Continuous helical baffle heat exchanger

A heater assembly comprising:

• a flow guide defining a continuous geometric helicoid disposed about a longitudinal axis of the heater assembly, the flow guide defining a predetermined pattern of perforations that extend in a longitudinal direction through a first longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the longitudinal axis, the first longitudinal length being less than a full longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid;
• and
• a plurality of electrical resistance heating elements extending through the perforations,
• wherein, for each electrical resistance heating element of the plurality of electrical resistance heating elements, a length of that electrical resistance heating element and a pitch of the geometric helicoid at a distal end of that electrical resistance heating element are such that the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element is a distance X from the geometric helicoid at the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element, wherein the distance X is taken along the longitudinal direction and is less than or equal to 40% of the pitch of the geometric helicoid at the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element,
• wherein the plurality of electrical resistance heating elements includes a plurality of distinct sets of electrical resistance heating elements, each distinct set extending along the longitudinal direction a different length than each other distinct set of electrical resistance heating elements,
• wherein the geometric helicoid defines a helical pathway and the plurality of distinct sets of electrical resistance heating elements are arranged such that the distinct sets progressively extend farther in the longitudinal direction with increased position along the helical pathway.

A heater assembly comprising:

• a flow guide defining a continuous geometric helicoid disposed about a longitudinal axis of the heater assembly, the flow guide defining a predetermined pattern of perforations that extend in a longitudinal direction through a first longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the longitudinal axis, the first longitudinal length being less than a full longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid;
• a plurality of electrical resistance heating elements extending through the perforations;
• and
• a tubular body including a first inlet/outlet open into an interior of the tubular body at a first end portion of the tubular body, and a second inlet/outlet open into the interior of the tubular body at a second end portion of the tubular body, the second inlet/outlet being farther in the longitudinal direction than the first inlet/outlet,
• wherein, for each electrical resistance heating element of the plurality of electrical resistance heating elements, a length of that electrical resistance heating element and a pitch of the geometric helicoid at a distal end of that electrical resistance heating element are such that the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element is a distance X from the geometric helicoid at the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element, wherein the distance X is taken along the longitudinal direction and is less than or equal to 10% of the pitch of the geometric helicoid at the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element,
• wherein the flow guide is disposed within the tubular body such that the geometric helicoid and the tubular body define a helical pathway, and
• wherein none of the electrical resistance heating elements of the plurality of electrical resistance heating elements terminates in a region of the helical pathway that is rotationally beyond the second inlet/outlet.