Heat exchanger

Claim 2

A heat exchanger including: a casing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being adapted as the entrance and exit for a hot fluid, said inlet being located at the top of said casing so that said hot fluid will first flow in a downward direction, a longitudinally extending central duct, an inner annular duct surrounding the central duct, an outer annular duct surrounding the inner annular duct, said central duct, inner annular duct, and outer annular duct being serially connected, a plurality of individual heat exchange elements joined in series and disposed in the inner annular duct and the outer annular duct, said elements being adapted to receive a cooling fluid, said cooling fluid being passed in heat exchange relationship with said hot fluid as said hot fluid passes through said inner annular duct and said outer annular duct, said central duct being free of heat exchange elements, said inner annular duct and said outer annular duct having volumetric dimensions which adjust the rate flow of said hot fluid thereby permitting maximum heat transfer between said hot fluid and said cooling fluid.

Claim 3

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said central duct includes a fluid spray over the first fluid passing through said ducts.

Claim 4

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said concentric annular ducts are formed by two cylindrical walls, at least one of which has one end freely suspended within said heat exchanger permitting the free expansion and contraction of said annular ducts resulting from temperature and pressure changes.

Claim 5

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchange elements comprise vertical conduits having fins disposed on their external surface.

Claim 6

A heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein said fins extend radially and longitudinally along the external surface of said conduits.

Claim 7

A heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein said heat exchanger conduits have a limited support within said heat exchanger whereby the passage of the second fluid through said conduIts and the passage of said first fluid over the fins of said conduits cause said heat exchange elements to vibrate so as to prevent the collection of any particles on said heat exchange elements.

Claim 8

A heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein said exchanger includes an outer annular wall with a large hopper attached to its lower end to collect any solid particles released from said first fluid, said large hopper having an outlet for the removal of said solid particles.

Claim 9

A heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein one of said cylindrical walls has an inner hopper disposed on the lower end of the wall, said inner hopper being suspended within said larger hopper, and said inner hopper having an outlet for the removal of said solid particles.

Claim 10

A heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein the angle of inclination of said inner hopper and said large hopper permits a greater gravitational force on the collecting particles than any frictional force between the collecting particles and the side of the hopper thereby always permitting said particles to slide to the lowest point in the hopper.

Claim 11

A heat exchanger including: a casing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being adapted as the entrance and exit for a hot fluid, said inlet being located at the top of said casing so that said hot fluid will at first flow in a downward direction, a longitudinally extending central duct, said duct including a fluid spray for the hot fluid passing through said central duct, an inner annular duct surrounding the central duct, an outer annular duct surrounding the inner annular duct, said central duct, inner annular duct, and outer annular duct being serially connected, a plurality of conduits joined in series and disposed in the inner annular duct and the outer annular duct, said conduit having radial fins extending longitudinally of the external surface of said conduits, said conduits being adapted to receive a cooling fluid, said cooling fluid being passed in heat exchange relationship with said hot fluid as said hot fluid passes through the inner annular duct and the outer annular duct, said central duct being free of conduits, an outer hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of a wall surrounding said outer annular duct, said outer hopper having an upper outlet and a lower outlet, and an inner hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of a wall surrounding said inner annular duct, said inner hopper having an outlet emptying into the outer hopper.

Claim 12

A heat exchanger including: a casing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being adapted as the entrance and exit for a hot fluid, said inlet being located at the top of said casing so that said hot fluid will at first flow in a downward direction, a longitudinally extending central duct, said duct including a fluid spray for the hot fluid passing through said central duct, an inner annular duct surrounding the central duct, an outer annular duct surrounding the inner annular duct, said central duct, inner annular duct, and outer annular duct being serially connected, a plurality of conduits joined in series and disposed in the inner annular duct and the outer annular duct, said conduit having radial fins extending longitudinally of the external surface of said conduits, said conduits being adapted to receive a cooling fluid, said cooling fluid being passed in heat exchange relationship with said hot fluid as said hot fluid passes through the inner annular duct and the outer annular duct, said central duct being free of conduits, an outer hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of a wall surrounding said outer annular duct, said outer hopper having an upper outlet and a lower outlet, and an inner hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of a wall surrounding said inner annular duct, said inner hopper having an outlet emptying into the outer hopper.

Claim 13

A heat exchanger including: a vertical cylindrical outer wall, a conical roof covering the top of said cylindrical outer wall, said roof having an inlet at its apex, an outer hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of said cylindrical outer wall, said outer hopper having an upper outlet and a lower outlet, an intermediate cylindrical wall creating an outer annular chamber, said intermediate wall terminating short of said conical roof, an inner hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of said intermediate cylindrical wall, said inner hopper having an outlet emptying into the outer hopper, an innermost cylindrical wall creating an inner annular chamber and a central chamber, said innermost cylindrical wall being connected at its upper end to the conical roof and its lower end being suspended within the inner hopper, said innermost wall, and said inner wall, and said outer wall being concentrically disposed, a first bank of conduits disposed within the inner chamber and a second bank of conduits disposed within the outer chamber, said second bank being connected to receive a cooling fluid which has passed through said first bank, radial fins extending longitudinally along the outer longitudinal surface of the conduits, means for supplying said cooling fluid to said first bank of conduits, and means for supplying a hot fluid havIng solid particles carried therewith to said inlet disposed in said conical roof, whereby said hot fluid flows through the inlet of the conical roof downward through the central chamber, said central chamber being free of conduits, into the inner hopper where the solid particles drop out, then around the lower end of the innermost wall and upward through the inner annular chamber, and around the upper end of the intermediate wall and downward through the outer annular chamber into the outer hopper where additional solid particles are dropped out, and then the hot fluid leaves the heat exchanger through the upper outlet.

Claim 14

A heat exchanger including: a vertical cylindrical outer wall, a conical roof covering the top of said cylindrical outer wall, said roof having an inlet at its apex, an outer hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of said cylindrical outer wall, said outer hopper having an upper outlet and a lower outlet, an intermediate cylindrical wall creating an outer annular chamber, said intermediate wall terminating short of said conical roof, an inner hopper connected at its larger diameter end to the bottom of said intermediate cylindrical wall, said inner hopper having an outlet emptying into the outer hopper, an innermost cylindrical wall creating an inner annular chamber and a central chamber, said innermost cylindrical wall being connected at its upper end to the conical roof and its lower end being suspended within the inner hopper, said innermost wall, and said inner wall, and said outer wall being concentrically disposed, a first bank of conduits disposed within the inner chamber and a second bank of conduits disposed within the outer chamber, said second bank being connected to receive a cooling fluid which has passed through said first bank, radial fins extending longitudinally along the outer longitudinal surface of the conduits, means for supplying said cooling fluid to said first bank of conduits, and means for supplying a hot fluid havIng solid particles carried therewith to said inlet disposed in said conical roof, whereby said hot fluid flows through the inlet of the conical roof downward through the central chamber, said central chamber being free of conduits, into the inner hopper where the solid particles drop out, then around the lower end of the innermost wall and upward through the inner annular chamber, and around the upper end of the intermediate wall and downward through the outer annular chamber into the outer hopper where additional solid particles are dropped out, and then the hot fluid leaves the heat exchanger through the upper outlet.

Claim 15

A heat exchanger according to claim 11 further comprising a fluid spray means located within said central chamber whereby said hot fluid is contacted with a fluid spray.