Water heater with high efficiency baffles

Abstract

A water heater for exchanging heat between hot gasses and water within the water heater. The water heater includes a water tank, a conduit for allowing flow of the gasses therethrough, the conduit extending through the tank and promoting heat exchange between the gasses and water in the tank, and a baffle extending within the conduit for affecting the flow of the gasses. The baffle includes a sheet bent in a zig-zag manner and having a number of plate sections. Each plate section has a through-flow portion allowing the gasses to flow therethrough. The sheet also has a number of first bends and a number of second bends, the first bends alternating with the second bends such that each plate section is defined between one first bend and one second bend.

1 . A water heater for exchanging heat between hot gasses and water within the water heater, the water heater comprising:
 a water tank:   a conduit for allowing, flow of the gasses therethrough, the conduit extending through the tank and promoting heat exchange between the gasses and water in the tank; and   a baffle extending within the conduit for affecting the flow of the gasses, the baffle including a sheet bent in a zig-zag manner and having a number of plate sections, each plate section having a through-flow portion allowing the gasses to flow therethrough, the sheet also having a number of first bends and a number of second bends, the first bends alternating with the second bends such that each plate section is defined between one first bend and one second bend.   
   
   
       2 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle is operable to create a swirl-type flow of gasses through the conduit. 
   
   
       3 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the through-flow portion of one plate section is adjacent to one of the first bend and the second bend, and the through-flow portion of an adjacent plate section is adjacent to the other of the first bend and the second bend. 
   
   
       4 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each plate section includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the through-flow portion of all plate sections being adjacent to the same one of the upper portion and the lower portion. 
   
   
       5 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each plate section includes a front portion and a rear portion, the through-flow portion of one plate section being adjacent to one of the front portion and rear portion, and the through-flow portion of another plate section adjacent to the one plate section being adjacent to the other of the front portion and rear portion. 
   
   
       6 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each plate section includes a right portion and a left portion, the through-flow portion of one plate section being in one of the right portion and the left portion, and the through-flow portion of an adjacent plate section being in the other of the right portion and the left portion. 
   
   
       7 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle is oriented such that the first bends are aligned on a first plane and the second bends are aligned on a second plane, the first plane being substantially parallel to the second plane. 
   
   
       8 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first bends defines a line along which the bend is formed, the line defined by one first bend being substantially parallel to the line defined by another first bend. 
   
   
       9 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first bends defines a line along which the first bend is formed and each of the second bends defines a line along which the second bend is formed, the line defined by the first bends being substantially parallel to the lines defined by the second bends. 
   
   
       10 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each plate section defines a plane, the planes defined by every other plate section being substantially parallel to one another. 
   
   
       11 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the through-flow portion of each plate section is defined by substantially perpendicular first and second edges of the plate section, with the first edges of all plate sections being substantially parallel and the second edges of all plate sections being substantially parallel. 
   
   
       12 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit is oriented vertically. 
   
   
       13 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein all of the first and second bends define substantially equal angles between adjacent plate sections. 
   
   
       14 . The water heater of  claim 13 , wherein the angles are between about 50 degrees and about 80 degrees. 
   
   
       15 . The water heater of  claim 14 , wherein the angles are about 70 degrees. 
   
   
       16 . The water heater of  claim 13 , wherein the water heater is a storage-type water heater and wherein the angles are between about 62 degrees and about 75 degrees. 
   
   
       17 . The water heater of  claim 13 , wherein the water heater is an instantaneous water heater and wherein the angles are between about 52 degrees and about 65 degrees. 
   
   
       18 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein each plate section has a second through-flow portion. 
   
   
       19 . A water heater comprising:
 a water tank;   a device for producing heated gasses;   a conduit through which the heated gasses flow in a direction of gas flow, the conduit extending through the tank and promoting heat transfer between the gasses and water in the tank; and   a baffle extending within the conduit for increasing the heat transfer between the gasses and the water, the baffle including a sheet of material bent in a zig-zag manner to form a plurality of sheet sections, each section extending in a different direction from adjacent sections, and each section having therein a flow opening that is out of alignment in the direction of gas flow with the flow openings in adjacent sections, such that gasses passing through a flow opening in a section must change direction to pass through the flow opening in the adjacent section.   
   
   
       20 . The water heater of  claim 19 , wherein the conduit is generally circular in cross-section, and wherein each section is defined by a generally elliptical shape. 
   
   
       21 . The water heater of  claim 20 , wherein the conduit has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the flow openings of adjacent sections are offset approximately 180 degrees about the axis, causing a swirling flow of gasses through the conduit. 
   
   
       22 . The water heater of  claim 21 , wherein the conduit extends generally vertically and has a lower end, and wherein the device for producing heated gas includes a burner beneath the lower end of the conduit. 
   
   
       23 . The water heater of  claim 22 , wherein each section extends at an angle between approximately 27 to 38 degrees relative to horizontal. 
   
   
       24 . The water heater of  claim 20 , wherein each flow opening defines a sector having an included angle of approximately 90 degrees. 
   
   
       25 . The water heater of  claim 19 , wherein each section includes a second flow opening such that gasses passing through the flow opening and the second flow opening in one section must flow in a zig-zag direction to pass through the flow opening and the second flow opening in the adjacent section. 
   
   
       26 . A method of manufacturing a water heater comprising:
 providing a water heater having a water tank, a device for producing heated gasses, and a conduit through which the heated gasses flow in a direction of gas flow, the conduit extending through the tank;   providing a substantially planar sheet of material;   bending the sheet of material in a zig-zag manner to form a plurality of substantially planar sheet sections, each section extending in a different direction from adjacent sections;   forming each section with a flow opening; and   
     placing the baffle within the conduit so that each flow opening is out of alignment in the direction of gas flow with the flow openings in adjacent sections, such that gasses passing through a flow opening in a section must change direction to pass through the flow opening in the adjacent section. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the flow openings are formed before bending the sheet. 
   
   
       28 . A water heater for exchanging heat between hot gasses and water within the water heater, the water heater comprising:
 a water tank;   a conduit for allowing flow of the gasses therethrough, the conduit extending vertically through the tank and promoting heat exchange between the gasses and water in the tank; and   a baffle extending within the conduit for affecting the flow of the gasses, the baffle being operable to create a swirl-type flow of gasses through the conduit and including a sheet bent in a zig-zag manner, the sheet having a number of plate sections, each plate section having a through-flow portion allowing the gasses to flow therethrough, the sheet also having a number of first bends and a number of second bends, the first bends alternating with the second bends such that each plate section is defined between one first bend and one second bend, wherein all of the first bends and the second bends define substantially equal angles between adjacent plate sections, the angles being between about 50 degrees and about 80 degrees, and wherein the through-flow portion of one plate section is adjacent to one of the first bend and the second bend, and the through-flow portion of an adjacent plate section is adjacent to the other of the first bend and the second bend.