Water management header for a boiler or water heater

Abstract

Disclosed is an inventive water management header and method for making the same. The water management header is attached to a boiler or water heater. The water management header includes a cylindrical shell that at least partially defines an interior region. Inner and outer series of heat exchange tubes extend within the interior region of the shell from a lower end of the shell to an upper end of the shell. The header is capable of being configured to provide a unique fluid flow pattern through the boiler or water heater relative to another water heater or boiler of similar design via a waterway primary inlet, outlet, a plurality of crossovers and a plurality of barriers.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A boiler or water heater comprising:
 a shell at least partially defining an interior region;   an inner series of heat exchange tubes and an outer series of heat exchange tubes extending within the interior region of the shell;   a header assembly positioned to receive water from the heat exchange tubes, the header assembly including a cover having an interior, a plurality of crossovers each being within the interior of the cover and in fluid flow communication with selected ones of the outer series of heat exchange tubes, a waterway primary outlet within the interior of the cover and in fluid flow communication with the inner series of heat exchange tubes, and   a retainer within the interior of the cover and dividing the interior of the cover into an undivided waterway and a divided crossover area.   
     
     
         2 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the cover and the waterway primary outlet are separate components, the cover being drawn from metallic sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the cover and the crossovers are separate components, each crossover being molded from polymeric material. 
     
     
         4 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the cover, the crossovers, and the retainer are separate components that together contain water and direct water flow. 
     
     
         5 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1 , a waterway primary outlet defining water inlet openings positioned to receive water from the inner series of heat exchange tubes and supports configured to retain barriers between the water inlet openings, the barriers dividing a crossover area within the waterway primary outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 5 , the supports comprising channels shaped to receive the barriers. 
     
     
         7 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 5 , the barriers comprising walls shaped to extend across the crossover area within the waterway. 
     
     
         8 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1  further comprising a water inlet and a water outlet, the inner series of tubes and the outer series of tubes selectively connected to a plurality of waterway crossovers to provide for a selective and unique water flow pattern between the water inlet and water outlet throughout the series of tubes. 
     
     
         9 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1  further comprising a seal connecting the water outlet to an exterior volume of the water heater and sealing the water outlet from the interior of the cover. 
     
     
         10 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1  wherein the retainer comprises at least one through hole for accessing the waterway primary outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1  wherein each crossover connects at least two of the ends of the series of heat exchange tubes. 
     
     
         12 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1  wherein the cover comprises a curved cross section for reducing stress imposed on the cover by fluid pressure. 
     
     
         13 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 1  wherein the cover comprises a half toroid configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 13  wherein the cover comprises a through hole for allowing combustion gas to enter the water heater. 
     
     
         15 . A boiler or water heater comprising:
 a shell encompassing an inner series of heat exchange tubes and an outer series of heat exchange tubes;   a system for providing a unique fluid flow throughout the inner series heat exchange tubes and/or the outer series of heat exchange tubes, the system comprising a plurality of crossovers for receiving fluid from a first heat exchange tube and redirecting the fluid to a second heat exchange tube   a waterway primary outlet comprising a plurality of supports alternately positioned between a plurality of through holes, and   a plurality of barriers engaging the plurality of supports.   
     
     
         16 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 15  further comprising a header at an upper end of the shell, the header comprising the system for providing the unique fluid flow. 
     
     
         17 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 15  further comprising a waterway crossover section, a waterway and a retainer, the waterway crossover section, the waterway and the retainer all within the header, the retainer being a barrier separating the waterway crossover section from the waterway. 
     
     
         18 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 15  wherein the waterway primary outlet is juxtaposed between the inner series of tubes and the retainer. 
     
     
         19 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 18  wherein the retainer is perforated to allow fluid flow between the retainer and the waterway. 
     
     
         20 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 19  wherein the waterway primary outlet is configured to receive fluid from a first tube of the inner series of tubes and supply fluid to a second tube of the inner series of tubes. 
     
     
         21 . The boiler or water heater of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a lower header, the lower header comprising: 
 a lower cover comprising an inlet through hole and half-toroidal shape, a waterway primary inlet comprising a plurality of waterway primary inlet through holes. 
 
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing a boiler or water heater having a shell at least partially defining an interior region, heat exchange tubes extending within the interior region of the shell, and a header assembly positioned to receive water from the heat exchange tubes, the method comprising:
 positioning a waterway primary inlet such that inlet openings of the waterway primary inlet are aligned to receive water from the heat exchange tubes and supports of the waterway are located proximal to the water inlet openings;   selecting from among the inlet openings of the waterway primary inlet a set of inlet openings to be in flow communication with one another; and   positioning barriers in the waterway primary inlet such that they are retained by supports of the waterway primary inlet, permit flow between the set of inlet openings, and restrict flow between the set of inlet openings and other inlet openings of the waterway primary inlet.   
     
     
         23 . A boiler or water heater comprising:
 a shell at least partially defining an interior region;   an inner series of heat exchange tubes and an outer series of heat exchange tubes extending within the interior region of the shell;   a header assembly positioned to receive water from the heat exchange tubes, the header assembly including a cover having an interior and a manifold;   the manifold having a plurality of crossovers portions each being within the interior of the cover and in fluid flow communication with selected ones of the outer series of heat exchange tubes, a waterway primary outlet portion in fluid flow communication with the inner series of heat exchange tubes; and   wherein the manifold divides the interior of the cover into an undivided waterway and a divided crossover area.