Fluid Heater
AssigneeHotStart, Inc.
InventorsDavid R. Sedacek, Michael T. Abbott, Christopher Michael McFarland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid heater is disclosed and which has a heater, pump, and a plurality of temperature sensors which are electrically coupled with first and second temperature controlled relays, and wherein the fluid heater is operable to maintain a source of fluid used by an object of interest within a predetermined temperature range and further, is operable under given temperature conditions to discontinue operation so as to protect the object of interest and the heater from becoming damaged through overheating of the fluid which is utilized by same.
Claims20
-20. (canceled)
A method for detecting a fault response for a heater, the method comprising:
- measuring a fluid temperature at an exit of the heater;
- determining an energized state of an element of the heater;
- determining whether a fault has occurred based upon the fluid temperature measured at the exit of the heater and based on the energized state of the element of the heater;
- detecting a fault responsive to the fluid temperature being over a predetermined temperature and the determined energized state of the element of the heater being an energized state;
- and
- detecting no fault responsive to the determined energized state of the element of the heater to be a de-energized state.
A circuit for detecting a fault response for a heater, the circuit comprising:
- a temperature sensor measuring a fluid temperature at an exit of the heater;
- a first temperature control relay energizing or de-energizing an element of the heater;
- a second temperature control relay triggering a fault responsive to the temperature sensor measuring the fluid temperature over a predetermined temperature and to the first temperature control relay energizing the element of the heater;
- and
- the second temperature control relay not triggering the fault responsive to the temperature sensor measuring the fluid temperature over the predetermined temperature and to the first temperature control relay de-energizing the element of the heater.
A system comprising:
- a heater for heating a fluid comprising a fluid intake and a fluid exhaust;
- a control circuit for detecting a fault response for the heater, the control circuit comprising;
- a first temperature sensor measuring a temperature of the fluid at the intake of the heater and electrically coupled to a first temperature control relay to energize or de-energize the heater;
- a second temperature sensor measuring a temperature of the fluid at the exhaust of the heater and electrically coupled to a second temperature control relay to electrically decouple the heater from a source of electricity;
- wherein the control circuit detects the fault response when the second temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid at the exhaust of the heater is over a predetermined temperature and the first temperature control relay is energizing the heater;
- and
- the control circuit does not detect the fault response when the second temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid at the exhaust of the heater is over the predetermined temperature and the first temperature control relay is de-energizing the heater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.