Submerged combustion water heater
OwnerGerald Engdahlinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention discloses a submerged combustion apparatus and method for heating large quantities of water and other fluids in many applications. Water to be heated exits an orifice opening and flows across a perforated plate where the water is heated by products of combustion passing through apertures in the perforated plate. The low submergence, low backpressure heat and mass transfer arrangement provides an effective and efficient system for heating water and other fluids and concentrating water solutions.
Claims6
A submerged combustion water heating apparatus comprising:
- a combustion chamber;
- a burner assembly firing into the combustion chamber and producing products of combustion;
- at least one set of perforated plates;
- wherein the products of combustion flow generally through apertures in the perforated plate;
- a submerged combustion water inlet plenum, a water inlet means and a submerged combustion water outlet plenum;
- wherein
- water is directed through the submerged combustion inlet plenum, through the water inlet means to flow generally across at least one set of perforated plates and be heated by the products of combustion and collected in the submerged combustion water outlet plenum.
A submerged combustion method of heating a fluid including the steps of:
- providing a source of products of combustion and a fluid inlet means;
- providing at least one set of perforated plates;
- directing fluid to flow through fluid inlet means and generally across at least one set of perforated plates;
- passing products of combustion through apertures in the perforated plate;
- contacting the fluid and the products of combustion;
- heating the fluid using products of combustion;
- and
- collecting the heated fluid.
A submerged combustion heat source vaporizer comprising:
- a combustion chamber;
- a burner assembly firing into the combustion chamber and producing products of combustion;
- at least one set of perforated plates;
- wherein products of combustion flow generally through apertures in at least one set of perforated plates;
- a submerged combustion heat source water inlet plenum, a submerged combustion water inlet means, and a submerged combustion heated water plenum;
- wherein
- water is directed through the submerged combustion heat source water inlet plenum and through the submerged combustion water inlet means to flow generally across the perforated plate and be heated by the products of combustion and be collected in the submerged combustion heated water plenum;
- an annular space;
- wherein the submerged combustion heated water plenum communicates with the annular space;
- at least one inlet manifold and at least one outlet manifold;
- rows of spiral tube heat transfer circuits for containing and vaporizing fluids being positioned generally within the annular space and communicating with at least one inlet manifold;
- a water outlet plenum communicating with the annular space;
- wherein the water outlet plenum communicates with the submerged combustion heat source water inlet plenum;
- and
- at least one pump circulating water from the water outlet plenum to the submerged combustion heat source water inlet plenum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.