Power comsumption rate monitored electric water-heating system

Claim 2

An electric water-heating system including a water storage tank having a cold water inlet connection into its bottom level and a heated water outlet connection leading from its uppermost level, a shroud extending into said tank and being open at its inner end, an electric immersion heater unit disposed within said shroud, a heated water delivery conduit conducting water from a portion of said shroud remote from its open inner end and back into said tank at a position in close proximity to said heated water outlet connection, a water pump in the line of said conduit, and a waterflow-rate-regulating valve in the line of said conduit, said valve being automatically responsive to changes in the temperature of the water passing therethrough so as to appropriately throttle the rate of flow of water flowing through said shroud in heat exchange relation with said heater unit so as to maintain the water being delivered to said outlet connection at a prescribed temperature.

Claim 3

A heating system as set forth in claim 1 wherein a prime control thermostat is disposed in the upper level portion of said tank and is operable to regulate operations of said heater and said pump in accordance with the temperature of the water in the upper level of said tank.

Claim 4

An electric water-heating system comprising, in combination; a water storage tank having a cold water inlet into its bottom level and a heated water outlet connection leading from its uppermost level; a shroud extending into said tank and having an open inner end located in the bottom level of the tank; electric heating means within said shroud; pump means for circulating water from the bottom level of the tank through said open inner end of the shroud and over said heating means to a discharge region in the vicinity of said heated water outlet; control means for energizing said heater means and said pump means only during offpeak electrical supply periods; and waterflow-rate-regulating means for controlling the rate of circulating water Flowing over said heater means so as to maintain the water circulated to said outlet connection at a prescribed temperature.

Claim 5

An electric water-heating system comprising, in combination; a water storage tank having a cold water inlet into its bottom level and a heated water outlet connection leading from its uppermost level; a shroud extending into said tank and having an open inner end located in the bottom level of the tank; electric heating means within said shroud; pump means for circulating water from the bottom level of the tank through said open inner end of the shroud and over said heating means to a discharge region in the vicinity of said heated water outlet; control means for energizing said heater means and said pump means only during offpeak electrical supply periods; and waterflow-rate-regulating means for controlling the rate of circulating water Flowing over said heater means so as to maintain the water circulated to said outlet connection at a prescribed temperature.

Claim 6

The electric water-heating system according to claim 3 wherein said heating means comprises a plurality of heating elements; and including override thermostat means for energizing said pump means and less than all of said heating elements at any time that the temperature of the water in said tank falls below a predetermined temperature.

Claim 7

The electric water-heating system according to claim 3 wherein said control means includes time-control switch mechanism and prime control thermostat mechanism; said heating means comprises a plurality of heating elements controlled by said control means; and including override thermostat means for overriding said time-control switch mechanism to energize less than all of said heating elements at any time that the temperature of the water in said tank falls below a predetermined temperature.

Claim 8

A water-heating system comprising, in combination; a heated water storage tank having a cold water inlet connection into its bottom level and a heated water outlet connection leading from its upper level, said outlet connection being adapted to supply a system which may demand hot water intermittently or continuously at any time; a shroud in said tank and having an opening located in the bottom level of the tank; heating means within said shroud; pump means for circulating water from the bottom level of the tank through said opening in the shroud and over said heating means to a discharge region in the vicinity of said heated water outlet; control means for periodically operating said pump means and said heating means to build up a supply of heated water within said tank which may be depleted progressively during time intervals between periods in which said pump means and said heating means are being operated; and waterflow-rate-regulating means for controlling the rate of circulating waterflow over said heating means so as to maintain the water delivered to said outlet connection at a prescribed temperature whenever said pump means and said heating means are being operated, whereby an increasing supply of heated water at said prescribed temperature is circulated to said discharge region during periods in which said pump means and said heating means are being operated.

Claim 9

A water-heating system comprising, in combination; a heated water storage tank having a cold water inlet connection into its bottom level and a heated water outlet connection leading from its upper level, said outlet connection being adapted to supply a system which may demand hot water intermittently or continuously at any time; a shroud in said tank and having an opening located in the bottom level of the tank; heating means within said shroud; pump means for circulating water from the bottom level of the tank through said opening in the shroud and over said heating means to a discharge region in the vicinity of said heated water outlet; control means for periodically operating said pump means and said heating means to build up a supply of heated water within said tank which may be depleted progressively during time intervals between periods in which said pump means and said heating means are being operated; and waterflow-rate-regulating means for controlling the rate of circulating waterflow over said heating means so as to maintain the water delivered to said outlet connection at a prescribed temperature whenever said pump means and said heating means are being operated, whereby an increasing supply of heated water at said prescribed temperature is circulated to said discharge region during periods in which said pump means and said heating means are being operated.

Claim 10

The water-heating system according to claim 6 wherein said heating means comprises a plurality of heating elements; and including override thermostat means for energizing said pump means and less than all of said heating elements at any time that the temperature of the water in said tank falls below a predetermined temperature.

Claim 11

The water-heating system according to claim 6 wherein said control means includes time-control switch mechanism and prime control thermostat mechanism; said heating means comprises a plurality of heating elements controlled by said control means; and including override thermostat means for overriding said time-control switch mechanism to energize less than all of said heating elements at any time that the temperature of the water in said tank falls below a predetermined temperature.

Claim 12

A water-heating system comprising, in combination; a heated water storage tank having an outlet connection adapted to supply water at a selected temperature to an external system which may demand heated water at any time and having a cold water inlet connection for supplying cold water to the bottom region of said tank to replenish water withdrawn from the tank by the external system and means associated with said inlet connection for ensuring that cold water when supplied does not project upwardly into the main body of water in the tank such as would break down the normally present temperature stratification therein; a shroud having an inner end in flow communication with said bottom region of the tank; a plurality of electric heating elements in said shroud for heating water flowing tHrough the shroud; conduit means including pump means for circulating water from the bottom region of said tank, through said shroud in heat transfer relation to said heating elements and then into the top of said tank, whereby progressively to build up a reservoir of heated water in said tank from the top region thereof downwardly toward the bottom region thereof so that water at said outlet is at said selected temperature whereas water entering said shroud is relatively cool throughout a substantial portion of such buildup; and temperature-sensitive control means for controlling the heat input per volumetric unit of water passing through said shroud to maintain said water delivered to the top region of the tank at said selected temperature.

Claim 13

A water-heating system comprising, in combination; a heated water storage tank having an outlet connection adapted to supply water at a selected temperature to an external system which may demand heated water at any time and having a cold water inlet connection for supplying cold water to the bottom region of said tank to replenish water withdrawn from the tank by the external system and means associated with said inlet connection for ensuring that cold water when supplied does not project upwardly into the main body of water in the tank such as would break down the normally present temperature stratification therein; a shroud having an inner end in flow communication with said bottom region of the tank; a plurality of electric heating elements in said shroud for heating water flowing tHrough the shroud; conduit means including pump means for circulating water from the bottom region of said tank, through said shroud in heat transfer relation to said heating elements and then into the top of said tank, whereby progressively to build up a reservoir of heated water in said tank from the top region thereof downwardly toward the bottom region thereof so that water at said outlet is at said selected temperature whereas water entering said shroud is relatively cool throughout a substantial portion of such buildup; and temperature-sensitive control means for controlling the heat input per volumetric unit of water passing through said shroud to maintain said water delivered to the top region of the tank at said selected temperature.

Claim 14

The water-heating system as defined in claim 9 wherein said temperature-sensitive control means is responsive to different selected water temperature to selectively energize said heating elements.

Claim 15

The water-heating system as defined in claim 9 wherein said temperature-sensitive control means includes a temperature-responsive valve in said conduit means.