A UNIVERSAL FURNACE

Abstract: A furnace for firing with optional fuels and where the substantial heat transfer takes place from air to air, whereby the furnace (1) is provided with double shells, which in the space therebetween present partition members (10) which subdivide the space in at least two zones (2, 3) through which air is forced by at least one blower (6) from an inlet at one end of the furnace, via a first one of said zones and thereupon via the second one of said zones to an outlet (5) at the same one end of the furnace, whereby the air is brought carefully to flow around the combustion chamber shell.

Description: A universal furnace Background of the invention The present invention refers to a furnace for firing with optional fuels. Furnaces nowadays used oftenly have a limited usefullness. This is a particularly pronounced deficiency e.g in agriculture where it for drying of crops is temporarily needed large supplies of hot air. Special furnaces for this purpose which are available on the market are generally designed to be useable herefore only and they can only be fired with liquid fuels. This is an evident drawback as the farmer has often to his disposal comparatively cheap, solid fuels of different types. The purpose and main features of the invention The purpose of the present invention is to provide a furnace which can not only be used for production of hot air, but which is also adaptable in other ways for. forming an universal furnace which in highly adaptable to different working conditions and performance desires, e.g for hot water heating, for heating of farm buildings and dwelling-houses etc. and this is achieved with the furnace according to the invention by means of the characteristic features defined in the annexed claims. The basic concept of the invention can lead to several different system solutions in which the entire system can have different designs beside the fact that the main components forming part of the system may be varied, although most of the detail solutions are known per se to an expert. Description of the drawings The invention will hereinafter be further described with reference to a number of embodiments schematically shown in the accompanying drawings. 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Figure 1 shows schematically a section through an embodiment of a furnace according to the invention , Figure 2 is an end view of the furnace according to figure. 1 , Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the furnace according to figure 1, Figure .' shows a longitudinal section through a modified embodiment of a furnace according to the invention, Figure 5 shows in an end view and in a longitudinal section a further modified embodiment, Figure 6 shows likewise end view and longitudinal section through still another embodiment, Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through a further embodiment of the invention, Figure 8 shows a combustion chamber with quadrangular geometry in cross section as seen in perspective, Figure 9 is a longitudinal section through a further modified furnace design, Figure 10 shows in an end view and a longitudinal section a furnace design having a modified supply, Figure 11 is a further modified embodiment of the furnace according to the invention in a longitudinal section, Figure 12 shows in perspective the design principle for a square combustion chamber, and Figure 13 shows in an end view and a longitudinal section the embodiment according to figure 12. Descriotion of the embodiments In figure 1 is schematically shown in a longitudinal section a combustion chamber 1 surrounded by two shells, where the outer one is provided with a furnace insulation 23. The space between the two shells is by means of sheet metal partitions 10 subdivided into an upper and a lower zone 2 and 3 resp. In the upper zone air flows against the furnace front side, which is provided with a door ■ 4 for introduction of fuel. The primary air for the combustion passes th de of the furnace and secondary air is supplied from the opening 15 via a duct 17 through the door 4 to a secondary air inlet 16. The supply of primary as well as-secondary air is preferably controlled by means of a the ostatic valve controlled adjuster which acts upon a draught door 18. The air passes from the upper zone 2 ' at the front part of the furnace over to the second, lower zone 3, but the partitions 10 are further¬ more equipped with a number of perforations 11, which allow smaller flows between the first and the second zones along a major part of the partitions 10, The heat transfer is thereby increased at the same time as the cooling of the combustion chamber will be improved also in the second zone, which without such leak flow vjould only be cooled by air, that had already passed through the entire first zone where it would have been heated. The air supplied to the first zone 2 is delivered from a blower 6 which takes in fresh air via a filter 7 and blows the cold air against the rear, inclined part of the combustion chamber 1, In order to obtain such a satisfactory cooling of the combustion chamber as possible the space between the two shells is furthermore provided with guide plates 8,9 intended to guide the flow of air thus that it will flow around the combustion chamber as well as possible, whereby a satisfactory cooling thereof is obtained. The heated air passes from the second zone out through an outlet 5, and as shown in this fibure can before this outlet be located a heat exchanger 1 » which can work with heat transfer air to air or air to water. A draught valve device 12 is arranged to be adjustable from the position shown in continuous lines, in which the cold air passes through the furnace in the manner described above, and to the position shown in dash lines, in which the cold air is guided directly to the outlet 5. A separate mountable guide duct I 1 , can also be connected to prevent hot air from passing out through the outlet 5 and instead ____ ( OMPI wιp ° to lead the hot air back to the heat exchanger system of the furnace via the filter 7 provided before the blower. This system can preferably be used when it for instance is desired to heat water in the heat exchanger 13. The smoke gases from the furnace are drawn off via a funnel 21 provided with a cooling flange 22 " . The speed of the blower and the opening 19 of the draught valve are adjusted manually or automatically in relation to desired parameters. At extremely high furnace temperatures is it possible to supply the furnace with a cooling agent through an opening 20. The apparatus part with blower, draught valve and possible control equipment is preferably formed as an integral unit which is detachable from the combustion chamber. It is thereby possible to use the same apparatus part for furnaces of different sizes. In- figure 2 is shown in an end view the main principle . of the furnace geometry 2 and in figure 3 is shown in a schematical perspective view partly as a ghosted view the structure and the location of the blower and the draught valve with control equipment in the furnace according to figures 1 and 2. In figure is shown a modified embodiment, whereby the combustion chamber as well as the blower have been tilted • at the same time as the funnel has been located at the forward part of the furnace whereby a longer cooling duct for the smoke gases is obtained before the funnel, which makes it possible to obtain a better cooling of these smoke gases. In figure 5 is shown in an end view and a longitudinal section a furnace in which the air by means of two under¬ lying blowers 25 is supplied through a duct located below the furnace, whereupon the air is distributed in a distribution compartment 27 arranged circumferentially around the shell wall 28 of the combustion chamber. A separate heat exchanger 2βa is connectable to the rear part of the furnace. The design corresponds in other essential details to the embodiments according to figure 1. In figure 6 is shown in views corresponding to figure 5 alternative locations of the blowers and heat exchangers together with draught valve, whereby however the other details correspond to those earlier described. In figure 7 is shown a modification of the preceding embodiments with a mobile furnace which can be equipped with wheels 50 and which can furthermore be provided with several heat exchanger batteries 51 arranged in the exhaust air duct or in a guide duct 52 which is connectable between the exhaust air duct and the supply air duct. In figure 8 is shown a combustion chamber having a quadrangular geometry, whereby the upper surface of the combustion chamber is provided with cooling flanges 29. The cold air is here supplied at the lower part of the furnace below the partition 30 which is provided with smaller openings for air distribution to the sides 31 of the combustion chamber. The main part of the air from the first zone is however distributed via the distribution compartment and it is by the upper zone led to the outlet. Figure 9 shows a furnace with an inclined combustion chamber 33 and with vanes 3 1 - for still improved distri¬ bution of the air which passes around the furnace and between the two zones. In this case the blower 35 is located at the outlet side and the supply of air takes •^TREA OMPI ° place by means of suction. A separate heat exchanger 36 can be connected in such a manner that it is utilized to an optimum only when the hot air production is inter¬ rupted. In figure 10 is shown a furnace in end view and side vie * / in which the air is supplied from one side of the furnace in an outer shell 37 around the entire combustion chamber. The air is distributed at the rear part of the furnace via distribution compartment 38 and is returned to the outlet at the same furnace side. A smaller flow of air passes through openings 39 in the inner shell wall 40. The combustion chamber is excentrically located, which can be best seen from figure 11, in which is also shown an alternative location for the heat exchanger 4l. In figure 12 is shown in a ghost perspective view a furnace embodiment corresponding to figure 11 but having a square combustion chamber. This furnace design άs shown in a schematic longitudinal section in figure 13. A dashed arrow 42 intimates that the air by means of the blower 43 is conveyed past the combustion chamber 49 and directly to the outlet 44. In this position the draught valve 4 is raised. When the draught valve has been lowered 46 the air will pass the combustion chamber along the continuous lines 47. The heat exchanger, e.g a water battery, can be connected to the inlet 48 or to the outlet 44. The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in with reference thereto but modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the following claims. OMP

Claims: C L A I M S 1. A furnace for optional firing with solid or liquid fuels, characterized thereby, that the furnace is double-shelled, whereby the space between the shells by means of partition members (10,27, 30,40) is subdivided into at least two zones (2,3), that the furnace is provided with at least one blower (6,25, 35) arranged to force air from inlets substantially at one end of the furnace through one of said zones, whereby it is flowing around a portion of the combustion chamber shell and to the other end of the furnace and during flowing around the other portion of the combustion chamber shell through the other zone back to said one end of the furnace and an air outlet (5,44) located there. 2. A furnace according to claim 1, . characterized thereby that the fuel intake door (4) is arranged at the end of the furnace remote from the air inlet and outlet. 3. A furnace according to claim 1 or 2 characterized thereby that there is arranged between the first and the second zones a collecting and distributing compartment (27,32) arranged to ensure a satisfactory air distribution over the entire cross section of the second zone. 4. A furnace according to anyone of the preceding claims characterized thereby, that there is arranged in at least one of said zones guiding means (8,34), adapted to give the air an optimum flow about the combustion chamber and thereby a good heat transfer. 5. A furnace according to anyone of claims 1-4, characterized thereby - REXET OMPI / b WIPO . R that the partition members (10,27,30,40) are provided with perforations (11,31,39) adapted to allow a small addition of colder air from the first zone as seen in the direction of flow, to a warmer portion of the second zone as seen in the direction of flow. 6. A furnace according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized thereby that there is arranged or can be fitted resp. at least one heat exchanger battery (13, 6a,51,36,41) in the air flow system of the furnace. 7. A furnace according to anyone of the preceding claims characterized thereby that the furnace inlet (48) for coTd air and its outlet (5,44) for hot air are mutually connectable by means- of a closed guiding duct (14,52) mountable between the inlet and the outlet. 8. A furnace according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized by a draught valve device (12,45,46) adapted to be adjustable for interrupting air supply into said zones for instead leading the cold air directly to the air outlet of the furnace. 9. A furnace according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized thereby that the blower (6,25,35), the draught valve device (12,45,46) and possible control equipment therefore are formed in an integral unit which is detachable from the combustion chamber. < RE , O OMMPP / j . IIPP

Inventors: KARDOS K, MATTSSON B, WESTERMARK O
Applicants: KARDOS K, MATTSSON B, PRODUKTUTVECKLINGSCENTRUM GOET, WESTERMARK O, PRODUKTUTVECKLINGSCENTRUM GOETEBORG
Application year: 1980
Main classification: F24D5
IPC codes: F24H3, F24H9