Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
Conducting device for controlling the flow of liquid
when feeding in two-phase streams in block-in-shell
heat exchangers
The invention relates to a heat exchanger as claimed in
claim 1.
Such a heat exchanger serves for indirectly exchanging
heat between a first medium and a second medium and has
a shell, which surrounds a shell space for receiving a
liquid phase of the first medium, and also at least one
plate heat exchanger, which serves for indirectly
exchanging heat between the two media, the at least one
plate heat exchanger being arranged in the shell space
such that it can be surrounded with a liquid phase of the
first medium that is located in the shell space, and a
distributing device, in particular in the form of a
distributor channel, being arranged above the plate heat
exchanger in the shell space for introducing into the
shell space a two-phase stream of the first medium, the
distributing device being in flow connection with an
inlet provided on the shell, in particular in the form
of an inlet nozzle, the distributing device or the
distributor channel having at least one downwardly
directed outlet opening, through which the two-phase
stream can leave from the distributing device or the
distributor channel into the shell space. Spatial terms
such as "above" and "below" relate here and hereinafter
to a heat exchanger arranged as intended or in operation.
A heat exchanger of the type described above is shown for
example in "The standards of the brazed aluminium plate-
fin heat exchanger manufacturer's association (ALPEMA)",
third edition, 2010, page 67 in figure 9-1. Usually, the
shell is referred to as the "shell" and the plate heat
exchanger is referred to as the "block". Such a
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configuration of a heat exchanger is therefore also known
as a "block-in-shell" heat exchanger (also commonly known
as a "core-in-shell" or "block-in-kettle" heat
exchanger).
A distributor channel of the type described above is also
known from EP2472211A2.
Along with the first heat exchanging passages, which are
open to the shell space, the plate heat exchanger has in
particular closed second heat exchanging passages. The
second medium in the second heat exchanging passages has
no direct contact with the shell space. By contrast, the
open first heat exchanging passages allow the first
medium to pass through to the shell space, usually on a
number of sides of the plate heat exchanger (for example
on the underside and the upper side of the plate heat
exchanger). The plate heat exchanger is in this case
surrounded by a liquid bath of the first medium, which
usually enters the plate heat exchanger on the underside
as a liquid phase and leaves again on the upper side as
a two-phase stream (from the outlet openings). The
driving force for this is a temperature difference
between the second medium in the closed second passages
and the first medium in the open first passages. The heat
exchanged from the second medium in the closed second
passages to the first medium in the first passages has
the effect that part of the liquid phase of the first
medium in the open first passages evaporates. The plate
heat exchanger in a core-in-shell heat exchanger is
usually operated as a thermosiphon, i.e. in natural
circulation.
The feeding in of the two-phase stream of the first medium
into the separating space of the shell ("shell" or
"kettle") previously took place through one or more inlet
nozzles on the side of the shell. In the present case,
the separating space refers to the part of the shell
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space that is available for separating the gas phase of
the first medium from the liquid phase of the first
medium. The part of the shell space that is filled with
the liquid phase of the first medium is referred to herein
or is also referred to as the collecting space.
The distributor channel provided with outlet openings
allows the entering two-phase stream to be distributed
along the shell axis (horizontal distribution). A pre-
separation (i.e. a coarse separation of the gas phase and
the liquid phase) already takes place in the distributor
channel. The configuration of the distributor channel is
aimed substantially at a controlled feeding in and
distribution of the gas phase of the first medium in the
shell space. Therefore, relatively high velocities when
entering the separating space are sought.
An (independent) control of the liquid flow with respect
to the velocity and direction when entering the
separating space is not possible here, or only
inadequately. Under unfavorable conditions, a relatively
high flow velocity of the liquid may in particular have
the effect that the liquid gets into undesired regions
of the shell space, for example due to various
deflections in the distributor channel or else on the
shell. Such a region may be for example the previously
described upper side of a plate heat exchanger. Under
some circumstances, the operation of the plate heat
exchanger or the plate heat exchangers may be adversely
influenced as a result. Adverse effects may for example
take the form of the bubbling layer/overflow height
increasing due to the increased amount of liquid, so that
the circulation is impaired, and also furthermore the
circulation slowing down locally, since the liquid
arriving on the top has an opposite direction of flow.
Furthermore, local temperature fluctuations of the plate
heat exchanger may result if the inflow into the shell
space and the outflow from the plate heat exchanger are
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at different temperatures. Furthermore, the energy of the
impinging liquid may cause liquid to splash up in the
direction of the gas outlet nozzle and be entrained
there.
Against this background, the invention is therefore based
on the object of providing a heat exchanger of the type
mentioned at the beginning with which the control of the
liquid flow of the first medium is improved.
This object is achieved by a heat exchanger with the
features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements of the
invention are provided in the subclaims and are described
below.
According to claim 1, it is in this case provided that
the heat exchanger has an additional conducting device,
which is arranged at least partially under the
distributor channel and is designed for conducting the
liquid phase of the first medium or two-phase stream
leaving from the at least one outlet opening of the
distributor channel, the at least one plate heat
exchanger having an upper side, and the conducting device
being designed to conduct the liquid phase of the first
medium away from the upper side and/or past the upper
side.
This advantageously makes it possible to control and
direct the flow of the liquid phase of the first medium
entering the shell space into the core-in-shell heat
exchanger. Here it is possible in particular for the flow
velocity of the liquid entering the separating space of
a core-in-shell heat exchanger to be reduced by an
appropriate design and positioning of the conducting
device. The conducting device may in particular be
provided with damping elements, which are designed for
reducing the energy of the flow that is guided.
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According to one embodiment of the invention, it is
provided that the distributor channel extends along a
longitudinal axis, in particular cylinder axis, of the
shell, which in the case of a heat exchanger arranged as
intended or in operation runs along the horizontal. The
conducting device preferably likewise extends along this
longitudinal axis.
According to one embodiment, it is in this case provided
in particular that the conducting device is designed to
conduct at least part of the liquid phase that has left
the at least one outlet opening in a first spatial
direction into a second spatial direction. In particular,
the second spatial direction differs here from the first
spatial direction (that is to say that a deflection of
at least part of the liquid phase takes place), the second
spatial direction in particular having a greater
horizontal component than the first spatial direction or
for example pointing toward the shell. In particular, the
first spatial direction runs along or parallel to the
vertical from the top downward.
The conducting device is in particular a non-pressure-
bearing component, so that its cross-sectional shape can
be advantageously freely designed substantially without
any influence on the strength of the conducting device.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is
provided that the at least one plate heat exchanger has
first heat exchanging passages for receiving the first
medium and second heat exchanging passages for receiving
the second medium, so that heat is exchangeable
indirectly between the two media, and in particular the
first heat exchanging passages are in flow connection
with the shell space by way of outlet openings on the
upper side of the at least one plate heat exchanger, so
that the first medium can leave through the outlet
openings into the shell space. Referred to a heat
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exchanger arranged as intended, the upper side of the
plate heat exchanger preferably extends in a horizontal
plane.
As already explained, it is provided that the conducting
device is designed with respect to this upper side to
conduct the liquid phase of the first medium away from
the upper side and/or past the upper side of the at least
one plate heat exchanger.
Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the
invention, it is provided that the conducting device is
designed to conduct the liquid phase of the first medium
such that the liquid phase does not impinge on the upper
side.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, it
is provided that the conducting device has at least one
plate-shaped conducting element, in particular in the
form of a baffle. The at least one conducting element
preferably extends along the longitudinal axis of the
shell. In particular, the at least one conducting element
has a curvature, the baffle having in particular a convex
first side, which is facing the plate heat exchanger, and
also a second side facing away from the first side, which
is facing away from the plate heat exchanger and/or is
facing the distributor channel. Instead of a curvature
(or in addition), the conducting element may also have
an inclination, so that the liquid phase of the first
medium is conducted away from the upper side of the plate
heat exchanger. According to one embodiment of the
invention, the at least one baffle is also arranged such
that the liquid phase that is leaving the distributor
channel impinges on the second side and is guided along
the latter away from the upper side of the at least one
plate heat exchanger and/or past this upper side.
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Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the
invention, it is provided that the conducting device
and/or the baffle extends over the entire distributor
channel along the distributor channel or the longitudinal
axis of the shell or just over a portion of the
distributor channel.
Furthermore, the at least one conducting element may have
a plurality of through-openings for the first medium, so
that at least part of the first medium can pass through
the at least one baffle or conducting element.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, it
is provided that the conducting device and/or the at
least one conducting element is fixed on the distributor
channel and/or on the shell of the heat exchanger. The
at least one conducting element may for example be fixed
on the distributor channel and/or the shell by way of a
carrier of the conducting device. Thus, for example,
according to a refinement of the invention, the carrier
may comprise a frame that is fixed on the distributor
channel and/or on the shell, the at least one conducting
element in particular being fixed on the frame.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the
distributor channel described at the beginning of the
heat exchanger according to the invention is fixed on the
shell, the shell forming in particular a side wall of the
distributor channel. That is to say that the distributor
channel is set against an inner side of the shell that
is facing the shell space, the distributor channel having
for example a horizontally extending base, the one edge
of which is fixed on the shell, while from the other
(opposite) edge there is made to extend (for example
vertically) a side wall that is in turn connected to the
inner side of the shell.
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Furthermore, the at least one conducting element extends
along the distributor channel, in particular parallel to
the distributor channel.
The at least one conducting element may in this case be
arranged flush with respect to the vertical side wall of
the distributor channel, so that an outer side of the
side wall of the distributor channel goes over steplessly
or substantially steplessly into the first side of the
conducting element. However, between the distributor
channel or the vertical side wall and the conducting
element there may also be provided a gap, which is made
to extend along the longitudinal axis of the shell and
through which a gaseous phase of the first medium can
pass into the separating space.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the
heat exchanger has in the shell space a filling height
at which the liquid level of the bath (liquid phase of
the first medium) is located during operation as intended
of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger also having in
the shell space a separating unit forming a receiving
space, for separating the gaseous phase of the first
medium from the liquid phase of the first medium. The
separating unit has in particular at least one upwardly
directed receiving opening for introducing into the
receiving space first medium falling out of the
distributor channel, the upwardly directed receiving
opening being arranged above or at the filling height,
so that the gaseous phase of the first medium that is
received in the receiving space can escape via the
receiving opening into the shell space.
The arrangement of the receiving opening does not
necessarily have to be referred to the filling height,
but may alternatively or additionally also be referred
to an upper side or upper edge of the plate heat exchanger
or of the plate heat exchanger block. Preferably, in this
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respect an upper edge (referred to the vertical) of the
receiving opening is preferably in the range of 0 mm to
100 mm, particularly preferably in the range of 0 mm to
50 mm, more particularly preferably in the range of 0 mm
to 25 mm above the upper side or upper edge of the plate
heat exchanger, the value 0 mm corresponding to the level
of the upper side or the upper edge of the plate heat
exchanger in the direction of the vertical.
According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that
the separating unit has a first side wall, facing the
inner space. In this case, the first side wall may have
at least one distributing opening, the at least one
distributing opening preferably being arranged at least
partially under the filling height, so that the liquid
phase of the first medium can be introduced by way of the
at least one distributing opening into the bath
surrounding the heat exchanger. The at least one
distributing opening or the number of distributing
openings is/are preferably formed as vertically extending
slits. Generally, the first side wall has a number of
distributing openings.
As an alternative to this, the first side wall may however
also be formed as an overflow wall. The first side wall
is then made liquid-impermeable, i.e. it does not have
any distributing openings, so that the liquid phase of
the first medium flows over an upper edge of the first
side wall into the collecting space.
In other words, the separating unit may be configured
both as an overflow pocket and as a (liquid-)permeable
pocket, i.e. the position and direction of the liquid
outlet is in particular freely selectable.
Preferably, the separating unit is arranged laterally in
relation to the plate heat exchanger, in a horizontal
direction running perpendicularly to the longitudinal
axis of the shell, and extends along (in particular
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parallel to) the plate heat exchanger or along the
longitudinal axis of the shell.
Furthermore, the first side wall preferably has an
inclination. In this case, the first side wall is
inclined toward the plate heat exchanger, so that the
horizontal cross-sectional area of the receiving space
increases vertically from the bottom upward.
The said filling height should be understood in
particular as meaning a desired height at which the
liquid level of the liquid phase of the first medium is
located during the operation of the heat exchanger as
intended. During operation as intended, the plate heat
exchanger may be completely immersed in the bath, but may
also protrude out of the bath with an upper side. The
region of the shell space that is located above the
filling height or the liquid level of the liquid phase
of the first medium serves for receiving the gaseous
phase of the first medium, and is therefore also referred
to as the separating space.
The filling height preferably lies with reference to the
upper side (or upper edge) of the plate heat exchanger
in a range of -500 mm to +100 mm, particularly preferably
in a range of -300 mm to +100 mm, more preferably in the
range of -300 mm to +50 mm, still more preferably in the
range of -300 mm to +25 mm, still more preferably in the
range of -300 mm to 0 mm. Here, the value 0 mm corresponds
to the level of the upper side (see above). Negative
values indicate that the filling height lies below the
upper side/upper edge of the plate heat exchanger in the
direction of the vertical.
Preferably, the separating unit is formed as an upwardly
open channel, which (in the same way as the distributor
channel) extends along the longitudinal axis of the
shell. The separating unit is preferably arranged
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vertically under the distributor channel, so that the
liquid phase of the first medium that is leaving the
distributor channel can fall through the receiving
opening of the separating unit into the receiving space
of the separating unit.
Preferably, the separating unit has a second side wall,
which lies opposite the first side wall and is in
particular formed by a wall of the shell. The second side
wall may however also be formed separately from the
shell.
It is preferably also provided that the separating unit
has a third side wall and a fourth side wall opposite the
third side wall, the third and fourth side walls
respectively connecting the first and second side walls
to one another, and in particular the third and fourth
side walls respectively having at least one side opening
for letting out the liquid phase of the first medium and
in particular running perpendicularly in relation to the
longitudinal axis of the shell. Preferably, a plurality
of side openings are formed in the end third and fourth
side walls. The third and fourth side walls may however
also be formed as an overflow wall and then do not have
any side openings. It is also conceivable that the third
and fourth side walls are absent and the separating unit
is formed as open at the ends. Furthermore, the third and
fourth side walls may have a lower upper edge than the
first side wall.
The invention makes it possible in principle to control
and direct the flow of the liquid entering the shell
space, it being possible to reduce the flow velocity of
the liquid entering the separating space of a core-in-
shell heat exchanger. The conducting device according to
the invention may in particular also be used in the case
of inlet distributors other than the distributor channel
represented. If a separating unit is used, the conducting
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device may also be used for the controlled feeding of the
liquid to the separating unit and is preferably set up
and intended for that.
One advantage of the invention is in particular that the
configuration of the conducting device is variable. Thus,
in principle, the conducting device can be produced from
all suitable materials (such as for example aluminum,
steel or plastic). A combination of suitable materials
is also possible.
The conducting device may consist both of metal sheet and
of further suitable elements, such as for example worked
tubes, worked solid materials, castings or (extruded)
sections. The combination of different elements is also
possible.
Furthermore, the shape, size and number of the elements
of a conducting device that are used may be dictated both
by production-related aspects and process-related
aspects. In particular, allowance may also be made here
for particular installation-specific features. Each of
the elements used may be individually designed.
If metal sheets (for example in the form of the at least
one conducting element) are part of the conducting
device, they may be solid, perforated or else slit. In
this case, the metal sheets may be both flat and profiled.
As already described, apart from on the distributor
channel, the conducting device may also be attached at
another suitable location (for example on the shell). The
way in which it is attached is freely selectable. Thus,
the conducting device may for example be welded on,
screwed on or adhesively attached.
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Furthermore, the alignment of the conducting device is
freely selectable, so that a corresponding distribution
of the liquid phase over the shell space can be produced.
The conducting device may also be made without a frame,
it of course also being possible for parts with and
without a frame to be combined.
Further features and advantages of the invention are to
be explained in the following description of figures of
exemplary embodiments of the invention on the basis of
the figures, in which:
Figure 1 shows a partially sectioned view of a heat
exchanger according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a view of the heat exchanger along the
line A-A of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a detail of Figure 2; and
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a plate heat
exchanger of a heat exchanger according to the
invention.
Figure 1 shows in conjunction with Figure 4 a block-in-
shell heat exchanger 1 according to the invention. The
heat exchanger 1 has a shell 2, which extends along a
longitudinal axis or cylinder axis, which in the case of
a heat exchanger 1 arranged as intended runs along the
horizontal. The shell 2 surrounds a shell space 3, in
which at least one plate heat exchanger 4 is arranged.
The latter has first and second heat exchanging passages
71, 72, which are arranged alternately next to one
another and in particular are vertical (cf. Figure 4) and
are respectively designed for receiving a first or second
medium Fl, F2, so that heat is exchangeable/can be
exchanged indirectly between the two media Fl, F2. The
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heat exchanging passages 71, 72 are in this case
respectively bounded by two parallel separating plates
90 (the two outermost separating plates of the plate heat
exchanger 4 are referred to as outer sheets), between
which there is respectively arranged a heat conducting
structure 80, which in the present case is formed for
example as a so-called fin, that is to say as a corrugated
or bent metal sheet, so that together with the respective
two separating plates 90 a multiplicity of parallel
channels for the respective medium Fl, F2 are formed, the
channels for the first medium Fl running in particular
in the vertical direction and the channels for the second
medium running in particular in the horizontal direction,
i.e. the two media Fl, F2 are in particular guided in
cross-flow in relation to one another. Other types of
operation (for example counter-flow) are also
conceivable.
As can be seen from Figure 4, the first heat exchanging
passages 71 are formed open to the horizontally extending
upper side 4a of the at least one plate heat exchanger
4, which is bounded by the four upper edges 41, 42, 43,
44 of the plate heat exchanger 4, and also to the
underside (not shown). That is to say that there are
corresponding inlet openings on the underside, by way of
which the first medium Fl, which is fed into the shell
space 3 and forms a bath around the plate heat exchanger
4, can enter the first heat exchanging passages 71 and
rise up in them (so-called thermosiphon effect) and can
leave the first heat exchanging passages 71 again as a
two-phase stream on the upper side 4a by way of
corresponding outlet openings 40. The first medium Fl can
be introduced into the shell space 3 by way of an inlet
nozzle 53 arranged on the shell 2.
To the sides, the first and second heat exchanging
passages 71, 72 can be closed off by so-called edge bars
or terminating bars (side bars) 91. The second heat
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exchanging passages 72 are additionally closed off
upwardly and downwardly by such terminating bars 91.
The components of the at least one plate heat exchanger
4, such as for example the separating plates 90, the fins
80, the side bars 91 and the manifolds 61, 63, 62, 64
(also referred to as headers) are preferably produced
from aluminum. The separating plates 90, side bars 91 and
fins 80 are preferably brazed to one another in a furnace.
When it rises up in the at least one plate heat exchanger
4, the first medium Fl is brought into an indirect heat
exchange with the second medium F2, which is introduced
into the second heat exchanging passages 72 of the at
least one plate heat exchanger 4 by way of an inlet nozzle
51 or 57 and also a manifold (also known as a header) 61
or 63 adjoining thereto, and is guided there in
particular in cross-flow in relation to the first medium
Fl, which flows in the first heat exchanging passages 71.
As a result, for example, the initially gaseous second
medium F2 is cooled down and in particular liquefied,
whereas the first medium Fl becomes warmer and is
partially evaporated. A gaseous phase G1 of the first
medium Fl thereby occurring collects in the separating
space A above the at least one plate heat exchanger 4 and
can be drawn off from there out of the shell or separating
space A by way of an outlet nozzle 55 or 56 provided on
the shell 2. The condensed second medium is drawn off
from the second heat exchanging passages 72 by way of a
manifold (or header) 62 or 64 of the at least one plate
heat exchanger 4 and drawn off from the heat exchanger 1
by way of a nozzle 52 or 54 connected to the respective
manifold 62 or 64.
The liquid phase Ll of the first medium Fl leaving
together with the occurring gaseous phase G1 on the upper
side 4a of the at least one plate heat exchanger 4 is
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preferably returned to the bath surrounding the plate
heat exchanger 4.
As shown in Figure 1, the heat exchanger 1 may also have
a number of plate heat exchangers 4, formed as described
above, in particular two plate heat exchangers 4, which
according to Figure 1 are for example arranged one behind
the other along the longitudinal axis of the heat
exchanger 1 in the shell space 3 of the heat exchanger
1. The heat exchanger 1 may of course also have just one
plate heat exchanger 4, which may then be formed for
example like the right-hand or left-hand plate heat
exchanger 4 of Figure 1.
For introducing the first medium Fl into the shell space
3 of the heat exchanger 1, a distributing device 6, here
preferably in the form of a distributor channel 6, is
arranged above the plate heat exchanger 4 in the shell
space 3, the distributor channel 6 surrounding an inner
space 6a for receiving the liquid phase Ll of the first
medium F1 and being in flow connection with an inlet 53,
which is provided at an upper region of the shell 2. The
distributor channel 6 is in this case fixed on an inner
side of the shell 2 that is facing the shell space 3, the
shell 2 forming a side wall of the distributor channel
6. The distributor channel 6 also has a base 6c, which
is made to extend horizontally along the longitudinal
axis of the shell 2 and the one edge of which is fixed
on the shell 2, while from the other (opposite) edge
there is made to extend vertically a side wall 6d that
is in turn connected to the inner side of the shell 2.
The base 6c of the distributor channel 6 has at least one
downwardly directed outlet opening 6b (preferably, in
principle a number of such outlet openings 6b are
provided), through which the liquid phase Li of the first
medium Fl can leave from the distributor channel 6 into
the shell space 3 in a first spatial direction R.
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Arranged under the distributor channel 6 in the vertical
direction there is then a conducting device 10, which is
designed for conducting the liquid phase Li of the first
medium Fl that is leaving the at least one outlet opening
6b, the conducting device 10 in particular deflecting at
least part of the liquid phase Li that has left the at
least one outlet opening 6b downwardly in a first (in
particular vertical) spatial direction R into a second
spatial direction R', which preferably differs from the
first spatial direction R. Here, the second spatial
direction R' has for example a greater horizontal
component than the first spatial direction R. The
deflection of at least part of the liquid phase Li in
this case preferably takes place so as to conduct the
liquid phase Li of the first medium Fl away from the
upper side 4a or past the upper side 4a of the at least
one plate heat exchanger 4. It is thereby ensured that
the liquid phase Li of the first medium Fl does not
impinge on the upper side 4a of the at least one plate
heat exchanger 4.
For this purpose, the conducting device 10 has in
particular at least one plate-shaped conducting element
100, in particular in the form of a baffle, that extends
along the longitudinal axis and butts substantially flush
against the side wall 6d of the distributor channel, or
possibly goes over into it. The at least one conducting
element 100 has in this case a curvature in such a way
that the at least one conducting element 100 has a
convexly curved first side 100a, which is facing the
plate heat exchanger 4, and also a second side 100b,
which is facing away from the first side 100a, is
concavely curved and is facing away from the plate heat
exchanger 4 or facing the distributor channel 6, to be
precise its base 6c. The at least one conducting element
10 is thus arranged such that at least part of the liquid
phase Li of the first medium Fl that is leaving the
distributor channel 6 through the at least one outlet
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opening 6b impinges on the second side 100b and is
conducted along it away from the upper side 4a of the
plate heat exchanger 4 and introduced into the bath
laterally in relation to the at least one plate heat
exchanger 4.
The at least one conducting element 100 is fixed here
both on the distributor channel 6 and on the shell 2 of
the heat exchanger 1 by means of a frame 20.
Optionally, according to one embodiment of the invention,
as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the heat exchanger may have
an additional separating unit 208, which serves the
purpose of stabilizing the first medium Fl, so that a
gaseous phase G1 of the first medium Fl can be separated
from the liquid phase Li of the first medium Fl in the
separating unit 208. The separating unit 208 is charged
with the first medium Fl from the distributor channel 6
in interaction with the conducting device 10.
For catching the first medium Fl, the separating unit 208
has in this case an upwardly facing receiving opening
209, which is arranged under the distributor channel 6
and the opening plane of which extends perpendicularly
to the vertical. By way of the receiving opening 209, the
first medium Fl, falling out of the distributor channel
6, passes into a receiving space 207 of the separating
unit 208. The separating unit 208 is in this case formed
as an upwardly open channel, which extends under the
distributor channel 6, likewise along the longitudinal
axis of the shell 2, the separating unit 208 preferably
having a length along the longitudinal axis of the shell
2 that corresponds to the length of the distributor
channel 6 along this longitudinal axis. The receiving
space 207 of the separating unit 208 or the receiving
opening 209 can therefore be charged with the first
medium Fl over its entire length.
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The separating unit 208 has a peripheral wall defining
the receiving opening 209 and bounding the receiving
space 207. The wall has in this case a first side wall
210, which is facing the shell space 3 or the plate heat
exchanger 4 and lies opposite the plate heat exchanger 4
transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shell 2 in
the horizontal direction. Lying opposite the first side
wall 210 is a second side wall 213 of the separating unit
208, which is formed by the shell 2. At the end faces,
the separating unit 208 has a third and a fourth side
wall 214 (only one of these side walls 214 can be seen
in Figures 2 and 3), which extend perpendicularly to the
longitudinal axis of the shell 2 and are formed
substantially triangularly in a way corresponding to the
cross-sectional shape of the separating unit 208 (apart
from a rounding on account of the cylindrical shell 2).
Correspondingly, the first side wall 210 of the
separating unit 208 is inclined toward the plate heat
exchanger 4, so that the horizontal cross section of the
separating unit 208 or of the receiving space 207
increases vertically from the bottom upward toward the
receiving opening 209. The first side wall 210 in the
present case forms an angle of in particular 450 with the
vertical.
Preferably, the separating unit 208 and/or the
distributor channel 6 are formed by one or more metal
sheets and are welded or connected in some other suitable
way to the shell 2. In particular, the first side wall
210 and also the third and fourth side walls 214 may be
respectively formed by a planar metal sheet and suitably
connected to one another (for example by welded
connections, riveted connections, etc.).
For letting the liquid phase Li of the first medium F1
out of the receiving space 207 of the separating unit
208, the first side wall 210 has in particular
distributing openings 211. Furthermore, side openings 212
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may also be provided in the end side walls 214, by way
of which the liquid phase Li of the first medium Fl can
likewise leave into the collecting space V (only one side
opening 212 is shown by way of example).
The wall of the separating unit 208 or the first, third
and fourth side walls 210, 214 define(s) an upper edge
of the separating unit 208 that borders the receiving
opening 209 and is preferably arranged above the filling
height 300 of the liquid phase Li in the collecting space
V. Correspondingly, the liquid phase Ll of the first
medium Fl preferably passes from the receiving space 207
into the collecting space V only by way of the
distributing or side openings 211, 212. The separating
unit 208 may however also form a liquid-impermeable
pocket, so that the wall of the separating unit 208 acts
as an overflow wall and correspondingly the liquid phase
Li passes into the collecting space V by way of the
receiving opening 209. Furthermore, the separating unit
208 may be formed as open at the ends, that is to say not
have third and fourth side walls 214. It is also possible
that the third and fourth side walls 214 have in the
vertical a lower upper edge than the first side wall 210.
The distributing openings 211 may be formed in a slit-
shaped manner along the vertical. Other opening cross
sections are also possible The distributing openings 211
are preferably arranged equidistantly from one another
over the entire length of the separating unit 208 along
the longitudinal axis of the shell 2. According to
Figures 2 and 3, the side openings 212 are preferably
formed as circular holes (for the sake of simplicity,
only one side opening 212 is shown). The side openings
212 may be arranged in rows arranged one above the other
parallel to the filling height 300.
For drawing off the gaseous phase G1 of the first medium
Fl from the separating space A, the shell 2 has at least
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one outlet nozzle 55 on an upper region of the shell 2.
Furthermore, an outlet 59, which is intended for letting
the liquid phase of the first medium Fl out of the
collecting space V, is provided on a lower region of the
shell 2. By means of an overflow wall 58, a minimum
filling height of the first medium Fl in the collecting
space V is ensured.
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List of designations
1 Heat exchanger
2 Shell
3 Shell space
4 Plate heat exchanger
4a Upper side
6 Distributing device or distributor
channel
6a Inner space of the distributing
device or of the distributor
channel
6b Outlet opening of the distributing
device or of the distributor
channel
6c HBase
6d Side wall
Conducting device
Frame
40 Outlet openings
41, 42, 43, 44 Upper edges
51, 53, 57 Inlet nozzles
58 Overflow wall
52, 54, 55, 56, 59 Outlet nozzles
61, 62, 63, 64 Header
71 First heat exchanging passages
72 Second heat exchanging passages
80 Fin (heat conducting structure)
90 Separating plates
91 Side bars
100 Conducting element
100a First side
100b Second side
140 Through-opening
207 Receiving space
208 Separating unit
209 Receiving opening
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210 First side wall
211 Distributing opening
212 Side opening
213 Second side wall
214 Third or fourth side wall
300 Filling height of the liquid phase
of the first medium in the shell
space
A Separating space
Fl First medium
F2 Second medium
G1 Gaseous phase of the first medium
Li Liquid phase of the first medium
R, R' Spatial direction
V Collecting space
