GB2066934A

GB2066934A - Electrical heating boiler

Info

Publication number: GB2066934A
Application number: GB8011777A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: COUSSEMENT
Current assignee: COUSSEMENT
Priority date: 1980-01-07
Filing date: 1980-04-09
Publication date: 1981-07-15
Also published as: FR2474658B1; BE882116A; ES489607A0; DE3008877A1; FR2474658A1; IT1130957B; IT8020492A0; NL8001518A; ES8100464A1

Abstract

A domestic electrical heating boiler has an overall casing containing a heating tank of parallelipiped shape with a pipe 14 leading in water to be heated and a pipe 15 leading out the heated water. Electrical resistance heating elements shown in part at 3, 4 and 5 extend horizontally across the tank between its two narrower vertical sides. Below any or each heating element is a baffle plate arrangement such as at 21, 22, 23 or 24, 25 or 26, 27 to impose a meandering path on the upward flow of water. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical heating boiler This invention relates to an electrical heating boiler, for domestic use, which may be connected to a central heating installation comprising radiators.

Currently existing electrical heating systems are generally individual radiators, either storage radiators or oil-filled radiators, Furthermore, electric al-heating boilers exist, which require a special electrical installation in view of the power which they consume. This is also the case in electrical storage heating systems.

The electrical heating boiler to which the invention is to be applied comprises heating resistances which transfer their heat to a heat-carrying fluid. This fluid can circulate in an installation which comprises radiators.

One of the aims of the invention is to propose an electrical heating boiler for domestic use, in which heat exchange between the resistances and heatcarrying fluid may take place with optimum efficiency and minimum loss.

Another aim of the invention is to propose an electrical boiler to which power can be supplied without requiring special modification to the electrical installation in a dwelling in which the boiler is to be used.

Another aim of the invention is to propose an electrical boiler which may require only a minimum of maintanance and which can be of relatively small size.

According to the invention there is provided an electrical heating boiler for domestic use, comprising a heating member containing electrical heating resistances immersed in a heat-carrying fluid, an inlet and an outlet ot connect the boiler to an external heating installation, through which the heat-carrying fluid is to circulate, and in the vicinity of at least one of the resistances there being disposed flow diverting means to divert the heatcarrying fluid and alter its flow inside the heating member.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a general diagrammatic view of an electrical boiler formed according to the invention; Figures 2 and 3 show fragments of different heating members including different forms of fluid diverting baffles; and Figure 4 is a side view of a heating resistance used in Figures 1 to 3.

A boiler 1 is illustrated in Figure 1. Located inside the-boiler is a heating member 2, of substantially parallelepipedal shape. This heating member has an elongated vertical section and elongated horizontal section.

The heating member 2 comprises at least one electrical resistance disposed horizontally, in the elongated direction of the horizontal section. In the case of Figure 1, three resistances 3, 4, and 5 have been illustrated. There is no limit to the number of resistances. In preferred embodiment, this number varies between one and three.

In a preferred embodiment, each of these resistances comprises three thread-like resistances 6,7 and 8, similar to the thread-like resistance illustrated in Figure 4.

These three thread-like resistances are arranged in a triangular array which is substantially horizontal from a front side 9 to a rear side 10 of the heating member.

These thread-like resistances are composed of a thread-like resistant element which describes an elongate loop 11 and the two ends 12 and 13 of which are located in the vicinity of each other, on the front side 9 of the heating member 2.

The length of each of the thread-like resistances is substantially equal to the length of the horizontal section of the parallelepipedal heating member.

Furthermore, the overall width of the resistances respectively 3,4 and 5 is similar to the width of the horizontal section ofthe heating member.

The heating member also comprises in its lower part an inlet 14for the heat-carrying fluid returning from the heating installation. In its upper part, the heating member comprises a pipe 15 leading to the heating installation.

In a preferred embodiment, these two pipes 14 and 15 are located on the horizontal lower and upper sides of the heating member, the pipe 14 being located in the vicinity of the front side 9, and the pipe 15 in the vicinity of the rear side 10.

Also in a preferred embodiment, a deflector plate which is not shown in Figure 1 is located in the vicinity of the opening of the inlet pipe 14 into the heating member, in order that the heat-carrying fluid returning from the heating installation is distributed over all the lower part of the heating member.

An expansion vessel 16 and a circulating pump 17 are located inside the boiler, respectively connected to the inlet and outlet pipes 14 and 15.

The heat-carrying fluid, which is generally water, enters the heating member through the inlet pipe 14 and encounters the deflector plate, the purpose of which is to distribute heat-carrying fluid over the lower part of the heating member. The heat-carrying fluid then circulates inside the heating member, is reheated by the resistances, leaves the heating member through the pipe 15, and is conveyed to a heating installation possibly by the circulating pump 17. Reheating of the liquid in contact with the resistances is facilitated by the advantageous dimensions of the resistances, whereof the overall length and width are similar to the length and width of the horizontal section of the heating member.

In order to improve the heat exchange between the resistances and the heat-carrying fluid and thus to improve the efficiency of the boiler, the heating member comprises means which divert the heatcarrying fluid and alter its flow inside the heating member. These means will now be described in more detail and by way of example with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In these two Figures the parts of the resistances located inside the heating member have, for clarity, been omitted.

The purpose of the means is to divert the heatcarrying fluid from its normal flow path, which would be a vertically upwards flow, and to create deceleration and acceleration zones in order to cause the maximum volume of heat-carrying fluid to flow in the immediate vicinity of the heating resistances. The effect of creating deceleration and acceleration zones is to divide the heat-carrying fluid volumetrically-inside the heating member.

These means may be constructed in several ways.

They are located in the vicinity of at least one resistance and can be placed either above or below the latter.

Figure 2 illustrates fluid diverting means in the form of baffles. In Figure 2, three different forms of baffles have been shown at 18, 19 and 20 resppectively below the resistances 3,4 and 5.

The baffle 18 is constituted by three plates 21,22 and 23 which are substantially horizontal and the width of which is less than the internal width of the heating member. Their length is equal to the length of the heating member.

The vertically spaced plates 21 and 23 are each secured by one of their major sides, to one of the major vertical sides of the heating member, for example side 29. The intermediate plate 22 is located at a level between the two plates 21 and 23 and is fixed to the other major vertical side of the heating member, i.e. side 28. The three plates each have a width between one half of the full width of the heating member and the full width. Thus, the intermediate plate 22 is partially overlapped by the two plates 21 and 23. The fluid circulating between these plates describes meanders and is diverted from its normal flow which would be rectilinear.

Below the baffle, the heat-carrying fluid is sloweddown owing to the fact that its flow is altered by the actual presence of the baffle. Moreover, on leaving the baffle, the fluid is accelerated, in particular on account of the circulating movement produced by the pump 17. The flow of liquid is thus modified by the presence of the baffle and a maximum volume of fluid will pass in the immediate vicinity of the heating resistances. Moreover, the baffle retains the heat-carrying fluid in the deceleration zone located below the latter.

The baffle is placed relatively close to the resistance in the vicinity of which it is located, in order to reduce the volume of the acceleration zone and to increase the volume of the deceleration zone. In the case where the baffle is located below the resistance, the acceleration zone constitutes a small zone of relative super-heating for the heat carrying fluid.

In a preferred embodiment where a baffle is located below the upper resistance, the ratio of volumes of the deceleration zone located below the baffle and acceleration zone located above the baffle varies between 1:1 and 5:1. Goods results have been obtained with a ratio of approximately 2:1.

Another form of baffle is illustrated at 19 below the resistance 4. This baffle is of basically the same kind as the baffle 18, except that it comprises only two plates 24 and 25 fixed to each of the two major vertical sides 28 and 29. These two plates have a width of between one half of the full internal width of the heating member and the full width and thus have a region where they overlap partially.

As in the preceding case, below the baffle, the heat-carrying fluid is slowed-down by the presence of this baffie. On the other hand, on leaving the baffle, the fluid is accelerated due to the suction of the circulating pump 17.

A third embodiment of baffle is illustrated in Figure 2 by the baffle 20, located below the resistance 5. This baffle is of basically the same kind as the baffle 19 and comprises two plates 26 and 27. The width of each of these plates is less than one half the full inner width of the heating member 2, with the result that the plates 26 and 27 do not overlap.

As in each of the two preceding cases, the fluid is slowed down below the baffle and accelerated on leaving the latter.

Figure 3 shows other forms of fluid diverting means which use perforated plates. In a preferred embodiment, the perforations are circular and are staggered on the various plates.

One embodiment using a perforated plate is represented by the plate 30 located below the resistance 3. This plate is disposed horizontally inside the heating member, it has dimensions substantially equal to the inner dimensions of a horizontal section of the heating member. The perforations 31 in this plate thus constitute a forced passage for the heat-carrying fluid, which is slowed-down before the passage then accelerated on leaving the perforations. The flow of heat-carrying fluid is thus modified so that a maximum volume of this fluid will be reheated in the immediate vicinity of the heating resistance. In this case, the plate divides the heating member into two zones, an acceleration zone located above the plate and a deceleration zone located therebelow.

The volumetric ration between the acceleration and deceleration zones varies in a preferred embodiment between 1:1 and 1:5. Goods results have been obtained with a ratio equal to approximately 1:2.

Another embodiment of the present invention uses perforated plates, the width of which are less than the internal width of the heating member and which may be disposed in the same manner as baffles 18, 19 or 20. By way of example, the two perforated plates 32 and 33 in Figure 3 are disposed in a manner similar to the two plates 24 and 25 of the baffle 19 in Figure 2.

The various plates which have been described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 have been referred to with respect to the resistance located above the latter. The invention provides that these plates may also be located above the resistance.

The boiler is equipped with at least one arrangement of plates similar to one of those which have been described located in the vicinity of a resistance.

In the case where the boiler is equipped with several arrangements, the latter may be of the same type or a combination of the types which have been described. It should be noted that the arrangements and positions of baffles in the drawings are shown only by way of example.

The boiler also comprises conventional devices making it possible to measure the temperature of the reheated water and to supply power electrically to one or more of the resistances independently of any other depending on the temperature of this fluid. It also comprises devices making it possible to control the various resistances according to the day and time, for example in order to switch on the heating even in the absence of the proprietor and to profit to the maximum extent from an off-peak tariff.

CL'AIMS 1. An electrical heating boiler for domestic use, coYnprising a heating member containing electrical heating resistances immersed in a heat-carrying fluid, an inlet and an outlet to connect the boiler to an external heating installation through which the heat-carrying fluid is to circulate and in the vicinity of at least one of the resistances there being disposed flow diverting means to divert the heat-carrying fluid and alter its flow inside the heating member.

2. A boiler as claimed in claim 1, in which the heating member comprises at least one zone for decelerating the fluid and one zone for accelerating the fluid, said zones being separated by said fluid diverting means.

3. A boiler as claimed in claim 2, in which said deceleration zone has a volume greater than that of the acceleration zone.

4. A boiler as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said diverting means are baffles.

5. A boiler as claimed in claim 4, in which the baffles comprise at least two substantially horizontal plates located at different vertical levels and mounted alternately on each of two major substantiaily vertical sides of the heating member.

6. A boiler as claimed in claim 5, in which the plates overlap.

7. A boiler as claimed in claim 5, in which the plates each have a width less than half an inner width of the heating member.

8. A boiler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which said diverting means comprises at least one plate with perforations.

9. A boiler as claimed in claim 8, in which the perforations are circular and arranged in a staggered manner.

10. A boiler as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, in which the plates are perforated.

11. A boiler as claimed in claim 10, in which the perforations are circular and arranged in a staggered manner.

12. A boiler as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the heating member has a parallelepipedal shape of elongated vertical and horizontal sections.

13. A boiler according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the resistances each extend sub stantially horizontally and have a length similar to the length of the horizontal section of the heating member and an overall width similar to the width of the heating member.

14. A boiler as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an independent electrical supply for each of the resistances, which makes it possible to modulate the heating capacity.

15. A boiler as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which an inlet pipe is located on a lower horizontal side of the heating member and an outlet pipe is located on an upper horizontal side of said member, one said pipe being located in the vicinity of a front side of the heating member and the other in the vicinity of a rear side of said member.

16. An electrical heating boiler for domestic use, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. other depending on the temperature of this fluid. It also comprises devices making it possible to control the various resistances according to the day and time, for example in order to switch on the heating even in the absence of the proprietor and to profit to the maximum extent from an off-peak tariff. CL'AIMS

1. An electrical heating boiler for domestic use, coYnprising a heating member containing electrical heating resistances immersed in a heat-carrying fluid, an inlet and an outlet to connect the boiler to an external heating installation through which the heat-carrying fluid is to circulate and in the vicinity of at least one of the resistances there being disposed flow diverting means to divert the heat-carrying fluid and alter its flow inside the heating member.

6. A boiler as claimed in claim 5, in which the plates overlap.