# US 7,610,953 B2 · Assembly of baffles and seals and method of assembling a heat exchanger

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- Number: US 7,610,953 B2
- Document ID: US7610953B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/425,781
- Filed: 2006-06-22
- Published: 2006-12-28
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2005-06-23
- Assignees: Shell Oil Company
- Inventors: Dominicus Fredericus Mulder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610953B2

## CPC

- F28F 9/22: Arrangements for directing heat-exchange media into successive compartments, e.g. arrangements of guide plates
- F28D 7/1607: {with particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange media, e.g. change of flow direction (F28D7/1623, F28D7/1638, F28D7/1661, F28D7/1676, F28D7/1692 take precedence)}
- F28F 2009/224: {Longitudinal partitions}
- F28F 2230/00: Sealing means
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)

## Abstract

An assembly of baffles and seals for mounting in a heat exchanger shell, comprising a plurality of longitudinal baffles; a plurality of longitudinal seals for sealingly engaging longitudinal rims of the longitudinal baffles against the heat exchanger shell after mounting, and further a wall member that is arranged to extend between longitudinal seals of adjacent longitudinal baffles so as to form a double wall with the heat exchanger shell after mounting. A method of assembling a heat exchanger, comprising providing a heat exchanger shell and an assembly of baffles and seals according to the invention; assembling the assembly of baffles and seals outside the heat exchanger shell and introducing the assembled arrangement into the heat exchanger shell so that each wall member forms a double wall with the heat exchanger shell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An assembly of baffles and seals for mounting in a heat exchanger shell, which assembly comprises
a plurality of longitudinal baffles each having two longitudinal rims;
a plurality of longitudinal seals for sealingly engaging the longitudinal rims of the longitudinal baffles against the heat exchanger shell after mounting; and
a wall member having a folded longitudinal rim that is arranged to extend between longitudinal seals of adjacent longitudinal baffles so as to form a double wall with the heat exchanger shell after mounting,
wherein each of said plurality of longitudinal seals is a two piece seal comprising a U-shaped flange and a wall sealing member, said wall sealing member being formed of oppositely outwardly extending elastic flanges, said U-shaped flange having folds into which said opposite outwardly extending elastic flanges are inserted and held, and wherein said U-shaped flange is arranged to also receive the folded longitudinal rim of the wall member extending from that longitudinal seal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the longitudinal baffles has a folded longitudinal rim.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the assembly further comprises a plurality of transverse baffles for supporting a bundle of tubes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the transverse baffles comprise elements of expanded metal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the number of longitudinal baffles is n−1 to create a meandering fluid flow path of n passes between an inlet and an outlet of the heat exchanger shell, wherein n>2, and wherein the transverse baffles are formed of n segments.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the segments of transverse baffles between adjacent longitudinal baffles have a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section between opposing double walls of the adjacent longitudinal baffles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The assembly according to claim 6, wherein tubes extend from a tube sheet through the transverse baffles and transverse end baffle to a tube end sheet, and wherein the wall member is connected at one end to the tube sheet and at the other end to the end baffle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The assembly according to claim 7, wherein the end baffle is provided with a seal so as to prevent bypass of fluid between shell passes around the end baffle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the assembly is arranged in the heat exchanger shell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the oppositely outwardly extending elastic flanges inserted and held in the folds of said U-shaped flange comprise metal lamellae.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The assembly according to claim 10, wherein four metal lamellae are inserted into folds on either side of said U-shaped flange.