Methods and apparatus for improving multi-plate scraped heat exchangers
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsRobert D. Kaminsky, Marcel Staedter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scraped heat exchanger apparatus, including a vessel and a plurality of internally cooled plates disposed parallel to each other within the vessel. A rotating shaft is disposed at a central axis of the vessel. A rotating scraper arm, connected to the rotating shaft, moves between adjacent plates. The rotating scraper arm includes a scraper positioned to scrape solids from the outer surfaces of adjacent plates. A cooling fluid flows through an interior of each plate. The cooling fluid cools a gaseous process fluid flowing between adjacent plates. An opening in each of the plates permits the process fluid, and solids removed from the process fluid and scraped by the rotating scraper arm, to pass through the plates.
Claims20
A scraped heat exchanger apparatus for cooling a gaseous process fluid which can freeze-out solids, the apparatus comprising:
- a vessel;
- a plurality of internally cooled plates disposed parallel to each other within the vessel, wherein a spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates is varied within the vessel;
- a rotating shaft disposed at a central axis of the vessel;
- a rotating scraper arm, connected to the rotating shaft, and disposed to move between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates, wherein the rotating scraper arm includes a scraper positioned to scrape solids from an outer surface of said adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- a cooling fluid configured to flow through an interior of each of the plurality of internally cooled plates and cool a gaseous process fluid flowing between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- and
- an opening in each of one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates, each opening configured to permit the gaseous process fluid and solids removed from the gaseous process fluid and scraped by the rotating scraper arm to pass through the one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates.
A scraped heat exchanger apparatus for cooling a gaseous process fluid which can freeze-out solids, the apparatus comprising:
- a vessel;
- a plurality of internally cooled plates disposed parallel to each other within the vessel;
- a rotating shaft disposed at a central axis of the vessel;
- a rotating scraper arm, connected to the rotating shaft, and disposed to move between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates, wherein the rotating scraper arm includes a scraper positioned to scrape solids from an outer surface of said adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- a cooling fluid configured to flow through an interior of each of the plurality of internally cooled plates and cool a gaseous process fluid flowing between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- and
- an opening in each of one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates, each opening configured to permit the gaseous process fluid and solids removed from the gaseous process fluid and scraped by the rotating scraper arm to pass through the one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates,
- wherein the opening in each of the one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates comprises a notch extending outwardly from the central axis, and
- wherein at least one of a notch size, a notch shape, or a position of the notch is varied from plate to plate within the vessel to match a variation in an amount of solids generated from plate to plate.
A scraped heat exchanger apparatus for cooling a gaseous process fluid which can freeze-out solids, the apparatus comprising:
- a vessel;
- a plurality of internally cooled plates disposed parallel to each other within the vessel;
- a rotating shaft disposed at a central axis of the vessel;
- a rotating scraper arm, connected to the rotating shaft, and disposed to move between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates, wherein the rotating scraper arm includes a scraper positioned to scrape solids from an outer surface of said adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- a cooling fluid configured to flow through an interior of each of the plurality of internally cooled plates and cool a gaseous process fluid flowing between adjacent ones of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- an opening in each of one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates, each opening configured to permit the gaseous process fluid and solids removed from the gaseous process fluid and scraped by the rotating scraper arm to pass through the one or more of the plurality of internally cooled plates;
- a separator configured to receive the gaseous process fluid and the solids from the vessel after being cooled in the vessel, the separator configured to separate the solids from the gaseous process fluid, the separator having an opening through which the process gas exits therefrom;
- and
- an auger having a first end located in a bottom portion of the separator, the auger configured to transport the solids from the separator such that the gaseous process fluid is prevented from exiting the separator through the auger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.