System and method for heater vessel wall temperature reduction

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for heating fluidic material includes a sleeve positioned within a housing, with at least a portion of at least one heating element passing through the sleeve and an annulus defined by an exterior surface of the sleeve and an interior surface of the housing. A flow restrictor is positioned within the housing to control the flow of fluidic material through the sleeve relative to the flow of fluidic material through the annulus, the fluidic material through the annulus having a higher linear velocity than the flow through the sleeve.

1 . An apparatus for heating a fluid material, the apparatus comprising:
 a tubular housing defining a passageway therethrough and having an upstream end adapted to be operably coupled to an inlet stream of fluidic material and a downstream end having an outlet;   a sleeve positioned concentrically within the passageway and defining an annulus between the sleeve and an inner diameter of the housing, the sleeve having a sleeve passage therethrough, the annulus and the sleeve passage each being in communication with the passageway so that when fluidic materials flow through the passageway, a portion of the fluidic material flows through the annulus and another portion of the fluidic materials flow through the sleeve passage;   one or more heating elements positioned within the outer housing with at least a portion of each of the one or more heating elements positioned within at least a portion of the sleeve; and   a flow restrictor positioned to restrict the flow of the fluidic material through the sleeve passage.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor causes a linear velocity of the fluidic materials in the annulus is greater than a linear velocity of the fluidic materials in the sleeve passage. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises one or more apertures therethrough, and wherein a combined cross-sectional area of the apertures is less than a cross sectional area of the sleeve passage. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a cone having a large opening at a first end and a small opening at a second end, the small opening being smaller than the large opening. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor is nearer the downstream end of the passageway than the sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid flowing through the annulus becomes turbulent. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a cone having a frustoconical shape, and wherein fluid flowing through the sleeve flows through an interior of the cone and fluid flowing through the annulus flows along an exterior of the cone. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a variable flow restrictor, the variable flow restrictor being adapted to change the volume of fluid flow through the sleeve passage in response to conditions within the tubular housing. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the conditions within the tubular housing are selected from a group consisting of a temperature of the tubular housing, a temperature of the fluidic material at the outlet, and the flow rate of the fluidic material. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a variable flow restrictor having a thermal expansion element, the thermal expansion element expanding in response to increased temperature, the expansion causing the flow restrictor to reduce flow through the sleeve passage. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross sectional area of the sleeve passage is about 5-10 times greater than the cross sectional area of the annulus. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross sectional area of the sleeve passage is at least six times greater than the cross sectional area of the annulus. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for heating a fluidic material, the apparatus comprising:
 a tubular housing that defines a passageway, wherein an upstream end of the passageway is adapted to be operably coupled to an inlet stream of fluidic material and a downstream end of the passageway comprises an outlet;   a sleeve positioned concentrically within the passageway and defining an annulus between the sleeve and an inner diameter of the housing, the sleeve having a sleeve passage therethrough, the annulus and the sleeve passage each being in communication with the passageway so that when fluidic materials flow through the passageway, a portion of the fluidic material flow through the annulus and another portion of the fluidic materials flow through the sleeve passage;   one or more heating elements positioned within the outer housing so that at least a portion of each of the one or more heating elements extends through at least a portion of the sleeve passage; and   a flow restrictor positioned to reduce the flow of fluidic materials through the sleeve passage so that the linear velocity of the fluidic materials in the annulus is greater than the linear velocity of the fluidic materials in the sleeve passage.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a cone having a large opening at a first end and a small opening at a second end, the small opening being smaller than the large opening. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the fluid flowing through the annulus becomes turbulent after flowing past the flow restrictor. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a variable flow restrictor, the variable flow restrictor being adapted to change the volume of fluid flow through the sleeve passage in response to conditions within the tubular housing. 
     
     
         17 . A method for heating fluidic material, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) placing a sleeve inside a housing and creating an annulus therebetween;   (b) positioning at least one heating element within the housing so that at least a portion of the heating element passes through the sleeve; and   (c) flowing a fluidic material through the housing, a portion of the fluidic material flowing through the annulus and a portion of the fluidic material flowing through the sleeve, the portion of fluid flowing through the annulus having a higher linear velocity than the portion of fluid flowing through the sleeve.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein step (c) further comprises the step of positioning a flow restrictor in the housing, the flow restrictor restricting the flow of fluidic material through the sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein step (c) further comprises the step of reducing the flow of the fluidic materials through the sleeve in response to the temperature of the fluidic materials. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the step of merging the flow of fluidic material from the annulus with the flow of fluidic material from the sleeve.