Heatworks Technologies, Inc.

Ohmiq, Inc.

Eric J Doesburg

Gregory S Lyon

Jeremiah M Callahan

Michael J Wieckowski

Weston Scott Catron

Kevin James Hammer

Julie Klions

Jesse Flynn

A heater for heating a conductive liquid includes a two-dimensional array of rod-like electrodes () extending parallel to one another, an electrical power supply having a plurality of poles, and power switches to connect different ones of the electrodes to different poles so that current flows between the poles through the liquid. The array desirably includes outer electrodes defining the boundary () of the array and inner electrodes disposed within this boundary. The array may have regular or irregular spacings between the electrodes. The array can provide numerous different connection schemes to vary the electrical resistance between the poles and thus vary the heating rate. The array can be arranged to provide substantially equal currents through three poles of a three-phase power supply.

Devices for ohmically heating a fluid

An ohmic heater for heating a conductive fluid has a plurality of electrodes mounted to a structure with spaces between the electrodes. The electrodes () are selectively connect to poles () of a power supply, so that some electrodes are connected to the poles and others remain isolated from the poles. Shunting switches are provided for connecting two or more of the isolated electrodes to one another. The shunting switches allow formation of a large number of different connection schemes having a variety of different electrical conduction paths through fluid in the spaces and a variety of resistances between the poles with relatively few electrodes and spaces.

A liquid heating system includes an instantaneous heater () having an inlet () connected to a reservoir (). The outlet () of the heater is connected to fixtures () which use the heated liquid, and is also connected through a return connection () to the reservoir. In an idle mode, a pumpdraws liquid from the reservoir (), so that the liquid circulates through the heater and back to the reservoir. A controller () actuates the heater to heat the liquid to a first setpoint temperature, so that the liquid in the reservoir stabilizes at the first setpoint temperature. In a supply mode, some or all of the heated liquid flows from the outlet to the fixtures (). Cold liquid is admitted from a supply () to the reservoir, and cold liquid desirably also is supplied to the heater inlet along with liquid from the reservoir, so that the heater inlet receives a combination of these. The controller controls the proportion of cold liquid to liquid from the reservoir in the combination, so as to maintain the heater at a setpoint heating rate while also maintaining the temperature of liquid discharged from the heater outlet at or near a setpoint temperature.

Recirculating fluid heating systems

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Charleston, SC, United States of America

Eric J Doesburg