High condensing recuperative furnace

Abstract

A forced hot air furnace having a continuously wet recuperative heat exchanger. The recuperative heat exchanger is positioned in the hot air chamber at an upward incline from the firebox to the outside flue. Inclined positioning enables heat exchanger condensate to drain counter to combustion products. Condensate is collected in a reservoir located in the firebox. Combustion products flow over the reservoir thereby becoming elevated in dew point before entering the heat exchanger. Consequently, the amount of condensation formed in the heat exchanger is substantially increased over conventional heat exchangers. Condensate will form along the entire length of the heat exchanger resulting in all wet operation. In another embodiment, continuously wet operation is achieved without a water reservoir. In still another embodiment, the continuously wet recuperative heat exchanger is coupled to the output of a non-recuperative heat exchanger. In an alternate embodiment, a continuously wet recuperative heat exchanger is utilized to heat a liquid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.