US3115303A

US3115303A - Heating system

Info

Publication number: US3115303A
Application number: US167687A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin M Bailey; David Y Bailey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-01-22
Filing date: 1962-01-22
Publication date: 1963-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-24

Description

Dec- 24, 1963 E. M. BAILEY ETAL HEATING SYSTEM Fiied Jan. 22, 1962 tmwq w J TERM BOILER INVENTORS. [b W/A/MfiA/L EK BYDA V/D YEA/1. E'K

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 24, 1963 3,115,303 HEATING SYSTEM Edwin M. Bailey and David Y. Bailey, both of 1% W. Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ. Filed Jan. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 167,687 13 Claims. (Cl. 237-) This invention is concerned with a new and useful method of heating. More particularly, it is concerned with a method of utilizing heat energy ordinarily dissipated between heating cycles in a low pressure steam heating system of the type ordinarily used for heating homes and small buildings.

Conventional low pressure steam heating systems com prise a heat source which heats water in a boiler to produce steam. The steam passes from the boiler through a conduit system of pipes to radiators or other heat exchangers within the system where it condenses, giving up its latent heat of condensation to heat the area Where the radiator is located. The water formed by condensation of the steam accumulates in the bottom of the radiator to a predetermined level and the excess returns to the boiler for reheating. Safe practice requires that the boiler be incompletely filled to a predetermined level to leave a head space in the boiler above the water to allow for expansion and contraction of the steam and water. Each radiator is provided with an inlet valve and a vent valve. The inlet valve permits substantial closing off of the radiator if desired. The vent valve is usually thermally controlled and closed during periods when steam is in the radiator in response to increased temperature of the valve due to the steam. Many vent valves have a safety device integrated therein so that if undue steam pressure is built up Within the system they vent themselves to relieve the pressure. In ordinary practice, however, they close at preselected temperatures and open when the temperature decreases to allow an ingress of air to take up the space previously occupied by the steam.

The heat source is controlled by a temperature device, that is, a thermostat, so that it is activated or turned on when the temperature in the area to be heated reaches a predetermined low level and is turned off when it reaches a predetermined high level. The heat source heats the water in the boiler to produce steam which is conducted to the radiators to heat the area where the radiator is located. When the area reaches the selected temperature, the heat source is deactivated or shut off,

steam is no longer generated, the vent valve opens and the radiator system fills with atmospheric air.

In some heating systems, particularly those Where burning coal is used as the heat source, the heat source operates continuously but only at a low level when the controls do not call for steam in the system. The heat source is activated to produce more heat and hence steam when the controls call for steam in the system. As used in this application and in the appended claims the terms activated and deactivated mean that the heat source is actuated to produce enough energy to force steam into the system or that the production of energy is stopped or retarded to the point where the system is substantially free of steam.

Heating buildings by steam has several disadvantages due to the inherent properties of the system. With steam heat the heating is intermittent. After the rooms have become cool, the heat source is activated and some of the water in the boiler is turned to steam which begins to reach the radiators. Thereupon the temperature rises rapidly. When the room where the thermostat is located has reached the desired temperature, the heat source is deactivated, the steam condenses and the radiators and rooms immediately begin to cool. Often the only Way to avoid the repeated chills is to set the thermostat higher than best health and eiliciency of the occupants would dictate. The continual temperature cycling or, alternatively, the maintenance of excessive heat is especially intolerable for frail, very young or very old people.

It is often especially difficult to heat distant rooms where the heat may be most needed. The extra long pipe which would be required to reach a distant room, garage, enclosed porch or other area remote from the boiler may often fail to deliver any steam to its radiators before the thermostat in a more easily heated room has deactivated the heat source. Even if steam reaches the hard to heat areas, the heat may go off before these rooms have become thoroughly warm. Often insulation conditions in the building to be heated are such that intermittent heat will never keep some rooms Warm since they cool too rapidly. Mere relocation of the thermostats often does not satisfactorily solve these problems.

The use of vent valves which have preselected or variable venting rates has partially solved this problem. However, to maintain an even temperature throughout the Whole building it is necessary to maintain a very delicate balance between the valves in different parts of the building and between valves on radiators fed by a common pipe. Furthermore, the adjustment is difiicult to maintain since changes in the position of the sun, in wind direction or velocity or other Weather variables continually alter the relative amounts of heat needed by different rooms.

It is an object of this invention to provide a steam heat system and method of heating by the utilization of which it is possible not only to supply adequate heat to remote hard-toheat areas but also to provide a more constant temperature throughout the whole area served by the system and thereby to achieve heretofore unattainable economies in steam heat systems. These and other advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a modification of the invention.

in FIG. 1 a boiler it is shown partially filled with Water 11 which is heated from a heat source 9 controlled by thermostat 8. The upper level of water is represented by 12 and the head space in the boiler by the numeral 13. A pipe 14, which opens into the head space, leads from the boiler to the radiator inlet valve 15 and then to the radiator 16. Other radiators are indicated as attached to the pipe 14 by the symbols 14-1, 142 and 14-3. This pipe, which is referred to in the art as a main, serves as a conduit for steam to the radiator and in some systems for returning water resulting from condensation of the steam. It also serves as a conduit for transporting air which in accordance with this invention provides heat for the area normally heated by the radiator 16 during the period when the heating system is substantially free of steam. The heat source 9 may be understood to be of 3 any of the conventional types which intermittently heat the boiler water to provide steam for the radiator. In conventional installations the heat source is thermostatically controlled but, of course, it may also be manually operated.

On the side of the radiator remote from the inlet valve 15 there is shown in FIG. 1 a vent valve 17 of the cnventional type. A hollow tube 18 is in operative communication with the valve and with a centrifugal blower 19 so that there is a complete open system from the head space 13 for circulation of air through pipe M, inlet valve 15, radiator 16, vent valve 17, tube 18, centrifugal blower l9 and then to the area to be heated. Air which is pumped through the system during operation of the centrifugal blower is vented to the atmosphere through outlet 2t) as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1 the outlet is shown directing the exhaust air over the surface of the radiator. Alternatively, the outlet could be positioned to vent the air in any other direction.

The tube 18 may be constructed of any suitable material which is inert under the conditions of use. Thus it may be metallic, plastic or rubber. Copper tubing, Teflon tubing and natural or synthetic rubber may be mentioned by way of example. It may be permanently affixed to the vent valve, as by brazing or welding, or detachably connected thereto as by force fit or screw threads. The mode of connection will depend upon whether it is desired to permanently install the apparatus on a radiator or to make only a temporary attachment. It is a feature of this invention that the means for causing the circulation of air may be constructed for permanent or temporary attachment to a particular radiator. This is advantageous when it is desired to heat a seldom used room in a building. It is particularly useful with upstairs bedrooms which do not normally present a heating problem during the day but do so at night. The installation used to help heat a downstairs room during the day can be affixed to the radiator in an upstairs room at night to maintain proper heating upstairs without wasting heat energy in heating the downstairs rooms which are not in use.

The centrifugal blower or pump 19 is adjusted or positioned to produce a vacuum corresponding to a head of from about 0.3 to about 2 inches of water. In preferred operations the pump produces a head of from about 0.3 to about 0.5 inch of water. The actual head produced is not critical, it being only necessary that enough suction be created to circulate a sufiicient volume of air to heat the radiator to which the blower is attached. The preferred head varies somewhat with the distance of the radiator from the boiler and with the size of the passages in the pipes and valves of the system. A few simple adjustments with differing heads will easily indicate the best suction for a particular radiator. It will be appreciated that other suction means can be utilized to produce the desired circulation of air. For example, the centrifugal blower of FIG. 1 can be replaced with an axial fan.

It should be pointed out that the tube 18 is not essential to the operation of this invention. The centrifugal blower 19 or other circulating means may be directly connected to the valve, either permanently or removably. It is, in fact, possible to operate this invention without direct interconnection between the valve and the blower. It is only necessary to position the blower surficiently close, i.e. adjacent the valve orifice so as to effect a suitable head in the system.

In FIG. 1 the blower 19 is shown connected through shaft 35 to electric motor 21 with suitable wires 22 for connection to a power source which is conventional and not shown. Other known driving means may, of course, be employed.

FIG. 1 shows a blower fan 23 in operative attachment to motor 21 through shaft 24. The fan 23 is not essential to the proper utilization of this invention and may be omitted. When used it serves to increase the efliciency of heat transfer by circulating atmospheric air over the surface of the radiator which has been heated by the circulation of air within the heating system. For compactness and efficiency the fan is shown as operating from the same motor which drives the centrifugal blower. It is, of course, possible to utilize a separate power source for the fan.

The combined motor, blower and fan of FIG. 1 are shown housed in a suitable enclosure generally represented by 25. This housing is not essential but contributes to the appearance of the novel apparatus of the invention since it hides the machinery and can be made in any attractive design. The housing is supported by legs 26 which may be of adjustable height to allow for ready attachment to radiators of different dimensions. F or permanent installations the legs may be of fixed height or may be entirely replaced with other support means. For example, the entire unit may be affixed to the wall by screws.

One wall 27 of the enclosure is of open construction or louvered to allow passage of air to the fan 23. This wall may be hinged to allow ready access to the machinery within. The louvered Wall is advantageously lined With a filter material 2-3, such as glass fiber, which adds to the desirability of the invention by providing a means for removing dust and other allergens from the air in the area to be heated.

In FIG. 1 the boiler is supported on the floor of the boiler room 29 and the radiator and enclosure are supported on the floor 39 of the area to be heated. The motor, blower and fan are supported by support 31 which is attached to the inner wall 32 of the enclosure. This support may, of course, be affixed to other walls of the enclosure. It may in fact be completely omitted if the blower outlet 25) and the fan outlet here represented by 33, both of which extend through the inner wall 32, are of suitably heavy construction.

FIG. 1 illustrates a steam heating system in which only one pipe or main leads from the head space of the boiler to the various radiators of the system. For operation of this invention with a one main system. the boiler is best provided with an air inlet valve 37 and the outlet valves of each radiator in the system are of the type which close when the system is substantially free of steam. In this manner the air which enters the system to replace condensed steam enters through the air inlet valve 37 in the boiler. Otherwise the operation of the pump means 19 would only serve to pull air through the outlet valves of the radiators of the system and this air would not be warmed by contact with the hot water in the boiler. With steam heating systems in which there is more than one main the inlet valve 37 is not essential and may be omitted. The reason is that the operation of pump means 19 on one main will suck in air through the outlet valves of radiators on another main and this air will pass through the head space of the boiler before reaching the main on which the pumping means are operating. Even with a system having a plurality of mains it is preferred for operating emciency to use the air inlet valve 37 and to utilize the valves which are closed when the system is substantially free of steam. At least it is preferred to use these latter types of valves on the main utilizing the concept of this invention to minimize the amount of air which can enter the system and be pumped out without contacting the boiler water.

Valves which are closed when the system is substantially free of steam are well. known in the art. Essentially they comprise a valve within a valve. The inner valve closes when the valve is hot due to the presence of steam. The outer valve is gravity operated and is closed when the inner valve is closed. It is also closed when the inner valve is open. However, the closure means are of light construction and are readily forced open by the rush of air which is in the system when steam enters to replace this air. A small amount of steam may also escape through the opening before the inner valve closes under the influence of increased temperature. It will thus be seen that with valves of this type, air within the system may be forced out of the system, but no air can enter the system through the valve. A valve of this type can even be used on a radiator to which the pump means of this invention is attached provided that sufficient suction is created by the pump to open the outer valve. Alternatively, the pump means can be attached through a separate orifice in the valve.

In FIG. 2 there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of this invention in which air is circulated through the system by a pump or other known means attached to the boiler and communicating with the air space. The component parts of this embodiment, which are identical with the corresponding parts of the embodiment schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, are identified by the same reference numerals with the addition of the subscript a.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a heat source 9a cont-rolled by thermostate 8a for heating water 11a in boiler a. The boiler is filled with water to a level 12a leaving a head space 1130. A pipe or main 14a communicates with the head space of the boiler and is shown communicating with a radiator 16a through inlet valve 150. Other radiators may also communicate with the pump as shown in Ma-l, l lo-2 and I ia-35. A vent valve 17a is shown attached to the radiator 16a at the side of the radiator remote from the inlet valve.

PEG. 2 shows a pump 34 communicating with the head space 13a. This pump operates to draw air from the atmosphere and to circulate through the head space a, the conduit 14a, the inlet valve 15a, the radiator 16a, the vent valve 17a, and finally to the atmosphere in the area to be heated. The vent valve 17a is opened during the period when the pump 34 is operating. The pump is shown connected through shaft 35a to motor Zia which is connected to a power source for operating the motor through wires 22a. A fan 23a in operative connection with an electric motor Zia through shaft 24a is shown in FIG. 2, although this is not essential and may be omitted. Wires 22a are shown for connection to a power source.

in FIG. 2 the boiler is supported on the fioor of the boiler room 28a and the radiator on the floor 3% of the area to be heated.

The embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 2 is advantageous in that only one blower is required to serve the entire heating system. However, it is not as flexible as the previously described embodi'nent since air is circulated through the whole system rather than to selected radiators. it may, however, be successfully employed and results in increased economies compared to steam heating systems which do not utilize the concept of this invention.

The pump 34 can be replaced by a fan which blows air into the boiler. In this embodiment the boiler is provided with an air inlet valve which closes when there is steam in the system and opens when the system is substanitally free of stearn. The valve will have a large orifice so that a useful amount of air can be forced into the head space by the operation of the fan. The fan or the pump can be thermostatically controlled to operate during periods when the system is substantially free of steam. Thermostatic means are shown in FIG. 2 at 35a. They can also be manually operated or can operate continuously. If a continually operating pump is used care must be exercised to avoid building up excess pressure head within the system. This danger can be avoided if the system is provided with a suitable safety vent, or if the pump is connected to the boiler through a valve which closes when there is steam in the system and also vents the air circulated by the pump to the atmosphere during these periods.

The novel heating apparatus of this invention operates to circulate air between the periods when steam is actually being delivered to the system from the boiler by the operation of the heat source. During these intervals the system is substantially free of steam and filled with air which enters the system to replace the space occupied by the steam before condensation, and the water in the boiler, while not producing any substantial amount of steam, is quite hot but has started to cool. It will continue to cool until such time as the heat source for the boiler water is again activated. In the normal operation of conventional low pressure systems, the heat energy dissipated in the cooling of the boiler water is lost. The method of this invention draws on this heat energy to provide additional heat to the area served by the heating system by using it to eat air which enters the system and then circulating this air throughout the system and to the area to be heated.

The means which bring about the circulation of the air are usually activated when the system is substantially free of steam. Activation may be manual or automatic. Preferably it is automatic and thermostatically controlled with a room type thermostat shown at 36 in FIG. 1. Using this control method and with individual circulators on each radiator, only circulators in those rooms where there is an actual need for heat will operate. There is no objection to the circulator pump running continuously since the small head necessary for profitable operation does not interfere with the vent valves.

In the modification illustrated in FIG. 1, only one radiator is shown operating in accordance with this invention. Every radiator in the system may be similarly supplied or only selected radiators may be so supplied. Normally the radiators in the hard-to-heat rooms will utilize the apparatus. Even the warmer rooms, however, can profit by the invention since, by providing an additional source of heat, the apparatus slows down the normal cooling of the room with the result that there is a longer interval between periods when the heat source will be called into operation. This, of course, effects considerable saving in fuel costs. It is also possible to utilize a combination of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus suction means on the radiators can be coupled with means for forcing air into the boiler.

What has been described is an apparatus for heating which comprises circulating air through a steam radiator system during an interval when the heat source is not producing stem, thus taking advantage of the considerable amount of heat energy lost by cooling of the water iri the boiler between steam producing periods and effecting marked improvements in the usual steam heating systems.

While specific embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that other modifications and alternative constructions may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the invention has been illustrated using a direct heating system in which steam is conducted to the radiators and condensed water returns to the boiler through one and the same pipe. The invention is also applicable to the so-called overhead system in which steam is initially conducted through a pipe or main to a point higher than the highest radiator of the system and then flows down to the radiators where it condenses to form Water which returns to the boiler through a separate pipe. It is intended to cover by the appended claims all modifications and alternative constructions of this invention falling within its spirit and scope.

What is claimed is:

1. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, conduit means communicating with said head space for conducting steam to a radiator system, means for periodically heating the boiler to produce steam in response to control means and means for circulating air through said head space and radiator system when said heat source is inactive thereby to continue to supply heat to said radiator system from heat energy ordinarily dissipated through cooling of the boiler water between periods when the heat source is active.

2. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thercabove, conduit means communicating with said head space for conducting steam to a radiator system, means for periodically heating the boiler to produce steam in response to control means, means for forcefully circulating atmospheric air over the external surface of said radiator system and means for circulating air through said head space and radiator system when said heat source is inactive thereby to continue to supply heat to said radiator system from heat energy ordinarily dissipated through cooling of the boiler water between periods when the heat source is active.

3. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, conduit means communicating with said head space for conducting steam to a radiator system, means for periodically heating the boiler to produce steam in response to control means and means for circulating air through said head space and radiator system when said heat source is inactive thereby to continue to supply heat to said radiator system from heat energy ordinarily dissipated through cooling of the boiler water between periods when the heat source is active, said air circulating means comprising suction means connected through a vent valve in a radiator of said radiator system.

4. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, conduit means communicating with said head space for conducting steam to a radiator system, means Flor periodically heating the boiler to produce steam in response to control means, means for circulating air through said head space and radiator system when said heat source is inactive thereby to continue to supply heat to said radiator system from heat energy ordinarily dissipated through cooling of the boiler water between periods when the heat source is active, said air circulating means comprising a pump attached to said radiator system through the said head space in the boiler.

5. In a steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, conduit means communicating with said head space for conducting steam to a radiator system and means for periodically heating the boiler to produce steam in response to control means, the improvement which comprises means for circulating air through said read space and radiator system when said heat source is inactive thereby to continue to supply heat to said radiator system drom heat energy ordinarily dissipated through cooling of the boiler water between periods when the heat source is active.

6. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, a heat source for periodically heating said water to produce steam, a thermostatic control for controlling said heat source, a radiator system comprising a plurality of radiators, each radiator being provided with a vent valve, a pipe interconnecting said head space and said radiators whereby steam is conducted from the head space to the radiators during a period when the steam is produced in said boiler, a centrifugal blower, tubing means interconecting said blower and at least one of said vent valves, a motor for activating said centrifugal blower, a thermostatic control within the area to be heated by the radiator having a vent varve to which said blower is connected, said last-mentioned thermostatic control being connected to said motor for controlling the operation thereof, and a fan operable by said motor and adjacent said last-mentioned radiator for circ-ulating atmospheric air over the external surface of the said radiator during periods when the centrifugal blower is operating.

7. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, a heat source for periodically heating said water to produce steam, a thermostatic control for controlling said heat source, a radiator system comprising a plurality of radiators, each radiator being provided with a vent valve, a pipe interconnecting said head space and said radiators whereby steam is conducted from the head space to the radiators during a period when the steam is produced in said boiler, a centrifugal blower, tubing means interconnecting said blower and at least one of said vent valves, a motor for activating said centrifugal blower, and a thermostatic control within the area to be heated by the radiator having a vent valve to which said blower is connected, said last-mentioned thermostatic control being connected to said motor for controlling the operation thereof.

8. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, a heat source for periodically heating said Water to produce steam, a thermostatic control for controlling said heat source, a radiator system comprising a plurality of radiators, each radiator being provided with a vent valve, a pipe interconnecting said head space and said radiators whereby steam is conducted from the head space to the radiators during a period when the steam is produced in said boiler, a centrifugal blower, tubing means interconnecting said blower and at least one of said vent valves, and a motor for activating said centrifugal blower.

9. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space there-above, a heat source for periodically heating said water to produce steam, a thermostatic control for controlling said heat source, a radiator system comprising a plurality of radiators, each radiator being provided with a vent valve, a pipe interconnecting said head space and said radiators whereby steam is conducted from the head space during a period when steam is produced in said boiler, a pump attached to said boiler and communicating with said head space, a motor for activating said pump for circulation of air through said pump, head space, pipe, radiators and vent valves during a period when the same are substantially free of steam, a fan adjacent at least one of said radiators and a nrotor for activating said fan for the circulation of atmospheric air over the external surface of said radiator during periods when the pump is operating.

10. A steam heating system comprising a boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, a heat source for periodically heating said water to produce steam, at thermostatic control for controlling said heat source, a radiator system comprising a plurality of radiators, each radiator being provided with a vent valve, a pipe interconnecting said head space and said radiators whereby steam is conducted from the head space during a period when steam is produced in said boiler, a pump attached to said boiler and communicating with said head space, and a motor for activating said pump for circulation of air through said pump, head space, pipe, radiators and vent valves during a period when the same are substantially free of steam.

11. Auxiliary apparatus for use in connection with a steam radiator system including a steam boiler normally containing water to a preselected level leaving a head space thereabove, means for periodically heating the boiler to produce steam in response to control means and a steam line joining said head space with radiators in the sytem, said apparatus comprising motor driven air circulating means, means responsive to temperature changes in a space heated by said system for activating and deactivating the motor of said circulating means, means admitting air to the head space of said boiler in response to operation of said air circulating means, wherein the air is heated, said air circulating means further serving s, 1 1 5, 303 9 10 to convey heated air from said boiler head space through 13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the air said steam line to at least one radiator in said system, circulator is adapted for direct air communication with and a vent valve on said radiator for exhausting heated said ven-t valve. air therefrom.

12. Apparatus as set fonth in claim 11 wherein the air References cued m the file of thls patent circulator is adapted for direct air communication with UNITED STATES PATENTS the means admitting air to the head space of said boiler. 680,471 Armstrong Aug. 13, 1901