Support means for a heat exchanger to resist shock forces and differential thermal effects

A heat exchanger comprising a tubular inlet manifold and a tubular outlet manifold for a fluid each having a longitudinal axis, a tube matrix connected to said inlet and outlet manifolds for conveying fluid from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold, said tube matrix projecting laterally from said inlet and outlet manifolds into the path of travel of a hot gas stream so that the fluid is heated as the fluid travels through the tube matrix from the inlet to the outlet manifold, said tube matrix including heat exchange tubes of U-shape having bend regions in which the fluid being heated undergoes reversal of direction of flow, a housing containing the manifolds and the tube matrix, the hot gas stream being conveyed through the housing for heat exchange with the tube matrix and the fluid therein, a plurality of spaced baffle walls extending transversely of said manifolds in said tube matrix to subdivide said tube matrix into a plurality of sections disposed longitudinally along said manifolds, said manifolds each having opposite ends, means supporting said ends of the manifolds from said housing for movement along said longitudinal, a plurality of supports spaced longitudinally and along the length of said manifolds an extending transversely thereof, means connecting said supports to said housing in the vicinity of the bend regions of the heat exchange tubes such that said supports and said housing can undergo relative movement due to differential thermal expansion and contraction, means rigidly connecting said manifolds to one of said supports and means connecting another of said supports to said manifolds to provide relative movement therebetween longitudinally of said manifolds.