Energy conversion system
OwnerRobert B. Blackinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for the conversion of the potential energy of hydrocarbon fuels to heat, the system being particularly adapted to the use of the available heat in the heating of a fluid, especially water. The system includes special forms of heat transfer devices by which the available heat, particularly of natural gas may be transferred to a water supply in a heat exchange device of special construction.
Claims34
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a plurality of flue tubes each with its inlet end connected with the combustion chamber toward one side thereof, and each having an outlet end for discharge of combustion gases, the inlet end of each flue tube being at least as high as the outlet end, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber in a region remote from the connection of the flue tubes, a water tube surrounding each flue tube with a water inlet end adjacent the outlet end of the flue tube and with a water outlet end adjacent the connection of the inlet end of the flue tube with the combustion chamber, a header for receiving flue gases and condensate from the discharge ends of the flue tubes and having a condensate drain at a level below the discharge ends of the flue tubes, and a discharge duct for the products of combustion connected with said header.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a plurality of heat exchange flue tubes each with its inlet end connected with the combustion chamber toward one side thereof, and each being extended from said one side in a direction away and progressively downwardly from the combustion chamber and having an outlet end for discharge of combustion gases, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber in a region remote from the connection of the flue tubes, means defining water flow space surrounding each flue tube with a water inlet adjacent the outlet end of the flue tube and with a water outlet adjacent the connection of the inlet end of the flue tube with the combustion chamber, a header for receiving flue gases and condensate from the discharge ends of the flue tubes and having a condensate drain at a level below the discharge ends of the flue tubes, a discharge duct for the products of combustion connected with said header, and a blower operating during heat exchange to circulate air into the combustion chamber and the products of combustion downwardly through the flue tubes.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a bundle of pairs of inside and outside tubes extended in generally upright position below the combustion chamber and providing sets of central and surrounding annular flow passages in indirect heat exchange relation to each other, one set of said flow passages having their inlet ends connected with the combustion chamber and having outlet ends for discharge of combustion gases, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber and for delivering products of combustion downwardly through said one set of flow passages, means for flowing water to be heated upwardly through the other set of said flow passages, a header receiving products of combustion and condensate from the lower ends of said one set of flow passages and having a condensate drain at a level below the lower ends of said one set of flow passages, and a discharge duct for the products of combustion connected with said header.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a flue tube with its inlet end connected with the combustion chamber toward one side thereof, and having and outlet end for discharge of combustion gases, the inlet end of the flue tube being at least as high as the outlet end, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber in a region remote from the connection of the flue tube, a shut-off valve for the fuel, a water flow system including means defining water flow space surrounding the flue tube with a water inlet adjacent the outlet end of the flue tube and with a water outlet adjacent the connection of the inlet end of the flue tube with the combustion chamber, a header for receiving flue gases and condensate from the discharge end of the flue tube and having a condensate drain at a level below the discharge end of the flue tube, a discharge duct for the products of combustion connected with said header, a blower for effecting forced flow of the products of combustion through the flue tube, and means responsive to cessation of water flow through the water flow system to close the fuel shut-off valve and to disable the blower.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a flue tube with its inlet end connected with the combustion chamber toward one side thereof, and having an outlet end for discharge of combustion gases, the inlet end of the flue tube being at least as high as the outlet end, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber in a region remote from the connection of the flue tube, a shut-off valve for the fuel, a water flow system including means defining water flow space surrounding the flue tube with a water inlet end adjacent the outlet end of the flue tube and with a water outlet end adjacent the connection of the inlet end of the flue tube with the combustion chamber, a header for receiving flue gases and condensate from the discharge end of the flue tube and having a condensate drain at a level below the discharge end of the flue tube, a discharge duct for the products of combustion connected with said header, and means responsive to cessation of water flow through the water flow system to close the fuel shut-off valve.
A water heater comprising a bundle of pairs of inside and outside tubes extended in position with one end higher than the other end and providing sets of central and surrounding annular flow passages in indirect heat exchange relation to each other, a combustion chamber positioned adjacent to the higher end of the tube bundle, one set of said flow passages having their inlet ends connected with the combustion chamber and having outlet ends for discharge of combustion gases, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber and for delivering products of combustion downwardly through said one set of flow passages, means for flowing water to be heated upwardly through the other set of said flow passages, a header for receiving products of combustion from the lower ends of said one set of flow passages, a discharge duct for products of combustion connected with said header and having a discharge opening, a blower for effecting forced downward flow of the products of combustion through said one set of flow passages and discharge thereof through said opening, and a damper for closing said opening, said damper being mounted and arranged to open when the blower is operating to effect forced downward flow and discharge and to close in the absence of said forced downward flow and discharge.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber having inner and outer spaced walls, a water jacket surrounding the outer wall of the combustion chamber, a group of generally upright flue tubes for combustion gases having communication with a lower portion of the combustion chamber, means defining water flow space surrounding the flue tubes and communicating at its upper end with a lower portion of said water jacket, a water inlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the bottom thereof, a water outlet connection communicating with said water jacket toward the top thereof, means for introducing fuel and air into said combustion chamber, a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the lower ends of said flue tubes, and a blower for effecting downward flow of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the flue tubes and delivery of said products through the discharge duct.
A water heater comprising an assembly of generally upright tubular heat exchange elements exposed on the inside to products of combustion and on the outside to water to be heated, a combustion chamber at the upper end of said elements and delivering combustion products into said tubular elements, a discharge duct for the combustion products connected with the lower end of said elements and having a discharge opening, a blower for effecting downward flow of combustion products through said elements and duct for discharge through said discharge opening and a damper for said opening, the damper being mounted for pivotal movement under the action of gravity from open to closed position, and being responsive to discharge of combustion products under the influence of said blower to move to open the opening of said duct.
A method for heating a fluid by means of a generally upright heat exchange tube having an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom, comprising effecting upward flow of said fluid from the lower end to the upper end of said tube and in contact with the outside surface of said tube, effecting forced flow of hot products of combustion of gaseous fuel and air in a downward direction within said tube from said inlet to said outlet, and establishing conditions of temperature and rates of upward flow of said fluid and downward flow of said products of combustion providing for cooling of the products of combustion to a temperature below the dew point before discharge of the products of combustion from said tube.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a group of generally upright flue tubes for combustion gases having communication with a lower portion of the combustion chamber, a tank structure enclosing a plurality of the flue tubes and defining a water flow space surrounding the flue tubes and the combustion chamber, a water inlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the bottom thereof, a water outlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the top thereof, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber, a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the lower ends of the flue tubes, a blower for effecting downward flow of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the flue tubes and delivery of said products through the discharge duct, and control mechanism for the heater comprising a fuel shut-off control, a blower shut-off control, and means responsive to rise in water temperature in said tank above a predetermined value to shut off both the fuel and the blower.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a group of generally upright flue tubes for combustion gases having communication with a lower portion of the combustion chamber, a tank structure enclosing a plurality of the flue tubes and defining a water flow space surrounding the flue tubes and the combustion chamber, a water inlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the bottom thereof, a water outlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the top thereof, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber, a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the lower ends of the flue tubes, a blower for effecting downward flow of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the flue tubes and delivery of said products through the discharge duct, and control mechanism for the heater comprising a fuel shut-off control, a blower shut-off control, and means responsive to failure of fuel supply to shut off both the fuel shut-off control and the blower shut-off control.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a group of generally upright flue tubes for combustion gases having communication with a lower portion of the combustion chamber, a tank structure enclosing a plurality of the flue tubes and defining a water flow space surrounding the flue tubes and the combustion chamber, a water inlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the bottom thereof, a water outlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the top thereof, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber, a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the lower ends of the flue tubes, a blower for effecting downward flow of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the flue tubes and delivery of said products through the discharge duct, and control mechanism for the heater comprising a fuel shut-off control, a blower shut-off control, fuel ignition means, and means responsive to ignition failure to shut off both the fuel shut-off control and the blower shut-off control.
A water heater comprising a combustion chamber, a group of generally upright flue tubes for combustion gases having communication with a lower portion of the combustion chamber, a tank structure enclosing a plurality of the flue tubes and defining a water flow space surrounding the flue tubes and the combustion chamber, a water inlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the bottom thereof, a water outlet connection communicating with said water flow space toward the top thereof, means for introducing fuel and air into the combustion chamber, a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the lower ends of the flue tubes, a blower for effecting downward flow of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the flue tubes and delivery of said products through the discharge duct, and control mechanism for the heater comprisng a fuel shut-off control, a blower shut-off control, and means responsive to failure of the downward flow of the combustion products to shut off both the fuel shut-off control and the blower shut-off control.
A water heater comprising an assembly of tubular heat exchange elements with one end higher than the other and exposed on the inside to products of combustion and on the outside to water to be heated, means for delivering hot products of combustion of fuel and air into the upper ends of said tubular elements, a discharge duct for the combustion products connected with the lower ends of said elements and having a discharge opening, a blower for effecting downward flow of combustion products through said elements and duct for discharge through said discharge opening and a damper for said opening, the damper being arranged to be responsive to discharge of combustion products under the influence of said blower to move to open the discharge opening of said duct and being arranged to close said discharge opening in the absence of the influence of said blower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.