Patent Publication Number: US-4254758-A

Title: Vortex heat reclaiming system

Description:
This invention relates to the general field of reclaiming the vast amounts of lost heat escaping up furnace chimneys. To simplify and clearly illustrate the new features of the improved system, I am describing a two-stage system being used on a domestic hot air heating system. 
     The principal object of this present invention is to triple the recovery of lost heat and convey it to places where heat is most needed. 
     A further object is to create temperatures which can be readily used at a profit. 
     A further object is to make a smaller, more efficient heat reclaiming system to conserve energy. 
     A further object is to reduce the cost of recovering lost heat. 
     A further object is to effectively close the chimney allowing only the pilot fumes to escape to the chimney when the furnace is off. 
     A further object is to provide the proper flow through the furnace for top performance regardless of the chimney draft. 
     A further object is to allow the furnace to start only when the proper flow to the chimney has been established. 
     A further object is to provide a positive pressure in the house by having a heated fresh air intake which blocks out the cold air which otherwise comes in around doors, windows and other places. 
     A further object is to make the furnace heat more stable, the lost heat being stored in water continues to heat in vital places during the interval the furnace is off. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a vertical section showing the two-stage system. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the impeller wheels. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge stack. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a radiator placed in an outside air intake. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This combination of elements employed in creating this new high velocity vortex heat reclaiming system is both unique and ingenious. As illutrated in the accompanying, Vertical Section drawing, this system employs two mechanically created high velocity vortexes, one in each stage of a two-stage apparatus having a housing in the shape of an upright hollow cylinder 1 having a top cover 2 and a bottom cover 3. The first stage is located in the upper part of the hollow closed cylinder and the first stage water is circulated in coils of tubing 5 attached to and substantially covering the inside walls and the inside top cover of the first stage. The lower second stage is separated from the first stage by a stator stage separator 9. The water in the second stage is circulated in coils of tubing 5-A attached to and substantially covering the inside walls of the second stage. Each stage having ample space for a high speed horizontal impeller wheel 7 and 10. 
     The heat carrying discharge gas from the furnace is drawn into the top center intake 6 of the first stage by a high velocity gas vortex which is created by a horizontal impeller wheel 7 held in the upper central portion of the first stage and driven by the extended drive shaft 8 of a motor 11 concentrically rubber mounted on the outside of the bottom cover 3. This high velocity vortex pressurizes the incoming gas which raises the temperature and scrubbs the surfaces of the first stage tubing 5 with a velocity of thousands of feet per minute and the maximum heat and pressure of the vortex. 
     This action heats the water in the tubing 5 hotter and faster than in the conventional heat exchanger, due to the fact that this scrubbing action increases the thermal conductivity of these heat exchanging surfaces over 3.5 times. 
     The pressure of the first stage vortex and the suction of the second stage vortex forces the cooled gas into the stator stage separator 9 and channels the gas into the center intake 4 of the second stage. The second stage high velocity vortex is created by a second horizontal impeller wheel 10 held in the upper central portion of the second stage and driven by the same extended drive shaft 8. This long extended drive shaft 8 being carried by the concentrically located rubber mounted motor. 11 allows the high speed impeller wheels 7 and 10 to spin freely and quietly without vibration on a dynamic axis which is created by the combined dynamic balance of the two high speed impeller wheels 7 and 10 thus eliminating the necessity of additional bearings which would cause vibration, noise, excessive wear, additional cost and a difficult lubrication problem. Number 20 is a flexible moving seal. 
     This second stage vortex compounds the pressure of the first stage with the pressure of the second stage, doubling the pressure and raising the cooled gas temperature, then the maximum heat, pressure and velocity of this gas vortex scrubs the coils of tubing 5-A in the second stage, heating the water and recovering more heat before the cooled gas is forced out through the flow control orifice 12. The flow control orifice 12 is adjustable, and the discharge pressure being high and stable makes it possible to readily attain the proper flow for a wide range of furnaces, regardless of chimney draft. 
     The discharge pressure being high, the flow control discharge orifice is inherently small which effectively closes the chimney when the furnace, the furnace fan and the motor are simultatively shut off. 
     The high discharge gas pressure from the flow control discharge orifice 12 is directed into and around the inside perimeter of the large vertical discharge stack 13, the upper end connected to the chimney. This high pressure creates a high velocity horizontal vortex in the stack 13, this vortex makes an efficient liquid separator, the gas now cool is saturated with drops of moisture, the vortex causes the moisture to collect on the inside walls and run down and out through a small drain 14 in the closed bottom end of the vertical stack 13, this gives dry and still cooler discharge gas to the chimney. 
     The water in each stage is kept separate and is circulated by two centrifugal water pumps 15 and 16, one above the other and mounted on the lower end of the motor 11 and driven by the lower end of the drive shaft 17. The lower pump 16 circulates the high temperature water from the first stage through high temperature radiators placed under windows, and other places where heat is most needed. The upper pump 15 circulates the cooler water from the second stage through a radiator 19 placed in an outside air intake 18, this radiator 19 heats the incoming cold air to around 75 degrees before it is drawn into the cold air return of the furnace, this heated fresh air blocks out incoming cold air which would otherwise come in around doors, windows and other places.