Suction duct and multiple suction ducts inside a shell of a flooded evaporator

• Main Authors: Alain Fleurette, Steven Erwin Meloling, Jon Phillip Hartfield, Benjamin Elias Dingel, Florian Weber, Kenneth H Ring
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.10.2021
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS,IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; WEAPONS

A suction duct is disposed within a shell and tube heat exchanger. The suction duct is located relatively high and above the tube bundle so as to not entrain liquid or droplets that may be splashing and spraying upward. The suction duct is configured with an area schedule in fluid communication with a flow path inside the suction duct. The flow path is in fluid communication with an outlet of the shell. This is advantageous relative to traditional top of the shell outlets which generally have higher vertical footprints. The area schedule of the suction duct can facilitate and/or maintain relatively smooth vapor flow within the shell. The area schedule can achieve vapor flows that have some uniformity along the length of the shell, which can manage and/or avoid localized vapor flow and/or local currents, such as where high velocity may be present and where entrainment can result.