U.S. patent application number 11/781462 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-14 for radiant heating system and method of control.
Invention is credited to ERIC WILLMS.
Application Number | 20080035746 11/781462 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39049714 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080035746 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WILLMS; ERIC |
February 14, 2008 |
RADIANT HEATING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTROL
Abstract
A radiant heating system including at least two heating legs,
each leg including at least one burner firing into a radiant tube
and at least one damper for controlling the thermal output of the
heating leg; each radiant tube communicating hot exhaust gases
along its length and interconnected with connector tubes. The
radiant tubes in communication with at least one exhaust blower for
urging exhaust gases along the length of each radiant tube and
communicating exhaust gases to the atmosphere. There is at least
one controller in communication with at least one temperature
measuring device and in communication with the at Least one damper
for controlling the position of the damper thereby controlling the
firing rate of the burner.
Inventors: |
WILLMS; ERIC; (Stoney Creek,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARK A KOCH
866 MAIN STREET EAST
HAMILTON
ON
L8M1L9
US
|
Family ID: |
39049714 |
Appl. No.: |
11/781462 |
Filed: |
July 23, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60822101 |
Aug 11, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
237/2A |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24D 3/08 20130101; F23C
3/002 20130101; F23N 5/02 20130101; F23L 11/00 20130101; Y02B 10/70
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
237/2.A |
International
Class: |
F24D 12/02 20060101
F24D012/02 |
Claims
1. A radiant heating system comprising: a) at least one heating leg
including at least one burner firing into a radiant tube; b) the
radiant tube communicating hot exhaust gases along its length and
in fluid communication with at least one damper for controlling the
flow of exhaust gases along the radiant tube; c) the radiant tube
in communication with at least one blower for urging exhaust gases
along the length of the radiant tube and eventually communicating
exhaust gases to the atmosphere, and d) a controller in
communication with a temperature measuring device and the dampers
for controlling the position of the damper and thereby controlling
the thermal output of the burner.
2. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 1 further including
at least two burners.
3. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 2 further including
at least one damper for each burner.
4. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 2 further including
at least one blower for each burner.
5. A radiant heating system comprising: a) at least two heating
legs, each leg including at least one burner firing into a radiant
tube; b) each radiant tube communicating hot exhaust gases along
its length and interconnected with connector tubes and in fluid
communication with at least one damper for controlling the flow of
exhaust gases; c) the radiant tubes in communication with at least
one blower for urging exhaust gases along the length of each
radiant tube and communicating exhaust gases to the atmosphere, and
d) at least one controller in communication with at least one
temperature measuring device and in communication with the at least
one damper for controlling the position of the damper thereby
controlling the firing rate of the burner.
6. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 5 wherein the at
least one blower including a single exhaust blower imparting a
negative pressure along the length of the radiant tubes.
7. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 5 wherein each
heating leg including at least one damper for controlling the flow
of exhaust gases along that heating leg.
8. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 2 further including
at least one temperature measuring device for each heating leg.
9. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 7 further including
at least one temperature measuring device for each damper such that
the controller capable of controlling the thermal output of each
leg separately.
10. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 5 wherein the
controller including temperature logic means for controlling
dampers for optimizing burner firing rate depending upon rate of
change of temperature measured by the temperature measuring
device.
11. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 5 wherein the
controller including adaptive historical logic means for
controlling dampers for optimizing burner firing rate depending
upon historical thermal responsiveness of the environment being
heated.
12. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 11 wherein the
adaptive historical logic means including mathematical algorithms
generated from historical thermal data.
13. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 10 wherein the
temperature logic means including mathematical algorithms generated
from temperature measurements.
14. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 9 wherein each
temperature measuring device mounted proximate a corresponding
heating leg such that the temperature measuring device being
effected by the corresponding heating leg.
15. A radiant heating system comprising: a) at least two heating
legs, each leg including at least one burner firing into a radiant
tube and at least one damper for controlling the thermal output of
the heating leg; b) each radiant tube communicating hot exhaust
gases along its length and interconnected with connector tubes; c)
the radiant tubes in communication with at least one exhaust blower
for urging exhaust gases along the length of each radiant tube and
communicating exhaust gases to the atmosphere, and d) at least one
controller in communication with at least one temperature measuring
device and in communication with the at least one damper for
controlling the position of the damper thereby controlling the
firing rate of the burner.
16. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 15 wherein the
heating system including at least one temperature measuring device
for each damper thereby the controller being able to control
independently the thermal output of each heating leg.
17. The radiant heating system claimed in claim 15 wherein the
temperature measuring devices being thermostats.
Description
[0001] The application claims priority from previously filed U.S.
provisional patent application No. 60/822,101, titled "RADIANT
HEATING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTROL" on Aug. 11, 2006 by Eric
Willms.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to radiant heating systems and
in particular relates to multi-burner radiant heating systems and
their method of control.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,302 by Ronald G. Corey titled Heating
Method Means and Control issued on Dec. 24, 1963 describes a burner
control system which potentially is relevant for multi-burner
radiant heating systems and their control.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,331 titled Control in Combination with
Thermostatically Responsive Assembly by Timothy P. Seel, Patented
on May 18, 1993 describes a multi-burner radiant heating system and
method of control.
[0005] None of the abovementioned patents and/or currently
commercially available technologies addresses the technological
issues raised and solved by the currently described apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The radiant heating system and method of control will now be
described by way of example only with reference to the following
drawings in which
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a radiant heating system
and method of control deployed inside a building.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a partial cut away schematic of the radiant
heating system and method of control shown deployed in a
building.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective top view of some of the
heating system shown components shown in FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 4 is atop perspective schematic view of a damper
control shown in the open position.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a top schematic perspective schematic view of a
damper control shown in the closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] A radiant heating system and method of control is shown
generally as 100 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and includes the following major
components. Burners 102 in communication with radiant tubes 104,
which are connected together with connector tubes 106 and which
communicate with an exhaust blower 108 having a blower regulator
110 and an exhaust pipe 112.
[0013] Radiant heating system and method of control 100 further
includes a controller 114 in communication with temperature
measuring devices normally thermostats 116 located on the inner
building walls 118. Controller 114 is also in communication with
leg dampers 120 as well as the main damper 122.
[0014] The system schematically depicted in FIG. 1 includes a
number of heating legs namely; first leg 130, a second leg 132 and
a third leg 134 in which a series of burners 102 are connected
along a radiant tube 104 which are then interconnected with
connector tubes 106. In its simplest form heating system 100
includes one heating leg such as first leg 130 having at least one
burner 102, and one damper 122 in communication with one exhaust
blower 108 and controlled by one thermostat 116 in communication
with a controller 114. One heating leg may have multiple burners
and multiple dampers situated between each burner such that the
firing rate of each individual burner on a heating leg may be
controlled with a damper. The blower may be an exhaust blower which
imparts a vacuum ie. negative pressure to the system as shown in
the Figures or may impart a positive pressure to the system ie.
pushing the exhaust gases through the radiant tubes. There may in
fact be multiple blowers. The blowers may be integrally part of
each burner as known in the art.
[0015] It would be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the
presently described radiant heating system and method of control
100 can have any number of legs, and any number of dampers, however
for explanation purposes and by way of example only, we depict
schematically a system having three legs having a number of burners
102 connected in series along a radiant tube 104. Note that one
damper may be used to control 2 or more legs.
[0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 also depict radiant heating system and method
of control 100 having four thermostats, located on the inner side
of each building wall 118. A person skilled in the art will be
aware that this radiant heating system and method of control 100
could work with a single thermostat or any number of thermostats as
required by the size and shape of the building or other design
factors. FIGS. 1 and 2 also show the radiant heating system and
method of control having 3 leg dampers and one main damper. A
person skilled in the art will note that it is possible to operate
the system with only one damper, however for greater control and
flexibility, multiple dampers as depicted in the example may be
installed.
[0017] The schematic representations in FIGS. 1 and 2 do not show
the connections of air and/or gas to the burners 102. A person
skilled in the art will note that burners 102 must have access to
combustion air as well as a fuel such as natural gas and/or propane
which is not shown and/or depicted in the drawings. Furthermore,
the schematic drawings FIG. 1 and 2 do not show regulators and/or
combustion chambers, but rather depicts schematically the radiant
heating system and method of control 100 and the components
necessary in order to describe the control of a multi-burner
radiant heater system as depicted in the schematic drawings.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a top perspective schematic view of a portion of
the radiant heating system, namely including burners 102, radiant
tubes 104, connector tubes 106. Each radiant tube 104, has a
radiant deflector 140. There is depicted a first leg 130, a second
leg 132 and third leg 134 each having connected in series a number
of burners 102 in communication with radiant tube 104 and leg
dampers 120 and main damper 122. All of the radiant tubes 104 are
interconnected with connector tubes 106 which are in communication
with exhaust blower 108 having a blower regulator 110 and an
exhaust pipe 112.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a top perspective schematic view of a typical
damper 121 having a damper control 170, a damper vane 172, which is
housed within the radiant tube 104 and is shown in FIG. 4 in the
open position 176. Damper 121 may in fact be a leg damper 120 or a
main damper 122. The design of damper 121 is such that it can be
used as a leg damper 120 or a main damper 122.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a typical damper 121,
however in FIG. 5 the damper is shown in the closed position
178.
[0021] In operation, burners 102 are lit and are fired so as to
produce hot gas emissions into radiant tube 104 which travel along
each of the radiant tubes 104 and through connector tubes 106 which
are communicated to exhaust blower 108, where they are exhausted
via exhaust pipe 112 into the atmosphere. Exhaust blower 108
creates a vacuum within radiant tubes 104, thereby drawing
combustion air and combustion fuel into burners 102, ensuring
continuous firing of burners 102 along each radiant tube 104 and
the communication of the exhaust gases to the atmosphere. Radiant
heating system and method of control 100 has a computerized main
controller or control panel which is denoted as controller 114
which is in communication with the thermostats 116 and the dampers
120 and 122. In the depicted example there are four thermostats and
four dampers. Information received from thermostats 116 together
with predetermined computer algorithms will control the position of
leg dampers 120 and main damper 122. In this manner, the first leg
130, the second leg 132 and the third leg 134 as well as the
thermal output of the entire system can be controlled by
positioning of dampers 120 and/or main damper 122. One is able for
example to increase or decrease the thermal output of any
individual leg by repositioning of dampers 120 thereby selectively
increasing or decreasing the heating system output in the building
adjacent or nearby that independent leg.
[0022] Information received from thermostat 116 educates the system
in regard to the thermal inertia or responsiveness of building 119.
Building 119 is depicted schematically having building walls 118
but will also include other common features to buildings such as
floors, ceilings, and its contents. Adaptive learning occurs by
collecting and analyzing historical data in regards to information
received from thermostats 116. Controller 114 is able to
selectively increase and decrease the entire thermal output of
radiant heating system 100 by opening and closing main damper 22
and/or selectively increasing and/or decreasing individual legs of
radiant heating system 100 depending upon historical thermal
characteristics and responsiveness of the building. The radiant
heating system includes historical logic capability including
mathematical algorithms generated from historical thermal data. The
radiant heating system includes temperature logic capability
including mathematical algorithms generated from temperature
measurements.
[0023] In other words, controller 114 has all adaptive learning
capability in which historical thermal information received from
thermostats 116 can be used to predict tile thermal responsiveness
of building 119 and therefore, adjust the thermal output of the
entire radiant heating system 100 or individual legs 130, 132 or
134 as required to ensure the desired temperature is achieved in
every part of the building. For example a certain rate of
temperature drop of one of the thermostats 116 on one of the walls
may result in an increase in firing rate of the individual leg
closest to that wall according to a mathematical model used to
predict temperature inertia and fluctuations within the building.
The system may for example be able to compensate for a prevailing
cold wind impinging on one or more sides of the building. In this
manner a high degree of temperature uniformity is achieved due to
the ability to control individual heating legs within the building
rather than increasing or decreasing the entire heating system. In
addition the use of multiple thermostats provides thermal data
which can be used to predict local and overall temperature
fluctuations within the building and thereby control the heating
system locally (ie an individual leg) or globally to minimize these
fluctuations.
[0024] Exhaust blower 108 has a blower regulator 110 which is used
to initially optimize the speed of exhaust blower 108 to an optimum
value. In practice an optimum value often is the lowest speed
possible for the exhaust blower to produce the heat output required
by the entire installation. It is often preferable to have exhaust
blower run at the slowest possible speed in order to reduce noise
and vibration of the entire system. The higher the speed of exhaust
blower, the greater the noise and vibration generated by the
radiant heating system 100 and therefore blower regulator 110 is
used in order to fix an optimum blower speed which is maintained at
a constant value.
[0025] Once the optimum exhaust blower speed 108 is determined,
control of the heating within building 119 is carried out by main
controller 114 communicating with thermostats 116 and in turn using
the thermal information from the thermostats to vary dampers 120
and 122.
[0026] A person skilled in the art will note that this system may
eliminate the need for a separate indoor and outdoor temperature
sensing means, but rather through use of a single or multiple
internal thermostats and adaptive learning techniques known in the
art one is able to determine the thermal responsiveness of the
building and future thermal requirements of the building on an
ongoing basis. The radiant heating system controller includes
temperature logic for controlling the dampers for optimizing burner
firing rate depending upon rate of change of temperature measured
by the temperature measuring device ie the thermostats. The radiant
heating system controller also includes historical logic capability
for controlling the dampers for optimizing burner firing rate
depending upon historical thermal responsiveness of the environment
namely the building being heated.
[0027] A person skilled in the art will also note that modulation
of each leg of the system by the individual dampers 120 and 122 can
be accomplished with strategically placed thermostats thereby
independently varying the thermal output of each leg of the system.
For example a thermostat mounted near a heating leg is best used to
control that heating leg. The heating leg may take on any shape (as
viewed from above as in FIG. 1) including linear as depicted or
square or circular depending upon the area one wishes to control.
In operation individually controlled burner legs will result in
improved comfort control, especially in a building with a wide
variety of uses throughout the overall space. It will also result
in improved heating and operating efficiencies. This will become
particularly advantageous in a building which for example has a
portion designated to storage and warehouse space and a portion
designated to human work space. In the area where persons are
normally located, the temperature profile may be substantially
different than in an area where there is mainly goods warehousing
and storage.
[0028] A person skilled in the art will note that there are many
advantages to the present system including operating and thermal
efficiencies, improved reliability and predictability, and as well
decreased fuel and energy consumption.
* * * * *