Heat exchanger and method of fabrication

摘要

Heat exchange apparatus (10) for use in large vessels exposed to high thermal expansion and prone to acoustical noise and tube bundle resonance associated with high gas velocity comprises a shell (12) having a fluid inlet (14) and a fluid outlet (16). A plurality of heat exchange tubes (18, 20) are housed in the shell and extend parallel to each other substantially the length of the shell. The tubes are arranged so there is a central core (22), an inner layer (24) of tubes surrounding the central core, and an outer layer (26) of tubes surrounding the inner layer. The inner and outer layers of tubes are all in a common tube pattern. The tubes in one layer are rotated with respect to the tubes in the other layer. This results in tubes in both layers being arranged in different tube patterns in different portions or segments of each layer. That is, the pattern (34) of the tubes in one segment (28A) differs from the pattern (32) in adjoining arcuate and radial segments (28B, 28L, 30A). The result is a uniform resistance to flow regardless of the radial flow path of the fluid through the heat exchange apparatus.