MODULAR MULTI-PHASE HEAT EXCHANGER SYSTEMS

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/727,015 filed Dec. 2, 2024, and entitled “Modular Multi-Phase Heat Exchanger Systems,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to systems for exchanging heat or thermal energy between separate fluid flows that do not come into direct contact with one another during the heat exchange process. Generally, heat exchangers are essential components in various industrial systems are typically used to transfer thermal energy between two separate fluid streams. Among the various types of existing heat exchangers, shell-and-tube heat exchangers are among the most widely used due to their robustness, versatility, and efficiency in handling a range of pressures, temperatures, and fluid types. Particularly, shell-and-tube heat exchangers generally include a series of tubes (generally referred to as a “tube bundle”) sealably enclosed within a surrounding outer shell. A first fluid flows inside the tubes of the tube bundle while a separate second fluid flows through the shell external the tube bundle such that the second fluid is physically separated by the walls of the various tubes to prevent the first and second fluids from coming into direct contact while still permitting the transfer of heat across the walls of the various tubes and between the first and second fluid flows.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of a heat exchanger system comprises a shell-side manifold comprising a plurality of shell-side ports spaced along the shell-side manifold, a tube-side manifold comprising a plurality of tube-side ports spaced along the tube-side manifold, a plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers fluidically connected in parallel between the shell-side manifold and the tube-side manifold, wherein each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers comprises a shell extending between an open shell end and an enclosed shell end and comprising an inlet shell port and a discharge shell port, a header extending an open header end and an enclosed header end and comprising an inlet header port and a discharge header port, wherein the open header end is sealably coupled to the open shell end of the shell, a shell inlet valve fluidically connected between one of the plurality of shell-side ports and the inlet shell port, a header inlet valve fluidically connected between one of the plurality of tube-side ports and the inlet header port, and a tube bundle coupled between the header and the shell and comprising a plurality of tubes extending through the shell and in fluid communication with the header inlet port and the header discharge port and sealed from the shell inlet port and the shell discharge port. In some embodiments, the shell inlet valve and the header inlet valve are each manually actuatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In some embodiments, the shell inlet valve and the header inlet valve are of each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers is each remotely actuatable between an open configuration placing the heat exchanger in an activated state in fluid communication with the shell-side manifold and the tube-side manifold, and a closed configuration placing the heat exchanger in an isolated state sealed from the shell-side manifold and the tube-side manifold in response to receiving at least one of an opening signal and a closing signal. In certain embodiments, the heat exchanger system comprises a system controller in signal communication with the shell inlet valve and the header inlet valve of each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers for selectably shifting one or more of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers between the activated state and the isolated state. In certain embodiments, the heat exchanger system comprises a flow rate sensor in fluid communication with the shell-side manifold, wherein the system controller is configured to shift one or more of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers from the isolated state to the activated state in response to an increase in a flow rate of a fluid flow entering the shell-side manifold. In some embodiments, the shell-side manifold comprises a gas manifold configured to receive a gas fluid flow and the tube-side manifold comprises a liquid manifold configured to receive a liquid fluid flow. In some embodiments, the shell-side manifold comprises an inlet shell-side manifold and the plurality of shell-side ports comprises a plurality of inlet shell-side ports, the tube-side manifold comprises an inlet tube-side manifold and the plurality of tube-side ports comprises a plurality of inlet tube-side ports, and the heat exchanger system further comprises a discharge shell-side manifold comprising a plurality of discharge shell-side ports spaced along the discharge shell-side manifold and coupled to the discharge shell ports of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers, and a discharge tube-side manifold comprising a plurality of discharge tube-side ports spaced along the discharge tube-side manifold and coupled to the discharge header ports of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers. In certain embodiments, the tube bundle of each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers comprises one or more baffles for directing a shell-side flowpath of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. In certain embodiments, the one or more baffles of each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers comprises an orthogonal baffle plate and a longitudinal baffle plate coupled to the orthogonal baffle plate whereby the orthogonal baffle plate extends orthogonally from the longitudinal baffle plate. In some embodiments, the longitudinal baffle plate of the one or more baffles of each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers is positioned in a longitudinal gap formed between a first section of each of the plurality of tubes extending between an inlet of the tube and a bend of the tube, and a second section of each of the plurality of tubes extending between the bend of the tube and a discharge of the tube.

An embodiment of a heat exchanger system comprises a first manifold comprising a plurality of first-side ports spaced along the first manifold, a second manifold comprising a plurality of second-side ports spaced along the second manifold, a plurality of heat exchangers fluidically connected in parallel between the first manifold and the second manifold, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers comprises a first inlet port and a second discharge port defining a first flowpath extending therebetween, a second inlet port and a second discharge port defining a second flowpath extending therebetween that is sealed from the first flowpath, a first inlet valve fluidically connected between one of the plurality of first-side ports and the first inlet port, and a second inlet valve fluidically connected between one of the plurality of second-side ports and the second inlet port, a flow rate sensor coupled to the first manifold and configured to monitor a first flowrate of a first fluid flowing into the first manifold, and a system controller in signal communication with the first inlet valve and the second inlet valve of each heat exchanger and the flow rate sensor, wherein the system controller is configured to shift one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers from an isolated state isolated from the first fluid to an activated state in fluid communication with the first fluid in response to an increase in the first flowrate. In some embodiments, the system controller is configured to shift one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers from the isolated state to the activated state in response to the first flowrate exceeding a predefined flowrate. In certain embodiments, the system controller is configured to shift one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers from the activated state to the isolated state in response to a decrease in the first flowrate. In certain embodiments, the system controller is configured to shift one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers from the isolated state to the activated state in response to the first flowrate falling below a predefined flowrate. In some embodiments, the system controller is configured to shift one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers between the isolated state and the activated state in response to receiving a user command. In some embodiments, the plurality of heat exchangers each comprises a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. In certain embodiments, each of the plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers comprises a shell-side flowpath configured to receive a gas fluid flow, and a tube-side flowpath sealed from the shell-side flowpath and which is configured to receive a liquid fluid flow.

An embodiment of a fluid system comprises a production flowline configured to receive a gas fluid flow from one or more hydrocarbon production wellbores, a liquid flowline that receives a liquid fluid flow, and one or more shell-and-tube heat exchangers in fluid communication with the production flowline, wherein each of the one or more shell-and-tube heat exchangers comprises a shell extending between an open shell end and an enclosed shell end and comprising an inlet shell port fluidically connected to the production flowline, and a discharge shell port, a header extending an open header end and an enclosed header end and comprising an inlet header port fluidically connected to the liquid flowline, and a discharge header port, wherein the open header end is sealably coupled to the open shell end of the shell, a tube bundle coupled between the header and the shell and comprising a plurality of tubes extending through the shell and in fluid communication with the header inlet port and the header discharge port and sealed from the shell inlet port and the shell discharge port, and a shell-side side flowpath extending between the inlet shell port and the discharge shell port and which is configured to receive the gas fluid flow, and a tube-side flowpath extending between the inlet header port and the discharge header port and which is configured to receive the liquid fluid flow whereby heat is transferred from the gas fluid flow to the liquid fluid flow. In certain embodiments, the gas fluid flow comprises natural gas. In some embodiments, the fluid system comprises an electrical generator configured to receive the liquid fluid flow.

Embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features and characteristics intended to address various shortcomings associated with certain prior devices, systems, and methods. The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical characteristics of the disclosed embodiments in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. The various characteristics and features described above, as well as others, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes as the disclosed embodiments. It should also be realized that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the principles disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a fluid system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the heat exchanger system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the heat exchanger system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the heat exchanger system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a tube bundle according to some embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a zoomed-in side view of the tube bundle of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another heat exchanger system according to some embodiments; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a computer system according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.

Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary. Where numerical ranges or limitations are expressly stated, such express ranges or limitations should be understood to include iterative ranges or limitations of like magnitude falling within the expressly stated ranges or limitations (e.g., from about 1 to about 10 includes, 2, 3, 4, etc. ; greater than 0.10 includes 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, etc.).

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” As used herein, the phrases “consist(s) of” and “consisting of” are used to refer to exclusive components of a composition, meaning only those expressly recited components are included in the composition; whereas the phrases “consist(s) essentially of” and “consisting essentially of” are used to refer to the primary components of a composition, meaning that only small or trace amounts of components other than the expressly recited components (e.g., impurities, byproducts, etc.) may be included in the composition. For example, a composition consisting of X and Y refers to a composition that only includes X and Y, and thus, does not include any other components, and a composition consisting essentially of X and Y refers to a composition that primarily comprises X and Y, but may include small or trace amounts of components other than X and Y. In embodiments described herein, any such small or trace amounts of components other than those expressly recited following the phrase “consist(s) essentially of” or “consisting essentially of” preferably represent less than 5.0 wt % of the composition, more preferably less than 4.0 wt % of the composition, even more preferably less than 3.0 wt % of the composition, and still more preferably less than 1.0 wt % of the composition. Use of broader terms such as comprises, includes, having, etc. should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as consisting of, consisting essentially of, comprised substantially of, etc. Use of the term “optionally” with respect to any element of a claim is intended to mean that the subject element is required, or alternatively, is not required. Both alternatives are intended to be within the scope of the claim.

The term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct engagement between the two devices, or through an indirect connection that is established via other devices, components, nodes, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a particular axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to a particular axis. For instance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the axis. As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and the like mean within 10% (i.e., plus or minus 10%) of the recited value. Thus, for example, a recited angle of “about 80 degrees” refers to an angle ranging from 72 degrees to 88 degrees.

As previously described, shell-and-tube heat exchangers are a popular type of heat exchanger that permit the transfer of heat between separate first and second fluid flows while preventing the first and second fluid flows from entering into direct contact. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprises a cylindrical shell that receives a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes arranged in parallel. In this configuration, a first or tube-side fluid flows within and through the tubes while a second or shell-side fluid flows over and around the plurality of tubes within the surrounding shell. The shell-and-tube arrangement can support both counterflow and parallel flow configurations, where the direction of fluid flow in the tubes and shell can be in opposite or the same direction, respectively.

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers can accommodate flows of liquids, gasses, multi-phase fluids, and combinations thereof. For instance, shell-and-tube heat exchangers may include both a liquid fluid flow and a separate gas fluid flow which exchanges heat with the liquid fluid flow. As used herein, the term “liquid fluid flow” refers to a fluid flow that is primarily (but not necessarily entirely) composed of liquid. Conversely, the term “gas fluid flow” refers to a fluid flow that is primarily (but not necessarily entirely) composed of gas. Typically, the gas fluid flows along the tube-side while the liquid fluid flows along the shell-side of existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers.

Particularly, gas fluid flows typically operate at greater pressures than liquid fluid flows, requiring additional structural integrity to prevent leaks and ensure safe operation of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Generally, the tube-side of shell-and-tube heat exchangers typically supports high-pressure containment because each tube of the tube bundle is individually sealed such that the tubes are configured to withstand elevated internal pressures. In addition, gas fluid flows are substantially more compressible than liquid fluid flows, making them more sensitive to pressure changes. With respect to pressure drop, the tube-side of existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers is typically configured to support higher flow velocities and turbulence, which may minimize the pressure drop for gas fluid flows therein. Conversely, shell-side fluid flow is generally associated with higher pressure drops due to flow restrictions from baffles present within the shell for directing the shell-side fluid flow. Given that gas fluid flows are compressible, they may be more susceptible to pressure loss when provided on the shell-side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Using the tube side for gas flow ensures minimal pressure drop across the exchanger. Moreover, gas fluid flows generally have lower heat transfer coefficients than liquid fluid flows, meaning they require design features to enhance heat transfer rates. The geometry of the tube-side of shell-and-tube heat exchangers typically allows allows greater flow velocities, which increase turbulence and improve the convective heat transfer coefficient for the gas fluid flow.

For at least the reasons outlined above, existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers that feature both a gas fluid flow and a liquid fluid flow typically place the gas fluid flow on the tube-side and the liquid fluid flow on the shell-side. However, this conventional configuration of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger may be inefficient and suffer from other limitations in at least some specific applications. For instance, in natural gas production systems fouling may occur when a hydrocarbon gas fluid flow is handled on the tube-side while liquid (e.g., water or other coolant) is handled on the shell-side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. For instance, minerals, microorganisms, and other contaminants present in the liquid fluid flow may form scaling or other residue on the outer surfaces of the tubes of the tube bundle resulting in gradual degradation of performance and eventual fouling of the shell-and tube heat exchanger.

Accordingly, embodiments of shell-and-tube heat exchangers and heat exchanger systems incorporating such are disclosed herein which instead provide the gas fluid flow on the tube-side of the heat exchanger and the liquid (e.g., liquid coolant such as water) fluid flow on the shell-side of the heat exchanger. In this manner, such fouling may be minimized or avoided by handling the liquid fluid flow tube-side such that fouling or the formation of leaks in an individual tube may be conveniently addressed by plugging the individual fouled tube rather than needing to redress or replace the entire tube-bundle.

Additionally, the performance of shell-and-tube heat exchangers including gas fluid flows, given the low thermal conductivity of such gas fluid flows, is highly dependent on operating the shell-and-tube heat exchanger within a relatively small operational window with respect to the flow rate (e.g., volumetric flow rate) of the gas fluid flow as falling outside of said operational window may result in substantial degradation in the thermal efficiency of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. However, in some applications, the flow rate of the gas fluid flow received by the shell-and-tube heat exchanger may vary substantially during operation of a heat exchanger system incorporating the given shell-and-tube heat exchanger, resulting in concomitant changes to the flow rate of the gas fluid flow through the shell-and-tube heat exchanger which could negatively impact the performance of the heat exchanger.

Accordingly, embodiments of modular heat exchanger systems are disclosed herein that include a plurality of separate, miniaturized shell-and-tube heat exchangers connected in parallel for handling a given flow rate of a gas fluid flow rather than a single, larger conventional shell-and-tube heat exchanger for handling the same flow rate of the gas fluid flow. In this manner, the modular heat exchanger system may be adjusted in response to changes in the flow rate of the gas fluid flow received by the modular heat exchanger system to maintain the flow rate of the gas fluid flow in the individual shell-and-tube heat exchangers of the modular heat exchanger system within (or at least closer to) desired operational ranges to maximize the thermal efficiency of each individual shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

For instance, one or more of the shell-and-tube heat exchangers of the modular heat exchanger system may be shifted from an activated state in which the selected shell-and-tube heat exchangers receive the gas fluid flow, to an isolated state in which the selected shell-and-tube heat exchangers are isolated from the gas fluid flow. In this manner, the flow rate of the gas fluid flow in the shell-and-tube heat exchangers remaining in the activated state may be preserved in spite of the overall decline of the flow rate of the gas fluid flow received by the modular heat exchanger system. Conversely, one or more of the shell-and-tube heat exchangers of the modular heat exchanger system may be shifted from the isolated state to the activated state in response to an increase in the flow rate of the gas fluid flow received by the modular heat exchanger system to similarly preserve the flow rate of the gas fluid flow in the operational shell-and-tube heat exchangers in spite of the overall increase of the flow rate of the gas fluid flow received by the modular heat exchanger system. Moreover, providing a plurality of shell-and-tube heat exchangers in parallel avoids disabling the entire modular heat exchanger system in response to the disabling (e.g., due to an unplanned event or due to regularly scheduled maintenance) of an individual shell-and-tube heat exchanger of the modular heat exchanger system.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a fluid system 10 including a plurality of hydrocarbon production wells 12, a modular heat exchanger system 20, a control system 40, and an electrical generator 50. Generally, modular heat exchanger system 20 cools a cumulative hot gas fluid flow 14 produced by the plurality of hydrocarbon production wells 12, where the hot gas fluid flow 14 generally comprises natural gas in this exemplary embodiment. Following cooling by the modular heat exchanger system 20, a cold gas fluid flow 16 may be transported to a pipeline system for custody exchange (e.g., sale). Each hydrocarbon production well 12 may include a production wellbore extending through an earthen subterranean formation, a wellheader positioned atop the production wellbore, a Christmas tree physically supported on the wellheader, and additional or auxiliary production equipment.

While three separate hydrocarbon production wells 12 are shown fluidically connected in series in FIG. 1, in other embodiments, the number of hydrocarbon production wells 12 of fluid system 10 may vary. For instance, in some embodiments, fluid system 10 may include only one or two hydrocarbon production wells 12 while in other embodiments, fluid system 10 may include more than three separate hydrocarbon production wells 12. In other embodiments, fluid system 1 may not include hydrocarbon production wells 12 and hot gas fluid flow 14 may instead be provided by a different source. For example, in certain embodiments, fluid system 1 may include one or more pressure vessels or other fluidic components of a refinery, a chemical plant, and/or other industrial applications beyond production wells.

The modular heat exchanger system 20 receives the hot gas fluid flow 14 from the plurality of hydrocarbon production wells 12 and cools the hot gas fluid flow 14 to produce the cold gas fluid flow 16 that is discharged therefrom. In some embodiments, the hot gas fluid flow 14 received by modular heat exchanger system 20 is approximately between 200° F. and 250° F. (e.g., 225° F.) while the temperature of cold gas fluid flow 16 is between 175° F. and 200° F. (e.g., 190° F.). Thus, in some embodiments, modular heat exchanger system 20 provides a temperature differential of approximately between 25° F. and 50° F. However, the performance of modular heat exchanger system 20 in terms of the temperature differential produced thereby and/or the temperatures of gas fluid flows 14 and 16 may vary in other embodiments.

Additionally, in this exemplary embodiment, the hot gas fluid flow 14 has a volumetric flow rate that is approximately between 75 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCF) and 125 MMSCF. However, the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 14 may vary in other embodiments and over time for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 depending on the performance of hydrocarbon production wells 12. For instance, during certain periods of time, such as when a new hydrocarbon production well 12 is brought online, the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 14 may increase at least temporarily. Conversely, during other periods of time, the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 14 may decline at least temporarily due to, for example, one or more of the hydrocarbon production wells 12 nearing the end of their productive lifespans.

Additionally, modular heat exchanger system 20 is fluidically connected to the generator 50 via a hot liquid fluid flow 52 discharged from the modular heat exchanger system 20 and received by the generator 50, and a corresponding cold liquid fluid flow 54 discharged from the generator 50 and received by the modular heat exchanger system 20. In this exemplary embodiment, liquid fluid flow 52/54 comprises water and is used to facilitate the operation of generator 50. However, in other embodiments, the composition of liquid fluid flow 52/54 may vary. The cold liquid fluid flow 54 received by modular heat exchanger system 20 receives thermal energy or heat from the hot gas fluid flow 14 to thereby drive a temperature differential between the hot liquid fluid flow 52 and the cold liquid fluid flow 54.

For instance, in some embodiments, the cold liquid fluid flow 54 may have a temperature of approximately between 160° F. and 180° F. (e.g., 170° F.) while hot liquid fluid flow 52 may have a temperature of approximately between 180° F. and 200° F. (e.g., 190° F.) to provide a temperature differential between liquid fluid flows 52 and 54 that is approximately between 20° F. and 30° F. Additionally, in this exemplary embodiment, liquid fluid flows 52/54 have a volumetric flow rate of approximately between 275 gallons per minute (GPM) and 325 GPM. However, the temperatures and/or flow rates of liquid fluid flows 52/54 may vary in other embodiments.

The hot liquid fluid flow 52 is cold in generator 50 such that at least some energy (e.g., heat) from the hot liquid fluid flow 52 received by generator 50 is transferred to the generator 50 for performing work such as driving a turbine of the generator 50, for instance. In this manner, energy in the form of heat may be transferred from the hot gas fluid flow 14 to the cold liquid fluid flow 54 via the modular heat exchanger system 20 whereby this transferred heat may be used to perform additional work via generator 50, thereby enhancing the thermal efficiency of the fluid system incorporating fluid system 10. In this manner, the cold liquid fluid flow 54 discharged from generator 50 is at a lower temperature in this exemplary embodiment than the liquid fluid flow 52 received by the generator 50. As an example, the liquid fluid flow 52 received by generator 50 may be between approximately 250° F. and 300° F. while the cold liquid fluid flow 54 may be between approximately 200° F. and 250° F. with the process flow being cold in generator 50 by between approximately 20° F. and 50° F. However, the temperatures of liquid fluid flows 52 and 54 and the differential therebetween may vary in other embodiments.

The control system 40 of fluid system 10 may monitor (and potentially control) one or more parameters of fluid system 10. Particularly, in this exemplary embodiment, control system 40 includes a first or hot sensor 42 and a second or cold sensor 44. Hot sensor 42 is in fluid communication with hot liquid fluid flow 52 and is configured to monitor one or more parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, flow rate) of hot liquid fluid flow 52 while cold sensor 44 is in fluid communication with cold liquid fluid flow 54 and is configured to monitor one or more parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, flow rate) of cold liquid fluid flow 54. Control system 40 may indicate these measured parameters to an operator of fluid system 10, and/or control powered equipment (e.g., remotely operable valving and the like) of fluid system 10.

In this exemplary embodiment, modular heat exchanger system 20 generally includes a liquid manifold 22, a gas manifold 26, and a plurality of heat exchangers 30 fluidically connected in parallel by the liquid manifold 22 and gas manifold 26. Liquid manifold 22 has a liquid inlet 23 that receives the cold liquid fluid flow 54 and an opposing gas discharge or outlet 24 that discharges the hot liquid fluid flow 52. Similarly, gas manifold 26 has a gas inlet 27 that receives the hot gas fluid flow 14 and an opposing gas discharge or outlet 24 that discharges the cold gas fluid flow 16.

Heat exchangers 30 each generally comprise a shell-and-tube heat exchanger in this exemplary embodiment; however, in other embodiments, the configuration of the heat exchangers 30 of modular heat exchanger system 20 may differ. Additionally, while modular heat exchanger system 20 is shown in FIG. 1 as including four separate heat exchangers 30, in other embodiments, the number of heat exchangers 30 forming modular heat exchanger system 20 may vary such that modular heat exchanger system 20 could include less than or more than four heat exchangers 30.

In this exemplary embodiment, each heat exchanger 30 generally includes an outer shell 31, a header 35, and a tube bundle 38. The outer shell 31 of each heat exchanger 30 includes both an inlet port 32 and a corresponding discharge port 34. Inlet port 32 and discharge port 33 define a shell-side fluid inlet and a shell-side fluid discharge, respectively, of the heat exchanger 30. Both the inlet port 32 and the discharge port 34 of each heat exchanger 30 is fluidically connected to the gas manifold 26 to fluidically connect the shell-sides of heat exchangers 30 together in parallel along gas manifold 26. Header 35 is coupled to an open end of shell 31 at a sealed interface formed therebetween. Additionally, the header 35 of each heat exchanger 30 similarly includes an inlet port 36 and a corresponding discharge port 37. Inlet port 36 and discharge port 37 define a tube-side fluid inlet and a tube-side fluid discharge, respectively, of the heat exchanger 30. Both the inlet port 36 and the discharge port 37 of each heat exchanger 30 is fluidically connected to the liquid manifold 22 to fluidically connect the tube-sides of heat exchangers 30 together in parallel along liquid manifold 22.

The tube bundle 38 of each heat exchanger 30 comprises a plurality of tubes 39 each extending from an inlet side of the header 35 of the heat exchanger 30 to a discharge side of the header 35 that fluidically separated from the inlet side thereof by an internal baffle of the tube bundle 38 which prevents fluid from flowing directly from the inlet side of the header 35 to the discharge side thereof without first flowing through the tube bundle 38. For instance, tube bundle 38 may include a tube sheet to which the opposing ends of each tube 39 is sealingly coupled and which may also seal against the internal baffle of the header 35.

In this exemplary embodiment, the cold liquid fluid flow 54 flows in parallel into the inlet side of the header 35 of each heat exchanger 30 via the inlet port 36 thereof. The cold liquid fluid flow 54 flows from the inlet side of header 35, through the plurality of tubes 39 of tube bundle 38, and is discharged into the discharge side of header 35 as hot liquid fluid flow 52 which is discharged from the heat exchanger 30 via the discharge port 37 of header 35. Additionally, hot as fluid flow 14 flows in parallel into the shell 31 of each heat exchanger 30 via the inlet port 32 thereof where the cold liquid fluid flow 54 flowing through the tube bundle 38 of the heat exchanger 30 receives heat or thermal energy from the hot gas fluid flow 14. The hot gas fluid flow 14 circulates through the shell 31 which may include one or more internal baffles for directing the cold liquid fluid flow 54 therethrough. Cooled by the cold liquid fluid flow 54 in tube bundle 38, cold gas fluid flow 16 is discharged from the shell 31 via the discharge port 33 thereof.

In this exemplary embodiment, modular heat exchanger system 20 additionally includes a computer-implemented heat exchanger controller or control system 60 configured to selectably shift the heat exchangers 30 of modular heat exchanger system 20 between an activated state in which the heat exchanger 30 receive the hot gas fluid flow 14 and an isolated state in which the heat exchanger 30 is fluidically isolated from the hot gas fluid flow 14 such that the hot gas fluid flow 14 bypasses the heat exchanger 30 in the isolated state. For instance, system controller 60 may selectably open and close one or more valves (e.g., isolation valves) of modular heat exchanger system 20 connected between the plurality of heat exchangers 30 and manifolds 22 and 26 such that system controller 60 may individually actuate a selected heat exchanger 30 between the activated and isolated states.

Additionally, in this exemplary embodiment, modular heat exchanger system 20 comprises a flow rate sensor 62 configured to monitor a flow rate (e.g., a volumetric flow rate) of the hot gas fluid flow 14 received by the modular heat exchanger system 20. Flow rate sensor 62 thus generates flow rate data indicative of the flow rate of the hot gas fluid flow 14 received by the modular heat exchanger system 20. Additionally, flow rate sensor 62 is in signal communication with the system controller 60 whereby the flow rate data generated by flow rate sensor 62 is provided to the system controller 60 as feedback data in selecting which of the heat exchangers 30 are to be in either the activated or isolated state. For instance, in response to the flow rate data indicating a decline in the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 14 meeting a predefined threshold, the system controller 60 in response may automatically shift one or more of the heat exchangers 30 from the activated state to the isolated state to preserve a desired flow rate of the hot gas fluid flow 14 through the heat exchangers 30 remaining in the activated state. Conversely, in response to the flow rate data indicating an increase in the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 14 meeting a predefined threshold, the system controller 60 in response may automatically shift one or more of the heat exchangers 30 from the isolated state to the activated state to preserve a desired flow rate of the hot gas fluid flow 14 through the heat exchangers 30. In this manner, the performance and thermal efficiency of modular heat exchanger system 20 may be maximized even as the flow rate of gas fluid flow 14 significantly changes.

Moreover, system controller 60 may shift one or more selected heat exchangers 30 between the activated and isolated states for various reasons. For instance, system controller 60 may shift a selected heat exchanger 30 from the activated state to the isolated state in response to a regularly scheduled maintenance event that may be automatically accessible by the system controller 60 or which may be indicated to the system controller 60 by an operator of fluid system 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2-5, an embodiment of a modular heat exchanger system 100 is shown. In some embodiments, the modular heat exchanger system 20 shown in FIG. 1 may take the form or otherwise include features in common with modular heat exchanger system 100. In certain embodiments, modular heat exchanger system 100 may be used in fluid systems which vary in configuration from the fluid system 10. Modular heat exchanger system 100 generally includes an inlet liquid manifold 102, a discharge liquid manifold 120, an inlet gas manifold 140, a discharge gas manifold 160, and a plurality of heat exchangers 180 (shown as heat exchangers 180-1 through 180-4 in FIGS. 2-5) fluidically connected in parallel by the pair of liquid manifolds 102 and 120 and gas manifolds 140 and 160. Inlet liquid manifold 102 has a liquid inlet 104 located at a longitudinal end thereof and which receives a cold liquid fluid flow 101. Additionally, inlet liquid manifold 102 has a plurality of radial inlet liquid ports 106 spaced longitudinally along the inlet liquid manifold 102 and in fluid communication with the liquid inlet 104 thereof whereby each inlet liquid port 106 supplies a unique heat exchanger 180 with the cold liquid fluid flow 101. Discharge liquid manifold 120 has a liquid outlet or discharge 122 located at a longitudinal end thereof and which discharges a hot liquid fluid flow 103 having a temperature that is greater than the temperature of the cold liquid fluid flow 101. Additionally, discharge liquid manifold 120 similarly has a plurality of radial discharge liquid ports 124 spaced longitudinally along the discharge liquid manifold 120 and in fluid communication with the liquid discharge 122 thereof whereby each discharge liquid port 124 receives from a unique heat exchanger 180 the hot liquid fluid flow 103. In this arrangement, tube-sides of heat exchangers 180 are each fluidically connected in parallel between the pair of liquid manifolds 102 and 120.

Inlet gas manifold 140 has a gas inlet 142 located at a longitudinal end thereof and which receives a hot gas fluid flow 105. Additionally, inlet gas manifold 140 has a plurality of radial inlet gas ports 144 spaced longitudinally along the inlet gas manifold 140 and in fluid communication with the gas inlet 142 thereof whereby each inlet gas port 144 supplies a unique heat exchanger 180 with the hot gas fluid flow 105. Discharge gas manifold 160 has a gas outlet or discharge 162 located at a longitudinal end thereof and which discharges a cold gas fluid flow 107 having a temperature that is less than the temperature of the hot gas fluid flow 105. Additionally, discharge gas manifold 160 similarly has a plurality of radial discharge gas ports 164 spaced longitudinally along the discharge gas manifold 160 and in fluid communication with the gas discharge 162 thereof whereby each discharge gas port 164 receives from a unique heat exchanger 180 the cold gas fluid flow 107. In this arrangement, shell-sides of heat exchangers 180 are each fluidically connected in parallel between the pair of gas manifolds 140 and 160.

Heat exchangers 180 each generally comprise a shell-and-tube heat exchanger in this exemplary embodiment; however, in other embodiments, the configuration of the heat exchangers 180 may differ. Additionally, while modular heat exchanger system 100 is shown in FIGS. 2-5 as including four separate heat exchangers 180, in other embodiments, the number of heat exchangers 180 forming modular heat exchanger system 100 may vary such that modular heat exchanger system 100 could include less than or more than four heat exchangers 180.

In this exemplary embodiment, each heat exchanger 180 generally includes an outer shell 182, a header 200, and a tube bundle 220 received at least partially in the outer shell 128. The outer shell 182 of each heat exchanger 180 extends longitudinally between a first or open end 184 and a second or enclosed end 186. Additionally, shell 182 includes both an inlet port 188 and a corresponding discharge port 190 that is both longitudinally and circumferentially spaced from the inlet port 188. Particularly, in this exemplary embodiment, inlet port 188 is located proximal the enclosed end 186 of shell 182 while the discharge port 190 is located proximal the open end 184 and circumferentially spaced approximately 180° from the inlet port 188.

Inlet port 188 and discharge port 190 define a shell-side fluid inlet and a shell-side fluid discharge, respectively, of the heat exchanger 180. Additionally, inlet port 188 is fluidically connected to one of the inlet gas ports 144 of inlet gas manifold 140 while the discharge port 190 is fluidically connected to one of the discharge gas ports 164 of discharge gas manifold 160 whereby the shell 182 of the heat exchanger 180 is fluidically connected in parallel between the pair of gas manifolds 140 and 160. Additionally, an inlet gas valve 146 (shown as inlet gas valves 146-1 through 146-4 in FIGS. 2-5) is fluidically coupled between the inlet gas port 144 and the inlet port 188 of the shell 182 for selectably isolating the shell 182 from the inlet gas stream 105. Similarly, a discharge gas valve 166 (shown as inlet gas valves 166-1 through 166-4 in FIGS. 2-5) is fluidically coupled between the discharge gas port 164 and the discharge port 198 of the shell 182 for selectably isolating the shell 182 from the discharge gas stream 107. For instance, gas valves 146-1 and 166-1 may be actuated from open to closed configurations or states for selectably isolating the shell 182 of heat exchanger 180-1 from gas streams 105 and 107. Similarly, gas valves 146-2 and 166-2 may be actuated from open to closed configurations or states for selectably isolating the shell 182 of heat exchanger 180-2 from gas streams 105 and 107, and so on and so forth.

The header 200 of each heat exchanger 180 extends longitudinally between a first or open end 202 and a second or enclosed end 204. Additionally, header 200 includes both an inlet port 206 and a corresponding discharge port 208 that is circumferentially spaced from the inlet port 206. Particularly, in this exemplary embodiment, discharge port 208 is circumferentially spaced approximately 180° from the inlet port 206. Further, header 200 includes an internal divider or baffle 210 (shown in FIG. 3) that isolates the discharge port 208 from the inlet port 206 such that fluid entering inlet port 206 cannot flow directly into the discharge port 208 and instead must flow through the shell 182 of the heat exchanger 180 as will be discussed further herein.

Inlet port 206 and discharge port 208 define a tube-side fluid inlet and a shell-side fluid discharge, respectively, of the heat exchanger 180. Additionally, inlet port 206 is fluidically connected to one of the inlet liquid ports 106 of inlet liquid manifold 102 while the discharge port 208 is fluidically connected to one of the discharge liquid ports 124 of discharge liquid manifold 120 whereby the header 200 and tube bundle 220 of the heat exchanger 180 are fluidically connected in parallel between the pair of liquid manifolds 102 and 120. Further, an inlet liquid valve 108 (shown as inlet liquid valves 108-1 through 108-4 in FIGS. 2-5) is fluidically coupled between the inlet liquid port 106 and the inlet port 208 of the header 200 for selectably isolating the header 200 from the inlet liquid stream 101. Similarly, a discharge liquid valve 126 (shown as inlet liquid valves 126-1 through 126-4 in FIGS. 2-5) is fluidically coupled between the discharge liquid port 124 and the discharge port 208 of the header 200 for selectably isolating the header 200 and tube bundle 220 from the discharge liquid stream 103. For instance, liquid valves 108-1 and 126-1 may be actuated from open to closed configurations or states for selectably isolating the header 200 and tube bundle 220 of heat exchanger 180-1 from liquid streams 101 and 103. Similarly, liquid valves 108-2 and 126-2 may be actuated from open to closed configurations or states for selectably isolating the header 200 and tube bundle 220 of heat exchanger 180-2 from liquid streams 101 and 103, and so on and so forth.

In this exemplary embodiments, valves 108, 126, 146, and 166 are each manually actuatable between open (permitting fluid flow therethrough) and closed (restricting fluid flow therethrough) configurations. In other embodiments, valves 108, 126, 146, and/or 166 may be remotely operable and may comprise, for example, an electronically controlled actuator or solenoid configured to actuate the given valve 108, 126, 146, and/or 166 between the open and closed configurations in response to receiving at least one of an opening signal and a closing signal.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, additional views of the tube bundle 220 of one of the heat exchangers 180 of heat exchanger system 100 is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, tube bundle 220 generally includes a tube sheet 222, a plurality of tubes 224 coupled to the tube sheet 222, and a plurality of baffles 230, 232, and 234. Tube sheet 222 is sealably coupled between the open end 184 of shell 182 and the open end 202 of header 200. Additionally, each tube 224 of tube bundle 220 has a longitudinal first end or inlet 225 and an opposing longitudinal second end or discharge 227 each sealably coupled to the tube sheet 220. Tubes 224 each have a U-shape such that, when assembled with shell 182, each tube 224 extends from inlet 225 located proximal the open end 184 of shell 182 to a bend (e.g., U-bend) of 229 of the tube 224 located proximal the enclosed end 184 of shell 182, and from the bend 229 to the discharge 227 thereof. The inlets 225 of tubes 224 receive the cold liquid fluid flow 101 which circulates therethrough whereby heat is exchanged between the cold liquid fluid flow 101 and the hot gas fluid flow 105 circulating within an interior of the shell 182 external tubes 224 whereby the liquid fluid flow is discharged from the discharges 227 of tubes 224 as hot liquid fluid flow 103.

Baffles 230, 232, and 234 are each coupled to the tubes 224 of tube bundle 220 and generally extend orthogonal a longitudinal axis of the tube bundle 220. Particularly, first baffles 230 are spaced along the longitudinal length of tube bundle 220 and extend orthogonally from a first lateral side 221 of tube bundle 220 towards (but not entirely to) an opposing second lateral side 223 of tube bundle 220 that is circumferentially spaced 180° from the first lateral side 221. Second baffles 232 are also spaced along the longitudinal length of tube bundle 220 whereby second baffles 232 are interleaved with first baffles 230. Additionally, second baffles 232 extend orthogonally from the second lateral side 223 of tube bundle 220 towards (but not entirely to) the first lateral side 221 of tube bundle 220.

As shown particularly in FIG. 7, the third baffle 234 of tube bundle 220 generally includes an orthogonal baffle member or plate 236 and a longitudinal baffle member or plate 238 coupled to the orthogonal baffle plate 236. Third baffle 234 is the baffle 230, 232, and 234 of tube bundle 220 located nearest the enclosed end 184 and inlet port 188 of shell 182 once tube bundle 220 is received in shell 182. Orthogonal baffle plate 236 extends from the first lateral end 221 towards the second lateral end 223 such that orthogonal baffle plate 236 terminates along or near a central axis of tube bundle 220. Additionally, the longitudinal baffle plate 238 extends along the longitudinal axis of tube bundle 220 from the terminal end of orthogonal baffle plate 236 to a terminal end that is proximal the bends 229 of tubes 224. Particularly, orthogonal baffle plate 238 is located within a longitudinal gap 231 formed between a first section of each tube 224 extending from inlet 225 to bend 229, and a second or return section of each tube 224 extending from bend 229 to discharge 227.

As shown particularly in FIG. 6, baffles obstruct the gas fluid flow passing through shell 182 external tubes 224 of tube bundle 220 to define a generally serpentine gas flowpath 233 within shell 182 to maximize the residency time of the gas fluid flow within shell 182 and the amount of heat transferred from the gas fluid flow to the liquid fluid flow within tubes 224. Although tube bundle 220 is shown in FIG. 6 as including a pair of first baffles 230, a pair of second baffles 232, and a single third baffle 234, in other embodiments, the number of baffles 230, 232, and/or 234 and their respective arrangement or positioning along the tube bundle 220 may vary.

Referring again to FIGS. 2-5, while heat exchanger system 100 is shown as including flanged connections between the shells 182 and headers 200 of heat exchangers 180, between the heat exchangers 180 and valves 108, 126, 146, and 166, and between valves 108, 126, 146, and 166 and manifolds 102, 120, 140, and 160, in other embodiments, at least some of these flanged connection may be replaced with flangeless connections to facilitate convenient and rapid assembly and disassembly of selected heat exchangers 180 from heat exchanger system 100. As used herein, the term “flangeless connection” and “flangeless coupling” refers to a coupling or connection formed between tubular members that does not include annular flanges connected together via circumferentially spaced threaded fasteners extending through and between the pair of flanges. The use of flangeless couplings may permit heat exchanger system 100 to be more rapidly returned to full capacity following the replacement of one or more of the heat exchangers 180 for maintenance or other reasons.

As an example, and referring to FIG. 8, an embodiment of a heat exchanger system 250 that generally includes one or more heat exchangers 260, one or more inlet fluid conduits 300, and one or more discharge fluid conduits 320. Heat exchanger 260 generally includes an outer shell 262, a header 270, and a tube bundle (e.g., tube bundle 220 shown in FIGS. 2-5) received at least partially in the outer shell 262. The outer shell 262 extends longitudinally between a first or open end 264 and a second or enclosed end 266. Additionally, shell 262 includes both an inlet port 267 and a corresponding discharge port 269 that is both longitudinally and circumferentially spaced from the inlet port 1267.

Additionally, the header 270 of heat exchanger 260 extends longitudinally between a first or open end 272 and a second or enclosed end 274. Additionally, header 270 includes an inlet port 276, a corresponding discharge port 278 that is circumferentially spaced from the inlet port 276, and an internal divider or baffle 280 that isolates the discharge port 278 from the inlet port 276 such that fluid entering inlet port 276 cannot flow directly into the discharge port 278.

Inlet fluid conduit 300 defines an inlet fluid passage 302 along which an inlet fluid flow 304 may be conveyed. Inlet fluid conduit 300 extends longitudinally to a terminal end 306 connected to the inlet port 276 of the header 270 of heat exchanger 260. Similarly, discharge fluid conduit 320 defines a discharge fluid passage 322 along which a discharge fluid flow 324 may be conveyed. Additionally, discharge fluid conduit 320 extends longitudinally to a terminal end 326 connected to the discharge port 278 of the header 270 of heat exchanger 260.

In this exemplary embodiment, header 270 of heat exchanger 260 is releasably coupled to shell 262 by a fluid tight, flangeless coupling 266. Additionally, the terminal end 306 of inlet fluid conduit 300 is releasably coupled to the inlet port 276 of header 270 by a fluid tight, flangeless coupling 308. Further, the terminal end 326 of discharge fluid conduit 320 is releasably coupled to the discharge port 278 of header 270 by a fluid tight, flangeless coupling 328. For example, flangeless couplings 266, 308, and 328 may each comprise an annular seal and a releasable locking assembly for connecting together a pair of tubular members (e.g., the open end 722 of header 270 and the open end 264 of shell 262 in the case of flangeless coupling 266). Such flangeless couplings 266, 308, and 328 may eliminate or substantially reduce the time associated with aligning, mating, and connecting flanges of conventional flange couplings, simplifying and expediting the task of, for example, decoupling the heat exchanger 260 from the fluid conduits 300 and 320. In some embodiments, flangeless couplings 266, 308, and 328 are similar in configuration to the flangeless couplings described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 19/227,036, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. In other embodiments, flangeless couplings 266, 308, and 328 comprise other types of flangeless couplings such as a clamp connector and the like.

Returning to FIGS. 2-5, in some embodiments, heat exchanger system 100 includes a system controller that may be similar in configuration to the system controller 60 shown in FIG. 1. In certain embodiments, the system controller of heat exchanger system 100 may automatically switch the various valves 108, 126, 146, and 166 of heat exchanger system 100 between their open and closed configurations in response to receiving one or more user commands (e.g., entered remotely by a user of heat exchanger system 100) or automatically in response to changing operational parameters of the heat exchanger system 100. The system controller may automatically close the valves 108, 126, 146, and 166 of one or more selected heat exchangers 180 in response to an increase or a decrease in a flow rate of the hot gas fluid flow 105. As an example, the system controller may actuate valves 108-1, 126-1, 146-1, and 166-1 from the open configuration to the closed configuration in response to the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 105 falling below a predefined flow rate threshold. Conversely, the system controller may actuate each of valves 108-1, 126-1, 146-1, and 166-1 from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to the flow rate of hot gas fluid flow 105 exceeding a predefined flow rate threshold.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a computer system 350 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein (e.g., system controller 60 shown in FIG. 1) is shown. The computer system 350 includes a processor 351 (which may be referred to as a central processor unit or CPU) that is in communication with memory devices including secondary storage 352, read only memory (ROM) 353, random access memory (RAM) 354, input/output (I/O) devices 355, and network connectivity devices 356. The processor 351 may be implemented as one or more CPU chips.

It is understood that by programming and/or loading executable instructions onto the computer system 350, at least one of the CPUs 351, the RAM 354, and the ROM 353 are changed, transforming the computer system 350 in part into a particular machine or apparatus having the novel functionality taught by the present disclosure. Thus, the RAM 354 and/or the ROM 353 may comprise a non-transitory machine-readable (or computer-readable) medium that may include instructions (which may be referred to herein as machine-readable instructions) that are executable by CPU 351 to provide functionality to computer system 350. Thus, in some embodiments, a machine-readable instructions stored on a memory may be executed on a processor, so as to configured the processor to carry out some or all of the features of the methods described herein.

It is fundamental to the electrical engineering and software engineering arts that functionality that can be implemented by loading executable software into a computer can be converted to a hardware implementation by well-known design rules. Decisions between implementing a concept in software versus hardware typically hinge on considerations of stability of the design and numbers of units to be produced rather than any issues involved in translating from the software domain to the hardware domain. Generally, a design that is still subject to frequent change may be preferred to be implemented in software, because re-spinning a hardware implementation is more expensive than re-spinning a software design. Generally, a design that is stable that will be produced in large volume may be preferred to be implemented in hardware (for example in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA)) because for large production runs the hardware implementation may be less expensive than the software implementation. Often a design may be developed and tested in a software form and later transformed, by well-known design rules, to an equivalent hardware implementation in an application specific integrated circuit that hardwires the instructions of the software. In the same manner as a machine controlled by a new ASIC is a particular machine or apparatus, likewise a computer that has been programmed and/or loaded with executable instructions may be viewed as a particular machine or apparatus.

Additionally, after the computer system 350 is turned on or booted, the CPU 351 may execute a computer program or application. For example, the CPU 351 may execute software or firmware stored in the ROM 353 or stored in the RAM 354. In some cases, on boot and/or when the application is initiated, the CPU 351 may copy the application or portions of the application from the secondary storage 352 to the RAM 354 or to memory space within the CPU 351 itself, and the CPU 351 may then execute instructions of which the application is comprised. In some cases, the CPU 351 may copy the application or portions of the application from memory accessed via the network connectivity devices 356 or via the I/O devices 355 to the RAM 354 or to memory space within the CPU 351, and the CPU 351 may then execute instructions of which the application is comprised. During execution, an application may load instructions into the CPU 351, for example load some of the instructions of the application into a cache of the CPU 351. In some contexts, an application that is executed may be said to configure the CPU 351 to do something, e.g., to configure the CPU 351 to perform the function or functions promoted by the subject application. When the CPU 351 is configured in this way by the application, the CPU 351 becomes a specific purpose computer or a specific purpose machine.

The secondary storage 352 is typically comprised of one or more disk drives or tape drives and is used for non-volatile storage of data and as an over-flow data storage device if RAM 354 is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage 352 may be used to store programs which are loaded into RAM 354 when such programs are selected for execution. The ROM 353 is used to store instructions and perhaps data which are read during program execution. ROM 353 is a non-volatile memory device which typically has a small memory capacity relative to the larger memory capacity of secondary storage 352. The RAM 354 is used to store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions. Access to both ROM 353 and RAM 354 is typically faster than to secondary storage 352. The secondary storage 352, the RAM 354, and/or the ROM 353 may be referred to in some contexts as computer readable storage media and/or non-transitory computer readable media.

I/O devices 355 may include printers, video monitors, electronic displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma displays, organic light emitting diode displays (OLED), touch sensitive displays, etc.), keyboards, keypads, switches, dials, mice, track balls, voice recognizers, card readers, paper tape readers, or other well-known input devices.

The network connectivity devices 356 may take the form of modems, modem banks, Ethernet cards, Omni-Path Architecture (OPA), InfiniBand (IB), universal serial bus (USB) interface cards, serial interfaces, token ring cards, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) cards, wireless local area network (WLAN) cards, radio transceiver cards that promote radio communications using protocols such as code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), long-term evolution (LTE), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), near field communications (NFC), radio frequency identity (RFID), and/or other air interface protocol radio transceiver cards, and other well-known network devices. These network connectivity devices 356 may enable the processor 351 to communicate with the Internet or one or more intranets. With such a network connection, it is contemplated that the processor 351 might receive information from the network, or might output information to the network (e.g., to an event database) in the course of performing the methods described herein. Such information, which is often represented as a sequence of instructions to be executed using processor 351, may be received from and outputted to the network, for example, in the form of a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave.

Such information, which may include data or instructions to be executed using processor 351 for example, may be received from and outputted to the network, for example, in the form of a computer data baseband signal or signal embodied in a carrier wave. The baseband signal or signal embedded in the carrier wave, or other types of signals currently used or hereafter developed, may be generated according to several known methods. The baseband signal and/or signal embedded in the carrier wave may be referred to in some contexts as a transitory signal.

The processor 351 executes instructions, codes, computer programs, scripts which it accesses from hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk, solid state drives (SSD) (these various disk-based systems may all be considered secondary storage 352), flash drive, ROM 353, RAM 354, or the network connectivity devices 356. While only one processor 351 is shown, multiple processors may be present. Thus, while instructions may be discussed as executed by a processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially, or otherwise executed by one or multiple processors. Instructions, codes, computer programs, scripts, and/or data that may be accessed from the secondary storage 352, for example, hard drives, floppy disks, optical disks, and/or other device, the ROM 353, and/or the RAM 354 may be referred to in some contexts as non-transitory instructions and/or non-transitory information.

In an embodiment, the computer system 350 may comprise two or more computers in communication with each other that collaborate to perform a task. For example, but not by way of limitation, an application may be partitioned in such a way as to permit concurrent and/or parallel processing of the instructions of the application. Alternatively, the data processed by the application may be partitioned in such a way as to permit concurrent and/or parallel processing of different portions of a data set by the two or more computers. In an embodiment, virtualization software may be employed by the computer system 350 to provide the functionality of a number of servers that is not directly bound to the number of computers in the computer system 350. For example, virtualization software may provide twenty virtual servers on four physical computers. In an embodiment, the functionality disclosed above may be provided by executing the application and/or applications in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing may comprise providing computing services via a network connection using dynamically scalable computing resources. Cloud computing may be supported, at least in part, by virtualization software. A cloud computing environment may be established by an enterprise and/or may be hired on an as-needed basis from a third-party provider. Some cloud computing environments may comprise cloud computing resources owned and operated by the enterprise as well as cloud computing resources hired and/or leased from a third-party provider.

In an embodiment, some or all of the functionality disclosed above may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may comprise one or more computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therein to implement the functionality disclosed above. The computer program product may comprise data structures, executable instructions, and other computer usable program code. The computer program product may be embodied in removable computer storage media and/or non-removable computer storage media. The removable computer readable storage medium may comprise, without limitation, a paper tape, a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, an optical disk, a solid-state memory chip, for example analog magnetic tape, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) disks, floppy disks, jump drives, digital cards, multimedia cards, and others. The computer program product may be suitable for loading, by the computer system 350, at least portions of the contents of the computer program product to the secondary storage 352, to the ROM 353, to the RAM 354, and/or to other non-volatile memory and volatile memory of the computer system 350. The processor 351 may process the executable instructions and/or data structures in part by directly accessing the computer program product, for example by reading from a CD-ROM disk inserted into a disk drive peripheral of the computer system 350. Alternatively, the processor 351 may process the executable instructions and/or data structures by remotely accessing the computer program product, for example by downloading the executable instructions and/or data structures from a remote server through the network connectivity devices 356. The computer program product may comprise instructions that promote the loading and/or copying of data, data structures, files, and/or executable instructions to the secondary storage 352, to the ROM 353, to the RAM 354, and/or to other non-volatile memory and volatile memory of the computer system 350.

In some contexts, the secondary storage 352, the ROM 353, and the RAM 354 may be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium or a computer readable storage media. A dynamic RAM embodiment of the RAM 354, likewise, may be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium in that while the dynamic RAM receives electrical power and is operated in accordance with its design, for example during a period of time during which the computer system 350 is turned on and operational, the dynamic RAM stores information that is written to it. Similarly, the processor 351 may comprise an internal RAM, an internal ROM, a cache memory, and/or other internal non-transitory storage blocks, sections, or components that may be referred to in some contexts as non-transitory computer readable media or computer readable storage media.

While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possible and are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, the relative dimensions of various parts, the materials from which the various parts are made, and other parameters can be varied. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in any order. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2), (3) before steps in a method claim are not intended to and do not specify a particular order to the steps, but rather are used to simplify subsequent reference to such steps.

Each and every claim is incorporated into the specification as an aspect of the present disclosure. Thus, the claims are a further description and are an addition to the aspects of the present disclosure. The discussion of a reference herein is not an admission that it is prior art to the presently disclosed subject matter, especially any reference that may have a publication date after the priority date of this application. The disclosures of all patents, patent applications, and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference, to the extent that they provide exemplary, procedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein.