Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23L—SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ; VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
  • F23L13/00—Construction of valves or dampers for controlling air supply or draught
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23L—SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ; VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
  • F23L11/00—Arrangements of valves or dampers after the fire
  • F23L11/005—Arrangements of valves or dampers after the fire for closing the flue during interruption of burner function
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23N—REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION
  • F23N3/00—Regulating air supply or draught
  • F23N3/08—Regulating air supply or draught by power-assisted systems
  • F23N3/085—Regulating air supply or draught by power-assisted systems using electrical or electromechanical means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H15/00—Control of fluid heaters
  • F24H15/10—Control of fluid heaters characterised by the purpose of the control
  • F24H15/156—Reducing the quantity of energy consumed; Increasing efficiency
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H15/00—Control of fluid heaters
  • F24H15/20—Control of fluid heaters characterised by control inputs
  • F24H15/212—Temperature of the water
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H15/00—Control of fluid heaters
  • F24H15/30—Control of fluid heaters characterised by control outputs; characterised by the components to be controlled
  • F24H15/305—Control of valves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H9/00—Details
  • F24H9/20—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
  • F24H9/2007—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters
  • F24H9/2035—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters using fluid fuel
  • F24H9/2042—Preventing or detecting the return of combustion gases
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23N—REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION
  • F23N2225/00—Measuring
  • F23N2225/02—Measuring filling height in burners
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23N—REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION
  • F23N2235/00—Valves, nozzles or pumps
  • F23N2235/02—Air or combustion gas valves or dampers
  • F23N2235/04—Air or combustion gas valves or dampers in stacks

Definitions

• THIS INVENTION is concerned with a flue control for combustion heated apparatus utilizing a fluid fuel.
• thermostatic or pressurestatic- control means are usually provided to regulate a supply of fluid fuel to a combustion chamber to control the quantity of heat generated therefrom.
• the thermostatic control means may be adapted to be operable by a predetermined flue gas temperature or the temperature of a medium to be heated by the apparatus.
• a pressurestatic device may be adapted to be operable by the internal pressure within the medium to be heated or by the combustion gas pressure within a lue.
• such a control means usually comprises a thermostat adapted to reduce or shut off a fluid fuel supply to the combustion chamber when the stored water reaches a desired temperature.
• the thermostat will then increase or re-commence fuel supply when the temperature of the stored water falls below a predetermined level.
• a pilot flame or electrically operated ignition means is usually provided to re-ignite the fluid fuel upon actuation of the thermostatic or pressurestatic control means to increase or re-commence the fuel supply.
• the combustion gas exhaust flue of such heaters is in thermal communication with a means for storing heat, the exhaust flue acts as a heat exchanger to transfer heat from combustion gases to the heat storage medium.
• Heat storing combustion heaters of the above- mentioned type suffer the disadvantage that upon reaching a desired operating temperature, the thermostatic or pressure ⁇ static control means operates to reduce the fluid fuel supply to a minimum level where a pilot flame remains alight or, where an electrically operated re-ignition means is provided, the fuel supply may be cut off completely.
• the present invention aims to alleviate the above- mentioned thermal inefficiency of prior art combustion heaters and to provide means for controlling a fluid fuel combustion heater to achieve greater thermal efficiency.
• a flue control means for a fluid fuelled heater comprising; means for restricting the flow of gas in a flue; sensing means to sense a predetermined condition in a combustion heater, and; control means operatively connected to said restricting means, whereby in use, on sensing of a pre ⁇ determined condition in said heater, said control means is caused to actuate said flue restricting means.
• the means for restricting the flow of gas comprises a damper, baffle or the like, capable of substantially blocking the bore of a lue .
• the sensing means comprises a thermostat or pressurestat.
• control means comprises an electrically operated solenoid.
• control means is operable by fluid fuel pressure.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a gas or oil heated hot water system with a flue control according to the invention
• FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of the encircled area of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the flue gas restricting means connected to one embodiment of the control means.
• FIG. k illustrates an alternative embodiment of the flue gas restricting means.
• FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate alternative embodiments of the control means .
• a gas or oil heated hot water system 1 is provided with a combustion chamber 2 and an exhaust gas flue 3 « Gas burner k is situated within the combustion chamber and is connected to a thermostatically controlled valve 5 .
• Valve 5 is controlled by a conventional water temperature thermostat 6, preferably of the "snap-action" type.
• a pilot burner or electric ignition device 7 is provided adjacent burner k .
• a combustion chamber control 8 comprising a thermocouple or an electrical device such as a thermistor is connected to valve 5 via a known fusible link «
• a damper or baffle plate 10 connected to a diaphragm valve 11 which in turn is operatively connected to one end of gas or oil conduit 12.
• the other end of conduit 12 is connected, by a suitable junction, to burner fuel feed conduit 13•
• thermostat 6 operates to cause valve 5 to restrict the flow of gas to burner h such that only a pilot flame 7 - -
• conduit 13 (and thus conduit 12) permits diaphragm valve 11 to return to its normal state whereby damper or baffle plate 10 substantially closes the outlet of flue 3- In this manner, the flow of cool gas upwardly through flue 3 is essentially eliminated thus assisting retention of heat in the water contained in system 1.
• Damper or baffle plate 10 may be provided with a smal perforation to permit the passage therethrough of the combustion gases of the pilot flame but the perforation is sufficiently small as to substantially prevent an updraught of additional cool air through flue 3. In this manner it is believed that at least part of the heat of combustion of the pilot flame may be contributed to the system 1 rather than being permitted to go to waste as in prior art devices of this type.
• an additional thermostat 8 may be provided in the combustion chamber 2.
• the thermostat may be chosen to have an operating temperature effective to cause gas control valve 5 to cut off the supply of gas to the burner in the event that the temperature in the combustion chamber exceeds a predetermined level.
• a fusible link of known type may be placed in the circuit connecting thermostat 8 and gas control valve 5 . If a blockage or restriction occurs in flue 3 . backflowing combustion gases cause the link 9 to fuse thus disabling control valve 5 until the fusible link is replaced.
• FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein the damper or baffle plate 10 is an essentially flat disc and the control means comprises a diaphragm valve 11 of known type.
• FIG. k illustrates an alternative embodiment of damper or baffle plate 10 wherein the damper or baffle plate is pivotally mounted within the flue. - 5 "
• FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a control means suitable to control the damper or baffle plate of an oil fired combustion heater.
• the apparatus of FIG. 5 operates in a similar manner to the diaphragm valve of FIG. 3 except that it is operated by oil pressure and the flexible diaphragm is replaced by piston 14 which is compressed against a spring 15.
• FIG. 6 illustrates yet a further embodiment of the control means comprising an electric solenoid 16 for operating the damper or baffle plate.
• an electric solenoid 16 for operating the damper or baffle plate.
• a flue control according to the invention may be retro-fitted to existing fluid fuel heating devices by incorporating the damper or baffle plate and control means therefor in a downdraught prevention cowl on the heater flue assembly.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Control Of Combustion (AREA)
• Air Supply (AREA)
• Details Of Fluid Heaters (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3768234

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (9)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1980
  • 1980-08-25 WO PCT/AU1980/000050 patent/WO1981000609A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1980-08-25 JP JP50197780A patent/JPS56501060A/ja active Pending
• 1981
  • 1981-03-09 EP EP19800901630 patent/EP0034160A4/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (10)

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