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US 11,378,339 B2Granted
Three-stage heat exchanger for an air-cooled condenser
AssigneeSPG Dry Cooling Belgium
InventorsMichel Vouche, Christophe Deleplanque
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a V-shaped heat exchanger for condensing exhaust steam from a turbine. The V-shaped heat exchanger comprises primary, secondary and tertiary single-row condensing tubes placed in a V-shaped geometry. A steam supply manifold supplies the exhaust steam to lower ends of the primary tubes and steam that is not condensed in the primary tubes is collected at upper ends of the primary tubes and transported to the secondary tubes using top connecting manifolds. Steam that is not condensed in the secondary tubes is further transported to the tertiary tubes using a bottom connection manifold. The tertiary tubes are coupled at their ends with an evacuation manifold for evacuating non-condensable gases.
Claims19
A V-shaped heat exchanger for condensing exhaust steam from a turbine, the V-shaped heat exchanger comprising:
- a first set of primary tubes, wherein the primary tubes of the first set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with an angle δ1 with respect to a vertical plane (V), and wherein 15°<δ1<80°,
- a second set of primary tubes, wherein the primary tubes of the second set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with an angle δ2 with respect to said vertical plane (V), and wherein 15°<δ2<80°, and wherein an opening angle δ=δ1+δ2 is formed between said first set of primary tubes and said second set of primary tubes,
- a steam supply manifold coupled with lower tube ends of the primary tubes of the first set of primary tubes and coupled with lower tube ends of the primary tubes of the second set of primary tubes, and wherein said steam supply manifold includes:
- a) a steam supply section for transporting the exhaust steam to the lower tube ends of the primary tubes of the first and second set of primary tubes, and
- a condensate drain section configured for draining condensate from the primary tubes of the first set and the second set of primary tubes,
- a first set of secondary tubes, wherein the secondary tubes of the first set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with said angle δ1 with respect to said vertical plane (V),
- a second set of secondary tubes, wherein the secondary tubes of the second set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with said angle δ2 with respect to said vertical plane (V) such that the opening angle δ=δ1+δ2 is formed between said first set of secondary tubes and said second set of secondary tubes,
- at least a first set of tertiary tubes, wherein the tertiary tubes of the first set are placed in parallel and inclined with said angle δ1 with respect to said vertical plane (V),
- a first top connecting manifold coupling upper tube ends of the primary tubes of the first set of primary tubes with upper tube ends of the secondary tubes of the first set of secondary tubes,
- a second top connecting manifold coupling upper tube ends of the primary tubes of the second set of primary tubes with upper tube ends of the secondary tubes of the second set of secondary tubes,
- a bottom connecting manifold coupled with lower tube ends of the secondary tubes of the first set of secondary tubes, coupled with lower tube ends of the secondary tubes of the second set of secondary tubes and coupled with lower tube ends of the tertiary tubes of the at least first set of tertiary tubes,
- at least a first evacuation manifold for evacuating non-condensable gases, wherein said first evacuation manifold is coupled with upper tube ends of the tertiary tubes of the at least first set of tertiary tubes, and
- wherein said bottom connecting manifold includes:
- a drain configured for draining condensate from the secondary tubes of the first set and the second set of secondary tubes and for draining condensate from tertiary tubes of the at least first set of tertiary tubes.
11 more elements
A method for condensing exhaust steam from a turbine using an air-cooled condenser, the method comprising:
- providing a first set of primary tubes, wherein the primary tubes of the first set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with an angle δ1 with respect to a vertical plane (V), and wherein 15°<δ1<80°,
- providing a second set of primary tubes, wherein the primary tubes of the second set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with an angle δ2 with respect to said vertical plane (V), and wherein 15°<δ2<80°, and wherein an opening angle δ=δ1+δ2 is formed between said first set of primary tubes and said second set of primary tubes,
- providing a first set of secondary tubes, wherein the secondary tubes of the first set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with said angle δ1 with respect to said vertical plane (V),
- providing a second set of secondary tubes, wherein the secondary tubes of the second set are single-row condensing tubes placed in parallel and inclined with said angle δ2 with respect to said vertical plane (V) such that the opening angle δ=δ1+δ2 is formed between said first set of secondary tubes and said second set of secondary tubes,
- providing at least a first set of tertiary tubes, wherein the tertiary tubes of the first set are placed in parallel and inclined with said angle δ1 with respect to said vertical plane (V),
- supplying the exhaust steam to lower ends of the primary tubes of said first set of primary tubes and said second set of primary tubes,
- collecting at upper ends of the primary tubes of the first set of primary tubes a first remaining steam that is not condensed in the first set of primary tubes and supplying said first remaining steam to upper ends of said secondary tubes of said first set of secondary tubes,
- collecting at upper ends of the primary tubes of the second set of primary tubes a second remaining steam that is not condensed in the second set of primary tubes and supplying said second remaining steam to upper ends of secondary tubes of said second set of secondary tubes,
- collecting at lower ends of the secondary tubes of the first and second set of secondary tubes a further remaining steam that is not condensed in the secondary tubes of the first and second set of secondary tubes and supplying said further remaining steam to lower ends of said tertiary tubes of said at least first set of tertiary tubes,
- evacuating non-condensable gases at upper ends of the tertiary tubes of the at least first set of tertiary tubes, and
- collecting condensate from the primary tubes of the first and second set of primary tubes, from the secondary tubes of the first and second set of secondary tubes and from the tertiary tubes of the at least first set of tertiary tubes and draining the collected condensate towards a condensate collector tank.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.