Patent ID: 9046896
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: F24D,G05D,Y02B

Abstract:
1. A steam heating system comprising: a) a microprocessor; b) a program for the microprocessor to execute; c) a steam boiler; d) a piping system attached to the steam boiler; e) one or more steam radiators attached to the piping system coming from the steam boiler, such that steam is directed from the boiler into the one or more radiators; f) an air vent port on each steam radiator, through which air and vapors from inside the one or more radiators and the piping system can be displaced by incoming steam, allowing the steam to enter into the one or more radiators; g) an electromechanical air vent valve, attached to each of the respective air vent ports, that can communicate with the microprocessor, such that each of the respective vent valves can be individually and discretely opened and closed by the microprocessor; h) a vent valve temperature sensor located on each of the respective air vent valves, in thermal contact with a respective valve body, that allows the temperature of escaping air and vapors from the valve to be read by the microprocessor; i) a boiler interfacing circuit, connected between the microprocessor and the steam boiler, that allows the microprocessor to start or stop the production of steam pressure by completing the boiler interfacing circuit; and j) a room temperature sensor probe, the sensor probe configured to be associated with one or more rooms in a house or building, as defined in the program that the microprocessor executes as at least one zone, to allow the microprocessor to read and associate the probe temperature readings as the ambient air temperature of the respective zone, a system of controls through which the program executed on the microprocessor can: a) read each of the respective temperature sensor probes; b) start or stop the steam boiler's production of steam pressure; and c) open or close each of the respective electromechanical air vent valves on an individual and discrete basis for each of the one or more radiators; whereby the program compares heating zone temperature set point variables defined in the program with the respective room temperature sensor probe readings in the respective zone, such that when the program identifies the respective zone is deficient in heat from defined temperature parameters, causes the steam boiler to produce steam pressure, while opening the respective radiator air vent valves assigned to the deficient zone, so long as the respective valves are within defined radiator temperature set point parameters as indicated by each vent valve's temperature sensor, thereby allowing steam pressure, when present, to displace air from the respective radiator vent port and fill the radiators that have open air vent valves with steam, while preventing radiators with closed air vent valves from allowing steam to enter, reading the respective vent valve temperature sensors, until the program's parameters are satisfied respective to the program defined zone associated with the respective collection of radiators, air vents, and temperature sensors, closing the respective vent valves as heat is no longer indicated by the microprocessor, until all of the program defined zones, are no longer deficient in heat, at which time the program controls the electrical circuit to the steam boiler to stop producing steam.