Serpentine heat exchanger
First Claim
1. For use in a furnace having a burner means for providing hot products of combustion, and an air flow means for circulating conditioned air, a heat exchanger for transferring heat from products of combustion to conditioned air, said heat exchanger comprised of first and second matched clamshell plates assembled together, said plates connected at their respective edges by a sealing means for providing a seal thereat, each said plate having an internal surface defining a depression, said depressions together defining a serpentine passageway, an entrance and exhaust ported formed in said passageway, said surfaces including elongated ribs for obstructing fluid flow adjacent said exhaust portal and for directing fluid flow to under-utilized portions in said passageway.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is an improved serpentine heat exchanger. Two metal sheets are crimped together, sealed at their abutting edges. The sheets have matching depressions which from a serpentine air passageway. Within the passageway are elongated ribs and column like dimples which serve as obstruction to the air flow, directing fluid flow over under-utilized portions of the passageway and generating turbulent fluid flow near heat transfer surfaces.
66 Citations
13 Claims
- 1. For use in a furnace having a burner means for providing hot products of combustion, and an air flow means for circulating conditioned air, a heat exchanger for transferring heat from products of combustion to conditioned air, said heat exchanger comprised of first and second matched clamshell plates assembled together, said plates connected at their respective edges by a sealing means for providing a seal thereat, each said plate having an internal surface defining a depression, said depressions together defining a serpentine passageway, an entrance and exhaust ported formed in said passageway, said surfaces including elongated ribs for obstructing fluid flow adjacent said exhaust portal and for directing fluid flow to under-utilized portions in said passageway.
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10. For use in a furnace having a burner means for providing hot products of combustion, and an air flow means for circulating conditioned air, a heat exchanger for transferring heat from products of combustion to conditioned air, said heat exchanger comprising:
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first and second clamshell plates assembled together, each said plate having an internal surface defining a depression, said depressions defining a serpentine passageway therebetween, said passageway having an entrance portal and an exhaust portal, said passageway decreasing in depth from adjacent said entrance portal to adjacent said exhaust portal; sealing means for providing a seal to connect said first and second plates, said sealing means comprising a flange portion of said first plate and a flange portion of said second plate, said second plate flange portion bent around said first plate flange portion to define a gap between an end of said first plate flange portion and a fold of said second plate flange portion to thereby allow said first plate flange portion to expand or contract without substantially adversely altering said seal between said first and second plates; elongated ribs extending into said passageway near said exhaust portal for obstructing fluid flow near said exhaust portal thereby directing fluid flow to under-utilized portions in said passageway; and dimples having a column-like shape extending between said first and second plates for generating turbulent fluid flow. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification