Conduit assemblies for heat exchangers and the like

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a sanitary shower or the like includes a primary flow conduit, and secondary flow conduit sections, each conduit section having a substantially flat wall spaced from and aligned with an adjacent surface of the primary conduit so as to avoid accumulation of dirt. The secondary conduits may have internal walls and a mesh may be provided for spacing conduit surfaces.

1 . A thermally conductive conduit assembly mountable in a primary flow conduit of a heat exchanger, the conduit assembly comprising:
 a first series and a second series of elongate conduit sections, the first and second series Being arranged next to one another such that each series extends in a series direction generally transverse to the conduit sections, each conduit section in the first series having at least a portion along the length thereof which has a cross section having on a wide side of the conduit portion a substantially flat first wall which is substantially aligned with the series direction, the cross section also including a protruding wall formation in the conduit portion extending towards a corner on a narrow side of the conduit portion located opposite the wide side and being interested between conduit sections of the second series, with the substantially flat wall substantially coincident with a general flow direction of said primary flow conduit.   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger assembly, comprising the conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 1  mounted inside a primary flow conduit having a general flow direction therethrough, which is coincident with the substantially flat wall, the conduit assembly and the primary flow conduit being arranged for heat transfer between respective fluids therein. 
     
     
         3 . A heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 primary flow conduit having a general flow direction therethrough; and   a conduit assembly mounted in the primary flow conduit, the conduit assembly including a first series and a second series of elongate conduit sections, the first and second conduit series being arranged next to one another in rows extending in a direction generally transverse to the conduit sections and coincident with the general flow direction through the primary conduit, each conduit section in at least the first series having at least a portion along the length thereof which has a substantially flat wall which is substantially in line with a substantially flat wall of one or more adjacent conduit sections in the same series in the general flow direction through the primary flow conduit.   
     
     
         4 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the conduit sections in the second series each have at least a portion along the length thereof which has a cross section having on a wide side of the conduit portion a substantially straight first wall which is substantially aligned with the series direction, the cross section also including a protruding wall formation in the conduit portion extending towards a corner on a narrow side of the conduit portion located opposite the wide side and being interested between conduit sections of the first series, with the substantially straight wall substantially coincident with a general flow direction of said primary flow conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the first and second series have general orientations opposing one another, the orientation of each being in common with the orientations of the protruding formation with respect to the wide side of each of their respective conduit sections. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the conduit sections of the first series are interested with conduit sections of the second series. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the conduit sections of the first and second series each have a second and a third side with external walls thereof shaped and arranged in such a way that:
 the second side walls of the first series complement the third side walls of the second series; and   the second side walls of the second series complement the third side walls of the first series;   so as to generally provide a substantially consistent gap for the passageway there between of a layer of fluid having generally a thickness which is not substantially varying thereat.   
     
     
         8 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , Wherein the first and second conduit sections are straight. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the conduit sections are curved. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the protruding wall formation comprises two generally flat wall portions such that said cross section is substantially triangular. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the protruding wall formation is substantially symmetrical about a line substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat first wall. 
     
     
         12 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat first walls of the first and second conduit sections are generally horizontally arranged. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first and second conduit sections each have internal walls extending therealong. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , Wherein the primary flow conduit has an internal wall portion adjacent to, spaced from and substantially aligned with the substantially flat wall of one of the first or second series of elongate conduit sections. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the internal wall is flat in one or more portions thereof and is parallel to the substantially flat walls of the one of of said first and second series of elongate conduit sections which is adjacent to the internal wall. 
     
     
         16 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the conduit assembly is further mountable in the heat exchanger, which includes an elongate conduit section having an internal wall extending therealong, such that the elongate conduit section acts as a heat flow bridge from fluid in the conduit section to an external wall of the conduit section. 
     
     
         17 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the conduit assembly is further mountable in the heat exchanger, which includes at least two adjacent conduit surfaces arranged for fluid flow therepast in a fluid flow direction, and wherein the conduit assembly further includes at least one flexible elongate spacing member located between at least one of the conduit surfaces and the conduit assembly to define a space therebetween. 
     
     
         18 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the flexible elongate spacing member is part of a mesh, the mesh including a plurality of said flexible elongate spacing members which are interconnected by joining members. 
     
     
         19 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said at least one flexible elongate member is generally aligned with a said fluid flow direction. 
     
     
         20 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said joining members are elongate lengths of material and are thinner than said at least one flexible elongate spacing member. 
     
     
         21 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second series of elongate conduit sections are thermally conductive conduit sections and are extrusions composed substantially of copper or aluminium. 
     
     
         22 . The conduit assembly as claimed in  claim 21 , further including at least one components made of plastic or resin and interconnecting thermally conductive conduit sections at respective ends thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The heat exchanger assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the primary flow conduit and conduit sections are mutually arranged for counterflow heat exchange generally between a primary flow passing through the primary conduit and a secondary flow passing through the thermally conductive conduit sections. 
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger assembly is positionable within a shower facility.