Heat exchanger with expansion joint for thermal expansion and external force tolerance

A heat exchanger for transferring heat between a hot working fluid and a coolant comprising

• a shell arranged around an axis and receiving a coolant therein, the shell extending axially relative to the axis between a first end and a second end,
• a core located within the shell and directing a working fluid therethrough, the core including a plurality of tubes extending axially relative to the shell and defining a tube flow path for the hot working fluid, a first header coupled to a first end of the plurality of tubes to distribute the hot working fluid through the plurality of tubes, and a second header coupled to a second end of the plurality of tubes to receive cooled working fluid, wherein the coolant in the shell flows around and between the plurality of tubes to cool the hot working fluid in the plurality of tubes, and
• an expansion joint coupled to one of the first end and the second end of the shell and a corresponding one of the first header and the second header to provide a seal between the core and the shell, the expansion joint being formed to include bellows configured to transmit external forces through the shell and to allow thermal expansion of the plurality of tubes relative to the shell to minimize thermal stresses in the plurality of tubes so that the thermal stresses are blocked from damaging the plurality of tubes.