Helical Coil Heat Exchanger Soot Blower Design

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat exchangers with helical coils face challenges in efficiently cleaning all turns, especially the outer and upper turns, due to limitations in soot blower access and arrangement, leading to reduced heat transfer efficiency from flue gases to the fluid being heated.

Innovation Solution

A soot blowing device with an ejection pipe positioned between two adjacent turns of the helical coil, extending in parallel to the flow direction, and supported by a device that increases the pitch between turns to accommodate the ejection pipe, ensuring thorough cleaning of all coil turns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a soot blower is positioned to clean the inner coil, then the inner coil can be cleaned, but the outer coil turns remain hard to reach and clean

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning accessibilityVSAvoidcleaning completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The soot blower device is segmented into multiple ejection pipes positioned at different locations (inner coil and outer coil) to independently clean different sections of the helical coils, ensuring all turns are accessible and cleanable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ejection pipes extend in different spatial dimensions and directions to reach various turns of the helical coils, including upper, lower, inner, and outer turns, providing comprehensive cleaning coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If vertical pipes are arranged to clean helical coils, then cleaning can be performed, but a radial distance between inner and outer coils is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning capabilityVSAvoidstructural arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The ejection pipes are designed to be movable or adjustable in position and orientation, allowing them to dynamically adapt to different coil configurations and eliminate the need for fixed radial distance arrangements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The ejection pipes serve as intermediary elements that can be positioned flexibly between the inner and outer coils, enabling cleaning action without requiring direct radial spacing between the coils themselves

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration allows for efficient cleaning of all helical coil turns, including those previously hard to reach, thereby maintaining or improving heat transfer efficiency by effectively removing impurities from the flue gas path.

Implementation Method 1

a soot blowing device comprising a first ejection pipe having a plurality of nozzle openings in a pipe wall and being configured to permit ejection of a cleaning medium onto the first tube

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid impact: Impact Force

Implementation Method 2

remove the impurities from the tubes, i.e. to clean the boiler

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectErosion: Erosion

Implementation Method 3

a tube arrangement for a fluid to be heated by the flue gases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 4

heating a fluid by flue gases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 5

supported by a device that increases the pitch between turns to accommodate the ejection pipe

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGeometric modification: Geometry

Data Source

PatentEP3101340B1A heat exchanger
Publication Date: 2022.06.01 ALFA LAVAL CORP AB
  • EP3101340B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3101340B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3101340B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A heat exchanger comprises a casing (1) forming a channel (2) for flue gases, and a tube arrangement (10) for a fluid to be heated by the flue gases. The tube arrangement comprises four tubes (11-14) provided in the channel (2) for conveying the fluid. The tubes comprises a respective helical coil having a longitudinal center axis, a plurality of turns and a default pitch. A soot blowing device (30) comprises a first ejection pipe (31) having a plurality of nozzle openings (32) for ejecting a cleaning medium onto the tubes. The first intermediate ejection pipe is provided at an intermediate position in the helical coil of the tubes between two adjacent turns of the helical coil of the tubes.