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, first heat transfer plates for cooling the bulk solids that flow substantially vertically from the inlet through spaces between adjacent first 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, second heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent first heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank, through spaces between adjacent second heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank;   a third heat transfer plate bank disposed 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, third heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent second heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank, through spaces between adjacent third heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank, toward the outlet,   wherein the second heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset from the first heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank such that the second heat transfer plates are not vertically aligned with the first heat transfer plates, and the third heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank are horizontally offset from the first heat transfer plates of the first heat transfer plate bank and from the second heat transfer plates of the second heat transfer plate bank such that the third heat transfer plates are not vertically aligned with the first heat transfer plates and are not vertically aligned with the second heat transfer plates.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the second heat transfer plates are horizontally offset by about a third of a distance between adjacent first heat transfer plates, and the third heat transfer plates are horizontally offset by about two thirds of the distance. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , 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, fourth heat transfer plates for cooling or heating the bulk solids that flow from the spaces between adjacent third heat transfer plates of the third heat transfer plate bank, through spaces between fourth heat transfer plates of the fourth heat transfer plate bank, to the outlet,   wherein the fourth heat transfer plates of the fourth bank are horizontally offset from the first heat transfer plates, the second heat transfer plates, and the third heat transfer plates, such that the fourth heat transfer plates are not vertically aligned with the first heat transfer plates, with the second heat transfer plates, or with the first heat transfer plates.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein one of the second heat transfer plates, the third heat transfer plates, or the fourth heat transfer plates are horizontally offset by about a half of a distance between adjacent first heat transfer plates. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the second heat transfer plates are horizontally offset from the first heat transfer plates by about a quarter of the distance between adjacent first heat transfer plates, the third heat transfer plates are horizontally offset by about half the distance, and the fourth heat transfer plates are horizontally offset by about three quarters of the distance. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , comprising a first fluid inlet manifold in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of each first heat transfer plate for providing cooling fluid or heating fluid to each first heat transfer plate, and a first fluid discharge manifold in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of each first heat transfer plate for receiving cooling fluid or heating fluid discharged from each first heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , comprising a second fluid inlet manifold in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of each second heat transfer plate to provide cooling fluid or heating fluid to each second heat transfer plate, and a second fluid discharge manifold in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of each second heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , comprising a fluid inlet manifold in fluid communication with each second heat transfer plate, and a fluid discharge manifold in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of each second heat transfer plate. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein a fluid outlet of each second heat transfer plate is coupled to fluid inlets of the first heat transfer plates to provide cooling fluid or heating fluid from each second heat transfer plate to the first heat transfer plates, and wherein a fluid outlet of each of the first heat transfer plates is coupled to the fluid discharge manifold. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the first heat transfer plates is vertically spaced from a top of the second heat transfer plates. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein a bottom of the second heat transfer plates is vertically spaced from a top of the third heat transfer plates. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first heat transfer plates have a vertical height that is greater than a vertical height of the third heat transfer plates.