Assembly of heat exchangers and a cryogenic distillation apparatus incorporating the same

Abstract

Heat exchange assembly comprising at least one first and one second heat exchange body ( 5, 7 ), each body being of the plate heat exchanger type, comprising a plurality of metal plates of substantially similar contour extending along a first dimension or length and a second dimension or width, spaced from and arranged in parallel rows to one another along a third dimension or thickness and sealing means bounding flattened passages with the said plates, forming at least one passage of a first type and at least one passage of a second type, the sealing means allocated to each passage releasing one fluid inlet and one fluid outlet, characterized in that one side bounded by a width and a thickness of at least one first heat exchange body is located at least partially opposite a side bounded by a width and a thickness of at least one second heat exchange body, the two sides being separated by insulating material (I).

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchange assembly comprising at least one first and one second heat exchange body, each body being of the plate heat exchanger type, comprising a plurality of metal plates of substantially similar contour extending along a first dimension or length and a second dimension or width, spaced from and arranged in parallel rows to one another along a third dimension or thickness and sealing means bounding flattened passages with the said plates, forming at least one passage of a first type and at least one passage of a second type, the sealing means allocated to each passage releasing one fluid inlet and one fluid outlet, one inlet of the first body being connected to a first delivery line for a fluid to be cooled and one outlet of the first body being connected to a first collecting line for cooled fluid, another inlet of the first body being connected to a first delivery line for fluid to be heated and another outlet of the first body being connected to a first collecting line for heated fluid, one inlet of the second body being connected to a delivery line for fluid to be cooled and one outlet of the second body being connected to a collecting line for cooled fluid, another inlet of the second body being connected to a delivery line for fluid to be heated and another outlet of the second body being connected to a collecting line for heated fluid, characterized in that one side bounded by a width and a thickness of at least one first heat exchange body is located at least partially opposite a side bounded by a width and a thickness of at least one second heat exchange body, the two insulating material. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 11 , in which at least one body of the second series is connected to at least one fluid delivery line which is not connected to any body of the first series and, optionally, at least one body of the second series is connected to a fluid collecting line, which is not connected to any body of the first series. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 11 , in which first heat exchange bodies form part of a first series of at least three substantially aligned heat exchanger bodies, at least two first bodies of the first series being connected in parallel to at least the first delivery line for fluid to be cooled, to at least the first delivery line for fluid to be heated, to at least the first collecting line for heated fluid, and to at least the first collecting line for cooled fluid and/or second heat exchange bodies form part of a second series of at least three substantially aligned heat exchanger bodies, at least two second bodies of the second series being connected in parallel to at least one delivery line for fluid to be cooled, to at least one delivery line for fluid to be heated, to at least the collecting line for heated fluid and to at least one collecting line for cooled fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 11 , in which one inlet of at least one second heat exchanger body is connected to the first delivery line for fluid to be cooled and/or to the first delivery line for fluid to be heated. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 11 , in which one inlet of at least one second body is connected to one delivery line for fluid to be cooled other than the first delivery line for fluid to be cooled and/or one other inlet of the second body is connected to one delivery line for fluid to be heated other than the first delivery line for fluid to be heated. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 11 , comprising a liquid delivery line to convey a liquid to at least one second heat exchanger body connected to passages of the second body, the said passages being connected to one outlet of vaporized liquid located close to one inlet of gas to be cooled. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 11 , in which at least one first body of the first series is only connected to at least one gas delivery line and/or to at least one line for liquid to be cooled. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 11 , comprising at least one heat exchanger body arranged between the sides of the first and second bodies located opposite one another. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for cryogenic separation of a gas mixture, comprising a stripping unit, the assembly of  claim 11 , and a system of columns, means for conveying the gas mixture to the stripping unit, means for conveying the stripped gas mixture to the assembly of heat exchangers to be cooled at least in one of the first and second heat exchanger bodies to at least one pressure, means for conveying at least some gas mixture cooled in at least one of the first and second heat exchanger bodies to the system of columns, and means for conveying at least one product from the system of columns to each of the first and second series of heat exchanger bodies. 
     
     
         20 . The cryogenic separation apparatus of  claim 19 , comprising means for conveying a pressurized liquid stream enriched with one component of the gas mixture to at least one second heat exchanger body of the second series and means for conveying a gas enriched with one component of the gas mixture to at least one first heat exchanger body of the first series.