Integrated contact condensing water heater

An apparatus for heating water comprising:

• at least one wall enclosing first, second and third vertically aligned water heating process sections;
• said first section comprising an interior wall enclosing a longitudinal section of a vertically oriented combustion chamber having a combustibles inlet and a flue gas outlet and forming a water storage tank containing water between a portion of said at least one wall and a first portion of said interior wall;
• said second section disposed vertically below said water storage tank and encircling a second portion of the interior wall, having a flue gas inlet in a lower half of the second section corresponding to said flue gas outlet of said combustion chamber and having a second section flue gas outlet;
• said third section disposed vertically below said second section having an ambient air inlet, a humidified air outlet in fluid communication with said combustibles inlet of said combustion chamber, and a condensate outlet in fluid communication with said second section;
• and
• a passive condensate flow control device disposed between said second section and said third section having a condensate inlet side oriented toward said second section and a condensate output side oriented toward said third section.

An apparatus for heating water comprising:

• a first vessel comprising an interior wall forming a combustion chamber having a combustibles inlet and a flue gas outlet and an exterior wall spaced apart from said interior wall and forming an annular water storage tank between a first portion of said interior wall and said exterior wall;
• a second vessel disposed vertically below said water storage tank and formed between a second portion of said interior wall and said exterior wall, having a flue gas inlet in a lower half of the second vessel in fluid communication with said flue gas outlet of said combustion chamber and having a second vessel flue gas outlet;
• a third vessel disposed vertically below said second vessel having an ambient air inlet, a humidified air outlet in fluid communication with said combustibles inlet of said combustion chamber, and a condensate outlet in fluid communication with said second vessel;
• and
• a passive condensate flow control device disposed between said second vessel and said third vessel having a condensate inlet side oriented toward said second vessel and a condensate output side oriented toward said third vessel, said passive condensate flow control device providing fluid communication between said second vessel and said third vessel while preventing an inflow of flue gases from said second vessel into said third.

An apparatus for heating water comprising:

• an upper section, an intermediate section vertically disposed below a portion of said upper section and in fluid communication with said upper section, and lower section vertically disposed below said intermediate section and in fluid communication with said intermediate section;
• said upper section comprising an annular hot water storage tank having a top end and a bottom end disposed around a first portion of a vertically oriented combustion chamber, the combustion chamber having a combustibles inlet proximate said top end of said storage tank and a flue gas outlet disposed in a lower half of said intermediate section;
• a burner adapted to fire downward from said combustibles inlet and connected with a combustion chamber wall;
• said intermediate section disposed around a second portion of the combustion chamber and having an intermediate section flue gas outlet;
• said lower section having an ambient air inlet, a humidified air outlet in fluid communication with said combustibles inlet of said combustion chamber, and a condensate outlet in fluid communication with said intermediate section;
• and
• a passive condensate flow control device disposed between said intermediate section and said lower section having a condensate inlet side oriented toward said intermediate section and a condensate outlet side oriented toward said lower section.