Air-proportionality type water heater

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an air-proportionality type water heater, and more particularly, to an air-proportionality type water heater which directly controls a current proportionality gas valve according to an airflow amount by using a low-price AC air blower, a low-price current proportionality gas valve and a low-price airflow sensor, a gas supply amount can be adjusted with respect to all ranges of the airflow amount, with low-price equipment.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] A general water heater heats water up to a predetermined temperature in a short time, and supplies the heated water and is controlled in various ways.

[0005] In particular, the air-proportionality type water heater adjusts an amount of gas according to a pressure of inhaled air. Since a pressure of externally inhaled air is measured by an air pressure sensor and then fuel is supplied to the burner 12 in proportion to the measured air pressure, an accurate amount of fuel is supplied in proportion to the pressure of the inhaled air. Accordingly, combustion efficiency is enhanced and discharging of noxious gas is suppressed at maximum, to thereby prevent an environmental pollution.

[0006] That is, since a variable of adjusting an amount of gas is changed in dependence upon only an air pressure, a certain amount of gas is supplied with respect to a certain air pressure without separately controlling a proportional control portion of a gas valve, to thereby maintain a constant air-to-fuel ratio at all times. Accordingly, an accurate proportional control operation can be done differently from an on/off control type or a current proportionality type.

[0007]
FIG. 1 is a configurational view showing a general air-proportionality type water heater.

[0008] As shown in FIG. 1, cold water input into a heater exchanger 10 via a water supply tube 2 is heated by the heater exchanger 10 directly heated by a burner 12 which mixes gas supplied via an air-proportionality valve 40 and first and second electronic valves 42 and 44 and air inhaled by a DC air blower 18 and burns the gas mixed with air. The heated cold water is supplied via a hot water tube 4 to be used for wash or bath.

[0009] Also, in order to maintain a hot water temperature set via a hot water regulator 16 to be constant, a controller 14 detects a temperature of the input cold water from a direct water temperature sensor 20 and a temperature and a flow amount of the supplied hot water from an exit temperature sensor 24 and a flow sensor 22, respectively, and calculates a calorie needed, and then controls a duty ratio of the DC air blower 18 to adjust a pressure of air to be inhaled and thus adjust an amount of gas. Accordingly, a certain temperature of hot water is maintained.

[0010]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a general air-proportionality type water heater.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, an air pressure detector 30 for detecting a pressure of air inhaled by a DC air blower 18 is installed. If an air pressure recognizer 32 in the air-proportionality valve 40 recognizes an air pressure, the controller 14 activates a water heater to operate with the input gas based on the air pressure detected by the air pressure recognizer 32.

[0012] Also, the controller 14 calculates a calorie with data indicating whether or not a present temperature reaches a set temperature, according to signals input from a direct water temperature sensor 20 installed in a cold water supply tube 2, for measuring a cold water temperature, an exit temperature sensor 24 installed in a hot water tube 4, for measuring a hot water temperature, and a flow sensor 22 for detecting an inflow amount of cold water, and a signal input from the hot water temperature regulator 16. Also, the controller 14 duty-controls a number of rotations of the DC air blower 18 and changes the air pressure with the number of rotations as many as necessary, to thereby adjust a gas discharging amount of the air-proportionality valve 40 and thus adjust a gas supply amount supplied to the burner 12.

[0013] Here, the gas supply amount is varied according to the operation of the air-proportionality valve 40. Accordingly, the gas supply amount is compensated for in dependence upon variation of external air. The thus-supplied gas is ignited and burnt by a spark transferred via an ignition transformer 13 and an ignition rod (not shown). The above-described series of combustion processes are controlled by the controller 14 which receives an input signal from a hot water temperature regulator 16 which is manipulated by a user.

[0014] Also, the controller 14 sends signals to the first and second electronic valves 42 and 44 for opening and closing the gas supply tube 6 and the ignition transformer 13 for ignition, in addition to the DC air blower 18, to thereby enable the water heater to operate normally.

[0015] As described above, the air-proportionality type water heater calculates a calorie and duty-controls a rotational number of the DC air blower 18. Accordingly, if an air pressure is varied into a desired rotational number, the gas discharging amount of the air-proportionality valve 40 is adjusted according to change of the air pressure, and thus a gas supply amount to be supplied to a burner is adjusted.

[0016] In the case that a burner is controlled according to a temperature by using an AC air blower and a current proportionality gas valve in the prior art, an airflow amount to be supplied to a combustion chamber cannot be seen. Accordingly, in the case that a counter-wind is blown or an exhaust gas passage is clogged, that is, under an abnormal condition, an airflow amount does not match a gas supply amount in view of its ratio. At the time of firing, noise and an explosive fire may be caused or a non-fire may occur. Also, noise and an accidental fire may occur during combustion. In order to solve these problems an air-proportionality valve has been used as a gas valve and since the air-proportionality valve requires high pressure, a DC blower has been used.

[0017] However, in the case that the DC air blower and the air-proportionality valve have been used, a product cost increases, and a gas supply amount set in the air-proportionality valve 40 does not match all kinds of the airflow amount. As a result, since an error may occur, the product is not practical and efficiency is lowered, when considering the price of the product.

[0018] Also, since an expansive DC air blower is used, the price of the water heater increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0019] To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air-proportionality type water heater which can control all ranges of an airflow amount efficiently by using low-price equipment, in which a low-price AC air blower, a low-price current proportionality gas valve and a airflow sensor are used and thus the current proportionality gas valve is directly controlled.

[0020] To accomplish the above object of the present invention, there is provided an air-proportionality type water heater for controlling an amount of fuel to be supplied according to an amount of inhaled air, the air-proportionality type water heater comprising: an AC air blower for inhaling air via an inhalation air duct; an airflow sensor installed in an inhalation chamber, for measuring an amount of air to be inhaled by the AC air blower; a current proportionality gas valve for adjusting an amount of gas to be supplied; and a controller for controlling a rotational speed (round per minute; RPM) of the AC air blower according to a calorie and the current proportionality gas valve according to the amount of air measured in the airflow sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above object and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiment thereof in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0022]
FIG. 1 is a configurational view showing a general air-proportionality type water heater;

[0023]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a general air-proportionality type water heater; and

[0024]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration for explaining an air-proportionality type water heater according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] A function of an air-proportionality type water heater according to the present invention will be described.

[0026] A controller calculates a calorie and then controls a rotational number (RPM) of an AC air blower. As a result, if an amount of air to be inhaled is varied as many as the rotational number needed, an airflow sensor senses the variation in the airflow amount, and converts the airflow amount variation into an appropriate amount of gas which is currently needed, to thereby control a current proportionality gas valve. Thus, an amount of gas can be adjusted over all ranges of an airflow amount.

[0027] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Also, this embodiment does not restrict a technical scope of the present invention but is illustrated as only an example. The same elements as those of the conventional art are assigned by the same reference numerals and designations as those of the conventional art.

[0028]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration for explaining an air-proportionality type water heater according to the present invention.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the air-proportionality type water heater according to the present invention includes: an AC (alternating-current) air blower 50 for inhaling air via an inhalation air duct (not shown); an airflow sensor 60 installed in an inhalation chamber (not chamber), for measuring an amount of air to be inhaled by the AC air blower 50; a current proportionality gas valve 70 for adjusting an amount of gas to be supplied; a hot water temperature regulator 16 for manipulating a series of combustion processes such as setting of hot water temperature by a user; a direct water temperature sensor 20 installed in a cold water supply tube 2, for measuring temperature of cold water; an exit temperature sensor 24 installed in a hot water supply tube 4, for measuring temperature of hot water to be discharged; a flow sensor 22 installed in the cold water supply tube 2, for measuring a inflow amount of the cold water; an ignition transformer 13 for generating a spark to the supplied gas to ignite the gas; first and second electronic valves 42 and 44 for controlling an amount of gas to be supplied; and a controller 80 for calculating an optimal calorie based on the signals input from the direct water temperature sensor 20, the exit temperature sensor 24, and the flow sensor 22, and the signal input from the hot water temperature regulator 16, and controlling a rotational speed (round per minute; RPM) of the AC air blower 50 according to the calorie and the ignition transformer 13 and the first and second electronic valves 42 and 44 according to the amount of air measured in the airflow sensor 60, and then controlling the current proportionality gas valve 70.

[0030] Thus, when a user wants to use hot water, the controller 80 turns the AC air blower 50 on. Then, an airflow amount supplied to the combustion chamber is detected by the airflow sensor 60, and then a rotational number (round per minute; RPM) of the AC air blower 50 is controlled so that the airflow amount becomes an amount necessary for ignition. If the airflow amount becomes an appropriate airflow amount, the ignition transformer 13 is turned on. Then, an airflow amount necessary for ignition is maintained for a certain time and then the first and second electronic valves 42 and 44 are opened so that gas is supplied as much as an amount of gas necessary for the current airflow amount. Then, if the gas is ignited, the ignition transformer 13 is turned off.

[0031] As described above, the controller 80 ignites a hot water heater, and calculates a calorie needed with a proportionality formula so that a current hot water temperature is proportionally controlled according to a hot water temperature set based on the temperature values detected by the direct water temperature sensor 20 and the exit temperature sensor 24 and the hot water supply amount detected by the flow sensor 22. Then, the controller 80 coverts the calorie into the RPM value of the AC air blower 50 and controls the AC air blower 50 with the calorie. A gas amount is determined by converting the airflow amount detected by the airflow sensor 60 into an appropriate amount of gas needed by the burner 12. The current proportionality gas valve 70 is controlled based on the appropriate gas amount, to thereby control an amount of gas.

[0032] As described above, the air-proportionality type water heater according to the present invention using a low-price AC air blower, a low-price current proportionality gas valve and a low-price airflow sensor, to then directly control the current proportionality gas valve according to an airflow amount. Accordingly, an amount of gas can be controlled with respect to all ranges of an airflow amount. Thus, a calorie appropriate for proportionally controlling the current hot water temperature with respect to the set temperature can be supplied. Since the hot water heater can perform an ignition and combustion operation optimally and safely, even under the abnormal weather or condition, a combustion performance is improved, to thereby enhance combustion efficiency and save a fuel cost.

[0033] Also, since the low-price AC air blower and the low-price current proportionality gas valve are used, an air-proportionality type water heater can be provided in a cheaper price and then used safely and conveniently.

[0034] The present invention is not limited in the above-described embodiment. It is apparent to one who is skilled in the art that there are many variations and modifications without departing off the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Air-proportionality type water heater

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CPC

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