Spiral heat exchanger

Abstract

A spiral heat exchanger includes two assembled covers defining a chamber therebetween for receiving a spiral unit therein. The spiral unit includes a first and a second spiral member separately spirally extending from a central outlet to a peripheral outlet on the two covers to respectively form a first and a second flow passage. A driving unit is assembled to and drives the assembled covers to rotate at the same time, so that cold and hot airflows respectively enter and flow through the first and second spiral members from the central outlet to the peripheral outlet under a centrifugal force to exchange heat at the spiral unit. The spiral unit provides extended flow passages and increased heat exchange area, giving the spiral heat exchanger increased heat transfer capacity and heat exchange efficiency and allowing omission of fans and radiating fin assembly to eliminate operating noise and accumulated dust.

1 . A spiral heat exchanger, comprising:
 a first cover having at least one first inlet and at least one first outlet, the first inlet being a through hole arranged at a central area of the first cover, and the first outlet being a through hole arranged near an outer peripheral area of the first cover;   a second cover being assembled to the first cover to define a chamber in between the first and the second cover; the second cover having at least one second inlet and at least one second outlet; the second inlet being a through hole arranged at a central area of the second cover, and the second outlet also being a through hole arranged near an outer peripheral area of the second cover;   a spiral unit being arranged in the chamber and including a first and a second spiral member; the first spiral member being spirally extended from the first inlet in a radially outward direction to the first outlet to form a first flow passage, and the second spiral member being spirally extended from the second inlet in a radially outward direction to the second outlet to form a second flow passage; and the first and the second flow passage being adjacent to each other; and   a driving unit being provided with a shaft and a connecting element connected to a distal end of the shaft, the driving unit being assembled to one of the first cover and the second cover via the connecting element, so as to drive the first and the second cover to rotate at the same time.   
     
     
         2 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first cover has a first inner face facing toward the second cover. 
     
     
         3 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first cover is provided on the first inner with a plurality of first turbulence generating units at positions corresponding to the first and the second spiral member. 
     
     
         4 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second cover has a second inner face facing toward the first cover. 
     
     
         5 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the second cover has a second inner face facing toward the first cover. 
     
     
         6 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the second cover is provided on the second inner face with a plurality of second turbulence generating units at positions corresponding to the first and the second spiral member. 
     
     
         7 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the second cover is provided on the second inner face with a plurality of second turbulence generating units at positions corresponding to the first and the second spiral member. 
     
     
         8 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is provided with at least one opening communicating with the first inlet, in the case the connecting element is connected to the first cover, or with the second inlet, in the case the connecting element is connected to the second cover. 
     
     
         9 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spiral unit is integrally extended from the first cover. 
     
     
         10 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spiral unit is integrally extended from the second cover. 
     
     
         11 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first cover and the second cover are correspondingly provided with a plurality of fixing holes. 
     
     
         12 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each pair of two aligned fixing holes on the first and the second cover has a fastening element extended therethrough, so as to assemble the first cover to the second cover. 
     
     
         13 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first spiral member allows a first airflow to flow therethrough, and the second spiral member allows a second airflow to flow therethrough. 
     
     
         14 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the first airflow is one of a cold and a hot airflow, and the second airflow is another one of the cold and the hot airflow. 
     
     
         15 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first spiral member and the second spiral member are provided with any one of various types of heat transfer enhancing means selected from the group consisting of surface ribs, dimples, pin-fins, helical wires and twisted tapes. 
     
     
         16 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first spiral member and the second spiral member are provided with any one of various types of heat transfer enhancing means selected from the group consisting of surface ribs, dimples, pin-fins, helical wires and twisted tapes. 
     
     
         17 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first spiral member is extended from one side of the first cover facing toward the second cover. 
     
     
         18 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the second spiral member is extended from one side of the second cover facing toward the first cover. 
     
     
         19 . The spiral heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage are radially adjacent to each other with the second spiral member located at a radially inner side and the first spiral member located at a radially outer side of the first flow passage.