High power density insulated exhaust heating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585252-B2
Application number	US-202117535096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2021
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A heating apparatus for a fluid flow system having a container body includes a heater element and a strip. The heater element is within the container body and includes an electrical resistance element, a sheath, and an insulating material. The sheath extends along a predefined path through the container body and surrounds the electrical resistance element along the predefined path. The insulating material is disposed about the electrical resistance element between the electrical resistance element and the sheath. The insulating material electrically insulates the electrical resistance element from the sheath. The strip is disposed inside the container body and defines a tortuous geometry that follows the predefined path. The strip defines a plurality of openings at discrete locations along the strip. The heater element extends through the plurality of openings and is configured to contact the strip at the discrete locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating apparatus for a fluid flow system having a container body, the heating apparatus comprising:
a heater element within the container body, the heater element including an electrical resistance element, a sheath, and an insulating material, the sheath extending along a predefined path through the container body and surrounding the electrical resistance element along the predefined path, the insulating material disposed about the electrical resistance element between the electrical resistance element and the sheath, wherein the insulating material electrically insulates the electrical resistance element from the sheath; and
a strip disposed inside the container body and defining a tortuous geometry that follows the predefined path, wherein the strip defines a plurality of openings at discrete locations along the strip, wherein the heater element extends through the plurality of openings and is configured to contact the strip at the discrete locations and not contact the strip between the discrete locations.

2. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined path is a tortuous shape.

3. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined path is selected from a group consisting of a spiral shape, a sinuated shape, a coil shape, a zig-zag shape, and combinations thereof.

4. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined path is a spiral shape.

5. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first section of the strip is positioned to support a second section of the strip, the second section being radially inward of the first section and further along the predefined path than the first section.

6. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater element is sandwiched between portions of the strip that are located at different locations along the predefined path.

7. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the strip is a corrugated strip defining a plurality of ridges and grooves.

8. The heating apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the openings are disposed at the ridges and grooves.

9. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an outer peripheral wall surrounding the strip, wherein the outer peripheral wall defines an annular groove and the strip is configured to engage the outer peripheral wall via the annular groove.

10. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an outer peripheral wall surrounding the strip, wherein the container body defines an outer boundary of a gas flow channel and the outer peripheral wall is a separate component from the container body and is disposed inside the container body.

11. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater element is disposed loosely within the openings.

12. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the strip is fixed to the heater element at the plurality of discrete locations, the plurality of discrete locations being spaced at a spacing along a length of the strip, wherein the spacing is less than ten times an outside diameter of the heater element.

13. The heating apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a natural frequency of vibration for sections of the heater element between adjacent two locations of the plurality of discrete locations is greater than 400 Hz.

14. The heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a radially outermost portion of the strip contacts, at ridges of the tortuous geometry, an inner surface of the container body or an inner peripheral wall disposed within the container body.

15. A heating apparatus for a fluid flow system having a fluid conduit, the heating apparatus comprising:
a heater element within the fluid conduit, the at least one heater element including an electrical resistance element, a sheath, and an insulating material, the sheath extending along a tortuous path through the fluid conduit and surrounds the electrical resistance element along the tortuous path, the insulating material disposed about the electrical resistance element between the electrical resistance element and the sheath, wherein the insulating material electrically insulates the electrical resistance element from the sheath; and
at least one corrugated strip disposed within the fluid conduit and configured for restricting movement of the at least one heater element relative to the fluid conduit, the at least one corrugated strip following the tortuous path along a majority of a length of the sheath, wherein the at least one corrugated strip defines a plurality of openings at discrete locations along the at least one corrugated strip, wherein the heater element extends through the plurality of openings and the sheath is configured to contact the at least one corrugated strip at the discrete locations and not contact the strip between the discrete locations.

16. The heating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the tortuous shape is selected from a group consisting of a spiral shape, a sinuated shape, a coil shape, a zig-zag shape, and combinations thereof.

17. The heating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one corrugated strip includes a plurality of ridges and grooves and defines a plurality of indentions disposed at ridges and grooves, the sheath being received in the indentions.

18. The heating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one corrugated strip surrounds opposite sides of the heating element along the majority of the length of the sheath.

19. The heating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein a first section of the at least one corrugated strip is positioned to support a second section of the at least one corrugated strip, the second section being radially inward of the first section.

20. A heating apparatus for a fluid flow system having a fluid conduit, the heating apparatus comprising:
a heater element extending along a spiral path within the fluid conduit, the heater element including an electrical resistance element, a sheath, and an insulating material disposed about the electrical resistance element, wherein the insulating material electrically insulates the electrical resistance element from the sheath; and
a continuous corrugated strip disposed within the fluid conduit, the continuous corrugated strip following the spiral path and configured to contact the sheath at discrete locations along the spiral path such that one side of a region of the sheath is configured to contact a first location on the corrugated strip and an opposite side of the region of the sheath is configured to be contacted by a second location on the corrugated strip, the second location being further along the spiral path than the first location.

Assignees

• Watlow Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Everly Mark D
• Ohse Jeremy
• Culbertson David P
• Williams Richard T
• Jambor George
• Wilson Jacob

Classifications

• H05B3/48

  heating conductor embedded in insulating material · CPC title

• H05B2203/022

  Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material · CPC title

• F01N3/027

  using electric or magnetic heating means · CPC title

• F01N3/2013 Primary

  using electric or magnetic heating means · CPC title

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title