US2561424A - Heat transfer element - Google Patents

Description

B. SPIETH HEAT TRANSFER ELEMENT- Filed Nov. 1'7, v1948 IVI/6a' July I24, 1951 Patented `Iuly 24, 1951 HEAT TRANSFER ELEMENT .Benjamin Spieth, Racine, Wis., assignor to Modine Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 17, 1948, Serial No. 60,569

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a heating system and in particular, to a heat transfer element especially designed for use in a system known commercially as a one pipe steam system.

costly of installation.

through the same pipe.

ance.

a system is more costly.

member may be employed.

may be reduced to a minimum.

appended claims.

on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

A steam heating system, the type or design 5 with its interior through a port 8 in the tubular known as a one pipe system, is probably the least wall of the steam inlet header. complicated and hence is more economical in walls 6a bonded or otherwise secured to the tubu-l installation. As the name implies, only one cirlar wall close the ends of the header. cuit of pipe from the boiler to the heat transfer A partition 9 welded or otherwise secured to elementis requiredthatis. itis a one pipe system- 10 the tubular wali of the header divides the latter In CDmpaIiSOn the CGIIVeIltOn/l System has lQWO into g, Steam inlet Chamber I0 and an air and pipes, that is, two pipe circuits and hence is more condensate Chamber chamber I 0 leads a substantially horizontally ex- In the one pipe system Steam OWS fIOm the tending tube or several tubes I2 which are bondboiler out to the heat transfer element, iS C011- ed or otherwise secured to the partition 9. Bonddensed. and the condensate returns to the boiler ed or otherwise secured to the tubular wan of l Consequently, Steam iS the header and leading from the air and conlOWrlg in 011e direction in the pipe and the COD- densate chamber Il, is a tube or tubes I3 of densate water is flowing in the opposite direction. greater diameter than the tubes l2 and surround.. This condition, together with the fact that there ing said tubes I2.

is usually air in Such a system, heretofore has length than the tubes I2 and having their ends resulted in erratic, faulty and ineiiicient performopposite the header, closed by closures I4 bonded or otherwise secured to the tubes I3. When the The tWO pipe System usually gVeS mOIe definite present heat transfer element is applied to a conand efficient performance Since the Steam and vection heater, fins or heat radiating plates I5 condensate travel in the same direction, but such are Strung along the tubes I3` and are bonded or otherwise secured thereto.

The invention has, among its objects, the DIO- the air and condensate chamber II through a duction of a heat transfer element that will elim-v nipple ls is a thermostatic air valve |1 having 9, inate the above Objections. which iS very simple 3o discharge port ls through which air is released in Construction, efficient in Operation, and in from the heat transfer element, and extending Which a Single llOIiZOIltally extending header down from the air and condensate chamber is a trap or water seal I9 which is bonded to or other- Another object of the invention is the producwise secured to the tubular wall of the header 6. tion of such an element in which substantially all The trap extends down into the extension I or the elements may be in the form 0f Stamlillgs it may be of a length to extend down into the or theklike and bonded in a single operation into steam supply pipe 5, if such a high head of water an integral unit. whereby cost of manufacture is required to direct the steam in its proper course.

One leg I9a of the trap is somewhat shorter than vOther objects and advantages will appear in the other leg. the course of this specification and with said ob- The heat transfer element may be supported jects and advantages in view, this invention conin a convection heater cabinet in any suitable sists in the several novel features hereinafter fully manner. The supporting means here shown set forth and more particularly defined in the comprises a bracket 2D bonded or otherwise secured to the tubular wall of the header and hav- The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing an upright web 20a' bolted or otherwise seing accompanying this specification in which: cured to one end wall 2| of the convection heater Fig. 1 is a plan, partly broken away and partly cabinet. The closed ends of tubes I3 extend broken out, of aheat transfer element embodying through a vertical web of a second bracket 22 a simple form of the present invention. And and are bonded or otherwise secured thereto and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken said bracket 22 has anupright web 23 which is bolted or otherwise fastened to an end wall 24 of Referring to said drawing which is merely ilthe convection heater cabinet. lustrative of one embodiment of the present in- The several parts of the heat transfer element with the exception of the thermostatic air valve vention, the reference character 5 designates a' steam supply pipe and 6 designates the tubular Wallof a steam inlet header connected to the pipe by a chambered extension 1. In the formof the invention illustrated, the steam inlet header is of horizontal tubular form from which the extension 'I extends downward, and communicates Heads or end From the steam inlet The tubes I3 are of greater Communicating with are first assembled with their surfaces coated with bonding material, and the assembly is placed in a suitable oven and heat of sufficient temperature is applied to the assembly to fuse the bonding material, so that when cooled an integral structure is produced.

In operation steam enters the extension I through the steam pipe 5 and flows through the port 8 into the steam inlet chamber I. From the chamber I the steam enters the tube or tubes I2 and ows to their far ends forcing any air that may be in the tubes I2 ahead of it. Since the tubes I2 have little or no contact with the outer tubes I3, little or no condensation of steam will occur in the tubes I2.

As the steam leaves the outer ends of the tubes I2 and enters tubes I3 the outer tube Walls, and the f ns absorb heat and condensation of the steam occurs. The ow of steam, air and con"- densate between the tube Walls is all in one and the same direction and toward the airand con-` densation. chamber II. In chamber' II they air separates. from the condensa-te and rises intoy thermostatie air valveI I'IJ and is discharged through port It.

. The condensatev drops down through chamber III: and into the trap Ia, where it overflowsl from the shorter leg back into the steam pipe i and drains: back to? the-boiler. Thus the flow the mixture out steam., air and'` waterin the heat trans ier: element is always in the same direction, and satisiactory performance results.

When: thesteam is rst turned on after a periodv oi' inoperation, the water in the short leg inlay be depressed with a corresponding rise of the Water in the longer leg', providing the pressure head causing the: circulation to be in the right direc tion..

Under somewhat unusual conditions, the pressure headimay be insufficient to cause proper flow ofthe steam, and condensate. In such cases the.- watertrap may have lon-ger relative length than shown, even extending below the nomi-nal lower limiti oi chamber l, and reaching down into the pipe. 5.

awarev that attemptsv have heretofore been; made to employ a heating unit in a one steam. system, one example of which is the heat'- ing' unit. disclosed in the patent to W'. Ehrlich, No: iii-,956363, dated' October 6, lg3d, but that uni-t employs a cumbersome cored casting in' which the air and condensate are separated. Furthermore, arnenifoldf is' required to connect the tubes dis-- closed at different levels.

My heat transfer element does not require core castingnor a mai-iiioldf, as the-parts may be constructed of light gauge material' bonded together., and.' the" steam conveyed' from the steam inletv chamber, by a tube or tubes extendinginto tubes of larger diameter and discharging theree Y into, where the steam condenses and flows back toI nl air and condensate chamber from which it disclarges through a trap back into the steam supply pipe. r

Having thus described my invention, it" is ob vious that various immaterial modifications beV made the same without departing from the spirit oi my invention; hence, I' do not wishv to be understoodv as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement' and' combination of parts'fllerein shown and described or uses mentioned.

lWhat 'i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

li. A heat transie ele-ment forI a single pipe steam 1m, comprising in combination a header member, a partition wall positioned in said member and dividing the same into a steam inlet chamber and an adjacent air and condensate chamber, an extension positioned below said header member and arranged to be connected to a steam pipe, anA air ventingvalve operatively communicating with said airi and condensate chamber, a substantially horizontal steam tube endof said trap member communicating with thev air and condensate chamber, the lower end of said trap member having an outlet opening communieating with said' extension, said opening beingY pesiti'cned above the bottom ofthe trap'v member', with the portion of the latter below said open-v ingI being operative to-coliect condensate: therein opposing the entrance oiV steam through said trap member' into the air andV condensateA chamber. f

2. A heat transfer element for asingle pipe-v stier-rm-v systenr, comprising in Combination a hea-diei' havin-ga partition therein dividing the san-1c "nto a steam in-letchamber' and anl air and cui. ensate chamber; an air venting valve operatively communicating with said last mentioned. chamber', both chambers being of' substantially the same lengt-h as the header, al substantially llcriaontal' steam tube connected to' said partition and communicating with the steam inlet chamber., :said steam tube extending through the, condensate' charfrber, a'tube of larger diameter than the rst mentioned tube" surrounding tlfrel same and con'- nested' to an outer wall of and communicating with said air and condensate chamber, said` tube greater diameter being closed at vits end op..

Q posite the header, fins strung' along the outer tube" thereto, a downwardly extending extension carried by said header communicating with said inlet chamber and adapted to be connested to a steam supply pipe, anda tubular trap member extending down from the-header'into said v'extension and' communicating with the air and condensate chamber, the free end of said trap member: having a U-bend. therein, with the free open end of said trap member being positi'or'iedv above saidI bend. and communicating with thel extension interior, said bend being operative. to co1- lect condensate therein to opposev the passage of steam tl'nough said trap member into. the condensate chamber;

REFERENCES .CITED The following references: areiof record in.l the file of patent:

STATES? PATENTS Number- Name Date 2,041,282 Brooks May 19,1936 aces-,25eehnicn oct. 6, 1936 2,337,097'l Funtan Aug.. 29,1944' 23573155 wiison- Aug. 29, 1944 2,423,697' Garnele July 8 194i,

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