Heat exchanger for a liquefied natural gas facility

Abstract

A method of constructing a plate fin heat exchanger includes joining a first side bar formed from a nickel-iron alloy to a first end of a fin element formed from a nickel-iron alloy through a first nickel-iron alloy bond, and joining a second side bar formed from a nickel-iron alloy to a second end of the fin element through a second nickel-iron alloy bond to create a first layer of the plate fin heat exchanger. The fin element defines a fluid passage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of constructing a plate fin heat exchanger comprising:
 joining a first side bar formed from a nickel-iron alloy to a first end of a fin element formed from the nickel-iron alloy through a first nickel-iron alloy bond; and   joining a second side bar formed from the nickel-iron alloy to a second end of the fin element through a second nickel-iron alloy bond to create a first layer of the plate fin heat exchanger, the fin element defining a fluid passage, wherein the nickel content of the nickel-iron alloy is between about 32% and 42%.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein joining the first side bar to the fin element through the first nickel-iron alloy bond includes forming a diffusion bond between the first side bar and the fin element. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein joining the second side bar to the fin element through the second nickel-iron alloy bond includes forming a diffusion bond between the second side bar and the fin element. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: connecting the first side bar to the second side bar through a parting sheet formed from the nickel-iron alloy through a third nickel-iron alloy bond and a fourth nickel-iron alloy bond. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein connecting the first side bar to the second side bar through a parting sheet through the third nickel-iron alloy bond and the fourth nickel-iron alloy bond includes forming a diffusion bond between the first side bar and the parting sheet, and another diffusion bond between the second side bar and the parting sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: joining the fin element and the parting sheet through yet another diffusion bond. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: passing a cryogenic fluid having a mercury content greater than 0.01 μg/Nm3 through the fluid passage defined by the fin element. 
     
     
         8 . A hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger comprising:
 a vessel including an interior portion configured to receive a refrigerant;   a first exchanger having a first exchanger configuration arranged in the interior portion; and   a second exchanger having a second exchanger configuration arranged in the interior portion and fluidically isolated from the first exchanger, the second exchanger configuration being distinct from the first exchanger configuration.   
     
     
         9 . The hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , further comprising: a third exchanger having a third exchanger configuration arranged in the interior portion, the third exchanger being fluidically isolated from the first and second exchangers. 
     
     
         10 . The hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein the third exchanger configuration is distinct from the first and second exchanger configurations. 
     
     
         11 . The hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein the first exchanger is a tube bundle exchanger and the second exchanger is one of a printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) and a brazed aluminum heat exchanger (BAHX). 
     
     
         12 . The hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , further comprising: an amount of refrigerant contained in the interior portion of the vessel, the amount of refrigerant having a surface portion, wherein at least one of the first and second exchangers includes a section that projects above the surface portion. 
     
     
         13 . The hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the section of the one of the first and second exchangers projects at least 4-inches (10.1-cm) above the surface portion. 
     
     
         14 . The hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein the hybrid core-in-shell heat exchanger forms part of a liquid natural gas (LNG) production.