GB2106620A - Improvements in and relating to heating systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for producing domestic hot water or hot water for space heating purposes includes a tubular container (10) housing an elongate electric heating element (20). A valved inlet and outlet (12), (14) lead from opposite ends of the container and lead to pipe means for connecting the container so as to form a closed circuit with a pump and a heat exchanger unit. Flow of water through the container is controlled by the valve means, with water becoming heated as it passes around the heating element (20). The thus heated water is passed to the heat exchanger unit, which may be a radiator, possibly of a microbore heating system, or which may be located in a water storage tank for raising the temperature of water therein. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to heating systems This invention concerns heating systems and in particular a device for producing hot water for space heating and domestic purposes.

It is known to heat a quantity of water in a tank so as to provide a source of domestic hot water for using either an electrically powered heating unit known as an immersion heater or a heat exchanger though which a heated fluid normally hot water is passed from a boiler.

The present invention seeks to provide a unit for providing both domestic hot water and/or space heating water for supplying radiators using an electric heating element.

According to one aspect of the present invention a system for producing domestic hot water or hot water for space heating purposes comprises a tubular container the internal dimensions of which are just sufficient to accommodate an elongate electric water heater element, one end of the container being closed off by a flange through which the heating element protrudes, inlet and outlet ports adjacent opposite ends of the tubular container to allow water to flow into and out of the container and in so doing to become heated as it passes around the elongate heating element, valve means for controlling the said inlet and outlet flows, and pipe means for connecting the inlet and outlet to a pump and at least one heat exchanger unit forming a closed circuit with the container.

The heat exchanger may be a radiator or a heat exchanger located within a large water storage tank for raising the temperature of the water therein.

Preferably valve means is provided additional to the said first mentioned valve means for controlling the inlet and outlet flows to and from the container for controlling the flow of heated liquid around the closed circuit.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, more than one closed circuit may be provided in parallel with the first mentioned closed circuit. Thus a first circuit may be provided which includes a heat exchanger located within a water storage tank for producing a quantity of heated water for domestic purposes and a second close circuit may be provided containing one or more radiators through which the hot water is caused to flow for space heating purposes.

Conveniently a single pump is located for inducing the flow through all the closed circuits. However, the invention is not limited to the use of a single pump and a separate pump may be provided for each said closed circuit.

Preferably valve means employed for controlling the flow are motorised valve means controlled by electrical signals for thermostates or time clocks or both.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention, a thermostatic element is provided in the cylindrical container in association with the heating element and in known manner, is set to control the flow of the electric current to the heating element so as to maintain the temperature of the water flowing from the tubular container.

The cylindrical container may be of copper or iron.

The invention allows the volume of circulating water to be kept to a minimum particularly as compared with the conventional heating systems where a boiler unit is normaily located at a position remote from both radiators and domestic water storage tank.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention, the tubular container within which is located the electric heating element is mounted adjacent the water storage tank and connected thereto by relatively short lengths of piping containing the pump and where appropriate valve means, the tubular container being mounted with its axis substantially vertical with the flanged end of the container upper most. In this way the pipe runs are kept to the very minimum and domestic hot water recovery time is reduced.

The invention is of particular application in the field of micro bore heating systems in which very small diameter tubing is used to convey hot water to radiators which themselves have a very small water capacity.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. lisa cross section through a heating unit for providing a source of hot water and Fig. 2 illustrates how such a unit can be fitted into a system for producing domestic hot water and hot water for radiators.

In Fig. 1 a tubular container 10 is provided with inlet and outlet ports 12 and 14 each of which is controlled by a valve 16 and 18 respectively.

The container is dimensioned so as to be capable of receiving the elongate electric heating element 20 of an immersion heater together with the elongate stem of a thermostatically controlled switch denoted by reference numeral 22.

The heating element and thermostat extend through and are sealed where they pass through a circular flange 24 which itself is screwed to or otherwise secured to the upper open end of the container 10.

The lower end of the container is sealed and closed off.

Connections to the heating element and to the thermostatically controlled switch associated with the stem 22 are contained within a housing 26 which itself is removable from the flange 24 in known manner to give access to the said connections.

The container 10 is itself contained within a thermally insulated box or sleeve designated in dotted outline at 28.

Fig. 2 shows how a unit shown in Fig. 1 can be incorporated into a heating system for providing both domestic hot water and also water for space heating.

A unit such as shown in Fig. 1 and denoted by reference numeral 28 provides hot water along a main supply pipe 30 to a motorised valve 32 and via a pipe 34to a heat exchanger shown in dotted outline at 36 within a water storage tank or cylinder 38. The latter is supplied with coid water in the conventional mannerthrnugh inlet pipe 40 and hot water can be drawn off from outlet pipe 42 which branches from a vent pipe 44.

The return path from the heat exchanger 36 is via a pipe 46 and pump 48 and pipe 50. The latter communicates with the pipe 12 shown in Fig. 1.

The circuit just described comprises a closed loop around which water heated by the immersion heater element 20 can pass so as to impart heat to the body of water generally designated as 52 within the cylinder 38.

The unit 28 can be mounted close to the cylinder 38 thus shortening the path length of the feed and return circuits and thus improving the recovery time for the domestic hot water cylinder.

Hot water for space heating can be tapped off the main pipe 30 via branch pipes such as 54 and 56 and a return flow pipe 58 serves to return the water from the radiators. A further valve 60 is provided for controlling the flow from the radiators back to the heating unit 28.

The valves 32 and 60 are preferably motorised valves and are controlled by electrical signals from the thermostatically controlled switch (not shown) associated with the immersion heater, time switch means and/or override switch means.

The tubular container 10 may be of iron or copper.

The branch pipes such as 54 and 56 and the return flow pipe 58 are conveniently micro bore tubing for feeding small quantities of very hot water to small volume space heating radiators.

Claims (13)

1. A system for producing hot water, comprising a closed, elongate container the internal dimensions of which are just sufficient to accommodate an elongate electric heating element, inlet and outlet ports adjacent opposite ends of the container to allow water to flow into and out of the container and in so doing to become heated as it passes around the elongate heating element, valve means for controlling the flow of water through said inlet and outlet ports, and pipe means for connecting the inlet and outlet ports to form a closed circuit with a pump and at least one heat exchanger unit.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a radiator.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is located within a large water tank for raising the temperature of the water therein.

4. A system according to claim 1,2 or 3, compris ing further valve means for controlling the flow of heated liquid around the closed circuit.

5. A system according to anyone of the preced ing claims, wherein more than one closed circuit is provided in parallel with the first mentioned closed circuit.

6. A system according to claim 5, comprising a first closed circuit which includes a heat exchanger located within a water storage tank for producing a quantity of heated water for domestic purposes, and a second closed circuit containing one or more radiators through which the hot water is caused to flow for space heating purposes.

7. A system according to claim 5 or 6, whereas a single pump is located for inducing the flow through all the closed circuits.

8. A system according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the valve means are motorised valve means controlled by electrical signals from thermostates or time clocks or both.

9. A system according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein a thermostatic element is provided in the container in association with the heating element and is set to control the flow of the electric current to the heating element so as to maintain the temperature of the water flowing from the container.

10. A system according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein the container is of copper or iron.

11. A system according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the container is of tubular configuration and is mounted adjacent a water storage tank and is connected thereto by relatively short lengths of piping containing the pump, the tubular container being mounted with its axis sub stantiaily vertical.

12. A system according to anyone of the preceding claims, in conjunction with a microbore heating system.

13. A system for producing hotwater,substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.