Method of forming a shell and coil heat exchanger
AssigneeAqua Systems, Inc.
InventorJack C. Dempsey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The heat exchanger is made up of a shell having a coaxial tubular outer and inner wall with end plates attached thereto to enclose a tubular shell cavity provided with an inlet and outlet for a first fluid. Within the shell cavity is a spiral coil of tubing through which flows a second fluid. The coil is wound helically about the axis of the shell and sized to fit the inner and outer walls with limited radial clearance. The coils are axially spaced from one another to define a spiral flow path within the shell cavity for the fluids to first flow. The radial and axial clearance establish a spiral flow path and an axial flow path which are relatively sized to cause the first fluid to travel in a spiral motion, thereby enhancing heat transfer between the first and second fluids.
Claims9
A method of forming a helical coil assembly comprising the following steps:
- providing an elongated mandrel having a central axis, a large diameter region and a small diameter region;
- winding a first tube spirally about the mandrel, thereby forming a first coil having large and small diameter regions;
- removing the first coil from the mandrel;
- winding a second tube spirally about the mandrel, thereby forming a second coil having large and small diameter regions;
- removing the second coil from the mandrel;
- placing the first and second coils together in coaxial alignment, one inside the other with a substantial portion of each small diameter region nested within the large diameter region of the opposite coil, each coil having an axial spacing between each winding;
- and
- compressing the two coils axially, thereby deforming the coils and reducing the axial spacing between the windings.
A method of forming a tube and shell heat exchanger comprising of the following steps:
- providing an elongated mandrel having a central axis, a large diameter region and a small diameter region;
- winding a first tube spirally about the mandrel, thereby forming a first coil having large and small diameter regions;
- removing the first coil from the mandrel;
- winding a second coil spirally about the mandrel, thereby forming a second coil having large and small diameter regions;
- removing the second coil from the mandrel;
- placing the first and second coils together in coaxial alignment, one insiude the other with a substantial portion of each small diameter region nested in the large diameter region of the opposite coil, each coil having two ends and an axial spacing between each winding;
- compressing the two coils axially, thereby deforming the coils and reducing the axial spacing between the windings, thereby forming a helical coil assembly having an inside diameter and an outside diameter;
- providing a shell inner tube sized to fit within the inside diameter of the helical coil assembly, a shell outer tube sized to fit about the outside diameter of the helical coil assembly, and first and second end plates for attachment to the shell inner and outer tubes;
- and
- assembling the inner and outer tubes and the end plates about the helical coil assembly, thereby forming a shell assembly enclosing a tubular shell cavity in which the helical coil assembly resides with the ends of the first and second coils sealingly projecting through the shell and attaching first and second inlet-outlet fittings at opposite ends of the shell assembly to allow fluid to be passed therethrough to transfer heat between fluid within the helical coil assembly.
A method of forming a tube and shell heat exchanger comprising the following steps:
- providing an elongated mandrel having a central axis, a large diameter region and a small diameter region;
- winding a first tube spirally about the mandrel, thereby forming a first coil having large and small diameter regions;
- removing the first coil from the mandrel;
- winding a second tube spirally about the mandrel, thereby forming a second coil having large and small diameter regions;
- removing the second coil from the mandrel;
- placing the first and second coils in coaxial alignment, one inside the other, thereby providing a nested helical coil assembly with a substantial portion of each small diameter region nested in the large diameter region of the opposite coil, each coil having two ends and an axial spacing between each winding;
- providing a shell inner tube sized to closely fit within the inside diameter of the small diamiter region of each coil of the helical coil assembly;
- installing the nested coil assembly around the shell inner tube;
- compressing the two coils of the helical coil assembly axially, while the two coils are installed around the shell inner tube, thereby deforming the coils and reducing the axial spacing between the windings of the coils;
- placing a shell outer tube, sized to closely fit the outside diameter of the compressed helical coil assembly, about the outside diameter of the compressed helical coil assembly and attaching first and second end plates to the shell inner and outer tubes, thereby defining a shell assembly having an enclosed tubular shell cavity in which the helical coil assembly resides, with the ends of each coil sealingly projecting through the shell outer tube;
- and
- providing first and second inlet/outlet fittings at opposite ends of the shell assembly to allow fluid to be passed therebetween, to transfer heat between fluid within the helical coil assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.