Tube bundle-type heat exchanger, tube base, and method for sealing same

Abstract

A tube bundle-type heat exchanger, to a tube base, and to a method for sealing same. Aspects of the invention relate to a tube base for a tube bundle-type heat exchanger. In particular, the tube base includes a stack of multiple tube base plates with at least one through-opening for receiving a respective tube of the tube bundle-type heat exchanger. The throughopening is sealed by at least one seal ring. Additional aspects relate to a tube bundle-type heat exchanger comprising such a tube base and to a method for sealing a tube bundle-type heat exchanger in particular in the region of the tube base.

Claims

1. A tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the tube base comprising: a first tube base plate with a core and plastics sheathing surrounding the core, a second tube base plate made of a temperature-resistant material, wherein the temperature-resistant material has no substantial flow behaviour for temperatures up to at least 200° C. and no substantial thermal expansion for temperatures between −50° C. and 200° C., and a third tube base plate with a core and plastics sheathing surrounding the core, wherein the first, second and third tube base plates are stacked to form a stack, wherein the second tube base plate is arranged as an intermediate plate between the first and the third tube base plate, so that a first surface of the second tube base plate is directed towards the first tube base plate and an opposite second surface of the second tube base plate is directed towards the third tube base plate, and wherein the stack comprises at least one through-opening for receiving a respective tube of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and wherein the tube base further has, for each of the at least one through-opening(s) with at least one sealing ring each for sealing the respective tube, at least one seal seat each for receiving the at least one sealing ring wherein the seal seat is an indentation in the second tube base plate which surrounds the respective through-opening directly in ring-like manner.

2. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the core of the first and/or the third tube base plate in each case comprises at least one of a metal and a fibre-composite material.

3. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first and third tube base plate are of identical construction.

4. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the second tube base plate is a graphite or ceramic plate.

5. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the at least one through-opening is a plurality of through-openings, and wherein the second tube base plate is of one piece, so that the same monolithic material of the second tube base plate adjoins the plurality of through-openings.

6. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sealing ring is designed with a cross section which is rectangular, trapezoidal, conical, cone-shaped, or oval in portions.

7. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each at least one sealing ring is at least two sealing rings, and wherein each at least one seal seat comprises at least a first and a second seal seat, wherein the first seal seat is arranged as an indentation in the first surface of the second tube base plate and the second seal seat is arranged as an indentation in the second surface of the second tube base plate.

8. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the sealing rings in the respective seal seat are pressed in between the second and the first tube base plate or the second and the third tube base plate respectively in such a way that the sealing rings contact the respective plastics sheathing on at most one side.

9. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the seal seat is arranged as an indentation in a side wall of the through-opening, spaced apart from the first and second surface of the second tube base plate.

10. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third tube base plate are pressed against each other by wedging.

11. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger, comprising: a tube base including a first tube base plate with a core and plastics sheathing surrounding the core, a second tube base plate made of a temperature-resistant material, wherein the temperature-resistant material has no substantial flow behaviour for temperatures up to at least 200° C. and no substantial thermal expansion for temperatures between −50° C. and 200° C., and a third tube base plate with a core and plastics sheathing surrounding the core, wherein the first, second and third tube base plates are stacked to form a stack, wherein the second tube base plate is arranged as an intermediate plate between the first and the third tube base plate, so that a first surface of the second tube base plate is directed towards the first tube base plate and an opposite second surface of the second tube base plate is directed towards the third tube base plate, and wherein the stack comprises at least one through-opening for receiving a respective tube of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and wherein the tube base further has, for each of the at least one through-opening(s) with at least one sealing ring each for sealing the respective tube, at least one seal seat each for receiving the at least one sealing ring wherein the seal seat is an indentation in the second tube base plate which surrounds the respective through-opening directly in ring-like manner and for each of the at least one through-openings a tube which passes through the respective through-opening and is sealed in by the at least one seal ring lying in the at least one seal seat.

12. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the tube is a graphite, SiC or glass tube.

13. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is provided for a corrosive medium and wherein the plastics sheathing is chemically resistant to the corrosive medium.

14. A method for sealing a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the method comprising: a tube base including a first tube base plate with a core and plastics sheathing surrounding the core, a second tube base plate made of a temperature-resistant material, wherein the temperature-resistant material has no substantial flow behaviour for temperatures up to at least 200° C. and no substantial thermal expansion for temperatures between −50° C. and 200° C., and a third tube base plate with a core and plastics sheathing surrounding the core, wherein the first, second and third tube base plates are stacked to form a stack, wherein the second tube base plate is arranged as an intermediate plate between the first and the third tube base plate, so that a first surface of the second tube base plate is directed towards the first tube base plate and an opposite second surface of the second tube base plate is directed towards the third tube base plate, and wherein the stack comprises at least one through-opening for receiving a respective tube of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and wherein the tube base further has, for each of the at least one through-opening(s) with at least one sealing ring each for sealing the respective tube, at least one seal seat each for receiving the at least one sealing ring wherein the seal seat is an indentation in the second tube base plate which surrounds the respective through-opening directly in ring-like manner, at least one tube of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger being passed through the corresponding through-opening and sealed in by means of the at least one seal ring lying in the at least one seal seat.

15. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is provided for a corrosive medium and wherein the plastics sheathing is chemically resistant to the corrosive medium.

16. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the first and third tube base plate are of identical construction.

17. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the second tube base plate is a graphite or ceramic plate.

18. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the second tube base plate is a graphite or ceramic plate.

19. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the at least one through-opening is a plurality of through-openings, and wherein the second tube base plate is of one piece, so that the same monolithic material of the second tube base plate adjoins the plurality of through-openings.

20. The tube base for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the at least one through-opening is a plurality of through-openings, and wherein the second tube base plate is of one piece, so that the same monolithic material of the second tube base plate adjoins the plurality of through-openings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Hereinafter, the invention will be discussed with reference to embodiments illustrated in drawings, from which further advantages and modifications will become apparent, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with a tube base according to one embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tube base according to a further embodiment of the invention; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the second tube base plate of a tube base according to a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(5) With reference to FIG. 1, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 1 according to one embodiment of the invention is described below. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger 1 has a housing 6, a tube base 10 with through-openings 14, and tubes 50 which pass through the respective through-openings 14.

(6) In operation, the tubes 50 contain a first fluid and are surrounded by a second fluid located in an inner housing region (to the right of the tube base 10 in FIG. 1), so that a heat exchange between the first and the second fluid can take place through the tube walls. The entry and exit points of the tubes 50 (to the left-hand side of the tube base 10 in FIG. 1) are separated by the tube base 10 from the inner housing region to the right of the tube base 10 and are sealed therein as described below.

(7) The tube base 10 comprises a first tube base plate 20 with a core 22 and plastics sheathing 24 surrounding the core, a second tube base plate 30 made of the temperature-resistant material already described above, and a third tube base plate 40 with a core 42 and plastics sheathing 44 surrounding the core.

(8) The three tube base plates 20, 30, 40 are stacked to form a stack, in which the second tube base plate 30 is arranged as an intermediate plate between the first and the third tube base plate 20, 40. In other words, the first surface 32 of the second tube base plate is directed towards the first tube base plate 20 and the opposite second surface 36 of the second tube base plate is directed towards the third tube base plate 40.

(9) In each of the through-openings 14 there are formed two seal seats 34, 38, with in each case one sealing ring 52 received therein, in order to seal the respective tube 50. More precisely, the seal seats 34, 38 are designed one as indentations in the second tube base plate 30, which surrounds the through-opening 14 directly in ring-like manner. The rear face located opposite the through-opening 14 and a lateral face of the seal seats 34, 38 are formed by the second tube base plate 30, and a further lateral face of the seal seats 34, 38 is formed by the first or third tube base plate 20, 40 respectively, more precisely by the plastics sheathing 24, 44 thereof.

(10) Due to the fact that the seal seats 34, 38 are designed one as indentations in the second, temperature-stable, tube base plate 30, a stable and reliable sealing action is made possible.

(11) The three tube base plates 20, 30 and 40 are pressed against each other by a pair of flanges of the housing 6 and thus wedged together. The wedging takes place by means of a bracing element, not shown (for example a tension element such as a screw), which is passed through the flanges and through the stack of tube base plates 20, 30 and 40 in order to press the flanges against each other and thus to compress the stack. The bracing element here extends through a flange through-opening 16 which passes through the flanges and through the stack of the three tube base plates 20, 30 and 40.

(12) The bracing elements are arranged exclusively in the edge region (flange region) of the tube base. In the interior of the housing 6, the tube base plates 20, 30, 40 are mechanically decoupled, however. Owing to the resistance to bending of the tube base, in particular of the second tube base plate 30, it is possible to dispense with bracing elements or connecting elements located further to the inside, and yet it can be ensured that the tube base plates 20, 30, 40 are pressed sufficiently against one another.

(13) FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tube base according to a further embodiment of the invention. This embodiment largely corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 1, and the description of FIG. 1 correspondingly applies here as well.

(14) Merely the cross-sectional shape of the seal rings 52 and of the associated seal seats 34, 38 differs. In FIG. 1, the seal rings 52 and the seal seats 34, 38 have a rectangular (square) cross section, and in FIG. 2 they have a trapezoidal cross section. Further cross sections described above are also possible.

(15) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the second tube base plate 30 of a tube base according to a further embodiment of the invention. Apart from the illustrated configuration of the second tube base plate 30 (and in particular apart from the seal seat and the associated seal rings), the embodiment corresponds to the structure illustrated in FIG. 1.

(16) In the second tube base plate 30 of FIG. 4, instead of the two seal seats 34, 38 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 only a single seal seat 39 is formed. The seal seat 39 is formed on the side wall of the through-opening 14 in an axially central portion of the second tube base plate 30 and is thus spaced apart from the first and third tube base plate. Thus, in FIG. 4, only a single seal ring per through-opening is provided. All the sides of the seal seat 39 are formed by the heat-resistant material of the second tube base plate 30.

(17) Unless otherwise illustrated, the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4 may have all the further aspects described above. The embodiments and aspects serve merely for illustration and are not intended to restrict the scope of protection. The scope of protection is defined by the disclosure.