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US 12,313,300 B2Granted
Fuel enrichment system for fuel-fired appliance
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsMickey E. Batson, Shawn A. Reed, Tyson J. Cogburn, Nathan T. Whalen, Darryl J. Farley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel-fired heating appliance has two fuel flow paths to a burner, each actuatable to a closed state and to an open state. A heat exchanger is in fluid communication with an area proximate the burner. A controller executes the steps: (a) while the first fuel flow path is closed, opening the second flow path; (b) following ignition of fuel flowing from the second flow path, opening the first fuel flow path; and (c) following step (b), closing the second fuel flow path while opening the first fuel flow path.
Claims14
A fuel-fired heating appliance comprising:
- a burner;
- a mixing chamber having a first portion and a second portion, the mixing chamber being in fluid communication with the burner, the first portion including an ambient air inlet and a neck region, wherein the neck region restricts flow of air and fuel, the neck region comprising an inlet funnel portion and an outlet funnel portion disposed in a symmetric arrangement, wherein an air diffuser is disposed in the first portion of the mixing chamber upstream of the neck portion, and a gas delivery orifice is disposed through a center of the diffuser;
- a first fuel flow path in fluid communication with the first portion of the mixing chamber;
- a first valve configured to selectively permit fuel to flow through the first fuel flow path;
- a second fuel flow path in fluid communication with the second portion of the mixing chamber;
- a second valve configured to selectively permit fuel to flow through the second fuel path;
- an air flow path between an air source and the burner, the air flow path extending through at least a portion of the mixing chamber;
- an air moving device configured to move air through the mixing chamber and the burner;
- a controller configured to:
- output instructions for the second valve to at least partially open, thereby permitting fuel to flow through the second fuel flow path and to the second portion of the mixing chamber;
- output instructions for the air moving device to (i) move air at a first speed into the mixing chamber, thereby creating a fuel-air mixture, wherein the first speed is lower than a predetermined steady-state speed, and (ii) move the fuel-air mixture to the burner;
- subsequent to ignition of the fuel-air mixture proximate the burner, determine a second speed that is greater than the first speed;
- output instructions for the air moving device to move air at the second speed;
- and
- output instructions for the first valve to at least partially open, thereby permitting fuel to flow through the first fuel flow path and to the first portion of the mixing chamber, thereby creating the fuel-air mixture in the first portion of the mixing chamber.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.