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US 5,513,698 AGranted
Balanced drive for orbital tube whip rod heat exchanger
AssigneePaul Mueller Company
InventorJoseph B. O'Hanlon
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AssigneePaul Mueller Company
InventorJoseph B. O'Hanlon
Estimating the term…
An orbital rod drive arrangement for an orbital tube whip rod heat exchanger includes a single drive plate driving a plurality of countercranks, each countercrank supporting a whip rod from its upper end within a tube as it is driven in an orbital manner. The countercrank provides for balancing the whip rods within the tubes by mounting them in an offset manner. Furthermore, the whip rod is suspended as well as driven at its upper end to thereby leave the lower ends of the tubes unobstructed for the free flow of process fluid out the bottom of the tube. The countercrank includes an upper peripheral lip for supporting a single drive plate and the countercrank may be supported by the tube sheet which mounts the uniformly spaced tubes in the heat exchanger vessel. Variations are disclosed for the countercrank including providing different numbers of holes in the countercrank for balancing the whip rod mass about the circumference of the countercrank. Variations are disclosed for supporting the drive plate, supporting the countercrank, and the shape of the countercrank. Variations are also disclosed for the driving connection between the drive plate and countercranks.
In an orbital tube, whip rod heat exchanger, and said heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes with each of said tubes having at least one whip rod located therein, the improvement comprising a single drive plate for forcing relative orbital motion of said whip rods inside their respective tubes, and means for locating and maintaining said whip rods in an offset pattern in said tubes during said motion so as to minimize any vibration induced thereby in said heat exchanger.
In an orbital tube, whip rod heat exchanger, said heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes with each of said tubes having a single whip rod located therein, and a drive plate for forcing relative orbital motion of said whip rods inside their respective tubes, the improvement comprising means for supporting said rods, and driving said rods with said drive plate solely at their upper ends and means for dynamically balancing the forces generated by said rods within said tubes to thereby minimize any vibration induced thereby in said heat exchanger.
In an orbital tube, whip rod heat exchanger, said heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes with each of said tubes having at least one whip rod located therein, the improvement comprising a countercrank fitted to each of said tubes, each countercrank having at least one hole therein for receiving and supporting a whip rod within its associated tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.