WATER HEATER

Abstract: A gas fired direct contact water heater 2 comprising a casing 4 divided into upper and lower chambers 10 and 12 by a funnel shaped partition 14. The lower chamber 12 defines an annular, water reservoir 24 surrounding a heat conducting wall 18 of a combustion chamber 16 in which gas from a burner 54 is burnt. An outlet conduit 38 with an open upper end 40 below water level S in the reservoir can convey heated water to satisfy user demand when user's valve 46 is opened. Conduit 38 includes a continuously running water pump 42. If valve 46 is closed water from the pump is re-circulated to the reservoir 24 via a conduit 48 and distribution means 50 above heat transfer means 26 extending across the horizontal cross-section of the chamber 10. The heat transfer means 26 comprises metal defining a plurality of interconnected voids which form part of a flow path between the distribution means 50 and the reservoir 24. As the water passes down the flow path the water becomes heated by making direct contact with the hot products of combustion emerging from the flue 20 and passing upwards along the flow path to the flue 6. Conduit 48 includes a valve 52 which is opened automatically when subjected to slight pre-determined water pressure engendered in the conduit 48 by the pump 42. Seated water is run off when the user's valve 46 is opened. That water is replaced by mains water supplied through a ball-cock 30 and distribution means 28 which is independent of the distribution means 50.

Description: This invention relates to a gas fired direct contact water heater. More particularly the invention concerns a gas fired direct contact water heater of the type (hereinafter called the type referred to) comprising gas burner means, a flow path for hot products of combustion from said burner means, water supply means to supply water to flow along said flow path in an opposite direction to the simultaneous flow of said products of combustion therealong and wherein heat from said products of combustion becomes transferred to the water which becomes heated thereby, first conduit means to convey said heated water subsequent to it travelling along said flow path, said first conduit means having an output portion for a user to take heated water from said first conduit means, pump means included in the first conduit means to pump heated water therealong to said output portion, second conduit means having first and second opposite ends, said second conduit means being in communication with the first conduit means at said first end intermediate the pump means and the output portion, and valve means included in said second conduit means to allow passage of water through said valve means to the said second end from which the water can return to said flow path. US-A-4753 220 discloses a direct contact water heater of the type referred to. In that patent the water supply means comprises a water supply pipe leading to a spray nozzle in an upper part of the heater for water to issue from the nozzle into the flow path. The first conduit means consists of a first pipe length and an output pipe length attached to the leg of a first T-joint having one arm attached to the first pipe length. The second conduit means consists of a second pipe length which is attached at one end to the other arm of the first T-joint and is attached at its other end to the leg of a second T-joint. This second T-joint has an arm attached to that end of the supply pipe which is remote from the spray nozzle, and the other arm of the second T-joint is attached to an inlet pipe which conveys inlet water to the supply pipe. A first shut-off valve is included in the first pipe length between the pump means and the first T-joint. A second shut-off valve is included in the second pipe length between the first and second T-joints. A control valve is included in the supply pipe between the spray nozzle and the second T-joint. This control valve is responsive to a lever actuated device for maintaining the water level, in a heated water reservoir in the heater, at a pre-determined level. If the water level in the reservoir falls below the pre-determined level the control valve opens and allows passage of water from the inlet pipe along the supply pipe to the spray nozzle. But if the water level rises to the pre-determined level the control valve closes to stop the water supply to the spray nozzle. A difficulty with the aforesaid water heater in US-A-4 753 220 is that the second shut-off valve has to be closed otherwise cold water at the inlet pipe pressure (which may be about mains pressure) can flow along the second pipe length in opposition to the heated water at the delivery pressure of the pump means and mix with the heated water, and so cool that heated water for delivery along the output pipe length that the water delivered by the output pipe length to a user is likely to be at too low a temperature. On the other hand if the pump means is powerful and delivers heated water at an output pressure which holds back the cold water at inlet pipe pressure so that the water delivered to the output pipe length is substantially at the temperature that it leaves the heater, then energy consumed to run such pump means would be excessive. Also if such powerful pump means were run continuously and there was no demand for heated water at the output pipe length, heated water pumped out of the reservoir would result in the controlled valve opening and closing in a somewhat aimless manner allowing some cold water to mix with heated water returned to the heater via the supply pipe and nozzle.Thus extra heat would be needed to compensate for the effect of adding cold water, in order to raise the temperature of the returned previously heated water back to a satisfactory and desired reservoir temperature. Furthermore some of the heated water at the high pump means output pressure attempting to enter the supply pipe is likely to enter the inlet pipe instead and back flow therealong by overcoming the inlet pipe water pressure and reach the primary supply of the cold water, for example the mains. This increases the risk of contamination of the primary water supply and may be contrary to law or local regulations. Should the second shut-off valve be closed but the pump means operate whilst there is no demand for water at the outlet pipe length, because for example a user's valve thereon is closed, then the pump means merely operates under heavy load uneccessarily wearing away its parts and consuming power to futile effect. Furthermore since the water cannot be recirculated to the spray nozzle the water standing in the reservoir will simply become colder. An object of this invention is the provision of a water heater of the type referred to capable of being constructed to avoid or at least mitigate the aforesaid disadvantages. According to the invention a gas fired direct contact water heater of the type referred to is characterised by said valve means being pressure release valve means arranged to open automatically when subjected to water at a pre-determined pressure engendered in said second conduit means by the pump means to allow passage of the water through the valve means to said second end for return of the water to said flow path, and the second conduit means being arranged such that water is returned therefrom to said flow path independently of said water supply means. With such a water heater the pump means can be run continuously so that when there is no demand for heated water from the output portion because, for example, a user's valve connected thereto is closed, the heated water from the flow path can be returned via the second conduit means and pressure release valve to the flow path for re-heating. When the user's valve is opened, there may now be an immediate supply of heated water for the user's needs. The pre-determined pressure causing the pressure release valve to open can be low, for example it need not exceed about one bar. The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference the accompanying drawing which diagrammatically shows an embodiment of a water heater formed according to the invention. The drawing illustrates a direct contact water heater 2 having a generally cylindrical, upright casing 4 which can be surrounded by insulation (not shown), and is surmounted by a tubular neck 6 forming a flue containing material defining interconnected pores or voids to form a demister pack 8 to restrict the efflux of water vapour or droplets through the flue. Internally the casing 4 is divided into an upper chamber 10 and a lower chamber 12 by a funnel shaped partition 14. The lower chamber 12 contains a cylindrical combustion chamber 16 defined by a wall 18 and surmounted by a tubular outlet neck 20 having its upper open end covered by a cowl 22 which allows substantially free gas flow of gaseous products of combustion from the combustion chamber. An annular reservoir 24 surrounds the combustion chamber 16 and is defined by the casing 4, the wall 18 and neck 20. Heat transfer means 26 extends across the whole of the horizontal cross-section of the chamber 10. The heat transfer means 26 is material, for example metal, defining a plurality of interconnected voids through which fluid can pass in either vertical direction completely through the heat transfer means. Water from a source, for example the mains, is conveyed by pipe 27 to inlet water distribution means 28 in the chamber 10 above the heat transfer means 26. The distribution means 28 can be in the form of a spray bar comprising a pipe with a plurality of holes in its wall. Pipe 27 includes a control valve or ball-cock 30 having a ball float 32 floating on the surfaces of water in the reservoir 24. Accordingly, when the water level S is at a pre-determined height the ball-cock 30 stops supply of further inlet water to the distribution means 28, but allows supply of inlet water to the chamber 12 should the water level drop below the pre-determined height. To prevent the reservoir 24 over-filling an over-flow pipe 34 ascends through the reservoir 24. The over-flow pipe 34 has an open upper end 36 a short distance above the desired pre-determined water level in the reservoir 24, and a lower part leading to a U-bend or water trap 37 leading to a drain. An outlet pipe or conduit 38 has an inlet 40 thereto in the reservoir 24 at a height which is a short distance below the desired pre-determined water level. Included in the conduit 38 is an electrically driven water pump 42 and a non-return valve 44 through which water can flow to an output portion 39 of the conduit connected to a user's valve 46 which is opened and closed in accordance with a user's demand for water from the heater 2. One end 47 of another conduit 48 opens into the conduit 40 downstream of the pump 42. The other end of conduit 48 is connected to recirculation water distribution means which can also be in the form of a spray bar and is also in the chamber 10 above the heat transfer means 24. The conduit 48 and distribution means 50 are independent of the distribution means 28 and the conduit 27. Included in the conduit 48 is a pressure release valve 52 arranged to open automatically and allow flow of water from the conduit 40 to the distribution means 50 provided the water pressure in the conduit 48 is at least at a pre-determined value P which may be a relatively low value, for example substantially 0.7 bar (about 10.0 p.s.i.). The heater 2 has a gas burner 54, for example, a nozzle mix burner, which can provide a gas flame F in the combustion chamber 16. The burner 54 is supplied with inflammable gas from a supply (not shown) through a pipe 56 including a control valve 58. Combustion air is supplied under pressure to the burner 54 from an electrically driven pump 60 by way of a pipe 62 which includes a control valve 64. A temperature sensor 66 in the reservoir 24 sends signals on channel 68 to a control 70, said signals representing the temperature of the water in the reservoir in proximity to the sensor. Control 70 can be an electronic and/or electrical control device which can provide signals on channels 72, 74, 76 and 78 to start or stop the pumps 42 and 60, to control operation of an electric motor 80 which controls operation of the valves 58 and 64, and to control operation of a gas igniter device 82 adjacent to the buner 54. The reservoir 24 may be drained through a pipe 84 when valve 86 is opened. At the bottom of the combustion chamber 16 is an annular, drip collecting tray defined between a low annular wall 88 and the surrounding wall 18. This tray may be drained through a pipe 90 comprising a water trap 91 and a normally open valve 92. Control 70 has two conditions, namely a non-operating condition and an operating condition. When the control 70 is in the operating condition, the heater 2 can either supply heated water at substantially a desired pre-determined temperature or an attempt is being made to heat water in the heater up to that temperature. When the control 70 is in the non-operating condition the gas-control valve 58 is closed and thus no gas can be burned. In the non-operating condition the control 70 also causes the water pump 42 and the air pump 60 to be stopped. Thus no air is supplied to the combustion chamber 16, neither is any water pumped along conduit 38 towards the user's valve 46 nor along the conduit 48. In the operating condition the control 70 causes the pumps 42 and 60 to operate continuously each, for example, at a respective substantially constant rate. Also when the control 70 is in the operating condition it is arranged to respond to water temperature observed by the temperature sensor 66 to the effect that:- (i) when the temperature is below a value T₁, which is a pre-detemined temperature desired for water to be supplied to the user, the control causes HIGH FIRE combustion in the combustion chamber 16, (ii) when the temperature is greater than T₁ but less than a temperature value T₂, which is a predetermined maximum and may be a few degrees Celsuis above T₁ (i.e. T₂>T₁), the control causes LOW FIRE combustion in the combustion chamber, and (iii) when the temperature is greater than T₂ the control stops the combustion. For HIGH FIRE the control 70 causes motor 80 to open the valves 58 and 64 to supply the fuel gas and combustion air at respective, maximum, predetermined HIGH FIRE rates to the burner 54. For LOW FIRE, control 70 causes the motor 80 to operate the valves 58 and 64 to supply the fuel gas and combustion air at lower, respective, pre-determined LOW FIRE rates. On the temperature reaching T₂ at sensor 66, control 70 causes the motor 80 to operate to close the valve 58 to stop the supply of fuel gas whilst at the same time opening the valve 64 to allow air to be blown into the combustion chamber at the HIGH FIRE air supply rate. In its operating condition the control 70 can also cause operation of the igniter device 82 to ignite the fuel gas from the burner. The control 70 causes operation of the igniter device 82: (i) when the control is switched from its non-operating to its operating condition, and (ii) when the control is in the operating condition and the water temperature at the sensor 66 drops below T₂. Control 70 is arranged or programmed so that when the igniter device 82 is operated the motor controlled valves 58 and 64 are supplying fuel gas and combustion air at LOW FIRE rates until ignition of the fuel gas is established. Then if the water temperature is less than T₁, combustion goes to HIGH FIRE. Whenever the gas valve 58 is closed the control 70 causes the air supply valve 64 to open to the position corresponding to HIGH FIRE air supply rate. Thus when the control 70 is switched to the operating condition or when the water temperature exceeds T₂ there is a purging blast of air through the combustion chamber 16 at HIGH FIRE air supply rate. That purging blast lasts for a desired pre-determined time period t b , for example, about thirty seconds, during which time the control 70 is inhibited from operating the igniter device. The time period t b is counted out from the instant that control 70 is switched to the operating condition. Period t b is also counted out from the instant that gas valve 58 is closed when the water temperature reaches T₂. On the control 70 being switched to the operating condition the pump 42 operates, and after the initial air blast purge for time t b the fuel gas is ignited. If the user's valve 46 is closed, the pumped water has a pressure in excess of the value P and the valve 52 automatically opens allowing the pumped water to re-circulate and issue from the distribution means 50 and flow downwards along a flow path which at least in part passes through the voids in the heat transfer means 26. When the burner 54 is ignited, the hot product of combustion emerge for the flue 20 and pass upwards along the flow path in the opposite direction to water flowing down simultaneously. The water and the hot products of combustion come into direct contact (particularly in the heat transfer means 26) causing the water to be heated. This heated water enters the reservoir 24 where it can be further heated by heat transfer through the wall 18 from the combustion chamber 16. Should the user's valve 46 be opened, this causes a pressure drop in the conduit 48 to below the value P and the valve 52 closes automatically. Because water is leaving the heater system, the water level S drops causing the ball-cock 30 to open allowing mains water to enter the chamber 10 through the distribution means 28 and flow downwads along the flow path through the heat transfer means 26, where it can be heated by the ascending, hot products of combustion provided the burner 54 is lit. Whilst the control 70 is in the operating condition, any opening of the user's valve 46 allows an instantaneous supply of water by the continuously running pump 42. Should the valve 46 be closed, the water from the reservoir 24 is re-circulated through the conduit 48 and valve 52 to be reheated in the heat transfer means 26 and reservoir 24 to keep the water at substantially the temperature T₁ until required by the user. If desired a valve 94 may be included in the conduit 38 between the user's valve 46 and the conduit 48. Valve 94 can be opened and/or closed in response to signals from the control 70 responding to the observation(s) by the temperature sensor 66 of pre-determined water temperature(s). The control 70 can be arranged so that in the operating condition it will not allow the valve 94 to be open unless the water temperature observed by the sensor 66 is at least a pre-determined value. Control 70 may be arranged such that when it is first switched to the operating condition from the non-operating condition it will not cause the valve 94 to be opened until the temperature sensor 66 observes the attainment of a pre-determined water temperature T₃ which is greater than the aforesaid temperature T₁. For exmaple if the temperature T₁ at which it is desired to supply heated water is say 38°C to 40°C this is a temperature at which the bacteria causing Legionnaires Disease can multiply greatly if the water in the reservoir 24 has been standing for some time before the control is switched to the operating condition. The temperature T₃ can be much greater than 40°C, for example substantially 80°C. At that temperature the above mentioned bacteria will be killed before any water can be supplied from the heater 2 to the user. The control 70 can be arranged such that once it has been switched to the operating condition, the valve 94 once opened cannot be closed again until the control is again switched to the non-operating condition.

Claims: 1. A gas fired direct contact water heater (2) comprising gas burner means (54), a flow path (10) for hot products of combustion from said burner means, water supply means (27,28) to supply water to flow along said flow path in an opposite direction to the simultaneous flow of said products of combustion therealong and wherein heat from said products of combustion becomes transferred to the water which becomes heated thereby, first conduit means (38) to convey said heated water subsequent to it travelling along said flow path, said first conduit means having an output portion (39) for a user to take heated water from said first conduit means, pump means (42) included in the first conduit means to pump heated water therealong to said output portion, second conduit means (48) having first and second opposite ends (47,50), said second conduit means (48) being in communication with the first conduit means (38) at said first end (47) intermediate the pump means (42) and the output portion (39), and valve means (52) included in said second conduit means (48) to allow passage of water through said valve means to the said second level (50) from which the water can return to said flow path (10), characterised by said valve means (52) being pressure release valve means arranged to open automatically when subjected to water at pre-determined pressure (P) engendered in said second conduit means (48) by the pump means (42) to allow passage of the water through the valve means (52) to said second end (50) for return of the water to said flow path (10), and the second conduit means (48) being arranged such that water is returned therefrom to said flow path (10) independently of said water supply means (27,28). 2. A direct contact water heater as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises control means (70) switchable between an operating condition and non-operating condition, said control means (70) being arranged to control operation of the pump means (42) and to control supply (58) of gas to said burner means (54), in the non-operating condition said control means causing said supply of gas to be stopped and the pump means to be stopped, and in the operating condition said control means causing the pump means to operate continuously. 3. A direct contact water heater as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that said control means (70) in said operating condition controls supply (60,64) of combustion air and controls said supply (58) of gas to the burner means (54) which includes stopping the said supply of gas, and in said operating condition said control means is arranged to cause air under pressure to be supplied continuously irrespective of whether or not the gas supply is stopped such that in the event of the gas supply being stopped by said control means in said operating condition air continues to be supplied and flows through a combustion chamber (16) associated with the burner means and along the flow path (10) to flue means (6) beyond said flow path. 4. A direct contact water heater as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised in that the first conduit means (38) includes controlled valve means (94) intermediate the output portion (39) and the first end (47) of the second conduit means (48), temperature observing means (66) to observe the temperature of water from the flow path (10) before that water reaches the output portion (38), and the control means (70) in said operating condition is arranged to cause the controlled valve means (94) to be opened to allow passage of pumped water to the output portion (39) when the temperaure observing means observes that water from the flow path (10) has attained a pre-determined temperature T₃ . 5. A direct contact water heater as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised in that it further comprises temperature observing means (66) to observe the temperature of water from the flow path (10), and the control means (70) in said operating condition being arranged to vary the gas supply (58) to bring the temperature of the water from the flow path (10) closer to a pre-determined temperature T₁. 6. A direct contact water heater as claimed in any one preceding claim, characterised in that a reservoir (24) is provided for collecting water from said flow path (10) and for supplying the collected water to the first mentioned conduit means (38). 7. A direct contact water heater as claimed in any one preceding claim, characterised in that the flow path (10) is between an upper first position and a lower second position, heat transfer means (26) is disposed between said first and second positions, and said heat transfer means (26) comprises material defining a plurality of voids through which the water being heated and the products of combustion flow in opposite directions simultaneously. 8. A direct contact water heater as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that said reservoir (24) surrounds a/the combustion chamber (16) associated with said burner means (54), and said combustion chamber having a wall (18) permitting flow of heat therethrough to water in said reservoir. 9. A direct contact water heater as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which said water supply means comprises third conduit means (27) leading to first water distribution means (28) from which water issues directly into said flow path (10), the second conduit means (48) leads to second water distribution means (50), and the second conduit means (48) and the second distribution means (50) are so arranged that water therefrom cannot mix with water from said supply means before the water from the supply means has issued from the first distribution means (28). 10. A direct contact water heater as claimed in any one preceding claim, characterised in that said pre-determined pressure (P) has a value not greater than about 1.0 bar. 11. A direct contact water heater as claimed in any one preceding claim, characterised in that said pre-determined pressure (P) is substantially 0.7 bar.

Inventors: LOCKETT, JOHN FRANCIS, LUA, AIK BENG
Applicants: BRITISH GAS PLC
Application year: 1990
Main classification: F24H1
IPC codes: F24H1