EP0759527A1

EP0759527A1 - Heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: EP0759527A1
Application number: EP96304677A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paul Martin Kettle
Original assignee: Caradon Ideal Ltd
Current assignee: Caradon Ideal Ltd
Priority date: 1995-08-23
Filing date: 1996-06-25
Publication date: 1997-02-26
Also published as: GB9517278D0; GB2304406A

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a domestic boiler with two separate fluid flow paths for domestic water and central heating water, which substantially reduces the possibility of static water in an upper header (22) of the heat exchanger overheating, has a baffle plate (21) between a gas burner (5) and the upper header to direct hot combustion gases radially outwardly from the burner through heat exchange tubes (4) before the gases contact the upper header.

Description

This invention relates to heat exchangers and is mainly concerned with heat exchangers for domestic gas boilers of the type providing separate fluid flow paths for central heating water and domestic hot water for consumption, i.e. so-called 'duplex' boilers.
A known form of heat exchanger used in gas boilers has an upright cylindrical gas burner surrounded by an annular array of fluid carrying tubes extending between upper and lower headers or manifolds, and a casing or housing which encloses and is spaced from the tubes and upper header to define therebetween passages for flow of flue gases, a lower end of the housing being sealed to the lower header. Hot gases from the gas burner pass between the tubes underneath the upper header and then pass upwardly around and across the top of the upper header before passing out through a central flue outlet located above the upper header.
Heat exchangers of this construction are generally efficient and are effective for boilers having a single fluid flow path, so that water in the upper header is not static at any time during burner operation. In a duplex boiler, however, there are two distinct flow paths through the heat exchanger and when the burner is in operation for heating water flowing through one path, water filling the other fluid path within the heat exchanger may be static, and under such conditions it has been found that with the known heat exchanger construction overheating of the static fluid may occur.
The invention addresses this problem and provides a heat exchanqer for a boiler comprising upper and lower headers with tubes extending therebetween in an annular array surrounding a combustion chamber for accommodating a gas burner, the headers and tubes defining two distinct flow paths for liquid to be heated, wherein the flow paths through the tubes are in heat exchange relationship with each other, and baffle means are provided in the upper part of the combustion chamber spaced below the upper header so that flue gases are constrained to pass outwardly from the combustion chamber between the tubes before any heat exchange with the upper header is possible.
It has been found that static water held in the upper header is at most risk of becoming overheated during burner operation. By directing the flue gases across the tubes before they can contact the upper header the temperature of the flue gases is reduced sufficiently to considerably diminish the possibility of overheating static water in the upper header. Because the flow paths through the tubes are in heat exchange relationship, the flow of liquid through one path during burner operation will prevent static liquid in the other path over heating. Conveniently, each tube comprise an outer tube through which extends a coiled tube, the coiled tube constituting one flow path and the spaces within the straight tube not filled by the coiled tube defining the other flow path.
A clear understanding of the invention will be gained from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a cross-section through a known heat exchanger;
Figure 2 illustrates schematically a cross-section through a preferred embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present invention; and
Figure 3 shows a section through one of the heat exchanger tubes employed in the heat exchanger of Figure 2.

The known heat exchanger 1 illustrated in Figure 1 includes an upper header 2 generally cylindrical in outer form, an annular lower header 3, and several upright heat exchanger tubes 4 extending between the headers and arranged in an annular array around a combustion chamber into which extends an upright gas burner 5 connected to a fan 6 for delivering a premix of gas, e.g. natural gas (mostly methane), and air into the interior of the burner. A cylindrical casing or housing 7 has its lower end sealed to the lower header 3 and surrounds the upper header 2 and the tubes 4. The upper end wall 9 of the casing includes a central opening leading to a flue duct 8 which extends upwardly from the casing.
The headers 2,3 include chambers which communicate with the tubes 4 to define a fluid path (not shown) for the passage of water through the heat exchanger 1 from an inlet 10 to an outlet 11. The water makes several passes through tubes 4 between the upper and lower headers in following this flow path. Hot combustion gases from the gas burner 5 pass out between the tubes 4 for heating the water in the tubes. Fins 12 are brazed to the tubes 4 to improve the efficiency of the heat exchange. Hot combustion gases are prevented from rising directly to the flue outlet from the burner 5 by the upper header 2, the lower surface of which is exposed to the hot gases in the combustion chamber. The upper header constrains gases to pass into a space formed outside of the tubes 4 and then to flow between the upper header 2 and the casing 5, eventually departing the heat exchanger 1 via duct 8.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a heat exchanger 20 according to the invention. The general construction of the heat exchanger 20 is similar to the known heat exchanger of Figure 1 in that it has tubes 4 extending between upper and lower headers and arranged around a combustion chamber and within a casing. However, the upper header 22 is annular and positioned around the flue duct 23 at the top of the casing 24 to which it is sealed and a baffle in the form of an imperforate plate 21 is mounted between the gas burner 5 and the upper end wall of the casing formed by the underside of the upper header.
The headers 22,3 include chambers which communicate with the tubes 4 to define two separate fluid flow paths for flows of water to be heated, the flow paths extending between respective inlets 25 and outlets 26 and each path including several passes through the tubes between the upper and lower headers. Conveniently, as shown in Figure 3, in the heat exchanger tubes 4 a helical tube 28 defines a first fluid flow path 30, the radially outmost surface of tube 28 abutting the internal surface of the tube 4. The spaces within tube 4 not filled by tube 28 define a second fluid flow path 29. According to this convenient arrangement the two fluid flow paths 29,30 are in direct heat exchange relationship both with each other, as well as with hot combustion gases from the combustion chamber, which prevents overheating of static fluid in either flow path through the tubes 4 during boiler operation.
The baffle plate may be brazed to the tubes 4 in the same way as the fins 12.
The length of tubes 4 above the plate 21 is substantially smaller than that below the plate and only the sections of the tubes below the baffle plate are equipped with fins 12.
During operation of the heat exchanger 20, when water may be static in one of the fluid paths, hot combustion gases from the burner 5 pass around tubes 4, between the baffle plate 21 and the casing 24, and subsequently pass between the baffle plate and upper header to exit the heat exchanger through duct 23. Due to the baffle plate, the upper header is not contacted by hot gases in the combustion chamber and it is only contacted by the gases after they have been cooled by heat exchange via the finned tube sections.

Claims

A heat exchanger for a boiler comprising upper and lower headers with tubes extending therebetween in an annular array surrounding a combustion chamber for accommodating a gas burner, the headers and tubes defining two distinct flow paths for liquid to be heated, wherein the flow paths through the tubes are in heat exchange relationship with each other, and baffle means are provided in the upper part of the combustion chamber spaced below the upper header so that flue gases are constrained to pass outwardly from the combustion chamber between the tubes before any heat exchange with the upper header is possible.
A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the upper header is annular, combustion gases passing outwardly of the heat exchanger through the centre of the upper header.
A heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the tubes comprise an outer tube through which extends a coiled tube, the coiled tube constituting one flow path and the spaces within the straight tube not filled by the coiled tube defining the other flow path.
A heat exchanger according to claims 1,2 or 3, wherein the length of the tubes above the baffle means is substantially smaller than the length of the tubes below.
A heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubes have fins and said fins are confined to the tube sections below the baffle means.
A heat exchanger according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the baffle means is an imperforate plate.
A heat exchanger as herein described with reference to Figures 2 and 3.