Condenser construction

Claim 2

A steam-surface condenser, comprising an elongate shell, an assembly of two spaced tube sheets and associated tubes, longitudinally spaced means supporting spaced parts of said assembly within said shell, one of said supporting means being axially compliant, first and secOnd water boxes defining chambers over the respective outer faces of said tube sheets and communicating with the respective outer ends of said tubes, said boxes being secured to said tube sheets over a peripherally continuous mounting region, and a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting correspondingly spaced locations along said mounting regions.

Claim 3

A condenser according to claim 1, in which a peripherally continuous neck member is interposed between and connects said compliant supporting means to the nearby tube sheet.

Claim 4

A condenser according to claim 2, in which the peripheral course of said neck member substantially conforms to and registers with the mounting region of said nearby tube sheet.

Claim 5

A condenser according to claim 2, in which said strain-proportioning members are connected to the axially inner end of said neck member.

Claim 6

A condenser according to claim 2, in which the other supporting means includes a second peripherally continuous neck member connected to the other tube sheet in substantial registration with the mounting region of said other tube sheet, and in which said strain-proportioning members interconnect the axially inner ends of said neck members.

Claim 7

A condenser according to claim 5, in which said other supporting means includes an axially compliant connection between said second neck member and said shell.

Claim 8

A condenser according to claim 2, in which said strain-proportioning members are directly connected to said tube sheets within and substantially independent of said neck member.

Claim 9

A condenser according to claim 2, in which said one supporting means includes a flat generally radial annular axially compliant plate having an inner edge peripherally secured to said neck member at a location between the axial ends of said neck member, said strain-proportioning members being connected to the axially inwardly extending portion of said neck member.

Claim 10

A steam-surface condenser, comprising an elongate shell, an assembly of two spaced tube sheets and associated tubes, said assembly being axially compliantly supported within and near the respective ends of said shell, water boxes defining chambers over the respective outer faces of said tube sheets and communicating with the respective outer ends of said tubes, said boxes being secured to said tube sheets over a peripherally continuous mounting region, and a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting correspondingly spaced locations along said mounting regions.

Claim 11

A steam-surface condenser, comprising an elongate shell, an assembly of two spaced tube sheets and associated tubes, said assembly being axially compliantly supported within and near the respective ends of said shell, water boxes defining chambers over the respective outer faces of said tube sheets and communicating with the respective outer ends of said tubes, said boxes being secured to said tube sheets over a peripherally continuous mounting region, and a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting correspondingly spaced locations along said mounting regions.

Claim 12

A condenser according to claim 9, in which each axially compliant support comprises a flat generally radial annular plate having an inner edge connected to the nearby tube sheet and an outer edge connected to said shell.

Claim 13

A condenser according to claim 10, in which a peripherally continuous neck member is interposed between and axially connects the inner edge of one of said plates to the nearby tube sheet.

Claim 14

A condenser according to claim 11, in which said neck member substantially conforms to and registers with the mounting region of the nearby tube sheet, and in which said strain-proportioning members are connected to said neck member.

Claim 15

A steam-surface condenser, comprising an elongate shell, an assembly of two spaced tube sheets and associated tubes, longitudinally spaced means supporting spaced parts of said assembly within said shell, one of said supporting means being axially compliant and comprising an annular plate secured at its outer edge to said shell, a tubular neck having a radially outward flange at its axially outer end and secured to the inner edge of said plate at a location axially offset from said flange, first and second water boxes defining chambers over the respective outerfaces of said tube sheets and communicating with the respective outer ends of said tubes, said boxes being secured to said tube sheets over a peripherally continuous mounting region, said neck having a peripheral contour whiCh substantially conforms to the course of said mounting region and the water box near said neck having a radially outward flange substantially conforming and being secured to said neck flange, and a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting spaced locations along the axially inner end of said neck with correspondingly spaced locations along the mounting region at the opposite axial end of said assembly.

Claim 16

A steam-surface condenser, comprising an elongate shell, an assembly of two spaced tube sheets and associated tubes, longitudinally spaced means supporting spaced parts of said assembly within said shell, one of said supporting means being axially compliant and comprising an annular plate secured at its outer edge to said shell, a tubular neck having a radially outward flange at its axially outer end and secured to the inner edge of said plate at a location axially offset from said flange, first and second water boxes defining chambers over the respective outerfaces of said tube sheets and communicating with the respective outer ends of said tubes, said boxes being secured to said tube sheets over a peripherally continuous mounting region, said neck having a peripheral contour whiCh substantially conforms to the course of said mounting region and the water box near said neck having a radially outward flange substantially conforming and being secured to said neck flange, and a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting spaced locations along the axially inner end of said neck with correspondingly spaced locations along the mounting region at the opposite axial end of said assembly.

Claim 17

In a steam-surface condenser, two spaced apertured tube sheets, plural tubes extending between said sheets and having end support at corresponding openings of said sheets, first and second radially outwardly flanged water boxes defining chambers over the respective outer faces of said tubes, the flanges of said boxes defining corresponding peripherally continuous mounting regions in axially registry at outer faces of said tube sheets, means including a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting said water-box flanges at correspondingly spaced locations along said mounting regions, a condenser shell surrounding said tubes and strain-proportioning members, and peripherally extending means connecting said mounting regions to axially spaced parts of said shell, at least one of said last-defined means being axially compliant.

Claim 18

In a steam-surface condenser, two spaced apertured tube sheets, plural tubes extending between said sheets and having end support at corresponding openings of said sheets, first and second radially outwardly flanged water boxes defining chambers over the respective outer faces of said tubes, the flanges of said boxes defining corresponding peripherally continuous mounting regions in axially registry at outer faces of said tube sheets, means including a plurality of spaced elongated strain-proportioning members securely interconnecting said water-box flanges at correspondingly spaced locations along said mounting regions, a condenser shell surrounding said tubes and strain-proportioning members, and peripherally extending means connecting said mounting regions to axially spaced parts of said shell, at least one of said last-defined means being axially compliant.

Claim 19

A condenser according to claim 1, in which said strain-proportioning members are bars having ends passing through said tube sheets and secured directly to said water boxes.

Claim 20

A condenser according to claim 1, in which at least one of said strain-proportioning members comprises at least two fractional lengths, one of which is connected to the mounting region at one longitudinal end, the other of which is connected to the mounting region at the other longitudinal end, and means rigidly coupling the other ends of said fractional lengths.

Claim 21

A condenser according to claim 1, wherein the material and effective total sectional area of said strain-proportioning members are selected, in reference to the materials and sizes and peripheral population density of said tubes, such that normal hydraulic load is substantially borne by said strain-supportioning members to the substantial relief of tube-tube sheet joints and of the tube sheets themselves for the regions of peripheral tubes, and such that, in the event of water supply failure during a capacity steam exposure of said condenser, the thermal expansion of said strain-proportioning members and tubes will so nearly correspond that the difference between axial-load forces on peripheral tubes and on said strain-proportioning members will be held within limits at least no greater than substantially fifty percent of the tube-tube sheet joint strength.

Claim 22

A condenser according to claim 1, wherein the material and effective total sectional area of said strain-proportioning members are selected, in reference to the materials and sizes and peripheral population density of said tubes, such that normal hydraulic load is substantially borne by said strain-proportioning members to the substantial relief of tube-tube sheet joints and of the tube sheets themselves for the regions of peripheral tubes, and such that, in the event of water supply failure during a capacity steam exposure of said condenser, the thermal expansion of said strain-proportioning members and tubes will so nearly correspond that the difference between axial-load forces on peripheral tubes and on said strain-proportioning members will be held within limits at least no greater than substantially the level of axialy load per tube achieved by said strain-proportioning members for a full-capacity hydraulic coolant flow from one to the other of said water boxes.

Claim 23

A condenser according to claim 18, in which said level of axial load per tube is at least no greater than substantially 30 percent of the tube-tube sheet joint strength.

Claim 24

A condenser according to claim 18, in which said level of axial load per tube is at least no greater than suBstantially 20 percent of the tube-tube sheet joint strength.