Water heating system and combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit therefor

A water heating system comprising:

• a source of hot fluid;
• a combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit including a watertight tank means having a water inlet means in the lower portion thereof and a water outlet means in the upper portion thereof, said watertight tank means further including a cylindrical jacket wall means forming at least a portion of the outer wall of the watertight tank means, said jacket wall means having an inlet means in the upper portion thereof in communication with said source of hot fluid, said jacket wall means further including an outlet means in the lower portion thereof and a passageway means extending within the jacket wall means from said inlet to said outlet means through which hot fluid can flow, said passageway means being sealed from the interior of said watertight tank means, said watertight tank means further including a heat barrier means mounted inside said watertight tank means, said heat barrier means including a cylindrical heat barrier member spaced a short distance from the inside cylindrical surface of said jacket wall means to thermally isolate a relatively small volume of water in said watertight tank means in direct contact with the inside surface of said jacket wall means;
• a source of water in communication with said water inlet means;
• said heat barrier means further including a disc-shaped heat barrier partition extending horizontally substantially across the interior of said watertight tank means in the upper portion thereof, said heat barrier partition serving to thermally isolate the water in the top portion of the watertight tank means from the water in the bottom portion thereof, and in which said water outlet means for said watertight tank means includes first and second water outlets located on opposite sides of said heat barrier partition;
• and
• a pressure sensitive water flow control valve means located at said first water outlet, said pressure sensitive water flow control valve means operatively connected to said hot fluid inlet means so that when the pressure at said hot fluid inlet means reaches a certain predetermined maximum said valve means will open to allow heated water to flow out said first water outlet to thereby automatically control the maximum pressure of said hot fluid at said hot fluid inlet.

A combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit for heating and storing a liquid such as water and the like comprising:

• a liquid-tight tank means including a liquid inlet means and a liquid outlet means, said liquid-tight tank means further including a jacket wall means forming at least a portion of the outer wall of said liquid-tight tank means, said jacket wall means having an inlet means and an outlet means and a passageway means extending within the jacket wall means from said inlet means to said outlet means, said passageway means being sealed from the interior of said liquid-tight tank means;
• heat barrier means mounted inside said liquid-tight tank means, said heat barrier means spaced a short distance from the inside surface of said jacket wall means to thermally isolate a relatively small volume of liquid in said liquid-tight tank means in direct contact with the inside surface of said jacket wall means;
• and
• an outer jacket means for said liquid-tight tank means, said outer jacket means having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced with an air passageway extending therebetween said inlet and outlet through which air can circulate while in contact with the outer surface of said jacket wall means of said liquid-tight tank means.

A water heating system comprising:

• a source of hot fluid;
• a combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit including a watertight tank means having a water inlet means in the lower portion thereof and a water outlet means in the upper portion thereof, said watertight tank means further including a cylindrical jacket wall means forming at least a portion of the outer wall of the watertight tank means, said jacket wall means having an inlet means in the upper portion thereof in communication with said source of hot fluid, said jacket wall means further including an outlet means in the lower portion thereof and a passageway means extending within the jacket wall means from said inlet to said outlet means through which hot fluid can flow, said passageway means being sealed from the interior of said watertight tank means, said watertight tank means further including a heat barrier means mounted inside said watertight tank means, said heat barrier means including a cylindrical heat barrier member spaced a short distance from the inside cylindrical surface of said jacket wall means to thermally isolate a relatively small volume of water in said watertight tank means in direct contact with the inside surface of said jacket wall means;
• a source of water in communication with said water inlet means;
• and
• an outer jacket means for said liquid-tight tank means, said outer jacket means having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced with an air passageway extending therebetween said inlet and outlet through which air can circulate while in contact with the outer surface of said jacket wall means of said liquid-tight tank means.

A water heating system comprising:

• a source of hot fluid;
• a combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit including a watertight tank means having a water inlet means in the lower portion thereof and a water outlet means in the upper portion thereof, said watertight tank means further including a cylindrical jacket wall means forming at least a portion of the outer wall of the watertight tank means, said jacket wall means having an inlet means in the upper portion thereof in communication with said source of hot fluid, said jacket wall means further including an outlet means in the lower portion thereof and a passageway means extending within the jacket wall means from said inlet to said outlet means through which hot fluid can flow, said passageway means being sealed from the interior of said watertight tank means,
• a source of water in communication with said water inlet means;
• and
• an outer jacket means for said combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit, said outer jacket means having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced with an air passageway extending therebetween said inlet and outlet through which air can circulate while in contact with the outer surface of said jacket wall means of said liquid-tight tank means.

A water heating system comprising:

• a source of hot fluid;
• a combined storage tank and heat exchanger unit including a watertight tank means having a water inlet means in the lower portion thereof and a water outlet means in the upper portion thereof, said watertight tank means further including a cylindrical jacket wall means forming at least a portion of the outer wall of the watertight tank means, said jacket wall means having an inlet means in the upper portion thereof in communication with said source of hot fluid, said jacket wall means further including an outlet means in the lower portion thereof and a passageway means extending within the jacket wall means from said inlet to said outlet means through which hot fluid can flow, said passageway means being sealed from the interior of said watertight tank means;
• a source of water in communication with said water inlet means;
• and
• a pressure sensitive water flow control valve means located at said water outlet means, said pressure sensitive water flow control valve means operatively connected to said hot fluid inlet means so that when the pressure at said hot fluid inlet means reaches a certain predetermined maximum said valve means will open to allow heated water to flow out said water outlet means to thereby automatically control the maximum pressure of said hot fluid at said hot fluid inlet.