Heat exchangers

Claim 2

A heat exchanger in which a parallel array of heat exchange tubes is arranged in a container, including a support structure for maintaining correct lateral spacing of the tubes, said support structure comprising a structural framework having components extending laterally through the spaces between the tubes and support members for the tubes mounted on the components of the structural framework, said support members being adapted to provide lateral support for rows of the heat exchange tubes, the support members comprising strip material bent in the form of a zigzag so that adjacent flanks of the zigzag strip material are adapted to contact and provide lateral location for the heat exchange tubes, the apexes of the zigzag strip material, at least on one side, comprising a length of strip material greater than the length required for the flanks to meet at a point, said length forming looped portions capable of being opened or closed so as to allow variation in the angle between the flanks of the zigzag strip material on either side of the looped portions to provide for adaption of the zigzag strip material to conform with variations of pitch in the rows of heat exchanger tubes.

Claim 3

A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, the heat exchange tubes of the heat exchanger being longitudinally arranged parallel to one another in the container and being concentrically pitched, said support structure for maintaining correct lateral spacing of the heat exchange tubes comprising main radially extending components and radially spaced part annular strips connected at their ends to the radially extending components, the part annular strips being disposed so as to extend circumferentially through alternate spaces between the concentric rows of heat exchange tubes, a support member of zigzag strip material having truncated apexes along one side being secured at the truncated apexes to each side of each part annular strip, the non secured apexes of the support members of zigzag strip material comprising looped portions, as defined in claim 1, the part annular strips of the structural framework and the support members of zigzag strip material being edge-on to axial flow of heat exchange fluid over the heat exchange tubes, adjacent flanks of the support members of zigzag strip material contacting and providing lateral location for the corresponding heat exchange tubes, the angle between the tube supporting adjacent flanks of the support member on the convex outer side of each part annular strip of the support structure being greater than the angle between the tube supporting adjacent flanks of the corresponding support member on the convex inner side of said part annular strip to allow for the pitch of the concentric row of heat exchange tubes on the outside of the part annular strip being greater than the pitch of the concentric row of heat exchange tubes on the inside of the part annular strip.

Claim 4

A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2, having a plurality of support structures disposed at spaced positions along the length of the heat exchange tubes, the part annular strips of the structural framework in each support structure being disposed so as to extend through the spaces between concentric rows of the heat exchange tubes which are unoccupied by the part annular strips of the structural frameworks of adjacent support structures, the arrangement being such that with respect to each heat exchange tube the support members of adjacent supPort structures act on the heat exchange tube in opposite directions.

Claim 5

A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support members of the support structure are arranged to hold each heat exchange tube in a waved configuration.

Claim 6

A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 having an odd number of concentric rows of heat exchange tubes, each of the support structures having an inner peripheral component extending circumferentially inside the inner row of heat exchange tubes and an outer peripheral component extending circumferentially around the outer row of heat exchange tubes, the inner row of heat exchange tubes being supported from each of the inner peripheral components in alternate support structures by a support member of zigzag strip material similar to the support members of zigzag strip material which support the heat exchange tubes in the body of the support structures, the part annular strips carrying the support members in the body of said alternate support structures occupying alternate spaces between the concentric rows of heat exchange tubes starting with the space between the second and third concentric rows of heat exchange tubes from the inside and ending with the space between the outer and inner adjacent row of heat exchange tubes, the outer row of heat exchange tubes being supported from each of the outer peripheral components of the other alternate support structures by a support member of zigzag strip material also similar to the support members of zigzag strip material which support the heat exchange tubes in the body of the support structures, the part annular strips carrying the support members in the body of said other alternate support structures occupying alternate spaces between the concentric rows of heat exchange tubes starting with the space between the inner and second row of heat exchange tubes from the inside and ending with the space between the second and third row of heat exchange tubes from the outside.

Claim 7

A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 having an even number of concentric rows of heat exchange tubes, alternate support structures along the length of the heat exchange tubes having an inner peripheral component extending circumferentially inside the inner row of heat exchange tubes and an outer peripheral component extending circumferentially around the outer row of heat exchange tubes, the inner and outer peripheral components in said alternate support structures carrying support members of zigzag strip material which support the inner and outer rows of heat exchange tubes, said support members of zigzag strip material being similar to the support members of zigzag strip material which support the heat exchange tubes in the body of the support structures, the part annular strips carrying the support members in the body of the said alternate support structures occupying alternate spaces between the concentric rows of heat exchange tubes starting with the space between the second and third rows of heat exchange tubes from the inside and ending with the space between the second and third rows of heat exchange tubes from the outside, the part annular strips carrying the support members in the body of the other alternate support structures occupying alternate spaces between the concentric rows of heat exchange tubes starting with the space between the inner and second row of heat exchange tubes from the inside and ending with the space between the outer and inner adjacent row of heat exchange tubes.

Claim 8

A heat exchanger in which a parallel array of heat exchange tubes is arranged in a container, including a support structure for maintaining correct lateral spacing of the tubes, said support structure comprising a structural framework having components extending laterally through the spaces between alternate rows of tubes, the tubes and support members for the tubes mounted on either side of the components of the structural framework, said support members being adapted to provide lateral support for the two rows of heat exchangE tubes on the two sides of each component carrying the support members, the support members comprising strip material bent in the form of a zigzag so that adjacent flanks of the zigzag strip material are adapted to contact and provide lateral location for the heat exchange tubes, the apexes of the zigzag strip material, at least on one side, comprising a length of strip material greater than the length required for the flanks to meet at a point, said length forming looped portions capable of being opened or closed so as to allow variation in the angle between the flanks of the zigzag strip material on either side of the looped portions to provide for adaption of the zigzag strip material to conform with variations of pitch in the rows of heat exchanger tubes.

Claim 9

A heat exchanger in which a parallel array of heat exchange tubes is arranged in a container, including a support structure for maintaining correct lateral spacing of the tubes, said support structure comprising a structural framework having components extending laterally through the spaces between alternate rows of tubes, the tubes and support members for the tubes mounted on either side of the components of the structural framework, said support members being adapted to provide lateral support for the two rows of heat exchangE tubes on the two sides of each component carrying the support members, the support members comprising strip material bent in the form of a zigzag so that adjacent flanks of the zigzag strip material are adapted to contact and provide lateral location for the heat exchange tubes, the apexes of the zigzag strip material, at least on one side, comprising a length of strip material greater than the length required for the flanks to meet at a point, said length forming looped portions capable of being opened or closed so as to allow variation in the angle between the flanks of the zigzag strip material on either side of the looped portions to provide for adaption of the zigzag strip material to conform with variations of pitch in the rows of heat exchanger tubes.