GB2075172A

GB2075172A - Tube-coil heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: GB2075172A
Application number: GB8030918A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BRAUDE E Ltd
Current assignee: BRAUDE E Ltd
Priority date: 1979-09-27
Filing date: 1980-09-25
Publication date: 1981-11-11
Also published as: GB2075172B

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprises one or more pancake coils of tubing 6 retained by supports 7 within a framework 1, 2 and 3 of sheet material. The ends of the tubing are connected to respective inlets and outlets 9 for fluid medium supply. The connection is effected by passing the tubing through shrouds 8 which include a manifold plate 12 into which the or each tube 6 end is sealingly connected, the plate being in communication with a coupling member 11 for connection with the respective inlet or outlet fluid supply. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A heat exchanger This invention reiates to a heat exchanger for use with fluid heating media and is primarily for use as an immersion heating or cooling means. When used as a heating means the fluid medium will preferably be steam or a hot liquid under medium pressure and when used as a cooling means either water or mixtures of glycol or a salt and water would be used as the cooling fluid medium.

Known heat exchange units are generally built into a tank structure which contains the medium to be heated or cooled and the capacity of the heating or cooling effect cannot readily be changed. In addition the heating coil generally occupies a considerable area and cannot conveniently be protected from contact by articles placed within the tank.

It is an object of this invention to provide a heat exchange unit of compact construction, but which nevertheless has high heat exchange capacity and in which the heat exchanger can be shrouded from the possibility of direct contact with an article placed within the tank. A further object is to provide a heat exchanger which can be readily adapted to any capacity required by virtue of a modular construction which enables one or more basic heat exchange units to be assembled within a supporting structure.

According to this invention there is provided a heat exchanger comprising a support frame carrying a length of tubing arranged in one or more planar coils and forming an element and secured to the frame by supports at spaced locations along the length of the tubing coil, an inlet connected with one end of the tubing and an outlet connected with the other end of the tubing, the inlet and outlet having couplings for fluid medium supply disposed along one side of the frame, the inlet and outlet further including a tubular shroud member through which the tubing from one or more coils may pass to connect with a manifold plate incorporating one or more apertures for sealing connection with an end of the tubing.

With such a construction the tubular portion of the inlet and outlet form a shroud for the tubing in order to protect same from damage and also form a lead in for the tubing to the plate which forms a manifold by which all the tubes associated with one or more coils may be commonly connected to the inlet or outlet as the case may be. The manifold structure.

as is the whole unit, is preferably constructed of a non-corrodabie piastics material typicaily a fluorinated polymer.

Preferably the sealing connection Is effected by introducing a rigid hollow insert within the end of the tubing and providing an enlarged counter bore in the plate into which an olive is located with a sealing ring located between the end face of the'olive and end of the bore whereby the end of the tubing is sealingly secured in the plate.

This feature provides a convenient and simple means for connecting a plurality of tubes to the manifold plate.

An embodiment according to the invention is described as example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a heat exchange unit with one planar coil, Figure 2 shows a side view of the heat exchange unit, Figure 3 shows a detail of the manifold connection in longitudinal section, and Figure 4 shows the connection of one coil end with the manifold plate.

Referring to the drawings, the heat exchange unit comprises a rectangular, or other shape, framework constructed of flat stripe rods, tubes or like of fluorinated polymer material as example and forming generally four sides 1, 2, 3 and 4. Reinforcing gussets 5 may be provided in the corners. The heat exchange unit comprises a pancake coil 6 of flexible fluorinated polymeric material which is secured by strip member 7, four being shown as example and each constituted by two parts which when secured to overlying relationship define a bore through which the single coils forming the complete heat exchange unit may pass to be retained by a clamping action thus ensuring positive retention of the tube. The strip 7 may thus be assembled on a coil to effect the clamping action thereon in order to secure and hold the coil in the configuration illustrated.

The respective ends of the single coil shown are taken up through the top plate 3 and into a manifold assembiy including a tubular housing part 8 through which the tubing freely passes to connect with a manifold plate 1 2 (see Fig. 3) secured within the manifold 9 and located above a further plate 3a forming a top to the unit.

Fig. 2 shows a heat exchange unit in side sectional view and as shown the ends of four separate coils are each brought through the tubular part 8 to connect with the manifold 3.

The four coils lie in face-to-face juxtaposed relationship.

The manifold referenced generally as 9 in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown in more detail in Fig.

3 and comprises the tube 8 which has a captive coupling ring 10 which screws onto or is otherwise connected with a threaded spigot 11 itself internally threaded to connect with a single inpllv duct conveying tluid or vapour to the heat exchange unit. Between the spigot 11 nd end of the tube 8 there Is provided an apertured plate 1:7 which is sealed by an Oring i 3. This plate includes a piurality of apertures each of which connects with one end 6 cf the tubing forming the coils and thus communication between the inlet side and the various coils of the heat exchange unit is provided.

By providing a manifold plate connection in this manner it is a simple matter to adapt the number of apertures to the number of coils used in the heat exchange unit without alteration being made to the frame structure itself and without an untidy bunch of tubes being present at the top of the urit. Furthermore each end of the tubing is protected by the shrouding afforded by the tubular part 8 and this gives a particularly robust assembly with the top part of the heat exchange unit, which is that normally exposed when in a tank, being protected from damage.

Referring to Fig. 4, the tubing 6 preferably of a fluorinated polymer material has a rigid hollow insert member 40 located in the end and the tubing end passes through an aperture A in the plate 12. The aperture A is counter-bored so as to provide an enlarged bore part B extending into the plate. An olive 20 locates within the bore B and lies over the tubing 6 with a sealing O-ring 30 provided in abutment with the base region of the bore 8 and end of the olive.

The olive 9n is pressed int,, the bore fl and acts as a clamp around and securing the tubing and in addition forming a seal. The insert 40 and olive B will preferably be of a rigid fluorinated polymer material.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising a support frame carrying a length of tubing arranged in one or more planar coils and forming an element and secured to the frame by supports at spaced locations along the length of the tubing coil, an inlet connected with one end of the tubing and an outlet connected with the other end of the tubing the inlet and outlet having couplings for fluid medium supply disposed along one side of the frame, the inlet and outlet further including a tubular shroud member through which the tubing from one or more coils may pass to connect with a manifold plate incorporating one or more apertures for sealing connection with an end of the tubing.

2. A heat exchanger according to Claim 1, wherein tubular shroud members are provided upstanding from the one side of the frame and connected therewith, one end of the or each coil passing through said one side of the frame and into one shroud, the other end of the or each coil passing through said one side of the frame and into another shroud.

3. A heat exchanger according to Claim 2, wherein a manifold plate is located in sealing engagement with the end of each shroud, the end of the or each coil sealingly engaging the one side of the manifold plate, the other side of the plate being associated with coupling means for supply of heat exchange medium to the plate.

4. A heat exchanger according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the shroud is supported between the one side of the frame and a further upper frame part paraiiei therewith through which the shroud extends to communicate with coupling means for fluid supply.

5. A heat exchanger according to Claim 2 or 3 or 4, wherein the shroud has an elbow bend connecting with the coupling means for fluid supply.

6. A heat exchanger according to any preceding Claim, wherein the end of the shroud incorporates a captive threaded coupling ring, the manifold plate being positioned within the ring and abutting the end of the shroud, the coupling ring being connectable with a tube supplying fluid medium with a sealing member locatable between the tube and surface of the plate.

7. A heat exchanger in accordance with any preceding Claim, wherein the ends of the coil inciude a rigid insert, the ends being positioned within a respective aperture of the plate, the aperture having an enlarged bore part in which an olive locates to sealingly secure the tube in the aperture.

8. A het exchanger in asòrdance wth Claim 7, wherein the olive sealing engages an O-ring located in the base of the enlarged bore.

9. A heat exchanger constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.