Reforming exchanger tubesheet and shell flange design
AssigneeKellogg Brown & Root LLC
InventorsXiang Yang Zhang, Paulus Harijadi Christiono
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A syngas reforming exchanger reactor design is described. The reforming exchanger has a head, a shell, and a tubesheet secured a tube bundle. The tubesheet is bolted to the shell, after which the head is bolted to the shell. A seal is configured between the tubesheet and components of the shell. Another seal is configured between components of the head and the tubesheet. In the reformer exchanger design, those seals are maintained under bolted pressure via the bolting of both the tubesheet and the head to the shell. This design improves the integrity of sealing, thereby preventing escape of hot reformed gases from the reformer exchanger reactor during operation.
Claims18
A reforming exchanger reactor comprising:
- a shell comprising a shell side fluid inlet configured to receive hot reformed gas;
- a head comprising a tube side fluid inlet configured to receive a mixed gas feed;
- a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes, wherein each of the tubes comprises:
- an inlet end secured to a tubesheet configured to receive the mixed gas feed from the head;
- and
- an outlet end adjacent to the shell side fluid inlet and configured to discharge catalytically reformed gas into the hot reformed gas to form a gas mixture;
- and
- a shell side fluid outlet fluidly isolated from the tube side fluid inlet by the tube sheet and configured for discharging the gas mixture,
- wherein the tube sheet is bolted to the shell, thereby disposing the tubes within the shell.
A method of assembling a reforming exchanger reactor, wherein the reforming exchanger reactor comprises a shell configured to receive hot reformed gas, a head comprising a tube side fluid inlet configured to receive a mixed gas feed, and a tube bundle comprising a tubesheet and plurality of tubes, the method comprising:
- disposing a first seal upon a first portion of the shell;
- bolting the tubesheet to the shell so that the plurality of tubes are within the shell and the first seal is secured between the tubesheet and the first portion of the shell;
- disposing a second seal on a top portion of the tubesheet;
- and
- bolting the head to the shell so that the second seal is secured between a portion of the head and the tubesheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.