Heater with combustion chamber located below fluid distributing means

Claim 1

Heating apparatus comprising a vertical column, a combustion chamber in the lower half portion of said column defining an annular passageway therearound between the chamber and the column, said combustion chamber having a top and side walls which are closed, and a bottom which is open, burner means disposed horizontally in the combustion chamber at the upper portion thereof to discharge hot gases into said upper portion which then travel downwardly through the open bottom of said chamber And then upwardly through said annular passageway towards the top of said column, inlet means at the top of the column for supply of a liquid to be heated, the liquid flowing downwardly from said inlet means towards the bottom of the column, distribution means below said inlet means and above said combustion chamber for distributing the liquid therein, said combustion gases flowing upwardly in the distribution means and contacting the downwardly flowing distributed liquid whereby heat exchange is effected therebetween, said liquid then flowing downwardly through said annular passageway for intense heating by contact with said combustion chamber and the combustion gases flowing upwardly in the annular passageway, and means at the bottom of the column for collecting the heated liquid below the combustion chamber and for discharging said liquid from the column said distribution means comprising a grid above said combustion chamber, distributing elements on said grid, and a distributing tray above said distributing elements.