Patent ID: 10088255

Abstract:
Heat transfer equipment often loses heat transfer capacity due to fouling and scaling which results in lost economic value in the form of lost heat, production, and the labor required for cleaning the equipment. A heat exchanger is provided, including: a first means of fluid communication to a shell (5); a second means of fluid communication to the shell; a flow diverter (2) for reversing the flow of fluid from the shell and the first and second means of communication; a tube (6) within the shell in fluid communication with both the first and second means of fluid communication; and a brush positionable within first and second brush housings (3), the brush housings positioned respectively on the first and second means of fluid communication, the brush moveable with the flow of fluid through the tube; wherein the tube is expandable independent of the shell. The tube is fixed to only one end of the shell without using tubesheets.