Ceramic ferrule and ceramic ferrule refractory wall for shielding tube sheet/boiler tube assembly of heat exchanger
AssigneeBlasch Precision Ceramics, Inc.
InventorsDonald G. Rexford, Jeffrey J. Bolebruch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ceramic ferrule, an array of ceramic ferrules, and a ceramic ferrule refractory wall, all for shielding a tube sheet/boiler tube assembly of a heat exchanger connected to an industrial heat source. The head portion of each ferrule replaces conventional cast refractory walls, and has an outer-peripheral shape that allows the ferrules to mate at the operating temperature of the industrial heat source. The mated ferrules expand and contract substantially independently of one another, but form a substantially gas-tight barrier for shielding the tube sheet/boiler tube assembly from the waste gas of the industrial heat source.
Claims29
A ceramic ferrule for shielding a tube, sheet/boiler tube assembly of a heat exchanger comprising:
- a head portion having a first end defining an inlet of the ferrule, a second end opposed to said first end, an inner surface defining a passageway extending from said first end to said second end, and an outer peripheral surface extending from said inlet first end to said second end, said outer peripheral surface having (i) an outer shape that allows mating of a plurality of said ferrules to form cooperatively a substantially gas-tight refractory barrier wall, and (ii) a groove formed therein which extends around the circumference thereof;
- and
- a tube portion having a first end joined to said head portion, a second end defining the outlet of the ferrule, and an inner surface defining a passageway extending from said first end to said outlet second end and merging with the passageway of said head portion.
An array of ceramic ferrules for shielding a tube sheet/boiler tube assembly of a heat exchanger connected to an industrial heat source, each ceramic ferrule comprising:
- a head portion having a first end defining an inlet of the ferrule, a second end opposed to said first end, an inner surface defining a passageway extending from said inlet first end to said second end, and an outer peripheral surface extending from said first end to said second end, said head portion having (i) an outer shape that allows mating of a plurality of said ferrules to form cooperatively a substantially gas-tight refractory barrier wall, and (ii) an axial length sufficient to shield the tube sheet from heat generated by the industrial heat source;
- and
- a tube portion having a first end joined to said head portion, a second end defining the outlet of the ferrule, and an inner surface defining a passageway extending from said first end to said outlet second end and merging with the passageway of said head portion;
- wherein the outer peripheral dimension of each ferrule is selected such that the ferrules are separated from one another when the industrial heat source is inoperative, and are abutted at respective outer peripheral surfaces when the industrial heat source is operative, whereby a substantially gas-tight seal is formed between the entirety of respective outer peripheral surfaces of adjacent ferrules.
A refractory wall for shielding a tube sheet/boiler tube assembly of a heat exchanger connected to an industrial heat source, wherein the tube sheet includes a plurality of openings for receiving the inlet ends of a corresponding plurality of boiler tubes, said refractory wall comprising:
- a plurality of individual ceramic ferrules, each comprising a head portion adapted to cover the tube sheet and a tube portion adapted to extend into the boiler tube, said head portion having (i) an outer shape that allows mating of a plurality of said ferrules to form cooperatively a substantially gas-tight barrier wall, and (ii) an axial length sufficient to shield the tube sheet from heat generated by the industrial heat source, each said ferrule further comprising an outer peripheral surface having a groove formed therein which extends around the circumference thereof;
- and
- insulating means disposed in said groove of each ferrule for facilitating formation of said substantially gas-tight barrier wall;
- wherein each said ferrule has an outer dimension that is selected (i) to provide a gap between outer peripheral surfaces of adjacent ferrule head portions when the industrial heat source is inoperative, and (ii) to cause outer peripheral surfaces of adjacent ferrule head portions to abut one another when the industrial heat source is operative.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.