Heat exchange apparatus with integral formation of heat exchangers and separators

Claim 1

A vertical heat exchange assembly operating in countercurrent comprising a warm exchanger (11,12), a cold exchanger (13,21); a. said warm exchanger comprising superimposed warm end (11) and cold end (12) exchangers, a first separator (35) therebetween, a second separator (40) between said cold end exchanger and said cold exchanger, a core (4) along which said exchangers are spaced; b. each of said first and second separators having a lateral wall (35C,40C), a cold closure wall (35B,40B), a warm closure wall (35A,40A), said core passing through warm and cold closure walls and being connected thereto; c. said warm end exchanger (11) comprising a substantially cylindrical shell which is coaxial with said core and which has a warm closure wall traversed by said core and having three tube plates (2, 101, 15), said shell having a cold closure wall formed by at least a part of said warm closure wall (35A) of said first separator, a horizontal plate (41) positioned inside of said shell, said plate having a plurality of openings therethrough and being connected to said shell and said core which passes therethrough, one of said shell and said cold closure wall having a first header (5) and a liquid header (102) in fluid communication through an expansion valve (19) with a discharge point located above said plate (41), a first nest of tubes (3) helically coiled around said core and connected at one end with a first tube plate (2) of said warm closure wall of said warm end exchanger and at the other end with said first header (5), a second nest of tubes (24) helically coiled around said core and connected at one end with a second tube plate (101) of said warm closure wall of said warm end exchanger and opening at the other end through a part (25) of a wall of said first separator in contact with the gaseous phase contained by said first separator, a third nest of tubes (17) helically coiled around said core and connected at one end with a third tube plate (15) of said warm closure wall of said warm end exchanger and at the other end with said liquid header, all said tubes passing through said plate (41); d. the components of said cold end exchanger (12) being substantially identical to those of said warm end exchanger, said cold end exchanger comprising a shell, a warm closure wall being formed by at least a part of said cold closure wall (35B) of said first separator (35), a cold closure wall being formed by at least a part of said warm closure wall (40B) of said second separator, one of said shell and said warm closure wall comprising a second header in fluid communication with said first header (5) of said warm end exchanger, one of said shell and said cold closure wall comprising a third header, a first nest of tubes (8) connected at one end to said second header and at the other end to said third header, a second nest of tubes (37) opening at one end onto a part (36) of a wall of said first separator in contact with the gaseous phase contained by said first separator and opening at the other end onto a part of a wall of said second separator in contact with the gaseous phase contained by said second separator, a third nest of tubes (29) opening in the end opposite to a liquid header, onto a part of a wall of said first separator in contact with the liquid phase contained by said first separator; e. said core being gastight in its parts where the three nests of tubes are coiled around and hollow in the remaining parts, said core having openings in its hollow parts inside of said warm end and cold end exchangers; f. said cold exchanger comprising at least an inner exchanger (21) and an outer exchanger (13); g. said outer exchanger comprising a substantially annular housing comprising an outer casing (61), an inner casing (79A), eboth substantially cylindrical, a cold closure wall connecting the cold ends of said inner and outer casings, said cold closure wall comprising two tube plates (62,69), said outer casing being connected along its warm end to the cold closure wall (40B) of said second separator, a warm closure wall closing said inner casing, said core of said warm exchanger extending outside of said second separator between the cold closure wall of said first separator and the warm closure wall of said housing; a horizontal plate having openings therethrough and disposed inside of said housing and being connected to said outer and inner casings; three nests of tubes helically coiled around said inner casing, inside of said housing, one of said outer casing and said cold closure wall of said second separator comprising a fourth header (60) in fluid communication with said third header, one of said outer casing and said cold closure wall of said housing comprising a liquid header in fluid communication, through an expansive valve (92), with a discharge point located above said plate, tubes of a first nest (112) being connected at one end to said fourth header and at the other end with first tube plate (69) of said cold closure wall of said housing, tubes of a second nest (113) opening at one end onto a part of a wall of said second separator in contact with the gaseous phase contained by said second separator and being connected at the other end with said second tube plate (62) of said cold closure wall of said housing; tubes of a third nest (114) opening at one end onto a part (91) of a wall of said second separator in contact with the liquid phase contained by said second separator and being connected at the other end with said liquid header, all said tubes passing through said plate; said core of the warm exchanger being hollow and having openings (82) in its part extending outside of said second separator; h. said inner exchanger comprising a shell (79) positioned inside of said inner casing of said outer exchanger and spaced therefrom to form an annular passageway therebetween, said shell having a substantially cylindrical casing (79) coaxial with said inner casing, a cold closure wall, said casing being open in its warm end and said cold closure wall comprising two tube plates (73,66); another core (74) coaxial with said inner casing, passing at one end through said cold closure wall, a fifth header in fluid communication with said first tube plate of said cold closure wall of said outer exchanger, a gaseous header in fluid communication with said second tube plate of said cold closure wall of said outer exchanger, both headers being disposed at the warm end of said inner exchanger; first and second nests of tubes (115, 116) helically coiled around said another core inside of said shell, tubes of said first nest (115) being connected at one end with said fourth header and at the other end with the first tube plate of said cold closure wall of said shell of said inner exchanger, tubes of said second nest (116) being connected at one end to said gaseous header in the other end with the second tube plate of the cold closure wall of said inner inner exchanger; said another core being gastight where tubes are coiled around and hollow in the remaining part and having openings (89) in its cold hollow part; the cold end of said another core being in fluid communication with said second tube plate (66) of said cold closure wall through an expansive valve; said inner casing of said outer exchanger having openings (81) at a level located between said plate and said cold closure wall of said outer exchanger; and an annular plate closing said passageway (90) at the end opposite to said warm closure wall of said outer exchanger.