CA2364365A1 - Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance - Google Patents

Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2364365A1
CA2364365A1 CA 2364365 CA2364365A CA2364365A1 CA 2364365 A1 CA2364365 A1 CA 2364365A1 CA 2364365 CA2364365 CA 2364365 CA 2364365 A CA2364365 A CA 2364365A CA 2364365 A1 CA2364365 A1 CA 2364365A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
chimney
damper
passageway
rod
plate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2364365
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Arnold R. Freier
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA 2364365 priority Critical patent/CA2364365A1/en
Publication of CA2364365A1 publication Critical patent/CA2364365A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23LSUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ; VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
    • F23L11/00Arrangements of valves or dampers after the fire
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23LSUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ; VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
    • F23L13/00Construction of valves or dampers for controlling air supply or draught
    • F23L13/02Construction of valves or dampers for controlling air supply or draught pivoted about a single axis but having not other movement
    • F23L13/04Construction of valves or dampers for controlling air supply or draught pivoted about a single axis but having not other movement with axis perpendicular to face
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23JREMOVAL OR TREATMENT OF COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OR COMBUSTION RESIDUES; FLUES 
    • F23J2213/00Chimneys or flues
    • F23J2213/70Safety arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for extinguishing a runaway fire in a solid fuel burning appliance, for example an outdoor water heater. The apparatus includes a damper plate arranged to be mounted across an open top side of a chimney of the appliance for lateral displacement between respective open and closed positions of the damper plate. An actuator rod mounts alongside the chimney for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis of the rod to pivot the damper plate with the rod between the open and closed positions. The damper plate interrupts the downflow of air through the chimney in the event of a runaway fire for extinguishing the fire.

Description

DRAFT CONTROL FOR A SOLID FUEL BURNING
APPLIANCE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance.
BACKGROUND
Various types of appliances are arranged to consume solid fuel.
Appliances of this type generally include a firebox for combusting the fuel therein having an air inlet vent for introducing air for combustion into the firebox and a chimney arranged to expel the resulting combustion gases from the firebox. The air inlet of the firebox is generally arranged to be opened and closed for controlling the rate of combustion.
The arrangement of the air inlet in such an appliance, so as to be selectively closed, is generally sufficient for controlling the rate of combustion, however on occasion a runaway fire has been known to occur in the firebox even with the inlet being completely closed. It has been discovered that under certain conditions concentric inlet and exhaust flows through the chimney permit the runaway fires to occur when the inlet is closed. Generally this involves a downflow of inlet air through the centre of the chimney with an annular exhaust flow extending upwardly about the downflow in the centre. The opening and closing of the inlet of the firebox has no effect on the runaway fire in such a condition.
An example of an appliance of this type involves an outdoor water heater for heating buildings which is arranged to burn solid fuel, for example wood and the like. The water heater includes a water tank arranged to heat the water in the tank such that the heated water can subsequently be communicated through piping and the like to the buildings. A runaway fire in an appliance of this type can cause damage to the firebox as well as causing boiling of the water therein which may result in further damage to the appliance.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided, in a solid fuel burning appliance having a combustion chamber with a chimney mounted thereon, the chimney having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough in communication with the combustion chamber, a draft control kit comprising:
a damper plate mounted across an open top side of the chimney for lateral movement between an open position in which the passageway of the chimney is at least partially open and a closed position in which the damper spans across the passageway of the chimney; and an actuator rod mounted alongside the chimney to extend longitudinally with the chimney for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis of the rod, the rod being coupled to the damper for movement therewith between the respective open and closed positions as the rod is pivoted.
In the event of a runaway fire in the firebox of an outdoor water heater the damper plate of the present invention permits the chimney to be either closed for extinguishing the fire by cutting off the air supply through the chimney to the fire or partially closed for preventing the runaway fire from further occurring by eliminating the concentric flows in the chimney. The particular arrangement of the damper plate is useful as a retrofit kit for prefabricated chimneys, as it does not require any modification to the chimney itself when installing the damper plate thereon.
The mounting of the damper plate for lateral movement permits an actuator rod alongside the chimney to be used for pivotally displacing the damper plate between the respective open and closed position with minimal installation requirements.
The chimney preferably comprises a prefabricated metal chimney wherein the chimney is circular in cross section.
The appliance may comprise a water heater.
The damper plate preferably comprises a flat metal plate which extends substantially horizontally adjacent the top end of the chimney in both the open and closed positions.
It is preferred that the passageway in the chimney be completely closed in the closed position of the damper.
There may be provided a pair of brackets for pivotally mounting the actuator rod alongside the chimney.
There may further be provided a crank mounted on a bottom end of the rod for controlling pivotal displacement of the rod.
The damper plate is preferably greater in lateral dimension than a diameter of the chimney for mounting the rod which extends alongside the chimney directly on the plate.
The plate may be generally rectangular in shape for supporting the plate stably on the top side of the chimney.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of eliminating runaway combustion in a solid fuel burning appliance having a combustion chamber and a chimney mounted thereon, the chimney having a passageway extending therethrough in communication with the combustion chamber, the method comprising;
providing a damper which is arranged to span across the passageway of the chimney; and positioning the damper on a top side of the chimney across the passageway so as to at least partially close the passageway.
The chimney preferably comprises a prefabricated metal chimney wherein the chimney is circular in cross section.
The appliance may comprise a water heater.
The damper may comprise a flat metal plate which extends substantially horizontally adjacent the top end of the chimney in both open and closed positions of the damper across the passageway of the chimney.
The method preferably include positioning the damper across the passageway so as to completely close the passageway.
The method may include mounting the damper on the chimney for pivotal movement in a lateral direction between respective open and closed positions across the chimney.
The method may further include pivotally mounting an actuator rod alongside the chimney and coupling the actuator rod to the damper for pivoting the damper between the open and closed positions.
The damper preferably comprises a horizontal plate which is greater in dimension than a diameter of the chimney for mounting the rod which extends alongside the chimney directly on the plate. The plate may be generally rectangular in shape.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a partly sectional, side elevational view of an outdoor water heater having the draft control kit mounted thereon.
Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 with the damper in a closed position.
Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 with the damper in an open position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated an outdoor water heater generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The outdoor heater includes a draft control kit 12 for assisting in extinguishing runaway fires in the heater.
The heater 10 generally includes a fire box 14 having a combustion chamber 16 therein for receiving solid fuel, for example wood. The fire box 14 includes a door having an inlet vent 18 with a draft control 20 thereon for controlling combustion of the solid fuel during normal operating conditions.
A chimney 22 extends upwardly from the fire box and includes a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough in communication with the combustion chamber 16. The passageway exhausts products of combustion from the combustion chamber through an open top end 24 of the chimney. The chimney 22 is a prefabricated round metal pipe.
A water tank 26 is integrally mounted within the heater 10 so as to exchange heat with the fire box 14 such that the heated water may be communicated back to a building for use.
The draft control kit 12 generally includes a damper plate 30 coupled to an actuator rod 32. The damper plate and actuator rod are arranged to mount on an existing chimney 22 of an outdoor heater 10 with minimal or no modification required to the chimney.
The damper plate 30 generally comprises a flat square metal plate which extends horizontally across the open top end 24 of the chimney. The side to side dimensions of the plate are approximately equal to the diameter of the chimney such that a diagonal dimension of the plate is greater than the diameter of the chimney so that the corners of the plate extend radially outward past a outer periphery of the chimney. The plate 30 is permitted to slide laterally across the top of the chimney for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis of the actuator rod 32 between an open position illustrated in Figure 4 and a closed position illustrated in Figure 3.
In the closed position the damper plate 30 spans across the passageway of the chimney so as to completely close the chimney. In the open position the damper plate is pivoted so as to be laterally offset from the top end of the chimney such that at least a portion of the passageway is unobstructed by the plate.
The actuator rod 32 includes a pair of mounting brackets 36 which are arranged to mount the rod alongside the chimney 22 for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis of the rod with the damper plate 30. The brackets 36 are spaced apart adjacent respective top and bottom ends 40 and 42 of the rod. The top end 40 of the rod mounts one of the comers of the damper plate 30 thereon for pivotal movement together between the respective open and closed positions.
A lever 44 is mounted on the bottom end 42 of the rod to extend radially outward therefrom substantially at right angles to the rod. The lever 44 acts as a cranking element for pivoting the actuator rod 32 and the damper plate 30 as desired between the respective open and closed positions.
In use the damper plate 30 is positioned in the open position of Figure 4 or an intermediate position between the respective open and closed positions wherein the passageway of the chimney is only partially obstructed to slow down the combustion of the solid fuel within the combustion chamber 16. Under certain conditions when a runaway fire occurs, the lever 44 is pivoted to displace the damper plate 30 into the closed position of Figure 3. In the closed position, the flow _ 7 _ of air into the chimney which would otherwise fuel the combustion in the combustion chamber 16 is interrupted such that the fire is subsequently extinguished.
The draft control kit 12 is particularly useful as a retro fit kit for installation on a prefabricated round metal chimney of the type frequently found on outdoor water heaters and the like.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. In a solid fuel burning appliance having a combustion chamber with a chimney mounted thereon, the chimney having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough in communication with the combustion chamber, a draft control kit comprising:
a damper plate mounted across an open top side of the chimney for lateral movement between an open position in which the passageway of the chimney is at least partially open and a closed position in which the damper spans across the passageway of the chimney; and an actuator rod mounted alongside the chimney to extend longitudinally with the chimney for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis of the rod, the rod being coupled to the damper for movement therewith between the respective open and closed positions as the rod is pivoted.
2. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the chimney comprises a prefabricated metal chimney.
3. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the appliance comprises a water heater.
4. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the chimney is circular in cross section.
5. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the damper plate comprises a flat metal plate which extends substantially horizontally adjacent the top end of the chimney in both the open and closed positions.
6. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the passageway in the chimney is completely closed in the closed position of the damper.
7. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein there is provided a pair of brackets for pivotally mounting the actuator rod alongside the chimney.
8. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein there is provided a crank mounted on a bottom end of the rod for controlling pivotal displacement of the rod.
9. The appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the damper plate is greater in lateral dimension than a diameter of the chimney for mounting the rod which extends alongside the chimney directly on the plate.
10. The appliance according to Claim 9 wherein the plate is generally rectangular in shape.
11. A method of eliminating runaway combustion in a solid fuel burning appliance having a combustion chamber and a chimney mounted thereon, the chimney having a passageway extending therethrough in communication with the combustion chamber, the method comprising;
providing a damper which is arranged to span across the passageway of the chimney; and positioning the damper on a top side of the chimney across the passageway so as to at least partially close the passageway.
12. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the chimney comprises a prefabricated metal chimney.
13. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the appliance comprises a water heater.
14. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the damper comprises a flat metal plate which extends substantially horizontally adjacent the top end of the chimney in both open and closed positions of the damper across the passageway of the chimney.
15. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the chimney is circular in cross section.
16. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the method includes positioning the damper across the passageway so as to completely close the passageway.
17. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the method includes mounting the damper on the chimney for pivotal movement in a lateral direction between respective open and closed positions across the chimney.
18. The method according to Claim 17 wherein the method includes pivotally mounting an actuator rod alongside the chimney and coupling the actuator rod to the damper for pivoting the damper between the open and closed positions.
19. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the damper comprises a horizontal plate which is greater in dimension than a diameter of the chimney for mounting the rod which extends alongside the chimney directly on the plate.
20. The method according to Claim 11 wherein the plate is generally rectangular in shape.
CA 2364365 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance Abandoned CA2364365A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2364365 CA2364365A1 (en) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2364365 CA2364365A1 (en) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2364365A1 true CA2364365A1 (en) 2003-06-05

Family

ID=4170749

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2364365 Abandoned CA2364365A1 (en) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2364365A1 (en)

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5575274A (en) Gas log fireplace system
US10976075B2 (en) System and method to reduce standby energy loss in a gas burning appliance and components for use therewith
US8196552B2 (en) System and method to reduce standby energy loss in a gas burning appliance
CA2500941C (en) Water heater with normally closed air inlet damper
AU2009270341B2 (en) Micro-pilot for gas appliance
US10677495B2 (en) Stove
NZ566630A (en) A water heater where the flue and flue outlet pipe have a length relationship to control combustion of the pilot
US6915799B2 (en) Damper control device for outside applications
US6378516B1 (en) Damper-controlled gas supply system
CA2364365A1 (en) Draft control for a solid fuel burning appliance
CA2518061A1 (en) Air control for a clean burning fireplace
US4155699A (en) Heat saving device for space heating furnace
CA2640791A1 (en) Water heater and method of operating a water heater
US2735385A (en) De ascentiis
EP0400757B1 (en) Gas-fired heating apparatus
KR20110001607U (en) Fire Wood Boiler
EP1457741B1 (en) Stove with built-in boiler for hot water production
KR100503110B1 (en) Boiler
KR200327684Y1 (en) Boiler
IES20090145A2 (en) Chimney cowl system and method
KR200206931Y1 (en) fire
AU2014202677B2 (en) System and method to reduce standby energy loss in a gas burning appliance and components for use therewith
AU2006292006B2 (en) A water heater and a method of operating same
CN2415305Y (en) Gas Heating stove
CA2332168A1 (en) Wood heater

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Dead