Patent Application
20250237409
The present disclosure relates to a device for heating room air and a liquid.
Generally, it is known to produce thermal energy from the combustion of, for example, propane, butane, gasoline or diesel fuel converted to the gaseous state, and to transfer it to a liquid such as service water or room air via at least one heat exchanger. It is also known to heat room air and liquid (see for example US 2019/0212033 A1).
Further, in other conventional art, liquid present in a medium line is heated. If no liquid but only air is to be heated in one mode of operation, the medium line is drained in a preparatory step by passing air therethrough. This air differs from the room air to be heated and may be referred to as working air, for example. This air originates from an air cushion located in that medium tank which takes up the liquid to be heated and/or heated. The air is conveyed from the medium tank through the medium line and back to the medium tank. This type of draining requires that sufficient working air is available to the device.
Accordingly, the present disclosure is to propose a device for heating room air and a liquid, in which a draining of the medium line using air is reliably ensured.
Example embodiments relate to a device for heating room air and a liquid, comprising an energy unit, a heat exchanger, a medium tank, a medium line, a conveying device and a control unit, wherein the energy unit generates thermal energy, wherein the heat exchanger transfers the thermal energy generated by the energy unit to the room air and the liquid, wherein the medium tank serves to take up liquid and air, wherein the medium line serves to conduct liquid and air, wherein the heat exchanger and the medium line are configured and arranged relative to each other such that the heat exchanger transfers thermal energy to liquid present in the medium line, wherein the conveying device serves to move liquid and air from the medium tank to the medium line, wherein the control unit controls the conveying device, wherein in the event that the device is intended to heat only room air in an air mode, the control unit controls the conveying device in a preparatory step such that the conveying device moves air from an air cushion in the medium tank through the medium line, and wherein the control unit monitors a pumping behavior of the conveying device.
The device according to the present disclosure serves to heat room air and a liquid, wherein it includes an energy unit, a heat exchanger, a medium tank, a medium line, a conveying device, and a control unit. The energy unit generates—for example by the combustion of a gas-/diesel-/gasoline-air mixture or via an electrical heating element—thermal energy which is transferred to the room air and the liquid by the heat exchanger. Here, different modes of operation are provided: for example, only room air or only liquid is heated, or both room air and liquid are heated. The liquid is service water, for example. The medium tank takes up liquid and air. This air may also be referred to as working air and is not the room air which is to be heated by the device. However, this air can be drawn from the same room to which the room air is assigned. In one configuration, the medium tank includes a liquid outlet for draining the liquid, and an air inlet for admitting air. In one configuration, the medium tank additionally includes at least one liquid inlet via which for example warm or cold liquid can enter the medium tank. Preferably, the liquid outlet has a drain valve assigned thereto, via which it is possible to set whether and, if necessary, how much liquid flows out of the medium tank via the liquid outlet. The medium line can conduct liquid and air, wherein this medium line and the heat exchanger are configured and arranged relative to each other such that the heat exchanger transfers thermal energy to the liquid present in the medium line. The liquid which is guided through the medium line is thus purposefully heated. In addition, one configuration provides that there is a guiding of the room air through the device which allows the heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy to the room air. The conveying device which is controlled by the control unit is provided to convey the liquid and the air from the medium tank to the medium line and also through the medium line. If only room air is to be heated in an air mode, the control unit drains the medium line with regard to the liquid in a preparatory step. To this end, the control unit controls the conveying device such that the conveying device moves air from an air cushion in the medium tank through the medium line. The air thus pushes the liquid out of the medium line. However, sufficient air has to be present for this purpose in the system composed of the medium tank, the conveying device and the medium line. Furthermore, the air has to be conveyed through the medium line or at least through the area of the medium line in which the heat exchanger transfers thermal energy to the liquid, i.e. in which the liquid is heated. To this end, the control unit monitors the pumping behavior of the conveying device. This is carried out, for example, by providing a sensing system which recognizes that air is conveyed through the medium line. Alternatively or additionally, the performance of the conveying device is monitored, the current requirement being for example evaluated in one configuration.
One configuration consists in that the medium tank has a liquid outlet for draining the liquid, and an air inlet for admitting air, that a drain valve is assigned to the liquid outlet, that in the event that an amount of air conveyed by the conveying device is below a set value during the preparatory step, the control unit controls the drain valve such that liquid flows out of the medium tank via the liquid outlet. In this configuration, a drain valve is thus present via which a draining of the liquid out of the medium tank can be adjusted. The drain valve is assigned to the liquid outlet.
Therefore, if the control unit determines that the required amount of air is not conveyed, i.e. that the actual value of the conveyed amount of air is below a predeterminable set value, or even that no air is conveyed, it initiates a reaction in this configuration such that sufficient air is present for the preparatory step. The reaction consists in that the control unit allows liquid to flow out of the liquid outlet of the medium tank by opening the drain valve. As a result of the liquid flowing out, the part of the internal volume in the medium tank which is available to the air increases. In one configuration, more air can thus enter the system and be conveyed through the medium line accordingly. In one configuration, the air inlet is provided with an air valve for the inflow of air.
One configuration provides that an air valve is assigned to the air inlet, through which air can enter and/or exit the medium tank. The air valve is configured such that it then opens the air inlet for air when a pressure in the medium tank is below a pressure of the air outside the medium tank. This air valve thus opens automatically depending on the conditions in the medium tank. The air and the liquid have the same pressure in the medium tank. If this pressure is below the air pressure around the medium tank, the air valve opens automatically. This means that the outflow of the liquid causes the opening thereof and that air therefore enters the medium tank.
A configuration related therewith involves that the air valve is configured as a ventilation valve.
An alternative configuration describes another method in which an air valve is also provided and assigned to the air inlet. In this configuration, it is provided that in the event that the amount of air conveyed by the conveying device is below the set value during the preparatory step, the control unit controls the air valve such that air enters the medium tank via the air inlet. In this configuration, the control unit thus actively opens the air valve such that air can enter the medium tank.
The two different configurations thus have in common that the outflow of the liquid is accompanied by the inflow of air through the air inlet into the medium tank.
A further configuration consists in that the medium tank includes a liquid inlet, that a supply valve is assigned to the liquid inlet, and that in the event that the amount of air conveyed by the conveying device is below the set value during the preparatory step, the control unit closes the supply valve. In this configuration, liquid can enter the medium tank via a liquid inlet. In this configuration, to prevent the outflow of the liquid via the liquid outlet from being compensated for—for example by an automatically operating liquid pump—in that liquid is refilled via the liquid inlet, the control unit closes the liquid inlet via a supply valve.
One configuration provides that the control unit monitors the pumping behavior of the conveying device in that the control unit evaluates a current consumption of the conveying device. In this configuration, the control unit evaluates the current requirement of the conveying device, which is associated with the type of medium conveyed.
A configuration related therewith involves that the control unit evaluates a decrease in the current consumption of the conveying device as meaning that the conveying device conveys air. In this configuration, the fact is utilized that the conveying device requires significantly less energy when it conveys air instead of liquid. In a further development, a sudden decrease in the current consumption is thus taken as an indication that air is conveyed. However, if the current consumption remains constant or decreases only slightly, it is recognized that no or only little air is conveyed. The present disclosure therefore generally also relates to the recognition whether air or liquid is conveyed by a conveying device.
One configuration provides that in the event that the device is intended to heat either only liquid or liquid and room air, the control unit controls the conveying device such that liquid flows out of the medium tank to the medium line, and from the medium line to the medium tank. If only air is heated in the air mode, in particular no liquid is conveyed through the medium line. However, if liquid is to be heated, the liquid is moved through the medium line.
One configuration involves that the device further includes a fan for conveying the room air from an air input to an air output. In this configuration, room air is guided through the device and thus preferably past the heat exchanger such that the thermal energy is transferred thereto and it is thus heated.
One configuration consists in that the energy unit generates thermal energy by the combustion of a fuel-air-mixture and/or by the conversion of electrical energy.
More specifically, there are many possibilities for designing and further developing the device according to the present disclosure. For this purpose, reference is made, on the one hand, to the claims which depend on claim 1, and, on the other hand, to the description below of example embodiments in conjunction with the drawing, in which:
The room air enters the device through the air input 1 and leaves it in a heated state through the air output 2. The room air is guided past the heat exchanger 6 by a fan 12 and thus absorbs the thermal energy originating from the energy unit 5. The energy unit 5 generates the thermal energy for example by the combustion of a fuel-air-mixture, the fuel being propane, butane, diesel or gasoline, for example. The liquid is heated by being conveyed through the medium line 8 by the conveying device 9. The configuration of the medium line 8 and the heat exchanger 6 allows the thermal energy to be transferred to the liquid. The liquid is conveyed from a medium tank 7 to the medium line 8 and back again. Accordingly, the medium tank 7 includes an input and an output which are not depicted for the sake of clarity.
A liquid outlet 3, a liquid inlet 13 and an air inlet 4 are considered in the illustrated configuration: fluid can be drained from the medium tank 7 through the liquid outlet 3. To permit or prevent this, a drain valve 30 is present which is controlled by the control unit 10. Air can enter the medium tank 7 via the air inlet 4. To control this access of air, the control unit 10 in the illustrated configuration acts on an air valve 40. In an alternative configuration—not shown here—the air valve 40 opens automatically by being designed as a ventilation valve which reacts to an outflow of liquid from the medium tank 7. The liquid inlet 13 allows fluid to flow into the medium tank 7—for example via a further pump which is not illustrated here. It is for example cold liquid which is to be heated by the device. The control unit 10 can open and close the liquid inlet 13 via a supply valve 130. The medium tank 7 therefore takes up liquid and air. The air is here indicated by the formation of an air cushion 11. If only the room air is to be heated in an air mode, the liquid is first removed from the medium line 8 in a preparatory step. This is carried out by guiding the air from the air cushion 11 through the medium line 8. The conveying device 9 is accordingly able to convey both air and liquid.
The control unit 10 controls the conveying device 9 and monitors the pumping capacity thereof. In the illustrated version, this is carried out in that the current requirement of the conveying device 9 is evaluated. If the current requirement of the conveying device 9 decreases below a predeterminable value, the control unit 10 deduces therefrom that a sufficient amount of air is conveyed through the medium line 8. If there is no or only an insufficient decrease in the current requirement, the control unit 10 concludes that no air or an insufficient amount of air is conveyed. In this case of an insufficient amount of air, air is introduced into the medium tank 7 which is then conveyed by the conveying device 9. A type of refilling of the working air thus takes place.
This is realized in that the control unit 10 opens the drain valve 30 and the air valve 40. In the configuration already mentioned—and not shown—, the air valve 40 opens automatically as a result of the liquid flowing out of the medium tank 7. Furthermore, the control unit 10 closes the liquid inlet 13 via the supply valve 130, such that the outflow of the liquid through the liquid outlet 3 is not compensated for by liquid flowing in via the liquid inlet 13. The outflow of the liquid should result in the suction of air into the medium tank 7. This occurs through the open air valve 40.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2021 005 723.6 | Nov 2021 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/000084 | 9/29/2022 | WO |
