Abstract: An air-cooled heat exchanger has a frame assembly that has a plurality of keyed structural members, where each of the plurality of keyed structural members is interconnected to a corresponding one of the plurality of keyed structural members with a unique mortise and tenon connection joint. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing and assembling the frame assembly that begins with the step of providing a plurality of keyed structural members that each have a first connection joint component that is uniquely matched to a second connection joint component. The method continues with the step of assembling the frame assembly by interconnecting each of the plurality of keyed structural members using the first and second connection joint components. The method ends with the step of permanently connecting the frame assembly by permanently fastening each of the plurality of keyed structural members.

Abstract: An air-cooled heat exchanger includes a plenum with a fan ring positioned adjacent to the plenum. Support columns support the plenum and the fan ring on a support surface. An X-brace assembly includes a motor mount with leg members extending radially from the motor mount. Each of the leg members is connected to a single corresponding one of the support columns so that the leg members extend between the motor mount and the support columns. A motor including a drive shaft is mounted to the motor mount of the X-brace assembly. A fan having fan blades is mounted to the drive shaft of the motor. The fan is positioned within the fan ring between the motor and the fan ring opening.

Abstract: A transport container for transporting a hub and vanes of a fan prior to assembly of the fan includes a body having a floor and defining an interior having a top opening. The transport container also includes a lid that removably covers the top opening. A divider wall is positioned within the interior so that the interior is divided into first and second internal compartments that hold the vanes of the fan. A hub post is positioned within the interior of the body. The hub post has a bottom end portion attached to the floor and a top end portion that is inserted into a central opening of the hub of the fan.

Abstract: An air-cooled heat exchanger includes a plenum having an intake and a discharge, a cooling tube assembly inside the plenum, a fan assembly that has a fan, an engine positioned outside the plenum, and an internal drive assembly. The internal drive assembly is configured to transfer torque from the engine to the fan. The internal drive assembly is contained inside the plenum.

Abstract: An air-cooled heat exchanger has a frame assembly, a plenum supported by the frame assembly, an engine and a fan assembly. The engine includes a drive shaft and the fan assembly includes a fan connected to a fan shaft. The fan assembly is configured to move air through the plenum. The air-cooled heat exchanger also includes a drive assembly connected between the engine and the fan assembly. The drive assembly has a fan shaft sheave connected to the fan shaft, a driver sheave connected to the drive shaft, an idler pulley, and a drive belt in contact with the fan shaft sheave, driver sheave and idler pulley. The air-cooled heat exchanger has an idler bearing adjustment mechanism that is configured to adjust tension on the drive belt by adjusting the position of the idler pulley relative to the drive belt.

Abstract: A boxed header is formed from an exterior side plate, an interior side plate, a top plate, a bottom plate, a first end plate and a second end plate. The top plate is connected to the exterior side plate and the interior side plate with welded joints that are formed at the juncture between J-beveled top edges on the exterior side plate and the interior side plate that support the weight of the top plate during assembly. Once the top plate has been secured, the boxed header can be rotated and the bottom plate is attached to the exterior side plate and the interior side plate with welded joints that are formed at the juncture between J-beveled bottom edges on the exterior side plate and the interior side plate that support the weight of the bottom plate during assembly.

Abstract: A split bay forced draft air-cooled heat exchanger includes first and second bay sub-assemblies. Each sub-assembly includes a tube bundle, a plenum half positioned under the tube bundle and base beams supporting the tube bundle and the plenum half. Also included is a fan assembly having a fan, a fan motor and a drive assembly and a machinery mount upon which the fan assembly is mounted. The machinery mount is attached to base beams of the first bay sub-assembly and is configured to removably attach to base beams of the second sub-assembly with the fan configured to force air into a plenum made up of the plenum halves and across the tube bundles.

Abstract: An air-cooled heat exchanger has a plenum, an engine, and a fan assembly driven by the engine and configured to move air through the plenum. The fan assembly has a fan, a fan shaft connected to the fan, and a fan shaft bearing assembly that supports the fan shaft. The fan shaft bearing assembly has a fan shaft bearing and a vertical adjustment mechanism that selectively controls the vertical position of the fan shaft bearing. The air-cooled heat exchanger may optionally include a horizontal adjustment mechanism that selectively controls the horizontal position of the fan shaft bearing.

Abstract: An air-cooled heat exchanger is connectable between an upstream fluid source and a downstream fluid destination by a plurality of external pipes having connection ends arranged in one or more external pipe connection configurations. The air-cooled heat exchanger has a cooling tubes assembly that includes a plurality of headers, a plurality of intermediate pipes connected to the plurality of headers, and a modular manifold system that connects the plurality of intermediate pipes to the plurality of external pipes. The modular manifold system includes a plurality of pipe elbows each connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of intermediate pipes, and one or more trays. Each of the plurality of pipe elbows is retained within the one or more trays in a configuration that matches the one or more external pipe connection configurations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting personnel required to work inside of a heat exchanger unit when the cooling air fan has been taken out service for maintenance or repair of the fan or other mechanical equipment, while hot fluid continues to flow through the heat exchanger tubes, and adjacent heat exchanger units continue to operate. An inflatable heat shield is inserted into the out of service heat exchanger unit, and inflated therein to block the convective heat generated by the hot fluid and the adjacent operating units from reaching the personnel working inside the heat exchanger unit.

Abstract: A seal joint for an arrangement for separating a gas and liquid mixture, the arrangement having a vessel with an inlet for entry of the gas and liquid mixture and an outlet for exit of a separated gas, and a centrifugal separation cyclone in the vessel for centrifugally separating the gas from the mixture. The vessel includes an internal tubular member having an open end and an inlet tube having an open end extending toward the open end of the internal tubular member. A seal joint ring is fixed to the open end of the internal tubular member. The ring has an annular trough which is open toward the open end of the inlet tube and a gasket is provided in the trough and is engaged by the open end of the inlet tube for sealing the open end of the inlet tube to the open end of the internal tubular member.

Abstract: A low pressure drop inlet arrangement for an absorber having straight walls has a perforated tray positioned above the gas inlet opening between the walls of the absorber. A ring around the outer edge of the tray lacks perforations, or the perforations are covered. A drip ledge may be positioned on the bottom of the tray around the inner edge of the non-perforated ring. Baffles are positioned over the tray as well. The baffles may extend between the walls of the absorber, or they may only occupy the space over the perforations in the tray and the size of the tray perforations may be varied to control the overall pressure drop. An absorber made in accordance with the invention experiences a low pressure drop at the gas inlet opening.

Abstract: A high-efficiency secondary cyclone separator used in combination with a high-efficiency primary separator produces a gas stream having low liquid content in gas for a feed stream having either a high or low liquid loading. A high surface area to volume coalescing material is combined with the secondary cyclone separator to create a more efficient gas-oil centrifugal separator system.

Abstract: An integrated heat pipe vent condenser for a heat pipe steam condenser has a vent condenser casing surrounding one or more heat pipes in a vapor duct of the heat pipe steam condenser. The casing may be provided at an inclined orientation relative to a vertical axis of the heat pipe steam condenser. A plurality of baffles are positioned within the casing to provide a serpentine path for a vapor flow entering the casing from the vapor duct to pass through. Condensable gases from the vapor flow condense on the heat pipes and baffles and condensate is drained back into the vapor duct for removal through a drain or downcomer having a trap to prevent vapor flow from entering the downcomer.

Abstract: A heat pipe has an elliptical cross-section. Heat exchange fins are mounted to the heat pipe at the condenser end. The fins are galvanized on the heat pipe. Spacer pins can be used to support and space the heat exchange fins from each other. Internal spacers can be provided within the heat pipe to add support to the heat pipe structure for longer heat pipes.

Abstract: A seal joint is for an arrangement for separating a gas and liquid mixture having a vessel with an inlet for entry of the gas and liquid mixture and an outlet for exit of a separated gas, and a centrifugal separation cyclone in the vessel for centrifugally separating the gas from the mixture. The joint requires the vessel to have an internal vessel flange defining a flange opening. An inlet tube extends into the flange opening. A first retaining ring having a first outer ring which engages the flange, also has a first inner ring portion extending around the inlet tube in the flange opening. A second retaining ring has a second outer ring engaged with the flange and a second inner ring extending around the inlet tube in the flange opening. An O-ring is engaged around the inlet tube and between the first and second inner rings and fastening bolts are use for fastening the first and second outer rings to the flange, around the flange opening for deforming the O-ring against the inlet tube.

Abstract: A debur tool for simultaneously removing burrs from holes in a workpiece, such as those in a header box tube sheet, also has a beveled surface adjacent a cutting edge for chamfering an edge of the hole from which a burr is removed. The cutting edge is horizontally offset from a shaft carrying the cutting edge.

Abstract: A gas/oil separation system for monitoring the performance of a compact, gas/oil separator apparatus which utilizes at least one pair of centrifugal force primary and secondary separators for separating a wellhead fluid containing crude oil, produced water, and hydrocarbon gas from a hydrocarbon production system into its gas and liquid parts employs relatively simple differential pressure instrumentation for producing real-time signals representative of the compact, gas/oil separator apparatus' liquid carryover performance.

Abstract: An apparatus for the controlled heating of a process fluid has a heater, a process fluid vessel containing the process fluid, and a bundle of thermosyphons extending between a burner chamber of the heater and the process fluid inside the vessel for transferring heat from the heater to the process fluid. Burners in the burner chamber are controlled to maintain the bulk temperature of the process fluid T.sub.BULK substantially within an operating range defined by preset upper T.sub.HIGH and lower T.sub.LOW temperature setpoints. The burners can be turned on to maintain an outside metal temperature T.sub.EVAP of the evaporator ends of the thermosyphons above a preset dew point temperature T.sub.DEW to prevent corrosion. The burners can also be shut down if an outside surface temperature T.sub.OD of at least one of the condenser ends of the thermosyphons extending into the vessel exceeds a predetermined setpoint temperature T.sub.ALARM.

Abstract: A two-stage steam condenser that prevents freezing from occurring in the tube rows by continual purging of the tube rows. Such continual purging prevents any steam from back-flowing into a tube row thereby eliminating the possibility that condensate or noncondensable gases will become trapped therein. This is achieved by isolating each of the tube rows in the second stage of the condenser so that the pressure of one tube row is not exposed to the pressure occurring in another adjacent tube row. The condensate collected in the various tube rows of this second stage is delivered to a common drain pot that is hydraulically balanced to accommodate the various pressures in these tube rows. Such hydraulic balancing also prevents any back-flowing from occurring from one tube row into another.