Patent ID: 11920878
Assignee: WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 17:
18. A heater assembly comprising:
a flow guide defining a continuous geometric helicoid disposed about a longitudinal axis of the heater assembly, the flow guide defining a predetermined pattern of perforations that extend in a longitudinal direction through a first longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the longitudinal axis, the first longitudinal length being less than a full longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid;
a plurality of electrical resistance heating elements extending through the perforations; and
a tubular body including a first inlet/outlet open into an interior of the tubular body at a first end portion of the tubular body, and a second inlet/outlet open into the interior of the tubular body at a second end portion of the tubular body, the second inlet/outlet being farther in the longitudinal direction than the first inlet/outlet,
wherein, for each electrical resistance heating element of the plurality of electrical resistance heating elements, a length of that electrical resistance heating element and a pitch of the geometric helicoid at a distal end of that electrical resistance heating element are such that the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element is a distance X from the geometric helicoid at the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element, wherein the distance X is taken along the longitudinal direction and is less than or equal to 10% of the pitch of the geometric helicoid at the distal end of that electrical resistance heating element,
wherein the flow guide is disposed within the tubular body such that the geometric helicoid and the tubular body define a helical pathway, and
wherein none of the electrical resistance heating elements of the plurality of electrical resistance heating elements terminates in a region of the helical pathway that is rotationally beyond the second inlet/outlet.