Tubeless heat exchanger for fluid heating systems

A method for heating a production fluid disposed in a vessel, comprising:

• providing a tubeless heat exchanger, comprising:
• a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the vessel, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed 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 core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner 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 from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein an entirety of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid in the vessel, and wherein the flow passage defines a circumferential path comprising at least one pass around a perimeter of the heat exchanger core;
• providing the thermal transfer fluid into the core inlet to transfer heat from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid through at least a portion of both the inner and outer casings;
• providing an outlet member, which penetrates the vessel and which fluidically connects the core outlet through the vessel to provide the thermal transfer fluid outside of the vessel;
• and
• providing a conduit fluidically connected to the heat exchanger core, and arranged to provide the thermal transfer fluid to the heat exchanger core, the conduit having a conduit outlet end fluidically connected to the core inlet and a conduit inlet end arranged to receive the thermal transfer fluid,
• wherein the conduit is configured to provide the thermal transfer fluid from the conduit inlet, along the conduit to the conduit outlet and the core inlet to the flow passage, and
• wherein the conduit comprises a conduit outer surface, at least a portion of the conduit outer surface also arranged to be contacted by the production fluid.

A method for transferring heat between a thermal transfer fluid and a production fluid disposed in a vessel, comprising:

• providing a tubeless heat exchanger, comprising:
• a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the vessel, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed 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 core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing;
• 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 from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid, wherein the flow passage defines a helical path, and wherein the flow passage defines a path comprising at least one circumferential pass around a perimeter of the heat exchanger core;
• and
• wherein the flow passage comprises at least one of:
• a rib, a ridge, and a deformation of the inner surface of one or both of the inner casing and the outer casing, to guide the flow of the thermal transfer fluid along the flow passage;
• providing the thermal transfer fluid into the core inlet to transfer heat between the thermal transfer fluid and the production fluid through at least a portion of both the inner and outer casings;
• providing an outlet member, which penetrates the vessel and which fluidically connects the core outlet through the vessel to provide the thermal transfer fluid outside of the vessel;
• and
• providing a conduit fluidically connected to the heat exchanger core, and arranged to provide the thermal transfer fluid to the heat exchanger core, the conduit having a conduit outlet end fluidically connected to the core inlet and a conduit inlet end arranged to receive the thermal transfer fluid,
• wherein the conduit is configured to provide the thermal transfer fluid from the conduit inlet, along the conduit to the conduit outlet and the core inlet to the flow passage, and
• wherein the conduit comprises a conduit outer surface, at least a portion of the conduit outer surface also arranged to be contacted by the production fluid.

A method for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid disposed in a vessel, comprising:

• providing a tubeless heat exchanger, comprising:
• a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for the first fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core further comprising a core inlet arranged to receive the first fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the first fluid, the core inlet and core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner 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 first fluid to flow from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be contacted by the second fluid, and wherein the flow passage defines a circumferential path comprising at least one pass around a perimeter of the heat exchanger core;
• providing the first fluid into the core inlet to transfer heat between the first fluid and the second fluid through at least a portion of both the inner and outer casings;
• providing an outlet member, which penetrates the vessel and which fluidically connects the core outlet through the vessel to provide the first fluid outside of the vessel;
• and
• providing a conduit fluidically connected to the heat exchanger core, and arranged to provide the first fluid to the heat exchanger core, the conduit having a conduit outlet end fluidically connected to the core inlet and a conduit inlet end arranged to receive the first fluid,
• wherein the conduit is configured to provide the first fluid from the conduit inlet, along the conduit to the conduit outlet and the core inlet to the flow passage, and
• wherein the conduit comprises a conduit outer surface, at least a portion of the conduit outer surface also arranged to be contacted by the second fluid.