Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
240 words
A heating system comprising: a heating unit including a fuel-fired burner, a combustion chamber in which a hot combustion gas is generated by said burner, and a recuperator through which said gas is passed in at least a first and a second zone in indirect heat exchange with a recirculatable space heating fluid and hot utility water, respectively; means including a feedline connected to a high-temperature end of said first zone, at least one space heater connected to said feedline, at least one return line connected to said space heater, and a circulator forming a circulation path for said space-heating fluid through said first zone; means including a hot water storage tank and a pump for circulating hot water between said tank and said second zone for circulating hot water; a heat exchanger having two sections in heat exchanging relation with one another; means forming a bypass through one of said sections between said feedline and said return line, and at least one valve for controlling the flow through said bypass, said means for circulating hot water between said tank and said second zone including the other section of said heat exchanger; first control means responsive to the temperature of water in said tank for controlling said valve; and second control means responsive to the temperature in said feedline for controlling the rate of fuel flow to said burner and the rate of flow of said gas through said recuperator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
240 words
A heating system comprising: a heating unit including a fuel-fired burner, a combustion chamber in which a hot combustion gas is generated by said burner, and a recuperator through which said gas is passed in at least a first and a second zone in indirect heat exchange with a recirculatable space heating fluid and hot utility water, respectively; means including a feedline connected to a high-temperature end of said first zone, at least one space heater connected to said feedline, at least one return line connected to said space heater, and a circulator forming a circulation path for said space-heating fluid through said first zone; means including a hot water storage tank and a pump for circulating hot water between said tank and said second zone for circulating hot water; a heat exchanger having two sections in heat exchanging relation with one another; means forming a bypass through one of said sections between said feedline and said return line, and at least one valve for controlling the flow through said bypass, said means for circulating hot water between said tank and said second zone including the other section of said heat exchanger; first control means responsive to the temperature of water in said tank for controlling said valve; and second control means responsive to the temperature in said feedline for controlling the rate of fuel flow to said burner and the rate of flow of said gas through said recuperator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein said space heating fluid is water which is circulated through said first zone in counterflow to the direction of flow of said combustion gas therethrough.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 2, further comprising suction means for drawing said combustion gases through said recuperator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
172 words
The system defined in claim 2 wherein said unit comprises: a ceramic burner body formed with a plurality of parallel slit-like passages at least some of which open at a side of said body; means for supplying a fuel to alternate ones of said passages of said burner body and for supplying air to the remainder of said passages whereby a combustible gas mixture is formed at said side of said body; means defining a combustion chamber at said side of said body and into which said some of said openings discharge whereby said hot combustion gas is formed in said combustion chamber; and a ceramic recuperator body formed with mutually parallel slit-like channels, alternate ones of said channels communicating with said combustion chamber for conducting said hot combustion gases therefrom, said water in each zone passing through others of said channels in a direction counter to the flow of said combustion gas for heat exchange between said water and said combustion gases through walls of said recuperator body between said channels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system defined in claim 4 wherein said ceramic burner body, said recuperator body and the means forming said combustion chamber are part of a unitary ceramic structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 4, further comprising insulating layers of porous ceramic material lining said combustion chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system defined in claim 4, claim 5 or claim 6, further comprising baffles in water-carrying channels of said first zone proximal to said combustion chamber for deflecting the water flow along an increased path length.