Efficient heat exchanger for refrigeration process
View Patent ↗Aspects of the invention are found in a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a fluid inlet manifold, a fluid outlet manifold, a plurality of heat transfer channels configured to communicate with the fluid inlet manifold and the fluid outlet manifold, and packing located within the fluid inlet manifold. Further aspects of the invention are found in a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor and at least one heat exchanger coupled to the compressor. The at least one heat exchanger includes a header, packing located in the header, and a heat transfer channel. The heat transfer channel is configured to receive fluid passing through the header and the packing.
1. A method of servicing a very low temperature mixed refrigerant refrigeration system, the method comprising:
inserting discrete packing elements into a manifold of a heat exchanger associated with the refrigeration system, the heat exchanger comprising the manifold and a heat transfer channel, the heat transfer channel configured to receive fluid passing through the manifold and the discrete packing elements, the fluid being a mixed refrigerant fluid comprising at least two phases including a vapor and a liquid phase, the mixed refrigerant fluid having a temperature in the very low temperature range.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discrete packing elements comprise random packing elements.
3. A method of manufacturing a very low temperature mixed refrigerant refrigeration system, the method comprising:
inserting discrete packing elements into a manifold of a heat exchanger associated with the refrigeration system, the heat exchanger comprising the manifold and a heat transfer channel, the heat transfer channel configured to receive fluid passing through the manifold and about the discrete packing elements, the fluid being a mixed refrigerant fluid comprising at least two phases including a vapor and a liquid phase, the mixed refrigerant fluid having a temperature in the very low temperature range.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the discrete packing elements comprise random packing elements.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: coupling a compressor to the heat exchanger.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger performs as a heat exchanger selected from the group consisting of a desuperheater, a condenser, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between at least two refrigerant streams, and an evaporator.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a component in a refrigeration section of the refrigeration system.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the refrigeration section comprises a separator.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger is a plate type heat exchanger.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger is horizontally oriented.
11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger is vertically oriented.
12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger is vertically oriented with a warm end up.
13. The method of claim 3 , wherein inserting the packing into the manifold comprises inserting a cartridge into the manifold.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cartridge comprises structured packing.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cartridge comprises random packing.
16. The method of claim 3 , wherein inserting the packing into the manifold comprises using a structure to secure the packing in place.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the structure is sufficiently permeable to permit the flow of refrigerant fluid.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the structure is selected from a group consisting of a mesh, a screen and a perforated foil.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the structure is selected from a group consisting of a wire mesh, a polymer mesh, a metal foil and a plastic foil.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the structure comprises a structure selected from a group consisting of a variable geometry structure, a cylindrical structure, a symmetric structure, an asymmetric structure, and a structure of varying cross-sectional area along the manifold from an inlet of the manifold to a non-flow end of the manifold.
21. The method of claim 3 , wherein the packing comprises packing of varying size.
22. The method of claim 3 , wherein the packing comprises packing elements including spherical balls.
23. The method of claim 3 , wherein the packing comprises packing elements selected from the group consisting of spherical elements, ellipsoidal elements, ring elements, cylindrical elements, saddle elements, spheroid elements, ribbon elements, and gauze elements.
24. The method of claim 3 , wherein the packing comprises packing elements having at least two size modes, the packing elements comprising at least a first set of packing elements having a first size mode and a second set of packing elements having a second size mode different from the first size mode.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger performs as a heat exchanger selected from the group consisting of a desuperheater, a condenser, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between at least two refrigerant streams, and an evaporator.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a component in a refrigeration section of the refrigeration system.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the refrigeration section comprises a separator.
28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a plate type heat exchanger.
29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is horizontally oriented.
30. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is vertically oriented.
31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is vertically oriented with a warm end up.
32. The method of claim 1 ,wherein inserting the packing into the manifold comprises inserting a cartridge into the manifold.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the cartridge comprises structured packing.
34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the cartridge comprises random packing.
35. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the packing into the manifold comprises using a structure to secure the packing in place.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the structure is sufficiently permeable to permit the flow of refrigerant fluid.
37. The method of claim 35 , wherein the structure is selected from a group consisting of a mesh, a screen or a perforated foil.
38. The method of claim 35 , wherein the structure is selected from a group consisting of a wire mesh, a polymer mesh, a metal foil and a plastic foil.
39. The method of claim 35 , wherein the structure comprises a structure selected from a group consisting of a variable geometry structure, a cylindrical structure, a symmetric structure, an asymmetric structure, and a structure of varying cross-sectional area along the manifold from an inlet of the manifold to a non-flow end of the manifold.
40. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing comprises packing of varying size.
41. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing comprises packing elements including spherical balls.
42. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing comprises packing elements selected from the group consisting of spherical elements, ellipsoidal elements, ring elements, cylindrical elements, saddle elements, spheroid elements, ribbon elements, and gauze elements.
43. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing comprises packing elements having at least two size modes, the packing elements comprising at least a first set of packing elements having a first size mode and a second set of packing elements having a second size mode different from the first size mode.