JPH0126948B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Claim 1: A horizontally disposed load container having opposite ends, a top and a bottom, and heat exchanger means spaced apart above the bottom of the load container and mounted within the container; a heated tank having at least one inlet and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger means; and with at least one inlet and at least one outlet with the load container. The apparatus comprises: an arcuate bottom plate 34; an arcuate top plate 32 spaced from the bottom plate; a shield 36 between the bottom plate and the top plate; and a wall member 40 extending around the load container 14, forming the heat exchanger means and extending the bottom plate and the top plate substantially across the entire length of the load container 14, and extending around the load container 14. the bottom plate and the top plate have a width spanning the bottom of the load container and are spaced from the bottom of the load container so as to form a space 60 between the bottom 18 of the load container 14 and the bottom plate 34 of the heat exchanger means. A heating tank device characterized in that brackets 52 and 58 are provided to seal and support the chamber, and a load is supported by the top plate above the chamber.

2. The heating tank device according to claim 1, wherein the shielding plate is a half-elliptic plate 235a.

3. The heating tank device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of spaced apart shielding plates are attached to the top plate and the bottom plate and extend between the top plate and the bottom plate to form a fluid passage.

4. The heating tank device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the heat exchanger means has a V-shaped longitudinal section.

5. The heating tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cross section of the heat exchanger means is semicircular.

6 extending opposite side walls of said container between the ends of said container, said heat exchanger means being attached to said side walls and said ends of said container, said fluid load carried by said container being A heating tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is held above a heat exchanger means.

7. The heat exchanger means according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger means is constituted by a first heat exchanger unit and a second heat exchanger unit located end to end in the container. Heating tank equipment.

8. The heating tank device according to claim 7, wherein the outlet of the container is located between adjacent ends of the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit.

9. The heat exchanger unit according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the inlet and the outlet of each of the heat exchanger units are located at the inner end of the heat exchanger unit outside the outlet of the container. heating tank equipment.

10. Any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the heating medium leaving each of the heat exchanger units passes closely through the outlet of the container before leaving the outlet of the heat exchanger unit. Heated tank device as described in Section.

11. Claims 1 to 1, wherein the heated tank device is provided with a wheeled support means for transporting the container.
The heating device according to any one of Items 10 to 10.

12. According to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the heating medium leaving the heat exchanger means passes closely through the outlet of the container before leaving the outlet of the heat exchanger unit. The heating tank device described.

13 support means mounted at the bottom of the container for supporting the heat exchanger means above the bottom of the container so as to define a dead air space between the bottom of the container and the heat exchanger means; Claims 1 to 12, wherein the dead air space is provided in the heat exchanger means and acts as a thermal insulation means for preventing heat from being transferred from the heat exchanger means to the undercarriage of the container. The heating tank device according to any one of the above.

14 A plurality of spaced apart shields are interconnected by drain pipes sloping toward the outlet of the heat exchanger means, and the drain pipes allow passages into the plurality of passages defined between the shields. The heating tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which facilitates the discharge of aggregates.

15 heat exchanger means extending around the periphery of said heat exchanger means and adapted to releasably house said heat exchanger means, said load container being provided with said heat exchanger means and said bottom of said tank; 15. The heating tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the heat exchanger means is provided with a closed thermally insulating space between the heat exchanger means and the heat exchanger means.

16. Said support means is constituted by a rod element attached to the lower part of said container, said heat exchanger means being provided with peripheral bracket means adapted to sit on said rod element, and said heat exchanger means being provided with peripheral bracket means adapted to seat on said rod element, said support means being constituted by a rod element attached to the lower part of said container, said heat exchanger means being provided with peripheral bracket means adapted to be seated on said rod element; 14. A heated tank arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein bracket means are attached to said rod elements to define a dead air space between said heat exchanger means and said bottom of said vessel.

17. A heated tank apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said heat exchanger positioning means is constituted by a continuous weld bead attaching a peripheral edge of said heat exchanger means to said container.

18 additional heat exchanger means and positioning the additional heat exchanger means at the top of the interior of the load container to create a dead air space between the top of the container and the additional heat exchanger means; The heating tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising other constituting means.

19. Heating tank according to any one of claims 1 to 18, comprising additional heat exchanger means and means for positioning the additional heat exchanger means on the top of the load container. Device.

Description The present invention relates to a heated track tank car, and more particularly to a heated tank car having a heat exchanger assembly therein.

Orbital tank cars are commonly used to transport liquid goods that must be heated to enter and exit through bottom- or top-mounted discharge valves. Currently, this liquid material is heated by steam flowing through coiled tubes located on the outside of the tank car or by coiled tubes located inside the tank car. Representative conventional devices are U.S. Pat.
No. 3176764, 3228466, 3595307, 3685458
Disclosed in the issue.

As is clear from the above-mentioned U.S. patents, tank cars have large areas that are not exposed to heated steam;
The tank saddle and lower frame attached to the bottom of the tank act as a large heat sink,
Heat is emitted to the outside air rather than inward to the contained product. The problem with external coiled tubing and internal coiled tubing is that because the coiled tubing is located almost horizontally, it may be difficult to drain after the steam has been turned off, and therefore may freeze and cause corrosion. Second, there is a risk of damaging the coiled tube.

Another problem with the prior art is that the material at the top of the tank heats up more quickly than the material at the bottom of the tank. The material at the top of the tank is heated for longer than desired. The reason is that the material on top will not flow out of the tank until the material around the discharge valve is heated enough to flow out of the tank. Another problem with prior art devices is the formation of a "boot" of material on the bottom of the tank car. This "boot" is formed by deposition of liquid product that advances to the bottom of the tank car due to heating and lack of agitation. ``Boots'' are also caused by the heat sinking action of steel installed at specific locations on the tank. "Boots" is a product that remains inside a tank car even after it has been emptied.
remains configured, i.e. deposited,
Reduce the effective capacity of tank cars. It is sometimes necessary to remove the "boot" by chiseling or other manual removal operations.

Also, conventional orbital tank cars that use heated coiled tubing can condense and are not well suited for the removal of heat-sensitive materials from the tank car. This causes many problems.

First, the quality of many products is affected due to overheating. For some materials, if overheated, the customer indicates that the product is completely rejected.

Second, current heating methods have proven ineffective due to the formation of a coating on the surface. This is caused by the formation of lumps at the bottom of the tank car during heating. If this mass is not removed, the surface of the product will burn and the heating efficiency will be significantly reduced. Also, when heated, the "boot" corrodes the bottom of the tank car.

Third, and often overlooked, is the contamination of new, high-quality materials by burned products.

Fourth, it is an inconvenience to those who have to enter the closed atmosphere of the tank car to remove deposited or burnt material.

It is suggested that a heating device be used which should be installed at the bottom of the tank car with a sufficient slope to allow all product to be evacuated. This kind of heating device is a product (load)
Concentrate heat at the bottom of the tank car for maximum heat transfer at the bottom of the tank car. The heated portion of the load rises through the load, causing the unheated portion of the load to fall toward the bottom, effectively mixing or rolling the load. By heating the load sufficiently uniformly in this manner, the load can be quickly removed from the tank car and is prevented from being subjected to excessive heating that could burn or caramelize the load. It is possible to avoid this. The application of heat to the bottom of the load also melts the load in and around the delivery valve more quickly.

This novel device has a significantly higher heating efficiency during the removal of the payload from the tank car, since all heating surfaces are in contact with the payload during this removal until the tank is completely empty. Because it will stay. In a tank car having a coiled tube, when the level of the cargo inside the tank car decreases, the coiled tube becomes exposed and the heating efficiency decreases.

Initial tests have shown that heating efficiency is improved by using a heat exchanger in contact with the bottom of the load. The improved heating system provides uniform heating of the contents, according to data taken every five minutes using a series of probes placed inside the tank car. During this test,
Rolling action occurs during the heating process, causing the load to turn over and
Mix the hot and cold parts.

In this test, tank cars with external coiled tubes and tank cars with plates (a novel heat exchanger) of the same capacity were used. 15.2 above the bottom in the center of each tank car
Temperature probes were installed at cm, 61.0 cm, and 81.3 cm. Boiler pressure was maintained at 5.3-5.6 Kg/ ^cm2 (76-80 psi) and agglomerate volume and temperature were monitored. In the case of a tank car with a coiled tube, the temperature of the aggregate is about 21.2 °C (70 °C) in the first hour and 30 minutes, and 11.4 liters (3 gallons) of aggregate flows out per minute, and the final temperature is 32.2 °C.
The temperature rose to ℃ (90〓). In the case of a tank car with a plate, the test was conducted under the same conditions as above, but the temperature of the aggregate quickly rose to 57.2℃ (135〓), and it reached steady state in only half the time above. held at the pace of the state.

The temperature in the case of coiled tube tank cars rises more quickly at the top of the load compared to the temperature at the bottom. Pay attention to this difference in heat, monitor it, and
After a period of time, a rolling or mixing effect of the load was observed. To confirm this rolling effect, dye was periodically added to both tank cars. In the case of tank cars with plates, rapid movement of the load was observed due to the concentration of heat at the bottom of the tank car, whereas in the case of tank cars with coiled tubes there was only very gradual mixing. The cargo on both tank cars is water.

Further tests were carried out on plated tank cars only. Tests were carried out using animal fat (frozen). The heat exchanger heated the fat quickly and started rolling action, reducing the temperature and matching this temperature to the increase in the temperature of the load. The temperature in the valve delivery area was observed to rise rapidly. This is important because the faster the temperature of the valve rises, the faster the load in this area will liquefy and the sooner removal of the load from the tank car will begin.

In other tests, 3.8 liters (1 gallon)
Black strips of molasses weighing 5.2 Kg (11.5 lbs) were filled into a plated tank car. The temperature of this heating device rose to 26.7°C (80°C) in 5 minutes. The temperature of the molasses rose uniformly as a whole, and there were no layers of different temperatures in the molasses, which normally occur in existing tank cars with coiled tubes. Conventional coiled tube tank cars have a layer of hot load at the top and a layer of cool load at the bottom. In this experiment, the tank car with a plate was able to remove the cargo from the tank car within 15 minutes after applying heat. After this removal work was completed, there was no sugar in the tank car.
The removed load was tested and was not burnt (not caramelized) and was comparable to the high quality sugar product in existing coiled tube tank cars.

It is therefore clear that the invention is particularly capable of achieving at least all of the objectives reiterated below.

Due to the tilted nature of the heat exchanger unit, almost all the agglomerates can be removed and the heat exchanger is not subject to refrigeration.

Since the load is located almost at the top of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger applies heat over a wide area of the load, so there are no air pockets or hot spots like in conventional tank cars with external coiled tubes. Does not occur.

In contrast to conventional tank cars with externally coiled tubes, tank cars using a heat exchanger constructed according to the invention can discharge their cargo much faster, even in winter.

In the present invention, the heat exchanger is located directly above the thermal insulation space and approximately at the bottom of the container. That is, the heat exchanger will not be exposed to the atmosphere inside the tank car unless 4/5 to 5/6 of the interior space of the tank car is emptied. This means that even if a considerable amount of the cargo in the tank car is evacuated, heat can always be transferred to the rest of the cargo. In the conventional model, the load is 1/
Even if the heat exchanger decreases to about 2, the heat exchanger will be exposed, so heat cannot be transferred to the rest of the load.

A pitch of 1:12 (8% grade) for each heat exchanger unit ensures complete evacuation of the load and prevents material from clumping inside.

All of the heat is added to the bottom of the tank car, so as the temperature rises, the tank car can quickly evacuate its load, saving thermal costs from BTUs (British Thermal Units). Coiled tubes on the side of tank cars with external coiled tubes do not work very well. This is because heat enters approximately 8 inches into the load and then passes through the product (the load) to the top of the tank car. Also, the coiled tubes on the side of such conventional tank cars are located closer to the top of the tank car, causing overheating of the top of the tank car.

In the present invention, by locating the heating device away from the floor of the tank car, the tank car cradle
The heat sink caused by the body traverse and tracks can be eliminated.

The external coiled tubes of coiled tube tank cars are spaced apart from each other by a minimum of 6 inches (15.3 cm) (6 inches) between weld locations, resulting in numerous dead spots between the coiled tubes. Additionally, the coiled tubes are spaced further apart at the bottom of the tank car to avoid axles and body webs, which means that the heating device of the present invention provides solid (i.e., substantially continuous) heating at the bottom of the tank car. This is different from creating a surface.

Due to the special configuration of the flow within the heat exchanger, the present invention eliminates the need for a steam jacket on the outer valve.

Due to the slope of each heat exchanger unit and the rolling action of the load due to the heating effect, corrosion does not occur and product caking does not occur. In contrast, conventional externally coiled tube tank cars develop a boot that reduces the efficiency of heat transfer in the bottom coiled tube and causes the boot to act as an undesirable thermal insulator.

In the present invention, by applying heat to the bottom of the load, an internal circulation is created at the bottom, which rises through the load and then descends to the bottom, creating a rolling or mixing action that causes the load to can be heated quickly and evenly.

According to the present invention, the heating device uniformly heats the load, so the temperature of the heating medium does not need to be so high, and damage to the plastic lining used in the tank car can be avoided.
Such damage occurs on tank cars with coiled tubes.

A variation of the invention also provides an opening in the heat exchanger for immediate purging of any agglomerates that form within the heat exchanger. In this way, the agglomerates can be prevented from solidifying, although this would hinder the introduction of the pressurized heating medium. Also, the formation of such agglomerates dissipates the incoming heat and requires rapid re-evaporation. In cold weather, the agglomerates form liquid plugs which must be moved collectively forward by the incoming heating medium, making it necessary to increase the pressure of the incoming heating medium.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved heated tank car.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heating tank car in which a heat exchanger spaced upward from the bottom of the tank for thermal insulation is provided inside the tank, and the material in the tank can be heated more effectively and uniformly.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a heated tank car that overcomes the heat sinking problems normally associated with conventional heated tank cars.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a heated tank car which is equipped with a heat exchanger that is inclined towards the center of the tank car so that aggregates can be discharged from the heat exchanger and corrosion of the heat exchanger is reduced. .

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated tank car in which a boot is not formed on the bottom of the tank car.

Another object of the invention is to provide drainage means within the heat exchanger so that any heating medium agglomerates that form within the heat exchanger can be purged.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a heated tank car that employs a sloped heat exchanger to aid in the flow of material to the discharge valve of the tank car.

These and other purposes will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional plan view of a tank car having a heat exchanger according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional partial side view of the tank car and heat exchanger of FIG. 1, and FIG. Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 4-4 in Figure 1, Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 5-5 in Figure 4, Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 5-5 in Figure 1. 7 is a longitudinal sectional plan view of the tank car of the present invention equipped with a deformed heat exchanger; FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6; 10 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a heat exchanger adopted in the present invention, FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial sectional view of another modification of the heat exchanger, and FIG. 11 is a heat exchanger using two heating units arranged above and below. Figure 12 shows an example of the heat exchanger similar to Figure 11 except that the upper heat exchanger is placed outside the tank, and Figure 13 shows a tank car. An embodiment using a pair of heating units with additional dead air space for heating is shown in Figure 14, in which the heat exchanger is mounted directly to the heating units inside the tank car without the use of brackets. FIG.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Heat exchanger means are arranged within the tank car above the bottom of the tank car. The heat exchanger means consists of a pair of heat exchanger units supported by the ends and side walls of the tank car, the heat exchanger units being directed from the ends of the tank car towards the center. Extend the container unit. Each heat exchanger unit has a spaced apart top wall, a bottom wall or a top plate, a bottom plate, and a plurality of spaced apart shields attached to the plates extending between the plates to form a plurality of spaced shields within the heat exchanger. constitute a shield or passageway. An inlet valve or tube is connected to the inner end of each heat exchanger unit to direct the heated water or steam in various directions through the heat exchanger by the above-mentioned shield and then from the heat exchanger unit downwardly into the tank. This water or steam is passed through an exhaust pipe or valve that passes through the vehicle. The periphery of the heat exchanger is supported on the ends and side walls of the tank car, creating a closed compartment or dead air space below the heat exchanger, providing a heat sink for the tank saddle and lower frame attached to the tank car. reduce To further accelerate the heating of the payload, an additional heating unit is placed adjacent to the top of the tank, and the payload is placed in a sanderch between opposing heating units. The heat exchange means may be provided with a drainage section communicating between the passageway and the drain pipe, which purges agglomerates of the heating medium formed during heating of the tank car.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference numeral 10 denotes a wheeled support means 1 of conventional design.
Only the parts of a conventional track tank car with 2 are shown. A storage container or tank 14 is connected to a tank saddle 16.
Mounted on the frame means 12 by conventional means such as. The tank 14 is approximately cylindrical,
The bottom 18 of the tank 14 slopes inwardly from the ends of the tank heads 20, 22 toward the drain valve assembly 26. A heat exchanger according to the present invention is attached to this ordinary tank car structure. This heat exchanger is designated by the reference numeral 28.

This heat exchanger 28 is identical to the heat exchanger units 30 and 30' except that it has mirror symmetry.
Equipped with. Since these units have the same structure, only the unit 30 will be described, and the same parts of the unit 30' are indicated by the same reference numerals of the unit 30 with a dash added.

The heat exchanger unit 30 includes a top plate 32 and a bottom plate 34, and a plurality of shield plates 36 are attached to the top plate and the bottom plate and extend between the top plate and the bottom plate, as shown clearly in FIG. , giving rise to a plurality of passageways 38. The peripheral edges of the plates 32 and 34 are attached to each other and sealed by a wall member 40 around them to form a heat exchange medium storage chamber 43. As clearly shown in FIG. 1, the inner end of the wall 40 is curved at 41 to match the shape of the upper end of the discharge valve 26. Connect the inlet port 42 to tank 1
4 and communicates with the interior of the heat exchanger as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. An outlet 44 also communicates with the bottom of the tank 14 and into the interior of the heat exchanger as shown in FIG.

In particular, this heat exchanger is specified as follows.

That is, the heat exchanger outer wall 40 is provided with a curved outer end portion 40a, a flat inner end portion 40b, a curved tank outlet enclosing portion 40c, and longitudinally extending flat side portions 40e and 40f that diverge inwardly from each other.

U-shaped outer shielding member 3 on the shielding plate or shielding means 36
3 is provided, and the legs 33a and 33b, which are surrounded by the wall 40 and extend vertically outward, are connected to the shielding member 3.
3, the legs are expanded outwardly, the outer ends 33c of the legs 33a and 33b are separated from the curved end 40a, and an inner end 33d extending laterally is provided, and the center curve is Tank drain 26 by section 33e
The inlet 42 is surrounded by a U-shaped outwardly directed concave portion 33f extending around a portion of the inlet 42.

The shielding means further includes longitudinally elongated fins or plates 3.
5 and 35 are provided adjacent to the wall portion 40b, and the curved portion 4
The plates 35 are connected to 0a, and these plates 35 are stopped in front of the inner end 33d. Legs 3 extending outwardly of a hairpin-shaped central shielding plate 37 extending in the vertical direction
7a, 37a are provided and extend to this side of the outer curved portion 40a, and the hairpin-shaped shielding plate 37 is further provided with an inner curved end portion 37b which is curved around a part of the outlet of the heat exchanger. A short center plate 39 extends slightly between the legs 37a, 37a.

The heat exchanger 32 has the same shield structure and does not require further explanation.

Reference numerals 46 and 48 indicate piping provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 34, which assist in discharging the aggregates that have aggregated within the heat exchanger toward the outlet or outlet 44. The shield plate 36 is provided with openings 49 at the pipes 46 and 48 to allow the aggregates in the passages to flow through the shield plate and to discharge the aggregates closely to the outlet 44.

As shown in FIG. 3, rods 50, 52 are welded to the inner surface of the sides of the tank. rod or bracket 54,
56 are attached to the sides of heat exchanger unit 30 and welded to rods 50 and 52, respectively. A rod or bracket 54 or 58 is attached to the outer end of the heat exchanger unit 30 and welded to the rod 50 or 52 on the inner surface of the tank head end 20 or 22.

All ends or portions of the heads 20, 22 may be first removed to convert this conventional tank car 10 into the heated tank car of the present invention. Next, bar 5
0.52 is preferably welded to the inner surface of the side wall of this tank. Furthermore, heat exchanger units 30, 3
0' into the tank, and then attach the bracket 54,
56 rests on the rods 50, 52 so that the inner end of the heat exchanger unit is located adjacent the exhaust valve 26. The bottom 18 of the tank is precut to provide an inlet and an outlet for a heat exchanger that extends downwardly through the bottom 18 of the tank car. Brackets 54, 56 are provided in place of heads 20, 22 as is conventional and are continuously welded to the inner surface of the tank head. New brackets 54 and 56 also have bars 50 and 5.
Weld to 2. The inner ends of the heat exchanger unit are welded together to create a closed compartment or dead air space 60 below the heat exchanger and bottom 18.

In use, a tank car containing a liquid commodity, steam or hot water is connected to the inlets 42, 42'. The incoming steam is passed around the exhaust valve 26 and then into the first
Move it to the passage indicated by the arrow in the figure, and then
4,44'. Heating of the material (load) by this heat exchanger initially causes the material contacting the heat exchanger to flow toward the discharge valve 26 with the aid of the weight of the material on top. This method of heating the load prevents overheating of the part of the material waiting for the top material. This method of heating the load prevents overheating of the portion of material waiting to begin flowing downward through the discharge valve. Providing a space 60 between the heat exchanger and the bottom of the tank prevents the undercarriage and saddle of the tank car from acting as a heat sink and provides more efficient heating of the load. The slope of the heat exchanger toward the discharge valve assists in material flow to the discharge valve 26.

A novel heated tank car is thus obtained, which allows for more effective heating of the load and prevents the formation of a "boot" of material on the bottom of the tank car. Heat exchanger unit and elements 46, 48
By sloping the heat exchanger, the build-up of agglomerates within the heat exchanger can be prevented and the serious problem of corrosion that normally occurs in the prior art can be solved.

Another aspect of the invention is the ability to remove heating medium agglomerates that form inside a heat exchanger during heating of a payload in a tank car.

This principle is illustrated in the following example of a heat exchanger shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

A heat exchanger means 128 consisting of a pair of heat exchanger units 130, 130 is mounted within the tank 114. Since the construction of these units is identical, only the left portion of the tank 114 supporting one of the heat exchanger units 130, 130 is shown. Heat exchanger 12, similar to heat exchanger 28 described with respect to FIGS.
8, the explanation of this support structure will be omitted.

The heat exchanger unit 130 includes an arcuate top plate 132 and an arcuate bottom plate 134, and a plurality of groove-shaped members 135, 137 constituted by shielding means of a corrugated member 139 inserted between them. It is supported between the top plate and the bottom plate. As shown in FIG. 8, the channels do not have equal cross-sectional areas. for example,
The channel member 135 is smaller than the channel member 137, and the smaller channel member 135 acts to direct the heating medium upwardly from the inlet 142 toward the tank head 120, and the channel member 137 directs the heating medium (steam) ) is directed downward toward the inlet 142.

In particular, in FIG. 7, a heating medium, such as steam, entering the heat exchanger means 128 through the inlet 142 is forced to travel upwardly through the narrow channel 135 and into the curved end 140a of the heat exchanger, whereupon the steam is divided into two parts, and the divided steam is passed along a pair of wide channel members 137, 137 to reach a small manifold 141, which directs the steam into a narrow channel. It is directed to the shaped members 135a, 135a. When the steam reaches the curved end 140a, this end directs the steam into the wide channel 137, 137a, which steam continues to flow through the channel 137, 13.
7a and reaches the inner wall 143.

The steam leaving the channel 135b then impinges on the curved end 140a, and the steam leaves the wide channel 135b.
The steam eventually reaches main manifold 145, which is redirected along b and communicates with the atmosphere through outlet 144. Alternatively, the delivered steam may be placed in a preheating chamber within a steam generator (not shown) that generates the steam.

By applying heat at the bottom of the load, as described above for the first embodiment shown in Figures 1-6,
The subsequent application of heat to the load creates rolling or circulating flow within the load. That is,
As the heated portion of the load rises through the load, the unheated portion of the load descends to the bottom, effectively mixing or rolling the load. This sufficiently uniform heating of the load allows for faster removal of the load;
It is possible to prevent the load from being subjected to heating that could cause it to burn or caramelize. Similar circulation of the load occurs in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

To increase the heating and flow of the load, this heat exchanger means 128 is provided with supply lines 147, 149,
151 will be provided. By widening the line of passage outwards toward the end of the tank, the flow of steam and condensate can be increased and the load heated more quickly. These supply lines connect the narrow channel member 135 and the wide channel member 137b.
and directs a portion of the steam entering the channel member 135 outward to the outermost channel member 137.
b, allowing the steam to quickly heat the end of the heat exchanger and heat the load more quickly. To further increase the heating and flow of the load,
The heat exchanger means 128 may be provided with additional supply lines 147a, 147b as specifically shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, groove-shaped members 137a, 13
Any agglomerates that form within 5b are removed from the inner wall 143
Flows downwardly toward the interior of the manifold 141 through the internal outlet 153 and into the channel members 137,1.
Binds to additional aggregates formed within 35a.
This additional agglomerate also flows toward the inner wall 143 and is then ultimately delivered through an outer outlet 155 that communicates with the outlet 144 . In this way, such evacuation means allow for the removal of agglomerates during the application of steam, and after the tank car has been emptied, sufficient gravity removes the agglomerates from the heat exchanger means. Can be discharged. Any agglomerates that form within the center channel 135 flow downwardly in the opposite direction of the flow of steam and exit through the outlet 142.

As shown in FIG. 8, corrugated members 139 are attached to top arcuate plate 132 and bottom arcuate plate 134 by suitable means such as welding. In this way, heating medium is prevented from flowing laterally between adjacent channels 135,137.

Supply lines 147, 149, 151, 147a and 14 extend through the walls forming the various channels.
Place 7b. However, in a preferred embodiment,
The various supply lines do not penetrate the walls of the channel, but are placed outside the channel. In FIG. 8, a supply line, for example supply line 147a, is attached to the exterior of the heat exchanger means by being attached to the underside of the bottom arcuate plate 134. Specific supply line 147
a extends between channels 135 and 135b and communicates with the channels.

As can be seen from the configuration of Figures 7 and 8, steam enters the inlet and ascends the central passage and then along the side passages. By means of this heat exchanger, the condensed water that has formed is rolled well below the steam, so that this steam quickly reaches the steam exiting from the bottom of the tank, and thus prevents any water or condensation through the passages. There is no need to push anything, so a quick purging of this heat exchanger system is possible.

Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 uses corrugated members 139 to construct a plurality of differently sized channels, it is clear that other means of constructing the channels may be employed. be. For example, as shown in FIG.
A series of longitudinal half-elliptical members 235a attached to the bottom arcuate plate 234 form a narrow channel member 235, and the adjacent half-elliptic members 235
A wide groove-shaped member 237 is formed by the space between a. The half-elliptic member 235a is connected to this heat exchanger 22.
8, a pair of vertical bars 259 are installed between the top arcuate plate 232 and the bottom arcuate plate 234, respectively. The vertical bars 259 together with the adjacent half-elliptic members 235a constitute a pair of groove-shaped members 235b adjacent to each of the vertical bars 159. The construction of the narrow channel 235 directing the steam upwardly and the wide channel 237 directing the steam downwardly in the return passage is the same as described for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, the 9th
As shown, the narrow channel member 235 formed by the half-elliptical member 235a is connected to the top arcuate plate 235.
2 and is separated by a wide channel 237 created between the bottom arcuate plate 234 and the adjacent half-oval member 235a. Alternatively, they are separated by a wide channel member 235b formed between the top arcuate plate 232, the bottom arcuate plate 234, and the vertical bar 159. As can be seen from the above example, other means for configuring the channel between the top arcuate plate 232 and the bottom arcuate plate 234 may be employed. The remaining structural details of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 are the same as those associated with the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8. In other words, the configurations of the inlet, outlet, and outlet are the same.

FIG. 10 shows a modified construction of heat exchanger means 328 having a plurality of channels or passageways 338 adjacent to each other and defined by vertical arcuate members 335 attached to top and bottom arcuate plates 332. .

FIG. 11 shows another variation of the heat exchanger means 428 having a pair of heat exchanger units 430a, 430b arranged opposite each other for applying heat to the load between the heat exchanger units. As described in the embodiments above, the dead air space 460
a, 460b insulate the heat exchanger unit from the wall of tank 414. As described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, supply lines 447 interconnect some of the channels.

FIG. 12 shows a pair of heat exchanger units 530 adapted to apply heat to the load inside tank 514.
Fig. 5 shows another variant of the heat exchanger means 528 with a, 530b. This heat exchanger unit 530a is similar to the heat exchanger unit described above. The heat exchanger unit 530b comprises a series of tubes arranged in an S-shape at the top of the tank 514. The configuration of the two heat exchanger units 530a, 530b provides heat to the load placed between them. Heat exchanger units 530a, 530b
Some of the channels within are interconnected by supply lines 557. A heat exchanger unit 530b is permanently attached to the top of tank 514 for heating loads such as sulfur which require large amounts of heat input for liquefaction purposes. Alternatively, heat exchanger unit 530b may be configured to be a portable unit that can be placed on top of tank 514, if desired.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 13 mounts the channel within a tank 614 with an additional dead air space 660c defined by upright walls 661.
These additional dead air spaces 660c cooperate with dead air spaces 660b to increase the transfer of heat from heating units 630a, 630b to the load in tank 614. As in the embodiments described above, supply lines, such as supply line 647, interconnect some of the channels within the heating unit.

FIG. 14 shows another method of attaching heat exchanger unit 730a to tank 714. Instead of using intermediate members such as brackets 54, 56 and rods 50, 52 shown in FIG. 3 to attach the heat exchanger unit to the tank, a continuous weld bead 430 attaches the outer periphery of the heating unit to the tank 714.
By attaching the heat exchanger unit 730a directly to the tank 714 by suitable means such as c., the intermediate member can be omitted.