US 2026/0309367 A1Published application

Baffle for condensing flue tubes within a water heating appliance

AssigneeBradford White Corporation

InventorMehran Seyed Ahmadi

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Abstract

A condensing water heater includes a reservoir, a heater and a blower that deliver process air into an airflow path having a sensible heat exchange section and a latent heat exchange section downstream of the sensible heat exchange section. The latent heat exchange section includes condensing tubes in thermal communication with the reservoir. Each condensing tube includes an outer sleeve and inserts positioned therein and having heat exchange obstructions. Each insert has a lever portion at a first edge and a biasing portion at a second edge that opposes the first edge and that engage one another. The biasing portions of the inserts deflect the lever portions of the inserts to generate an outward biasing force that biases each insert against the outer sleeve to eliminate gaps between the inserts and the outer sleeve to direct the heated process air through the heat exchange obstructions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A single-pass condensing water heater comprising:

a reservoir that stores water to be heated;
a heater and a blower that deliver heated process air into an airflow inlet positioned at an end of the reservoir;
a sensible heat exchange section of an airflow path that is attached to the airflow inlet and extends through and is in thermal communication with the reservoir;
and
a latent heat exchange section of the airflow path that is downstream of the sensible heat exchange section, the latent heat exchange section including a plurality of condensing tubes in thermal communication with the reservoir, each condensing tube of the plurality of condensing tubes comprising:
an outer sleeve;
and
a plurality of inserts having heat exchange obstructions defined therein, the plurality of inserts being positioned within the outer sleeve, each insert having a lever portion at a first edge and a biasing portion at a second edge that opposes the first edge, wherein
the lever portion of a first insert of the plurality of inserts respectively engages the biasing portion of an adjacent insert of the plurality of inserts;
the biasing portions of the plurality of inserts deflect the lever portions of the plurality of inserts, respectively, within the outer sleeve to generate an outward biasing force that biases an outer surface of each insert of the plurality of inserts against an inner surface of the outer sleeve;
and
the outward biasing force substantially eliminates gaps between the plurality of inserts and the outer sleeve to direct the heated process air through the plurality of heat exchange obstructions.

9 more elements

A latent heat exchange section of a water heater, the latent heat exchanger comprising:

at least one condensing tube configured to receive heated process air from a sensible heat exchange section, the at least one condensing tube comprising:
a first heat conductive insert having a first lever portion and a first biasing portion;
a second heat conductive insert having a second lever portion and a second biasing portion;
and
an outer sleeve having an interior that receives the first heat conductive insert and the second heat conductive insert, wherein
the first biasing portion engages the second lever portion within the interior of the outer sleeve and generates a first outward biasing force that biases the first heat conductive insert against an inner surface of the outer sleeve;
the second biasing portion engages the first lever portion within the interior of the outer sleeve and generates a second outward biasing force that biases the second heat conductive insert against the inner surface of the outer sleeve;
and
the first outward biasing force and the second outward biasing force bias the first and second heat conductive inserts against the inner surface to form a substantially continuous seal between the outer sleeve and the first and second heat conductive inserts.

6 more elements

A condensing tube for a heat exchanger of a water heating appliance, the condensing tube comprising:

an outer sleeve having an inner surface that defines a cylindrical interior;
a first heat conductive insert having a first central plane;
and
a second heat conductive insert having a second central plane, the first and second heat conductive inserts each including a first edge and a second edge that opposes the first edge;
wherein
the first and second heat conductive inserts define an engaged position when the first edge of the first heat conductive insert engages the second edge of the second heat conductive insert and the second edge of the first heat conductive insert engages the first edge of the second heat conductive insert;
the engaged position of the first and second heat conductive inserts distal from the outer sleeve is defined by an eccentric configuration wherein the first central plane of the first heat conductive insert is offset from the second central plane of the second heat conductive insert;
the engaged position of the first and second heat conductive inserts in an installed state within the outer sleeve is defined by a cylindrical configuration of the first and second heat conductive inserts;
modulation of the first and second heat conductive inserts from the engaged position distal from the outer sleeve to the installed state biases the first central plane to be substantially co-planar with the second central plane;
and
the installed state generates an outward biasing force that biases outer surfaces of the first and second heat conductive inserts against the inner surface of the outer sleeve to form a substantially continuous seal between the outer sleeve and the first and second heat conductive inserts.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.