Patent ID: 9683732
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: F22B,F28D,F28F

Claim:
1. A tube and shell steam generator comprising: an elongated shell having an axis extending along the elongated dimension; a tube sheet within the shell supported substantially transverse to the axis; a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending axially from the tube sheet within the shell, with the plurality of heat exchange tubes forming a tube bundle in which a primary fluid passes within the heat exchange tubes and a secondary fluid passes around the outside of the heat exchange tubes; and a plurality of tandemly spaced tube support plates respectively positioned substantially transverse to the axis and extending substantially over a width of the tube bundle, with substantially each of the plurality of heat exchange tubes passing through a separate, corresponding tube support hole axially extending through at least some of the tube support plates, wherein the tube support plates are designed to pass the secondary fluid through the tube support holes in the tube support plates with a flow of the fluid regulated so the flow is larger through some of the tube support holes of the tube support plates than other of the tube support holes of the tube support plates.