Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes number of bolted flanges and a number of heat pipes for heating and cooling liquids entering the heat exchanger. One of the bolted flanges connects a plenum housing to a relief valve piping. The relief valve piping remains closed during normal operation of the heat exchanger and opens to maintain pressure when operating pressure of the heat pipes increases above an acceptable level. The heat exchanger also includes a plenum plate, attached to a cold-side housing and the plenum housing, which seals a cold side of the heat exchanger from an upper plenum. The heat exchanger also includes a separation plate, connected to a cold-side housing and the hot-side exit vapor belt, which seals a cold side of the heat exchanger from a hot side of the heat exchanger.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a first bolted flange for receiving hot fluid into the heat exchanger;   a hot-side housing inlet vapor belt connected to said first bolted flange for distributing flow of said hot fluid within a hot-side flow volume of said heat exchanger;   a first set of one or more heat pipes for cooling the distributed flow of said hot fluid;   a hot side housing exit vapor belt for collecting hot-side flow evenly from around a circumference of a hot-side housing and for delivering the cooled fluid to a second bolted flange connected to said hot side housing exit vapor belt so that the cooled fluid leaves the heat exchanger through said second bolted flange;   a third bolted flange for receiving cold fluid into the heat exchanger;   a second set of one or more heat pipes for heating said cold fluid;   a fourth bolted flange for receiving the heated fluid so that the heated fluid leaves the heat exchanger through said fourth bolted flange; and   a fifth bolted flange for connecting a plenum housing to a relief valve piping;   wherein said relief valve piping is connected to a pressure relief valve, pressure safety valve, or pressure relief system that remains closed during normal operation of the heat exchanger and opens to maintain pressure when operating pressure of the first and second set of heat pipes increases above a pre-determined limit for continuous operation of the exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first set or the second set of heat pipes comprises one or more heat pipes with a wick. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first set or the second set of heat pipes comprises one or more wickless heat pipes. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a plenum plate attached to said second set of heat pipes and separating a plenum from cold side flow volume of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the second set of heat pipes are open at the top and open to said plenum by passing through said plenum plate or by holes in the plenum plate, 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a plenum plate connected to a cold-side housing and the plenum housing. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein said plenum plate seals a cold side of the heat exchanger from an upper plenum. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a separation plate connected to a cold-side housing and the hot-side exit vapor belt. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein said separation plate seals a cold side of the heat exchanger from a hot side of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein said separation plate contains an opening, hole, or a plenum within the separation plate, such that first set or the second set of heat pipes connected to the separation plate is open to the opening, hole, or plenum within the separation plate. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a plate attached to the bottom of the first set of heat pipes, and which contains an opening, hole, or a plenum within the plate, such that heat pipes connected to the plate are open to the opening, hole, or plenum within the plate. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein a hopper system is included as part of the hot inlet or hot exit vapor belts, to collect particulate matter from the hot-side flow. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second sets of heat pipes form a single set of continuous heat pipes. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second sets of heat pipes are open to each other. 
     
     
         15 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a first bolted flange open at the bottom of the heat exchanger for receiving hot fluid into the heat exchanger;   a first set of one or more heat pipes for cooling said hot fluid;   a set of second bolted flanges for receiving the cooled fluid so that the cooled fluid leaves the heat exchanger through said set of second bolted flanges;   a third bolted flange for receiving cold fluid into the heat exchanger;   a second set of one or more heat pipes for heating said cold fluid;   a fourth bolted flange for receiving the heated fluid so that the heated fluid leaves the heat exchanger through said fourth bolted flange; and   a fifth bolted flange for connecting a plenum housing to a relief valve piping;   wherein said relief valve piping is connected to a pressure relief valve, pressure safety valve, or pressure relief system that remains closed during normal operation of the heat exchanger and opens to maintain pressure when operating pressure of the first or second set of heat pipes increases above a pre-determined limit for continuous operation of the exchanger.