Support for a tube bundle

Abstract

A support for a bundle of tubes, which support has more than one transverse support plates spaced apart along the direction of the tubes to be supported, and which support plates are provided with openings for accommodating the tubes, wherein the support plates are segmental baffle support elements and expanded metal support elements.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising a bundle of tubes supported by a plurality of support elements transverse to and spaced apart along the direction of the tubes to be supported, said plurality of support elements comprising at least one double segmental expanded metal support element. 
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of support elements additionally comprises at least one single segmental baffle support element. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein two of the plurality of support elements are single segmental baffle support elements and as least one double segmental expanded metal support element is arranged intermediate thereto. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger comprises a vertical heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein a plurality of double segmental expanded metal support elements are arranged intermediate to two single segmental baffle support elements 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the double segmental expanded metal support element is formed from a double segmental metal sheet, which is welded to a support ring and support strips so as to form a double segmental expanded metal support element having two windows. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of double segmental expanded metal support elements is formed from a double segmental metal sheet, which is welded to a support ring and support strips so as to form a double segmental expanded metal support element having two windows. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein there are no tubes in the windows formed by the single segmental baffle support elements or the double segmental expanded metal support elements. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein said heat exchanger comprises a vertical heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5 , wherein the spacing between the single segmental baffle support elements is approximately 1.5 meters.