Carrier Corporation

Gas Research Institute

Walter J Fallows, Iii

John E Holowczak

John H Michaels

Dennis C Jones

A heat exchanger for use as a condensing heat exchanger in a gas-fired hot air furnace has a ceramic pipe forming an initial portion of a fluid flow path through the heat exchanger. The ceramic pipe receives the combustion gases from a primary heat exchanger and reduces the temperature of the combustion gases to below a certain temperature. A polymer-based structure is connected to the ceramic pipe and forms the remaining portion of the fluid flow path through the heat exchanger. The geometry and orientation of the ceramic pipe is selected so that the certain temperature of the combustion gases exiting the ceramic pipe is less than the softening temperature of the polymer-based structure. The resultant heat exchanger combines the high temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials with the low cost and high corrosion resistance of polymer materials. As a result, a low cost heat exchanger can be produced which can withstand both the high temperatures of the combustion gases as well as the corrosive properties of the condensates from the combustion gases.

Polymeric heat exchanger with ceramic material insert

The baffle for preventing the recirculation of discharged air into the intake grille of a packaged terminal air conditioner is provided with means for attaching it to the grille structure without fasteners. A plurality of flexible fingers with snap latches on the ends thereof are inserted between a pair of spaced ribs on the grille, with the fingers being flexed inwardly during the insertion process and then flexing outwardly to engage the snap latches with a front edge of the vertical ribs when the baffle is in place.

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, MA, United States of America

Walter J Fallows, Iii