Patent Application
20120285399
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water heating devices commonly used for heating water for commercial and residential use. More specifically, the present invention relates to gas hot water heater preheaters or economizers.
2. Description of Related Art
Common gas hot water heaters utilize a pilot flame in conjunction with a gas supply for on demand ignition and subsequent heating of a water tank. A thermocouple is employed to close the valve controlling the gas supply if the pilot flame is extinguished so as to prevent unburned gas from being released. Blowers direct heated air onto the water tank so as to heat the water inside. The heated air is then directed into an exhaust vent typically located at the top of the water heater, and then carried through a vertically oriented 3 or 4 inch diameter vent pipe that typically extends through the top of a commercial or residential structure so as to release the exhaust gases to the outside air. A cold water supply line supplies water to the water tank inside the gas water heater.
The prior art is crowded with devices called preheaters or economizers that utilize the hot air exhaust from a gas hot water heating device to preheat cold water before it enters the gas hot water heating device. Preheating the cold water causes the gas hot water heating device to perform more efficiently where less energy is required to heat preheated water.
The prior art is generally made up of reservoir type preheaters and bubbler type preheaters. Reservoir type preheaters use gas hot water heater exhaust gas to heat a reservoir of cold water sitting over the gas hot water heater vent. Bubbler type preheaters force gas hot water heater exhaust gases through the cold water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,518 to Reames is a horizontally oriented chamber enclosing cold water piping arranged so that the hot water heater exhaust gas is initially forced through a right angle exhaust vent and into said horizontal chamber after which the exhaust gas exits said chamber through another right angle exhaust vent. The device to Reames is ostensibly caused to be horizontally oriented and positionally offset from the gas hot water heater exhaust opening to prevent condensation from entering the gas hot water heater and either: extinguishing the pilot flame; interfering with electronics; and/or interfering with thermocouple operation.
There does not exist in the prior art, however, the present invention which comprises a modified portion of gas hot water heater exhaust vent tubing. The orientation, vent tubing diameter, and insulation design of the present invention is purposefully meant to permit a simple replacement of existing vertical exhaust tubing above a gas water heater with the present invention so as to not interfere with the operation characteristics that a gas water heater is calibrated to perform at. Cold water tubing is wound around the outside of a tube of the same interior diameter and vertical orientation as the exhaust venting that typical gas hot water heaters are designed to operate with. Said vent tube is insulated, double-walled, or is otherwise of a sufficient thickness and/or appropriate material composition so as to prevent condensation occurring on its interior surfaces, and may contain small vents or perforations that allow hot exhaust gases to communicate with the cold water tubing. An insulating jacket is located proximally to the cold water tubing whereby the insulating jacket, cold water tubing and vent tube portion are enclosed within a housing portion. The present invention is meant to easily replace an existing section of exhaust venting typically used in a consistent vertical orientation with a common gas hot water heater.
The general purpose of the foregoing application is to describe an improved preheater, heat exchanger, or economizer for use with a common gas hot water heater whereby an exhaust vent is used to transport hot exhaust gases created by the gas hot water heater away from the gas hot water heater.
The present invention presents as a straightforward replacement of the existing vertically oriented 3 or 4 inch diameter vent piping typically used with common gas hot water heaters, whereby the present invention describes a gas water heater preheater. The present invention reroutes the gas water heater cold water supply piping so that cold water enters the preheater, collects heat, exits the preheater and then enters the cold water intake of the hot water heater as preheated water.
The elements of the present invention preheater include in part: a 3 or 4 inch diameter interior tube portion; a coiled cold water tubing portion positioned helically around the exterior of said interior tube portion; an insulating jacket; and a housing portion surrounding or enclosing the aforementioned elements. In an alternative embodiment, a housing is located proximally to the cold water tubing and an insulating jacket surrounds or encloses the housing and cold water tubing. The interior tube portion bottom end is attached to the water heater exhaust vent via an exhaust port coupling means, and the interior tube top end is attached to contiguous vent tubing via a top end coupling means. The interior tube is insulated, double-walled, or is otherwise of a sufficient thickness and/or of appropriate material composition so as to prevent condensation occurring on its interior surfaces. A single embodiment of the aforesaid elements may comprise an entire preheater, or, a plurality of embodiments may comprise corresponding sections of an entire preheater whereby corresponding sections are attached to each via respective element coupling means thereby allowing a preheater to be of any desired length.
The hot water heater exhaust gases contain considerable heat as they exit the water heater exhaust vent and enter the interior tube of the preheater. Small vents or perforations in the wall of the interior tube allow said hot gases to flow through the preheater and heat the coiled cold water tubing, thereby preheating the cold water inside said tubing. An insulating jacket located proximally to the coiled cold water tubing slows heat loss within said tubing while allowing exhaust gases to flow past.
The characteristics and utilities of the present invention described in this summary and the detailed description below are not all inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the following drawings, specifications and claims. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, by 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 description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein 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.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to preheat cold water before it enters a gas hot water heater.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to represent a simple replacement for 3 or 4 inch exhaust vent tubing commonly used with typical gas hot water heaters and that typically extend vertically through a roof opening so as to transport gases to the outside air.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to present, in installation, as a single embodiment or as a plurality of sections, whereby corresponding embodiments are attached at respective component top and bottom ends enabling the creation of a preheater of any length starting from a gas hot water heater exhaust port.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to function in such a manner so as to not interfere with the operation characteristics that a typical gas hot water heater is calibrated to operate at, including but not limited to safety and efficiency.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to function in such a manner so as to not interfere with the safe use of a typical gas hot water heater.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to prevent condensation created due to heat exchange from entering the gas hot water heater.
The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding and simplicity, common numbering of elements within the illustrations is employed to identify an element in the different drawings.
The composition of the housing portion 200 and the interior vent tube portion 100 may include but is not limited to: metal; metal alloys; glass; polymers; ceramics; stone; elastomer; or any combination thereof. The thickness of the interior vent tube and/or the thermal characteristics of its composition material(s) should be able to withstand temperature differentials during heat exchange so as to not cause condensation to form on its interior surfaces, and may be comprised of a plurality of layers (single wall, double wall, etc.) whereby each layer may be of the same or different material and may contain solid, liquid or gas insulating material between said layers. The insulating jacket portion 220 may be comprised of ceramic fiber or any suitable insulating material, or may comprise an insulating membrane containing liquid or gas.
Small vents or perforations 25 in the interior vent tube portion may be employed to allow water heater exhaust gases into and/or through the portion of the preheater containing the cold water tubing. Said vents or perforations are of appropriate shape, and located sufficiently above the preheater bottom end, so as to prevent condensation formed during heat exchange to be allowed into the water heater exhaust vent opening.
The cold water tubing 300 preferably ascends helically around the exterior of the interior vent tube whereby an opening or openings are located in the housing portion to permit cold water tubing to enter (intake end 320) and exit (outflow end 340) the preheater. Preheater cold water tubing intake and outflow ends may be at opposite ends of the preheater or located proximally to each other whereby the outflow end preferably transverses the coils of the cold water tubing 300 so that the transverse portion of the cold water tubing remains inside the preheater. The cold water tubing composition may include but is not limited to: metal; metal alloys; glass; ceramic; stone; polymer; or any combination thereof. The cold water tubing may be of uniform or different diameter(s) and/or of any shape.
The previous is a detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the present invention. As these embodiments of the present invention are described with references to the aforementioned drawings, various modifications or adaptations of the methods and or specific structures described may become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such modifications, adaptations, or variations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention, and through which these teachings have advanced the art, are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hence, these descriptions and drawings are not to be considered in a limiting sense, as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments illustrated.
