Heat exchanger equipped with fluid flow distributor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor, wherein the fluid flow distributor is positioned at the inlet of a tube-shaped main body housing to uniformly distribute the flow of the incoming fluid, thereby enabling efficient heat exchange, and wherein a plurality of connecting members that fix the position of the fluid flow distributor are installed in a direction perpendicular to or horizontal to the direction of gravity, thereby minimizing the occurrence of cracks due to thermal stress during the operation of the heat exchanger.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor that enables efficient heat exchange by uniformly distributing the flow of fluid entering the interior of a tube-shaped main body housing and minimizes the occurrence of cracks due to thermal stress. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, shell and tube heat exchangers (STHX) are the most widely used heat exchangers today. Because of their high durability, these heat exchangers are operated at temperatures ranging from -250°C to 800°C and pressures of 6000 PSI, and are widely used in power plants, refineries, and other large industrial sectors.

[0004] Heat exchangers are designed under the assumption that the fluid flowing inside the main housing where heat exchange takes place is uniformly distributed. However, in actual heat exchangers, significant variations in the flow rate entering the tubes where heat exchange is performed can occur due to factors such as geometric shape or operating conditions. Consequently, the performance of the heat exchanger may deteriorate.

[0005] In addition, if there is a difference in the flow rate entering the main body housing where heat exchange is performed, a decarbonization (decoking) process is carried out to remove foreign matter (carbon compound residue, suspended matter, etc.) deposited inside the heat exchanger, and at this time, corrosion may occur inside the heat exchanger, such as around the fluid inlet of the tube and inside the tube.

[0006] In order to prevent such corrosion and improve heat exchange efficiency, a distributor has been installed at the inlet of conventional heat exchangers. The distributor can increase uniformity by distributing the fluid flow entering the flow path within the heat exchanger.

[0007] Specifically, in a conventional heat exchanger, the distributor is installed on the central axis via a bar-shaped connecting member at the inlet within the main body housing. In this case, at least three connecting members are arranged spaced apart at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis of the distributor so as to fix the position of the distributor. Additionally, the connecting members can fix the position of the distributor by being coupled to the slide holes of anchors fixed to correspond to the inner circumference of the main body housing.

[0008] However, the aforementioned distributor is mostly installed along the central axis of the main body housing via three connecting members. In this case, there is a problem in that cracks occur in the welded joints of the connecting members connected to the distributor due to thermal stress generated during thermal expansion caused by the operation of the heat exchanger. Specifically, as the connecting members are installed at an angle with respect to the direction of gravity (downward), cracks frequently occurred in the welded joints of the connecting members connected to the distributor. Prior art literature

[0010] U.S. Patent Publication No. 6845813 (January 25, 2005) The problem to be solved

[0011] The present invention is designed to solve the aforementioned problems and aims to provide a heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor that enables efficient heat exchange by uniformly distributing the flow of the incoming fluid through the placement of the fluid flow distributor at the inlet of a tube-shaped main body housing, and minimizes the occurrence of cracks due to thermal stress during the operation of the heat exchanger by installing a plurality of connecting members that fix the position of the fluid flow distributor in a direction perpendicular to or horizontal to the direction of gravity. means of solving the problem

[0013] A heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention for implementing the purpose described above may comprise: a main body housing having a fluid path formed along the internal longitudinal direction, with an inlet provided on one side of the fluid path and an outlet provided on the other side of the fluid path; a fluid flow distributor having ring members of different diameters concentrically arranged along the central axis of the inlet to form a uniform flow of fluid entering the fluid path through the inlet; a plurality of connecting members, one end of which is fixedly installed on the outer surface of the fluid flow distributor to be arranged radially around the central axis, and which are arranged in a vertical or horizontal direction; and a plurality of anchor members, one end of which is fixedly installed on the inner surface of the inlet and which have a coupling hole along the longitudinal direction so that the other end of the connecting member can be slidably coupled.

[0014] In this case, the ring member may be integrally formed through a fixing member arranged vertically or horizontally so that a plurality of them are arranged on the same vertical line.

[0015] In addition, the inner diameter of the ring member may be formed so that it is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet side, so as to correspond to the inner diameter of the flow path that expands by a predetermined section from the inlet side to the outlet side.

[0016] In addition, one end of the above connecting member can be fixed to a fixing piece formed protruding along the central axis from the discharge side edge of the ring member.

[0017] In addition, the above connecting member may be formed in the shape of a bar with a circular cross-section.

[0018] In addition, the above connecting member may be arranged one each on the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the fluid flow distributor.

[0019] In addition, the fluid flow distributor, connecting member, and anchor member may be formed from a nickel-iron-chromium alloy material. Effects of the invention

[0021] A heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention having the above configuration can achieve efficient heat exchange by uniformly distributing the flow of the incoming fluid through the placement of the fluid flow distributor at the inlet of a tube-shaped main body housing, and has the advantage of minimizing the occurrence of cracks due to thermal stress during the operation of the heat exchanger by installing a plurality of connecting members that fix the position of the fluid flow distributor in a direction perpendicular to or horizontal to the direction of gravity. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0023] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a side view showing the internal configuration of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a front view of a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a partial detail view showing the combined structure of a connecting member and an anchor member according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing thermal stress applied to the connecting member structure of a conventional fluid flow distributor, FIG. 7 is a drawing showing thermal stress applied to the connecting member structure of a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0024] The configuration and operation of a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0025] Here, it should be noted that when assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, identical components are denoted by the same numeral whenever possible, even if they are shown on different drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a heat exchanger equipped with a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal configuration of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, a heat exchanger (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may include a main body housing (110), a fluid flow distributor (120), a connecting member (130), and an anchor member (140).

[0028] For reference, the heat exchanger (100) according to the present invention may be used in a hydrocarbon pyrolysis process. The hydrocarbon pyrolysis process may be a large-scale process for the production of light olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, which are mainly used in the petrochemical industry. Feedstocks such as naphtha, methane, ethane, propane, or butane may be pyrolyzed to produce light hydrocarbons. The gas produced in the process is not stable at high temperatures and requires cooling, and in this case, the heat exchanger (100) of the present invention may be used. In this case, hydrocarbons were mentioned as an example of the fluid used in the heat exchanger (100), but are not limited thereto, and various modifications may be applied to any fluid requiring heat exchange.

[0029] The configuration of the present invention is described in detail as follows.

[0031] First, the main body housing (110) forms the main body of the heat exchanger (100). The main body housing (110) has a flow path (115) formed along its internal longitudinal direction, and an inlet port (111) may be provided on one side of the main body housing (110) and an outlet port (113) may be provided on the other side so that a fluid to be heat exchanged can be introduced and discharged through the flow path (115).

[0032] In this case, the above-mentioned Euro (115) may have a structure in which the diameter expands in a predetermined section from the inlet (111) of the main body housing (110) toward the outlet (113), and then the diameter contracts again in a predetermined section toward the outlet (113).

[0033] In addition, a shell (117) having a plurality of tubes (119) inside may be provided in the space between the inlet (111) and the outlet (113) of the main body housing (110). A heat exchange medium that cools the tubes (119) is contained in the internal space of the shell (117). Accordingly, the fluid introduced through the inlet (111) can undergo heat exchange as it passes through the tubes (119). That is, the fluid passing through the tubes (119) can be cooled by exchanging heat with the heat exchange medium.

[0035] The fluid flow distributor (120) is installed within the inlet (111) and can uniformly form the flow of fluid entering the flow path (115) through the inlet (111). In this fluid flow distributor (120), a plurality of ring members (121) formed with different diameters can be concentrically arranged along the central axis of the inlet (111).

[0036] Referring to FIG. 2, the ring member (121) constituting the fluid flow distributor (120) may be formed integrally through a plurality of fixed members (123) arranged vertically or horizontally, such that a plurality of ring members (121) are arranged on the same vertical line.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 3, the ring member (121) may be formed such that the inner diameter of the outlet (113) side is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet (111) side so as to correspond to the inner diameter of the flow path (115) which gradually expands in a predetermined section from the inlet (111) to the outlet (113) side. The ring member (121) may be formed in a circular shape, and the inner and outer surfaces of the ring member (121) may be formed to be inclined at the same angle to correspond to the expanded shape of the inlet (111).

[0039] The connecting member (130) connects and fixes the fluid flow distributor (120) to the anchor member (140) to be described later, and can be formed in the shape of a bar with a circular cross-section.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of connecting members (130) are arranged radially around a central axis on the outer surface of the fluid flow distributor (120), and can be installed in a direction perpendicular to or horizontal to the direction of gravity.

[0041] Specifically, the connecting member (130) may be positioned one each on the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the fluid flow distributor. Accordingly, the occurrence of cracks in the connection portion of the connecting member (130) due to thermal stress applied in the direction of gravity during the operation of the heat exchanger (100) can be minimized. A detailed explanation of the operation thereof will be described later together with the anchor member (140).

[0042] In addition, among the plurality of ring members (121) constituting the fluid flow distributor (120), a fixing piece (125) (see FIG. 2) may be integrally formed on the outermost ring member (121). And one end (130a) of a connecting member (130) may be fixed to the fixing piece (125) by means of a fastening member such as a nut or welding.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 5, the fixing piece (125) is formed to protrude along the central axis line from the discharge side edge of the ring member (121), thereby minimizing the influence on the flow of fluid moving along the flow path (115) through the inlet (111).

[0045] The anchor member (140) is slidably coupled to the other side of the connecting member (130), and the anchor member (140) can fix the connecting member (130), which has one end fixed to the fluid flow distributor (120), at a predetermined point inside the inlet (111) (see FIG. 3).

[0046] Specifically, one side of the anchor member (140) is fixedly installed on the inner circumference of the inlet (111), and the other side may be provided with a connecting hole (141) along the length of the body so that the other end (130b) of the connecting member (130) can be slidably connected.

[0047] In this case, the other end (130b) of the connecting member (130) is not permanently fixed within the coupling hole (141) of the anchor member (140), but is slidably coupled with a predetermined clearance.

[0048] That is, as the temperature inside the flow path (115) of the heat exchanger (100) repeatedly fluctuates around 800°C during operation, the connecting member (130) may undergo deformation due to thermal expansion in this environment. Therefore, if the other end (130b) of the connecting member (130) is fixed within the coupling hole (141) of the anchor member (140) by means such as welding or screw connection, there is a concern that the fixed part may be damaged. Therefore, it is preferable that the other end (130b) of the connecting member (130) be connected so as to be slidably movable within the coupling hole (141) of the anchor member (140).

[0049] In this case, even if the other end of the connecting member (130) is slidably connected to the anchor member (140), the connecting member (130) and the anchor member (140) are arranged radially at the quadrants (vertical and horizontal) of the outer circumference of the fluid flow distributor (120), so that the position of the fluid flow distributor (120) is ultimately positioned on the central axis.

[0051] Meanwhile, the fluid flow distributor (120) and the connecting member (130) and anchor member (140) that fix it within the inlet (111) may be formed of a nickel-iron-chromium alloy material (Inconel 800H). Accordingly, it can be made to have excellent high-temperature strength and resistance to oxidation, carburization, and other high-temperature corrosion.

[0053] A heat exchanger (100) equipped with a fluid flow distributor according to the present invention having the above configuration can achieve efficient heat exchange by uniformly distributing the flow of the incoming fluid through the placement of a fluid flow distributor (120) at the inlet (111) of a tube-shaped main body housing (110) (see FIG. 3).

[0054] In addition, by installing a plurality of connecting members (130) that fix the position of the fluid flow distributor (120) in a direction perpendicular to or horizontal to the direction of gravity (see FIG. 4), the occurrence of cracks due to thermal stress during the operation of the heat exchanger (100) can be minimized.

[0055] Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, when three connecting members (130) and anchor members (140) that fix the fluid flow distributor (120) are arranged radially at regular intervals with respect to a central axis as in the conventional method, thermal stress is applied intensively to the upper and lower contact surfaces (diagonal direction) of the connecting member (130) that are connected within the coupling hole (141) of the anchor member (140). Accordingly, as indicated in the box of the area of ​​interest, tensile force is applied intensively to the fixed portion of one end of the connecting member (130), and a crack may occur.

[0056] In contrast, in the case of the present invention, where four connecting members (130) are arranged vertically and horizontally on the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the fluid flow distributor (120), thermal stress is applied uniformly to the connecting members (130) as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, since the tensile force is not concentrated on the fixed portion (130a) of the connecting member (130) as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to prevent cracks from occurring.

[0058] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described above with specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is understood that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0060] 100 : Heat exchanger 110 : Main body housing 111 : Inlet 113 : Outlet 115 : Euro 117 : Shell 119 : Tube 120 : Fluid flow distributor 121 : Ring member 123 : Fixing member 125 : Fixing piece 130 : Connecting member 140 : Anchor member 141 : Connecting hole

Claims

Claim 1 A heat exchanger comprising: a main body housing having a fluid path formed along the internal longitudinal direction, with an inlet provided on one side of the fluid path and an outlet provided on the other side of the fluid path; a fluid flow distributor having ring members of different diameters concentrically arranged along the central axis of the inlet to form a uniform flow of fluid entering the fluid path through the inlet; a plurality of connecting members arranged vertically and horizontally, one each on the upper / lower and left / right sides, so as to be arranged radially around the central axis on the outer surface of the fluid flow distributor, with one end fixed to a fixing piece formed protruding along the central axis from the edge of the outlet side of the ring member; and a plurality of anchor members fixedly installed on the inner surface of the inlet, each having a coupling hole along the longitudinal direction so that the other end of the connecting member can be slidably connected according to thermal stress. Claim 2 A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the ring member is integrally formed through a fixing member arranged vertically or horizontally so that a plurality of them are arranged on the same vertical line. Claim 3 A heat exchanger according to paragraph 2, wherein the ring member is formed such that the inner diameter of the outlet side is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet side, so as to correspond to the inner diameter of the flow path that expands by a predetermined section from the inlet side toward the outlet side. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 In claim 1, the heat exchanger wherein the connecting member is formed in the shape of a bar with a circular cross-section. Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the fluid flow distributor, connecting member, and anchor member are formed of a nickel-iron-chromium alloy material.

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