HEAT TRACING APPARATUS WITH HEAT-DRIVEN PUMPING SYSTEM

摘要

In a heat tracing system using heat from a radiant heater to heat a circulating fluid, thermoelectric generation modules are used to generate electricity for powering a circulating pump. Thermoelectric power generation modules are sandwiched between a heat-absorbing plate and a heat sink, and this assembly is positioned with the heat-absorbing plate adjacent to a radiant heater. A conduit loop passes through the heat sink, such that a fluid circulating through the conduit is heated from heat drawn from the heater into the heat sink. Due to the temperature differential between the hot and cold sides of the thermoelectric modules, the modules produce electricity to power the pump circulating the fluid through the conduit loop. Supplementary heat exchanger components may be provided for additional fluid-heating capacity, and thereby increasing the amount of heat available for the heat tracing loop.

主权项

1. A heat tracing apparatus comprising:
(a) a first flameless catalytic heater having a generally flat heat-radiating face; (b) a first heat-absorbing plate having an inner face and a dark-coloured outer face, said outer face being positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to the heat-radiating face of the first catalytic heater with an intervening air space therebetween, such that the outer face of the first heat-absorbing plate will be exposed to radiant heat from the first catalytic heater upon actuation thereof; (c) a first plurality of electrically interconnected thermoelectric modules each having a hot side and a cold side; (d) a heat sink comprising one or more blocks of a heat-conducting material and having a first side and a second side; (e) a closed conduit loop passing through the heat sink; and (f) a pump for circulating a fluid through the conduit loop; wherein the first plurality of thermoelectric modules are sandwiched between the inner face of the first heat-absorbing plate and the first side of the heat sink, with their hot sides in thermally-conductive proximity to the inner face of the heat-absorbing plate, and with their cold sides in thermally-conductive proximity to the first side of the heat sink, such that when a fluid is introduced into the conduit loop and the first catalytic heater is actuated: (g) the first plurality of thermoelectric modules will produce an electric current; (h) the pump will circulate the fluid through the conduit loop, powered solely by said electric current; and (i) the fluid circulating through the conduit loop will be heated by heat drawn from the heat sink.