KR20190002838U - Inline fluid heater - Google Patents

Abstract

An inline fluid heater, comprising: an inlet operable to receive a fluid to be heated; A substrate defining at least one conduit fluidly coupled with the inlet to receive the fluid; A positive temperature coefficient heater thermally coupled to the substrate and operable to heat the substrate to provide a heated fluid by heating the fluid in the at least one conduit; And an outlet in fluid communication with the at least one conduit and operable to provide a heated fluid, the substrate defining an inlet and a plurality of conduits in fluid communication with the outlet, the plurality of conduits intersecting A fluid heater is disclosed. In this way, since the constant temperature coefficient heater is self-controlled, a small, inexpensive and efficient heater is provided that does not require a safety device or safety circuit.

Description

Inline fluid heater

The present invention relates to fluid heating.

Fluid heating is known in the art. It may be necessary to heat the fluid for a number of different purposes. One such object is to heat a fluid for use in chemical processing. It is often necessary to raise the fluid temperature to make the fluid more effective during chemical treatment. Although fluid heaters exist, they each have their own disadvantages. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved fluid heater.

According to a first aspect, an inline fluid heater, comprising: an inlet operable to receive a fluid to be heated; A substrate defining at least one conduit fluidly coupled with the inlet to receive the fluid; A positive thermal coefficient heater thermally coupled to the substrate and operable to heat the substrate to provide a heated fluid by heating the fluid in at least one conduit; And an outlet in fluid communication with at least one conduit and operable to provide a heated fluid, the substrate defining the inlet and the plurality of conduits in fluid communication with the outlet, the plurality of conduits Is provided with an intersecting, in-line fluid heater.

The first aspect recognizes that the problem with existing fluid heaters is that they are not only spatially large, inefficient and cost-effective, but also often require safety devices or circuitry to ensure safe operation. Thus, a fluid heater is provided. The fluid heater may be configured as an inline device that heats the fluid as it flows from the source to the destination. The fluid heater may include an inlet for receiving fluid for heating. The fluid heater may also include a substrate or body that defines or provides one or more conduits or passages in fluid communication with the inlet such that fluid can flow from the inlet to the conduit. The fluid heater may also include a constant temperature coefficient heater. The positive temperature coefficient heater may be in thermal contact with the substrate. The constant temperature coefficient heater may heat the substrate to heat the fluid flowing in the conduit. The fluid heater may also include an outlet. The outlet may be in fluid communication with the conduit such that heated fluid flows from the conduit to the outlet. The substrate may define a plurality of conduits. A plurality of conduits may be fluidly coupled with the inlet and the outlet. The plurality of conduits may intersect, interconnect, or cross. Thus, some conduits may each carry fluid from the inlet to the outlet as fluid flows between the conduits. In this way, since the constant temperature coefficient heater is self-controlled, a small, inexpensive and efficient heater is provided that does not require a safety device or safety circuit. Increasing the number of conduits helps to reduce the pressure drop between the inlet and outlet and improves the heating efficiency.

In another embodiment, the conduit extends within the substrate. Providing a conduit within or surrounded by the substrate helps to receive the fluid and may provide a simplified external envelope of the substrate.

In another embodiment, some conduits are parallel. Thus, some conduits may each carry fluid independently of one another from the inlet to the outlet.

In another embodiment, the conduit is at least one of elongate and serpentine. Providing a non-linear conduit between the inlet and the outlet prolongs the residence time or residence time of the fluid in the heater, providing a more compact arrangement.

In another embodiment, the substrate includes at least one of a mesh and a fiber defining a conduit and encapsulated within the substrate housing. Thus, the conduit may be provided by a mesh or fiber contained within the substrate housing. It also helps to maximize residence time and increase heat transfer between the heater and the fluid.

In one embodiment, the substrate defines a void by opposing major faces, the substrate having a plurality of pillars extending between the opposing major faces to define the plurality of conduits. Thus, the substrate may be formed to have voids. Pillars, columns or protrusions may extend into the voids. The presence of the pillars partitions the voids creating a crossover conduit through which the fluid flows. The pillar provides an efficient way of transferring heat from the constant temperature coefficient heater to the fluid and aids in fluid mixing.

In one embodiment, the pillars have a cross-sectional shape that is at least one of circular, oval, crescent and polygonal. The shape of the column affects the interface area with the fluid and helps guide the fluid flow.

In one embodiment, the pillars have an elongate cross-sectional shape. Elongated or linear cross-sections are particularly effective for guiding the flow of fluid.

In one embodiment, the pillars are tapered. Tapered pillars are particularly suitable for additive manufacturing.

In one embodiment, the pillars are at least one of positioning and orientation to guide the flow of the fluid within the voids. The pillars may be positioned or rotated to affect the flow of the fluid.

In one embodiment, the pillars are equally spaced (evenly distributed) within the voids. Thus, the pillars may be evenly distributed such that the spacing between the pillars is constant.

In another embodiment, the substrate defines at least one side that receives a positive temperature coefficient heater. Thus, heaters may be provided on one or more sides of the substrate. In addition, two or more heaters may be provided on each side.

In yet another embodiment, the substrate defines a plurality of faces that receive a plurality of positive temperature coefficient heaters. Thus, one or more heaters may be provided on multiple sides of the substrate.

In another embodiment, the substrate is elongated and planar, and received between a plurality of positive temperature coefficient heaters. Thus, the substrate may be sandwiched between multiple heaters.

In one embodiment, the substrate is non-planar. Thus, the substrate may not be planar and may be castle shaped, bent or even folded. The substrate may be sandwiched between multiple heaters.

In another embodiment, the substrate contains at least one positive temperature coefficient heater between the faces of the non-planar substrate. Thus, any one heater may be in contact with multiple faces of the non-planar substrate. This also helps to improve heat transfer between the heater and the substrate.

In another embodiment, the substrate is folded and houses at least one positive temperature coefficient heater between the folds.

In another embodiment, at least one side is roughened to receive a thermal bonding material between the side and the positive temperature coefficient heater. The roughening of the surface improves heat transfer with the thermal bonding material.

In yet another embodiment, the constant temperature coefficient heater includes a constant temperature coefficient heater element contained within a thermally conductive housing.

In another embodiment, the inlet defines an inlet chamber fluidly coupling the at least one conduit with the inlet opening operable to receive the fluid.

In another embodiment, the outlet defines an outlet chamber fluidly coupling the at least one conduit with the outlet opening operable to provide a heated fluid.

In yet another embodiment, the substrate is at least partially comprised of one of 3D printing and extrusion. Thus, the portions may be 3D printed or extruded, or both.

In another embodiment, an inline fluid heater comprises a plurality of said inlets, each inlet fluidly coupled with at least one associated conduit defined by said substrate, each of said at least one associated conduit being in fluid communication with an associated outlet. Are combined as an enemy. Thus, the substrate may be provided with two or more inlets. Each inlet may be combined with a separate set of conduits. In other words, the separate inlets may be supplied to separate conduits such that the fluids provided by these separate inlets are separated from each other and not mixed. And, each of these individual conduit sets may be associated with an associated outlet. Thus, different fluids may be provided at the inlet, through their own conduits, and different heated fluids may be provided at their outlets. This allows a single inline fluid heater to heat up multiple different fluids simultaneously.

In other embodiments, each inlet is coupled with one of the same at least one conduit and the different at least one conduit. Thus, each set of conduits connected with the associated inlet may have its own configuration suitable for the needs of the fluid to be heated. For example, fluids that need to be heated less and / or have a lower flow rate can have fewer conduits in the conduit set than fluids that need to be heated and / or have higher flow rates; For the latter fluid, more conduits may be provided, and / or conduits may be longer to increase residence time, and / or higher power of adjacent heaters.

According to a second aspect, an inline fluid heater, comprising: an inlet operable to receive a fluid to be heated; A substrate defining at least one conduit fluidly coupled with the inlet to receive the fluid; A positive temperature coefficient heater thermally coupled to the substrate and operable to heat the substrate to provide a heated fluid by heating the fluid in the at least one conduit; And an outlet in fluid communication with the at least one conduit and operable to provide a heated fluid.

In embodiments, the inline fluid heater of the second aspect includes the features of the first aspect described above.

Further specific and preferred embodiments are set forth in the appended independent claims and the dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims as appropriate and in combinations other than as expressly stated in the claims.

Where a device feature is described as being operable to provide a function, it will be understood to include a device feature that provides that function or that is adapted or configured to provide that function.

Other preferred and / or optional aspects of the present invention are defined in the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In order to make the present invention well understood, embodiments of the present invention provided by way of example only will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1A and 1B show an inline fluid heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A-2F show an inline fluid heater according to the related art.
3A and 3B show an inline fluid heater according to the related art.
4 illustrates an inline fluid heater according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 shows an inline fluid heater according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Before discussing the embodiments in more detail, an overview will first be provided. An embodiment provides a fluid heater. Typically, a fluid heater is disposed inline between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet to heat the fluid as the fluid flows from the source or supply to the destination. Such fluid heaters may be used to heat a variety of fluids, both liquid and gas, such as may be used for heating gases used for exhaust management of semiconductor processes. The fluid heater has an inlet for receiving a fluid to be heated and an outlet for providing a heated fluid. The substrate, body or member is provided with one or more conduits, channels or holes that fluidly couple the inlet and outlet. For example, a heater, such as a constant temperature coefficient heater, is thermally coupled with the member and heats the member to heat the fluid as the fluid flows through the conduits in the member. Two or more inlets may be provided in combination with its own set of conduits in the substrate to provide heating of separate fluids within a single substrate. The conduit set may share a configuration or have another configuration. The conduit set may also share heaters or have separate heaters. This provides a safe, efficient and compact way of conveniently heating the fluid.

Fluid heater

1A and 1B illustrate an inline fluid heater, schematically indicated at 10, according to one embodiment. The inline fluid heater 10 has an inlet port 20 and an outlet port 40 provided in the body 30. In this embodiment, the body 30 has a generally planar configuration in the form of a box. The main body 30 is thin and long in the form of a rectangle both in face and in cross section. The main body 30 has a first main surface 30A and a second main surface 30B connected by minor faces 30C and 30D. The inlet port 20 has a coupling 20A disposed coaxially and surrounding the tube 20B. Tube 20B forms a blind cylindrical void that extends from coupling 20A and terminates within tube 20B. A similar device is present at the outlet port 40-the cylindrical void 40C can be seen in FIG. 1A.

A plurality of open cylindrical voids (not shown) extend along the elongated length of the body 30 between the inlet port 20 and the outlet port 40. The conduit fluidly couples the cylindrical voids in the tube 20B with the cylindrical voids 40C in the tube 40B.

The heater elements 50A, 50B are thermally coupled with the major surfaces 30A, 30B, respectively. Heater elements 50A, 50B have metal shells 55A, 55B, each of which has a positive temperature coefficient heater (not shown). Each heater element 50A, 50B has a heater coupling 60A that is coupled with a pair of feed lines 65A, 66A and 65B, 66B, respectively, to power the heater elements 50A, 50B.

In operation, the gas to be heated is provided to the inlet port 20 and passes through the cylindrical voids in the tube 20B. The gas in the cylindrical void freely flows into each conduit extending through the body 30.

Power is supplied through feed lines 65A, 66A and 65B, 66B and heater coupling 60A and the temperature of heater elements 50A, 50B rises. The heater elements 50A, 50B are thermally coupled with the metal shells 55A, 55B so that the temperature of the metal shells 55A, 55B also rises. This in turn heats the main surfaces 30A and 30B and heats the main body 30. Thus, the fluid passing through the conduit in the body is heated as it passes along the length of the body from the inlet port 20 to the outlet port 40. The heated fluid then exits the outlet port 40.

It will be appreciated that thermal paste, surface finish and / or thermal epoxy may be used to enhance thermal bonding between the components of the inline fluid heater 10. It will also be understood that heating can occur in both directions and that fluid may be supplied to the outlet port 40 and heated fluid may exit the inlet port 20.

3D printed heater

2A-2F show an inline fluid heater, schematically indicated at 10 ', in accordance with the related art (heater elements have been omitted to improve clarity). 2A is a side view. 2B is an end view. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2B. FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view along the B-B line of FIG. 2B. FIG. 2E is an enlarged view of detail C of FIG. 2C. FIG. 2F is an enlarged view of detail D in FIG. 2C. The body 30 'is formed of 3D printed aluminum and has a conduit 35' extending in parallel along an elongated length. The tubes 20B 'and 40B' are elongate and formed together with the body 30 '. Body 30 ′ has a roughened surface that is machined near the coupling (not shown).

Heater configuration

3A and 3B (section B-B of FIG. 3A) show an inline fluid heater, schematically labeled 10 '' ', according to the related art (heater elements have been omitted to improve clarity). Body 30 '' 'has a conduit 35' '' extending in parallel along an elongated length. The tubes 20B '' ', 40B' '' are elongate and are formed together with the body 30 '' '.

In the test, thirteen parallel conduits extend along the elongated length of the main body having a length of about 115 mm, a width between the two sides of about 16 mm, a distance between the major faces of about 1.8 mm and a diameter of about 1 mm, In-line heaters with a constant temperature coefficient heater of 200 W on the main surface of the reactor allow gas flow from the surroundings to 210 ° C for 10 standard liters per minute (SLM) and 180 ° C for 50 liters per minute. And it heated to 155 degreeC when it flowed in standard liters per 90 minutes. If no flow occurred, the heating element was fixed at 240 ° C.

Multi fluid heater

4 illustrates an inline heater according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, an inline heater, schematically labeled 10 '' ', is provided as part of the head assembly for the abatement device. A plurality of inlet ports 20 '' 'A-20' '' C are provided, each of which is associated with a source of fluid to be heated. In the present embodiment, the body 30 '' 'is formed of 3D printed aluminum as part of the head assembly and has conduits (not shown) extending therethrough. Each inlet port 20 '' 'A-20' '' C is associated with its own conduit set. The size, number, and configuration of the conduits are selected according to the heating requirements for each fluid. A plurality of outlet ports 40 '' 'A-40' '' C are provided to provide respective heated fluids. In this embodiment, it will be appreciated that a separate heating element is provided for each conduit set, but a shared heating element may be provided.

Pillar heater

FIG. 5 is a planar cross-sectional view showing an inline heater schematically labeled 10 '' '' according to one embodiment (heater elements have been omitted to improve clarity). The body 30 '' '' is formed of 3D printed aluminum, in which a chamber 100 '' '' is formed. Chamber 100 '' '' fluidly couples inlet port 20 '' '' with outlet port 30 '' ''. The chamber 100 '' '' has sidewalls 110 '' '', 120 '' '' extending between the major surfaces that receive the heater elements in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. Pillars 130 '' '', 140 '' '' extend between major faces throughout chamber 100 '' ''. Pillars 130 '' '' are distributed within chamber 100 '' ''. In this example, pillars 130 '' '' are arranged in line and have offset or staggered columns to provide equal spacing between pillars 130 '' ''. Pillar 130 '' '' is cylindrical (typically conical) with a circular cross section. Pillar 140 '' '' is elongate and disposed in a location within chamber 100 '' '' where fluid flow is blocked or redirected. The orientation of the pillars 140 '' '' is chosen to provide the required fluid flow direction. Pillars 130 '' '', 140 '' '' define a plurality of cross-conduits 35 '' '' extending through chamber 100 '' ''.

In operation, fluid is introduced through the inlet port 20 '' ''. Fluid enters chamber 100 '' '' and is guided along cross-conduit 35 '' '' by pillars 130 '' '', 140 '' ''. Heat is transferred from the heater element through the major face to the pillars 130 '' '', 140 '' '' to heat the fluid. The residence time of the fluid in the chamber 100 '' '' is influenced by the shape, size, position and orientation of the pillars 130 '' '', 140 '' ''. In one embodiment, only one type of pillar is used in the chamber. In other embodiments, multiple types of pillars are used in the chamber. The heated fluid is discharged through the outlet port 30 '' ''. It will be appreciated that the position and orientation of the inlet port 20 '' '' and outlet port 30 '' '' can be selected to suit the requirements. This example has been found to significantly reduce pressure loss and significantly increase heat transfer. It will be appreciated that a hybrid approach is also feasible that combines the separate conduits shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the cross conduits shown in FIG. 5.

In embodiments, the inline heater is 3D metal printed. Another embodiment has a nonlinear conduit, such as a meandering conduit. Also, the conduits need not be parallel and may cross. In addition, the body may not be provided with a clear conduit and may be provided with a porous component such as a mesh or fiber sealed within a non-porous shell. In embodiments, the body itself may be non-planar and may be folded or out with the heating element interposed or held by a change in the direction of the body.

Embodiments provide a low cost heat transfer apparatus that maximizes heat transfer area using multiport extrusions (MPE) and heats gas / fluid using a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.

Conventional heating solutions tend to be too large and are too expensive, requiring many safety devices / circuits. Embodiments provide a small, compact and intrinsically safe device for heating a gas. Embodiments are less expensive and very substantially improved in safety compared to conventional resistive heater element in-line devices.

Embodiments use an MPE attached to a manifold to which a perfusion or tubing can be attached, flowing gas and / or liquid through the port and heating the gas / fluid as it passes. Thermal epoxy or the like is used to attach the PTC heater to either or both sides of the MPE to act as a heat source for heating the gas / fluid. An example may be a device that heats N ₂ of 50 SLM. It has, in one embodiment, twelve ports extruded or 3D printed in 1 mm diameter and extending in parallel, with 1/4 inch aluminum tubes at both ends with slots, and MPE brazing / welding / Affiliation is achieved by means of a device that allows for easy manifolding of gas / fluid into and out of it.

The use of MPE in the HVAC industry in combination with PTC provides an inherently safe and efficient means of gas / fluid heating. Unexpectedly, the device is inexpensive and the pressure drop is very low.

Embodiments may be used in a controlled or uncontrolled manner for any gas / fluid heating needs. Embodiments can be utilized in the laboratory and in any industry that requires or may need an inline heating solution. Depending on the fluid or gas used, some material changes in the multiport tube may be required, but this approach will still work.

Embodiments are particularly useful for abatement because space constraints are often very tight. Embodiments may also be utilized in a pump for heat seal purge and other such scenarios. Embodiments may be utilized wherever a heated gas or fluid is needed.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, but is intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing.

Claims (24)

Inline fluid heater,
(a) an inlet operable to receive a fluid to be heated;
(b) a substrate defining at least one conduit fluidly coupled with the inlet to receive the fluid;
(c) a positive thermal coefficient heater thermally coupled to the substrate and operable to heat the substrate to provide a heated fluid by heating the fluid in the at least one conduit; And
(d) fluidly coupled with the at least one conduit, the outlet being operable to provide the heated fluid,
The substrate defines a plurality of conduits fluidly coupled to the inlet and the outlet, the plurality of conduits intersecting
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The conduits extending in the substrate
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The conduits are parallel
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The conduits are at least one of elongate and serpentine.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate includes at least one of a mesh and a fiber defining the conduit and encapsulated within the substrate housing.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate defines a void by opposing major faces, the substrate having a plurality of pillars extending between the opposing major faces to define the plurality of conduits.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 6,
The pillars have a cross-sectional shape that is at least one of circular, oval, crescent and polygonal.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 6,
The pillars have an elongate cross-sectional shape.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 6,
The pillars are tapered
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 6,
The pillars have at least one of positioning and orientation to guide the flow of the fluid within the voids.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 6,
The pillars are arranged at equal intervals in the void
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate defines at least one side to receive the positive temperature coefficient heater.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate defines a plurality of surfaces that receive a plurality of positive temperature coefficient heaters.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate is elongated and planar, and accommodated between a plurality of positive temperature coefficient heaters.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate is non-planar
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 10,
The substrate receives at least one positive temperature coefficient heater between faces of the non-planar substrate.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 10,
The substrate is folded and receives at least one positive temperature coefficient heater between the folds.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The at least one face is roughened to receive a thermal bonding material between the face and the positive temperature coefficient heater.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The positive temperature coefficient heater comprises a positive temperature coefficient heater element contained within a thermally conductive housing.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The inlet defines an inlet chamber fluidly coupling the at least one conduit with an inlet opening operable to receive the fluid.
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The outlet defining an outlet chamber fluidly coupling the at least one conduit with an outlet opening operable to provide the heated fluid
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
The substrate consists at least in part of 3D printing and extrusion
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 1,
A plurality of said inlets, each inlet fluidly coupled with at least one associated conduit defined by said substrate, each of said at least one associated conduit fluidly coupled with an associated outlet
Inline Fluid Heater. The method of claim 18,
Each inlet is coupled with one of the same at least one conduit and at least one different at least one conduit
Inline Fluid Heater.

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