Rheem Manufacturing Company

Scott Alan Willbanks

Robert Steven Neihouse

Timothy J Shellenberger

Shawn Allan Reed

Amin Akbarimonfared

Darryl J Farley

Nathan Taylor Whalen

Dennis R Maiello

Joey W Huffaker

Shawn Allen Reed

Randy R Koivisto

Walter R Lowrimore

Phillip G Brown

John T Knight

Daniel Ryan Schmalz

Robert I Kepesky

Richard J Bazzo

Jacob J Verderber, Jr, Deceased

Kevin Thompson

Kenneth F Thereau

A fuel-fired furnace incorporates specially designed fuel/air mixing and combustion structures. The fuel/air mixing structure is of a mixing sound-attenuating design and includes a venturi having a perforated sidewall portion and being surrounded by a noise-damping housing chamber communicating with the interior of the venturi via its sidewall perforations. During use of the mixing structure, air is flowed through the venturi in a swirling pattern while fuel is transversely injected internally against the swirling air. The combustion structure includes a burner box housing into which the fuel/air mixture is flowed, combusted, and then discharged as hot combustion gas into and through the heat exchanger tubes. The fuel/air mixture entering the burner box housing initially passes through a non-uniformly perforated diffuser plate functioning to substantially alter in a predetermined manner the relative combustion gas flow rates through the heat exchanger tubes.

Fuel/air mixture and combustion apparatus and associated methods for use in a fuel-fired heating apparatus

A fuel-fired furnace incorporates specially designed fuel/air mixing and combustion structures. The fuel/air mixing structure is of a mixing sound-attenuating design and comprises a venturi having a perforated sidewall portion and being surrounded by a noise-damping housing chamber communicating with the interior of the venturi via its sidewall perforations. During use of the mixing structure, air is flowed through the venturi in a swirling pattern while fuel is transversely injected internally against the swirling air. The combustion structure comprises a burner box housing into which the fuel/air mixture is flowed, combusted, and then discharged as hot combustion gas into and through the heat exchanger tubes. The fuel/air mixture entering the burner box housing initially passes through a non-uniformly perforated diffuser plate functioning to substantially alter in a predetermined manner the relative combustion gas flow rates through the heat exchanger tubes.

To substantially reduce inequality in hot combustion flow rates through first and second heat exchanger tubes from a fuel-fired heating appliance burner box connected thereto and internally combusting a fuel/air mixture received therein from a source thereof to create the hot combustion gas, a perforated diffuser member having a non-uniform perforation pattern is provided. The fuel/air mixture is flowed through the perforated diffuser member into the interior of the burner box. The non-uniform perforation pattern of the diffuser member functions to alter relative combustion gas flow rates through the first and second heat exchanger tubes in a manner reducing an undesirable operating temperature differential therebetween.

Diffuser plate for premixed burner box

A high-efficiency modulating gas furnace (herein 'gas furnace') includes a furnace controller. The gas furnace further includes a gas valve and at least one pressure switch that is coupled to the furnace controller. The electrical contacts of the at least one pressure switch are removed from a series electrical circuit with the gas valve such that the gas furnace operates without de-energizing the gas valve as soon as the electrical contacts of the at least one pressure switch are opened. Further, the furnace controller operates the induced draft blower at or close to a lowest RPM at which the electrical contacts of the at least one pressure switch can be kept closed, which is between a make point RPM at which the electrical contacts of the at least one pressure switch close and a break point RPM at which the electrical contacts of the at least one pressure switch open.

High efficiency modulating gas furnace

A fuel-fired condensing type air heating furnace is provided with an electronic condensate water level sensing system operative to sense improper outflow of condensate from a collector box portion of the furnace and responsively shut down or prevent operation of the furnace. Condensate probe portions of the system are oriented in a manner such that several air flow orientation of the furnace may be utilized without the necessity of relocating the probes or effecting an re-wiring of the water level sensing system.

Electronic water level sensing apparatus and associated methods

A multiple inshot-type gas burner structure is formed from a pair of facing, intersecured stamper sheet metal plates. A spaced plurality of parallel, rectangularly cross-sectioned burner bodies are defined by facing triangular indentation pairs in the plates and have, at front outlet end portions thereof, side indentations which serve to mix air and gaseous fuel received at rear end portions of the burner bodies, and to divert a portion of the fuel/air mixture into crossover channels intercommunicating front interior portions of the burner bodies. The crossover channels have central arcuate closed portions that cooperate with progressively sized standoff dimples extending between opposite wall portions of the channels to provide an even crossover flame pattern along the outlet slot section of each channel. At the outlet end of each burner are four flame retention tabs which are transverse to the flow axis of the burner body and serve to prevent induced secondary combustion air from causing undesirable main flame liftoff. Originally rectangular inlet end portions of the burner bodies are laterally inwardly deformed to define generally circular sections that receive and firmly hold hexagonal gas supply orifice fittings mounted on a gas supply manifold pipe. Immediately forward of these deformed circular sections a plurality of primary air inlet openings are formed through the burner body walls.

Two piece multiple inshot-type fuel burner structure

A modulating, forced draft, fuel-fired air heating furnace is provided with a two-speed draft inducer fan, and a fuel valve which is fully modulatable between a maximum firing rate and a low firing rate of approximately forty percent thereof. Incorporated into the furnace control system are normally closed low and high fire pressure-electric switches which sense and are sequentially closed by increasingly negative pressure in the draft inducer fan. Upon a call for heat from a thermostat located in the conditioned space served by the furnace, the draft inducer fan is energized at its high speed setting, and a signal is sent to the fuel valve to set it at its full firing rate flow when opened by an ignition switch portion of the control system. The control system functions to open the fuel valve at this maximum flow setting, and permit light-off of the burner, only if (1) both of the low and high fire pressure-electric switches are closed, and (2) the draft inducer fan is operating at its high speed setting. In this manner, in addition to providing a wide range of furnace heating output modulation, reliable burner ignition is facilitated and heat exchanger warm-up corrosion is reduced due to the full firing rate start-up of the furnace. Moreover, the incorporation of the two-speed draft inducer fan substantially improves the overall fuel efficiency of the furnace.

Modulating furnace with two-speed draft inducer

A fuel-fired air heating furnace is provided with NOx reduction apparatus associated with a plurality of combustor tubes forming a portion of the furnace heat exchanger section. Inshot-type fuel burners are spaced apart from and face the open inlet ends of horizontal combustion sections of the combustor tubes. The NOx reduction apparatus includes a plurality of NOx reduction members formed from a metal rod material, and a mounting plate having a row of spaced apart pairs of mounting holes therein. Each NOx reduction member has an elongated, generally U-shaped configuration, with a closed inner end, an open outer end, and a spaced pair of corrugated leg portions extending between such inner and outer ends. The NOx reduction members are installed in a parallel relationship on the mounting plate, with their closed ends facing in the same direction, by resiliently deflecting the leg portions of each member toward each other, inserting the outer leg ends in one of the mounting plate hole pairs, and then releasing the legs. With the NOx reduction members secured to the mounting plate in this manner, they are simultaneously inserted closed ends first into their associated combustor tubes, and the mounting plate suitably supported adjacent the combustor tube inlets. The burners are then positioned to inject flames into the combustor tubes with the NOx reduction members positioned therein to operatively intercept the incoming burner flames.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Smith, AR, United States of America

Scott Alan Willbanks