A process for accomplishing heat exchange between a corrosive liquid process stream and a second liquid

Claim 2

A process for accomplishing heat exchange between a corrosive liquid process stream and a second liquid comprising the steps of: a. introducing said process stream into the inlet end of a narrow channel; b. providing a plurality of heat exchange bundles spaced along the longitudinal extent of said narrow channel, each of said heat exchange bundles being disposed across substantially the entire flow path of said process stream through said narrow channel, each of said heat exchange bundles comprising a plurality of tubular elements made from an organic polymer composition; c. supplying each tubular element in each heat exchange bundle with a second liquid having a temperature significantly different than that of said process stream; d. allowing said process stream to flow through said narrow channel in a manner such that substantially all of said process stream passes between and in intimate contact with the tubular elements in each of said heat exchange bundles in seriatum whereby a temperature gradient is maintained between the process stream at the inlet and outlet end of said narrow channel; and e. allowing said process stream to exit from the outlet end of said narrow channel by providing an outlet orifice which will maintain the height of said process stream below the top of said narrow channel and near the top of each heat exchange bundle.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said process stream is a hot liquid and said second liquid is a cooling liquid supplied in parallel to each heat exchange bundle.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said process stream is a cold liquid and said second liquid is a heating liquid supplied in parallel to each heat exchange bundle.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the step of allowing said process stream to exit from the outlet end of said narrow channel is accomplished by providing an overflow port near the top of the outlet end of said narrow channel and allowing said process stream to overflow from said narrow channel into a storage tank.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein the step of allowing said process stream to exit from the outlet end of said narrow channel is accomplished by providing an overflow port near the top of the outlet end of said narrow channel to allow a portion of said process stream to overflow from said narrow channel into a storage tank and by additionally providing an adjustable sluice gate near the bottom of the outlet end of said narrow channel to allow a portion of said process stream to pass from said narrow channel to said storage tank through said sluice gate.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5 wherein each of said tube bundles comprise 500 to 3,500 tubular elements, each having a diameter of 0.1 to 0.25 inches, and wherein said organic polymer composition is a fluorocarbon polymer composition.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 wherein the step of introDucing said process stream into the inlet end of a narrow channel is accomplished by introducing said process stream into a channel formed integrally with said storage tank.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 wherein said narrow channel is a channel formed between a first cylinder and a second smaller and concentric cylinder forming said storage tank.

Claim 10

A process for cooling hot sulphuric acid within the pump tank used in sulphuric acid manufacture comprising the steps of: a. providing a narrow peripheral channel around said pump tank; b. introducing said hot sulphuric acid into the inlet end of said narrow channel; c. providing a plurality of heat exchange bundles arranged in series within said narrow channel, each of said heat exchange bundles being disposed across substantially the entire flow path of said sulphuric acid through said narrow channel, each of said heat exchange bundles being made from a fluorocarbon polymer composition; d. supplying each heat exchange bundle with cooling liquid having a temperature significantly less than said hot sulphuric acid; e. allowing said sulphuric acid to flow through said narrow channel in a manner such that substantially all of said sulphuric acid passes between and in intimate contact with the tubular elements in each of said heat exchange bundles in turn, whereby a temperature gradient is maintained between the sulphuric acid at the inlet end of said narrow channel and the sulphuric acid at the outlet end of said narrow channel; and f. allowing said sulphuric acid to exit from the outlet end of said narrow channel into said pump tank by providing an overflow port near the top of the outlet end of said narrow channel to allow a portion of said sulphuric acid to overflow from said narrow channel into a storage tank and by additionally providing an adjustable sluice gate near the bottom of the outlet end of said narrow channel to allow a portion of said sulphuric acid to pass from said narrow channel to said storage tank through said sluice gate.

Claim 11

A process for cooling hot sulphuric acid within the pump tank used in sulphuric acid manufacture comprising the steps of: a. providing a narrow peripheral channel around said pump tank; b. introducing said hot sulphuric acid into the inlet end of said narrow channel; c. providing a plurality of heat exchange bundles arranged in series within said narrow channel, each of said heat exchange bundles being disposed across substantially the entire flow path of said sulphuric acid through said narrow channel, each of said heat exchange bundles being made from a fluorocarbon polymer composition; d. supplying each heat exchange bundle with cooling liquid having a temperature significantly less than said hot sulphuric acid; e. allowing said sulphuric acid to flow through said narrow channel in a manner such that substantially all of said sulphuric acid passes between and in intimate contact with the tubular elements in each of said heat exchange bundles in turn, whereby a temperature gradient is maintained between the sulphuric acid at the inlet end of said narrow channel and the sulphuric acid at the outlet end of said narrow channel; and f. allowing said sulphuric acid to exit from the outlet end of said narrow channel into said pump tank by providing an overflow port near the top of the outlet end of said narrow channel to allow a portion of said sulphuric acid to overflow from said narrow channel into a storage tank and by additionally providing an adjustable sluice gate near the bottom of the outlet end of said narrow channel to allow a portion of said sulphuric acid to pass from said narrow channel to said storage tank through said sluice gate.