Tube mat heat exchanger
AssigneeBio-Energy Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael F. Zinn, Steven E. Krulick, Ronald W. Leonard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger adapted particularly for use in embedded radiant heating systems and including a plurality of webbed tube mats and associated manifolds, wherein the webs are separated from their adjacent tubes along tear lines at at least two longitudinally spaced portions of the mat.
Claims28
In a heat exchanger wherein a plurality of parallel fluid-conducting tubes of elastomeric material are formed in an elongated mat with flexible webs connecting adjacent pairs of the tubes, pairing means for subsections of said mat comprising:
- (a) a central mat section between said subsections being free of said webs between the tubes with the tubes remaining uninterrupted and integral;
- (b) said subsections being arranged substantially coplanar with the free tubes of the central section;
- (c) first and second hollow manifolds;
- and
- (d) opposite end portions of all of the tubes remote from the central mat section being free of said webs and being connected to the respective hollow manifolds through respective holes in the manifold walls.
In a radiant heat exchanger embedded within a building structure and including a plurality of elongated mats of elastomeric material, each mat defining a plurality of parallel fluid-conducting tubes with flexible webs connecting adjacent pairs of tubes and formed with tear lines alongside each tube to permit separation of the webs from the tubes, pairing means for subsections of each of said mats comprising:
- (a) a central mat section between said subsections being free of said webs between the tubes with the tubes remaining uninterrupted and integral;
- (b) said subsections being aligned parallel and side-by-side and substantially coplanar with the free tubes of the central section;
- (c) first and second tubular manifolds disposed side-by-side and transverse to those ends of the aligned subsections of the mat remote from the central section;
- (d) opposite end portions of all the tubes remote from the central mat section being free of said webs and being connected to the respective manifolds through respective circular holes in the manifold walls;
- (e) means on the underside of each mat for securing the mat in place during installation;
- and
- (f) said mats being embedded within a matrix of poured concrete.
A method of installing a radiant heat exchanger in a building structure, said heat exchanger including a plurality of elongated mats of elastomeric material, each mat defining a plurality of fluid-conducting tubes with flexible webs joining adjacent pairs of tubes, said tubes being connected to respective manifolds, comprising:
- (a) removing said webs from between said tubes in a central section of the mat and leaving the tubes uninterrupted and integral;
- (b) removing said webs from between said tubes at end portions of the mats for connection to the manifolds;
- (c) locating said mats in place on the building structure so that subsections thereof to each side of the central section are substantially coplanar;
- and
- (d) covering said mats with a structural matrix.
In a heat exchanger wherein a plurality of parallel fluid-conducting tubes of elastomeric material are formed in an elongated mat with a plurality of flexible webs connecting respective adjacent pairs of tubes, the improvement which comprises:
- (a) first and second hollow manifolds arranged transverse to said fluid-conducting tubes,
- (b) one end of each tube being connected to the first manifold and one end of each tube being connected to the second manifold with a closed fluid-conducting path being defined through each tube from the first to the second manifold,
- (c) the webs being separated from their adjacent tubes along tear lines at at least two longitudinally spaced portions of the mat.
A method of installing a radiant heat exchanger on a building structure, said heat exchanger including a plurality of fluid conducting tubes formed in elongated mats with flexible webs joining adjacent pairs of tubes, said tubes being connected to respective manifolds, which comprises:
- (a) removing said webs from between said tubes at at least two longitudinally spaced portions of each mat,
- (b) locating said mats in place on the building structure so that the mats are substantially coplanar, and
- (c) covering the mats with concrete.
A method of installing a heat exchanger on a building structure, said heat exchanger including a plurality of fluid-conducting tubes formed in elongated mats with flexible webs joining and spacing apart adjacent pairs of tubes and being separable therefrom along tear lines, said tubes being connected to respective manifolds, which comprises:
- (a) separating said webs along said tear lines and removing the separated webs from between said tubes at at least two longitudinally spaced portions of at least one of the mats;
- and
- (b) locating said mats in place on the building structure so that the mats are substantially coplanar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.