Heat exchanger

Claim 1

A HEAT EXCHANGER ARRANGED FOR THE PASSAGE OF A HEATING FLUID IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH A FLUID TO BE HEATED COMPRISING (A) WALLS FORMING A VERTICALLY ARRANGED PRESSURE VESSEL, (B) AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED BAFFLE DISPOSED WITHIN AND SPACED FROM SAID VESSEL AND FORMING THEREWITH AN ANNULAR SHAPED PASSAGEWAY, (C) FIRST WALL MEANS ARRANGED IN THE UPPER END OF SAID VESSEL TO FORM A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE INLET CHAMBERS, (D) SECOND WALL MEANS ARRANGED IN THE UPPER END OF SAID VESSEL TO FORM A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE OUTLET CHAMBERS SPACED FROM SAID INLET CHAMBERS, (E) A MULTIPLICITY OF TUBES WITHIN SAID VESSEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID INLET CHAMBERS ALONG THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO THE LOWER END THEREOF WHEREAT SAID TUBES ARE BENT RADIALLY INWARD AND THEN UPWARD INTO A HELICALLY COILED BUNDLE DISPOSED ABOUT SAID CYLINDRICAL BAFFLE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY THE HEIGHT OF AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID PASSAGEWAY, (F) SAID BUNDLE COMPRISING A NUMBER OF HELICALLY COILED CONCENTRIC ROWS AND EACH OF SAID TUBES IS POSITIONED WITHIN A SINGLE ROW AND THE PITCH OF THE TUBES IN EACH ROW IS SELECTED IN PROPORTION TO THE DIAMETER OF SAID ROW WHEREBY EACH OF SAID TUBES IS OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL LENGTH WITHIN SAID BUNDLE, (G) SAID TUBES BEING DIVIDED INTO SEPARATE GROUPS AND ARE CONNECTED AT THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS INTO CORRESPONDING INLET AND OUTLET CHAMBERS, (H) AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE HEATING FLUID TO SAID VESSEL AT THE LOWER END THEREOF WHEREBY SAID HEATING FLUID FLOWS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID BAFFLE AND THEN DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY IN HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TUBES THEREIN, SAID HEATING FLUID PARTIALLY FILLING SAID VESSEL TO DIVIDE THE INTERIOR THEREOF INTO A VAPOR SPACE AND A LIQUID SPACE, THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID BEING ABOVE THE UPPER END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BAFFLE.