Fully-wetted, refractory-free tubeless fluid heating system with negligible thermal expansion stress

A fluid heating system comprising:

• a pressure vessel shell comprising a vessel inlet arranged to receive a production fluid to be heated and vessel outlet arranged to provide heated production fluid, the pressure vessel shell containing the production fluid to be heated;
• a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the pressure vessel shell, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core further comprising a core inlet arranged to receive the thermal transfer fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the thermal transfer fluid, the core inlet and outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage and at least one or the core inlet and the core outlet being disposed on the inner casing;
• one or more flow elements disposed within the flow passage arranged to direct the flow of thermal transfer fluid along the flow passage such that a flow volume of the thermal transfer fluid is directed along the flow passage from the core inlet to the core outlet, the flow volume traversing at least once around a perimeter of the heat exchanger core;
• wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the thermal transfer fluid to flow, and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid in the pressure vessel, and wherein, in use, the thermal transfer fluid in the heat exchanger core transfers heat from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid through at least a portion of both the inner and outer casings;
• and
• an outlet member, which penetrates the pressure vessel shell and which fluidically and mechanically attaches the core outlet to the pressure vessel shell to allow the thermal transfer fluid to exit the pressure vessel shell, to provide mechanical support for the tubeless heat exchanger core, and to minimize longitudinal thermal stress on the heat exchanger core within the pressure vessel.

A fluid heating system comprising:

• a pressure vessel shell comprising a vessel inlet arranged to receive a production fluid to be heated and vessel outlet arranged to provide heated production fluid, the pressure vessel shell containing the production fluid to be heated;
• a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the pressure vessel shell, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core further comprising a core inlet arranged to receive the thermal transfer fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the thermal transfer fluid, the core inlet and outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage and at least one of the core inlet and the core outlet being disposed on the inner casing;
• one or more flow elements disposed within the flow passage arranged to direct the flow of thermal transfer fluid along the flow passage such that a flow volume of the thermal transfer fluid is directed along the flow passage from the core inlet to the core outlet, the flow volume traversing at least once around a perimeter of the heat exchanger core;
• wherein the one or more flow elements comprises at least one of:
• a rib, a ridge, and a deformation of the inner surface of one or both of the inner and outer casing;
• and
• wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the thermal transfer fluid to flow, and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid in the pressure vessel, and wherein, in use, the thermal transfer fluid in the heat exchanger core transfers heat from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid through at least a portion of both the inner and outer casings.