Compact fluid heating system with high bulk heat flux using elevated heat exchanger pressure drop

A method of heating a production fluid by a hydronic, steam or thermofluidic boiler using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel, comprising:

• providing a fluid heating system having the hydronic, steam or thermofluidic boiler, comprising:
• an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air;
• a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid at a combustion system exit;
• and a tubeless heat exchanger comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing wherein at least one of an inner surface of the inner casing and an inner surface of the outer casing comprises a surface treatment which improves heat transfer, the tubeless heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system exit and configured to be in thermal communication with the production fluid to provide convective heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas to an exhaust flue having an exhaust flue inlet;
• and
• providing, by the electric blower, a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air, the blower operating at or above a predetermined minimum blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system operates at or above a predetermined minimum Bulk Heat Flux and a predetermined minimum Pressure Drop, wherein the Pressure Drop is measured from the combustion system exit to the exhaust flue inlet, and wherein the predetermined minimum blower efficiency is about 32%.

A method of heating a production fluid with a fluid heating system having a hydronic, steam or thermofluidic boiler using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel, comprising:

• receiving, by an electric blower, ambient air and electrical input power and providing, by the blower, output source air;
• receiving, by a combustion system, the output source air from the electric blower and receiving, by the combustion system, fuel, and providing, by the combustion system, the thermal transfer fluid at a combustion system exit;
• receiving, at a tubeless heat exchanger, the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system exit, the tubeless heat exchanger providing convective heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and providing an output exhaust gas to an exhaust flue having an exhaust flue inlet, the tubeless heat exchanger comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing wherein at least one of an inner surface of the inner casing and an inner surface of the outer casing comprises a surface treatment which improves heat transfer;
• and
• providing, by the electric blower, a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air, the blower operating at or above a predetermined minimum blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system operates at or above a predetermined minimum Bulk Heat Flux and a predetermined minimum Pressure Drop, wherein the Pressure Drop is measured from the combustion system exit to the exhaust flue inlet, and wherein the predetermined minimum blower efficiency is about 32%.