Patent Abstract:
Provided is a portable heating device comprising a combustion-powered heater, a regulator, and an oxygen depletion sensor. The combustion-powered heater may be supplied by an associated fuel source and may comprise a combustion region comprising a catalytic surface. The regulator may be adapted for fluid communication with the associated fuel source. The oxygen depletion sensor may comprise a burner and a temperature detector. The burner may be in fluid communication with the regulator and may be adapted to combust fuel form the regulator with air to produce a flame. The temperature detector may be adapted to detect the temperature of the flame and may be adapted to selectively render the combustion-powered heater non-functional.

Full Description:
[0001]    The following application is incorporated by reference, in its entirety: International Application No. PCT/US2007/007426, filed Mar. 26, 2007, titled “Gas-Fired Portable Unvented Infrared Heater”, which PCT application claimed priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/743,757, filed Mar. 24, 2006. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Provided is a portable catalytic heater. More particularly, provided is portable catalytic heater comprising a device to shut down the portable catalytic heater in response to certain atmospheric conditions. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Without limitation, combustion-powered heaters may comprise catalytic heaters and heaters with burners. Combustion-powered heaters combust reactants to yield heat and reaction products. Combustion-powered heaters consume a fuel and an oxidant and react the fuel and oxidant to yield heat and one or more combustion products. Some combustion-powered heaters modify the composition of the atmosphere by uptake of one or more reactants from the atmosphere, or release of one or more combustion products into the atmosphere, or both. 
         [0004]    In some combustion-powered heaters, a combustion process consumes oxygen from the atmosphere as a combustion reactant. The consumption of oxygen by a combustion-powered heater can modify the composition of the atmosphere by reducing the oxygen therein. In some amounts, reduced oxygen may be undesirable. It remains desirable to develop technology to detect and address atmospheric conditions such as undesirable amounts of oxygen. 
         [0005]    Without limitation, some combustion-powered heaters release a combustion product into the atmosphere. A combustion product may comprise, but is not limited to, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides. The release of a combustion product can modify the composition of the atmosphere by increasing the amount of a combustion product therein. Without limitation, increasing the amount of a combustion product in the atmosphere can decrease the percentage of other atmospheric constituents therein. Without limitation, in some amounts, the presence of a combustion product may be undesirable. It remains desirable to develop technology to detect and address atmospheric conditions such as an undesirable amount of a combustion product in the atmosphere. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Provided is a portable heating device comprising a combustion-powered heater, a regulator, and an oxygen depletion sensor. The combustion-powered heater may be supplied by an associated fuel source and may comprise a combustion region comprising a catalytic surface. The regulator may be adapted for fluid communication with the associated fuel source. The oxygen depletion sensor may comprise a burner and a temperature detector. The burner may be in fluid communication with the regulator and may be adapted to combust fuel form the regulator with air to produce a flame. The temperature detector may be adapted to detect the temperature of the flame and may be adapted to selectively render the combustion-powered heater non-functional. 
         [0007]    Further provided is a portable combustion-powered heater supplied by an associated fuel source. The combustion-powered heater may comprise a combustion region comprising a catalytic surface, a regulator operationally engaged with the associated fuel source, a valve, and an oxygen depletion sensor operationally engaged with the regulator. The oxygen depletion sensor may comprise, a burner in operative engagement with said regulator and a detector. The burner may be adapted to combust fuel in air to produce a flame. The detector may be adapted to detect a first property of the flame. 
         [0008]    Further provided is a portable heating device comprising a combustion-powered heater, a regulator, a normally-closed valve, and an oxygen depletion sensor. The combustion-powered heater may be supplied by an associated fuel source. The fuel source may comprise propane. The combustion-powered heater may comprise a combustion region. The combustion region may comprise a catalyst and a substrate. The catalyst may comprise ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, or mixtures thereof. The substrate may comprise a glass fiber, a porous metal, a ceramic, or a mixture thereof. The combustion-powered heater may be adapted to consume oxygen from the atmosphere as a combustion reactant or adapted to release a combustion product into the atmosphere, or both. The regulator may be operationally engaged with the associated fuel source. The regulator may be adapted to accept a flow of fuel from the associated fuel source and output a flow of fuel. The outputted flow of fuel may be limited to a pressure of approximately eleven inches of water column. The normally-closed valve may be in fluid communication with the combustion region and in fluid communication with the associated fuel source. The normally-closed valve may be adapted to shut-off said combustion-powered heater when closed. The oxygen depletion sensor may comprise a burner and a detector. The burner may be in operative engagement with said regulator. The burner may be adapted to combust fuel in air to produce a flame. The detector may be adapted to detect a first property of the flame. The detector may be adapted to hold open said normally-closed valve unless the detected first property of the flame do not meet predetermined criteria. The flame may be adapted to have the first property not meet the predetermined criteria when the air comprises a carbon dioxide amount in the air of more than 5000 PPM, or the air comprises a carbon monoxide amount in the air of more than 100 PPM, or the air comprises at least 82% by volume non-oxygen components, or any combination thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present subject matter may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which are described in detail in this specification and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a view of one embodiment of a portable catalytic heater assembly. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is another view of one embodiment of a portable catalytic heater assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Reference will be made to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-2 , wherein the showings are only for purposes of illustrating certain embodiments of a portable catalytic heater, and not for purposes of limiting the same. Specific characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
         [0013]    Portable heaters  10  may be combustion-powered. A combustion-powered portable heaters  10  may combust a fuel and an oxidant in a combustion region  20 . A combustion region  20  may comprise, without limitation, a catalytic surface  22  or a burner (not shown). 
         [0014]    A catalytic surface  22  is a combustion region  20  adapted so that a fuel and an oxidant may react thereupon in catalyzed reaction to yield heat and a combustion product. Without limitation, some portable heaters  10  release combustion products to the atmosphere  60 . 
         [0015]    The material of the catalytic surface  22  may act as a catalyst  24  in a combustion reaction in the combustion region  20 . Without limitation, a catalyst  24  in a combustion reaction may change the combustion reaction by speeding up the reaction, slowing down the reaction, lowering the ignition energy needed to initiate the combustion reaction, promoting more complete combustion, promoting cleaner combustion, reducing or eliminating certain combustion products, or increasing operating efficiency. 
         [0016]    Without limitation, some fuels that a portable heater may react comprise, methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, LP gas, other gas mixtures, and kerosene. Without limitation, some oxidants that a portable heater may react comprise oxygen, gas mixtures comprising oxygen, nitrous oxide, or mixtures thereof. Without limitation, air is a gas mixture comprising oxygen that may be used to provide an oxidant for use as a combustion reactant. 
         [0017]    Use of air, use oxygen from the air, or release of combustion products to the atmosphere  60  can affect air quality. Without limitation, some portable heaters consume oxygen from the atmosphere  60  as a combustion reactant. 
         [0018]    Without limitation, some catalytic surfaces  22  comprise a catalyst  24  supported by a substrate  26 . In certain embodiments a catalyst  24  may comprise ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and mixtures thereof. A substrate  26  may comprise a glass fiber, a porous metal, a ceramic, or a mixture thereof. 
         [0019]    Without limitation, a portable heater  10  may comprise a detector for gauging air quality directly or indirectly. In certain embodiments, a detector for gauging air quality may comprise an oxygen depletion sensor  30 . In certain embodiments a detector for gauging air quality may detect temperature. 
         [0020]    In certain embodiments, and without limitation, an oxygen depletion sensor  30  comprises a burner  32  adapted to produce a flame and a temperature detector  36 . In certain embodiment and without limitations, the temperature detector  36  may comprise a thermocouple, a thermoelectric material, a pyrometer, a bimetallic strip, or a thermostat. An oxygen depletion sensor  30  may be adapted to detect certain levels of a gas. In some embodiments, the oxygen depletion sensor  30  may be adapted to detect undesirable levels of a gas. 
         [0021]    In certain embodiments, of an oxygen depletion sensor  30 , the detector  36  is adapted to detect the characteristics of temperature of a flame (not shown) produced by the burner  32 . The detector  36  is adapted to hold open a normally-closed valve unless the temperature of the flame does not meet a predetermined criteria. In certain embodiments, the detector  36  produces a current sufficient to hold open a normally-closed valve  40  as a result of the detection of a flame temperature meeting the predetermined criteria. In some embodiments a produced current sufficient to hold open a normally-closed valve  40  may hold open the normally-closed valve  40  electromagnetically. 
         [0022]    In certain embodiments, a flame produced by the burner  32  is adapted to have a temperature that does not meet the predetermined criteria if the air quality is bad. The quality that makes air bad is subject to engineering judgment. In certain embodiments, and without limitation, the air is bad if the air comprises a carbon dioxide amount in the air of more than 5000 PPM, or the air comprises a carbon monoxide amount in the air of more than 100 PPM, or the air comprises at least 82% by volume non-oxygen components, or any combination thereof. 
         [0023]    Non-oxygen components refers to those components in the air, including, but not limited to, nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide, that are not oxygen. If oxygen is removed from the atmosphere  60 , the percentage by volume of non-oxygen components may increase. If non-oxygen components, such as, without limitation, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen oxides, are introduced to the atmosphere  60 , the percentage by volume of non-oxygen components may increase. 
         [0024]    Without limitation, an oxygen depletion sensor  30  may detect undesirable levels of oxygen, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxide. An atmosphere  60  devoid of undesirable levels of a gas may be described as good air or as having good air quality. An atmosphere  60  comprising undesirable levels of a gas may be described as bad air or as having bad air quality. 
         [0025]    In certain embodiments, and without limitation, an oxygen depletion sensor  30  may accept air from the atmosphere  60  for use as a reactant in the combustion of fuel in the burner  32 . The composition of the atmosphere  60  can substantially affect performance of the flame produced by the burner  32  during operation. During operations in good air, the flame produced by the burner  32  of an oxygen depletion sensor  30  may be of a first predictable temperature. During operation in bad air, the flame produced by the burner  32  of an oxygen depletion sensor  30  may be of a second predictable temperature. For example, and without limitation, in some embodiments, a flame produced in bad air may be lower in temperature, cooler than, a flame produced in good air. 
         [0026]    Because of predictable flame temperature differences between a flame produced from combustion in good air and a flame produced from combustion in bad air, a temperature detector  36  may be used to detect temperature changes related to changes of air quality and, thereby, used as a predictor of atmospheric conditions in terms of good air versus bad air. That is, a temperature detector  36  may be used to discriminate between operations within good air and operations within bad air by measuring a flame temperature affected by air quality. 
         [0027]    In certain embodiments, and without limitation, an oxygen depletion sensor  30  comprises a burner  32  and a thermocouple  38 . In certain embodiments, the temperature of the flame produced by the burner  32  in bad air is cooler than a flame produced in good air. In certain embodiments, the thermocouple  38  may be so arranged as to detect the temperature difference in the flame and to produce an output signal representative of the air quality. In certain embodiments, the thermocouple  38  may be arranged to be proximate to the flame or immersed in the flame or in any arrangement consistent with good engineering practice that will discriminate the flame temperature differences of interest. In certain embodiments, a flame produced by combustion in good air quality will produce a output signal from the thermocouple  38  consistent with good air quality, and will produce sufficient current to hold open a normally-closed valve. In certain embodiments, a flame produced by combustion in bad air quality will not produce an output signal from the thermocouple  38  consistent with good air quality, and will not produce sufficient current to hold open a normally-closed valve. In certain embodiments, a flame produced by combustion in bad air quality will not produce any substantial output signal from the thermocouple  38 . 
         [0028]    In certain embodiments, failure of the detector  36  to produce an output signal consistent with good air may trigger actions to cease heater  10  operations. In certain embodiments, actions to cease heater  10  operations include shut off or shut down of the heater  10 . In certain embodiments, actions to cease heater  10  operations include shut off, closing, or shut down of the heater  10  comprise closing of a valve  40  to interrupt fuel flow necessary to continuing operation of the heater  10 . In certain embodiments, and without limitation, the detector  36  is operationally engaged with and holds open a normally-closed valve  40  unless the detector fails to detect a temperature consistent with operation of the burner  32  in good air. In some embodiments, closing of said valve  40  terminates a flow of fuel necessary to the continued operation of heater  10  and, thereby, stops heater  10  operation. 
         [0029]    In the non-limiting embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  a portable catalytic heater  10  is adapted to be supplied by an associated fuel source (not shown). Heater  10  may comprise a fuel source connection  12 . Without limitation, a fuel source connection  12  may comprise a female-threaded region (not shown) adapted for connection to an associated male-threaded fuel source (not shown). Without limitation, a fuel source connection  12  may be adapted for connection to an associated propane fuel tank or bottle. 
         [0030]    A portable catalytic heater  10  may comprise a combustion region  20  comprising a catalytic surface  22 . When the portable catalytic heater  10  is in operation, the combustion region  20  may receive fuel from an associated fuel source (not shown) through a valve  40 . In operation, the combustion region  20  may receive air (not shown) from the atmosphere  60  and may react the air and the fuel upon catalytic surface  26  to yield heat and a combustion product. A combustion product may be released to the atmosphere  60 . 
         [0031]    Heater  10  may, optionally, comprise a regulator  14 . When the portable catalytic heater  10  is in operation, an optional regulator  14  may receive fuel from an associated fuel source  40 . The regulator  14  may throughput fuel at a regulated pressure. In some embodiments, without limitation, a heater  10  may comprise a regulator  14  to regulate the pressure of fuel directed to an oxygen depletion sensor  30 , a regulator  14  to regulate the pressure of fuel directed to a combustion region  20 , or both. In certain embodiments, the fuel directed to an oxygen depletion sensor  30  or the fuel directed to a combustion region  20  are not regulated. Without limitation, in certain embodiments, the regulated pressure may be approximately eleven inches of water column. 
         [0032]    In operation, burner  32  may burn the fuel with air from the atmosphere  60 , may produce a flame (not shown), and may produce combustion products (not shown). A combustion product may be released to the atmosphere  60 . The flame produced by burner  32  may interact with thermocouple  38  in a manner that depends upon the quality of the air. If the air is good, then flame may heat thermocouple  38  sufficiently to produce an output signal consistent with good air quality. If the air is bad, then the flame may not heat thermocouple  38  sufficiently to produce an output signal consistent with good air quality. If the thermocouple  38  is not heated sufficiently to produce an output signal consistent with good air quality, then valve  40  will close stopping fuel supply to combustion region  20  and thereby shutting down the portable catalytic heater  10 . 
         [0033]    While the portable catalytic heater has been described above in connection with the certain embodiments, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiments for performing the same function of the portable catalytic heater without deviating therefrom. Further, the portable catalytic heater may include embodiments disclosed but not described in exacting detail. Further, all embodiments disclosed are not necessarily in the alternative, as various embodiments may be combined to provide the desired characteristics. Variations can be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the portable catalytic heater. Therefore, the portable catalytic heater should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the attached claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5