Forced convection heat exchangers capable of being used in kilns

Abstract

A kiln chamber has an air moving device for circulating air in the chamber interior space along a flow path, and pipe banks positioned in the chamber interior space. Each pipe bank includes finned pipes for having a heated medium flow interiorly therethrough, and each pipe bank is positioned in the flow path so that air circulated by the air moving device flows exteriorly across the finned pipes. Each finned pipe has an elongate portion having opposite ends and extending in a longitudinal direction between the opposite ends, with the longitudinal direction being at least generally perpendicular to the portion of the flow path that is proximate the finned pipe. The pipe banks are spaced apart from one another and arranged side by side with respect to one another so that a portion of the flow path extends between adjacent ones of the pipe banks. The minimum distance defined between the adjacent pipe banks is substantially greater than the minimum distance defined between adjacent finned pipes in the same pipe bank in an end elevation view of the elongate portions of the finned pipes. For each pipe bank, its finned pipes are arranged at least generally in a line in the end elevation view, and the pipe bank is arranged and any minimum distance defined between adjacent finned pipes of the pipe bank is relatively small in the end elevation view so that the adjacent pipe banks function as guide vanes for turning the flow path.