HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising one tube, and preferably a plurality of tubes, which extend through a heat-exchange chamber starting from a tube sheet, wherein the tube sheet is made of a fiber-reinforced plastics material. The invention further relates to a method for producing a heat exchanger of this kind and to the use of a heat exchanger of this kind.

Claims

1. Heat exchanger comprising one tube, and preferably a plurality of tubes, which extend through a heat-exchange chamber starting from a tube sheet, wherein the tube sheet is made of a fiber-reinforced plastics material.

2. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tubes extend through the heat-exchange chamber between two tube sheets positioned at opposite ends of the heat-exchange chamber, and preferably the two tube sheets are made of a fiber-reinforced plastics material.

3. Heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the heat-exchange chamber is tubular and is enclosed by an axially extending shell between the two tube sheets.

4. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the fiber reinforcement of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises or consists of carbon fibers and/or the fibers are present as a woven fabric in the fiber reinforcement of the fiber-reinforced plastics material.

5. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the matrix material of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises phenolic resin.

6. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tube sheet(s) preferably comprise(s) sleeve-shaped tube receptacles for receiving the tube ends.

7. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tube sheet(s) is/are made of a plurality individual components, and preferably comprise perforated base plates and cover plates, on which sleeve-shaped tube receptacles are retained.

8. Method for producing a heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tubes and tube sheet are joined together and are then preferably integrally interconnected.

9. A method for heating or cooling corrosive fluids, comprising using the heat exchanger of claim 1.

10. A method for evaporating liquids, in particular corrosive liquids such as acids, for example, comprising using the heat exchanger of claim 1.

11. Heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the fiber reinforcement of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises carbon fibers and/or the fibers are present as a woven fabric in the fiber reinforcement of the fiber-reinforced plastics material.

12. Heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the fiber reinforcement of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises carbon fibers and/or the fibers are present as a woven fabric in the fiber reinforcement of the fiber-reinforced plastics material.

13. Heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the matrix material of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises phenolic resin.

14. Heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the matrix material of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises phenolic resin.

15. Heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the matrix material of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises phenolic resin.

16. Heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the matrix material of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises phenolic resin.

17. Heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the matrix material of the fiber-reinforced plastics material comprises phenolic resin.

18. Heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein the tube sheet(s) comprise(s) sleeve-shaped tube receptacles for receiving the tube ends.

19. Heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein the tube sheet(s) comprise(s) sleeve-shaped tube receptacles for receiving the tube ends.

20. Heat exchanger according to claim 15, wherein the tube sheet(s) comprise(s) sleeve-shaped tube receptacles for receiving the tube ends.

Description

[0023] Further features and advantages of the invention are found in the embodiment explained with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a shell and tube heat exchanger from the prior art; and

[0025] FIG. 2 is a section through a tube sheet of a shell and tube heat exchanger according to the invention.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a shell and tube heat exchanger 1 from the prior art. As main components, it comprises a plurality of tubes 2 that are circular in cross section and extend through a circular cylindrical heat-exchange chamber 4 in the axial direction between two planar and circular tube sheets 3. The heat-exchange chamber 4 is delimited laterally by a shell tube 5 that is circular in cross section. Covers 6 are fitted to the outer sides of the tube sheets 3 facing away from the heat-exchange chamber 4 in order to form distributor chambers 7 for a first heat-exchange medium on the forward-flow and return-flow sides of the tubes 2. An inlet 8 and an outlet 9 for a second heat-exchange medium is located in the regions of the shell tube 5 close to the edge. This structure, which is known from the prior art in principle, can also be used in shell and tube heat exchangers according to the invention.

[0027] At least one of the tube sheets 3 can be formed in a shell and tube heat exchanger 1 according to the invention as shown in FIG. 2.

[0028] This tube sheet 3 comprises four essential parts, namely a base plate 31, a cover plate 33, filler segments 32 enclosed in a sandwich-like manner between these plates 31 and 33 for stabilization, as well as sleeve-shaped tube receptacles 34. The base plate 31 and the cover plate 33 are each perforated, the holes 31a in the base plate 31 and the holes 33a in the cover plate 33 being arranged so as to be aligned and the holes 31a in the base plate 31 having a slightly larger diameter than the holes 33a in the cover plate 33. Specifically, the diameter of the holes 31a in the base plate 31 corresponds to the external diameter of the tube receptacles 34 and the diameter of the holes 33a in the cover plate 33 corresponds to the internal diameter of the tube receptacles 34.

[0029] The base plate 31, the intermediate segments 32, the cover plate 33, and the tube receptacles 34 are each made of a phenolic-resin material reinforced with a woven carbon-fiber material. The tubes 2 can be made of the same material and are inserted into the tube receptacles 35 projecting from the base plate 31.

[0030] The tube receptacles 34 are provided with flanges 35, which are enclosed in the space between the plates 31 and 33. The filler segments 32 fill the regions of the space between the plates 31 and 33 that are not filled by the flanges 35. The flange 35 is thus clamped between the base plate 31 and the cover plate 33.

[0031] The components 31-34 of the tube sheet 3 and the tubes 2 are integrally connected, wherein this integral connection is obtained by applying a carbon-fiber/phenolic-resin cement and then heating it.

[0032] The diameter of the cover plate 33 is greater than the diameter of the base plate 31. Therefore, in the context of producing the shell and tube heat exchanger 1, the tubes 2 can first be inserted into the tube receptacles 34 fixed to the base plate 31, this composite construction with the inserted tubes 2 can then be guided through the shell tube 5, and lastly the cover plate 33 can be fitted.