A heat exchanger with hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles

Abstract

The present invention specifically relates to a heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles, comprising a cylinder (3) and a tube bundle module (4); a plurality of groups of independent heat-exchanging tube bundle modules (4) are arranged in a plane according to a hexagonal modular arrangement inside the cylinder (3). The heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles of the present invention solves the problems of low internal space utilization, inability to modularly expand according to different heat exchange requirements, and a large number of external pipeline interfaces in existing heat exchangers with a tube bundle modular arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of modular and compact design of heat transfer tube bundles, and in particular to a heat exchanger with hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles. Background Art

[0002] The working principle of a tube-in-tube heat exchanger is as follows: On the shell side, fluid enters the shell through the inlet nozzle. Part of the fluid enters the inner tube of the shell, while the remaining part flows outside the outer tube of the shell, exchanging heat with the tube-side fluid during flow, and finally flows out of the shell side outlet. On the tube side, the fluid enters the tube side inlet, is distributed to the inlet manifold through branch pipes, and then enters the annular gap of the heat transfer sleeve from the inlet manifold. The tube side fluid flows in the annular gap, undergoing double-sided heat exchange between the inner and outer tubes. After heat exchange, the tube side fluid is collected in the outlet manifold and finally flows out of the tube side outlet.

[0003] The existing tube-in-tube heat exchanger tube bundle adopts a rectangular layout, which results in low space utilization, large equipment diameter, a large number of external pipes, and weak expansion capability of the tube bundle module. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles to address the problems of the existing tube-in-tube heat exchanger tube bundle adopting a rectangular arrangement, which leads to low space utilization, large equipment diameter, a large number of external pipes, and weak expansion capability of the tube bundle module.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A heat exchanger with tube bundles arranged in a hexagonal modular shape comprises a cylinder and a plurality of groups of tube bundle modules; the plurality of groups of tube bundle modules are arranged inside the cylinder in a hexagonal modular shape in a plane.

[0007] Working principle: The heat transfer tube bundle is arranged in a hexagonal modular layout. Compared with the rectangular modular layout, the outer diameter of the equipment cylinder can be designed to be smaller, and the space utilization rate is higher. Since each group of tube bundle modules is independent of heat exchange, the number of modules can be increased according to the hexagonal layout rule to meet different heat exchange requirements and realize modular expansion.

[0008] Furthermore, a shell-side outlet and a shell-side inlet are respectively provided on both sides of the cylinder; a tube-side manifold is provided on the upper end of the cylinder, and a tube-side outlet and a tube-side inlet are respectively provided on the upper end of the tube-side manifold; a plurality of groups of tube bundle modules are arranged in a hexagonal modular manner in the plane inside the cylinder, and each group of tube bundle modules is closely arranged; the upper end of each group of the tube bundle modules is connected to the tube-side manifold, and the lower end of each group of the tube bundle modules is independently connected to the lower end of a branch pipe; the upper end of each branch pipe is connected to the tube-side inlet, and the lower end passes through the tube-side manifold and extends into the interior of the cylinder; a surrounding cylinder is provided on the outer edge of the hexagonal modularly arranged tube bundle modules; a support plate is provided between the surrounding cylinder and the cylinder.

[0009] Furthermore, the tube-side header includes an upper flat cover and a lower flat cover, which are connected to form an annular space; the upper end of the upper flat cover is respectively provided with a tube-side outlet and a tube-side inlet; the lower end of the lower flat cover is connected to the cylinder to form an accommodating space, and within the accommodating space, several groups of tube bundle modules are arranged in a hexagonal shape in a plane; the upper end of each group of tube bundle modules is connected to the annular space.

[0010] Furthermore, the pipe side inlet is located in the middle of the upper end of the upper flat cover, and the branch pipe passes through the pipe side header and extends into the middle of the interior of the cylinder.

[0011] Furthermore, the tube-side header further comprises a plurality of baffle rods, the upper ends of the baffle rods being connected to the lower ends of the lower flat covers, and the baffle rods being arranged between every three adjacent tube bundle modules.

[0012] Furthermore, the surrounding tube is formed by splicing a plurality of plates and is closely fitted along the outer contour of the hexagonally arranged tube bundle modules.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of the tube bundle modules (4) is expanded according to the rule of 3n×(n+1).

[0014] Furthermore, each tube bundle module includes a header, an outlet pipe box, an inlet pipe box, a plurality of transition pipes and a plurality of heat transfer sleeves. The upper end of the header is connected to the tube-side header, and the lower end of the header is connected to the upper end of the outlet pipe box. The upper end of each heat transfer sleeve is connected to the outlet pipe box through a transition pipe, and the lower end of each heat transfer sleeve is connected to the inlet pipe box through a transition pipe. The lower end of the inlet pipe box is connected to the branch pipe.

[0015] Furthermore, the heat transfer sleeves are arranged in a hexagonal shape, and the number thereof is expanded according to the rule of 3[n(n+1)-4].

[0016] Beneficial technical effects of the present invention:

[0017] The present invention solves the problems of low internal space utilization of the existing heat exchanger with modular arrangement of tube bundles, inability to perform modular expansion according to different heat exchange requirements, and large number of external pipeline interfaces. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front view of a heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is the main view of a single tube bundle module;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fluid flow direction in the tube side of the present invention in which the tube bundle is arranged in a hexagonal modular shape;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the shell-side fluid flow direction in which the tube bundle of the present invention is arranged in a hexagonal modular shape.

[0024] In the figure, 1. upper flat cover; 2. lower flat cover; 3. cylinder; 4. tube bundle module; 5. support plate; 6. surrounding cylinder; 7. shell side outlet; 8. branch pipe; 9. baffle rod; 10. shell side inlet; 11. tube side outlet; 12. tube side inlet; 13. header; 14. outlet pipe box; 15. transition pipe; 16. heat transfer sleeve; 17. inlet pipe box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "left end", "right end", "upper end", "lower end", "above", "below", "outside", "inside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0026] A heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles comprises a cylinder 3 and a plurality of groups of tube bundle modules 4; the plurality of groups of tube bundle modules 4 are arranged inside the cylinder 3 in a plane according to the hexagonal modular arrangement.

[0027] The heat transfer tube bundles are arranged in a hexagonal modular pattern. Compared to a rectangular modular arrangement, the outer diameter of the equipment barrel can be designed smaller, improving space utilization. While maintaining the same heat transfer efficiency, the equipment height can be reduced by 20%, volume by 30%, and weight by 15%. This makes it suitable for applications where installation space and weight are limited. Because each group of tube bundle modules 4 performs independent heat exchange, the number of modules can be increased according to the hexagonal arrangement to meet different heat transfer requirements, achieving modular expansion.

[0028] Further, see Figure 1 , a heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles, comprising a cylinder 3 and several groups of tube bundle modules 4; a shell-side outlet 7 and a shell-side inlet 10 are respectively provided on both sides of the cylinder 3; a tube-side header is provided on the upper end of the cylinder 3, and a tube-side outlet 11 and a tube-side inlet 12 are respectively provided on the upper end of the tube-side header; several groups of tube bundle modules 4 are arranged in a hexagonal modular manner inside the cylinder 3 in a plane, and each group of tube bundle modules 4 is closely arranged; the upper end of each group of the tube bundle modules 4 is connected to the tube-side header, and the lower end of each group of the tube bundle modules 4 is independently connected to the lower end of a branch pipe 8; the upper end of each branch pipe 8 is connected to the tube-side inlet 12, and the lower end passes through the tube-side header and extends into the interior of the cylinder 3; a surrounding cylinder 6 is provided on the outer edge of the hexagonal modularly arranged tube bundle module 4; a support plate 5 is provided between the surrounding cylinder 6 and the cylinder 3.

[0029] The tube-side inlet 11 and the tube-side outlet 12 adopt an integrated design, with only one tube-side inlet 12 and tube-side outlet 11 provided. This structure reduces the number of external pipelines, reduces pipeline welds, improves the safety and reliability of the equipment, and saves external space; the surrounding cylinder 6 separates the shell-side fluid into an ascending channel and a descending channel; the support plate 5 plays a supporting and connecting role, and at the same time, it is located between the shell-side inlet 10 and the shell layer outlet 7, separating the shell-side fluid into a hot side and a cold side; a branch pipe 8 is provided at the tube-side inlet 12, and each branch pipe 8 corresponds to each group of tube bundle modules 4, which can evenly distribute the tube-side fluid to each tube bundle module 4, so that each tube bundle module 4 forms an independent heat exchange unit.

[0030] Working Principle: On the shell side, the shell-side fluid enters the shell at the shell-side inlet 10. Due to the obstruction of the shroud 6 and support plate 5, the shell-side fluid first flows upward, passes over the upper edge of the shroud 6, and then flows downward through the tube bundle module 4, exchanging heat with the tube-side fluid. The shell-side fluid reaches the bottom of the cylinder 3 and then flows upward into the annular gap formed by the shroud 6 and cylinder 3, finally flowing out of the shell-side outlet 7. On the tube side, the tube-side fluid enters at the tube-side inlet 12 and is evenly distributed into the tube bundle module 4 through the branch pipe 8. The fluid in the tube bundle module 4 flows upward, and the fluid in all the tube bundle modules 4 is collected in the tube-side header before entering the tube-side outlet 11.

[0031] Furthermore, the pipe-side header includes an upper flat cover 1 and a lower flat cover 2, which are connected to form an annular space; the upper end of the upper flat cover 1 is respectively provided with a pipe-side outlet 11 and a pipe-side inlet 12; the lower end of the lower flat cover 2 is connected to the cylinder 3 to form an accommodating space, and several groups of tube bundle modules 4 are arranged in a hexagonal shape in the plane within the accommodating space; the middle part of the lower flat cover 2 is provided with several through holes arranged in a hexagonal shape, and the lower end of the branch pipe 8 passes through the through hole and extends into the interior of the cylinder 3, and the upper end of each tube bundle module 4 is connected to the annular space through a through hole.

[0032] Furthermore, the pipe-side inlet 12 is located in the middle of the upper end of the upper flat cover 1, and the branch pipe 8 passes through the pipe-side header and extends into the middle of the interior of the cylinder 3. The branch pipe 8 does not occupy additional space and has a compact structure.

[0033] Furthermore, the tube-side header further includes a plurality of baffle rods 9 , the upper ends of the baffle rods 9 being connected to the lower end of the lower flat cover 2 , and the baffle rods 9 being arranged in the gaps between every three adjacent tube bundle modules 4 .

[0034] A surrounding tube 6 and a flow-blocking rod 9 are provided in the cylinder 3 to form a shell-side fluid channel in the cylinder 3. This structure is beneficial for allowing the fluid to fully contact the heat transfer sleeve and pass through the tube bundle area as much as possible, thereby increasing the fluid flow rate and thus increasing the heat exchange efficiency.

[0035] Furthermore, each tube bundle module 4 includes a header 13, an outlet pipe box 14, a plurality of transition pipes 15, a plurality of heat transfer sleeves 16 and an inlet pipe box 17. The upper end of the header 13 is connected to the through hole on the lower flat cover 2, and the lower end of the header 13 is connected to the upper end of the outlet pipe box 14. The upper end of each heat transfer sleeve 16 is connected to the outlet pipe box 14 through a transition pipe 15, and the lower end of each heat transfer sleeve 16 is connected to the inlet pipe box 17 through a transition pipe 15. The lower end of the inlet pipe box 17 is connected to the branch pipe 8.

[0036] The inlet pipe box 17 collects the fluid entering from the branch pipe 8, and then distributes it to the transition pipe 15 and enters the heat transfer sleeve 16. The tube-side fluid exchanges heat in the sleeve and enters the outlet pipe box 14. After being collected by the header 13, it enters the tube-side header.

[0037] Furthermore, the surrounding tube 6 is formed by splicing a plurality of plates, and is closely fitted along the outer contour of the hexagonally arranged tube bundle modules 4, thereby separating the shell-side fluid into ascending fluid and descending fluid.

[0038] Furthermore, the heat transfer sleeves 16 are arranged in a hexagonal shape, and the number can be expanded according to the rule of 3[n(n+1)-4]. Each group of tube bundle modules 4 can form an independent heat exchange unit, and the failure of one group will not affect the operation of other tube bundle modules 4.

[0039] Furthermore, the number of the tube bundle modules 4 can be expanded according to the rule of 3n×(n+1). Since each group of tube bundle modules 4 performs heat exchange independently, the number of modules can be increased according to the hexagonal arrangement rule to meet different heat exchange requirements.

[0040] Furthermore, the number of branch pipes 8 corresponds to the number of tube bundle modules 4 on a one-to-one basis, and the number can also be expanded.

[0041] The above-mentioned cylinder 3 refers to a pressure vessel shell; the shell-side inlet 10 refers to the structure for the fluid to enter the shell-side cylinder 3; the shell-side outlet 7 refers to the structure for the fluid to flow out of the shell-side cylinder 3; the shroud 6 refers to a structure that is tightly surrounded along the outer edge of the tube bundle module 4; the support plate 5 refers to a flat plate arranged between the shroud 6 and the shell-side cylinder 3, whose functions are, on the one hand, to support the shroud so that the shroud is connected to the cylinder, and, on the other hand, to separate the shell-side fluid into a hot side and a cold side. The tube-side inlet specifically refers to the structure for the tube-side fluid to flow into the branch pipe; the branch pipe 8 refers to the structure for the tube-side fluid to flow into the inlet pipe box 17; the inlet pipe box 17 refers to the structure for the tube-side fluid to flow into the transition pipe 15; the transition pipe 15 refers to the structure for the tube-side fluid to flow into the annular gap of the heat transfer sleeve 16; the heat transfer sleeve 16 is provided with a plurality of heat transfer pipes, and the heat transfer pipe ... The thermal sleeve 16 refers to a double-layer pipe for the circulation of hot and cold fluids, the outer tube of which is a straight tube with ribs on the outer wall, and the inner tube is a spiral tube. The outer side of the outer tube and the inner side of the inner tube are in contact with the shell-side fluid at the same time. The annular space between the outer tube and the inner tube is filled with the tube-side fluid, and the hot fluid and the cold fluid achieve efficient heat exchange through this sleeve structure; the outlet pipe box 14 refers to the structure through which the tube-side fluid flows into the manifold 13 after heat exchange; the manifold 13 refers to the structure through which the fluid flows into the tube-side manifold; the tube-side manifold refers to the structure for collecting the tube-side fluid; the flow blocking rod 9 refers to the structure that occupies the shell-side gap, and its upper end is connected to the tube-side manifold. Its function is to prevent the shell-side fluid from flowing through the gap of the tube bundle module 4; the tube-side outlet 11 refers to the structure through which the tube-side fluid flows out of the tube-side manifold.

[0042] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger with a hexagonal modular arrangement of tube bundles, characterized in that: The invention comprises a cylinder (3) and a plurality of tube bundle modules (4); the plurality of tube bundle modules (4) are arranged in a hexagonal modular arrangement inside the cylinder (3) in a plane; a shell-side outlet (7) and a shell-side inlet (10) are respectively provided on both sides of the cylinder (3); a tube-side header is provided at the upper end of the cylinder (3), and a tube-side outlet (11) and a tube-side inlet (12) are respectively provided at the upper end of the tube-side header; the plurality of tube bundle modules (4) are arranged in a hexagonal modular arrangement inside the cylinder (3); the upper end of each group of the tube bundle modules (4) is connected to the tube-side header, and the lower end of each group of the tube bundle modules (4) is independently connected to a branch pipe (8). The lower end; the upper end of each branch pipe (8) is connected to the pipe-side inlet (12), and the lower end passes through the pipe-side header and extends into the interior of the cylinder (3); the outer edge of the hexagonal modularly arranged tube bundle module (4) is provided with a surrounding cylinder (6); a support plate (5) is provided between the surrounding cylinder (6) and the cylinder (3); the pipe-side header includes an upper flat cover (1) and a lower flat cover (2), and the upper flat cover (1) and the lower flat cover (2) are connected to form an annular space; the pipe-side header also includes a plurality of baffle rods (9), the upper end of the baffle rod (9) is connected to the lower end of the lower flat cover (2), and the baffle rod (9) is provided between each three adjacent groups of the tube bundle modules (4).

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that The upper end of the upper flat cover (1) is respectively provided with a pipe-side outlet (11) and a pipe-side inlet (12).

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that The lower end of the lower flat cover (2) is connected to the cylinder (3) to form an accommodating space, wherein a plurality of groups of tube bundle modules (4) are arranged in a hexagonal pattern on a plane within the accommodating space; the upper end of each group of tube bundle modules (4) is in communication with the annular space.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that The pipe-side inlet (12) is located in the middle of the upper end of the upper flat cover (1), and the branch pipe (8) passes through the pipe-side header and extends into the middle of the interior of the cylinder (3).

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that The surrounding cylinder (6) is formed by splicing together a plurality of plates and is closely fitted along the outer contour of the tube bundle modules (4) arranged in a hexagonal modular pattern.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that The number of the tube bundle modules (4) is expanded according to the rule of 3n×(n+1).

7. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Each group of the tube bundle modules (4) includes a header (13), an outlet pipe box (14), an inlet pipe box (17), a plurality of transition pipes (15) and a plurality of heat transfer sleeves (16). The upper end of the header (13) is connected to the tube-side header, the lower end of the header (13) is connected to the upper end of the outlet pipe box (14), the upper end of each heat transfer sleeve (16) is connected to the outlet pipe box (14) through a transition pipe (15), the lower end of each heat transfer sleeve (16) is connected to the inlet pipe box (17) through a transition pipe (15), and the lower end of the inlet pipe box (17) is connected to a branch pipe (8).

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, characterized in that The heat transfer sleeves (16) are arranged in a hexagonal shape, and the number is expanded according to the rule of 3[n(n+1)-4].

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