GB2391611A

GB2391611A - A heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: GB2391611A
Application number: GB0217880A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lambert Wu
Original assignee: ELITE PLUS INTERNAT Inc
Current assignee: ELITE PLUS INTERNAT Inc
Priority date: 2002-07-22
Filing date: 2002-08-01
Publication date: 2004-02-11
Also published as: GB0217880D0; DE20211040U1

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprises a heat conductive casing 10 having a flow passage 20 and an electric heating element 30 embedded in the casing 10 and in contact with the passage 20. Passage 20 is sealed by plates 40 and two further plates 50 are disposed on top of the plates 40 which seal the passage 20. Passage 20 has an inlet 21 and outlet 22 extending out of opposite sides of the casing 10 and is directed round and round inside and to the centre of the casing 10. Passage 20 may also extend backwards and forwards through each side of the casing (fig 3). The heating element 30 may be a straight tube, spiral shaped, U-shaped or M-shaped. Ribs (60, fig 8) may also be formed in the passage 20. A condenser tube may be used instead of the electric heating element 30.

Description

( 2391611

ENERGY EXCHANGER

The present invention relates to an energy exchanger and, more particularly, to a high performance heat exchanger.

various types of energy exchanging apparatus are known and intensively used in electric home appliances, for example, water heaters and steam generators. FIG. 1 shows a heat exchanger 10 according to the prior art. According to this design, the heat

exchanger comprises an electric heating tube lea, a conduit 20a sleeved onto the electric heating tube lea, a seal ring 30a fastened to the periphery of the electric heating tube 10a and one end of the conduit 20a. The conduit 20a has an inlet 21a. at. one end. The other 15 end of the conduit 20a is for output. The space 40a within the conduit 20a around the periphery of the electric heating tube lea serves as a flow passage. When a fluid passed from the inlet 21a through the space 40a to the output end of the conduit 20a, an energy exchanging action is produced between the fluid and the 20 electric heating tube 10a, i.e., heat energy is transferred from the electric heating tube 10a to the fluid.

This design of heat exchanger is still not satisfactory in function. The drawbacks of this design of heat exchanger are

( numerous and can be summarlsea as follows: 1. Because the space 40a within the conduit 20a around the periphery of the electric heating tube 10a serves as a flow passage for enabling the fluid to make a heat exchanging action 5 with the electric lieating tube 10a, the fluid cannot be evenly heated. 2. Because fluid heating time is limited to the length of the electric heating tube 10a, the fluid cannot be heated to the desired temperature in a short heating time.

3. In order to compensate for a short heating time, a high power electric heating tube 10a must be used.

4. The seal ring wears quickly wit}i use because it is directly heated by the electric heating tube 10a during operation of the energy exchanger.

The present invention has been accomplished to provide an energy exchanger, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an energy exchanger, which prolongs fluid heating time to improve energy O exchanging efflclencY.

In a preferred embodiment the energy exchanger causes a turbulent flow to enhance the action of energy exchange. Preferably the energy exchanger of the invention has a reduced power consumption.

In a preferred embodiment the energy exchanger of the Invention comprises a heat conductive casing, a flow passage detoured In the heat conductive casing for guiding a fluid through the heat conductive casing, two sealing boards respectively sealed to top and bottom s sides of the heat conductive casing to prevent leakage of fluid passing through the flow passage, and two hard cover plates respectively covered on the casing over the sealing boards. The flow passage can be a detoured passage extended round and round lo inside the heat conductive casing around the center of the heat conductive casing. Alternatively, the flow passage can be extended forwards and ba,ckwards in each of the peripheral sides of the heat Conductive casing.

Other preferred features are defined In the dependent claims.

Preferred embodiment of the Invention are described below by way of example only with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side view In section of an energy, exchanger .. according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an energy exchanger 3 according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is' perspective assembly view of an alternate form of the energy exchanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a spiral heating coil for the energy exchanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a U-shaped heating coil for .

the energy exchanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a M-shaped heating coil for the energy exchanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a straight heating tube for 5 the energy exchanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a part of the present invention, showing the arrangement of the flow passage.

Referring to FIG. 2, an energy exchanger according to the 10 present invention is shown comprised of a heat conducting casing 10, the heat conductive.casing 10 defining therein a flow passage 20, an electric heating tube 30 embedded in the heat conductive casing 10 and disposed in, contact with the periphery of the flow passage 20, two sealing plates 40 respectively sealed to the top and 15 bottom sides of the heat conductive casing 10 to prevent leakage of fluid from the flOW passage 20, and to hard cover plates 50 respectively covered on the top and bottom sides of the heat conductive casing 10 over the sealing plates 40. The flow passage 20 has one end extended out of one side, namely, the back side of 20 the heat conductive casing 10 and terminating in an inlet 21, and an opposite end extended out of an opposite side, namely, the front side of the heat conductive casing 10 and terminating in an outlet 22. The flow passage 20 is a detoured passage extended round and

( round inside the heat conductive casing 10 around the center of the heat conductive casing 10. Because the flow passage 20 is a detoured passage, fluid heating time is greatly increased when a fluid passing from the inlet 21 to the outlet 22. Therefore, the s energy exchanger achieves a high performance in heat exchange.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate form Of the energy changer according to the present Invention (the sealing plates 40 and the hard cover plates 50 are not shown). According to this embodiment, 0 the flow passage 20 is a roundabout passage extended forwards and backwards through each of the top, bottom and two opposite lateral sides of the heat conductive casing 10. The two ends, namely, the inlet 21 and outlet 22 of the flow passage 20 are respectively extended out of the back side and front side of the heat conductive casing 10. The rear side and bottom side are shown by chain-dotted lines, rotated by 90 degrees about the longitudinal edges of the casing.

Referring to FIGS. from through 7, the aforesaid electric heating tube 30 can be a spiral heating coil 301 as shown in FIG. 4, a no U-shaped heating coil 302 as shown in FIG. 5, a M-shaped heating coil 303 as shown in FIG. 6, or a straight heating tube 304 as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 8, protruding ribs 60 may be formed in Is the heat conductive casing 10 and suspended in the flow passage 20 to disturb the fluid into a turbulent flow, enabling the fluid to be evenly heated.

In the aforesaid embodiments, the energy exchanger is adapted to make a heat exchanging action between the electric heating tube and a cold fluid passing through the flow passage in theheat conductive casing. Alternatively, a condensing tube may 5 be used instead of the electric heating tube so that a heat exchanging action can be made between the condensing tube and a hot fluid passing through the flow passage in the heat conductive casing. - A prototype of energy exchanger has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 28. The energy exchanger functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the scope of the Invention. In particular, forms of energy other than heat can be exchanged In other embodiments. Accordingly, the Invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims

Claims

1. An energy exchanger comprising: a heat conductive casing having a plurality of peripheral 5 sides; a flow passage provided inside said heat conductive casing for guiding a fluid through said heat conductive casing, said flow passage having one end extended out of one peripheral side of said heat conductive casing and terminating in an inlet and an 10 opposite end extended out of an opposite peripheral side of said heat conductive casing and terminating in an outlet; at. least two sealing boards respectively sealed to the peripheral sides of said heat conductive casing to prevent leakage of fluid passing through said flow passage; and 15 at least two hard cover boards respectively covered on the peripheral sides.of said casing over said sealing boards.

2. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow passage is a detoured passage extended round and round inside said heat conductive casing around the center of said heat 20 conductive casing.

3. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow passage extends forwards and backwards in each of the peripheral sides of said heat conductive casing.

(

4. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow passage has a plurality of protruding ribs in thereof.

5. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an electric heating tube embedded in said heat 5 conductive casing.

6. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electric heating tube is a spiral heating coil.

7. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electric heating tube is a U-shaped heating coil.

10

8. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electric heating tube is a M-shaped heating coil.

9. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electric heating tube is a straight heating tube.

10. The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1 further 15 comprising a condensing tube embedded in said heat conductive casing.

11.The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a radiation tube selected from the group consisting of an infrared radiation tube and an ultraviolet radiation tube 20 embedded in said heat conductive casing.

12.The energy exchanger as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a first electrode provided in said heat conductive casing and a second electrode provided in said at least two hard cover

boards for decomposing air Into ozone In said flow passage.

13. An energy exchanger comprising a serpentine channel formed in at least one surface of a casing, and a seating plate located on said surface over said channel whereby said casing and sealing plate define a s serpentine fluid flow passage.

13. An energy exchanger according to claim 13 wherein a ideating element Is disposed within said casing and arranged to heat fluid flowing through said fluid flow passage.

14. A heat exchanger substantially as described hereinabove with JO reference to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 In conjunction with any of FIGS. 4 to 7 and optionally as modified in accordance with FIG. 8 of the accompanying drawings.