Heat Exchanger With Guide Units to Extend Flow Path and Reduce Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional condensing type heat exchangers face inefficiencies due to increased volume from separate blower and burner configurations, and a short heating medium flow path that limits heat transfer area and efficiency between the heating medium and combustion gas.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring a guide unit within the heating medium flow channel to direct the medium toward the combustion chamber center, combined with a latent heat unit having multiple parallel flow channels and a sensible heat unit with serial flow channels, formed by stacking plates to maximize heat exchange efficiency in a compact space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a blower and separate sensible/latent heat exchangers are installed individually inside the housing, then the heat exchange function is provided, but the volume of the heat exchanger is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the blower, sensible heat exchanger, and latent heat exchanger into a single integrated heat exchange unit. The blower is positioned at the center with heat exchange pipes arranged radially around it, merging functions that were previously separate components into one compact structure, thereby reducing overall volume while maintaining heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange pipes are arranged in a nested configuration around the central blower, with sensible heat exchanger pipes and latent heat exchanger pipes positioned at different radial distances. This nesting approach allows multiple heat exchange functions to be contained within a compact cylindrical volume, maximizing space utilization.
2Device complexity
If the heating medium flows away from the burners due to centrifugal force in coil-shaped pipes, then the flow path is simplified, but heat exchange efficiency between combustion gas and heating medium is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide units at specific locations within the heat exchange pipes to locally redirect the heating medium flow. These guide units create zones where the flow direction is corrected toward the combustion chamber center, ensuring that the heating medium passes through regions of high heat concentration despite the overall radial arrangement of the pipes.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide units serve as intermediary components that mediate between the centrifugal flow tendency and the desired heat exchange efficiency. These units redirect the heating medium flow without requiring a complete redesign of the pipe configuration, allowing the system to maintain both simplicity and effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If the flow path of the heating medium is short in conventional heat exchangers, then the structure is simplified, but the heat transfer area between heating medium and combustion gas cannot be widely secured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar or simple linear flow path to a three-dimensional radial configuration. The heating medium flows through pipes arranged in multiple radial layers around the central blower, utilizing the radial dimension to extend the flow path length and increase heat transfer area without significantly increasing the overall footprint of the heat exchanger.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances heat exchange efficiency by extending the heating medium flow path and increasing the heat transfer area, improving the transfer of combustion heat to the heating medium while minimizing space and reducing flow resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a sensible heat exchanger configured to absorb sensible heat of a combustion gas generated in a combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchange pipe wound around a circumference of the burner in the form of a coil
Implementation Method 3
a latent heat exchanger configured to absorb latent heat generated by condensation of water vapor contained in the combustion gas
Implementation Method 4
latent heat generated by condensation of water vapor contained in the combustion gas
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger enhancing heat exchange efficiency between a heating medium and combustion heat of a burner, the heat exchanger being provided with a heat exchange unit having heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows and combustion gas flow channels through which combustion gas combusted in the burner flows to be alternately formed and adjacent to each other in spaces between a plurality of plates, wherein the heat exchange unit comprises: a sensible heat unit which surrounds the outer side of a combustion chamber, is formed of one side area of the plates, and heats the heating medium by using sensible heat of combustion gas generated by the combustion of the burner; and a latent heat unit which is formed of the other side area of the plates, and heats the heating medium by using latent heat of water vapor included in combustion gas that has finished undergoing heat exchange in the sensible heat unit, wherein the heating medium flow channels of the sensible heat unit have guide units formed thereon for inducing the heating medium to flow towards the center of the combustion chamber.