Abstract: A condensing gas furnace/heat exchange system is provided which includes two subsystems. A first subsystem includes an outdoor coil, an indoor coil, a reversing valve and a compressor, and the heat exchange medium thereof is a liquid refrigerant, such as freon. This subsystem is operative in heating, heat-augmented heating and cooling modes of operation, and in the heat-augmenting mode of operation, gas burners provide additional BTU's to the system. The other system includes an outdoor coil, an indoor coil and a pump, but excludes a compressor or a reversing valve, and utilizes a heat-exchange medium such as water, ethylene glycol, glycol per se or a nonrefrigerant. The pump merely pumps the glycol through the system which absorbs heat/BTU's from the flames of the burner which are eventually transferred by the indoor coil to heat an associated dwelling or the like.

Abstract: A condensing furnace which includes an outdoor coil of the type having aluminum fins pressed to copper tubes through which a refrigerant is conducted. Heat is generated, preferably from a flame, and the relatively intense temperature (approximately 2200.degree. F.) is de-intensified before reaching the aluminum fins by generally sinusoidal de-intensifier tubes positioned between the flames and the fins of the coil. Since the de-intensifier tubes reduce the temperature of the flue of gases virtually instantly to approximately 50.degree. F., condensation forms not only upon the de-intensifier tubes but also upon the aluminum fins of the coil which prevents acidic deterioration and corrosion thereof, while at the same time maintaining extremely high Btu absorption.

Abstract: A heat exchanger as provided in which an outdoor coil circulates a heat-exchange medium therethrough and includes a conventional upper inlet and lower outlet for respectively receiving and discharging the heat-exchange medium. A fan draws ambient air through the outdoor coil during the heating phase of the heat exchanger, and a gas flame generates heat to further increase the temperature of the heat-exchange medium beyond that created by the heat-absorbed from ambient air. A control system is provided for at least at times simultaneously operating the fan and the gas flame. The control system also at times bypasses the outdoor coil at extremely low ambient temperatures.

Abstract: A heat exchanger which includes an outdoor coil, inlets and outlets for delivering and discharging refrigerant relative to the outdoor coil, the inlet being located above the outlet, main and auxiliary reversing/expansion valves, a compressor, an outdoor coil, associated lines and conduits between the latter components, and the main and auxiliary reversing valves being selectively operative to deliver the liquid and the vapor to the inlets in the respective heating and air conditioning modes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger having an outside coil, a tray beneath the coil for collecting condensate from the coil, a discharge conduit of the tray being positioned to discharge condensate from an entrance point to an discharge point of the discharge conduit, and a by-pass conduit portion disposed in the discharge conduit in fluid communication with a heat exchange medium of the coil to prevent conduit from freezing in the discharge conduit, the bypass conduit portion being defined by a pair of legs and the bight whereby the heat exchange medium flows through one of the pair of legs in a direction from the entrance point toward the discharge point and then is reversed by the bight to flow in the other of the pair of legs in a direction from the discharge point to the entrance point.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a heat exchanger which includes a coil through which a heat exchange medium, such as Freon, is circulated between an inlet and an outlet, the coil defining an interior chamber having a lower chamber portion, means for generating a flame, such as a natural gas burner at a lower end portion of the coil whereby heat is introduced into the interior chamber and rises upwardly therein such that the same might be absorbed by the heat exchange medium for subsequent utilization, a pair of baffle plates disposed within the interior chamber in generally upwardly opening diverging relationship for directing heat generally outwardly toward the coil for substantially total absorption thereof by the heat exchanger medium, and a fan for drawing a limited amount of air from the exterior of the coil to create a negative pressure for assuring air flow from the interior chamber to the exterior thereof through the coil.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a heat exchanger which includes a coil through which a heat exchange medium is circulated, the coil being located in one of a pair of chambers, a fan in the same chamber as the coil but located therebeneath, a partition separating the two chambers with an opening therein through which air driven by the fan can be drawn from the first chamber and introduced into the second chamber, and a door normally closing the second chamber and hinged to open under the influence of air emitted from the fan to thereby effectively create air flow during a non-heat-augmented operation of the heat exchanger.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a heat exchanger which includes an A-coil through which a heat-exchange medium (refrigerant) is circulated between an inlet and an outlet thereof, a compressor in fluid communication with the outlet for compressing a vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium, and means for generating heat beyond and as an augment to ambient temeprature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from the inlet to the outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium for subsequent extraction of the heat from the vapor phase to effect desired heating.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a heat exchanger which includes a coil through which a heat exchange medium, such as Freon, is circulated between an inlet and an outlet, the coil defining an interior chamber having a lower chamber portion, means for generating a flame, such as a natural gas burner at a lower end portion of the coil whereby heat is introduced into the interior chamber and rises upwardly therein such that the same might be absorbed by the heat exchange medium for subsequent utilization, and the upper end portion of the heat exchanger being closed preferably by insulation material such that virtually all of the heat introduced into the interior chamber is absorbed during the passage therethrough.

Abstract: A heating system of the heat pump type is disclosed in which the outside coil, employed to reject heat in air conditioning mode or to absorb heat in heating mode, is supplied with heat independently of that provided by ambient air when the efficiency of the system falls off due to low ambient air temperature. The amount of heat thus supplied is controlled to increase the efficiency of the system sufficiently to produce a significant net decrease in operating cost. In a conventional system, the outside air coil-cooling fan is turned off and augmenting heat is supplied to the coil when the ambient air temperature is moderate (e.g., 32.degree.-38.degree. F.) for the system, and the augmenting heat is supplied at a rate which is at least sufficient to restore the efficiency of the system to that inherent with a much higher ambient air temperature. At the same time, the outside coil temperature is monitored and the augmenting heat is temporarily discontinued when the coil temperature reaches a selected value (e.g.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a heat exchanger housing which includes an upstanding peripheral wall terminating in an upper peripheral terminal edge spanned by a cover and having disposed thereat an air-restricting baffle for restricting the flow of ambient air into the housing through a space between the cover and the upstanding peripheral wall to reduce the possibility of an open flame being blown out by high air movement exteriorly of the housing when the heat exchanger is operating under its heat-augmented mode of operation, the housing further including an upper transversely disposed generally Z-shaped supporting bar to support the cover in overlying spaced relationship to the housing peripheral wall.

Abstract: A heating system of the heat pump type is disclosed in which the outside coil, employed to reject heat in air conditioning mode or to absorb heat in heating mode, is supplied with heat independently of that provided by ambient air when the efficiency of the system falls off due to low ambient air temperature. The amount of heat thus supplied is controlled to increase the efficiency of the system sufficiently to produce a significant net decrease in operating cost. In a conventional system, the outside air coil-cooling face is turned off and augmenting heat is supplied to the coil when the ambient air temperature is moderate (e.g., 32.degree.-38.degree. F.) for the system, and the augmenting heat is supplied at a rate which is at least sufficient to restore the efficiency of the system to that inherent with a much higher ambient air temperature. At the same time, the outside coil temperature is monitored and the augmenting heat is temporarily discontinued when the coil temperature reaches a selected value (e.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a heat exchanger which includes an A-coil through which a heat-exchange medium (refrigerant) is circulated between an inlet and an outlet thereof, a compressor in fluid communication with the outlet for compressing a vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium, and means for generating heat beyond and as an augment to ambient temperature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from the inlet to the outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium for subsequent extraction of the heat from the vapor phase to effect desired heating.