US 11,808,534 B2
Continuous helical baffle heat exchanger
Satya Tatavarthy, St. Louis, MO (US); Ethan Dinauer, St. Louis, MO (US); Sanhong Zhang, Ballwin, MO (US); and Scott H. Boehmer, Hannibal, MO (US)
Assigned to WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed by WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed on Sep. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/954,444.
Application 17/954,444 is a continuation of application No. 17/064,808, filed on Oct. 7, 2020, granted, now 11,486,660.
Application 17/064,808 is a continuation of application No. 16/114,631, filed on Aug. 28, 2018, granted, now 10,941,988, issued on Mar. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/550,969, filed on Aug. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0021014 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. F28F 9/22 (2006.01); F28F 9/013 (2006.01); F28D 7/16 (2006.01); F28D 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC F28F 9/22 (2013.01) [F28D 7/06 (2013.01); F28D 7/1607 (2013.01); F28D 7/1676 (2013.01); F28F 9/0131 (2013.01); F28F 2009/222 (2013.01); F28F 2009/228 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heater assembly comprising:
a flow guide defining a continuous geometric helicoid disposed about a longitudinal axis of the heater assembly, the flow guide defining a predetermined pattern of perforations that extend in a longitudinal direction through a first longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of electrical resistance heating elements, each electrical resistance heating element extending through its own corresponding set of the perforations,
wherein the geometric helicoid having a first pitch at a first zone along the longitudinal axis and a second pitch at a second zone along the longitudinal axis, the second pitch being different than the first pitch,
wherein the first longitudinal length is less than a full longitudinal length of the geometric helicoid such that the electrical resistance heating elements do not extend through a portion of the geometric helicoid that is farther in the longitudinal direction than the first longitudinal length, wherein the second zone is at least partially farther in the longitudinal direction than the first longitudinal length.