ORIENTABILITY OF HOT AIR FLOWS

The invention relates to a modular system for swirly driving and controlled orientability of hot air flows, assembled linearly or matricial according to the application and location, designed primarily for use in household or industrial appliances for cooking and heating which use various types of fuel: solid, liquid, gaseous, such as boilers, terracotta stoves, tin stoves, baking ovens, air-water heat exchangers, in chimneys and flues.

There are known solutions related to the driving of hot air currents such as the invention EP0954969 A2, where a baking oven has the floor of the cooking chamber provided with a plurality of vortices generators, which are inclined prominences oriented opposite to the direction of flow of the hot gas. Another state of the art solution appears in patent US3828760 related to a baking oven, also usable for de- icing, consisting of a combustion chamber where hot air at the top moves downwards being cyclonic shaped and meets a vortex in the middle of the room, after which it reaches the bottom, then start to climb, maintaining cyclonic shape; said cooking chamber is located inside an insulated chamber provided with a motor at the top which drives a suction fan for atmospheric air necessary to maintain combustion inside the cooking chamber; the fan also ensures the driving of the hot gases in order to evacuate them out. Patent US5881636 is known regarding an oven for food that includes a spiral conveyor, surrounded by a threaded cylindrical casing, having openings which communicate with the loading basket, with the heat source, with plenum and recycle fan; the heated air is blown into the threaded housing so to create a downward spiral or vortex of air, which surrounds the food placed on a conveyor belt for efficient cooking, hot air being sucked into the housing through a recirculation tube. JP3550171 is also known regarding a heating chamber composed of a swirl chamber which is provided with nozzles for blowing hot air produced by a heater and blasted by a fan, both in the upper and lower sides; hot air blasted in the upper and lower sides reaches on a turntable on which the food is placed for heating. The disadvantage of the known solutions consists in the fact that each of them requires special construction of the entire heater, not being adaptable to the various heating devices commonly used, which causes high production costs and construction difficulties; another disadvantage of known solutions consists in the fact that the air flow must be driven by a fan which requires an additional source of energy; another disadvantage of EP0954969A2 solution is the low speed of development for the vortices formed inside the heating chamber, prolonging the heating time of the oven; another disadvantage of the patent US5881636 lies in the fact that the vortex is formed by bonding the air flow near the walls of the threaded housing, therefore the middle of the casing is not effectively nor evenly heated; another disadvantage of the patent JP3550171A is that blowing hot air through nozzles positioned at the top and at the bottom of the cooking chamber, the resulted whirls will tend to stick to the walls of the cooking chamber according to the "Coanda effect", resulting an ineffective vortex that will not evenly heat the cooking chamber.

The invention relates to a modular system which determines the effective and uniform heating of the enclosure of various heating devices known per se improving their thermal efficiency, without requiring any expensive construction and without requiring additional sources of energy.

The technical problem solved by the invention is to provide a modular system for swirly driving and controlled orientability of hot air flows, assembled linearly or matricial, consisting of at least one holder on which there are some inclined tubes, provided within with some helical elements, and mounting such modular assemblies on the inner walls of a heating device known per se, will turn the primary air flows in eddy currents and directs the flow of heat to predefined certain areas inside the heating unit.

Modular system for swirly driving and controlled orientability of hot air flows according to the invention, has a special design adapted to be installed inside a heating or cooking apparatus known per se, comprising at least one swirly driving module composed of at least one holder on which there is at least one cylindrical or conical tube, forming an angle with the holder; a helical element with fixed or variable pitch is mounted inside each inclined tube; at least one modular assembly, comprising tubes and helical elements, is installed inside a heating device known per se; the placement of one or more racks inside the heater is made so that the flow of hot air from the furnace, which tends to bond to the surface of interior walls according to "Coanda effect", will enter inside the holder and will be released through inclined tubes and the helical elements inside each tube transforms the linear stream of hot air into eddy currents; the tubes and the holder form an angle which determines the orientation of the flow of hot air to certain areas inside the heater apparatus.

Modular system for swirly driving and controlled orientability of hot air flows according to the invention, provides the following advantages:

- it is suitable for various heating or cooking apparatus, known per se;

- it is reliable due the constructive simplicity;

- reduces fuel consumption needed to achieve certain caloric parameters;

- represents an advantageous solution for improving the efficiency of heating or cooking apparatus already in use both in households and industrial grade.

As follows, nine preferred embodiments of a modular system for swirly driving and controlled orientability of hot air flows according to the invention are being presented, in relation with the figures:

Fig.1 - Oven for cooking, outside view;

Fig.2 - Section A-A through an oven for preparation of food (Fig.1 ) in which is

installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.3 - Section B-B through an oven for preparation of food (Fig.1 and Fig.2) in

which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.4 - Detail A from the sectional view (Fig.3), regarding the appearance of a

section through a swirly driving module according to the invention;

Fig.5 - Circuit of hot air flow inside through an oven (Fig.1 ) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.6 - Side view of a swirly driving module according to the invention;

Fig.7 - Section C-C through a swirly driving module (Fig.6) according to the

invention;

Fig.8 - Isometric view of a swirly driving module according to the invention;

Fig.9 - Heating boiler, outside view;

Fig.10 - Section A-A through a heating boiler (Fig.9) in which is installed a swirly

driving system according to the invention;

Fig.11 - Section B-B through a heating boiler (Fig.9 and Fig.10) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention; Fig.12 - Heating stove, outside view;

Fig.13 - Section A-A through a stove (Fig.12) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.14 - Section B-B through a stove (Fig.12 and Fig.13) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.15 - Heat exchanger for smoke flue, outside view;

Fig.16 - Section A-A through a heat exchanger for smoke flue (Fig.15) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.17 - Section B-B through a heat exchanger for smoke flue (Fig.15 and Fig.16) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.18 - Coil of an air-to-water heat exchanger, outside view;

Fig.19 - Section A-A through a coil of an air-to-water heat exchanger, (Fig.18) in

which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.20 - Section B-B through a coil (Fig.18 and Fig.19) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.21 - Tank-type heat exchanger, outside view from above;

Fig.22 - Section A-A through a tank-type heat exchanger (Fig.21 ) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.23 - Section B-B through a tank-type heat exchanger (Fig.21 and Fig.22) in which is installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.24 - Coil type heat exchanger, outside view;

Fig.25 - Section A-A through a coil type heat exchanger (Fig.24) having installed a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.26 - Section B-B through a coil type heat exchanger (Fig.24 and Fig.25) having installed in the exhaust nozzle a swirly driving system according to the invention;

Fig.27 - Swirly driving module according to the invention, in which the helical element has a variable pitch, outside view;

Fig.28 - Section A-A through a swirly driving module according to the invention, in which the helical element has a variable pitch (Fig.27);

Fig.29 - Section B-B through a swirly driving module according to the invention, in which the helical element has a variable pitch (Fig.27 and Fig.28) - highlighting the variable pitch of the helical element; Fig.30 - Swirly driving module according to the invention, having cone-shaped tubes, outside view;

Fig.31 - Section A-A through a swirly driving module according to the invention,

having cone-shaped tubes (Fig.30);

Fig.32 - Section B-B through a swirly driving module according to the invention,

having cone-shaped tubes, arranged with narrower side of the cone towards the holder (Fig.30 and Fig.31 ),

Fig.33 - Section C-C through a swirly driving module according to the invention,

having cone-shaped tubes, arranged with larger side of the cone towards the holder (Fig.30 and Fig.31 ).

Example 1. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form adapted for installation inside an oven for preparing food, according to Fig.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and consists of two swirly driving modules, each of them having a holder 1 , on which are mounted under an angle β some tubes 2; inside each tube 2 there is installed a helical element 3, which compels a swirly move to air flow, during its passing through tubes 2; a module for swirly driving is attached between an outside wall 4 and an inside wall 5, in the left side of the oven. Hot air is suctioned from the oven firing due to natural draft' formed by the connection with the flue, so that the hot air passes through the holder 1 then through the tubes 2 inside which the helical elements 3 drive the air streams as swirly currents, those swirly currents being directed towards the inside wall 5 of the oven, and under Coanda effect, the swirly currents of hot air will flow along the inside wall 5, transferring their heat towards the oven's interior (Fig.5). Further, the hot air stream passes through the next swirly driving module that is set at the top right of the oven, facing the inside wall 5 from the right side of the oven, the process being carried out similar to that described when passing through the previous module, then the airflow is absorbed by natural draft towards the chimney. We mention that following the technical tests carried out on a food preparation oven constructed in accordance with R0122115 patent, there was an increase of heat output by 40-50% after installing the modular system for swirly driving and controlled orientability of hot air flows; this increase in efficiency was noticed taking into account the same amount of solid fuel used for the same temperature and supply time for bringing the oven to a temperature of 200 °C. Example 2. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form adapted for installation inside a heating boiler shown in Fig.9, 10, 11 , where the swirly driving module consists of a holder 1 , some tubes 2 and some helical elements 3; swirly driving module driving is mounted between the outside wall 4 of the boiler and an inside wall 5 of the boiler, the tubes 2 being oriented so that the hot air stream to be directed towards a wall 6 of the water tank, so to pass through some transverse pipes 7.

Example 3. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form adapted for installation inside a heating stove shown in Fig.12, 13, 14, where a holder 1 is an inclined platform and some tubes 2 with some helical elements 3 are thus configured as sizes and as number, so to direct the swirly hot air flows towards some exterior walls 4 of the heating stove.

Example 4. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form suitable for installation inside a heat exchanger for smoke flue shown in Fig.15, 16, 17, where on some holders 1 mounted inside the heat exchanger ducts, there are some tubes 2 with some helical elements 3 configured so to direct the swirly hot air flows towards some side walls 4 of the heat exchanger's ducts.

Example 5. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form suitable for installation inside a coil type air-to-water heat exchanger, shown in Fig.18, 19, 20, where a holder 1 is an inclined platform and some tubes 2 with some helical elements 3 are thus configured as sizes and as number, so to direct the swirly hot air flows towards the walls of the coil, to heat the water more evenly; thus, for the side of the coil which is closer to the heat source, the tubes 2 are shorter than the tubes 2 which guide the hot air toward the middle part of the coil or toward the upper part of the coil.

Example 6. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form suitable for installation inside a tank-type heat exchanger, shown in Fig.21, 22, 23, where a holder 1 is a platform and some tubes 2 with some helical elements 3 are crossing throughout all the water tank interior; the water in the tank is heating faster and more effectively, as the contact surface between hot air and cold water is optimized due to the large number of the tubes 2 that are crossing throughout the water tank. Example 7. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, has a constructive form suitable for installation inside an exhaust nozzle of a coil type heat exchanger, shown in Fig.24, 25, 26, where a swirly driving module consisting of a holder 1 , some tubes 2 and some helical elements 3, creates eddies of hot air dispersed evenly throughout the body of the coil inside which the cold water circulates, not just on the inside surface of the coil.

Example 8. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, comprises at least a swirly driving module consisting of a holder 1 , on which are arranged under an angle β some tubes 2, provided inside with some helical elements 3 having variable pitch, shown in Fig.27, 28, 29, favoring the more prominent contact of the hot air flow with a certain part of the heating or cooking appliance on which the system is being installed.

Example 9. Modular system for swirly driving according to the invention, comprises at least a swirly driving module consisting of a holder 1 , some tubes 2 of conical shape, provided inside with some helical elements 3 of conical shape, shown in Fig.30, 31, 32, 33; a conical shaped tube 2 mounted with its narrow end on the holder 1 increases the speed of the hot air circuit, and a conical shaped tube 2 mounted with its wider end on the holder 1 causes a slower hot air circuit.

The examples described above represent only particular forms of preferred embodiments, which are not limited to this customizations, the wider applicability of the hereby disclosed technical solutions being obvious for a person skilled in the art.

References: RO 122115 B1 ; EP 0954969 A2; US3828760; US 5881636; JP3550171 A - according to the opinion on patentability documentary research conducted at Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks - OSIM no. 1002773 of 31 .01.2014.