GB2616463A

GB2616463A - Heat boost radiator

Info

Publication number: GB2616463A
Application number: GB2203336.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard John Kirby Neil; David Gibbs Ian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-03-10
Filing date: 2022-03-10
Publication date: 2023-09-13
Also published as: GB202203336D0

Abstract

A radiator incorporating a wet sided radiator 1 and an additional electric heating element 4. The electric heating element being mounted away from the wet sided radiator in such a way that it heats the air passing through the radiator but without heating the water in the radiator. The radiator and heating element may be combined in a single unit 5 and be provided with a fan (6, figure 2) that increases the airflow around the radiator 1 and additionally increase its heat output. The radiator may additionally have insulating panels that prevent the heat output from the electric heating element from heating up the water in the radiator. The radiator may comprise of a thermostat which controls the output of the electric heating element against a desired temperature set by a user.

Description

Heat Boost Radiator This invention relates to a space heating radiator which heats air by both a wet system and a separate electric element.

Space heating of homes is changing rapidly with heat pumps taking over from gas and oil boilers as the source of heat. Otherwise the systems are similar in that heated water is circulated through a series of radiators. One significant difference is that heat pumps generate lower flow temperatures of circa 50DegC as opposed to the circa 80 DegC produced by gas and oil boilers. This is not generally a problem on new build properties where the radiators are sized accordingly and the properties are very well insulated. On existing properties this can however be a problem when replacing a gas or oil boiler with a heat pump. This is a particular problem in the winter months as the coefficient of performance decreases due to the relatively lower air temperatures.

The heat output of typical heat pumps is relatively low compared to existing gas and oil boilers. It is therefore a challenge to find a heat pump with sufficient heat output and they are more costly per kW output. To replace all the radiators with larger units can be expensive and a challenge to accommodate them in the space available. These challenges can lead to installations that are both undersized in terms of heat input and radiator output. With a reduced heat input and connected to existing radiators the system will cope with most weathers. It is just on the colder days that the system will struggle. The purpose of this invention is to provide an alternative radiator design which will provide additional heat on these colder days.

This new radiator design incorporates both a wet sided radiator and an additional electric heating element. Some existing radiator designs have integrated electric elements but they are located in the waterways and heat the wet side of the radiator. Typically these are used in bathrooms to dry towels when the heating system is not running. This invention differs in that the electric heating element is mounted away from the wet sided radiator in such a way that it heats the air passing through the radiator but without heating the water in the radiator. Care should be taken not to heat the return water back to the heat pump. The electric element when switched on will increase the temperature of the air convecting through the radiator and hence increase the heat output of the radiator The location of the electric element is an important factor in this invention. If located in the radiator waterway it would by heating the water, increase the return temperature to the heat pump and consequently reduce its heat output. By positioning the electric element outside of the waterway its heat output contributes directly towards heating the room without increasing the return temperature of the wet circuit back to the heat pump.

The control of the electric element could be carried out in several ways. A simple local on/off switch could be operated on demand by the user. This on/off switch could be coupled in series with a local thermostat that would control the operation of the electric element depending on the temperature of the room against a desired point set by the user. A further option on the control of the electric element would be for the local on/off switch to also call for heat from the central heating system in parallel with any existing system controls. This could be by wireless or wired means.

To increase the heat output of this radiator an option would be to incorporate a fan which would force the air movement through the wet sided radiator and over the electric element. This would increase the heat output relative to the size of the radiator due to the increased heat transfer that a higher air velocity would induce. The control of this fan could be operated in conjunction with the electric element or independently.

The construction of this radiator could take the form of a single unit incorporating all the features as described above. A second method of construction would be for the additional electrical heating element and its controls to be supplied as a unit which can be fitted to existing wet sided radiators.

Refer to figure 1 for details of the construction of the radiator when it is in the form of a single unit. Item (1) is the wet sided radiator This could be in the form of one or more wet chambers which may or may not have additional fins to increase the surface area. The hot water from the heat pump enters at point (2). The water leaves at point (3) to return to the heat pump. An electric heating element (4) is located in a position that further heats the air that has been preheated by the wet radiator element but without transferring heat into the wet system. The electric element which can get hot will be encased in such a way that it cannot cause harm. Such an element could include a protective grill (5).

Refer to figure 2 for details of a second embodiment of the invention where there is the addition of a fan (6).

Refer to figure 3 for details of the invention when the additional electrical heating apparatus is a unit (7) to be fitted to an existing wet radiator (8).

Refer to figure 4 where due to the close proximity of the electric heating element (4) to the wet sided radiator (1) insulating panels (9) are fitted to avoid the electric element (4) heating the water circuit.

Claims

Claims 1 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element positioned to increase the heat output of the radiator without heating the water.
2 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to claim 1, in which all the elements are combined into a single unit.
3 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to claim 1, in which all the elements other than the wet sided radiator are combined in a single unit intended to be fitted to an existing wet sided radiator.
4 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to any of the preceding claims, in which a fan increases the airflow through the radiator and hence increases its heat output.
A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to claim 4, in which the fan can be controlled either in conjunction with or independently of the electric heating element.
6 A wet sided radiator with an additional electrical heating element according to any of the preceding claims, in which insulating panels are used to prevent the heat output from the electric heating element from heating up the water circuit.
7 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to any of the preceding claims, in which an on/off switch is provided to control the output of the electric heating element.
8 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to any of the preceding claims, in which a thermostat is used to control the output of the electric heating element against a desired temperature set by the user.
9 A wet sided radiator with an additional electric heating element according to any of the preceding claims, in which the control to switch the electric heating element on or off can also call for heat from the central heating system in parallel with any existing system controls.