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US 2005/0229871 A1Published application
Heating system and boiler therefor
OwnerAlastair Robertsoninventor
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OwnerAlastair Robertsoninventor
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A method of heating a building in which a boiler provides hot water for circulating through radiators in the building and a condensing heat exchanger recovers heat from the boiler flue gases. Air entering the building is heated by an additional heat exchanger through which water flows which has been heated by the condensing heat exchanger. Cold air supplied to the combustion chamber is also employed to cool the flue gases. The condensing heat exchanger comprises a first exchanger in which the hot flue gases are cooled to a temperature above the dew point and a second in which the previously cooled flue gases are cooled to below the dew point. The second exchanger includes a primary water circuit which cools water in a secondary circuit, in which water is in contact with the flue gases and the secondary circuit water passes through a heat exchanger in an air inlet to the building. Some of the water returning from the radiators is cooled before supply to the primary circuit. A building and heating system comprises a boiler which provides a source of hot water, a pump for circulating the hot water through radiators in the building, a condensing heat exchanger which recovers heat from the boiler flue gases, and in which water which has been heated in the condensing heat exchanger is employed to heat air entering the building.
A method of recovering latent heat from water vapour in the flue gases from a hydrocarbon fuel-burning boiler adapted to heat water to be circulated through radiators to heat a building, in which hot flue gases from the boiler are cooled first by a heat exchanger through which water returning from the radiators is caused to flow and then by a second heat exchanger through which water at a temperature below the dew point of the water vapour in the flue gases is caused to flow in direct contact with the flue gases, so that not only is heat extracted from the latter but soluble products of combustion (such as SO2) are dissolved in the water and are thereby separated from the flue gases before they exit to atmosphere, and wherein before the water returning from the radiators is supplied to the first heat exchanger a small proportion of the returning water is diverted through an additional heat exchange device located in a relatively cool region in the building being heated, and thereafter the diverted water is further cooled as it passes through an air to water heat exchanger through which air which is to support combustion in the burner of the boiler passes en route to the combustion chamber, such that the exit water temperature therefrom will be in the range of 20°-40° C., so as to be below the said dew point and the exiting water is supplied to cool the water in the second heat exchanger.
A boiler for supplying hot water to radiators in a building having first and second heat exchange means for cooling the exhaust gases through the first of which water returning from the radiators is caused to flow before returning to the boiler, which includes a water path by which a fraction of the water returning from the radiators to the first heat exchanger is first caused to flow direct to an additional heat exchange device instead of to the first heat exchanger, after passing therethrough to pass through an air to water heat exchanger in an air inlet to the boiler supplying air to support combustion therein, thereafter to pass through a water to water heat exchanger adapted to cool water circulating in the said second heat exchanger, and lastly to return the water to the water inlet to the boiler, where it is mixed with water passing thereto from the first heat exchanger.
A method of heating a building in which a water heating boiler which in use burns a hydrocarbon fuel in a combustion chamber from which hot products of combustion leave to vent to atmosphere via a flue, and which provides a source of hot water for circulating through radiators in the building, and a secondary condensing heat exchange means operates to lower the temperature of the products of combustion below the dew point of water vapour therein thereby to gain the latent heat of evaporation of the water content thereof to the flue, and in which there is an air inlet to the building, comprising the step of warming air entering the building by a heat exchanger in the air inlet through which water is caused to flow which in use is heated in the secondary heat exchange means using heat from the hot products of combustion, thereby to transfer heat therefrom to air entering the building.
A secondary heat exchange means for recovering latent heat of evaporation from hot products of combustion from a water boiler which in use burns a hydrocarbon fuel in a combustion chamber to provide a source of hot water for circulating through radiators in the building comprising a closed housing divided internally into two compartments, an upper compartment containing a first heat exchanger, a flue gas inlet at its upper end, and a flue gas outlet at its lower end, and a lower compartment having upper and lower regions, a second heat exchanger forming the said primary circuit and located in the lower region thereof with water inlet and outlet connections thereto, a plurality of baffles defining a tortuous path between the top and bottom of the upper region of the lower compartment, duct means communicating between the flue gas outlet of the upper compartment and a flue gas inlet to the lower compartment for conveying flue gases between the two compartments, a flue gas outlet conveying flue gases from the lower compartment to atmosphere, pipe means for conveying water from a water outlet at the bottom of the lower region of the lower compartment to an inlet to a water spray means at or near the top of the upper region of the lower compartment, so that in use, water cascades downwardly over and around the baffles and is in contact with flue gases following the tortuous path around the baffles, to comprise said secondary circuit, and further pipe means for conveying water from an outlet of the second heat exchanger to an inlet of the first heat exchanger, so that in use the water flowing through the latter is warmed before it leaves the secondary heat exchange means to return to the boiler.
A heating system for a building in which a hydrocarbon fuel is burnt in a combustion chamber in a boiler to heat water for circulating through radiators in the building, which produces hot gaseous products of combustion, and in which heat is exchanged between those products of combustion and secondary water which is cooled below the dew point temperature of water vapour in the products of combustion by primary water diverted from water returning from the radiators to the boiler, to achieve condensation of the hot exhaust gas water vapour content, wherein the diverted primary water is itself cooled to below the said dew point temperature and in use serves to cool the secondary water, and before the diverted primary water returns to the boiler, heat is exchanged between it and the hot gaseous products of combustion as a first step in the cooling of the latter and to raise the temperature of the primary water before it is remixed with the water returning to the boiler from the radiators.
A building and heating system therefor which comprises a water heating boiler which in use burns a hydrocarbon fuel in a combustion chamber which produces hot products of combustion which vent to atmosphere via a flue and which provides a source of hot water, pump means for circulating the hot water through radiators in the building, a secondary condensing heat exchange means which in use operates to lower the temperature of the flue gases below the dew point of water vapour therein thereby to gain a latent heat of evaporation therefrom before they pass to a flue, and in which the building includes an inlet through which air enters the building in which a heat exchanger is located through which in use water which has been heated in the secondary heat exchange means is caused to flow, thereby to transfer heat from the latter to air entering the building, to warm the latter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.