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Review of Furnace Heat Exchangers |
Heat exchangers are devices that
transfer heat from one fluid (liquid
or gas) to another while keeping
them separate. A hot fluid flows on
one side of a heat exchanger's metal
partition, transferring its heat to
a lower temperature fluid flowing on
the other side. The size of a heat
exchanger's surface area affects it
speed and efficiency: a large
surface area transfers heat faster
and more efficiently.
Many machines and household
appliances contain heat exchangers.
A car radiator is a heat exchanger:
it transfers heat from the engine
cooling system to the outside air,
preventing the engine from
overheating. Refrigerators and air
conditioners have heat exchangers to
dissipate heat; furnace heat
exchangers heat the cool air that
enters the furnace. Solar systems
also use heat exchangers to transfer
solar energy absorbed in solar
collectors to the liquid or air that
is used to heat the water or space.
Heat exchangers can be stainless
steel heat exchangers or plate and
frame heat exchangers or tube and
shell heat exchangers made of steel,
copper, bronze, stainless steel,
aluminum, or cast iron. Solar
heating systems usually use copper,
because it is a good thermal
conductor and has greater resistance
to corrosion.
www.eere.energy.gov
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