Shell and tube vertical heat exchanger with sleeves around the tubes

Claim 1

A heat exchanger comprising: a shell connected to vertically spaced apart horizontally arranged circular upper and lower tube sheets; a plurality of vertically positioned parallel tubes, with each tube extending through and connected to a hole in each tube sheet; a bottom sleeve-supporting plate positioned above, and spaced apart from, the lower tube sheet; the bottom sleeve-supporting plate containing a hole which equalizes heat exchange liquid pressure on both sides of the plate; a top sleeve-supporting plate positioned below, and spaced apart from, the upper tube sheet; the top sleeve-supporting plate containing holes which permit heat exchange liquid to flow from above that plate into the space between the bottom and top sleeve-supporting plates; a plurality of sleeves joined to holes in the top and bottom sleeve-supporting plates; each sleeve having a corrugated wall to create turbulent flow of heat exchange fluid in the annular space between the sleeve and tube; each of said tubes being axially positioned in a sleeve so as to provide an annular space between the tube outer surface and the sleeve inner surface so that a heat exchange liquid can flow into the sleeve bottom end and out the sleeve upper end; means to feed a heat exchange liquid into a space between the bottom sleeve-supporting plate and the lower tube sheet; means to withdraw heat exchange fluid from the shell side of the heat exchanger above the bottom sleeve-supporting plate and including means to withdraw heat exchange fluid from between the top sleeve-supporting plate and the upper tube sheet and means to withdraw heat exchange fluid from below the top sleeve-supporting plate; and a liquid distribution box positioned above the upper tube sheet and means to deliver a feed liquid to the liquid distribution box.