Rheem Manufacturing Company

Shawn Allan Reed

Darryl J Farley

Robert Steven Neihouse

Nathan Taylor Whalen

Scott Alan Willbanks

Timothy J Shellenberger

Mickey E Batson

Tyson J Cogburn

Amin Akbarimonfared

Christopher Taylor

Michael D Williams

Daniel Ryan Schmalz

Qian Zhang

John R Jones

Reza Khatami

Hari Krishna Kanagala

Randy R Koivisto

Divakar Mantha

Dean Drake

Walter R Lowrimore

Joey W Huffaker

Robert Aaron Oglesbee

Robert I Kepesky

H Gene Havard, Jr

Michael Franklin

Hamid Ouabdenbi

Rodrigo Cedeno

Kevin Thompson

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 heating appliance has two fuel flow paths to a burner, each actuatable to a closed state and to an open state. A heat exchanger is in fluid communication with an area proximate the burner. A controller executes the steps: (a) while the first fuel flow path is closed, opening the second flow path; (b) following ignition of fuel flowing from the second flow path, opening the first fuel flow path; and (c) following step (b), closing the second fuel flow path while opening the first fuel flow path.

Fuel enrichment system for fuel-fired appliance

A system and a method for controlling twinned heating appliances are described. The system includes a first heating appliance and a second heating appliance. The first heating appliance includes a first blower and a first wireless communication unit. Further, the second heating appliance is operatively coupled with the first heating appliance as a twinned unit. The second heating appliance includes a second blower and a second wireless communication unit. The system also includes a primary control unit configured to receive speed data indicative of a speed of the first blower and speed data indicative of a speed of the second blower. The primary control unit is further configured to output a blower speed control signal to at least one of the first blower and the second blower to synchronize the first blower and the second blower.

Systems and methods for controlling twinned heating appliances

A transfer tube for a thermal transfer device can include at least one wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, where the inner surface forms a cavity, where the at least one wall further has a first end and a second end. The first end can be configured to couple to a terminus of a heat exchanger of the thermal transfer device. The second end can be configured to couple to a collector box of the thermal transfer device. At least a portion of the at least one wall can be disposed in a vestibule of the thermal transfer device. The cavity can be configured to simultaneously receive a first fluid that flows from the first end to the second end and a second fluid that flows from the second end to the first end.

Heat exchanger transfer tubes

A fuel-fired heating appliance comprises a fuel source, an air source, a chamber in which fuel and air mix, a burner downstream from the mixing chamber, an igniter proximate the burner, a heat exchanger, a blower and a flue pipe. An ambient air inlet may be defined by at least one of the outlet end of the blower and the flue pipe extending between the interior of the flue pipe and an area ambient to the flue pipe. A flow rate of combustion gas may be controlled to a level below a steady-state flow rate during appliance warm-up.

Fuel-fired appliance with exhaust dilution

Heat exchanger slide rails

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.

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 heating appliance comprises a burner and a first housing adjacent the burner so that an interior of the first housing receives combustion gasses from combustion at the burner. A heat exchanger defines a second housing with an inlet proximate an outlet of the first housing so that the inlet of the second housing receives combustion gasses from the outlet of the first housing, and wherein the first and second housings attach at an interface. A barrier extends within, and across an interface between, the outlet of the first housing and the inlet of the second housing and defines a thermal resistance that inhibits heat transfer from the combustion gasses to the interface.

Pre-mix fuel-fired appliance with improved heat exchanger interface

A flame indicator assembly for a fuel-fired heating appliance, the fuel-fired heating appliance including a burner assembly and control electronics. The flame indicator assembly comprises a flame sensor configured to allow the flow of electric current in response to exposure to a flame. The flame sensor is configured for electrical communication with the control electronics of the fuel-fired heating appliance. The flame indicator assembly also comprises a visual indicator module attached to the flame sensor. The visual indicator module comprises at least one light source. The visual indicator module is in operative communication with the flame sensor such that the at least one light source is actuated in response to the flow of electric current. A fuel-fired heating appliance comprising a flame indicator assembly is also disclosed.

Fuel-fired heating appliance having flame indicator assembly

Growing community of inventors

Charleston, AR, United States of America

Shawn Allan Reed