least one inlet (E) of the first section (11) is controllable separately from a supply of the first medium via the at least one inlet (E′) of the second section (12), said control means (30) comprising at least one valve (301) for said at least one inlet (E) of said first section (11) and at least one valve (302) for said at least one inlet (E′) of said second section (12), wherein said at least one valve (301) controls a supply of fluid flow of said first medium via said at least first inlet (E) to said first section (11) separately from a supply of fluid flow of said first medium via said at least second inlet (E′) to said second section (12), and said at least one valve (302) controls a supply of fluid flow of said first medium via said at least second inlet (E′) to said second section (12) separately from said supply of fluid flow of said first medium via said at least first inlet (E) to said first section (12), and wherein said heat exchanger further comprises a liquid distributor (40) for distributing a first flow (S) of said second medium in the form of a liquid (F) onto said tube bundle (10) in said shell space (200) such that liquid (F) can enter into indirect heat exchange with said first medium guided within said tube bundle (10).

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said first section (11) and said second section (12) of the tube bundle each have at least one associated outlet (A, A′) for discharging said first medium out of the respective sections (11, 12) of the tube bundle (10).

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tubes of said tube bundle (10) are helically coiled in such a manner about the core pipe (100) that a further third circumferential section (13) of the tube bundle (10), having a hollow cylindrical form, is formed which surrounds the second section (12) or penetrates said second section, said third section (13) having at least one associated inlet (E″) such that the third section (13) is chargeable with said first medium separately from the two other sections (11, 12).

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tubes of said tube bundle (10) are helically coiled in such a manner about the core pipe (100) that a further third circumferential section (13) of the tube bundle (10), having a hollow cylindrical form, is formed which surrounds the second section (12) or penetrates said second section, said third section (13) having at least one associated inlet (E″) such that the third section (13) is chargeable with said first medium separately from the two other sections (11, 12), said control means (30) controls a supply of said first medium into the third section (13) of said tube bundle (10) via at least one inlet (E″) of said third section (13) separately from a supply of the first medium into said other sections (11, 12), and said control means (30) includes at least one valve (303) for said at least one inlet (E″) of the third section (13), and wherein the third section (13) has at least one associated outlet (A″) for discharging the first medium out of said third section (13) of the tube bundle (10).

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a further control means (33) for (a) controlling the distribution of an additional further flow (S′) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200), said further flow being guided in said shell space, or (b) controlling the distribution of said first flow (S) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200), or (c) controlling the distribution of an additional further flow (S′) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200), said further flow being guided in said shell space, and controlling the distribution of said first flow (S) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200).

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein said liquid distributor (40) has a main distributor (44) above said tube bundle (10) for the reception of liquid (F) of said first flow (S) to be distributed, wherein said main distributor (44) has through openings through which liquid (F) can be delivered to the tube bundle (10).

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, further comprising at least one additional line (300) with at least one outlet (331), via which said additional further flow (S′) of the liquid (F) can be delivered in a controllable manner onto the tube bundle (10), wherein the further control means (33) has at least one valve (333) for said at least one additional line (330) for controlling the distribution of said additional further flow (S′) of liquid (F).

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein said main distributor (44) comprises a plurality of distributor arms (300) via which liquid (F) can be delivered onto the tube bundle (10), and said main distributor (44) comprises a plurality of through regions (45), through which tubes of the tube bundle (10) can be guided, wherein each through region (45) is formed between two adjacent distributor arms (300) of said main distributor (44).

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein said main distributor (44) comprises a plurality of distributor arms (300) via which liquid (F) can be delivered onto the tube bundle (10), and said main distributor (44) comprises a plurality of through regions (45), through which tubes of the tube bundle (10) can be guided, wherein each through region (45) is formed between two adjacent distributor arms (300) of said main distributor (44), and wherein said at least one additional line (330) extends through said at least one through region (45).

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of said additional lines (330), each having at least one outlet (331), via which the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) can be delivered in a controllable manner onto the tube bundle (10), and wherein the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are distributed over a cross section of the shell space (200) such that the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) is variably distributable in: (a) a radial direction (R) of said shell (20) at least to the first and second sections (11, 12) of said tube bundle (10), or (b) a circumferential direction (U) of said shell (20), or (c) both a radial direction (R) of said shell (20) at least to the first and second sections (11, 12) of said tube bundle (10) and in a circumferential direction (U) of said shell (20).

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein said main distributor (44) has a plurality of distributor arms (300) which each extend in a radial direction (R) of the shell (20).

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein distributor arms (300) for the variable distribution of the first flow (S) of liquid (F) in the radial direction (R) are divided into at least two separate segments (351, 352, 353) which have in each case at least one through opening (370), through which liquid (F) can be delivered onto said tube bundle (10), and said heat exchanger comprises control means (33) for controlling a supply of liquid (F) into said at least two separate segments (351, 352, 353) in a separate manner such that the liquid (F) is correspondingly variably distributable to at least the first and second sections (11, 12) of said tube bundle (10) in the radial direction (R) of said shell (20).

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein at least one distributor arm (300) provides said first section (11) with liquid (F) along the radial direction (R) of said shell (20) and at least one other distributor arm (300) provides said second section (12) of the tube bundle (10) with liquid (F) along the radial direction (R) of said shell (20), wherein these at least two distributor arms (300) for distributing the liquid (F) to the two sections (11, 12) each have at least one through opening (371) through which liquid (F) can be delivered onto said tube bundle (10), said through openings (371) being positioned variably along the radial direction (R), and said heat exchanger further comprises a plurality of down pipes (381-386) for supplying the distributor arms (300) with liquid (F), wherein each down pipe (381-386) provides at least one distributor arm (300) with liquid (F), and wherein said down pipes (381-386) are arranged in said core pipe (100) or are formed by a division of said core pipe (100) into sections (381-386).

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising at least one optical fiber connected to equipment for determining a temperature from signals of said optical fiber.

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a further control means (33) for controlling the distribution of an additional further flow (S′) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200), said further flow being guided in said shell space.

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of said additional lines (330), each having at least one outlet (331), via which the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) can be delivered in a controllable manner onto the tube bundle (10), and wherein the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are distributed over a cross section of the shell space (200) such that the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) is variably distributable in a radial direction (R) of said shell (20) at least to the first and second sections (11, 12) of said tube bundle (10).

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said liquid distributor (40) has a main distributor (44) above said tube bundle (10), said main distributor (44) being supplied with said first flow (5) of liquid (F), said main distributor (44) having a plurality of distributor arms (300), each of which extend outward from said core pipe (100) in a radial direction (R) of the shell (20), and a plurality of through regions (45), wherein adjacent distributor arms (300) are separated from each other by a through regions (45), said distributor arms (300) receiving said first flow (S) of liquid (F), and said distributor arms (300), in each case, having a plate with a plurality of through openings (370, 371) through which liquid (F) introduced into the distributor arms 300 can rain onto said tube bundle (10) arranged below said main distributor (44), and said liquid distributor (40) having a plurality of down pipes (381-386) which are formed by a division dividing said core pipe (100) into sections, wherein each of said down pipes (381-386) supplies at least one of said distributor arms with liquid (F).

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein said distributor arms (300) are divided into a plurality of separate segments (351-353), and wherein said openings (371) are distributed along the radial direction of said distributor awls (300) and said openings (371) in each distributor arm (300) are displaced in the radial direction with respect to corresponding openings (371) of an adjacent distributor arms (300).

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of additional lines (330) via which an additional further flow (S′) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200) can be delivered in a controllable manner onto the tube bundle (10), each of said additional lines (330) having at least one outlet (331) and at least one valve (332), wherein the additional lines (330) are guided through the through regions (45) of the main distributor (44) and the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are arranged above the tube bundle (10), and wherein the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are distributed over a cross section of the shell space (200) such that the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) can be variably distributed in a radial direction (R) of said shell (20).

20. The heat exchanger according to claim 18, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of additional lines (330) via which an additional further flow (5′) of liquid (F) in said shell space (200) can be delivered in a controllable manner onto the tube bundle (10), each of said additional lines (330) having at least one outlet (331) and at least one valve (332), wherein the additional lines (330) are guided through the through regions (45) of the main distributor (44) and the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are arranged above the tube bundle (10), and wherein the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are distributed over a cross section of the shell space (200) such that the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) can be variably distributed in a radial direction (R) of said shell (20).

21. The heat exchanger according to claim 19, wherein the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are distributed over a cross section of the shell space (200) such that the further flow (5′) of liquid (F) can be variably distributed to said first and second sections (11, 12) of said tube bundle (10).

22. The heat exchanger according to claim 20, wherein the outlets (331) of said additional lines (330) are distributed over a cross section of the shell space (200) such that the further flow (S′) of liquid (F) can be variably distributed to said first and second sections (11, 12) of said tube bundle (10).

23. The heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein each of said down pipes (381-386) supplies two of said distributor arms with liquid (F).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages of the invention are to be explained with the following description of the Figures of exemplary embodiments by way of the Figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a heat exchanger with a tube bundle which forms radial sections that can be acted upon separately (in a controllable manner);

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view, in the form of a cutout, of a heat exchanger with a controllable part flow of a liquid to be distributed; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of distributor arms of a liquid distributor of a heat exchanger for controlling the distribution of a main flow of a liquid to be distributed.

(5) By way of a schematic sectional view of a heat exchanger 1, FIG. 1 shows a dividing or controlling of tube flows in sections.

(6) For this purpose, the heat exchanger 1 has a pressure-bearing shell 20, having a circumferential hollow cylindrical wall, the shell 20 extending along a longitudinal axis (cylinder axis), which—with reference to a state of the heat exchanger 1 or shell 20—coincides with the vertical Z. The shell 20 defines a shell space 200, in which a liquid F (second medium) is to be distributed to a tube bundle 10 arranged in the shell space 200. The tube bundle 10 serves for the reception of a first medium which is to enter into indirect heat exchange with the liquid F and for this purpose has several tubes which are helically coiled (not shown) transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shell 20 onto a core pipe 100, the longitudinal axis of which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the shell 20, i.e. the tube bundle 10 is arranged coaxially with respect to the shell 20.

(7) In the present case, the tubes of the tube bundle 10 are helically coiled about the core tube 100 in such a manner that, as an example, a first, a second and a third hollow cylindrical section 11, 12, 13 of the tube bundle 10 is formed. In each case, these three sections encircle the core pipe 100. The second section 12 encompasses the first section 11 of the tube bundle 10 and the third section 13 encompasses the two other sections 11, 12. These sections 11, 12, 13 can now each be charged with the first medium via at least one associated inlet E, E′, E″, in each case, at a lower end of the shell 20 in a manner that is controllable separately from each other (in the present case two inlets E, E′, E″ are provided per section at the lower end of the shell 20). To this end, associated valves 301, 302, 303 of a controlling means 30 are provided at the inlets E, E′, E″. The medium introduced into the tube bundle sections 11, 12, 13 can finally be removed out of the tube bundle 10 at an upper end of the shell 20 via at least one outlet A, A′, A″ each per section 11, 12, 13 (in the present case two outlets A, A′, A″ are provided per section at the upper end of the shell 20).

(8) Advantageously, one or more optical fibers 387 are fastened on the tubes (or within the tubes) of the tube bundle 10. The temperature of the tubes can be determined from the signals of the optical fibers.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a further heat exchanger 1, which has a pressure-bearing, in particular hollow cylindrical shell 20 (not shown in FIG. 2), the longitudinal axis or cylinder axis of which—with reference to a state of the heat exchanger 1—extends along the vertical Z. In its turn, the shell 20 defines a shell space 200 in which a helically coiled tube bundle 10 is arranged. This latter, as previously, has several tubes which are helically coiled in several layers about a core pipe 100, the longitudinal axis of which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the shell 20. The tube bundle 10 is therefore arranged coaxially with respect to the shell 20.

(10) At least one first medium, which flows upwards along the vertical Z, is supplied into the tube space (tube bundle 10). The shell space 200 serves for the reception of a second medium in the form of a liquid F which is delivered to the at least one tube bundle 10 and flows downstream in the shell space 200 along the vertical Z. As a result of the design of the tube bundle 10 as a helically coiled tube bundle 10, the first medium is consequently guided in the cross counter flow to the liquid F.

(11) For distributing the liquid F in the shell space 200, a flow S of the liquid F introduced into the shell 20 is collected, calmed and degassed in a preliminary distributor 43. For the reception of the liquid F, the preliminary distributor 43, in this case, has a circumferential wall which extends upwards from a plate, the plate extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shell 20. The plate of the preliminary distributor 43 is connected to a main distributor 44 via a down pipe 380, which extends into the core pipe 100, in order to supply the main distributor 44 with the flow S of the liquid F. Main distributor 44 has a plurality of distributor arms 300 (cf. FIG. 3) that extend transversely with respect to the vertical Z for distributing the flow S of the liquid F over the entire cross section of the shell space 200. In each case, the distributor arms branch off from the core pipe 100 in a radial direction R of the shell 20 in the manner of sectors of a circle such that through regions 45 are formed between the distributor arms 300 (cf. FIG. 3). Through the through regions 45 tubes of the tube bundle 10 can be guided past the main distributor 44.

(12) The distributor arms 300, in each case, have a plate with a plurality of through openings (so-called perforated plates), through which liquid F introduced into the distributor arms 300 can rain onto the tube bundle 10 arranged below along the vertical Z.

(13) In order also to be able to influence the distributing of the liquid F in the shell space 200 and, where applicable, to be able to counteract uneven distribution, the distributing and supplying of part of the liquid F in the form of at least one further flow S′ can be guided parallel to the (main) flow S on the shell side.

(14) To this end, additional lines 330 are provided for directing the further flow S′ (or the further flows). The further flow S′ is introduced into the additional lines and shell space 200 via corresponding inlets/connection pieces 332. The additional lines 330 in each case have at least one outlet 331 via which the liquid F can be delivered additionally in a controllable manner to the at least one tube bundle 10. Consequently, the lines 330 in each case have a valve 333. In order to be able to deliver the liquid F via the lines 330 in a controlled manner to the tube bundle 10, the lines 330 are guided through the through regions 45 of the main distributor 44 and the outlets 331 thereof are arranged above the tube bundle 10, in particular such that the tube bundle 10 can be acted upon with the liquid F section by section in a separately controllable manner in the radial direction R of the shell 20. In this case, the sections of the shell 20 in each case encircle the core pipe 100 and are preferably realized corresponding to FIG. 1.

(15) FIG. 3 shows possibilities for controlling the main flow S. In this case, the distributor arms 300 of a main distributor 44, shaped in the manner of sectors of a circle, in the manner of FIG. 2, are separated from each other by the through regions 45. For the variable distribution of the flow S of the liquid F in the radial direction R, distributor arms 300 are divided, for example, into at least three separate segments 351, 352, 353, which, in each case, have at least one through opening 370, through which the liquid F is able to rain onto the tube bundle 10 positioned below. If then a supply of liquid F in the segments 351, 352, 353 is controlled in a separate manner for each of the segments 351, 352, 353, e.g. by each segment 351, 352, 353 being charged via a down pipe that is controllable by means of a valve (e.g. from a preliminary distributor 43), the flow S of the liquid F can be variably distributed in the radial direction R of the shell 20 to a number of sections of the tube bundle, according to FIG. 1, corresponding to the number of segments.

(16) As an alternative to this, the distributor arms 300 can be realized for the purpose of acting upon various sections of the tube bundle 10 according to FIG. 1 with liquid F, e.g. by means of correspondingly distributing the through holes 371 of the distributor arms 300 along the radial direction R according to FIG. 3. In order to illustrate this, the distributor arms 300 according to FIG. 3 have a through opening 371 each, which is displaced in the radial direction R with respect to the corresponding through openings 371 of the adjacent distributor arms 300. Other distributions of this type, in particular with several through holes per distributor arm 300, are also conceivable. In order now to be able to charge the individual distributor arms 300 with liquid F of the (main) flow S, it is preferably provided that the core pipe 100 is divided into sections 381-386 such that a corresponding number of down pipes is formed which are preferably developed in each case so as to be controllable (e.g. by means of valves) and in each case charge at least one associated distributor arm 300 with the liquid F (cf. FIG. 3). It is also conceivable for one section 381-386 of the core pipe 100 to act upon more than one distributor arm 300, e.g. two distributor arms 300, with the liquid F. The down pipes 381-386, in their turn, can be supplied, for example, from a preliminary distributor 43 according to FIG. 2.

(17) The entire disclosure[s] of all applications, patents and publications, cited herein and of corresponding German Application No. 10 2011 017 031.6, filed Apr. 14, 2011, are incorporated by reference herein.

(18) The preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and/or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples.

(19) TABLE-US-00001 List of references  1 Heat exchanger  10 Tube bundle  11 First section  12 Second section  13 Third section  20 Shell  30 Control means  33 Further control means  40 Liquid distributor  43 Preliminary distributor  44 Main distributor  45 Through region 100 Core pipe 200 Shell space 300 Distributor arm 301 Valve 302 Valve 303 Valve 330 Line 331 Outlet 332 Inlet 333 Valve 351 Segment 352 Segment 353 Segment 370 Through opening 371 Through opening 380 Down pipe 381-386 Down pipe section 387 Optical fiber A, A′, A″ Outlet E, E′, E″ Inlet S Flow S′ Further flow R Radial direction Z Vertical U Circumferential direction Z Vertical