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Thermosyphon heat recovery

  • US 9,322,600 B2
  • Filed: 03/19/2012
  • Issued: 04/26/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A thermosyphonic heat recovery kit for thermosyphonic heat transfer of heat from a hotter first fluid to a cooler second fluid, comprising:

  • a mixing valve for preventing scalding, the mixing valve comprising a fluid input for input of cooler fluid, a fluid input for input of warmer fluid and an output fluid such that, when the mixing valve is operably coupled in a thermosyphonic heat recovery unit, the mixing valve is capable of mixing cooler fluid and warmer fluid to prevent the output fluid from reaching scalding temperatures;

    a tube-on-tube heat exchanger, comprising a tube-on-tube coil portion, the coil portion comprising;

    a first fluid conduit; and

    a second fluid conduit having a conduit diameter,wherein the coil portion comprises a coil of the first fluid conduit and a coil of the second fluid conduit in thermal heat exchanging relationship with the coil of the first fluid conduit, such that a difference in temperature between a fluid passing through the first fluid conduit and a fluid in the second fluid conduit results in thermal heat transfer between the fluid passing through the coil of the first fluid conduit and the fluid in the coil of the second fluid conduit; and

    the coil portion of the tube-on-tube heat exchanger is wound in a counterclockwise upward direction for use in the Northern Hemisphere or a clockwise upward direction for use in the Southern Hemisphere; and

    the coil portion of the tube-on-tube heat exchanger has a coil diameter and a coil height;

    the coil diameter of the coil portion is selected such that Coriolis forces acting on fluids passing through the coil of the second fluid conduit substantially improve the rate of fluid flow in the coil of the second fluid conduit, without substantially increasing the pressure drop in the coil of the second fluid conduit;

    the coil height and the tube diameter of the second fluid conduit being selected such that heat transfer from fluid passing through the first fluid conduit to fluid in the second fluid conduit thermosyphonically pumps fluid through the second fluid conduit; and

    the second fluid conduit has a lower inlet and an upper outlet, wherein the lower inlet is coupled to a bottom of the coil portion and the upper outlet is coupled to a top of the coil portion;

    and the kit includes a mechanism for adjusting position of the bottom of the coil portion within the tube-on-tube heat exchanger and the lower inlet such that the bottom of the coil portion and the lower inlet is capable of being raised at least one inch higher than an outlet of a tank to which the lower inlet is coupled.

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