Combustion burner for a water heater

A water heater comprising:

• a top and a bottom;
• a holding tank;
• a heat exchange tube extending through the water chamber and having a combustion portion, a central tube having a top end positioned substantially at the top of the water heater and a bottom end positioned substantially at the bottom of the water heater, a joining tube extending upwardly from the bottom end of the central tube to a point approximately halfway between the top and bottom of the water heater, and a coil tube coiling downwardly therefrom around the central tube substantially to the bottom of the water heater;
• a source of gas providing a flow of gas;
• a gas tube partially disposed within the heat exchange tube and having an open end, the gas tube communicating with the source of gas;
• a source of air providing a flow of air;
• an annular space defined between the heat exchange tube and the gas tube, and communicating with the source of air;
• a deflector plate, positioned within the heat exchange tube adjacent the open end of the gas tube, the deflector plate including
• a first series of apertures allowing fluid communication between the combustion portion of the heat exchange tube and the gas tube, and
• a second series of apertures allowing fluid communication between the annular space and the combustion portion of the heat exchange tube;
• and
• an ignition assembly disposed within the heat exchange tube, and adapted to ignite the combustible mixture;
• whereby a flame is produced within the combustion portion of the heat exchange tube, the flame substantially not contacting the heat exchange tube.

A water heater comprising:

• a tank defining a water chamber for holding water;
• a heat exchange tube at least partially disposed within the water chamber and having a substantially vertical central tube, a coil tube encircling the central tube, and a joining tube in fluid communication between the central tube and the coil tube;
• a combustion chamber disposed within the central tube at least partially below the level of water within the water chamber;
• a burner partially disposed within the central tube, the burner including an inner wall defining an inner space communicating between a source of gas and the heat exchange tube so as to allow a flow of gas through the inner space and into the combustion chamber, and the burner also including an outer space defined between the gas tube and the central tube portion so as to allow a flow of air into the combustion chamber;
• a deflector plate including a first series of slots formed in a circular pattern and communicating between the inner space and the combustion chamber, a first series of louvers each positioned adjacent a respective one of the first series of slots and angled to direct the flow of gas in a first direction, a second series of slots formed in a circular pattern surrounding the first series of slots and communicating between the outer space and the combustion chamber, and a second series of louvers each positioned adjacent a respective one of the second series of slots and angled to direct the flow of air in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction, whereby the flow of air and the flow of gas are caused to swirl to form a substantially uniform combustible mixture within the combustion chamber;
• and
• an ignition assembly adapted to ignite the combustible mixture within the combustion chamber.

A water heater comprising:

• a holding tank defining a water chamber;
• a heat exchange conduit extending through the water chamber and having therein a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being disposed entirely within the water chamber;
• an inner wall at least partially defining an inner space, the inner space being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber;
• an outer space at least partially surrounding the inner wall, the outer space being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber;
• one of the inner space and the outer space being communicable with a source of air and the other of the inner space and the outer space being communicable with a source of gas so that a flow of gas mixes with a flow of air in the combustion chamber to create a combustible mixture;
• and
• an ignition assembly partially disposed within the combustion chamber, and adapted to ignite the combustible mixture,
• wherein said heat exchange conduit includes a central conduit, a joining conduit, and a coil conduit, said joining conduit extending from the bottom of said central conduit upwardly to the top of said coil conduit, and said coil conduit encircling said central conduit, wherein said central conduit, joining conduit, and coil conduit are in fluid flow communication with each other and are disposed within said holding tank to allow combustion gases to pass through them.

A water heater comprising:

• a top and a bottom;
• a holding tank;
• and
• a heat exchange tube disposed within said holding tank and having:
• a central tube having a top end positioned substantially at the top of the water heater and a bottom end positioned substantially at the bottom of the water heater,
• a joining tube extending upwardly from the bottom end of the central tube to a point approximately halfway between the top and bottom of the water heater, and
• a coil tube coiling downwardly therefrom around the central tube substantially to the bottom of the water heater.

A water heater comprising:

• a holding tank defining a water chamber;
• a heat exchange conduit extending through the water chamber and having therein a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being at least partially disposed within the water chamber;
• an inner wall at least partially defining an inner space, the inner space being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber;
• an outer space at least partially surrounding the inner wall, the outer space being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber;
• one of the inner space and the outer space being communicable with a source of air and the other of the inner space and the outer space being communicable with a source of gas so that a flow of gas mixes with a flow of air in the combustion chamber to create a combustible mixture;
• an ignition assembly partially disposed within the combustion chamber, and adapted to ignite the combustible mixture;
• and
• a deflector plate positioned between the inner space and the combustion chamber and between the outer space and the combustion chamber, the deflector plate being adapted to deflect the flow of gas in a first direction and the flow of air in a second direction that is substantially opposite the first direction to cause the flow of gas and the flow of air to swirl within the combustion chamber so that the combustible mixture is a substantially uniform mixture of air and gas prior to ignition of the combustible mixture.

A water heater comprising:

• a holding tank defining a water chamber;
• a heat exchange conduit extending through the water chamber and having therein a combustion chamber portion;
• an inner tube extending inside and having an end inside the heat exchange conduit, the inner tube defining an inner space inside the inner tube;
• an outer space defined between the heat exchange conduit and the inner tube;
• one of the inner and the outer spaces communicating with a source of gas and the other of the inner and outer spaces communicating with a source of air;
• and
• a plate extending substantially entirely across the inside of the heat exchange conduit and across the end of the inner tube to separate the outer space and inner space from the combustion chamber portion of the heat exchange tube, the plate having therein a first series of openings communicating between the inner space and the combustion chamber, and having therein a second series of openings communicating between the outer space and the combustion chamber so that air mixes with gas in the combustion chamber.