A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates generally to utility class woodstoves. More particularly, this invention pertains to utility class woodstoves with reduced particulate matter output.
Utility class woodstoves are constructed of welded plate steel assemblies and are designed to burn wood at relatively high burn rates. These high burn rate utility stoves were exempt from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that were in place from February of 1988 until March of 2015 (40 CFR 60 Subpart AAA: Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters) because their burn rates exceeded 5 kg/hr. EPA regulations promulgated in March of 2015 began to regulate these devices and thus there was a need for a cleaner burning version of this class of high burn rate utility woodstove heater. Under this new EPA regulation this type of heater is referred to as a single burn rate heater or woodstove. Single burn rate woodstoves are designed to operate at a single combustion rate that optimizes fuel efficiency and reduces overall particulate matter (PM) emissions output. In order to minimize costs, they have fixed combustion air opening sizes such that the flow rate of the incoming combustion air stream introduced to the woodstove is not adjustable. The heat output of these appliances is simply regulated by the size (i.e., mass) of the wood load that the user adds to the combustion chamber or firebox at any given time.
Aspects of the present invention are directed to a utility class single burn rate woodstove with reduced particulate matter emissions. More particularly, aspects of the invention provide a single burn rate woodstove with both primary combustion air and secondary combustion air.
Aspects of the invention include a single burn rate woodstove providing primary combustion air and secondary combustion air to a combustion chamber of the woodstove. The woodstove includes a primary air inlet, a primary air outlet into the combustion chamber, and a secondary air outlet into the combustion chamber. Some embodiments of the inventions include secondary air inlet(s) for the secondary combustion air separate from the primary air inlet. Some embodiments of the invention include the same firebox sizes as known in the prior art while providing such inexpensive single burn rate woodstoves with improved emissions performance by using both primary and secondary combustion air.
In another aspect, a single burn rate woodstove includes a primary air inlet, a secondary air inlet, a secondary air channel, and a primary air channel. The primary air inlet is through a front of a main body of the woodstove at a top of the main body of the woodstove. The secondary air inlet is through the main body of the woodstove. The secondary air channel is configured to receive secondary air from the secondary air inlet and conducts the received secondary air to a secondary air orifice at a top and a front of a combustion chamber of the woodstove. The primary air channels configured to transfer primary combustion air from the primary air inlet to below the secondary air orifice for introduction into the combustion chamber at the front of the combustion chamber.
In another aspect, a single burn rate woodstove includes a combustion air inlet and a combustion air manifold. The combustion air inlet is through the door of the woodstove and a front of the woodstove. The combustion air manifold is configured to receive combustion air from the combustion air inlet and provide primary and secondary combustion air to a combustion chamber of the woodstove. The combustion air manifold is attached to the door and a back of the door. The primary combustion air outlet is formed at a bottom of the combustion air manifold such that the primary combustion air outlet provides primary combustion air to the combustion chamber from the combustion air manifold. The secondary combustion air outlet is formed at a top of the combustion air manifold such that the secondary combustion air outlet provides secondary combustion air to the combustion air chamber from the combustion air manifold at a top of the combustion chamber.
Reference will now be made in detail to optional embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawing and in the description referring to the same or like parts.
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.
To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.
As described herein, an upright position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified. The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component. The upright position disclosed herein is where the woodstove or appliance is installed for proper operation as shown in, for example,
The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Referring to
Secondary air (i.e., secondary combustion air) is drawn in through a secondary air inlet 114 on the bottom of the stove 100 at the front 106. This air then travels into two secondary air manifolds 116 extending between the two opposing secondary air channels 103. A series of orifices in each manifold tube 116 introduces the secondary combustion air into the firebox 112 below a top baffle 118 which forms the top of the firebox or combustion chamber 112. The top baffle 118 makes the secondary air mix with the hot gasses produced by the fire in the firebox 112 and burns off excess particulate emissions (i.e., smoke) generated from said fire. That is, the preheated secondary air causes particulate in the smoke stream (i.e., exhaust air or gas) to burn as the exhaust gases rise to exit the combustion chamber 112 through a gap 120 between the top baffle 118 and the front 106 of the stove 100. A ceramic fiber blanket insulates the top baffle 118 and serves to increase the temperature in the firebox 112 as these processes occur. After the secondary air has reacted with the hot gasses in the firebox, the exhaust gases turn above the top baffle 118 at the front 106 of the stove 100 and move toward the rear 121 of the stove 100, losing heat to a top surface 124 of the stove 100. The exhaust gases then exit the heater 100 through the flue outlet 108 in the top of the stove 100 near the rear 121 of the stove 100. This combination of changes provides a new version of a single burn rate woodstove heater that achieves improved emissions levels that are compliant with the new EPA regulations, as well as increased efficiency while still maintaining the simplistic, inexpensive, and low maintenance nature of the single burn rate woodstove 100. In one embodiment, the woodstove 100 has a main body forming the combustion chamber, and the main body includes the door 130. The flue 108, an ash pan 140, a room air blower 142, and other components are connected to the main body 150 of the woodstove 100.
In one embodiment, the single burn rate woodstove 100 includes a primary air inlet 105, a secondary air inlet 114, a secondary air channel 103, and a primary air channel 101. The primary air inlet 105 extends through the front 106 of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100 at a top 124 of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100. In one embodiment, the wood stove 100 includes a primary air manifold 110 configured to transfer primary combustion air from the primary air inlet 105 to below the secondary air orifice 116 for introduction into the combustion chamber 112 at the front 106 of the combustion chamber 112. The primary air manifold 110 extends from above the primary air inlet 105 to below a top 180 of the door 130 of the woodstove 100 at the front 106 of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100. In one embodiment, the primary air manifold 110 is attached to the main body 150 of the woodstove 100.
The secondary air inlet 114 extends through the main body 150 of the woodstove 100 at a bottom of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100. The secondary air channel 103 is configured to receive secondary combustion air from the secondary air inlet 114 and conduct the secondary air to a secondary air orifice 116 at a top end of front 106 of a combustion chamber 112 of the woodstove 100. The primary air channel 101 is configured to transfer primary combustion air from the primary air inlet 105 to below the secondary air orifice 116 for introduction into the combustion chamber 112 at the front 106 of the combustion chamber 112.
In one embodiment, the woodstove 100 further includes a secondary air manifold 116 configured to receive the secondary air from the secondary air channel 103 and direct the secondary air from the secondary air channel 103 into the combustion chamber 112 of the woodstove 100. The secondary air manifold 116 extends horizontally across the combustion chamber 112 of the woodstove 100. The secondary air manifold 116 has a plurality of secondary air orifices therein. The secondary air orifice is one of the plurality of secondary air orifices in the secondary air manifold 116 (i.e., secondary air tube). In one embodiment, the plurality of secondary air orifices are configured to direct the secondary air toward a bottom, rear portion 152 of the combustion chamber 112. The secondary air inlet 114 is in a bottom of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100. In one embodiment, at least one secondary air orifice of the plurality of secondary air orifices are configured to direct the secondary air toward the front 106 of the main body 150 of the wood stove 100. In one embodiment, the secondary air channel is a first secondary air channel 160 at a first side of the main body of the woodstove 100 and the woodstove further includes a second secondary air channel 162 and a second side of the woodstove opposite the first side of the woodstove 100. In one embodiment, the secondary air manifold 116 is configured to extend between the first secondary air channel 160 and the second secondary air channel 162.
In one embodiment, the top baffle 118 defines the top of the combustion chamber 112 of the woodstove 100. A front 170 of the top baffle 118 is higher than a rear 172 of the top baffle 118. The top baffle 118 extends laterally across the entire combustion chamber 112. The top baffle 118 extends from the rear 172 of the combustion chamber 112 toward the front 106 of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100 without contacting the front 106 of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100 such that the exhaust gases exit the combustion chamber 112 at the front 170 of the top baffle 118 by rising above the top baffle 118 to the flue 108 of the woodstove 100. In one embodiment, the secondary air manifold 116 (i.e., tube extending between the first secondary air channel 160 and the second secondary air channel 162) is at the front 170 of the top baffle 118, and the secondary air manifold 116 is directly under the top baffle 118.
In one embodiment, the woodstove 100 further includes an exhaust gas baffle 190 above the top baffle 118. The exhaust gas baffle 190 extends downward from a top 124 of the main body 150 of the woodstove 100 to regulate a flow rate of the exhaust gases passing from the front 170 of the top baffle 118 to the flue 108. The exhaust gas baffle 190 reduces the flow rate of the exhaust gases to increase heat transfer from the exhaust gases to the top 124 of the woodstove 100.
Referring to
In one embodiment, a single burn rate 1 stove 100 includes a combustion air inlet 310 and a combustion air manifold 301. The combustion air inlet 310 extends through the door 103 of the woodstove 100.
The combustion air manifold 301 is configured to receive combustion air from the combustion air inlet 310 and provide primary and secondary combustion air to a combustion chamber 112 of the woodstove 100. The combustion air manifold 301 is attached to the door 103 that a back of the door 103. The primary combustion air outlet 320 is formed a bottom 333 of the combustion air manifold 301 such that the primary combustion air outlet 320 provides primary combustion air to the combustion chamber 112 from the combustion air manifold 301. In one embodiment, the primary combustion air outlet 320 is formed between the back of the door 103 and the bottom edge 333 of the combustion air manifold 301 such that a bottom of the combustion air manifold 301 is substantially open. In another embodiment, the primary combustion air outlet 320 is formed by a plurality of holes in the bottom 333 of the combustion air manifold 301.
The secondary combustion air outlet 330 is formed at a of the combustion air manifold 301 such that the secondary combustion air outlet 330 provide second a combustion air to the combustion chamber 112 from the combustion air manifold 301. In one embodiment, the secondary combustion air outlet 330 includes a plurality of holes through a vertical rear surface of the combustion air manifold 301. In one embodiment, the combustion air manifold is sealed to the back of the door 103 at a top 334 of the combustion air manifold 301. In one embodiment, the combustion air manifold is sealed to the back of the door 103 at opposing sides 360 of the combustion air manifold 301.
In one embodiment, the top baffle 118 defines a of the combustion chamber 112. In one embodiment, the top baffle 118 is substantially level when the woodstove 100 is in an upright position.
In one embodiment, the woodstove 100 further includes a window 370 in the door 103. The bottom edge 333 of the combustion air manifold 301 ends at a top edge 372 of the window 370 such that the primary combustion air reduces soot buildup on the window 370. The window 370 may be formed of a substantially transparent material such as tempered glass.
In one embodiment, the combustion air inlet 310 is a row of primary air inlets 390 and a row of secondary air inlets 392. The secondary air inlets 392 are above the primary air inlets 390. The secondary air inlets 392 are smaller than the primary air inlets 390. In one embodiment, the combustion air manifold 301 includes a divider to direct air from the secondary air inlets 392 to the secondary air outlets 330 and from the primary air inlets 392 the primary air outlet 320.
In one embodiment, the wood stove 100 further includes a room air blower 142 configured to receive room air from the room to be heated by the wood stove 100 and move the received room air up a back 402 of the combustion chamber 112 and toward the front 106 of the woodstove 100 having the door 103.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and/or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful PLATE STEEL SINGLE BURN RATE WOOD HEATER WITH IMPROVED EMISSIONS it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to and hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/422,742 entitled “PLATE STEEL SINGLE BURN RATE WOOD HEATER WITH IMPROVED EMISSIONS” filed on Nov. 16, 2016.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4267817 | Hicks | May 1981 | A |
4941451 | Gilham | Jul 1990 | A |
20030111071 | Perrault | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20140315137 | Pedersen | Oct 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180135860 A1 | May 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62422742 | Nov 2016 | US |