Patent Application
20100107993
This disclosure relates to energy efficient induced air gas water heaters. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an energy efficient damper installed on the outlet of a blower or at the top of a flue.
In water heaters that include blowers, such as induced air gas water heaters, residual heat and gases escape through the outlet of the blower when the water heater is in standby mode. Exhausting combustion gases is necessary when the burner and the blower are operating. However, when the blower is not operating and the water heater is in standby mode, the release of residual heat from the water heater is inefficient as hot air from the water heater storage tank is lost.
Thus, a device that allows the release of combustion gases during operation, but preventing the loss of residual heat during standby mode could be helpful.
I provide an energy efficient induced air gas water heater that includes a water tank; a flue associated with the water tank; a burner that combusts fuel that creates combustion products that pass through the flue; a blower that receives the combustion products from an outlet of the flue; a damper that movably covers and uncovers the flue outlet or an outlet of the blower. The damper may be in an open position when the burner and/or the blower are operating uncovered and may be in a closed position when the burner and/or the blower are not operating.
It will be appreciated that the following description is intended to refer to specific examples of structure selected for illustration in the drawings and is not intended to define or limit the disclosure, other than in the appended claims.
This disclosure relates to a water heater, such as an induced air gas water heater, to allow for the release of combustion gases from a flue when a blower and burner are running and to prevent the loss of residual heat from a heated water tank when the blower and burner are not operating, i.e., in standby mode.
With reference to
Located underneath the water tank 106 is the main burner 114 which uses natural gas or other gases, such as LPG, for example. Other suitable fuels may be substituted. Main burner 114 combusts a gas and air mixture and the hot products of combustion resulting rise up through flue 110, possibly with heated air.
The products of combustion pass upwardly and out the top of jacket 104 via flue outlet 116 after heat has been transferred from the products of combustion. The flue outlet 116 discharges into a blower/air inducer 120. Blower 120 includes a fan 122 that induces combustion products upwardly through flue 110 and into the housing of blower 120. Those hot combustion products are mixed with ambient air that is introduced into blower 120 through inlet 135. Mixture of those two components reduces the temperature of the combustion products and allows that mixture to be discharged from outlet 125 at a temperature that is low enough to be compatible with materials that are not resistant to very high temperatures such as PVC pipe, as one example. This allows for the increased flexibility of installing water heater 100.
With reference to
The damper 200 has an open position and a closed position. In an open position, combustion products, such as gases and heat, exit from the water heater 100 via the flue 110. The damper 200 is in the open position when the burner 114 and the blower 120 are operating and combustion products are being produced to heat water in the storage tank 106. In a closed position, heat is prevented from leaving the water heater 100 as the damper 200 closes either the blower outlet 125 (
The frame 310 can be located entirely within outlet 116 or can also be connected to outlet 116 at bevelled side portions 340 that can be sized and shaped to match complementary sizes and shapes of outlet 116 to facilitate an easy connection between the two devices.
Moveable disc 320 connects to pivot member 330 and is moveable between a closed, substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical open position as shown by the range of motion indicated by arrow A in
With reference to
The damper 400 includes a frame 410, multiple flaps 420 and a support frame 430. Damper 400 has a substantially circular frame 410 that is fixed to the substantially circular outlet 116 or 125. Four flaps 320 connect to the frame 410 and are made from a flexible, but heat resistant material such as santoprene, for example. The flexible flaps 420 are maintained in a closed position by support frame 430 which is essentially comprises support members that form a “cross” or “X” and connect interiorly of frame 410. The support frame 430 allows the four flaps to lie in a closed position when the water heater is in standby mode. This is particularly well shown in
Water heater 100 may be in an operating condition or in a standby mode. When the temperature of water in water tank 106 falls below a preselected temperature level, a controller 130 activates blower 120 to induce the flow of air through 110 by way of combustion chamber 115 which typically has an access opening to draw ambient air into combustion chamber 115. Then, upon receiving a signal that air is successfully moving through water heater 100, controller 130 activates burner 114. Burner 114 produces combustion products that pass upwardly through flue 110 and outwardly of flue 110 to outlet 116. Those combustion gases mix with ambient inlet air passing through inlet opening 135 which then combine with the combustion products and exit through blower outlet 125.
When the temperature of water within tank 106 again reaches approximately the preselected temperature, the controller terminates operation of burner 114 and typically shortly thereafter terminates operation of blower 120.
During standby mode when burner 114 is not operating, there is no induction of combustion products and air through flue 110. However, due to the “open” nature of water heater 100 wherein ambient air may enter combustion 115 and there would ordinarily be an opening at the top 104 of water heater 100, such ambient air would tend to enter combustion chamber 115, pass through flue 110 and exit outwardly at outlet 116 and outlet 125. This creates a passage of cooling air that reduces the efficiency of the water heater by as much as 7 percent. This is undesirable.
As shown in
Tank Capacity, Measured/Rated: 47.8/50.00
Tank Capacity, Measured/Rated: 47.8/50.00
On the other hand, when burner 114 is operating and combustion products are generated, such combustion products must be efficiently removed from the system. Therefore, the damper 200 provides a simple and efficient manner of allowing those combustion products to be removed, but still maintain the closed system when burner 114 is not operating.
Although specific structures and steps have been shown and described herein for purposes of illustration and exemplification, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the specific structures and steps shown and described may be substituted for a wide variety of alternative and/or equivalent implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the structures and steps discussed herein.
