US 11,739,931 B2Granted

Heat exchanger, such as for a solar power plant

AssigneeHeader-Coil Company A/S

InventorsPeter Thomsen, Ivan Bo Christensen, Jens Taggart Pelle, Keld Sørensen, Peter Badstue Jensen, Per Jørn Nielsen, Svante Bundgaard

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A heat exchanger (10) to provide heat exchange between fluids (24, 25), such as in a solar power plant (1), may include a first and second pipe connectors (13, 14), and a pipe bundle (17) extending between the first and second pipe connectors, with pipes (17a-17n) of the pipe bundle configured to guide a second fluid (25). The pipe bundle may be connected to the first and second pipe connectors at pipe connection points (16) so the inside of the pipes (17a-17n) is in fluid communication with cavities (15) of those connectors. The pipes may be arranged adjacent each other and extending together between the pipe connectors in a meandering manner providing a plurality of crests (20a, 20b) on the pipes between the pipe connectors, so that crests of the pipes are arranged to extend into recesses provided by one or more crests on other pipes of the pipe bundle.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A heat exchanger for providing heat exchange between fluids in a solar power plant, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:

a container, wherein the container is configured to house a first fluid;
a first pipe connector and a second pipe connector, wherein each of the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector comprises:
a cavity;
and
a plurality of pipe connection points;
and
a pipe bundle comprising pipes arranged inside the container and extending between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector, wherein the pipes of the pipe bundle are configured to guide a second fluid,
wherein the pipe bundle in the container is connected to the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector at the plurality of pipe connection points so each of the pipes of the pipe bundle has an inside that is in fluid communication with the cavity of the first pipe connector and the cavity of the second pipe connector,
wherein the heat exchanger is configured to provide a heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid through pipe walls of the pipes of the pipe bundle,
wherein the pipes of the pipe bundle are arranged next to each other and extend together between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector in a meandering manner providing a plurality of crests on pipes between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector, and so that crests of pipes of the pipe bundle are arranged to extend into recesses provided by one or more crests on other pipes of the pipe bundle, and
wherein the pipe bundle comprises a plurality of layers of pipes distributed in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the container, where each of the plurality of layers of pipe comprises pipes extending in the meandering manner, wherein each of the plurality of layers of pipes extend substantially in parallel to each other, and wherein each of the plurality of layers of pipes has a different width with remaining ones of the plurality of layers of pipes in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container, wherein layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of smaller width comprises fewer pipes than layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of larger width, and wherein each pipe in the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of smaller width comprises a larger number of crests than each pipe in the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of larger width.

8 more elements

A method of use of a heat exchanger comprising:

a container, wherein the container is configured to house a first fluid;
a first pipe connector and a second pipe connector, wherein each of the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector comprises:
a cavity;
and
a plurality of pipe connection points;
and
a pipe bundle comprising pipes arranged inside the container and extending between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector, wherein the pipes of the pipe bundle are configured to guide a second fluid,
wherein the pipe bundle in the container is connected to the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector at the plurality of pipe connection points so each of the pipes of the pipe bundle has an inside that is in fluid communication with the cavity of the first pipe connector and the cavity of the second pipe connector,
wherein the heat exchanger is configured to provide a heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid through pipe walls of the pipes of the pipe bundle,
wherein the pipes of the pipe bundle are arranged next to each other and extend together between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector in a meandering manner providing a plurality of crests on pipes between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector, and so that crests of pipes of the pipe bundle are arranged to extend into recesses provided by one or more crests on other pipes of the pipe bundle, and
wherein the pipe bundle comprises a plurality of layers of pipes distributed in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the container, where each of the plurality of layers of pipe comprises pipes extending in the meandering manner, wherein each of the plurality of layers of pipes extend substantially in parallel to each other, and wherein each of the plurality of layers of pipes has a different width with remaining ones of the plurality of layers of pipes in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container, wherein the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of smaller width comprises fewer pipes than layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of larger width, and wherein each pipe in the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of smaller width comprises a larger number of crests than each pipe in the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of larger width;
the method of use comprising having the heat exchanger provide above 5 MW thermal power.

9 more elements

A method of use of a heat exchanger comprising:

a container, wherein the container is configured to house a first fluid;
a first pipe connector and a second pipe connector, wherein each of the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector comprises:
a cavity;
and
a plurality of pipe connection points;
and
a pipe bundle comprising pipes arranged inside the container and extending between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector, wherein the pipes of the pipe bundle are configured to guide a second fluid,
wherein the pipe bundle in the container is connected to the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector at the plurality of pipe connection points so each of the pipes of the pipe bundle has an inside that is in fluid communication with the cavity of the first pipe connector and the cavity of the second pipe connector,
wherein the heat exchanger is configured to provide a heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid through pipe walls of the pipes of the pipe bundle,
wherein the pipes of the pipe bundle are arranged next to each other and extend together between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector in a meandering manner providing a plurality of crests on pipes between the first pipe connector and the second pipe connector, and so that crests of pipes of the pipe bundle are arranged to extend into recesses provided by one or more crests on other pipes of the pipe bundle, and
wherein the pipe bundle comprises a plurality of layers of pipes distributed in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the container, where each of the plurality of layers of pipe comprises pipes extending in the meandering manner, wherein each of the plurality of layers of pipes extend substantially in parallel to each other, and wherein each of the plurality of layers of pipes has a different width with remaining ones of the plurality of layers of pipes in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container, wherein layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of smaller width comprises fewer pipes than layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of larger width, and wherein each pipe in the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of smaller width comprises a larger number of crests than each pipe in the layers of the plurality of layers of pipes of larger width;
the method of use comprising using the heat exchanger in a solar power plant and/or for providing industrial heat.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/280,396Filed 23 Sep 2019
Priority: DK PA2018706391 Oct 2018
Published: US 2021/0381687 A19 Dec 2021
Granted: 29 Aug 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

F22B 1/006
Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method: using solar heat
F22B 1/16
By exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers: the heat carrier being hot liquid or hot vapour, e.g. waste liquid, waste vapour
F22B 29/06
Steam boilers of forced-flow type: of once-through type, i.e. built-up from tubes receiving water at one end and delivering superheated steam at…
F22B 37/12
Water tubes; Accessories therefor: forms of water tubes, e.g. of varying cross-section