High efficiency inline fluid heater

Abstract

A heater for heating flowing fluid. The heater comprises a cylindrical heating chamber comprising an inlet at one base and on outlet at a second base. The flowing fluid traverses parallel to the chamber. A resistive heating element is received in the chamber wherein the resistive heating element comprises a rectangular base. The rectangular base comprises a long axis and short axis and the long axis is parallel to the chamber. The base comprises a multiplicity of first slots on one side and a multiplicity of second slots on a second side. A double helix filament is received in the first slots and the second slots.

Claimed is:  
     
         1 . An inline heating element for heating a fluid comprising: 
 an elongated tubular heating chamber comprising an inlet and an outlet opposite to said inlet;    a heating element in said heating chamber wherein said heating element comprises;    an elongated base comprising a first face, a second face parallel to said first face, a first edge and a second edge;    a coiled filament circumventing said base wherein said coiled filament comprises a first region wrapped clockwise around said base and a second region wrapped counterclockwise around said base and wherein said first region terminates at a first terminal and said second region terminates at a second terminal;    wherein said elongated base is parallel to said elongated tubular heating element; and    said fluid flows parallel to said base.    
     
     
         2 . The inline heating element of  claim 1  wherein said base comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of mica, steatite, cordierite, quartz and ceramic.  
     
     
         3 . The inline heating element of  claim 2  wherein said base comprises mica.  
     
     
         4 . The inline heating element of  claim 1  further comprising a liner between said base and said coiled filament.  
     
     
         5 . The inline heating element of  claim 4  wherein said liner is flexible mica, mica sheet, quartz or ceramic.  
     
     
         6 . The inline heating element of  claim 5  wherein said liner is flexible mica.  
     
     
         7 . The inline heating element of  claim 1  wherein said filament is a resistive alloy.  
     
     
         8 . The inline heating element of  claim 1  wherein said filament comprises a nickel chrome alloy.  
     
     
         9 . The inline heating element of  claim 8  wherein said nickel chrome alloy comprises approximately 16-20%, by weight, chromium.  
     
     
         10 . The inline heating element of  claim 8  wherein said nickel chrome alloy comprises approximately 35-80%, by weight nickel.  
     
     
         12 . The inline heating element of  claim 1  wherein said filament comprises an iron chrome aluminum alloy.  
     
     
         13 . The inline heating element of  claim 1  wherein said elongated base further comprises slots for receiving said coiled filament.  
     
     
         14 . An in line heating element for heating a fluid comprising: 
 an elongated tubular heating chamber comprising a long tube side and a short tube side, an inlet and an outlet opposite to said inlet wherein said fluid enters said inlet and traverses parallel to said long tube side and exits said outlet as heated fluid;    a heating element received by said heating chamber wherein said heating element comprises:    a rectangular base comprising long base sides and short base sides wherein said long base sides are parallel to said long tube side; and    a continuous coiled resistive heating element circumventing said base in a double helix wherein said double helix comprises a rotational axis of symmetry and said rotational axis of symmetry is parallel to said long base.    
     
     
         15 . The in line heating element of  claim 14  wherein said base further comprises slots for receiving said continuous coiled resistive heating element.  
     
     
         16 . The in line heating element of  claim 15  wherein said slots comprises first side slots and second side slots and said first side slots are along a first edge of said long side of said base and said second side slots are along a second edge of said long side of said base.  
     
     
         17 . The in line heating element of  claim 16  wherein said slots are aligned.  
     
     
         18 . The in line heating element of  claim 15  wherein a separation between slots increases with distance along said base.  
     
     
         19 . A heater for heating flowing fluid comprising: 
 a cylindrical heating chamber comprising an inlet at one base and on outlet at a second base and wherein said flowing fluid traverses parallel to said chamber;    a resistive heating element received in said chamber wherein said resistive heating element comprises:    a rectangular base wherein said rectangular base comprises a long axis and short axis and said long axis is parallel to said chamber and said base comprises a multiplicity of first slots on one side of said rectangular base and a multiplicity of second slots on a second side of said base; and    a double helix filament received in said first slots and said second slots.    
     
     
         20 . The heater of  claim 19  wherein said first slots and said second slots are aligned.  
     
     
         21 . The heater of  claim 19  wherein a separation between said first slots increases with distance along said base.  
     
     
         22 . The heater of  claim 19  wherein said base comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of mica, steatite, cordierite, quartz and ceramic.  
     
     
         23 . The heater of  claim 22  wherein said base comprises mica.  
     
     
         24 . The heater of  claim 19  further comprising a liner between said base and said coiled filament.  
     
     
         25 . The heater of  claim 24  wherein said liner is flexible mica, mica sheet, quartz or ceramic.  
     
     
         26 . The heater of  claim 25  wherein said liner is flexible mica.  
     
     
         27 . The heater of  claim 19  wherein said filament is a resistive alloy.  
     
     
         28 . The heater of  claim 19  wherein said filament comprises a nickel chrome alloy.  
     
     
         29 . The heater of  claim 28  wherein said nickel chrome alloy comprises approximately 16-20%, by weight, chromium.  
     
     
         30 . The heater of  claim 28  wherein said nickel chrome alloy comprises approximately 35-80%, by weight nickel.  
     
     
         31 . The heater of  claim 19  wherein said filament comprises an iron chrome aluminum alloy.