A heat exchanger that reduces pipe wear

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of heat exchangers and discloses a heat exchanger that can reduce pipe wear, including a housing. Heat exchange tubes are installed inside the housing. An inlet and a outlet are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the housing. Leak-proof components are installed at both ends of the heat exchange tubes. An anti-wear component is fixedly installed at the end of the anti-leak-proof component furthest from it. This invention provides a heat exchanger that modularly integrates the anti-wear and leak-proof components at the pipe inlet, forming a comprehensive protection mechanism that integrates active flow guidance and speed reduction, leak detection, water pressure-driven positioning, and mechanical self-locking sealing. It adopts a purely mechanical structure, requiring no external power throughout the entire process, achieving full-cycle autonomous management from daily protection to emergency response. Its modular built-in design combines strong adaptability and ease of installation, making it compatible with various heat exchangers and fundamentally improving the inherent safety level of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchanger technology, specifically to a heat exchanger that can reduce pipe wear. Background Technology

[0002] As core equipment in the industrial field, heat exchangers' piping systems are subjected to the long-term challenges of high-speed fluids, particulate erosion, and alternating hot and cold cycles. Pipe wall wear and rupture are the primary causes of performance degradation and unplanned downtime. Especially when handling slurries containing particulate matter or high-speed flue gas, pipes, particularly elbows and the windward side of the fluid, will rapidly thin due to continuous erosion, eventually leading to media leakage. This not only causes equipment damage and production interruptions but may also trigger safety and environmental accidents. Patent application CN111457413B includes several sets of heat exchange pipes, a newly added header heat exchange pipe, an inlet header, an outlet header, and an anti-wear dummy pipe. Several sets of heat exchange pipes are arranged between the inlet header and the outlet header. The newly added header heat exchange pipe is located near the outlet header, and the anti-wear dummy pipe is located near the newly added header heat exchange pipe. The advantages are: by adding headers and pressure measuring points, when the equipment is not discharging water normally, the pressure measuring points fluctuate significantly, or there is dripping water on the flue wall, the newly added heat exchange pipe can be shut down and replaced. This improves the operational flexibility of the flue gas heat exchanger, and in the event of localized wear, it does not interfere with the overall operation of the equipment, thus improving equipment reliability.

[0003] In the prior art, including the aforementioned patents, the protection and repair of heat exchanger pipes mainly rely on the following technical solutions: Passive protection technologies mainly include applying wear-resistant coatings to the inner or outer walls of pipes, installing wear-resistant tiles or covers; for example, installing hollow, transparent trapezoidal wear-resistant covers at bends in heat exchange coils to change the direction of local airflow. Although these methods can delay wear to some extent, they are static and passive defenses that cannot cope with sudden perforations or ruptures. Furthermore, when a leak occurs, the entire heat exchanger or related modules usually need to be shut down, and leaks are plugged by external welding reinforcement, adding clamps, or using sealants. These methods involve cumbersome and time-consuming repair processes. More importantly, they rely entirely on external intervention and cannot respond when a leak occurs, resulting in a high risk of the accident escalating. In addition, there are related technologies that incorporate moving elements inside pipelines to achieve cleaning or regulation functions, such as controlling the rotation speed through mechanical structures to prevent wear; there are also technologies such as "multi-orifice sleeve valves" that demonstrate the principle of using the system's own hydraulic power to drive the sleeve to move for pressure regulation; however, these technologies are single-function, either focusing on scale prevention and cleaning or used for flow regulation, and none of them have the ability to autonomously detect, move, and complete emergency sealing repairs when pipelines rupture and leak. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The problem this invention aims to solve is to create a built-in pipeline safety device that integrates "active wear prevention" and "passive emergency self-repair" into one unit, and achieves fully automatic response without relying on external power or control, using only the system's own hydraulic power.

[0005] In addition, this device reduces impurities inside the pipe or guides them to the device's mounting base. To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a heat exchanger that can reduce pipe wear, including a housing, a heat exchange tube is arranged inside the housing, an inlet end and a outlet end are respectively arranged at the front and rear ends of the housing, a leak-proof component is arranged at both ends of the heat exchange tube, and an anti-wear component is fixedly arranged at the end of the leak-proof component away from the leak-proof component. The leak-proof assembly mainly includes a sleeve, a spring, a liquid storage bladder, a mounting ring, and a connecting plate. A spring is fixedly arranged around the middle of the sleeve, and a liquid storage bladder is sleeved around the spring. A mounting ring is arranged on the outer side of one end of the sleeve, and the mounting ring connecting plate is connected to the sleeve through the connecting plate.

[0006] Preferably, a number of heat exchange tubes are provided in the middle of the housing, and the front and rear ends of the heat exchange tubes are respectively connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. The leak-proof component is connected to the heat exchange tubes through an installation ring.

[0007] Preferably, the spring sheet consists of three parts: a fixed plate, an elastic plate, and a slot. The spring sheet is fixed to the sleeve by the fixed plate. The elastic plate in the spring sheet is located at both ends of the fixed plate and curves outward. The slot in the spring sheet is located at the lower end of the elastic plate. After the elastic plate springs up, the slot in the spring sheet can be engaged with the opening in the pipe.

[0008] Preferably, the liquid storage bladder is wrapped around the outside of the fixing plate in the spring sheet, the liquid storage bladder is connected to the inside of the sleeve through a connecting tube, the connecting tube of the liquid storage bladder and the spring sheet are arranged alternately, and the liquid storage bladder does not contact the inner wall of the heat exchange tube before expansion.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting ring is fixed to one end of the heat exchange tube by a clamp, the mounting ring is fixedly connected to the connecting plate, the connecting plate is fixedly connected to the sleeve but the connection point has low strength, and a grid is provided between the sleeve and the connecting plate.

[0010] Preferably, the sleeve is slidably connected to the heat exchange tube, and the sleeve is configured as an hourglass shape with larger diameters at both ends and smaller diameter in the middle. By default, the spring rests against the inner wall of the heat exchange tube, and the spring is slidably connected to the heat exchange tube.

[0011] Preferably, the wear-resistant component mainly includes a base, which is fixedly disposed on one side of the mounting ring. A mounting column is fixedly disposed on the side of the base away from the sleeve, and a guide plate is rotatably disposed on the surface of the mounting column.

[0012] Preferably, the diameter of the base is the same as that of the mounting ring, and a ring-shaped bracket for mounting the mounting columns is provided in the middle of the base, with six mounting columns evenly arranged around the center of the base.

[0013] Preferably, the connection between the guide plate and the mounting column is far from the centerline of the guide plate, and the diameter of the lower outer edge of the guide plate is larger than the diameter of the heat exchange tube.

[0014] Preferably, the anti-wear component is divided into two types based on the inlet end and the outlet end. The anti-wear component located in the inlet end is used to reduce the speed of water flow, and the anti-wear component located in the outlet end is used to prevent water flow from accumulating at the outlet end.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages: (1) The invention integrates the functions of "active prevention" and "passive emergency repair", improving the overall safety and reliability of heat exchanger pipes. The invention creatively integrates the anti-wear component and the anti-leakage component in series at the port of the heat exchange tube. During normal operation, it can effectively reduce fluid erosion and prevent wear. When the pipe breaks, it can immediately start autonomous repair, transforming the passive inspection after the fact into active control during the event, fundamentally solving the single problem of the traditional technology of "only prevention and not repair" or "only repair and not prevention". Relying on the system's own hydraulically driven leakage emergency response mechanism, it realizes fully automatic repair without external power source. When the heat exchange tube is damaged, the increased flow velocity and pressure difference at the leak point will push the sleeve to slide automatically to the damaged area. The device utilizes the mechanical clamping of the spring clips and the water pressure expansion of the reservoir to form a multi-layered seal against the rupture. This process is entirely triggered and completed by the internal hydraulic system, requiring no electricity or manual intervention, ensuring high reliability and suitability for harsh industrial environments. It employs a modular, non-invasive built-in structure, making installation convenient and highly versatile. The entire device is fixed to the pipe opening via an installation ring, eliminating the need for structural modifications to existing heat exchanger tubes. Its hourglass-shaped sleeve and low-strength connection plate design ensure both the stability of the normal flow field and smooth disengagement and movement in emergency situations. This design allows the invention to serve as a standard module, flexibly adaptable to various specifications of heat exchanger pipes, enhancing the technology's versatility and ease of use. (2) The anti-wear component, through a rotatable guide plate, can effectively reduce the flow velocity and distribute water evenly at the liquid inlet end, reducing the direct impact on the head end of the heat exchange tube; at the liquid outlet end, it can conform to the flow field and prevent eddies and impurity accumulation. This design not only reduces the erosion and wear of the pipe wall by the fluid, but also guides impurities in the water to settle in specific areas, reducing the risk of scaling throughout the process. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the liquid inlet end of the heat exchanger of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the drain end in the heat exchanger of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the housing of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the leak-proof component and the wear-resistant component of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-wear component structure of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the leak-proof component structure of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the leak-proof component of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the leak-proof component and the wear-resistant component (drainage end) of the present invention.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Housing; 201. Liquid inlet; 202. Liquid outlet; 3. Heat exchange tube; 4. Leakage prevention assembly; 401. Sleeve; 402. Spring; 403. Liquid reservoir; 404. Mounting ring; 405. Connecting plate; 406. Grille; 5. Anti-wear assembly; 501. Base; 502. Mounting column; 503. Guide plate. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "comprising" or "including," and similar terms used in this disclosure, mean that an element or object preceding the term encompasses the elements or objects listed following the term and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may also include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the present invention provides a heat exchanger that can reduce pipe wear, including a housing 1, a heat exchange tube 3 is provided inside the housing 1, and a liquid inlet end 201 and a liquid outlet end 202 are respectively provided at the front and rear ends of the housing 1. Both ends of the heat exchange tube 3 are provided with a leak-proof component 4, and an anti-wear component 5 is fixedly provided at the end of the leak-proof component 4 away from the leak-proof component 4. The leak-proof component 4 mainly includes a sleeve 401, a spring 402, a liquid storage bladder 403, a mounting ring 404, and a connecting plate 405. The spring 402 is fixedly installed around the middle of the sleeve 401, and the liquid storage bladder 403 is sleeved around the spring 402. The mounting ring 404 is installed on the outer side of one end of the sleeve 401, and the mounting ring 404 is connected to the sleeve 401 through the connecting plate 405.

[0021] Several heat exchange tubes 3 are provided in the middle of the housing 1. The front and rear ends of the heat exchange tubes 3 are connected to the liquid inlet 201 and the liquid outlet 202, respectively. The leak-proof component 4 is connected to the heat exchange tubes 3 through the mounting ring 404.

[0022] The spring 402 consists of three parts: a fixed plate, an elastic plate, and a slot. The spring 402 is fixed around the sleeve 401 by the fixed plate. The elastic plate in the spring 402 is located at both ends of the fixed plate and tilts outward. The slot in the spring 402 is located at the lower end of the elastic plate. After the elastic plate springs up, the slot in the spring 402 can be inserted into the rupture of the pipe.

[0023] The liquid reservoir 403 is wrapped around the outside of the fixing plate in the spring piece 402. The liquid reservoir 403 is connected to the inside of the sleeve 401 through the connecting pipe. The connecting pipe of the liquid reservoir 403 and the spring piece 402 are arranged alternately. The liquid reservoir 403 does not contact the inner wall of the heat exchange tube 3 before expansion.

[0024] The mounting ring 404 is fixed to one end of the heat exchange tube 3 by a clamp. The mounting ring 404 is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 405. The connecting plate 405 is fixedly connected to the sleeve 401, but the connection point has low strength. A grid 406 is provided between the sleeve 401 and the connecting plate 405.

[0025] The sleeve 401 is slidably connected to the heat exchange tube 3. The sleeve 401 is set as an hourglass shape with larger diameters at both ends and smaller diameter in the middle. The spring plate 402 is pressed against the inner wall of the heat exchange tube 3 by default. The spring plate 402 is slidably connected to the heat exchange tube 3.

[0026] The anti-wear component 5 mainly includes a base 501, which is fixedly installed on one side of the mounting ring 404. A mounting post 502 is fixedly installed on the side of the base 501 away from the sleeve 401, and a guide plate 503 is rotatably installed on the surface of the mounting post 502.

[0027] The diameter of the base 501 is the same as that of the mounting ring 404. A ring bracket for mounting the mounting post 502 is provided in the middle of the base 501. Six mounting posts 502 are evenly arranged around the center of the base 501.

[0028] The connection between the guide plate 503 and the mounting column 502 is far from the center line of the guide plate 503, and the diameter of the lower outer edge of the guide plate 503 is larger than the diameter of the heat exchange tube 3.

[0029] The anti-wear component 5 is divided into two types based on the liquid inlet end 201 and the liquid outlet end 202. The anti-wear component 5 located in the liquid inlet end 201 is used to reduce the speed of water flow, and the anti-wear component 5 located in the liquid outlet end 202 is used to prevent water flow from accumulating in the liquid outlet end 202.

[0030] The working principle and usage process of this invention: When the heat exchange tube 3 is not damaged, the device operates normally. At this time, before the water flows into the heat exchange tube 3, it will pass through the anti-wear component 5 and the leak-proof component 4 in sequence. When the water flows through the anti-wear component 5, the water flow will push the guide plate 503 to rotate towards the heat exchange tube 3. Under the guiding effect of the multi-stage guide plate 503, not only can the speed of water flow be slowed down, the impact on the pipe be reduced and the leak prevention component 4 be prevented from being accidentally touched, but also some impurities in the water can be intercepted and guided to the mounting plate on the side of the heat exchange tube 3, thereby reducing the accumulation of scale to a certain extent and keeping it in the liquid inlet 201. When water flows through the leak-proof component 4, a small portion of the water flow is diverted by the connecting plate 405. This allows the water to pass through the grille 406 before entering the sleeve 401. This not only further reduces the amount of impurities entering the sleeve 401, but also, as the main stress-bearing component, forces the sleeve 401 to disconnect from the connecting plate 405 when the water flow velocity increases. When the discharged water flows through the anti-wear component 5 located at the drain end 202, it will push the guide plate 503 in the opposite direction to make it conform to the direction of water flow, so as to avoid the water flow velocity at the drain end 202 being too slow, thereby causing pressure fluctuations or unnecessary impact on the heat exchange tube 3. If the heat exchange tube 3 is damaged, the flow rate of the water entering the heat exchange tube 3 will increase. Under the action of the grid 406, when the flow rate of the water is large enough, the sleeve 401 can be pushed towards the damaged area. When the sleeve 401 moves to the damaged area, the spring 402 pops out first and gets stuck at the edge of the damaged area, at which point the sleeve 401 is temporarily fixed. Once the sleeve 401 is fixed, as the water flow in the pipe increases, the internal water pressure will gradually fill the reservoir 403. As more and more water enters, the volume of the reservoir 403 also increases, thus the pressure inside the device can be used to seal the damaged area.

[0031] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention within its spirit and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger that reduces pipe wear, comprising a housing (1), characterized in that: The box (1) is equipped with a heat exchange tube (3). The front and rear ends of the box (1) are respectively equipped with a liquid inlet (201) and a liquid outlet (202). Both ends of the heat exchange tube (3) are equipped with a leak-proof component (4). The end of the leak-proof component (4) away from the leak-proof component (4) is fixedly equipped with an anti-wear component (5). The leak-proof component (4) mainly includes a sleeve (401), a spring (402), a liquid storage bladder (403), a mounting ring (404), and a connecting plate (405). The spring (402) is fixedly arranged around the middle part of the sleeve (401), and the liquid storage bladder (403) is sleeved around the spring (402). The mounting ring (404) is arranged on the outer side of one end of the sleeve (401), and the mounting ring (404) is connected to the sleeve (401) through the connecting plate (405).

2. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle part of the box (1) is provided with several heat exchange tubes (3). The front and rear ends of the heat exchange tubes (3) are respectively connected to the liquid inlet (201) and the liquid outlet (202). The leak-proof component (4) is connected to the heat exchange tubes (3) through the mounting ring (404).

3. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spring (402) consists of three parts: a fixed plate, an elastic plate, and a slot. The spring (402) is fixed around the sleeve (401) by the fixed plate. The elastic plate in the spring (402) is located at both ends of the fixed plate and tilts outward. The slot in the spring (402) is located at the lower end of the elastic plate. After the elastic plate bounces up, the slot in the spring (402) can be inserted into the opening of the pipe.

4. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid reservoir (403) is wrapped around the outside of the fixing plate in the spring sheet (402). The liquid reservoir (403) is connected to the inside of the sleeve (401) through the connecting pipe. The connecting pipe of the liquid reservoir (403) and the spring sheet (402) are arranged alternately. The liquid reservoir (403) does not contact the inner wall of the heat exchange tube (3) before expansion.

5. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting ring (404) is fixed to one end of the heat exchange tube (3) by a clamp. The mounting ring (404) is fixedly connected to the connecting plate (405). The connecting plate (405) is fixedly connected to the sleeve (401) but the connection point has low strength. A grid (406) is provided between the sleeve (401) and the connecting plate (405).

6. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sleeve (401) is slidably connected to the heat exchange tube (3). The sleeve (401) is set as an hourglass shape with larger diameters at both ends and smaller diameter in the middle. The spring plate (402) is pressed against the inner wall of the heat exchange tube (3) by default. The spring plate (402) is slidably connected to the heat exchange tube (3).

7. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wear-resistant component (5) mainly includes a base (501), which is fixedly disposed on one side of the mounting ring (404). A mounting post (502) is fixedly disposed on the side of the base (501) away from the sleeve (401), and a guide plate (503) is rotatably disposed on the surface of the mounting post (502).

8. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 7, characterized in that: The diameter of the base (501) is the same as that of the mounting ring (404). A ring bracket for mounting the mounting posts (502) is provided in the middle of the base (501). Six mounting posts (502) are evenly arranged around the center of the base (501).

9. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connection between the guide plate (503) and the mounting column (502) is far from the center line of the guide plate (503), and the outer diameter of the lower end of the guide plate (503) is larger than the diameter of the heat exchange tube (3).

10. A heat exchanger for reducing pipe wear according to claim 7, characterized in that: The anti-wear component (5) is divided into two types based on the liquid inlet end (201) and the liquid outlet end (202). The anti-wear component (5) located in the liquid inlet end (201) is used to reduce the speed of water flow, and the anti-wear component (5) located in the liquid outlet end (202) is used to prevent water flow from accumulating in the liquid outlet end (202).

Images