Combined muffler/heat exchanger

1. A combined muffler heat exchanger apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a heat transfer chamber and an acoustic attenuation chamber separated by a partition;

a flow regulator comprising a metal tube extending axially through the heat transfer chamber having a first perforated portion and a second perforated portion separated by a metal restrictor plate welded to an inner wall of the metal tube, the flow regulator operative to regulate flow of a first fluid;

an acoustic regulator extending axially through the acoustic attenuation chamber having a plurality of apertures operative to attenuate a magnitude of a predetermined band of acoustical frequencies associated with the first fluid; and

a fluid transport tube disposed in the heat transfer chamber containing flow of a second fluid and operative to convey heat from the first fluid to the second fluid.

2. A combined muffler heat exchanger apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a heat transfer chamber and an acoustic attenuation chamber separated by a partition;

a flow regulator tube for regulating flow of a first fluid through the heat transfer chamber and extending axially through the heat transfer chamber and having a first perforated portion and a second perforated portion separated by a restrictor plate coupled to, and extending annularly inwardly from, an inner surface of the flow regulator tube to an aperture in the plate; and

a fluid transport coil disposed inside the heat transfer chamber and containing flow of a second fluid for receiving heat from the first fluid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the flow regulator tube is metal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the restrictor plate includes rounded edges defining the aperture adapted to decrease turbulence in the flow of the first fluid therethrough.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first fluid is an exhaust stream produced by an automotive vehicle power source.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the housing is a metal cylinder.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the partition is an annular shaped metal plate welded to an inner wall of the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second fluid is a heat recovery fluid.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fluid transport coil is metal.