The present invention provides an energy storage system (10) for a use with a boiler (20). The energy storage system (10) comprises a plurality of thermal energy storage banks (101, 102, 103, 104). Each thermal energy storage bank (101, 102, 103, 104) comprises phase changeable material having a predetermined phase transformation temperature. The energy storage system (10) also includes an extraction device (105; 1 15) configured to recover waste energy from the boiler (20). The extraction device (105, 1 15) is operable to extract waste energy from the boiler (20) and feed that energy to at least one (101) of the thermal energy storage banks (101, 102, 103, 104). A controller (106) is arranged, in use, to activate the extraction device (105, 115) in response to operation of the boiler (20).

A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel shell com including prising a first inlet; a heat exchanger disposed in the pressure vessel shell, the heat exchanger including a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the first inlet of the pressure vessel shell; and an exhaust manifold disposed in the pressure vessel shell, the exhaust manifold including a third inlet and a third outlet, wherein the third inlet of the exhaust manifold is connected to the second outlet of the heat exchanger, wherein the third outlet of the exhaust manifold is outside of the pressure vessel shell, and wherein the exhaust manifold penetrates the pressure vessel shell.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange units. Each of the plurality of heat exchange units includes: an internal space in which a fluid to be heated flows, a plurality of gas vents penetrating the internal space in a non-communicating state and through which combustion exhaust gas flows, at least one inlet port, and at least one outlet port. At least the one inlet port and at least the one outlet port in each of the heat exchange units are disposed at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the heat exchange unit and are shifted (offset) in a lateral direction of the heat exchange unit.

A curved plate heat exchanger includes a heat exchange unit in which heat medium flow paths and combustion gas flow paths are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other in spaces between a plurality of plates, wherein the plurality of plates are configured in such a manner whereby a plurality of unit plates, in which first and second plates are stacked, are formed; wherein the heat medium flow paths are formed between the first plate and the second plate of the unit plate; and wherein the combustion gas flow paths are formed at constant interval between the second plate of the unit plate located on one side of the adjacent unit plates and the first plate of the unit plate located on the other side.

A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to be in thermal communication with the production fluid to provide convective heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft.sup.2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.

Heat exchanger fins and heat exchangers are disclosed. The heat exchanger fins disclosed herein comprise louvers and winglet-type vortex generators arranged to improve heat transfer efficiency.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of serpentine or U-shaped first heat transfer tubes disposed in a case and formed by connecting a plurality of straight tube body portions, which are arranged at intervals in an up-down height direction so as to extend in a horizontal direction, in series via a first connecting tube body portion, upper side and lower side header portions connected to respective end portions of the plurality of first heat transfer tubes, and a second heat transfer tube disposed in the case so that upper side and lower side end portions thereof are connected respectively to the upper side and lower side header portions and configured such that an intermediate region, which excludes at least the respective end portions and a region of an uppermost portion that is adjacent to the upper side end portion, is constituted by tube body portions that are tilted over the entire length thereof so as to gradually decrease in height from one end side toward another end side of the intermediate region. As a result, a malfunction in which a hot water supply operation becomes difficult due to freezing of the heat transfer tubes can be prevented appropriately.

A plate (1) for a heat exchange arrangement has a first heat transferring surface (A) with a protrusion (7) forming a continuous and closed ridge. This ridge divides said surface into a closed inner region (A1) and an outer region (A2). The inner region (A1) encloses a first inlet porthole (2) and a first outlet porthole (5) for a first medium. The outer region (A2) has a second inlet porthole (3) and a second outlet porthole (6) for the first medium. A heat exchange arrangement comprises a stack of first and second plates of the above type. The protrusions (7) on the first heat transferring surfaces (A) of said plates are connected to each other to separate first channels into first and second flow paths for the first medium. Each first flow path is configured to direct the first medium from a first inlet to a first outlet inside the inner region (A1) and each second flow path is configured to direct the first medium from a second inlet to a second outlet in the outer region (A2), said inlets and outlets being defined between said inlet and outlet portholes (2, 3 and 5, 6 respectively).

A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to provide heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft.sup.2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.

A plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates stacked so that a liquid flow passage is formed on the inside thereof, and a gas flow passage through which heating gas passes, the gas flow passage being formed between the plurality of plates and including a gas inflow opening portion and a gas outflow opening portion positioned on an opposite side to the gas inflow opening portion, wherein the gas outflow opening portion has a smaller opening area than the gas inflow opening portion. Thus, when the heating gas passes through the gas flow passage, even if the volumetric flow thereof decreases due to a reduction in temperature or condensation, a reduction in the flow velocity of the heating gas can be suppressed. Hence, a reduction in a heat transfer coefficient can be suppressed, leading to an improvement in heat transfer efficiency, and as a result, reductions in overall size, weight, and manufacturing cost can be achieved appropriately.