Patent ID: 6857467

Claim:
A heat exchange system for heating a first fluid by means of a second fluid, comprising: a first fluid circuit comprising an upstream end, a downstream end and an intermediate portion therebetween, said first fluid circuit being destined to allow the first fluid to flow from said first fluid circuit upstream end to said first fluid circuit downstream end; a second fluid circuit comprising an upstream end, a downstream end and an intermediate portion therebetween, said second fluid circuit being destined to allow the second fluid to flow from said second fluid circuit upstream end to said second fluid circuit downstream end; a flooded heat exchanger unit wherein said intermediate portions of said first and second fluid circuits extend and are in adjacent, thermally-conductive contact for allowing heat transfer from the second fluid to the first fluid, said flooded heat exchanger being capable of being flooded in a determined proportion within said second fluid circuit intermediate portion; a second fluid circuit control valve on said second fluid circuit downstream of said heat exchanger unit, for controlling the flow rate of the second fluid through said second fluid circuit, wherein the proportion of said heat exchanger which is flooded within said second fluid circuit intermediate portion can be selectively calibrated; and a stabilization circuit having a re-circulation inlet linked to said first fluid circuit between said heat exchanger unit and said first fluid circuit downstream end, and a re-circulation outlet linked to said first fluid circuit between said first fluid circuit upstream end and said heat exchanger unit, for allowing a determined proportion of heated first fluid exiting said heat exchanger to be re-circulated from said re-circulation inlet to said re-circulation outlet where it is admixed with first fluid flowing from said first fluid circuit upstream end whereby the first fluid temperature at said first fluid circuit downstream end will be stabilized.