JP4323525B2 - Combustion device with thermoelectric generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a combustion apparatus including a combustion casing, a burner that faces the combustion casing, and a thermoelectric generator that generates electric power using the combustion heat of the burner.

  Conventionally, as this type of combustion apparatus with a thermoelectric power generation element, a burner comprising a plurality of unit burners that are arranged in the front-rear direction and arranged in parallel in the lateral direction is arranged facing the combustion housing, and the peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing There is known one in which a thermoelectric generator is arranged on one side (side wall) of the horizontal direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  By the way, in the combustion apparatus in which the required heating capacity greatly fluctuates, the burner is switched to a capacity switching type having a constant combustion section that always burns during operation of the combustion apparatus and at least one occasional combustion section that burns when the required heating capacity increases. It is necessary to configure. Here, in the burner in which a plurality of unit burners are arranged side by side as in the conventional example, these unit burners are divided into a unit burner for the constant combustion section and a unit burner for the combustion section as needed. Then, the ability is switched. In the combustion apparatus with a thermoelectric generation element, a constant combustion section is constituted by a plurality of unit burners closer to one side in the lateral direction so that the thermoelectric generation element can always generate electricity during operation of the combustion apparatus, A thermoelectric generator is arranged on the side wall.

However, in this case, the combustion heat of the unit burners other than the unit burner adjacent to the side wall portion of the unit burners constituting the constant combustion portion cannot be effectively used for power generation by the thermoelectric generator.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-55975 (0039, FIG. 6)

  This invention makes it the subject to provide the combustion apparatus with a thermoelectric generation element which enabled it to utilize efficiently the combustion heat of the continuous combustion part of a burner for the electric power generation in a thermoelectric generation element in view of the above point.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a combustion apparatus including a combustion casing, a burner facing the combustion casing, and a thermoelectric generator that generates power using the combustion heat of the burner. The burner's continuous combustion section is a peripheral wall of a combustion housing, wherein the continuous combustion section has a constant combustion section that always burns during operation of the apparatus and at least one occasional combustion section that burns when the required heating capacity increases. A plurality of thermoelectric generators are arranged in parallel on the peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing that is arranged along the portion so as to surround the combustion portion from at least three sides at any time, and always matches the arrangement portion of the combustion portion. To do.

  According to the present invention, the combustion section is always elongated along the peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing in which the thermoelectric generator is disposed. And the part of the burner that is arranged in the normal direction away from the peripheral wall part of the combustion housing in which the thermoelectric generator is arranged, is disposed in the part where the combustion heat cannot be effectively used for power generation by the thermoelectric generator. It becomes a burning part at any time surrounded by. Therefore, the combustion heat of the constant combustion part can be efficiently used for power generation by the thermoelectric generator, and the power generation amount becomes as large as possible.

  In the case where the burner performs Bunsen combustion (combustion that requires secondary air), the thermoelectric generator is cooled by the secondary air supplied into the combustion housing, resulting in poor power generation efficiency. On the other hand, if the burner is constituted by a primary combustion burner, the thermoelectric generator is not cooled by the secondary air, and the power generation efficiency is improved.

  1 and 2 show a combustion apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This combustion apparatus includes a combustion housing 1 and a burner 2 installed at a lower portion of the combustion housing 1 so as to face the combustion housing 1. A heat exchanger 3 is disposed at the upper part of the combustion housing 1 so that water supplied to the heat exchanger 3 through the water supply pipe 4 is heated by the combustion exhaust of the burner 2.

The burner 2 is composed of an all-primary combustion burner having a combustion plate 2a having a large number of flame holes mounted on the upper surface. The burner 2 is supplied with primary air from a combustion fan (not shown). Moreover, the burner 2 is divided into three combustion portion of the first combustion unit 2 ₁ and the second combustion section 2 ₂ and the third combustion section 2 _3. A proportional valve 6 is interposed in the gas supply path 5 for the burner 2. Then, the gas supply path 5 is branched on the downstream side of the proportional valve 6, and the first to third capacity switching valves 7 ₁ , 7 ₂ are connected to the first to _third combustion sections 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ , respectively. , and so as to supply fuel gas through 7 _3.

The first capacity switching valve ₇₁ is opened at all times during operation of the combustion device. Therefore, the first combustion section 2 ₁ burns constantly during operation of the combustion device. When the request heating capacity that varies according to the hot water supply load resides in the small capacity range is by burning only the first combustion unit 2 _1, is controlled by a proportional valve 6 of the first combustion amount of the combustion section 2 _1. Request when the heating capacity is increased to a large in capacity range from the small capacity range, by burning the second combustion unit 2 ₂ In addition to the first combustion section 2 ₂ at the second capacity switching valve 7 _second opening, the first controlled by proportional valve 6 the total amount of combustion and the combustion unit 2 ₂ and the second combustion section 2 _2. Further, when the requested heating capacity was increased from mid capacity range large large capacity range, the third combustion section 2 ₃ third capacity switching valve 7 ₃ of the opening also is burned, the first combustion unit 2 _2, the second controlling the total amount of combustion combustion section 2, _second and third combustion section 2 ₃ by the proportional valve 6.

Here, the first combustion section 2 ₁ serving constantly combustion unit for combusting constantly during operation of the combustion apparatus, in one half of the transverse direction of the combustion housing 1, and a wall portion 1a before configuring the peripheral wall of the combustion housing 1 next to It arrange | positions in a substantially U shape so that the one side wall part 1b and the rear wall part 1c of a direction may be followed. The request second combustion unit serving as needed combustion unit for combusting at increased heating capacity 2 ₂ enters the first combustion unit 2 _1, the first combustion section 2 ₁ second combustion unit 2 ₂ forward, while the horizontal direction and It is designed to be surrounded from the three rear sides.

Incidentally, the second combustion unit 2 ₂ has a portion projecting laterally one from the first combustion section 2 _1. A spark plug 8 and a frame rod 9 are inserted into a portion of the front wall portion 1a that coincides with the protruding portion. Then, by opening the first capacity switching valve ₇₁ and a ₂ second capacity switching valve 7 during ignition, it is flame diffusion ignited first combustion section 2 ₁ via a second combustion section 2 _2, frame rods 9 first combustion portion 2 ₁ of the combustion is so as to close the ₂ second capacity switching valve 7 was detected by.

The peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing 1 that matches the first placement portion of the combustion section 2 _1, i.e., the front wall portion 1a of the one half of the transverse direction of the combustion housing 1, the inner surface of the side wall 1b and the rear wall portion 1c A plurality of thermoelectric generators 10 are arranged in parallel. A gap between adjacent thermoelectric generators 10 and 10 is filled with a heat insulating material 11. A water supply pipe 4 is disposed on the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion where the thermoelectric generators 10 are disposed. Therefore, the inner surface is heated by the first combustion section 2 ₁ of the heat of combustion of the heat generating element 10 facing the inside of the combustion housing 1, the outer surface of the heat generating element 10 is cooled by water flowing through the water supply pipe 4 A temperature difference is generated between the inner surface and the outer surface of the thermoelectric generator 10. Based on this temperature difference, the thermoelectric generator 10 generates power by the Seebeck effect, Peltier effect, or Thomson effect. The electric power generated by the thermoelectric generator 10 is supplied to the combustion fan, and the surplus electric power is stored in the storage battery.

Incidentally, it is conceivable that in the peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing 1 which matches the arrangement of the second combustion unit 2 ₂ and the third combustion section 2 ₃ arranging the heat generating element. However, power generation is performed by the thermoelectric generator arranged in this portion is a limited time when the required heating capacity increases, and the expensive thermoelectric generator cannot be used effectively. Therefore, those who place the heat generating elements 10 only to the peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing 1 that matches the first placement portion of the combustion section 2 ₁ is advantageous in terms of cost.

In the first embodiment, since the first combustion unit 2 ₁ is disposed so as to surround the second combustion section 2 ₂ 3-way along the peripheral wall of the combustion housing 1, the normal from the peripheral wall portion effective use can not become part the electric power generation by the heat generating element 10 away direction is the second combustion unit 2 ₂ of arrangement space. Then, compared with the case where the divided simply first combustion section 2 ₁ and the second combustion section 2 ₂ laterally without changing the area of the first combustion unit 2 _1, of the first combustion section 2 ₁ combustion A long peripheral length along the peripheral wall portion of the housing 1 can be secured. As a result, the first combustion section 2 ₁ of combustion heat to be able to efficiently use the electric power generation by the heat generating element 10, the power generation amount is as much as possible increases.

Next, a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3 will be described. In FIG. 3, the same members and parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, the burner 2 is partitioned into two combustion portion of the second combustion unit 2 ₂ serving first combustion unit 2 _1, optionally with the combustion section serving constantly combustion unit. First combustion unit 2 ₁ is arranged annularly along over its entire periphery to the peripheral wall of the combustion housing 1. The second combustion unit 2 _2, as surrounded from the first combustion section 2 ₁ by 4-way, are arranged inside the first combustion section 2 _first annular.

A plurality of thermoelectric generators 10 are juxtaposed on the peripheral wall portion of the combustion casing 1 over substantially the entire circumference except for the place where the ignition plug 8 and the frame rod 9 are inserted. In the second embodiment, will be the first combustion section 2 ₁ along the peripheral wall of the combustion housing 1 to arrange the heat generating element 10 extends elongated, first combustion section 2 ₁ of combustion heat the heat generator It is efficiently used for power generation by the element 10.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the burner 2 is configured by a primary combustion burner. However, the burner may be configured by a plurality of unit burners that perform Bunsen combustion (combustion that requires secondary air). In this case, a plurality of unit burners that are always burning parts are arranged along the peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing, and a plurality of unit burners that are always burning parts are arranged inside, so that the always burning parts are always from at least three sides. Be surrounded by the burning part. However, in this case, the thermoelectric generator is cooled by the secondary air supplied into the combustion housing, resulting in poor power generation efficiency. On the other hand, if the burner 2 consisting of all primary combustion type burners is used as in the above embodiment, it is not necessary to supply secondary air into the combustion housing 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the power generation efficiency from being lowered by cooling the thermoelectric generator 10 with the secondary air, which is advantageous.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the thermoelectric generation element 10 is arrange | positioned at the inner surface of the surrounding wall part of the combustion housing 1, the thermoelectric generation element 10 can also be arrange | positioned at the outer surface of a surrounding wall part. In this case, it is desirable to provide a fin part that absorbs the combustion heat of the combustion part at the inner surface of the peripheral wall part.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment applies this invention to the combustion apparatus for hot water supply, this invention is applicable similarly to the combustion apparatus of uses other than hot water supply.

The cutting top view of the combustion apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The cut front view cut | disconnected by the II-II line | wire of FIG. The cutting top view of the combustion apparatus of 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Combustion housing, 2 ... Burner, 2 ₁ ... 1st combustion part (normal combustion part), 2 ₂ ... 2nd combustion part (at any time combustion part), 10 ... Thermoelectric power generation element.

Claims (2)

A combustion device comprising a combustion housing, a burner facing the combustion housing, and a thermoelectric generator that generates electricity using the combustion heat of the burner, the burner constantly burning during operation of the combustion device; In what is configured in a capacity switching type having at least one occasional combustion section that burns when the required heating capacity is increased,
The always-burning part of the burner is arranged so as to surround the burning part from at least three sides along the peripheral wall part of the combustion housing at any time,
A combustion apparatus with a thermoelectric generator, wherein a plurality of thermoelectric generators are arranged in parallel on a peripheral wall portion of the combustion housing that matches the arrangement portion of the constant combustion portion.   The combustion apparatus with a thermoelectric generator according to claim 1, wherein the burner is an all-primary combustion burner.

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