Patent ID: 8162040

Claim:
An integral ceramic insert heat exchanger for a heated energy system, the energy system including a fluid path for products of energy generation that is located within a surrounding fluid path enclosure, said heat exchanger comprising: an insert body, said insert body having an integral ceramic construction having an outer ceramic wall that is helical in shape and allows for the conductive transfer of heat therethrough, said outer ceramic wall forming, when said heat exchanger is positioned within the surrounding fluid path enclosure, at least one spiral path between the surrounding fluid path enclosure and said outer ceramic wall for flowing products of energy generation; said insert body being located along a first length of the surrounding fluid path enclosure, no more than one insert body being present along said first length of the surrounding fluid path enclosure, said outer ceramic wall of said insert body positioned to be exposed to the products of energy generation and to allow said insert body to receive heat energy from the products of energy generation when the products of energy generation flow through said at least one spiral path; said outer ceramic wall defining a hollow helical internal ceramic fluent channel within said insert body; said insert body including a fluid inlet to allow for the entry of a heat transfer fluid therein to said fluent channel to allow for the absorption of heat energy produced by products of energy generation through said insert body to the heat transfer fluid, and a fluid outlet from said fluent channel to allow for the expulsion of the heat transfer fluid after the heat transfer fluid has absorbed the heat energy through said insert body in said fluent channel; said fluent channel having an inter path divider with a parallel flow path and a counter flow path along the length of said insert body in which one of said parallel flow path or said counter flow path defines a central or straight flow path along the central axis of said insert body and the other has a substantially flat cross section extending from said central axis; and said fluid inlet, said fluent channel, and said fluid outlet being positioned to allow the heat transfer fluid to absorb heat energy produced by products of energy generation of said heated energy system without allowing the products of energy generation to come into contact with the heat transfer fluid before the heat transfer fluid is expelled from said fluid outlet.