Aos Holding Company

A.o. Smith Corporation

Ray Oliver Knoeppel

Thomas Gerard Van Sistine

Marc W Akkala

Brian Thomas Branecky

Dennis R Hughes

Mark A Murphy

David E Morris

Andrew William Phillips

Jianmin Yin

Kevin Mark Field

Michael William Schultz

Andrew Robert Caves

Chad Edington

Glenn N Pfendt

Kedar D Dimble

James D Waters

Yao Zhen Hu

Russell Banks

Jason W T Scott

Timothy J Bodnar

Frank A Mueller

John Matthew Schulz

Jill M Szczech

Geoffrey J Behr

Brian T Branecky

Christopher Glynne Townsend

Timothy Edward Rooney

Jacob M Pixler

Mark Allan Murphy

A water heater includes a tank configured to hold a fluid, a sacrificial anode located within the tank, and a controller coupled to the sacrificial anode. The controller is configured to selectively complete and break an electrical circuit connecting the tank and the sacrificial anode. The controller is also configured to measure a shorted anode current through the electrical circuit, to determine a modulation duty cycle based on a current setpoint and the measured shorted anode current, and to repeatedly complete and break the electrical circuit using the modulation duty cycle.

Sacrifical anode control for a water heater

A water heater system includes a tank for storing water; a flue assembly positioned within the tank, the flue assembly adapted to transfer heat from flue gases within the flue assembly to water in the tank; a burner in fluid communication with an inlet end of the flue assembly and operable in at least a high input mode and a low input mode to deliver the flue gases to the flue assembly, the exhaust assembly having a threshold temperature above which the exhaust assembly is not suitable; and an exhaust assembly including a fan, wherein at least in the low input mode, the flue gases condense in the flue assembly, and wherein operation of the fan reduces a temperature of the flue gases in the exhaust assembly to below the threshold temperature at least in the high input mode.

Dual input water heater

A water heating system including a tank, a first heating element, a second heating element, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to determine an output temperature setpoint, determine whether a period of expected high water demand is approaching, and in response to determining that the period of expected high water demand is approaching, activate the second heating element. The controller is further configured to deactivate the second heating element when a second temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor crosses a second temperature threshold, activate the first heating element when the second temperature crosses the second temperature threshold, and deactivate the first heating element. Wherein the first temperature threshold is lower than the second temperature threshold and the first and second temperature thresholds are higher than the output temperature setpoint.

System and method for accellerated heating of a fluid

A gas-fired appliance includes a tank configured to store a fluid to be heated, a powered anode extending into the tank and configured to generate an electric anode current, and a combustion chamber including a burner configured to generate products of combustion. The appliance also includes an exhaust structure, a heat exchanger, and an electronic processor coupled to the powered anode. The products of combustion flow from the combustion chamber to the exhaust structure via the heat exchanger. The electronic processor is configured to determine a duty cycle of the burner, determine whether the duty cycle of the burner exceeds a predetermined threshold, increase a magnitude of a protection parameter of the powered anode from a first value to a second value when the duty cycle of the burner exceeds the predetermined threshold, and control the powered anode according to the second value of the protection parameter.

System and method of controlling a water heater having a powered anode

A method of determining an abnormal condition in a water heater. The method including sensing, via a temperature sensor, a plurality of temperatures and filtering, using a first time constant, the plurality of temperatures to produce a first plurality of filtered temperatures. The method further including determining, via a controller, if at least one temperature of the first plurality of filtered temperatures crosses a first temperature threshold, and when at least one temperature of the first plurality of filtered temperatures crosses a second temperature threshold, filtering, using a second time constant, the plurality of temperatures to produce a second plurality of filtered temperatures. The method further including initiating, via the controller, a shutdown procedure when at least one temperature of the second plurality of filtered temperatures, crosses a third temperature threshold.

System and method for determining an abnormal condition of a water heater

Systems and methods are described for controlling the current of a sacrificial anode based on the conductivity state of the water. An unregulated current of the sacrificial anode relative to the water tank is measured and a conductivity state of the water is identified based on the measured unregulated current. A maximum current limit for the sacrificial anode is determined based on the conductivity state of the water and the current of the sacrificial anode is limited such that the current does not exceed the determined maximum current limit.

Sacrificial anode control

A dry-fire protection system and method. The dry-fire protection system includes a tank, a heating element, a powered electrode, a sensor, and a microcircuit. The heating element and the powered electrode are positioned in the tank, the powered electrode being positioned above the heating element. The powered electrode includes an electrode wire and a connector having an electrical connector coupled to the electrode wire, but electrically isolated from the tank, and a fastener for coupling the powered electrode to the tank. The sensor detects an electrical characteristic of a circuit formed by the tank, the powered electrode, and water in the tank. The microcircuit determines if a possible dry-fire condition exists based on a signal received from the sensor.

Water storage device having a powered anode

Methods and systems for evaluating the condition of a water tank having a powered anode protection system. The water heater includes a storage tank to hold water, a powered anode, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a variable voltage supply, a voltage sensor, and a current sensor. The control circuit is configured to compare a measured parameter to a threshold. In some constructions, the threshold is indicative of a condition of the storage tank at which the powered anode is no longer able to protect the storage tank from corrosion. In other constructions, the threshold is predicative of a potential failure of the storage tank caused by corrosion. In some constructions, the control circuit is configured to estimate a time remaining until the predicted failure of the storage tank.

Storage-type water heater having tank condition monitoring features

A sacrificial anode assembly. The sacrificial anode assembly includes a sacrificial anode, an insulator positioned around an end of the anode, an electric coupler positioned around the insulator and extending beyond the end of the anode, the electric coupler electrically isolated from the anode, a resistor having a first lead and a second lead, the first lead electrically connected to the anode and the second lead electrically connected to the electric coupler, and a cap positioned around the electric coupler, the cap electrically connected to the electric coupler and electrically isolated from the anode. The cap complete encapsulates the resistor, the first lead, and the second lead.

Resistor anode assembly

A fluid-heating apparatus for heating a fluid and method of operating the same. The fluid-heating apparatus includes a heating element for heating a fluid surrounding the heating element and a control circuit connected to the heating element and connectable to a power source. The control circuit is configured to determine whether a potential dry-fire condition exists for the heating element. In one implementation, the method includes applying a first electric signal to the heating element, detecting a first value of an electrical characteristic during the application of the first electric signal, applying a second electric signal to the heating element, applying a third electric signal to the heating element, detecting a second value of the electrical characteristic during the application of the third electric signal; and determining whether a potential dry-fire condition exists based on the first and second values.

Fluid-heating apparatus, circuit for heating a fluid, and method of operating the same

A water heater includes a sealed combustion chamber and one or more fans for raising pressure in the combustion chamber to increase efficiency of the water heater. The pressure permits a more restrictive baffle to be used in the flue compared to baffles used in atmospheric water heaters. The water heater may include a water temperature sensor that activates the fan without activating the burner if water temperature raises above a desired temperature. The water heater may also include pressure and vapor sensors to ensure the combustion chamber is properly sealed and there are no flammable vapors present prior to igniting the burner. The fans are relatively small and run off the same DC power that runs an electric gas valve. The fans may be, for example, 12 or 24 Volt fans with power inputs of about 10 Watts or less.

Water heater with pressurized combustion

A water-resistant porcelain enamel coating and method of making the same is provided. The porcelain enamel coating is prepared using a borosilicate glass frit, and mill additions of silica and a zirconia compound. The mixture is applied to a metal substrate and fired, resulting in a water-resistant coating that resists cracking and crazing. The coating is particularly useful in water heaters. In one embodiment, the coating comprises a fine zirconia compound having a median particle size of less than 10 microns.

Water-resistant porcelain enamel coatings and method of manufacturing same

A water heater having a powered electrode and a method of controlling the water heater. The water heater includes a tank to hold water, a heating element, an electrode, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a variable voltage supply, a voltage sensor, and a current sensor. The control circuit is configured to controllably apply a voltage to the electrode, determine the potential of the electrode relative to the tank with the voltage sensor when the voltage does not power the electrode, determine a current applied to the tank after the voltage powers the electrode, determine a conductivity state of the water in the tank based on the electrode potential and the current, and define the voltage applied to the powered electrode based on the conductivity state. The control circuit of the water heater can also determine whether the water heater is in a dry-fire state.

A fluid-heating apparatus for heating a fluid and method of operating the same. The fluid-heating apparatus includes a heating element for heating a fluid surrounding the heating element and a control circuit connected to the heating element and connectable to a power source. The control circuit includes a current path from the power source to the heating element back to the power source, a switch connected in the current path, and a current sensor. The method includes initiating a heating state of the fluid-heating apparatus, initiating a non-heating state of the fluid-heating apparatus, applying a voltage to the heating element during the non-heating state, sensing a leakage current of the heating element during the application of the voltage, and determining a degradation of the heating element with the sensed leakage current.

A fluid-heating apparatus for heating a fluid and method of operating the same. The fluid-heating apparatus includes a heating element for heating a fluid surrounding the heating element and a control circuit connected to the heating element and connectable to a power source. The control circuit is configured to determine whether a potential dry-fire condition exists for the heating element. The method includes applying a first electric signal to the heating element, detecting a first value of an electrical characteristic during the application of the first electric signal, applying a second electric signal to the heating element, applying a third electric signal to the heating element, detecting a second value of the electrical characteristic during the application of the third electric signal; and determining whether a potential dry-fire condition exists based on the first and second values.

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Hartland, WI, United States of America

Ray Oliver Knoeppel