Support for a tube bundle

Abstract

A support for a bundle of tubes, which support has more than one transverse support plates spaced apart along the direction of the tubes to be supported, and which support plates are provided with openings for accommodating the tubes, wherein the support plates are segmental baffle support elements and expanded metal support elements.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a support for a bundle of tubes, in particular to such a support comprising a plurality of transverse support plates known as segmental baffles, which are spaced apart along the direction of the tubes to be supported. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A major area of application of the tube bundle is in shell-and-tube heat exchangers. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprises a cylindrical vessel internally provided with a bundle of tubes that extend in longitudinal direction of the vessel. The bundle of tubes can in particular be a bundle of parallel tubes, and is also referred to as a tube bundle. [0003] As is well known, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is an indirect heat exchanger in which heat is transferred between a fluid passing through the tubes of the tube bundle (the tube side) and a fluid passing through the space outside the tubes (the shell side). Details of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger can, for exa...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] In other heat exchanger designs no tubes run through the windows. For example, in very tall vertical heat exchangers (such as those which are referred to as “Texas towers”, used e.g. as feed / effluent heat exchangers in large-scale industrial processes), single segmental baffles are commonly arranged at a certain spacing, with the windows alternatingly at opposite sides in order to achieve a desired cross-flow pattern of the fluid over the tube bundle along the shell. Since the spacing that is desired for reasons of optimum fluid flow and optimum hydraulic performance (in particular minimum pressure drop) can be much longer than the spacing required for good mechanical support against vibrations, a number of additional segmental support baffles, but with two windows each, are placed in between the single segmental baffles. These additional elements represent a considerable cost element of the entire tube support.

[0009] In other heat exchanger designs no tubes run through the windows. For example, in very tall vertical heat exchangers (such as those which are referred to as “Texas towers”, used e.g. as feed / effluent heat exchangers in large-scale industrial processes), single segmental baffles are commonly arranged at a certain spacing, with the windows alternatingly at opposite sides in order to achieve a desired cross-flow pattern of the fluid over the tube bundle along the shell. Since the spacing that is desired for reasons of optimum fluid flow and optimum hydraulic performance (in particular minimum pressure drop) can be much longer than the spacing required for good mechanical support against vibrations, a number of additional segmental support baffles, but with two windows each, are placed in between the single segmental baffles. These additional elements represent a considerable cost element of the entire tube support.

Problems solved by technology

A large baffle cut in a single segmental baffle provides a relatively low pressure drop, however the relatively large part of the tubes that run through the window remains unsupported.

When the unsupported tube length becomes too large, this can lead to vibration problems.

These additional elements represent a considerable cost element of the entire tube support.

Due to the special shape required for all individual sheet metal strips, manufacturing costs are high.

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