Primary Inventor: Krishna P. Singh
Contributing Inventor: Joseph Rajkumar
Date: Nov. 29, 2022
Status: Granted
Jurisdiction: US
Assignee: Holtec International
Equipment Type: Heat Exchanger
Docket Number: HOL-119
Application Number: 16/381,728
Patent Number: US 11,512,902 B2

Prior Publication Data: US 2019/0234689 A1, Aug. 1, 2019

Related U.S. Application Data:

  • Continuation-in-part of application No. 16/173,313, filed on Oct. 29, 2018, now Pat. No. US 11,306,972 B2.
  • Provisional application No. 62/580,125, filed on Nov. 1, 2017, provisional application No. 62/630,573, filed on Feb. 14, 2018, provisional application No. 62/655,858, filed on Apr. 11, 2018.

Abstract: An axial flow baffle for a shell and tube heat exchanger includes a substantially planar body configured for transverse arrangement in a longitudinally elongated shell of the shell and tube heat exchanger, a plurality of axial flow tube apertures each comprising a central tube hole configured to receive a tube of the heat exchanger, and an array of peripheral primary flow holes circumferentially spaced apart around the tube hole. The primary flow holes each interrupt the central tube hole and formed a radially inward projecting tube support protrusions between the primary flow holes which engage a single tube. Each primary flow hole has a non-polygonal configuration, which may be semicircular in some embodiments. The primary flow holes create axial flow around the periphery of the tubes through the baffles. In another aspect, a hybrid cross-flow baffle includes a combination of axial flow tube apertures and circular tube support holes.