Heat exchanger

A shell and tube type heat exchanger comprising a series of quadrant shaped baffles supporting a bundle of second fluid carrying pipes oriented in a direction transverse to the baffles, said baffles being configured to guide a first fluid along a helical path across the bundle of pipes, and means for reinforcing the baffles, wherein the series of quadrant-shaped baffles form a partial barrier to the first fluid and each baffle has an outer elliptical edge for establishing a uniform flow velocity of the first fluid through clearances provided between the elliptical edges and an inside surface of the shell.

A shell and tube type heat exchanger extending along a longitudinal axis, comprising a first string of quadrant-shaped baffles and a second string of quadrant-shaped baffles forming a double-helix arrangement traversed by a bundle of second fluid carrying pipes and positioned at an angle to the longitudinal axis to guide a first fluid into a helical pattern at a substantially uniform velocity, wherein each of the quadrant-shaped baffles has an outer elliptical peripheral edge and two flanks converging from the elliptical peripheral edge toward one another to form an apex provided with an angularly drilled hole to allow angular positioning of each of the quadrant-shaped baffles with respect to the longitudinal axis in a desired sequential manner prior to securing the first and second strings of quadrant-shaped baffles relative to one another.