Clamshell heat exchanger for a furnace or unit heater

• US 6,109,254 A
• Filed: 10/07/1997
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Reinke, Michael J., DeKeuster, Richard Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US08/946,338
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 126/110 R, 126/116 R, 126/99 R, 126/99 C, 165/147, 165/170, 165/174
• US Class Current: 126/110.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/105 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0031 the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by paired plates touching each other F28D9/0012, F28D9/0025, F28D9/0081, F28D9/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2250/102 with change of flow direction

Abstract

A clamshell heat exchanger (10) is provided for use in a heating apparatus including a burner for producing hot combustion gas. The heat exchanger (10) defines a multi-pass flow passage (11) for the combustion gas and includes a first plate member (30) and a second plate member (32). The first plate member (30) has a first series of parallel ridges (36) and valleys (38a-b), with at least one of the valleys (38a) being deeper than other of the valleys (38b). The second plate member (32) faces the first plate member (30) and includes a second series of ridges (36) and valleys (38a-b) that are parallel to the first series of ridges (36) and valleys (38a-b), with at least one of the valleys (38a) of the second series being deeper than other of the valleys (38b) of the second series. A first pass (14, 16) of the multi-pass flow passage (11) is defined by a number N1 of the ridges (36) and valleys (38a-b) of the first and second series. A second pass (16, 18) of the multi-pass flow passage (11) is defined by a number N2 of the ridges (36) and valleys (38a-b) of the first and second series. The at least one deeper valley (38a) of the first series cooperates with the at least one deeper valley (38a) of the second series to separate the second pass (16, 18) from the first pass (14, 16).

Claims

1. In a heating apparatus including a burner for producing hot combustion gas and a clamshell heat exchanger receiving combustion gas from said burner for rejecting heat from the combustion gas to air flowing through the furnace, said heat exchanger defining a multi-pass flow passage for the combustion gas;

the improvement wherein said heat exchanger comprises;

a first plate member having a first series of parallel ridges and valleys, at least one of the valleys being deeper than other of the valleys,

a second plate member facing the first plate member, the second plate member having a second series of ridges and valleys that are parallel to the first series of ridges and valleys, at least one of the valleys of the second series being deeper than other of the valleys of the second series;

a first pass of said multi-pass flow passage defined by a number N1 of said ridges and valleys of said first and second series; and

a second pass of said multi-pass flow passage defined by a number N2 of said ridges and valleys of said first and second series, said at least one deeper valley of the first series cooperating with said at least one deeper valley of the second series to separate the second pass from said first pass.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein N2 is less than N1.

3. In a heating apparatus including a burner for producing hot combustion gas and a generally planar, clamshell heat exchanger receiving combustion gas from said burner for rejecting heat from the combustion gas to air flowing through the furnace, said heat exchanger defining a multi-pass flow passage for the combustion gas;

the improvement wherein said heat exchanger comprises;

a first plate member having a first wall section that is non-parallel to the plane of the heat exchanger;

a second plate member having a second wall section that is parallel to said first wall section and abutting said first wall section over a common length;

a first pass of said multi-pass flow passage defined by said first and second plates; and

a second pass of said multi-pass flow passage defined by said first and second plates, the second pass being parallel to the first pass, the second pass separated from said first pass by said first and second abutting wall sections.

4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said first pass has a flow area that is greater than the flow area of said second pass.

5. In a heating apparatus including a burner for producing hot combustion gas and a clamshell heat exchanger for rejecting heat from the combustion gas to air flowing through the furnace, said heat exchanger defining a multi-pass flow passage for the combustion gas, said flow passage having flow areas that decrease in the direction of combustion gas flow;

the improvement wherein said flow passage comprises;

a first pass having a first generally sinusoidal shaped flow area, and

a second pass downstream from the first pass and having a second generally sinusoidal shaped flow area, said second flow area being less than said first flow area.

6. A heat exchanger, comprising:

a first metallic plate having at least two sections of parallel ridges displaced to one side of the plane of the first plate, valleys between the ridges and a valley separating said sections and extending to the other side of said plane of the first plate;

a second metallic plate abutting said first plate and having at least two sections of parallel ridges displaced to the side of the second plate remote from said other side of the first plate, valleys between said ridges in said second plate, and a valley on said second plate separating said sections on said second plate and extending to the side of the plane of said second plate opposite said remote side and at least nominally sealed along its length with the valley separating the sections on said first plate;

the ridges on the two plates being oppositely directed and generally parallel to each other to form pairs of said sections;

the valleys between the ridges on said second plate being nominally aligned with the ridges on said first plate;

a combustion gas inlet to one pair of said sections;

a combustion gas outlet from another pair of said sections; and

a conduit formed at the interface of said plates interconnecting said one pair of said sections to said another pair of said sections.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 6 wherein said one pair of said sections defines a flow area that is greater than a flow area defined by said another pair of said sections.