Heat exchanger with highly flexible use

Abstract

A heat exchanger, comprising a box-like body which delimits inside it at least one heat exchange chamber and has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the passage through the chamber of combustion products along a preferred path. The box-like body defines at least partly in its side walls at least one duct for feeding a fluid and inside the heat exchange chamber elements are provided and are associated with the supply duct in order to increase the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger comprises a plurality of distinct modular elements which are mutually to interconnected in order to define the box-like body. Each modular element may comprise at least one portion of the heat exchange elements, of the supply duct and of the chamber.

1 . A heat exchanger with highly flexible use, comprising a box-like body which delimits inside it at least one heat exchange chamber and has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the passage through said at least one heat exchange chamber of combustion products along a preferred path, said box-like body defining at least partly in its side walls at least one duct for feeding a fluid to be heated and inside said at least one heat exchange chamber heat exchange elements being provided and being associated with said at least one supply duct in order to increase the thermal efficiency of said heat exchanger, further comprising a plurality of distinct modular elements which are mutually interconnected in order to define said box-like body, each one of said modular elements comprising at least one portion of said heat exchange elements, at least one portion of said supply duct and at least one portion of said at least one heat exchange chamber. 
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said modular elements comprise two modular end elements which are distinct and associable. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein said modular elements comprise at least one additional modular element, which is distinct and interposed between said two modular end elements or between one of said modular end elements and another additional modular element or between two other additional modular elements. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein said modular end elements and said at least one additional modular element are each provided by two distinct and interconnected half-elements. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said modular elements comprise a modular end element and at least one additional modular element, which are distinct and mutually associable, said modular end element having a closed profile in order to delimit inside it a first heat exchange chamber and said at least one additional modular element having an open profile with an open face in order to delimit inside it a second heat exchange chamber when associated with said modular end element or with another additional modular element. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of heat exchange chambers, one for each pair of said modular elements, said heat exchange chambers being independent of each other and being each delimited by said pair of modular elements. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of inlets and one for each one of said heat exchange chambers. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein each one of said inlets is designed to accommodate at least one burner. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchange elements comprise hollow pins, which are arranged inside said at least one heat exchange chamber and can be crossed internally by said fluid to be heated, said hollow pins running parallel to each other and substantially at right angles to the direction of crossing of said combustion products in said at least one heat exchange chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein each one of said modular elements defines inside it a winding channel which runs substantially parallel to said direction of crossing, said winding channel comprising a plurality of straight portions and of curved portions which are mutually interleaved and formed respectively, by said hollow pins and in said side walls of said box-like body. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein each one of said winding channels is connected at one end to a delivery manifold of said fluid to be heated and at the other end to a return manifold of said fluid to be heated, each one of said delivery manifolds and each one of said return manifolds associated with the same one of said winding channels being defined by a single one of said modular elements and being connected respectively to the delivery manifold and to the return manifold of the adjacent modular element, said portions, said delivery manifolds and said return manifolds thus defining said supply duct. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein said hollow pins cross said at least one heat exchange chamber from side to side. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein each one of said winding channels is defined partly by one of said half-elements and partly by the other one of said half-elements. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein said hollow pins are spaced from said inlets in order to define a combustion chamber and to prevent their combustion caused by the flame generated by said at least one burner. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchange elements comprise solid pins which are connected to the inside walls of said box-like body and are interposed between said hollow pins for a further increase in the thermal efficiency of said heat exchanger, said solid pins extending substantially parallel to said hollow pins. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein said solid pins have an axial extension that increases as it extends away from said inlets until they cross said at least one heat exchange chamber from side to side in order to define said combustion chamber and to prevent their combustion caused by the flame generated by said at least one burner. 
     
     
         17 . A heat exchange station, comprising a plurality of heat exchangers, according to  claim 1 , which are mutually arranged, said fluid to be heated passing through all of said heat exchangers.