Active air heater

Abstract

An active air heater is constructed to produce heat and to transfer heat to an air flow for heating a building. The active air heater comprises spaced apart fins; adjacent elements between the fins; and an electrical source directing an electrical current through the fins and the adjacent elements for heating the fins and the adjacent elements and the air flowing through the air flow passageways formed by the adjacent elements. The adjacent elements are porous, semi-conductor material having a roughness in its surfaces for enhancing the convective heat transfer between the material and the air flow. The active air heater may be rectangular or cylindrical. The porous, semi-conductor material includes carbon foams, ceramic foams, high temperature polymer foams, and low conductance alloy foams and the aforementioned materials in nano-material format.

1 . An active air heater comprising:
 spaced-apart fins comprised of electrically conductive material;   a plurality of adjacent elements between the spaced-apart fins and forming one or more air flow passageways; and   a source of electricity for directing an electrical current through the spaced apart fins and through the plurality of adjacent elements for heating the adjacent elements and the air flowing through the air flow passageways.   
     
     
         2 . The active air heater of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of adjacent elements comprises semi-conductor material. 
     
     
         3 . The active air heater of  claim 2  wherein the semi-conductor material comprises porous semi-conductor material. 
     
     
         4 . The active air heater of  claim 3  wherein the porous semi-conductor material comprises carbon foams, ceramic foams, polymer foams, and low conductance alloy foams. 
     
     
         5 . The active air heater of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of adjacent elements are constructed to function as a combination heating element and as a heat exchanger for the air flowing through one or more air flow passageways. 
     
     
         6 . The active air heater of  claim 1  further comprising a connector plate for attachment of the active air heater to an air handler. 
     
     
         7 . The active air heater of  claim 1  wherein the active air heater comprises a substantially rectangular configuration wherein the fins are substantially rectangular. 
     
     
         8 . The active air heater of  claim 1  wherein the active air heater comprises a substantially cylindrical configuration and wherein the electrically heated elements are substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         9 . The active air heater of  claim 8  wherein the active air heater comprises a substantially cylindrical configuration and further comprises,
 a lower section comprising a plurality of air flow passageways for transporting air into the active air heater and heating the air; and 
 an upper section comprising a plurality of air flow passageways for receiving the heated air from the lower section and further heating the heated air and directing the heated air out of the active air heater. 
 
     
     
         10 . The active air heater of  claim 1  wherein the source of electricity includes AC and DC current sources.