Heat Exchanger with Sloped Baffles

Abstract

A condenser is made from a heat exchanger including a tube bundle within a shell. The tube bundle has an interior section within a periphery, and at least two sloped baffles are positioned in the tube bundle. Each sloped baffle has an inner edge which is within the tube bundle interior, and a gap is defined between the inner edges.

1 . A condenser comprising:
 A shell;   A tube bundle positioned within the shell, the tube bundle having an interior;   At least two sloped baffles positioned in the tube bundle, wherein the two sloped baffles include inner edges positioned in the tube bundle interior, and the inner edges define a gap.   
   
   
       2 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the condenser has a standard position, and wherein each tube within the tube bundle has a baffle either directly over or directly under the tube when the condenser is in the standard position. 
   
   
       3 . The condenser of  claim 2  wherein the tubes are positioned in tube rows, and there is a maximum of 10 tube rows directly above any one point on the baffle when the condenser is in the standard position. 
   
   
       4 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the tubes in the tube bundle are improved. 
   
   
       5 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the shell includes a shell inner space, the condenser further comprising two tube sheets dividing the shell inner space into a shell side chamber between tube side headers, the shell side chamber further including a vapor inlet and a condensate outlet and the tube side headers including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and wherein each tube penetrates two tube sheets. 
   
   
       6 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the shell includes a shell wall and the baffles include an outer edge adjacent the shell wall. 
   
   
       7 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the gap extends for the entire length of the sloped baffle inner edge. 
   
   
       8 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the sloped baffles have a slope angle between about 3 degrees and about 30 degrees. 
   
   
       9 . The condenser of  claim 1  wherein the sloped baffles are selected from the group consisting of a smooth plate, a corrugated plate, a grooved plate, a multi-hole plate, a serrated plate, and any combination thereof. 
   
   
       10 . A condenser comprising:
 A shell having a shell inner space;   A tube bundle positioned in the shell inner space, where the tube bundle includes interior tubes;   A first baffle positioned in the tube bundle, the first baffle being sloped such that the first baffle and a horizontal plane define a slope angle, the first baffle including a first inner edge positioned adjacent to at least one interior tube; and   A second baffle positioned in the tube bundle, the second baffle being sloped such that the second baffle and the horizontal plane define a slope angle, the second baffle including a second inner edge positioned adjacent at least one interior tube, and wherein the first and second baffle do not touch each other.   
   
   
       11 . The condenser of  claim 10  wherein the condenser has a standard position, and wherein each tube within the tube bundle has a baffle either directly over or directly under the tube when the condenser is in the standard position. 
   
   
       12 . The condenser of  claim 11  wherein the tubes are positioned in tube rows, and there is a maximum of 10 tube rows directly above any one point on the baffle when the condenser is in the standard position. 
   
   
       13 . The condenser of  claim 10  wherein the tubes in the tube bundle are improved. 
   
   
       14 . The condenser of  claim 10  further comprising at least two tube sheets which divide the shell inner space into at least a shell side chamber between two tube side headers, wherein the shell side chamber includes a vapor inlet and a condensate outlet and the tube side headers include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and the tube side headers are connected by the tube bundle. 
   
   
       15 . The condenser of  claim 10  wherein the shell has a shell wall, the first baffle has a first outer edge adjacent the shell wall, the second baffle has a second outer edge adjacent the shell wall, and the first and second inner edges of the first and second baffles define a gap. 
   
   
       16 . The condenser of  claim 15  wherein the condenser has a standard position and wherein the baffles slope upwards from the shell wall when the condenser is in the standard position. 
   
   
       17 . The condenser of  claim 10  wherein the slope angles are between about 3 degrees and about 30 degrees. 
   
   
       18 . The condenser of  claim 10  wherein the sloped baffles are selected from the group consisting of a smooth plate, a corrugated plate, a grooved plate, a multi-hole plate, a serrated plate, and any combination thereof. 
   
   
       19 . A refrigeration system comprising:
 an evaporator;   a compressor in fluid communication with the evaporator;   a pressure valve in fluid communication with the evaporator;   a condenser in fluid communication with the compressor and the pressure valve, where the condenser includes;
 a shell having a shell wall; 
 a tube bundle within the shell, where the tube bundle includes interior tubes; and 
 at least two sloped baffles within the shell, the sloped baffles having inner edges, where each inner edge is adjacent at least one interior tube, and wherein the sloped baffle inner edges define a gap. 
   
   
   
       20 . The refrigeration system of  claim 19  wherein the tubes in the tube bundle are improved. 
   
   
       21 . The refrigeration system of  claim 19  wherein the condenser is a double pass shell and tube heat exchanger.