INDUCTIVE HEATER FOR STOREYED HEATING
FIELD OF ART TO WHICH THIS INVENTION APPLIES
The subject of this invention, generally observed, falls in the field of heating with electrical energy and specifically applies to the heater intended for storeyed heating.
According to the International classification of patents, Int.cl7, the subject of this invention is classified and characterized by that the basic classification symbol H 05 B 6/02 that refers to inductive heating and by the second classification symbols H 05 B 6/38 defining inductive heating devices specially adjusted for placement in hollow spaces of working control that get heated, or by F 27 D 11/06 defining inductive heating when material that has to be heated or its vessel, or the elements it contains are the secondary winding of transformer. The invention can also be characterized by that the secondary symbol F 27 D 11/12' includes heating devices with the electromagnetic field that has a direct effect on the material to be heated.
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
The technical problem to be resolved with the subject invention consists in the following: How to design an electric heater that enables a high degree of utilization of electrical energy for the heating of water circulating through the closed system of storeyed heating and in this way such.heating, in addition to efficiency, allows comfort and healthy heating of work and living space.
STATE OF ART
Heating of living and work space is at present largely achieved by using the following:
- stoves burning coal and wood; ■ - heaters burning heating oil;
- radiators through which hot water, steam or hot air circulates;
- electrical energy for electric heaters, calorifiers and electric heaters accumulating heat;
- various types of the so-called quartz electric heaters.
One disadvantage of electric heating, which despite all efforts by a number of designers has not been resolved until the present day, means work with a high temperature of the heater and the consequences are the following:
- great temperature stress of the material of which the heater is made and consequently its short duration (this requires frequent changes, disassembling of the old and assembling the new heater resulting in heating cut offs);
- sensibility moisture and condensation;
- burning of insects and various particles;
- high degree of fire danger;
- lifting of dust and other particles from the bottom of the room due to forced ventilation (calorifiers and electric heaters accumulating heat) that has a negative effect on respiratory organs and reduces comfort.
When reviewing local and foreign patent documentation the following has been found:
Patent application P-998/92 by inventor Ratko Isidirovic gives a review of the invention titled INDUCTIVE RADIATOR in which heating is done with an induction heater consisting of a transformer with two power structures and a heater shaped as a radiator and connected to secondary coils of small voltage. This technical solution is really good in terms of noise reduction during the operation of this device but utilization of electrical energy and heating or efficiency of heating is still insufficient and the device has not become popular for massive use. Small temperature inertness is one deficiency of this device.
Patent application P-577/87 whose applicant is the company MINEL - automatics of Belgrade shows an invention titled INDUCTIVE RADIATOR that operates according ■ to the transformer principle. Primary winding of this device is connected to alternating voltage (220V - 380V) and secondary winding, consists of one winding in short circuit and of a special design with cooling ribs, similar to radiators. Secondary winding of this device is in short circuit and has a larger cross section and precisely specified active resistance R. Although the author emphasizes efficiency of this device, the degree of utilization of electrical energy is such that its application is appropriate only in cases when, due .to the type of space .to be heated, this could be achieved with, electrical energy.
Patent 46865 by invention applicant MINEL - IEP d.d. of Belgrade titled INDUCTIVE HEATER FOR PASSENGER CARRIAGES gives a technical solution of a heater consisting of a transformer with two structures carrying windings of aluminum and copper conductors coated with araldite (without the property of self-burning) connected in series to the switchboard, secondary winding of copper or aluminum foil to which connected is the radiator made of iron strips with ribs for cooling insulation in order to prevent electrical circuit of the contact with the.stretcher strip fixing the radiator to the base. The basic advantage of this device is great security- achieved as the winding with a voltage of 1.500 V is coated with insulation mass.
FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF INVENTION
The proposed invention, the inductive heater, solves the above defined technical problem.
The fundamental nature of the invention is the fact that to achieve a high degree of work efficiency a heater has been designed whose heating is made possible with a massive iron armature placed in an induction coil in which there is an effect of eddy currents arising in it due to voltages induced under the effect of the alternating magnetic field in which the armature is situated. The difference between this heating method and direct heating with electrical resistance is that in this case there are practically no losses as eddy currents in the heater have a closed circular flow that appears and is transferred
without the mechanical contact with the source of electrical energy. Heat of the heated armature, with the flowing of water passing through its center or through the spiral pipe winded around the armature, is transferred from the heater to the radiator due to the effect of the water pump and thus surrounding space is heated.
The fundamental nature of the invention is also the fact that so designed inductive heater is extremely inert during cooling or heat emission because of the large mass of the cylindrical iron armature whereas its heating is exceptionally quick and the heating effect is felt only minutes after the device has been put in operation.
What makes this device essentially different during heating from quartz and other electrical heaters is this high degree of efficiency resulting from the method of work of this heater characteristic for a very speedy heating of the heater (in minutes only) and great thermal inertness during its cooling (its takes several hours for armature heat to be reduced to ambience temperature).
The fundamental nature of the invention is also the fact that during the process of electrothermics standard voltages of 220 V and 380 V are used with the system frequency of 50 Hz and this means that there is no need for the use of special generators and converters that are otherwise used for inductive heaters. Such relatively low voltages and low frequency prevent losses of energy and radio disturbances and other interruptions appearing otherwise during the operation of standard inductive heaters especially in " electrical communications.
The newly designed heater, according to this invention, has many advantages in relation to earlier known technical solutions and the most important of those advantages are the following:
- due to its simplicity and low manufacturing prices of material it is more inexpensive than similar inductive radiators in use;
- exceptional durability;
- exceptional simplicity of its make and maintenance;
- total noiselessness dueing operation;
- temperature equalization in all parts of heated space;
- high degree of heat utilization.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
In order to understand this invention more easily and to show how it could be made the author, for example, refers to enclosed figures relating to the subject application where:
- figure 1 represents a schematic description of the inductive heater for storeyed heating with one heater;
- figure 2 represents a schematic description of the inductive heater for storeyed heating with three heaters with pipe spirals winded around the armature.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
The inductive heater 1 that achieves a high degree of useful effects of conversion of electrical energy to heat energy, as can be easily seen by the enclosed figure 1, is made as a single phase transformer formed of a steel cylindrical armature 2 situated in fireproof
clay winding 3 around which there is copper winding 4 and thorough the center of the armature 4 a round opening 5 is axially made through which the pipe 6 passes and its one end is connected to the pump 7 and the other end is adequately connected with one or several radiators 8. Coils of copper winding 4 are connected through the contactor 12 to circuit feed sockets 220 V and feed duration is- regulated by the thermostat 9 so adjusted that at the temperature of water circulating through he storeyed heating system above 650C it automatically stops voltage supply to winding 4.
Operation of the heater 1 is very simple and is performed through the following process:
Heating of the cylindrical armature 2 is carried out during an extremely short period of time, nearly 7-10 minutes at a temperature of 250°. As an axial round opening 5 is made through the center of the armature 2 and through which the pile 6 passes in which water circulates under the effects of the water pump 7, water gets heated quickly when it passes the center of the armature 2. Water so heated goes through the closed storeyed heating system to radiators 8 through which heat is emitted to surrounding space, An automatic air valve 1 1 is made on the radiator 8 for operation safety. Mass of the steel cylindrical armature 2 is large so that water circulation through the pipe 6 cannot quickly cool the armature 2. Water circulating through the heating system, after a short time, reaches a maximum required temperature of 65° after which the thermostat 9 shuts off the contactor 12 that results in the copper coil 4 feed switch off. Under the influence of operation of the water pump 7 water continues to circulate through the heating system thus heating surrounding space with radiators 8. The device will again be switched on ' when the water temperature becomes lower than 65° and the process of heating the armature 2 and water circulating through the pipe 6 continues again as described above.
The armature 2, with such a design of the heater 1, is so projected that the voltage of 220 V or 380 V, frequency 50 Hz and the number of windings allow even heating of the whole armature 2 both on its surface and in its interior. In this case eddy currents through the armature 2 have a closed circular flow and the process of electrothermics is carried out practically without contacts with the source of energy. According to the
~ ■ invention, for this reason, transformation of electrical energy to heat energy in heaters is done in accordance with Joule's law with the following applying to this case:
' where E — inductive electromotive force, k- proportionality factor, Φ
m - magnetic flux, /- frequency of electrical energy in inductive winding.
When viewing this formula one can easily see that the degree of efficiency in case when the steel armature, copper windings and circuit frequency voltage are used is exceptionally high as the device in the electrothremics process is practically used without any losses.
Figure 2 shows another method of the invention make and its use is recommended in cases when it is necessary to heat large spaces. This device transfers heat from the heated steel armature 2 to water that in this case flows through the spiral pipe 10 winded around the armature 2. Operation of the device, in this example is absolutely the same as in heaters in which the water pipe 6 passes through the center of the armature 2 with a note that due to duration of water movement because of its flow through the pipe spiral 10 the effect of electrothermics is slightly improved. One advantage of such a make of
the device is the fact that water circulating through the pipe spiral 10 performs cooling of windings 4 at the same time and this improves quality of operation.
INDUSTRIAL OR OTHER APPLICATION OF INVENTION
Accomplishment of the subject invention is absolutely possible and its application is recommended for heating housing and working premises of all sizes in which it is necessary to achieve a high degree of efficiency, comfort and to meet ecological requirements. It is also recommended as an alternative heating method or as a basic heating method in country cottages and other premises where the owner is not constantly present.
Its application is also recommended for heating electrical trains, trolley buses and trolley cars, etc.
The subject invention is suitable for serial production and it can be manufactured in the factories producing electrical heating devices and even in well equipped specialized electrical fitting shops based on the shop's documentation that experts in this field could make by using descriptions and figures in the subject patent application.
It is necessary to mention that the checking of the device operation on prototypes of various powers made by the invention author has been successfully accomplished with outstanding electrical energy savings. It is especially noted that measurements performed on prototypes have shown that it is not necessary to make any correction of the power ' factor as the same ranges from 0,94 - 0,99. "