Patent Application
20060243221
The present invention relates generally to fuel-burning combustion devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for aligning and assembling boiler flue sections.
Domestic boilers are used to generate hot water, which may be used to flow through a circuit to provide heating to a facility such as a home or office building. The hot water also may be stored in a hot water tank and used for hot water needs such as running a dishwasher, showers and other domestic hot water uses.
Fuel-burning boilers commonly include a fuel-burning combustion device, or burner, to provide a source of heat to heat liquid water or steam. The burner may supply a hot gas mixture, which can be routed through a series of flue passageways. A boiler may further include two or more flue sections designed to transfer heat by way of convection from the hot gas mixture to liquid water or steam. The flue sections typically can include one or more connected flue passageways through which the hot gas mixture can flow.
In some boilers, the hot gas mixture can be routed through a sequence of flue passageways, each of which can be comprised of a series of flue passageway segments in a series of flue sections. Additionally, the hot gas mixture can be routed in different directions through the flue passageways—for example, the hot gas mixture can be routed in one direction through a first flue passageway, and then in the opposite direction through a second flue passageway that runs parallel to the first, and so on, through a sequence of multiple flue passageways in the flue sections.
Generally, the flue sections of a boiler also include water passageways that are separated from the flue passageways by a solid wall, for example produced from cast iron. The water passageways in the individual flue sections can be interconnected in order to permit liquid water or steam in the water passageways to flow between the flue sections, as well. Furthermore, the flue passageways can include a series of convective fins attached to or formed from the solid wall and configured to extend into the flow stream of the hot gas mixture in order to transfer heat to the fins and subsequently to the liquid water or steam on the opposite side of the wall in the water passageways. Thus, the alignment between the convective fins in the flue passageway segments of adjacent flue sections can significantly affect the efficiency of the hot gas mixture flow.
For this reason, some boiler flue sections can be configured to align with each other. In addition, alignment can be necessary in order to install baffles between some flue passageway segments. Moreover, alignment of adjacent flue sections can be important not only to align the convective fins in the flue passageway segments, but also to ensure alignment of complementary sealing surfaces between adjacent flue sections and any attachment interfaces on the flue sections. Therefore, during boiler assembly the flue sections generally must be properly aligned and fastened to each other, for example, using bolts, screws, rivets, or the like. However, aligning the flue sections during production can be tedious and time consuming.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for properly aligning the flue sections during assembly that is efficient and requires only minimal effort.
The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect a method and apparatus are provided that in some embodiments efficiently align individual flue sections with each other by aligning a set of convective fins on the flue sections, such that sealing surfaces and attachment interfaces on the flue sections become properly aligned, in order to facilitate assembly of a boiler, including fastening the flue sections together.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a boiler assembly alignment tool can include a base and a first projection attached to the base. In addition, the first projection can be configured to substantially align a plurality of flue sections.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a boiler flue assembly alignment tool can include means for aligning a plurality of corresponding sets of convective fins on a plurality of flue sections, and means for supporting and stabilizing the means for aligning.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of assembling a boiler can include the steps of placing a first end flue section on an alignment tool that includes a projection configured to substantially align a plurality of flue sections, and placing a second end flue section on the alignment tool, such that the second end flue section is substantially aligned with the first end flue section.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
An embodiment in accordance with the present invention can provide a boiler assembly alignment tool, including a base and one or more projections attached to the base that are configured to align the flue sections of a boiler subassembly. The base can be configured to support and stabilize the projections along with an assembly of flue sections placed onto the projections. The projections can include a cross-sectional shape configured to engage or have a minimal clearance with one or more convective fins on the flue sections. The alignment tool has the advantage that the flue sections are brought into close alignment with each other as the flue sections are placed onto the projections, facilitating efficient boiler assembly, including fastening of the flue sections to one another. The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.
An embodiment of the present inventive apparatus and method is illustrated in
The alignment tool 10 can be configured to fit between or to engage, or mesh with, corresponding sets of convective fins 28 on each of the flue sections 20. That is, the projections 14 may not contact the convective fins 28, but pass within a relatively small distance of the convective fins 28; or the projections 14 may be in actual contact with the convective fins 28, possibly including an interference fit. For example, each of the alignment tool projections 14 can pass between corresponding sets of convective fins 28 around the periphery of a series of flue passageway segments 29 that comprise a flue passageway in the flue sections 20. The sets of convective fins 28 can be configured to facilitate heat exchange between a hot gas mixture flowing through the flue passageway segments 29 and liquid water or steam in the flue sections 20. In some embodiments of the invention, water circulates through the flue sections 20 via water passageways 30.
Thus, for example, when a flue section 20 is placed on the alignment tool 10, the projections 14 can pass through the flue passageways 29 between the convective fins 28, leaving a minimal clearance—for example, one-tenth of an inch or less—between the projections 14 and the convective fins 28 on each side and at the ends of the cross sections of the individual projections 14 where the projections 14 pass between the convective fins 28, as shown in
As further illustrated in
Likewise, the flue sections can include one or more water passageway sealing surfaces, or interfaces, such as the representative waterway sealing interfaces 38 on the first end flue section 22, on the intermediate flue section 24, and on the second end flue section 26. Thus, as each of the flue sections 22, 24, 26 are brought into alignment by the alignment tool 10, the waterway sealing interfaces 38 can be brought into proper alignment with complementary sealing surfaces on the respective adjacent flue sections to ensure proper sealing of the water passageways 30 between the flue sections 20. Proper sealing between the flue sections 20 has the advantage that the liquid water or steam passing through the water passageways 30 cannot escape from the flue sections 20, but rather can be contained within the boiler assembly.
In addition, the flue sections 20 can include one or more attachment, or fastener, interfaces, such as the representative ear-shaped attachment interfaces 40 on the first end flue section 22 and on the second end flue section 26. For example, in a preferred embodiment of the inventive apparatus, the flue sections 20 can include attachment interfaces 40 on the first end flue section 22 and on the second end flue section 26, but not on an intermediate flue section 24. In this case, the intermediate flue section 24 can be sandwiched between the first end flue section 22 and the second end flue section 26 and held firmly in place without requiring attachment fastener interfaces on the intermediate flue section 24. However, in an alternative embodiment an intermediate flue section 24 can also include attachment interfaces 40, which may interface with complementary attachment interfaces 40 on the first end flue section 22, the second end flue section 26, or another intermediate flue section 24.
When a flue section 20 is placed upon the alignment tool 10, the attachment interfaces 40 are automatically brought into alignment with those on other flue sections 20 as the projections 14 on the alignment tool 10 pass between the convective fins 28 of the corresponding flue section 20. As a result, when a flue section 20 has been placed upon the alignment tool 10, the attachment interfaces 40 on the first end flue section 22, the second end flue section 26, and any intermediate flue section 24 are brought into alignment with each other in order to facilitate fastening of the flue sections 20 to one another. The alignment tool 10 thus has the advantage that the individual flue sections 20, such as the first end flue section 22, the second end flue section 26 and one or more intermediate flue sections 24, are quickly and efficiently brought into proper alignment for assembly, as shown in
In addition, alignment of the flue sections 20 and the convective fins 28 can be useful in subsequent assembly processes. For example, some boilers can include baffle elements that partially fill a gap between the convective fins 28 of one or more flue passageways 29. In this case, the baffle elements may be installed in the flue passageways 29 after the flue sections 20 have been fastened together. Thus, the alignment tool can have the additional advantage that the convective fins 28 of the flue passageways 29 can be adequately aligned when fastened together in order to permit subsequent installation of the baffles.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base 12 is configured to stand or rest freely upon a horizontal surface, such as a floor of a manufacturing facility or a work bench. In this embodiment, the projections 14 can stand upright in a vertical orientation upon the base 12, which can be oriented in a generally horizontal orientation. Thus, the base 12 must extend in all directions beyond the aggregate center of gravity of the alignment tool 10 with a boiler subassembly 44, such that the aggregate center of gravity of the alignment tool 10 and the boiler subassembly 44 falls within the borders of the edges of the base 12 with sufficient margin to ensure that the alignment tool 10 will stably rest with a boiler subassembly 44 installed. However, in an alternate embodiment, the alignment tool base 12 can be anchored to a floor or other stable, or rigid, horizontal surface. In yet another alternative embodiment, the base 12 can be anchored to a wall, or other vertical or non-horizontal surface, such that the projections 14 extend outwardly from the base 12 in a horizontal or other than vertical orientation.
Furthermore, in various embodiments, one or more of the projections 14 of the alignment tool 10 can include a unique cross section that complements or matches the configuration of a set of convective fins 28 located in the flue passageways 29 of a flue section 20 (see
In some embodiments of the invention, the alignment tool 10 can include projections 14 with the representative cross section 52 shown in
As shown in
Moreover, an embodiment of the invention can include a process or method for assembling a boiler subassembly, such as that illustrated in
In step 76, an intermediate flue section can be placed on the alignment tool such that the projections pass between one or more sets of convective fins on the intermediate flue section. Once again, as described above the cross section of the projections can be configured to match or complement the configuration of the convective fins on the flue section. Thus, as the intermediate flue section is placed onto the alignment tool, the projections engage or mesh with the convective fins in such a way that the intermediate flue section can be aligned with the alignment tool and the first end flue section. In this way, the intermediate flue section and the first end flue section can be properly aligned for assembly.
For example, as described above, the intermediate flue section and the first end flue section can include mating sealing surfaces or matching attachment interfaces that can be brought within acceptable alignment tolerances by the alignment tool. Alternative embodiments can include placing additional intermediate flue sections on the alignment tool such that the projections pass between one or more corresponding sets of convective fins on each of the intermediate flue sections. The process continues in step 78.
In step 78, a second end flue section is placed onto the alignment tool in an orientation that allows the projections to pass between one or more sets of convective fins on the second end flue section. The cross section of the projections can be configured to complement or match the configuration of the convective fins on the second end flue section so that the projections can engage or mesh with the convective fins in order to bring the second end flue section into a particular alignment with the alignment tool 10. In this way the second end flue section can be properly aligned with the first end flue section and with the intermediate flue section to facilitate assembly of a boiler subassembly consisting of these three flue sections. For example, as explained above, the second end flue section and the intermediate flue section can include mating sealing surfaces or matching attachment interfaces that can be brought within acceptable alignment tolerances by the alignment tool. The process then continues in step 80.
In step 80, fasteners can be installed into attachment interfaces on the second end flue section and on the first end flue section, which can be aligned by the alignment tool. As described above, the fasteners can include any suitable attachment device, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or the like. In the embodiment of
Nevertheless, in an alternative embodiment, the intermediate flue section can include one or more attachment interfaces, as is also described above. In this case, the intermediate flue section can be fastened to the second end flue section, to the first end flue section, or to both the second end and first end flue sections. Yet another alternative embodiment includes multiple intermediate flue sections, which also may not include attachment interfaces, or can include one or more attachment interfaces and can be fastened to the second end or first end flue sections, or to each other. The process then stops in step 82.
A preferred embodiment of the method or process of
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
