IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0098174
(2005-04-04)
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등록번호 |
US-7337753
(2008-03-04)
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우선권정보 |
AU-2004901781(2004-04-05) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Greer, Burns & Crain, Ltd.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
The water heater includes a burner and a water tank. Combustion products flow upwardly around the tank through a combustion products path where heat transfer to water in the tank occurs, the path being defined between the outer wall of the tank and a surrounding heat exchanger wall. The combustion
The water heater includes a burner and a water tank. Combustion products flow upwardly around the tank through a combustion products path where heat transfer to water in the tank occurs, the path being defined between the outer wall of the tank and a surrounding heat exchanger wall. The combustion products pass through outlet at the upper end of wall, and enter the flue which includes a down flow passage and then pass out through discharge outlet. The down flow passage is defined between a flue outer wall and a thermally conductive partition defining the inner wall of the passage. The partition is adjacent a heated zone of the water heater where stored heat of the water heater is available during quiescent or standby periods when the burner is not operating. The partition between the heated zone and the down flow passage provides a heat transfer path so that heat in the heated zone can transfer through the partition to gases in the down flow passage. This will assist or promote the functioning of the down flow passage as a heat trap during quiescent or standby periods when the burner is not operating.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A water heater which in use is supplied with water to be heated, in which the supplied water is heated, and which stores heated water to be drawn therefrom, the water heater including: a burner for burning a fuel such as a fuel gas, a combustion products path through wh
The invention claimed is: 1. A water heater which in use is supplied with water to be heated, in which the supplied water is heated, and which stores heated water to be drawn therefrom, the water heater including: a burner for burning a fuel such as a fuel gas, a combustion products path through which combustion products from the burner flow and transfer heat to the water which is in use supplied to the water heater and which is to be drawn from the water heater, a heated zone where heat within the water heater is available during periods when the burner is not operating, a flue downstream of said combustion products path and including a down flow passage leading to a discharge outlet, the combustion products flowing in use in a downwards direction after entering the flue from the combustion products path through the down flow passage in passing to the discharge outlet, and wherein the down flow passage has a heat transfer wall which transfers heat from the heated zone to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, thereby promoting a heat trap effect in the down flow passage. 2. A water heater which in use is supplied with water to be heated, in which the supplied water is heated, and which stores heated water to be drawn therefrom, the water heater including: a burner for burning a fuel such as a fuel gas, a combustion products path though which combustion products from the burner flow and transfer heat to the water which is in use supplied to the water heater and which is to be drawn from the water heater, a heated zone where heat within the water heater is available during periods when the burner is not operating, a flue downstream of said combustion products path and including a down flow passage leading to a discharge outlet, the combustion products flowing in use in a downwards direction after entering the flue from the combustion products path through the down flow passage in passing to the discharge outlet, and wherein the down flow passage has a heat transfer wall which transfers heat from the heated zone to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, thereby promoting a heat trap effect in the down flow passage, and wherein the heat transfer wall comprises a thermally conductive partition located between the heated zone and the down flow passage so that heat in the heated zone transfers though the partition to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating. 3. A water heater as claimed in claim 2 wherein the heated zone is part of the combustion products path so that the combustion products flow though the heated zone when the burner is operating and where heat exchange from combustion products to the water occurs. 4. A water heater which in use is supplied with water to be heated, in which the supplied water is heated, and which stores heated water to be drawn therefrom, the water heater including: a burner for burning a fuel such as a fuel gas, a combustion products path though which combustion products from the burner flow and transfer heat to the water which is in use supplied to the water heater and which is to be drawn from the water heater, a heated zone where heat within the water heater is available during periods when the burner is not operating, the heated zone being part of the combustion products path so that the combustion products flow through the heated zone when the burner is operating and where heat exchange from combustion products to the water occurs, a flue including a down flow passage leading to a discharge outlet, the combustion products flowing in use in a downwards direction after entering the flue from the combustion products path through the down flow passage in passing to the discharge outlet, and wherein the down flow passage has a heat transfer wall which transfers heat from the heated zone to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, thereby promoting a heat trap effect in the down flow passage, wherein the heat transfer wall comprises a thermally conductive partition located between the heated zone and the down flow passage so that heat in the heated zone transfers through the partition to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, and wherein the water heater includes a water tank and the burner is located at or beneath the bottom of the tank so that combustion products flow upwardly around the tank though the combustion products path where heat transfer to water in the tank occurs, the combustion products path being defined between an outer wall of the tank and a surrounding heat exchanger wall, the water heater further including an outlet near an upper end of the heat exchanger wall and through which combustion products pass from the combustion products path before entering the down flow passage of the flue whereby, during operation of the burner, the combustion products flow along the outside of the wall of the tank thereby heating water in the tank and the combustion products pass through the outlet and flow into and though the down flow passage in the downwards direction in passing to the discharge outlet, the down flow passage being defined between a flue outer wall and the thermally conductive partition which defines the heat transfer wall of the down flow passage. 5. A water heater as claimed in claim 4 wherein the thermally conductive partition comprises an upper part of the heat exchanger wall whereby, when the burner is not operating, the heated zone comprises an upper part of the combustion products path in which heat comprises firstly residual heat from the combustion process and secondly, after a quiescent or standby period, radiant or convective heat yielded up from the stored water in the tank, the heat in the heated zone being conducted though the partition thereby maintaining the gases in the down flow passage at or approaching the temperature of the gases in the heated zone. 6. A water heater as claimed in claim 5 wherein the down flow passage in cross section is contoured to follow the profile of the heat exchanger wall. 7. A water heater as claimed in claim 6 wherein the flue outer wall is arcuate in horizontal cross section and extends vertically along a substantial part of the height of the tank. 8. A water heater as claimed in claim 7 wherein the vertical extent of the down flow passage is between 35% and 75% of the height of the heat exchanger wall. 9. A water heater as claimed in claim 5 wherein substantially the entire height of the down flow passage is bounded on its inner side by the thermally conductive partition whereby heat transfer to gases in the down flow passage from the heated zone towards the lower end of the down flow passage adjacent and immediately above the discharge outlet is effective to enhance the heat trap effect. 10. A water heater as claimed in claim 4 wherein the down flow passage is substantially wider in the circumferential direction of the tank in horizontal section than the width of the outlet though which combustion products pass from the combustion products path to the down flow passage, thereby providing a substantial area of the thermally conductive partition for effective heat transfer therethrough during standby periods and enhancing an equalisation of gas temperatures on the inner and outer sides of the partition particularly towards the upper end of the down flow passage where the outlet is located. 11. A water heater which in use is supplied with water to be heated, in which the supplied water is heated, and which stores heated water to be drawn therefrom, the water heater including: a burner for burning a fuel such as a fuel gas, a combustion products path through which combustion products from the burner flow and transfer heat to the water which is in use supplied to the water heater and which is to be drawn from the water heater, a heated zone where heat within the water heater is available during periods when the burner is not operating, a flue including a down flow passage leading to a discharge outlet, the combustion products flowing in use in a downwards direction after entering the flue from the combustion products path through the down flow passage in passing to the discharge outlet, and wherein the down flow passage has a heat transfer wall which transfers heat from the heated zone to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, thereby promoting a heat trap effect in the down flow passage, wherein the heat transfer wall comprises a thermally conductive partition located between the heated zone and the down flow passage so that heat in the heated zone transfers through the partition to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, and wherein the heated zone is a quiescent pocket where there is no significant operative flow of hot combustion products therethrough when the burner is operating but which is located so that hot combustion products reach and remain in the pocket after the burner ceases operation. 12. A water heater as claimed in claim 11 wherein the pocket is located at an upper end of the water heater construction. 13. A water heater which in use is supplied with water to be heated, in which the supplied water is heated, and which stores heated water to be drawn therefrom, the water heater including: a burner for burning a fuel such as a fuel gas, a combustion products path through which combustion products from the burner flow and transfer heat to the water which is in use supplied to the water heater and which is to be drawn from the water heater, a heated zone where heat within the water heater is available during periods when the burner is not operating, a flue including a down flow passage leading to a discharge outlet, the combustion products flowing in use in a downwards direction after entering the flue from the combustion products path through the down flow passage in passing to the discharge outlet. and wherein the down flow passage has a heat transfer wall which transfers heat from the heated zone to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, thereby promoting a heat trap effect in the down flow passage, wherein the heat transfer wall comprises a thermally conductive partition located between the heated zone and the down flow passage so that heat in the heated zone transfers through the partition to gases in the down flow passage when the burner is not operating, and wherein the heated zone comprises a quiescent pocket where combustion products do not reach but where heat from stored heated water can be yielded up to the pocket during quiescent or standby periods when the burner is not operating so as to be then transferred through the heat transfer wall to the down flow passage.
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