Westcast, Inc.

Aerco International, Inc.

Mestek, Inc.

Kenneth W Cohen

John Wilson

Mark Rawson

Brian Hannigan

Richard Osienski

Nathaniel Dewey

George P Mansey

John P Chicoine

A heating device includes a combustion chamber, a housing in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, a burner disposed in the housing, a blower assembly connected to the housing for directing air into the interior of the housing, a valve assembly connected to the housing for controlling a flow of fuel into the burner, an optical color sensor for sensing a color profile of a surface of the burner, and a control unit configured to control the valve assembly in dependence upon the color profile of the surface of the burner.

High turndown boiler and system and method for controlling a boiler

A modulating boiler system for heating a structure including a controller, a boiler operatively connected to the controller, and a thermostat operatively connected to the controller and boiler. The controller assesses a level of thermostat activity over a predetermined measuring period and adjusts the boiler in response to the level of activity to increase the boiler's efficiency.

Modulating boiler system

A hydronic air heater includes a frame assembly defining an enclosure, an inlet air damper formed in a wall of the enclosure and providing a means of ingress for ambient air, a closed heat transfer loop disposed within the enclosure, and a blower assembly disposed within the enclosure. The heat transfer loop includes a boiler for heating a fluid, a pump for circulating the fluid within the loop and a heating coil for receiving the heated fluid from the boiler. The blower assembly is configured to draw air into the enclosure through the inlet air damper and through the heating coil whereby heat from the fluid within the heating coil is transferred to the air.

Hydronic air heater

A method of increasing the efficiency of a boiler includes determining a proportional time period reflecting how long a thermostat is requesting heat from the boiler within a predetermined time period, determining a cycle frequency reflecting the number of times the thermostat is requesting heat from the boiler within the predetermined time period, and adjusting an energy input provided to the boiler in dependence upon the proportional time period and the cycle frequency.

Method of increasing boiler efficiency

A fuel equalization system includes a filter box for accepting an air stream and a fuel stream, the air stream and the fuel stream mixing to form a mixed air/fuel stream. A blower is provided that has an inlet for accepting the mixed air/fuel stream from the filter box. An air deflection member is positioned in the path of the mixed air/fuel stream, between the filter box and the inlet, so as to reduce the turbulence of the mixed air/fuel stream.

Fuel equalization system

A modular boiler system includes a boiler control, a first boiler in operative connection with the boiler control, and a temperature sensor in operative connection with the first boiler. The system also features at least one secondary boiler in operative connection with the master boiler. The boiler control is operatively connected to only the first boiler and it enables the first boiler to control a boiler parameter of the first boiler and the at least one secondary boiler.

Modular boiler control

A water heater system includes a boiler having a supply port, an output port and a recirculation input port. A heat exchanger includes first input and output ports, and second input and output ports. An averaging tank has an inlet and an outlet. A first fluid flow subsystem is for controllably directing water along a primary loop through the boiler and from the output port of the boiler to the input recirculation port via either a first path through the first ports of the heat exchanger or a second path bypassing the heat exchanger. A second fluid flow subsystem is for directing water along a secondary loop through the second ports of the heat exchanger, through the inlet and outlet of the averaging tank, and back to the heat exchanger, whereby water directed through the secondary loop is heated from water directed through the primary loop via the heat exchanger.

Semi-instantaneous water heater system

A boiler apparatus includes a housing defining an interior boiler chamber and a burner element arranged to be in thermal communication with the boiler chamber. An ignition device is provided for instigating combustion of an inlet gas stream, and is arranged adjacent one edge of the burner element. A gas restricting device is utilized for restricting contact between the burner element and the inlet gas stream such that the inlet gas stream is initially incident upon the one edge of the burner element, thereby forcing the inlet gas stream to propagate across the burner element from the one edge.

Boiler and burner apparatus

A novel semi-instantaneous, modulating and condensing gas fired water heating system having a very high dynamic response for supplying potable water on demand at a substantially constant, controlled temperature having a maximum output of approximately 1,000,000 BTU/hour is provided. The device includes combustion means, heat exchanger means, and temperature control means having thermal measuring means and controlling means for controlling the rate of heat transfer in anticipation of changes in BTU requirements. The heat exchanger includes a combustion chamber open at its bottom to receive the combustible mixture of air and gas burned by the combustor. Enclosing the combustion chamber is a water chamber having a channel defined by the walls of the combustion and water chambers. Through the channel flows upwards the liquid, preferably water, to be heated. A plurality of tubes extend through and from the top of the combustion chamber along the outside and length thereof, preferably in helical fashion, to form a conduit for the hot fluids to pass in counterflow to and in heat exchange relation with the liquid. The gases are cooled in traversing the counterflow heat exchanger below the due point of the gases causing the vapor in the gases to condense.

Gas fired water heater

A self-contained, pilot-operated valve is provided with a plug for controlling the flow of a fluid through an orifice between inlet and outlet openings. A spring located about a stem projecting from the plug urges the plug into sealing engagement with the orifice. By means of a bellows surrounding the spring and having one end connected to the stem, an interior space is created, which space is in communication with the inlet opening through a restricted conduit. The interior space is also in communication with the outlet opening via a pilot valve. Operation of the pilot valve controls the pressure in the interior bellows space and hence the degree to which the bellows is compressed. This compression affects the plug stem and hence the position of the plug with respect to the valve seat. In order to prevent an overpressure on the bellows when the valve is open, a valve operator closes off the communication between the interior space of the bellows and the outlet opening, thereby allowing the pressure on the inside of the bellows to build up to prevent a collapse of the bellows.

Dynamically-stopped and statically-balanced valve

A heat-reclaiming system is especially adapted for reclaiming heat from used laundry water. It comprises a heat exchanger providing for heat transfer from warm used laundry water to cold incoming water intended for use as fresh laundry water. The heat exchanger is formed with interior ducts and an outer shell. The interior ducts, preferably concentric coils hydraulically in parallel, define a space for the transport through the heat exchanger of the cold incoming water. The outer shell encloses the ducts, and the ducts and shell together define a space providing for the transport through the heat exchanger of the warm used laundry water. The flows of the warm and cold water through the heat exchanger are generally in opposite directions. Maximum heat-transfer efficiency is accomplished by simultaneously pumping both the shell and the duct sides of the exchanger at design flow condition, and maximizing the log mean temperature difference across the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is mounted above a pit that stores the used laundry water before it is introduced into the heat exchanger. The shell is a roll-away design, and carries a pit cover plate that normally covers the pit but exposes the pit when the shell is removed. This minimizes heat loss from the pit during operation, while allowing for wash-down directly into the pit when the shell is removed during scheduled cleaning periods. The movable shell portion can be rolled away without breaking any pipe connections.

Heat reclaiming system

A water heater supplies hot water at a variable flow rate, depending on demand, and at a substantially constant, controlled temperature. It comprises a heat exchanger formed with an inlet and an outlet whereby water can be supplied to and withdrawn from the heat exchanger in accordance with demand and means for passing a second fluid such as steam through the heat exchanger coil to heat the water. A temperature gradient is thus established in the water in the direction of its flow through the heat exchanger. A sense tube forms a substantially homogeneous mixture of different portions of the water, these portions being drawn from sampling points spaced apart along the temperature gradient and in relative proportions depending on the flow rate of the water through the heat exchanger. The temperature of the water in the sense tube is detected, and control means responds to the sensed temperature for controlling the rate at which steam is supplied to heat the water. Thus a combined set point and feed forward control is established that minimizes fluctuations in the temperature of the hot water as withdrawn for end uses by anticipating changes in BTU requirements.

Water heater temperature control system

A heat-reclaiming system is especially adapted for reclaiming heat from used laundry water. It comprises a heat exchanger providing for heat transfer from warm used laundry water to cold incoming water intended for use as fresh laundry water. The heat exchanger is formed with interior ducts and an outer shell. The interior ducts, preferably concentric coils hydraulically in parallel, define a space for the transport through the heat exchanger of the cold incoming water. The outer shell encloses the ducts, and the ducts and shell together define a space providing for the transport through the heat exchanger of the warm used laundry water. The flows of the warm and cold water through the heat exchanger are generally in opposite directions. Maximum heat-transfer efficiency is accomplished by simultaneously pumping both the shell and the duct sides of the exchanger at design flow condition and maximizing the log mean temperature difference across the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is mounted above a pit that stores the used laundry water before it is introduced into the heat exchanger. The shell is of roll-away design and carries a pit cover plate that normally covers the pit but exposes the pit when the shell is removed. This minimizes heat loss from the pit during operation, while allowing for wash-down directly into the pit when the shell is removed during scheduled cleaning periods. The movable shell portion can be rolled away without breaking any pipe connections.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Lee, NJ, United States of America

Kenneth W Cohen