Turbulator construction for a heat exchanger

A heat exchanger, comprising a generally cylindrical tube to conduct a fluid in a downstream direction, a turbulator disposed within the tube, said turbulator being composed of a single sheet of flat metal having continuous uninterrupted opposed sides and bent in the form of a double helix, said turbulator in combination with said tube defining a pair of generally helical passages that extend the length of said turbulator, said turbulator including a plurality of generally flat triangular sections disposed at an acute angle with respect to adjacent sections, each section having three side edges, a pair of said side edges of each section being connected to side edges of adjacent sections and each section having a third exposed side edge facing said tube.

A heat exchanger, comprising a generally cylindrical tube to conduct a fluid in a downstream direction, a turbulator disposed within the tube and composed of a single sheet of flat metal bent in the form of a double helix, said turbulator in combination with said tube defining a pair of generally helical passages, said sheet in flat form including a plurality of bend lines with each bend line disposed at an acute angle with respect to adjacent bend lines, said sheet being bent alternately along said bend lines to provide a plurality of generally flat triangular interconnected sections, said sections disposed at an acute angle to each other, a pair of said side edges of each section being connected to said edges of adjacent sections along said bend lines, each section having a third side edge facing said tube, said sections being substantially identical in size and shape.

A heat exchanger, comprising a tube to conduct a fluid in a downstream direction, a turbulator disposed within the tube and disposed in the form of a double helix, said turbulator in combination with said tube defining a pair of helical passages, the upstream end of said turbulator being generally flat and extending generally diametrically across the tube to divide the tube into a pair of inlet passages, each inlet passage communicating with one of said helical passages, said turbulator being composed of a plurality of generally triangular sections, each triangular section disposed at an angle with respect to adjacent sections, each section having a pair of sides connected to the sides of adjacent sections with each section having a third exposed side facing the inner surface of said tube, said third side being generally convex and conforming to the curvature of the inner surface of said tube.

A heat exchanger, comprising a generally cylindrical tube to conduct a fluid in a downstream direction, a turbulator disposed within the tube, said turbulator being composed of a single sheet of flat metal bent in the form of a double helix, said turbulator in combination with said tube defining a pair of generally helical passages that extend the length of said turbulator, said turbulator including a plurality of generally triangular sections disposed at an acute angle with respect to adjacent sections, each section having a pair of sides connected to sides of adjacent sections and each section having a third exposed side facing said tube, said third side of each section being curved outwardly and conforming generally to the configuration of the inner surface of said tube.