US4228845A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Chiller with means for mixing hot vapors with cold or refrigerated liquid
Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
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Filing: 1978-01-26
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Granted: 1980-10-21
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Expires: 1998-01-26
Abstract
Abstract A shell-tube bundle heat exchanger is so arranged as to leave a section within the shell devoid of tubes. Into said section relatively hot vapors are introduced to be mixed with chilling medium within said shell and surrounding said tubes. A baffle means is provided to prevent liquid disturbed by introduction of the vapors from transmitting disturbance to the cooling medium surrounding the tubes. In one embodiment, propane vapors under pressure are introduced under the surface of cold liquid propane in a horizontal gas chiller. A stilling leg or vertical baffle is located between the tubes and the point of introduction of the vapors introduced through a slotted vapor inlet pipe. A liquid level sensing and/or control means is also baffled away from the point of introduction of vapors.
Inventors
- 👤 Edgar C. Cowling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 18:06
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25J; F25J5/00; F25J5/002; F25J5/005; F25J2250/00; F25J2250/02; F25J2270/00; F25J2270/12; F25J2290/00; F25J2290/42; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S62/00; Y10S62/21
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
A method for admixing a chilling liquid medium, being used to chill a nest of tubes in a shell and tube type heat exchanger, and a hot vapor introduced into said chilling medium, which comprises disposing said exchanger in a substantially horizontal position and having said tubes extend only a portion of the length of said shell, introducing chilling liquid medium into said shell into direct contact with said tubes, maintaining a level of said liquid in said exchanger sufficient to cover said tubes but such that a vapor collecting space exists above said level so that vapor from said liquid can be collected from said surface and removed from said shell at a upper locus thereof, providing in such shell a hot vapor receiving section horizontally removed and baffled away from said tubes by a baffle extending from a low point in said liquid medium to a level above said tubes, but below the level of the surface of said liquid medium and introducing said hot vapors directly into said liquid in said section, whereby a mixture of hot vapors and liquid formed in said section overflows the top of said baffle into the surface of the liquid substantially above said tubes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
203 words
A method for admixing a chilling liquid medium, being used to chill a nest of tubes in a shell and tube type heat exchanger, and a hot vapor introduced into said chilling medium, which comprises disposing said exchanger in a substantially horizontal position and having said tubes extend only a portion of the length of said shell, introducing chilling liquid medium into said shell into direct contact with said tubes, maintaining a level of said liquid in said exchanger sufficient to cover said tubes but such that a vapor collecting space exists above said level so that vapor from said liquid can be collected from said surface and removed from said shell at a upper locus thereof, providing in such shell a hot vapor receiving section horizontally removed and baffled away from said tubes by a baffle extending from a low point in said liquid medium to a level above said tubes, but below the level of the surface of said liquid medium and introducing said hot vapors directly into said liquid in said section, whereby a mixture of hot vapors and liquid formed in said section overflows the top of said baffle into the surface of the liquid substantially above said tubes.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
247 words
A method for admixing a chilling liquid medium, being used to chill a nest of tubes in a shell and tube type heat exchanger, and a hot vapor introduced into said chilling medium, which comprises disposing said exchanger in a substantially horizontal position and having said tubes extend only a portion of the length of said shell, introducing chilling liquid medium into said shell into direct contact with said tubes, maintaining a level of said liquid in said exchanger sufficient to cover said tubes but such that a vapor collecting space exists above said level so that vapor from said liquid can be collected from said surface and removed from said shell at a upper locus thereof, providing in such shell a hot vapor receiving section horizontally removed and baffled away from said tubes by a baffle extending from a low point in said liquid medium to a level above said tubes, but below the level of the surface of said liquid medium and introducing said hot vapors into said liquid in said section, whereby a mixture of hot vapors and liquid formed in said section overflows the top of said baffle into the surface of the liquid substantially above said tubes; and wherein there is provided in said shell baffled away from said hot vapor receiving section a liquid level sensing and maintaining section which maintains said level of said liquid in said exchanger sufficient to cover said tubes and to maintain said vapor collecting space.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
247 words
A method for admixing a chilling liquid medium, being used to chill a nest of tubes in a shell and tube type heat exchanger, and a hot vapor introduced into said chilling medium, which comprises disposing said exchanger in a substantially horizontal position and having said tubes extend only a portion of the length of said shell, introducing chilling liquid medium into said shell into direct contact with said tubes, maintaining a level of said liquid in said exchanger sufficient to cover said tubes but such that a vapor collecting space exists above said level so that vapor from said liquid can be collected from said surface and removed from said shell at a upper locus thereof, providing in such shell a hot vapor receiving section horizontally removed and baffled away from said tubes by a baffle extending from a low point in said liquid medium to a level above said tubes, but below the level of the surface of said liquid medium and introducing said hot vapors into said liquid in said section, whereby a mixture of hot vapors and liquid formed in said section overflows the top of said baffle into the surface of the liquid substantially above said tubes; and wherein there is provided in said shell baffled away from said hot vapor receiving section a liquid level sensing and maintaining section which maintains said level of said liquid in said exchanger sufficient to cover said tubes and to maintain said vapor collecting space.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for introducing hot vapors into a horizontally disposed elongated shell and tube type heat exchanger adapted to receive hot vapors to be chilled by a chilling medium in the exchanger, said exchanger containing cooling tubes extending from an end portion of said exchanger and in which a fluid introduced into said tubes is cooled by chilling medium which is introduced through an inlet at said end portion of said exchanger into said shell directly into contact with said tubes, comprising providing a section within said exchanger shell at the other end thereof horizontally removed from said tubes and baffled away from said tubes, providing a hot vapors inlet to said section and introducing the hot vapors substantially upwardly directly into said chilling medium in said section whereby the disturbance of chilling medium in said shell surrounding said tubes is prevented.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for introducing hot vapors into a horizontally disposed elongated shell and tube type heat exchanger adapted to receive hot vapors to be chilled by a chilling medium in the exchanger, said exchanger containing cooling tubes extending from an end portion of said exchanger and in which a fluid introduced into said tubes is cooled by chilling medium which is introduced through an inlet at said end portion of said exchanger into said shell directly into contact with said tubes, comprising providing a section within said exchanger shell at the other end thereof horizontally removed from said tubes and baffled away from said tubes, providing a hot vapors inlet to said section and introducing the hot vapors substantially upwardly directly into said chilling medium in said section whereby the disturbance of chilling medium in said shell surrounding said tubes is prevented.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the level of the chilling medium in said shell is controlled to substantially submerge said tubes but to provide a vapor collecting space above the surface of said chilling medium in said shell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein the liquid chilling medium in said shell is propane and said hot vapor is hot high pressure vapor propane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method according to claim 5 where the admixture formed by the hot propane vapor which has been introduced into said chilling propane is caused to flow upwardly toward the surface of the chilling medium in said shell at a level above said tubes thus to more completely avoid disturbance of the chilling medium in contact with said tubes being chilled thereby.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
207 words
A shell and tube type heat exchanger, said shell being substantially horizontally disposed and having positioned therein a nest of tubes, chilling introducing means for introducing chilling medium into said shell into contact with said tubes, said tubes being adapted to be cooled directly by chilling medium introduced to within said shell through said introducing means to surround said tubes, said tubes extending within said shell from one end portion thereof toward but not completely to the other end thereof leaving a section at the other end of said shell not containing any portion of said nest of tubes, means for maintaining said tubes substantially submerged in chilling medium liquid within said shell and a level of liquid surrounding said tubes below the upper portion of said shell to provide a vapor removal and collection from the surface of said liquid, an inlet for hot vapors in direct open communication with said section at said other end of said shell adapted for the direct introduction of vapor into liquid in said section and a baffle in said section disposed between said inlet and said nest of tubes whereby to prevent any of said hot vapors from causing disturbance of chilling medium in said shell surrounding said tubes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
207 words
A shell and tube type heat exchanger, said shell being substantially horizontally disposed and having positioned therein a nest of tubes, chilling introducing means for introducing chilling medium into said shell into contact with said tubes, said tubes being adapted to be cooled directly by chilling medium introduced to within said shell through said introducing means to surround said tubes, said tubes extending within said shell from one end portion thereof toward but not completely to the other end thereof leaving a section at the other end of said shell not containing any portion of said nest of tubes, means for maintaining said tubes substantially submerged in chilling medium liquid within said shell and a level of liquid surrounding said tubes below the upper portion of said shell to provide a vapor removal and collection from the surface of said liquid, an inlet for hot vapors in direct open communication with said section at said other end of said shell adapted for the direct introduction of vapor into liquid in said section and a baffle in said section disposed between said inlet and said nest of tubes whereby to prevent any of said hot vapors from causing disturbance of chilling medium in said shell surrounding said tubes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said baffle extends toward but not completely to the inner wall of said shell.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the baffle is shaped relative to the shell wall and said tubes to permit flow of liquid thereover and around the remaining edges thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the baffle is at least in part perforated to permit some flow therethrough as at the edges thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A heat exchanger according to claim 7 wherein the inlet extends into said shell a substantial distance adjacent said nest of tubes and the baffle extends over an area sufficient between said inlet and said nest of tubes to prevent said disturbance.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
A heat exchanger according to claim 11 wherein said baffle is substantially vertically disposed within said shell, at its upper end is shaped to cause upwardly flowing mixture of hot vapors and chilling medium to flow over the top edge thereof and at a bottom portion is so shaped as to provide for flow of chilling medium into said section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the inlet is an apertured pipe.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
11 words
An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said pipe is slotted.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
177 words
A shell and tube type heat exchanger, said shell being substantially horizontally disposed and having positioned therein a nest of tubes adapted to be cooled by chilling medium within said shell surrounding said tubes, said tubes extending within said shell from one end thereof toward but not completely to the other end thereof leaving a section not containing any portion of said nest of tubes, means for maintaining said tubes substantially submerged in chilling medium liquid within said shell and a level of liquid surrounding said tubes below the upper portion of said shell to provide a vapor removal and collection from the surface of said liquid, an inlet for hot vapors in open communication with said section and a first baffle in said section disposed between said inlet and said nest of tubes whereby to prevent any of said hot vapors from causing disturbance of chilling medium in said shell surrounding said tubes, a second baffle between said other end and said inlet, and a level sensing means between said second baffle and said other end.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
177 words
A shell and tube type heat exchanger, said shell being substantially horizontally disposed and having positioned therein a nest of tubes adapted to be cooled by chilling medium within said shell surrounding said tubes, said tubes extending within said shell from one end thereof toward but not completely to the other end thereof leaving a section not containing any portion of said nest of tubes, means for maintaining said tubes substantially submerged in chilling medium liquid within said shell and a level of liquid surrounding said tubes below the upper portion of said shell to provide a vapor removal and collection from the surface of said liquid, an inlet for hot vapors in open communication with said section and a first baffle in said section disposed between said inlet and said nest of tubes whereby to prevent any of said hot vapors from causing disturbance of chilling medium in said shell surrounding said tubes, a second baffle between said other end and said inlet, and a level sensing means between said second baffle and said other end.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the second baffle between said level sensing means is larger than that between said inlet and said nest of tubes to prevent flow of mixed vapors and liquid toward said level sensing means and to urge flow generally upwardly into the surface of the liquid well above and over the tubes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said inlet for hot vapors extends upwardly into said section, is capped at its upper end, apertured to permit hot vapors to emanate therefrom into the liquid in said shell and said apertures are located at a level below the top of said first baffle.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-10-21 | 1984-04-21 | 1984-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-10-21 | 1988-04-21 | 1988-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-10-21 | 1992-04-21 | 1992-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |