Hydronic air heater
AssigneeMestek, Inc.
InventorKenneth W. Cohen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydronic air heater includes a frame assembly defining an enclosure, an inlet air damper formed in a wall of the enclosure and providing a means of ingress for ambient air, a closed heat transfer loop disposed within the enclosure, and a blower assembly disposed within the enclosure. The heat transfer loop includes a boiler for heating a fluid, a pump for circulating the fluid within the loop and a heating coil for receiving the heated fluid from the boiler. The blower assembly is configured to draw air into the enclosure through the inlet air damper and through the heating coil whereby heat from the fluid within the heating coil is transferred to the air.
Claims22
A hydronic air heater, comprising:
- a frame assembly defining an enclosure;
- an inlet air damper formed in a wall of said enclosure and providing a means of ingress for ambient air;
- a closed heat transfer loop disposed within said enclosure, said heat transfer loop including a boiler for heating a fluid, a pump for circulating said fluid within said loop and a heating coil for receiving said heated fluid from said boiler;
- and
- a blower assembly disposed within said enclosure and being configured to draw air into said enclosure through said inlet air damper and through said heating coil whereby heat from said fluid within said heating coil is transferred to said air.
A packaged, rooftop hydronic air heater, comprising:
- a substantially hermetically sealed enclosure having an air inlet;
- a closed heating loop within said enclosure having at least one boiler for heating a heat transfer fluid, a pump for moving said heat transfer fluid within said loop, and a heat exchanger;
- an air mover within said enclosure and configured to draw air into said enclosure through said air inlet and through said heat exchanger whereby heat from said heat transfer fluid is transferred to said air to warm said air;
- and
- a heat recovery tube configured to recover heat from heat generating components within said enclosure and to exhaust said recovered heat adjacent to said heat exchanger.
A method of heating a structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an enclosure having an air inlet, a closed heating loop including a boiler, a pump and a heating coil with said enclosure, and a blower assembly with said enclosure;
- controlling said boiler and said pump to provide a heated fluid to said heating coil;
- controlling said blower assembly to draw air into said enclosure and past said heating coil to warm said air for distribution to said structure via an air duct;
- and
- recovering heat lost from said boiler and said pump and providing said recovered heat to said heating coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.