Patent ID: 7051797

Claim:
A heat exchanger, comprising: a) a shell having a shell-sided supply and a shell-sided discharge through which a first medium under pressure can flow; b) a tube plate fixed to the shell, the tube plate extending generally in a plane and including: i) a back face ii) a top face, iii) a plurality of supply tube bores and a plurality of discharge tube bores extending substantially transversely to the plane of the tube plate from the back face to the top face, and each tube bore extends through the back face and through the top face, each tube bore having a first diameter segment adjacent to the top face, the first diameter segment having a constant diameter, and a second diameter segment spaced between the back face and the top face, the second diameter segment having a diameter less than the diameter of the first diameter segment, the tube bores are sealed with plugs that extend through the top face, the plugs comprise a body part, a sealing member, and a clamping member, wherein the clamping member is attached to the body part and the sealing ring is arranged between the clamping member and the body part; iv) at least two connecting channels located in the plane of the tube plate and extending generally transversely to the supply tube bores and the discharge tube bores, a first one of the connecting channels crossing at least a first plurality of the supply tube bores whereby the first plurality of supply tube bores are in flow communication with the first connecting channel, and a second one of the connecting channels crossing at least a first plurality of the discharge tube bores whereby the first plurality of discharge tube bores are in flow communication with the second connecting channel; and v) a tube-sided supply in flow communication with the first connecting channel and a tube-sided discharge in flow communication with the second connecting channel; and c) a nest of tubes extending at least partly within the shell, each tube having a supply side connected to a respective one of the supply tube bores and a discharge side connected to a respective one of the discharge tube bores.