CN207147302U - Tube sheet component for heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclose a kind of tube sheet component for heat exchanger.The tube sheet component includes the plastic plate for defining multiple pipeline retaining holes thereon and the metallic plate for defining multiple holes thereon, and the pipeline retaining hole corresponding with plastic plate of each hole wherein on metallic plate is substantially coaxial.The metallic plate is connected to the plastic plate.The metallic plate can be made up of such as steel or other metals.The plastic plate can be made up of such as nylon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).Pipeline can be disposed in the pipeline retaining hole of plastic plate and the hole of metallic plate.In one example, the pipeline retaining hole of plastic plate has the hole less diameter than metallic plate, and tube contacts plastic plate is without contacting metal plate.

Description

Tube Sheet Assemblies for Heat Exchangers

Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims priority to US Provisional Application No. 62/103,852 (pending), filed January 15, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

technical field

The present disclosure relates to heat exchangers.

Background technique

Heat exchangers are designed for the transfer of heat from one medium to another. Heat exchangers usually have several tubes carrying one of these media, and this design often includes where the tubes pass through headers and other plates. These headers and other plates can be used, for example, for the separation and positioning of the tubes within the heat exchanger.

The headers and plates that position the pipes are usually made of metal. This presents several problems. First, the headers or plates may have a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the pipes, which may cause stress or damage on the components due to expansion or contraction. Second, the header or plate can cause wear on the tubes during installation as the tubes are moved through the plate or header into position. Third, headers or plates can be expensive depending on their thickness or size.

A common technique to alleviate the above problems is through the use of ferrules around each pipe and at the interface of each pipe to the header. In this way, the ferrule is able to prevent damage to the tubing due to expansion, contraction, abrasion, and the like. However, the use of ferrules can significantly increase the cost of the final heat exchanger both in terms of materials and assembly labor.

Utility model content

A tube sheet assembly for a heat exchanger is disclosed. The tubesheet assembly includes a plastic plate with a plurality of tube retention holes defined therein and a metal plate with a plurality of holes defined therein, each hole in the metal plate being substantially coaxial with a corresponding tube retention hole in the plastic plate. The metal plate is connected to the plastic plate. The metal plate can be made of, for example, steel or other metals. The plastic plate can be made of, for example, nylon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene. The pipes can be arranged in the pipe holding holes of the plastic plate and the holes of the metal plate. In one example, the pipe retaining hole of the plastic plate has a smaller diameter than the hole of the metal plate, and the pipe contacts the plastic plate but not the metal plate.

Description of drawings

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the attached picture:

FIG. 1A is a side view showing an example of a header plate and pipes according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 1B is a detail view of a portion of the header plate and tubes of Figure 1A;

2 is a perspective view of a tubesheet assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 3A is an exploded perspective view of the tubesheet assembly of Figure 2;

Figure 3B is a detail view of a portion of the tubesheet assembly of Figure 3A;

Figures 4A and 4B illustrate an embodiment of the present disclosure where tubing is inserted into a tubesheet assembly.

Detailed ways

While the claimed subject matter has been described in terms of several implementations, other implementations, including implementations that do not provide all of the advantages and features set forth herein, are also within the scope of this disclosure. Various structural, logical, method step, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The tubesheet assemblies disclosed herein are used in heat exchangers to locate or separate tubes carrying heat transfer media. The tube sheet assembly can be used as a header sheet, as shown in Figure 1, or as other plates to position the tubes in the heat exchanger. Multiple tubesheet assemblies can be used in a single heat exchanger.

As shown in FIGS. 2 , 3A and 3B , one embodiment of the tubesheet assembly 10 disclosed herein includes a plastic sheet 12 having a plurality of tube retention holes 20 defined therein. Each tube holding hole 20 has substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the heat exchanger tube 13 . In some embodiments, substantially similar diameters enable tubing to be inserted into each tubing retention hole 20 while also remaining stationary within the hole 20 in the transverse direction.

Tubesheet assembly 10 further includes metal plate 11 having a plurality of holes 22 defined therein, each hole 22 being generally coaxial with a corresponding tube retaining hole 20 of plastic plate 12 (as further defined below). Each hole 22 of the metal plate 11 has a larger diameter than the diameter of the pipe holding hole 20 of the plastic plate 12 . The pipe 13 can be made of copper, aluminum, copper or aluminum alloy or other materials, and the pipe 13 can pass through the tube-sheet assembly 10 . The centers of the holes in the plastic plate 12 and the metal plate 11 may be aligned (ie coaxial). In other embodiments, the pipe retaining hole 20 of the plastic plate 12 is not coaxial with the hole 22 of the metal plate 11, although the pipe retaining hole 20 may be configured such that the pipe retaining hole 20 passes through the plastic plate 12 and the metal plate 11. The corresponding holes 22 are arranged so that the pipe 13 is not in contact with the metal plate 11 (ie the holes 20, 22 are considered to be "substantially coaxial"). The pipe holding holes 20 of the plastic plate 12 and the holes 22 of the metal plate 11 may be the same or different in diameter. In some embodiments, the pipe retaining holes 20 in the plastic plate 12 may have a smaller diameter than the holes in the metal plate 11 .

The plastic plate 12 can be made of nylon, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene or other materials. The plastic plate 12 may be softer and/or more flexible than the metal plate 11 .

The metal plate 11 may be made of steel or other materials. For example, stainless steel or galvanized steel (ie galvanized steel) may be used. The metal plate 11 provides support for the plastic plate 12 and prevents the plastic plate 12 from sagging, warping, sagging, or moving from the desired position.

The plastic plate 12 and the metal plate 11 are connected to each other. For example, the plastic plate 12 and metal plate 11 may be connected using fasteners such as pop rivets, bolts, screws 24 or other means known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, the plastic plate 12 and the metal plate 11 may be connected using an adhesive. Other techniques for connecting components can also be used.

In one embodiment, the duct contacts the plastic plate 12 and not the metal plate 11 when assembled. Figures 4A-4B show the tubesheet assembly from the plastic plate 12 side (Figure 4B) and the metal plate 11 side (Figure 4A). The tube sheet assembly of FIGS. 4A and 4B corresponds to the tube sheet assembly 10 of FIGS. 2 and 3 . The plastic plate 12 is shown in white in Figures 4A-4B. As shown in FIGS. 4A-4B , the pipe contacts the plastic plate 12 but not the metal plate 11 . As shown in FIG. 4A , there is a gap between the outside of the pipe and the perimeter of the hole in the metal plate 11 . The holes in the metal plate 11 are larger in diameter than the corresponding holes in the plastic plate 12 . The diameter of the hole in the plastic plate 12 is approximately the same as the outside diameter of the pipe. In various embodiments, the diameter may vary to provide, for example, ease of installation, proper positioning, a friction fit, or a desired amount of expansion or contraction.

Due to the flexible or yielding nature of the plastic in the plastic sheet 12 , the tube sheet assembly 10 can move the pipe 13 through the plastic sheet 12 without damaging or abrading the material of the pipe 13 . Additionally, due to the flexible nature of plastic, the plastic sheet 12 allows the pipe 13 to expand during operation without causing damage or wear. Reducing or eliminating contact between the tubes and the metal plate 11 reduces or eliminates the possibility of heat exchanger tubes fraying due to vibration. The plastic sheet 12 is less expensive than the metal sheet 11, so the combination of the plastic sheet 12 and the metal sheet 11 reduces the overall material cost of the tubesheet assembly 10 compared to just being made of metal. Due to the use of the plastic plate 12 the ferrule can be omitted. Removing the ferrules eliminates chattering of the pipe when vibrating against the ferrules and tubesheet assembly. The use of the plastic plate 12 also eliminates the problems associated with bimetallic interfaces in previous designs where two dissimilar metals were used for the pipe and the metal plate.

Although the disclosure has been described with respect to one or more particular implementations, it should be understood that other implementations of the disclosure can be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the present disclosure be limited only by the appended claims and their reasonable interpretation.

Claims (6)

1. A tube-sheet assembly for a heat exchanger, comprising: a plastic plate defining a plurality of tube retaining holes, wherein each tube retaining hole has a diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the heat exchanger tube; and A metal plate attached to the plastic plate, the metal plate having a plurality of holes defined therein, each hole being coaxial or substantially coaxial with a corresponding pipe retaining hole of the plastic plate. 2. The tubesheet assembly of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet is made of steel. 3. The tubesheet assembly of claim 1, wherein the plastic sheet is made of nylon, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, or polytetrafluoroethylene. 4. The tubesheet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of heat exchanger tubes disposed through the holes of the plastic plate and the holes of the metal plate. 5. The tubesheet assembly of claim 4, wherein the holes of the plastic sheet have a smaller diameter than the holes of the metal sheet. 6. The tubesheet assembly of claim 5, wherein the tubes contact the plastic sheet but not the metal sheet.