Patent ID: 8371153

Claim:
An apparatus for purging gases released from a heat exchanger, the apparatus comprising: an enclosure configured to receive at least a portion of the heat exchanger, the enclosure defining an interior space wherein the enclosure comprises at least one side defining an aperture for receiving an end of the heat exchanger and forming a hermetic seal with the heat exchanger such that the enclosure and the heat exchanger together define and seal the interior space; a gas source configured to deliver an inert gas to the interior space of the enclosure at a pressure higher than an ambient pressure outside the gas source and the enclosure, the enclosure being adapted to maintain a positive pressure difference between the interior space and the ambient pressure; a detector configured to detect a leak of a gas from the heat exchanger into the interior space of the enclosure; a pressure relief device configured to release gas from the interior space of the enclosure if the pressure in the interior space exceeds a predetermined level; and a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of a first gas and a flow of a second gas and transfer thermal energy between the first and second gas, the heat exchanger including a plurality of tubes for receiving the flow of the first gas and a header for connecting ends of the tubes, the header being located at least partially in the interior space of the enclosure such that gas leaked from the header is received in the enclosure and diluted by the inert gas therein.