Fluid heating system

摘要

A fluid heat exchange system with a fluid flow circuit having a heat exchange fluid flow loop, a heat absorption component (as in a domestic hot water tank inclusive of small commercial use tanks as in tanks of 20 to 120 gallons), a heat exchanger and preferably also a pump. A controlled and automated fuel supply source based heater (as in a pellet stove) is in heat passage communication with the said heat exchanger. A control unit triggers activation of the pump upon fluid in the heat absorption component reaching or dropping below a preset temperature, and the fluid flow circuit is arranged such that, during times of non-activation of the pump, fluid is free to flow in a unidirectional flow within the fluid circuit based on thermodynamic temperature differentials alone. A retrofitting of a domestic hot water tank is also featured preferably making use of preexisting drain and safety vent porting for in-feed and out-feed porting in the exchange loop side. Also, the flow circuit preferably is free of check valves and steam accommodation equipment.

主权项

1. A fluid heat exchange system, comprising: a fluid flow circuit comprising a heat exchange fluid flow loop, a heat absorption component in fluid communication with said flow loop, a heat exchanger in fluid communication with said flow loop, and a pump in fluid communication with said flow loop; a controlled and automated fuel supply source based heater in heat passage communication with said heat exchanger; a control unit which triggers activation of said pump upon fluid in said heat absorption component reaching or dropping below a preset temperature, and said fluid flow circuit being arranged such that during times of non-activation of said pump fluid is free to flow in unidirectional flow fashion within each of said flow loop, heat exchanger and pump of said fluid circuit based on thermodynamic temperature differentials alone, wherein said heater comprises a pellet stove with a combustion pot mounted within a combustion chamber, and said heat exchanger is mounted within the combustion chamber of said pellet stove so as to have the heat exchanger positioned flush or adjacent to a wall panel of the pellet stove and so as to be spaced sufficiently away from the combustion pot as to avoid steam generation within the fluid flow circuit, and said fluid heat exchange system being free of steam accommodation equipment, and wherein said heat exchanger is a flat plate heat exchanger suitable for heating potable water, comprising a stack of flat plates having channel passages for the flow of the potable water and wherein said fluid circuit is configured such that potable water of said fluid flow loop intermingles with potable water within said heat absorption component, and wherein said heat absorption component is a domestic hot water tank, and wherein said fluid flow loop includes an in-feed section downstream of said heat exchanger that feeds into a base region of said domestic hot water tank, and wherein the in-feed section of said fluid flow loop feeds into a location at the base of said hot water tank designed for a hot water tank valved release port, and wherein an out-feed section of the fluid flow loop exits said hot water tank at a location at a top cover of the hot water tank originally occupied by a safety release component of said hot water tank.