US 11,604,038 B2Granted

Heat exchanger tube plug

AssigneeJNT Technical Services, Inc.

InventorsGlenn F. Jorgensen, Ryan J. Jorgensen

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A heat exchange plug that plugs the aperture of a tubesheet with a leaking tube while also securing the tube against movement that could damage other tubes of the tubesheet. A cylindrical housing member with two different diameter body section can be inserted so that the wider diameter section is positioned in the aperture of the tubesheet and the smaller diameter section is located in the tube. An eccentric ring at the end of the housing member can engage the tube and prevent rotation as an insert member is advanced into the rear of the housing member via a threaded shank of the insert member that engages a threaded inner bore of the housing member. A ramped surface of the housing member deforms the wall of the larger diameter section of the housing member outwardly to plug the aperture while the smaller diameter section secures the tube in place.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of sealing a heat exchanger having a tubesheet and a plurality of tubes coupled to the tubesheet, comprising the steps of:

positioning a heat exchanger tube plug in an aperture of a tubesheet so that a housing member of the heat exchanger tube plug has a first cylindrical body with a deformable wall of a first outer diameter positioned in the aperture and has a second cylindrical body extending from the first cylindrical body with a second outer diameter that is smaller than the first outer diameter that extends into and engages a tube of the tubesheet;
and
rotating an insert member of the heat exchanger tube plug relative to the housing member so that a threaded shank of the insert member engages an inner threaded bore of the second cylindrical body, thereby causing the insert member to advance into the housing member so that a ramped surface of the insert member deforms the deformable wall of the first cylindrical body outwardly into contact with the aperture of the tubesheet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/195,986Filed 9 Mar 2021
Published: US 2022/0290931 A115 Sep 2022
Granted: 14 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F28F 11/02
Arrangements for sealing leaky tubes and conduits: using obturating elements, e.g. washers, inserted and operated independently of each other
F16L 55/1108
Plugs: fixed by screwing or by means of a screw-threaded ring
F16L 55/1125
Plugs: fixed by rotating a limited amplitude
F16L 55/1141
Plugs: the plug being made of elastic material