An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger

Abstract

This invention discloses an energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, relating to the field of heat exchanger technology. It includes a tube box, a shell, a rear end cap, multiple tube sheets, multiple heat exchange tubes, multiple tie rods, and horizontal and vertical baffles. One end of the shell is connected to the tube box, and the other end is connected to the rear end cap. Fixing plates are fixedly installed between the tube box and the shell, and between the rear end cap and the shell. Advantages include: the equipment enhances fluid turbulence through spiral guide strips, effectively eliminating shell-side dead zones, thereby improving heat exchange uniformity and reducing operating energy consumption; simultaneously, the equipment automatically removes fouling from the inner wall and heat exchange tubes using reverse cleaning fluid, eliminating the need for shutdown and disassembly, ensuring production continuity, and the drainage mechanism facilitates smoother drainage; the addition of cleaning rings protects the equipment body while being wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, further extending the overall service life, achieving high efficiency, energy saving, and maintenance-free operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchanger technology, and more particularly to an energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger. Background Technology

[0002] Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are the core equipment of industrial heat exchange systems. Silicon carbide, due to its high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and high thermal conductivity, has become the preferred heat exchange material in chemical, metallurgical, and new energy fields. However, traditional silicon carbide shell-and-tube heat exchangers have obvious defects: dead zones are easily formed in the shell side fluid, resulting in uneven heat exchange and high energy consumption; dirt and coking easily adhere to the outer wall of the heat exchange tubes and the inner wall of the shell during long-term operation, which greatly reduces heat exchange efficiency and increases operating energy consumption; manual disassembly and cleaning are difficult and require long downtime, affecting production continuity; some cleaning structures require external power, which is complex and has a high failure rate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the prior art and to propose an energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger includes a tube box, a shell, a rear end cap, multiple tube sheets, multiple heat exchange tubes, multiple tie rods, a transverse baffle, and a vertical baffle. One end of the shell is connected to the tube box, and the other end is connected to the rear end cap. Fixing plates are fixedly installed between the tube box and the shell, and between the rear end cap and the shell. Multiple tube plates are fixedly installed inside the shell. The heat exchange tubes are installed on two fixed plates and multiple tube sheets. The tube box is fixedly connected to a fluid inlet pipe and a fluid outlet pipe. The shell is fixedly connected to a cooling inlet pipe, a cooling outlet pipe, and a drain pipe. A triggering mechanism is installed inside the drain pipe. Two fixed supports are fixedly installed on the shell. Each heat exchange tube is fixedly provided with a spiral guide strip on its outer wall. Multiple push plates are slidably arranged inside the shell. Each push plate and the shell are provided with a cleaning mechanism. One set of cleaning mechanisms works in conjunction with the triggering mechanism to clean the inner wall of the shell and the outer wall of the multiple heat exchange tubes.

[0005] In the aforementioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, the transverse baffle is fixedly installed transversely inside the rear end cap, and the vertical baffle is fixedly installed vertically inside the tube box.

[0006] In the aforementioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, the fluid inlet pipe and the fluid outlet pipe are both located on the same side of the vertical baffle.

[0007] In the aforementioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, the cooling outlet pipe is located at one end near the rear end cap, and both the cooling inlet pipe and the drain pipe are located near the tube box, with the cooling inlet pipe located closer to the tube box.

[0008] In the above-mentioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, the triggering mechanism includes a connecting pipe fixedly installed inside the drain pipe, a circular plate fixedly installed inside the connecting pipe, a spring fixedly installed on the circular plate, a piston fixedly installed at the upper end of the spring, and the piston slidingly and sealingly at the upper opening of the drain pipe.

[0009] In the aforementioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, the piston is a rotary structure with a rectangular center and tapered transition sections formed by inward reduction at both ends.

[0010] In the above-mentioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, the cleaning mechanism includes multiple tube holes opened on the push plate, each tube hole is rotatably provided with a second cleaning ring, each second cleaning ring is provided with a first spiral guide groove, and the first spiral guide bar slides in the first spiral guide groove for use.

[0011] In the aforementioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, a circular hole is provided at the fixed connection between the tube sheet and multiple heat exchange tubes. The diameter of the circular hole is larger than the diameter of the tube hole, and the cleaning ring is used to slide against the outer wall of the heat exchange tube.

[0012] In the above-mentioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, a cleaning ring is rotatably arranged on the outside of the push plate, and a spiral guide bar is fixedly arranged on the outside of the cleaning ring. A spiral guide groove is opened inside the shell, and the spiral guide bar slides in the spiral guide groove.

[0013] In the aforementioned energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, each pusher plate is located on the same side of the corresponding tube sheet, and adjacent pusher plates and tube sheets form a group, with each group of pusher plates located on the side closer to the tube box.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: the equipment enhances fluid turbulence through spiral guide bars, effectively eliminating shell-side dead zones, thereby improving heat exchange uniformity and reducing operating energy consumption; at the same time, the equipment automatically removes dirt from the inner wall and heat exchange tubes with the help of reverse cleaning fluid, eliminating the need for shutdown and disassembly steps, ensuring continuous production, and the drainage mechanism makes drainage smoother; with the addition of cleaning rings, the equipment body is protected while being wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, further extending the service life of the entire machine, achieving an overall high-efficiency, energy-saving, and maintenance-free operating effect. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger proposed in this invention. Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure; Figure 5 for Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram of part a; Figure 6 for Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram of part b in the middle; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the push plate in this invention; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified schematic diagram of part c in the middle.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Tube box; 2. Shell; 3. Rear end cap; 4. Fluid inlet pipe; 5. Fluid outlet pipe; 6. Cooling inlet pipe; 7. Fixed support; 8. Cooling outlet pipe; 9. Drain pipe; 10. Horizontal baffle; 11. Heat exchange tube; 12. Vertical baffle; 13. Spiral guide bar one; 14. Cleaning ring one; 15. Tube sheet; 16. Tie rod; 17. Connecting pipe; 18. Tube hole; 19. Cleaning ring two; 20. Spiral guide groove one; 21. Spiral guide bar two; 22. Push plate; 23. Piston; 24. Spring. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] Reference Figures 1-5 An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger includes a tube box 1, a shell 2, a rear end cap 3, multiple tube sheets 15, multiple heat exchange tubes 11, multiple tie rods 16, a transverse baffle 10, and a vertical baffle 12; the transverse baffle 10 is transversely fixed inside the rear end cap 3, and the vertical baffle 12 is vertically fixed inside the tube box 1.

[0019] One end of the shell 2 is connected to the pipe box 1, and the other end is connected to the rear end cap 3. Fixed plates are fixed between the pipe box 1 and the shell 2, and between the rear end cap 3 and the shell 2. The fixed plates adopt flange-type sealing connection to improve the sealing performance and structural strength of the equipment, prevent fluid leakage, and facilitate subsequent disassembly and maintenance.

[0020] Multiple tube sheets 15 are fixedly installed inside the shell 2. The tube sheets 15 are sealed and welded to the inner wall of the shell 2, dividing the shell 2 into multiple independent heat exchange zones. Adjacent tube sheets 15 are arranged in an alternating pattern. All tube sheets 15 have a semi-circular arc structure. The two tube sheets 15 are installed in opposite directions with the center symmetrically, forming a continuous and tortuous S-shaped fluid channel inside the shell 2. With the fixation of the tie rod 16, the tube sheets 15 are prevented from shifting due to fluid impact, ensuring the stability of the internal structure.

[0021] Heat exchange tubes 11 are installed through two fixed plates and multiple tube sheets 15. Fluid inlet pipe 4 and fluid outlet pipe 5 are fixedly connected to the tube box 1. The fluid to be exchanged enters the tube box 1 through the fluid inlet pipe 4, flows through the heat exchange tubes 11, and is discharged from the fluid outlet pipe 5, completing the heat exchange. Cooling inlet pipe 6, cooling outlet pipe 8, and drain pipe 9 are fixedly connected to the shell 2. Cooling medium enters the shell 2 through the cooling inlet pipe 6, exchanges heat with the heat exchange tubes 11, and is discharged from the cooling outlet pipe 8. Drain pipe 9 is used to discharge shell-side dirt, impurities, and rinsing waste liquid. A triggering mechanism is installed inside drain pipe 9 to realize the automatic triggering of cleaning action. Two fixed supports 7 are fixedly installed on the shell 2. The supports adopt an anti-slip load-bearing design to ensure the equipment is installed stably and avoid vibration and displacement during operation. Fluid inlet pipe 4 and fluid outlet pipe 5 are both located on the same side of the vertical baffle 12. This design can force the fluid in the shell 2 to change the flow direction, prolong the residence time of the fluid in the tube box 1, avoid fluid short circuit, and improve the uniformity of heat exchange of the tube-side fluid.

[0022] The cooling outlet pipe 8 is located near the end of the rear end cap 3, while the cooling inlet pipe 6 and the drain pipe 9 are both located near the tube box 1, with the cooling inlet pipe 6 being closer to the tube box 1. The shell-side cooling medium enters from the cooling inlet pipe 6 near the tube box 1 and flows out from the cooling outlet pipe 8 near the rear end cap 3, forming a long flow path from bottom to top and from one end to the other.

[0023] Reference Figures 3-8 The triggering mechanism includes a connecting pipe 17 fixedly installed inside the drain pipe 9. A circular plate is fixedly installed inside the connecting pipe 17, and a spring 24 is fixedly installed on the circular plate. A piston 23 is fixedly installed at the upper end of the spring 24, and the piston 23 slides in a sealed manner at the upper opening of the drain pipe 9. The piston 23 has a rotary structure with a rectangular shape in the middle and tapered transition sections at both ends. The tapered transition section reduces sliding resistance, and the rectangular section ensures a stable connection of the spring 24. During cleaning, the fluid pressure pushes the piston 23 to compress the spring 24, opening the drain channel. After cleaning, the spring 24 returns to its original position, and the piston 23 re-seals, realizing the automatic opening and closing of the drain pipe 9 without manual operation.

[0024] Each heat exchange tube 11 has a fixed spiral guide strip 13 on its outer wall. Multiple push plates 22 are slidably arranged inside the shell 2. Each push plate 22 and the shell 2 share a common cleaning mechanism. One set of cleaning mechanisms works in conjunction with a triggering mechanism to clean the inner wall of the shell 2 and the outer walls of the multiple heat exchange tubes 11. The spiral guide strip 13 is evenly wound along the axial direction of the heat exchange tube 11, with a spiral angle of 30°-45°. On the one hand, this disturbs the fluid inside the shell 2, disrupting the laminar flow layer and enhancing the heat exchange effect; on the other hand, it provides a guide track for the cleaning mechanism, ensuring stable movement along the outer wall of the heat exchange tube 11 and achieving thorough cleaning.

[0025] The cleaning mechanism includes multiple tube holes 18 formed on the push plate 22. The number of tube holes 18 matches the heat exchange tubes 11, and their positions correspond one-to-one. Each tube hole 18 has a rotatable cleaning ring 19. The cleaning ring 19 is made of silicon carbide reinforced polyimide composite material, which can withstand high temperatures up to 260℃, has high hardness and high wear resistance, and matches the thermal expansion coefficient of the silicon carbide heat exchange tube 11. It does not damage the outer wall of the heat exchange tube 11 during rotational cleaning, and also has excellent chemical corrosion resistance, allowing it to work stably in acidic and alkaline media for a long time. Each cleaning ring 19 has a spiral guide groove 20, which is a spiral groove that matches the spiral guide strip 13. The spiral guide strip 13 slides within the spiral guide groove 20. When the push plate 22 moves, the spiral guide strip 13 and the spiral guide groove 20 cooperate to drive the cleaning ring 19 to rotate around the heat exchange tube 11, scraping off the dirt on the outer wall. Rotational cleaning has no dead angles, resulting in a more thorough cleaning effect.

[0026] The tube sheet 15 and the multiple heat exchange tubes 11 are all fixedly connected with round holes (eccentric fixing). The diameter of the round holes is larger than the diameter of the tube holes 18. The cleaning ring 19 is used to slide against the outer wall of the heat exchange tubes 11 to ensure close contact during cleaning and improve the descaling efficiency.

[0027] A cleaning ring 14 is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the push plate 22. The cleaning ring 14 is made of modified polytetrafluoroethylene composite carbon fiber, possessing self-lubricating, wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and high-temperature resistant properties (long-term operating temperature ≤220℃). Its soft texture does not damage the inner wall of the shell 2, and it does not produce scratches during rotational scraping. It is also suitable for the highly corrosive conditions of silicon carbide heat exchangers. The cleaning ring 14 has a circular structure, with the outer ring fitting against the inner wall of the shell 2 and the inner ring rotatably connected to the outer side of the push plate 22. A spiral guide strip 21 is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the cleaning ring 14. The spiral guide strip 21 is a spiral protrusion, and a spiral guide groove 2 is provided inside the shell 2. The spiral guide strip 21 slides within the spiral guide groove 2. When the push plate 22 moves, the spiral guide strip 21 cooperates with the spiral guide groove 2, driving the cleaning ring 14 to rotate around the inner wall of the shell 2, scraping away the dirt adhering to the inner wall, and simultaneously cleaning the inner wall of the shell 2 and the outer wall of the heat exchange tube 11, improving overall cleaning efficiency. Each pusher plate 22 is located on the same side of the corresponding tube sheet 15. Adjacent pusher plates 22 and tube sheets 15 form a group. Each group of pusher plates 22 is located on the side closer to the tube box 1. During normal heat exchange, the tube sheet 15 blocks the movement of the pusher plate 22 and does not affect the heat exchange process. During cleaning, the reverse fluid pushes the pusher plate 22 to move, triggering the cleaning action. The division of labor is clear and they do not interfere with each other.

[0028] During normal cooling, when the cooling fluid enters through the cooling inlet pipe 6, it flows towards the rear end cap 3. During this process, the push plate 22 will not move due to the obstruction of the tube sheet 15, and the heat exchange process operates stably. When it is necessary to clean the inside of the shell 2, the cleaning fluid is discharged through the cooling outlet pipe 8. The fluid flows towards the tube box 1. Since the diameter of the round hole is larger than that of the heat exchange tube 11, the fluid will push the push plate 22 to move closer to the tube box 1 through the round hole. The movement of the push plate 22 causes the cleaning ring 14 and the cleaning ring 19 to rotate and clean.

[0029] During cleaning, the pusher plate 22 moves towards the tube box 1 under the push of the reverse cleaning fluid, squeezing the dirt and cleaning fluid mixture inside the housing 2, thus increasing the internal pressure of the housing 2. This pressure acts directly on the top of the piston 23, overcoming the elastic force of the spring 24, pushing the piston 23 downward to compress the spring 24, causing the piston 23 to disengage from the sealed position of the drain pipe 9, automatically opening the drain channel. The pusher plate 22 continues to move and pressurize, and the dirt and cleaning fluid are smoothly discharged from the drain pipe 9 with the fluid. When normal operation (cooling) is resumed, the fluid pushes the pusher plate 22 to press against the tube plate 15 and maintain this position, located at the extreme position close to the tube box 1.

[0030] To further clarify, the aforementioned fixed connection should be interpreted broadly unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited. For example, it may be welding, gluing, or integral molding, or other conventional methods well known to those skilled in the art.

[0031] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger, characterized in that, It includes a tube box (1), a shell (2), a rear end cap (3), multiple tube sheets (15), multiple heat exchange tubes (11), multiple tie rods (16), a transverse baffle (10), and a vertical baffle (12). One end of the shell (2) is connected to the pipe box (1), and the other end is connected to the rear end cap (3). Fixed plates are fixed between the pipe box (1) and the shell (2), and between the rear end cap (3) and the shell (2). Multiple pipe plates (15) are fixedly installed inside the shell (2). The heat exchange tube (11) is installed on two fixed plates and multiple tube sheets (15). The tube box (1) is fixedly connected to a fluid inlet pipe (4) and a fluid outlet pipe (5). The shell (2) is fixedly connected to a cooling inlet pipe (6), a cooling outlet pipe (8), and a drain pipe (9). A triggering mechanism is installed inside the drain pipe (9). Two fixed supports (7) are fixedly installed on the shell (2). Each heat exchange tube (11) is fixedly provided with a spiral guide strip (13) on its outer wall. Multiple push plates (22) are slidably arranged inside the shell (2). Each push plate (22) and the shell (2) are provided with a cleaning mechanism. One set of cleaning mechanisms works in conjunction with the triggering mechanism to clean the inner wall of the shell (2) and the outer wall of the multiple heat exchange tubes (11).

2. The energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transverse baffle (10) is fixedly installed transversely inside the rear end cap (3), and the vertical baffle (12) is fixedly installed vertically inside the tube box (1).

3. The energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fluid inlet pipe (4) and the fluid outlet pipe (5) are both located on the same side of the vertical baffle (12).

4. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling outlet pipe (8) is located at one end near the rear end cap (3), and the cooling inlet pipe (6) and the drain pipe (9) are both located near the pipe box (1), with the cooling inlet pipe (6) located closer to the pipe box (1).

5. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The triggering mechanism includes a connecting pipe (17) fixedly installed inside the sewage pipe (9), a circular plate fixedly installed inside the connecting pipe (17), a spring (24) fixedly installed on the circular plate, a piston (23) fixedly installed at the upper end of the spring (24), and the piston (23) is sealed and slides at the upper opening of the sewage pipe (9).

6. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 5, characterized in that, The piston (23) is a rotary structure with a rectangular shape in the middle and tapered transition sections at the top and bottom ends.

7. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning mechanism includes multiple tube holes (18) opened on the push plate (22), each tube hole (18) is rotatably provided with a second cleaning ring (19), each second cleaning ring (19) is provided with a first spiral guide groove (20), and a first spiral guide bar (13) slides in the first spiral guide groove (20) for use.

8. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 7, characterized in that, The tube sheet (15) and the multiple heat exchange tubes (11) are fixedly connected with round holes. The diameter of the round holes is larger than the diameter of the tube holes (18). The cleaning ring (19) is used to slide against the outer wall of the heat exchange tubes (11).

9. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A cleaning ring (14) is rotatably provided on the outside of the push plate (22), and a spiral guide bar (21) is fixedly provided on the outside of the cleaning ring (14). A spiral guide groove (2) is provided inside the housing (2), and the spiral guide bar (21) slides in the spiral guide groove (2) for use.

10. An energy-saving shell-and-tube silicon carbide heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each push plate (22) is located on the same side of the corresponding tube sheet (15), and adjacent push plates (22) and tube sheets (15) form a group, with each group of push plates (22) located on the side closer to the tube box (1).

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