IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0195150
(2002-07-15)
|
등록번호 |
US-7270098
(2007-09-18)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Young,Jonathan
- Paul,Douglas Thompson
- Faccone,Angelo
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
54 |
초록
▼
A heater for a liquid has a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber. The burner head assembly includes a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior. A control module and a fa
A heater for a liquid has a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber. The burner head assembly includes a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior. A control module and a fan are mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor. A compressor and a fuel pump are mounted on the housing and are operatively connected to the electric motor. The control module may include controls for exercising components of the heater prior to combustion, thereby verifying operation of these components. Preferably there is a speed control for the motor, such as a closed loop speed control which regulates motor speed and accordingly output of the heater. Preferably there is a backup system using a lookup table in the event that the closed loop speed control fails. Also preferably there is provision for monitoring flame sensor functionality by providing an indicator light which mirrors operation of the flame sensor. The heater may have a selective soft start for the coolant pump which operates only when required so as to reduce unnecessary chatter on the motor relay. A system is also provided for distinguishing true overcurrent faults from overcurrents arising from voltage changes during starting of the vehicle engine. Reignition algorithms are provided to restart the burner in the event of flame sputters caused, for example, by fuel bubbles, but shut off the heater in the event that the fuel is truly cut off.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hol
What is claimed is: 1. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the compressor and the fuel pump being operatively connected to the electric motor, the control module including a speed control for the motor which maintains the heater at a specified level of operation, the speed control including sensor in the interior of the housing which responsive to rotational speeds of the fan, the fan including a fan blade assembly rotated by the motor, a device being mounted on the fan blade assembly which triggers the sensor on each rotation of the fan blade assembly, thereby indicating rotational speeds of the fan. 2. The heater as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed control is a closed loop feedback control. 3. The heater as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor and the device is a magnet. 4. The heater as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensor is mounted on the control module. 5. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the fuel pump and the compressor being operatively connected to the electric motor, the control module including controls for exercising components of the heater prior to combustion, thereby verifying operation of these components, the heater further including an ignitor for the burner, the controls operating the ignitor for a specified period of time prior to combustion. 6. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the compressor and the fuel pump being operatively connected to the electric motor, a electric coolant pump connected to the jacket and a pump current modulator which modulates current supplied to the pump when current supply to the modulator is above a specified current and supplying an unmodulated current to the pump when current supplied to the modulator is below the specified current, the modulator being a pulse width modulator. 7. The heater as claimed in claim 6, wherein the modulator modulates the current supplied to the pump to a current which is below the specified current. 8. The heater as claimed in claim 6, wherein the modulator measures the current for a third specified period of time which is greater than the first and second periods of time, the controller deeming the pump to have successfully started if the current does not exceed the specified level after the third specified period of time. 9. The heater as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controller deems a pump fault to have occurred where the current exceeds the specified level after a fourth specified period of time. 10. The heater as claimed in claim 8, where the fourth period of time is greater than the third period of time. 11. A vehicle fitted with a fuel-powered heater for coolant, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the coolant extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the control module including controls for differentiating overcurrent faults from normal current conditions, the controls monitoring for overcurrent conditions and voltage levels and determining whether there is a decrease in voltage relative to time exceeding a first specified value of dV/dT, or whether there is an increase in voltage relative to time exceeding a second specified value of dV/dT, declaring no overcurrent fault where there is said decrease in voltage exceeding the first specified value within a first specified time prior to an overcurrent condition or if there is an increase in voltage exceeding the second specified value within a second specified time of the overcurrent condition, and declaring an overcurrent fault where there is an overcurrent condition, but no such decrease in voltage or increase in voltage within the specified times. 12. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber; a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the compressor and the fuel pump being operatively connected to the electric motor, the control module including a speed control for the motor which maintains the heater at a specified level of operation the speed control being a closed loop feedback control, the control module determining and storing values for the speed control relative to voltage supplied to the heater, whereby, if the closed loop feedback control fails, proper speed control is maintained by selecting a value stored for the speed control related to a particular voltage supplied to the heater, the controller further including a pulse width modulator for controlling speed of the motor. 13. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the compressor and the fuel pump being operatively connected to the electric motor, the control module including a speed control for the motor which maintains the heater at a specified level of operation, the control module including a voltage modulator for power supply to the heater, whereby the heater operates correctly for a range of voltages supplied to the heater, the voltage modulator being a pulse width modulator. 14. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the compressor and the fuel pump being operatively connected to the electric motor, the control module including a speed control for the motor which maintains the beater at a specified level of operation, the control module including a voltage modulator for power supply to the heater, whereby the heater operates correctly for a range of voltages supplied to the heater, voltages being modulated by the modulator to a fixed voltage when the power supply to the beater is within a given voltage range. 15. A heater for a liquid, the heater having a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber, the burner head assembly including a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior, a control module and a fan being mounted in the hollow interior, the Can being connected to an electric motor, a compressor and a fuel pump being mounted on the housing, the compressor and the fuel pump being operatively connected to the electric motor, a electric coolant pump connected to the jacket and a pump current modulator which modulates current supplied to the pump when current supply to the modulator is above a specified current and supplying an unmodulated current to the pump when current supplied to the modulator is below the specified current, the modulator initially supplying current to the pump for a first specified period of time, then measuring the current and, if the current is above a specified level, shutting off current to the pump for a second specified period of time, then supplying current to the pump again for the first specified period of time, the modulator continuing to modulate the current in a cyclic fashion until the current is below the specified level, thereby operating as a pulse width modulator. 16. The heater as claimed in claim 14, wherein the voltage range is 12-24 volts. 17. The heater as claimed in claim 16, wherein the voltage is modulated to 9 volts.
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