Internal bypass valve for a heat exchanger
AssigneeCecebe Technologies Inc.
InventorsGordon M. Cameron, Charles Guy Cooper, Gregory James Bellamy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shell and tube heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a shell side fluid and a tube side fluid has a longitudinally extending shell, a longitudinally extending tube bundle and one or more baffles positioned within the shell for directing the shell side fluid to flow across the tube bundle. One or more valves is also provided within the shell of the heat exchanger. Each valve is operable between a first position and a second position and co-operates with a baffle for adjusting the flow of shell side fluid through the shell side of the exchanger. Each of the valves is controlled by an external actuator.
Claims20
A shell and tube heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a shell side fluid and a tube side fluid comprising:
- (a) a longitudinally extending shell having an entry port and an exit port;
- (b) a plurality of tubes extending longitudinally in said shell, said tubes being positioned to define a first longitudinally extending window;
- (c) a baffle for directing the shell side fluid to flow across said tubes, said baffle positioned within said shell between the entry port for the shell side fluid and the exit port for the shell side fluid, said first window extending through said baffle;
- (d) throttling valve positioned within said first longitudinally extending window and operable between a first open position and a second closed position, said throttling valve and said baffle are complimentarily positioned so that, when said throttling valve is in said closed positioned, said throttling valve and said baffle define a continuous surface extending across the interior of said shell such that, when said throttling valve is in said first open position, the shell side fluid may pass through said first window and as said throttling valve is moved towards said second closed position, the amount of shell side fluid passing through said heat exchanger is reduced and when said throttling valve is in said second closed position, the shell side fluid is prevented from passing through said heat exchanger;
- and,
- (e) an actuator coupled to said throttling valve for moving said throttling valve between said first and second positions.
A method of operating a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a shell side fluid and a tube side fluid having:
- (a) a longitudinally extending shell, said shell having an entry port for the shell side fluid and an exit port for the shell side fluid, said heat exchanger being connected to an external by pass for diverting at least a portion of the shell side fluid from said entry port and conveying the diverted shell side fluid to a position downstream from said exit port;
- (b) a plurality of tubes extending longitudinally in said shell and defining a tube bundle, said tubes being positioned to define a first longitudinally extending window;
- (c) a baffle positioned within said shell for directing the shell side fluid to flow across said tubes, said first window extending through said baffle ;
- (d) a throttling valve positioned within said first longitudinally extending window and operable between a first open position and a second closed position, said throttling valve cooperating with said baffle for adjusting the flow of the shell side fluid in said shell, whereby, as said valve is adjusted from said first position to said second position, the amount of shell side fluid passing through said external by pass increases and when said valve is in said second position, the shell side fluid is prevented from passing through said heat exchanger;
- and,
- (e) an actuator coupled to said throttling valve for moving said throttling valve between said first and second positions comprising the steps of:
- (f) monitoring the temperature of the shell side fluid at a predetermined point;
- and,
- (g) using said actuator to adjust the position of said throttling valve and therefore the flow of the shell side fluid across said tube bundle to maintain the temperature of the shell side fluid at said predetermined point at a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.