US 9,194,609 B2 · Shop-assembled solar receiver heat exchanger

Abstract

A shop-assembled solar receiver heat exchanger having an arrangement of heat transfer surfaces and a vertical steam/water separator structurally and fluidically interconnected thereto. A vertical support structure is provided to support the vertical separator and the heat transfer surfaces. The vertical support structure is bottom supported, while the vertical steam/water separator and heat exchanger heat transfer surfaces are top supported from the vertical support structure. The vertical support structure provides structural support and rigidity for the heat exchanger and a means by which the heat exchanger can be picked up and lifted for placement at a desired location. A fabrication/transport/lifting fixture is provided which facilitates fabrication, assembly, transportation and erection of the heat exchanger from the shop to the field. The fixture supports two trunnion shafts attached to the support structure of the receiver. Lifting lugs would be located on the top end of the support structure. Upon arrival at the job site in the field, a crane lifts the heat exchanger receiver to vertical, rotating about the trunnion shafts on the fixture, and then lifts the heat exchanger receiver for placement at a desired location.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A shop-assembled solar receiver heat exchanger comprising:

a multi-sided arrangement of heat transfer surfaces, a vertical steam/water separator structurally and fluidically interconnected thereto;
and
a vertical support structure top supporting the vertical steam/water separator and the heat transfer surfaces,
wherein each side of the multi-sided arrangement of heat transfer surfaces has both an evaporative heat transfer surface section and a superheater heat transfer surface section, such that both the evaporative heat transfer surface section and the superheater heat transfer surface section of each side of the multi-sided arrangement are each individually formed from a loose tangent tube panel having a plurality of individual tangent tubes, an upper header and a lower header, such that the tangent tubes of each loose tangent tube panel are operatively coupled to two or more collector beams along an inner surface thereof, wherein the two or more collector beams are located between the upper and lower headers of the loose tangent tube panels.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shop-assembled solar receiver heat exchanger

Life of this patent

Shop-assembled solar receiver heat exchanger

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23