Power fluid heating system

A heating system for power fluid entering an engine, the heating system comprising:

• a) a container for holding the power fluid;
• b) a power fluid heating apparatus, comprising:
• i) a first power fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the outlet directing power fluid toward the engine;
• ii) at least one second power fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the second power fluid pickup conduit inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the second power fluid pickup conduit outlet directing power fluid away from the heating apparatus;
• and
• iii) a heat exchanger assembly for heating at least the power fluid in the first and second power fluid pickup conduits, the heat exchanger assembly including a heat conductive portion insertable into the container, the heat conductive portion containing a heatable fluid;
• and
• c) an auxiliary function apparatus operatively coupled with the power fluid heating apparatus to receive power fluid from the second power fluid pickup conduit and to perform an auxiliary function using the power fluid.

A heating system for power fluid entering an engine, comprising:

• a) container for holding the power fluid;
• b) power fluid heating apparatus, comprising:
• i) a first power fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the outlet directing power fluid toward the engine;
• ii) at least one second power fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the second power fluid pickup conduit inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the second power fluid pickup conduit outlet directing power fluid away from the heating apparatus;
• and
• iii) a heat exchanger assembly for heating at least the power fluid in the first and second power fluid pickup conduits, the heat exchanger assembly including a heat conductive portion insertable into the container, the heat conductive portion containing a heatable fluid;
• c) a power fluid start-up heater operatively coupled with the power fluid heating apparatus to receive and heat power fluid from the second power fluid pickup conduit;
• and
• d) an auxiliary function apparatus operatively coupled with the power fluid start-up heater, the auxiliary function apparatus receiving heated power fluid from the power fluid start-up heater.

A system for pre-heating power fluid before use in an engine of a vehicle, comprising:

• a) a container for holding the power fluid;
• b) a power fluid heating apparatus, comprising:
• i) a first power fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the outlet directing power fluid toward the engine;
• ii) at least one second power fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the second power fluid pickup conduit inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the second power fluid pickup conduit outlet directing power fluid away from the heating apparatus;
• and
• iii) a heat exchanger assembly for heating at least the power fluid in the first and second power fluid pickup conduits, the heat exchanger assembly including a heat conductive portion insertable into the container, the heat conductive portion containing a heatable fluid;
• c) an auxiliary function apparatus operatively coupled with the power fluid heating apparatus to receive power fluid from the second power fluid pickup conduit and to perform an auxiliary function using the power fluid;
• and
• d) battery warming means in fluid connection with the heat conductive portion of the heat exchanger assembly for heating a battery, the battery warming means comprising:
• i) a housing;
• ii) heat exchanger means for providing a heatable fluid flow, the heat exchanger means being positioned within the housing and having heatable fluid passages for receiving heatable fluid;
• and
• iii) phase changing material within the housing proximal the heat exchanger means, the heatable fluid providing heat exchange to the phase changing material by passage of the heatable fluid through the heat exchanger means of the battery warming means.

A heating system for fluid used in an engine system having an engine, the heating system having a container which stores the fluid, the heating system comprising:

• a) a heating apparatus, comprising:
• i) a first fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being insertable into the container to draw fluid from the container, and the outlet directing fluid to the engine;
• ii) at least one second fluid pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the second fuel pickup conduit inlet being insertable into the container to draw fluid from the container, and the second fuel pickup conduit outlet directing fluid away from the heating apparatus;
• iii) first heat exchanger means for heating both the fluid in the container and the fluid in the first and second fluid pickup conduits, the first and second fluid pickup conduits being disposed at least partially within the first heat exchanger means, the first heat exchanger means including a heat conductive portion insertable into the container in contact with the fluid in the container, inlet means for admitting a heatable fluid into the heat conductive portion, and outlet means for discharging the heatable fluid from the heat conductive portion, the heat conductive portion of the heat exchanger means being thermally coupled to the first and second fluid pickup conduits;
• and
• b) auxiliary heat exchanger means having at least one heatable fluid passage for providing heatable fluid flow through the passage, the auxiliary heat exchanger means receiving fluid from the second fluid pickup conduit to heat the heatable fluid and direct heated heatable fluid to the inlet means of the first heat exchanger means.

A fuel heating system for an engine system having an engine, the fuel heating system having a container which stores fuel, the fuel heating system comprising:

• a) fuel heating means for heating the fuel stored in the container, the fuel heating means comprising:
• i) a first fuel pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being insertable into the container to draw power fluid from the container, and the outlet directing fuel toward the engine;
• ii) at least one second fuel pickup conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the second fuel pickup conduit inlet being insertable into the container to draw fuel from the container, and the second fuel pickup conduit outlet directing fuel away from the fuel heating means;
• and
• iii) heat exchanger means for heating at least the fuel in the first and second fuel pickup conduits, the heat exchanger means including a heat conductive portion insertable into the container, inlet means for admitting a heatable fluid into the heat conductive portion, and outlet means for discharging the heatable fluid from the heat conductive portion;
• b) a water separating device adjacent the fuel heating means, the water separating device comprising:
• i) a fuel reservoir having a heatable fluid inlet, a heatable fluid outlet, a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, and a water outlet;
• ii) a heat exchanger disposed inside the reservoir and including at least one tube extending between the heatable fluid inlet and the heatable fluid outlet and an enclosure disposed around at least a portion of the tube to define a pre-heat chamber, the enclosure including at least a portion of a shell having first and second ends and a baffle disposed on the first end of the shell portion to define the pre-heat chamber, the tube being disposed in the pre-heat chamber;
• and
• iii) a heating element disposed inside the reservoir adjacent the water separating device heat exchanger, the heating element having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the heating element fluid inlet being in fluid communication with the second fuel pickup conduit;
• c) auxiliary heat exchanger means having heatable fluid passages suitable for providing a heatable fluid flow through the passages, the auxiliary heat exchanger means receiving fuel from the second fuel pickup conduit to heat the heatable fluid, the auxiliary heat exchanger means directing heated heatable fluid to the inlet means of the heat exchanger means;
• and
• d) battery warming means adjacent the engine for heating a battery, the battery warming means comprising:
• i) a housing;
• ii) heat exchanger means positioned within the housing having heatable fluid passages suitable for providing a heatable fluid flow through the passages;
• and
• iii) phase changing material means within the housing for heating the battery, the heatable fluid providing heat exchange to the phase changing material means by passage through the heat exchanger means of the battery warming means.

A heating system for power fluid entering a prime mover, the heating system comprising:

• a) holding means for holding the power fluid;
• b) power fluid heating means for heating the power fluid, the power fluid heating means comprising:
• i) first power fluid pickup means for drawing power fluid from the holding means and directing power fluid toward the prime mover;
• ii) second power fluid pickup means for drawing power fluid from the holding means and directing power fluid away from the power fluid heating means;
• and
• iii) heat exchanger means for heating the power fluid in the first and second power fluid pickup means, the heat exchanger means including a heat conductive portion containing a heatable fluid;
• and
• c) means for performing an auxiliary function, the means for performing an auxiliary function being operatively coupled with the power fluid heating means to receive power fluid from the second power fluid pickup means and to perform an auxiliary function using the power fluid.