Heat Transfer Tubes, Combustion Gas Eductors, And Cooking Medium Heating Systems Including Such Tubes And Eductors

A heat transfer tube for transferring heat generated by combustion to a cooking medium, comprising:

• a bottom wall;
• a pair of side walls;
• a top wall, the heat transfer tube comprising a combustion gas entry opening and a combustion gas exhaust opening formed therein at opposite ends thereof;
• and
• a plurality of heat transfer fins extends from the pair of side walls and the top wall toward the interior of the heat transfer tube and each of the plurality of heat transfer fins extends from a position proximate to the combustion gas exhaust opening toward the combustion gas entry opening, each of the plurality of heat transfer fins further comprises a plurality of fin segments that are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the heat transfer tube, and a height of each of the plurality of heat transfer fins decreases as that heat transfer fin approaches the combustion gas entry opening.

A combustion gas eductor for venting combustion gas exhausted from a combustion gas exhaust opening of a heat transfer tube, comprising:

• a flue comprising a narrower, exhaust gas receiving end disposed adjacent to the combustion gas exhaust opening of the heat transfer tube;
• a nozzle comprising a nozzle inlet and a nozzle outlet, wherein the nozzle outlet is disposed within the exhaust gas receiving end of the flue;
• and
• a blower disposed adjacent to the nozzle inlet for delivering a flow of air to the nozzle inlet.

A cooking medium heating system comprising:

• a cooking vessel for holding a cooking medium;
• at least one heat transfer tube extending through the cooking vessel for transferring heat generated by combustion to the cooking medium, comprising:
• a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, wherein each of the at least one heat transfer tube comprises a combustion gas entry opening and a combustion gas exhaust opening formed therein at opposite ends thereof;
• at least one heat transfer fin extending from a position proximate to the combustion gas exhaust opening toward the combustion gas entry opening;
• a combustion gas flow separator extending from a position proximate to the combustion gas exhaust opening toward the combustion gas entry opening and dividing the heat transfer tube into two spaces between the separator and each of the pair of side walls along a length of the separator;
• and
• a combustion gas eductor for venting combustion gas exhausted from a combustion gas exhaust opening of each of the at least one tube, comprising:
• a flue comprising a narrower, exhaust gas receiving end disposed adjacent to the combustion gas exhaust opening of the at least one tube;
• a nozzle comprising a nozzle inlet and a nozzle outlet, wherein the nozzle outlet is disposed within the exhaust gas receiving end of the flue;
• and
• a blower disposed adjacent to the nozzle inlet for delivering a flow of air to the nozzle inlet.