Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02810767 2013-03-28
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EVAPORATION APPARATUS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY FIRE PLACE OR HEATER
WITH HUMIDIFICATION FEATURE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High efficiency fireplaces or heaters can produce significant condensate.
Various embodiments employ a tray located above the firebox to evaporate the
condensed products of combustion and humidify in the area around the
appliance.
However, if a heater does not include a large, hot firebox, there is not
enough heat
generated within the heater itself to evaporate all the condensate.
Also, such heaters are generally used in cold weather to heat a space within a
building. Often there is low humidity in the enclosed space as a result of the
operation of heaters and furnaces. Low humidity can aggravate inhabitants by
drying
the skin and mucous membranes of inhabitants of the heated space.
It would be advantageous, therefore, to have an efficient apparatus within the
heater to evaporate condensation and moisture. Moreover, it would be
beneficial to
use the evaporated condensate to humidify the area around the heater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A heater having a condensate trap and an evaporating and humidifying
apparatus, the apparatus comprising an evaporation pan with a heating element
wherein heat from the heating element evaporates moisture from the evaporating
pan
to eliminate the moisture and generate humidity.
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In another aspect, the pan comprises an ultrasonic vaporizing element to
vaporize moisture collected in the pan.
The apparatus can include a sensor with a feedback to heater controls. Also
the heater can include a water trap that normally feeds condensate to the
apparatus.
The trap can include a sensor with feedback to the heater controls.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a heater employing the apparatus of the
present invention, sans cover, to show the internal components of the heater;
Fig. 2 is an end plan view of the heater;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one embodiment of a condensate
trap;
Fig 4 is a perspective view of an assembled evaporation apparatus; and
Fig. 5 is an exploded view of an evaporation apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In general, the present invention employs an electric element to heat
condensate from the products of combustion for the purpose of humidification.
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrates a heater, indicated generally by number 10, which
employs a representative embodiment of an evaporating apparatus indicating
generally by reference number 12. Apparatus 12 also can be referred to as a
humidifying apparatus, as will be understood from the detailed description,
below.
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The salient components of heater 10 include an outer housing 14 which
enclose the inner working parts inside chamber 16. The working parts include
an
induced draft blower 18 that draws combustion products from a heat exchanger
24.
An exhaust pipe 26 is in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and
blower 18
to discharge exhaust gas. A burner housing 27 houses gas burners (not seen).
Flames from the gas burner enter heat exchanger 24 tubes adjacent burner
housing
27. A circulating air blower 28 draws in room air from the upper rear area of
heater
across heat exchanger 24 and discharges heated air out of the lower front of
the
unit. Chamber 16 generally comprises sheet metal walls that define the inner
chamber and shields, such as shield 29 over heat exchanger 24.
Heater 10 is operated or controlled in any acceptable way. One preferred
aspect of a heater control system is disclosed in the assignee's U.S. Patent
No.
9,062,881.
During operation, condensation occurs inside the heat exchanger tubes when
the products of combustion are cooled below the dew point. This is a
consequence
of highly efficient gas heating equipment. There is a condensate collection
point,
indicated generally by number 30 adjacent induced draft blower 18 to collect
condensation from combustion chamber 16. There is a second condensation
collection point, indicated generally by number 32, on exhaust pipe 26. It
will be
appreciated that the two condensation collection points described herein are
merely
illustrative of the broad aspects of the invention. One skilled in the art
will appreciate
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that there can be one or there can be a plurality of collection points,
optimally
positioned within housing 14 to collect moisture and condensation. The number
or
location of the collection points is incidental.
In any event, heater 10 can include an apparatus to trap or collect the
condensate from the collection points. One aspect of such an apparatus is trap
assembly 34 shown in Fig. 3. Trap assembly 34 is a container or canister which
can
have a top 36, a closed bottom 38 and circumferential wall 40 that define and
inner
chamber 41 that has sufficient volume to accommodate a continuous flow of
condensate from the condensate collection points without filling up. Conduits
or
tubes 42 and 44 extend through top 36 and terminate near the bottom of the
inner
chamber at their first ends and each one is in fluid communication with a
condensate
collection point at a second end of the tube.
There is an overflow drain 46 that extends through circumferential wall 40 and
is in fluid communication with the inner cavity. Drain 46 is position on wall
40
adjacent top 36. This allows some level of fluid accumulation within the trap
before it
flows out of the overflow drain to the evaporating apparatus 12, as will be
explained
below. Hence, the position of the overflow drain may vary depending upon the
fluid
level desired.
Trap assembly 34 is positioned below blower 28 such that condensate will flow
under force of gravity from the collection points into the chamber. The
purpose of the
condensate trap is to allow condensate to flow from the collection points even
though
the collection points are each at different pressures. These pressures are
different
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from the pressure at evaporation apparatus 12. Trap 34 allows condensate to
flow
without allowing flue gas to escape. Overflow drain 46 is in fluid
communication with
the upper end 48 of a condensate drain tube 50. Tube 50 extends downwardly and
terminates in with an open end adjacent evaporating apparatus 12. Although in
a
preferred aspect of the invention, drain tube 50 terminates adjacent
evaporating
apparatus 12, it also may terminate in a discharge to or drain outside housing
14 to
dispose of condensate.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that condensation is collected from the
condensation points 30 and 32 and flows into trap assembly 34. When the fluid
level
reaches a predetermined level, i.e. at the level of overflow drain 46, it will
flow out,
through the upper end 48 of drain tube 50. In a preferred aspect it drains
into
evaporating apparatus 12. The location and configuration of the trap, the
tubing and
the condensation collection points can vary between heaters. The salient
principle is
that the heater may include apparatus to collect condensation and transport
the
condensate to the novel evaporating apparatus 12.
Trap assembly 34 can include a sensor, indicated generally by reference
number 51. Sensor 51 can be any type of acceptable sensor, such as a float,
electric
eye, electrical connection switch. It will be noted that sensor 51 can be
located within
the canister or outside, depending upon the type. Regardless of the type of
sensor
employed, sensor 51 is configured to detect an excess accumulation of water in
the
trap, which could indicate a blocked drain or other impediment to fluid flow.
Sensor
51 can be operatively connected to the heater controls so that detection of a
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fluid accumulation would shut down the heater to prevent overflow of
condensate.
Also, it can be operatively connected to the evaporating apparatus to shut
down the
evaporating heating element, as will be explained.
Evaporating apparatus 12 is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. In the exemplary
embodiment, apparatus 12 includes a bottom pan 52 which, in the illustrated
embodiment, has a generally rectangular shape. It will be understood that
apparatus
12 can have any useful configuration that works well in the intended
environment.
Pan 52 includes a bottom wall 54, a first end wall 56 with holes 58 and 60, a
second
end wall 62 and first side wall 64 and a second side wall 66. The recited
walls define
an inner cavity 68. In one aspect, an insulative sheet 70 may be positioned in
the
cavity on bottom wall 54. Insulative sheet 70 can be constructed from any
acceptable insulative material. Furthermore, top surface 72 of the insulative
sheet
can be heat reflective.
Apparatus 12 includes a vaporization element. In one aspect, the vaporization
element is an electric heating element 74 is positioned in cavity 64. If the
apparatus
includes an insulative sheet, heating element 74 is positioned above the
insulative
sheet. Heating element 74 can be any conventional heating element with
electrical
connections 76 and 78 that protrude through holes 58 and 60 and are connected
to
electricity. In one aspect, an evaporating pan 80 is positioned on top of
heating
element 74 and under the open end of tube 50. Pan 80 has a bottom wall 82, a
first
end wall 84, a second end wall 85, a first side wall 86 and an opposed second
side
wall 88. The recited walls and bottom define an inner cavity 90. It will be
noted that
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the configuration of pan 80 is complementary to that of bottom pan 52 and
sized so
as to nest in the bottom pan. In other aspects or embodiments of the
invention, there
can be a layer of metal (not shown) between insulative sheet 70 and heating
element
74. The size and configuration of the various components of the evaporating
apparatus may vary without departing from the scope of the invention.
Also, it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the evaporation
apparatus can comprise only one pan, with a heating element operatively
associated
with the pan. By way of example, heating element 74 can be positioned inside
an
evaporation pan or outside, for example, under the pan. Moreover, the heating
element can be integrated into the pan itself, for example, with heating wires
within
the pan material. In the appropriate circumstances, the heating element could
be a
gas flame, rather than an electric heating element. Hence, the term heating
element
can encompass any apparatus that heats moisture to evaporate or vaporize the
moisture.
Furthermore, although the exemplary embodiments refer to pans for simplicity
and convenience, it will be understood that any type of fluid reservoir that
can collect
and hold fluid such as condensate is within the scope of the invention.
In operation, there can be a sensor 92 associated with evaporating pan 80 to
sense an accumulation of liquid in the pan. A feedback loop can actuate a
switch to
turn on heating element 74. In other aspects, a temperature sensor may be
employed to sense when the condensate has boiled and can include a feedback
loop
to de-energize or shut off the heating element.
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The heat from the heating element causes evaporation of the liquid in pan 80.
Consequently, condensate from the operation of heater 10 is dissipated through
evaporation. Sensor 92 (or another sensor) can be used to determine if the
fluid
level in the patent exceeds a predetermined level and shut down the heater to
prevent further fluid accumulation. Sensor 92 can be any appropriate sensor
that
serves its intended purposes, such as the sensors described above relative to
trap
assembly 3 and can be located in or on, or associated with any of the
evaporation
apparatus components.
As set out above, heating element 74 can be operatively associated with
sensor 51 of the trap assembly. If there is an increase in fluid in the trap,
it could
indicate that fluid is not flowing to the evaporation apparatus and the sensor
could
shut down the heating element or the entire heater.
In another aspect or evaporation apparatus 12, the vaporization element may
be an ultrasonic vaporization device 94 in the pan, as shown in Fig. 5. An
ultrasonic
vaporization device uses a metal diaphragm vibrating at an ultrasonic
frequency,
much like the element in a high-frequency speaker, to create water droplets.
An
ultrasonic vaporization device is usually silent, and also produces a cool
fog.
It will be appreciated that evaporated or vaporized liquid serves as a source
of
humidity for the space where the heater is located. As shown, evaporating
apparatus
12 is located adjacent the bottom of heater 10, below heat exchanger 24 and
blower
28. This arrangement permits air forced downward by the blower across the heat
exchanger to pick up moisture from apparatus 12 and expel it into a room from
the
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bottom front of the heater. However, other locations of apparatus 12 that
accomplish
the desired purposes are intended to be included in the broad disclosure.
Heater 10 can include sensors and switches that allow the heating element or
ultrasonic vaporizer to be actuated only when blower 28 is operating so vapor
from
the condensate is introduced into room air rather than building up in the
heater. The
heater with the evaporating apparatus 12 serves the dual function of providing
heat
and humidity.
The evaporation or vaporization feature of the heater may be employed in any
heater that produces moisture in operation and has means for collecting the
moisture
and diverting it to the evaporation and vaporization elements.
The foregoing description and accompanying drawings are intended to be
illustrative of exemplary embodiments of the heater only and should not be
construed
in any manner that limits the scope of the appended claims.
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