Apparatus for extracting exhaust heat from waste heat sources while preventing backflow and corrosion

Abstract

In a waste heat recovery system wherein a heat exchanger derives heat from an engine exhaust, a venturi is fluidly connected to an engine exhaust port so as to thereby increase the flow rate and reduce the pressure in a manifold which is fluidly connected between the venturis and the heat exchanger. A fan is provided downstream of the heat exchanger to draw hot gases from the manifold, through the heat exchanger and discharge it to ambient. But when the fan is not operating during periods in which the engine is operating, the lower pressure manifold will draw ambient air in through the fan and through the heat exchanger, with the ambient air then being entrained in the exhaust gases being discharged from an exhaust channel downstream of the venturi. In one embodiment, a plurality of heat sources are provided with each having its own venturi connected to the common low pressure manifold. One or more of the plurality of waste heat source may be nonoperative or operating at a lower speed, but because of the low pressure manifold, the hot gases from the operative/higher speed waste heat source will not flow to the nonoperative or slower running waste heat source. Check valves are provided to allow the discharge of hot gases to ambient from the exhaust channels but not allow the flow of ambient air into the exhaust channels. A bypass valve is provided to selectively allow for the flow of ambient air into the exhaust channel and into the manifold for purposes of dilution during periods in which the fan is in operation.