Heat exchanger for cooling or heating bulk solids

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a housing that includes an inlet for receiving bulk solids and an outlet for discharging the bulk solids. A first heat transfer plate bank is disposed between the inlet and the outlet. The first heat transfer plate bank includes a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, substantially parallel heat transfer plates for cooling the bulk solids that flow from the inlet, through spaces between adjacent plates. A second heat transfer plate bank is disposed between the first bank and the outlet. The second bank includes plurality of horizontally spaced apart, substantially parallel heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent plates of the first bank, through spaces between adjacent plates of the second bank, to the outlet. The plates of the second bank are horizontally offset from the plates of the first bank such that the plates of the second bank are not in vertically aligned with the plates of the first bank.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a housing including an inlet for receiving bulk solids, and an outlet for discharging the bulk solids;   a first heat transfer plate bank disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the first heat transfer plate bank comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, substantially parallel heat transfer plates for cooling the bulk solids that flow substantially vertically from the inlet through spaces between adjacent heat transfer plates;   a second heat transfer plate bank disposed between the first heat transfer plate bank and the outlet, the second heat transfer plate bank comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, substantially parallel heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank, through spaces between adjacent heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank, to the outlet;   wherein the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset from the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank such that the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are not vertically aligned with the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset relative to the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank by about half of a distance between adjacent heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a third heat transfer plate bank disposed in the housing, between the second heat transfer plate bank and the outlet, the third heat transfer plate bank comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, substantially parallel heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank, through spaces between heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank, to the outlet;   wherein the heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset from the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank and the second heat transfer plate bank such that the heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank are not vertically aligned with the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank and are not vertically aligned with the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the heat transfer plates of one of the second heat transfer plate bank and the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about a third of a distance between adjacent heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank, and the heat transfer plates of the other of the second heat transfer plate bank and the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about two thirds of the distance. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about a third of the distance, and the heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about two thirds of the distance. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about one third of the distance, and the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about two thirds of the distance. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , comprising:
 a fourth heat transfer plate bank disposed in the housing, between the third heat transfer plate bank and the outlet, the fourth heat transfer plate bank comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, substantially parallel heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank, through spaces between heat transfer plates of the fourth heat transfer plate bank, to the outlet;   wherein the heat transfer plates of the fourth bank are horizontally offset from the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank, the second heat transfer plate bank, and third heat transfer plate bank such that the heat transfer plates of the fourth heat transfer plate bank are not vertically aligned with the heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank, are not vertically with the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank, and are not vertically aligned with the heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein the heat transfer plates of one of the second heat transfer plate bank, the third heat transfer plate bank, and the fourth heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about a half of a distance between adjacent heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein the heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about a quarter of a distance between adjacent heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank, the heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset by about half the distance, and the heat transfer plates of the fourth bank are horizontally offset by about three quarters of the distance. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , comprising a first fluid inlet manifold in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank for providing cooling fluid or heating fluid to each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank, and a first fluid discharge manifold in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank for receiving cooling fluid or heating fluid discharged from each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , comprising a second fluid inlet manifold in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank to provide cooling fluid or heating fluid to each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank, and a second fluid discharge manifold in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank to receive cooling fluid or heating fluid discharged from each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , comprising a fluid inlet manifold in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank for providing cooling fluid or heating fluid to each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank, and a fluid discharge manifold in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank to receive cooling fluid or heating fluid discharged from each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein a fluid outlet of each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank is in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of each heat transfer plate of the first heat transfer plate bank to provide cooling fluid or heating fluid from each heat transfer plate of the second heat transfer plate bank to the respective heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank.