ITCS950017A1 - FIREPLACE FOR HEATING ROOMS AND THE PRODUCTION OF HOT WATER - Google Patents

Abstract

Fireplace powered by solid fuel (wood) suitable to meet the thermal needs of a civilian home in the winter season. The heat produced by combustion is used in different ways: - Direct heating by radiation and convention; - Heating the rooms of the housing unit by circulating water, heated by the fireplace stove, in common radiators; - Using hot water for sanitary use, directly or through a storage tank. The boiler is made up of a sheet metal box to which copper tube bundles are connected in direct contact with the flame. In the upper part, a copper circuit is developed for heating water for sanitary purposes.

Description

TITLE

Fireplace for space heating and hot water production

DESCRIPTION

The fireplace stove for which the patent is requested was designed for use in residential apartments in order to make the best use of the heat produced by the combustion of wood.

It combines several functions:

- direct heating of the environment in which it is installed, by radiation and natural convection;

- indirect heating of the other rooms of the housing unit through the circulation (forced or natural) of hot water in common radiators;

- indirect heating of the other rooms through the circulation of hot air;

- production of hot water for sanitary uses, with the possibility of immediate use or through an accumulation tank (a common water heater can be used for this purpose).

It is also possible to equip it with useful mobile accessories such as:

- grill / plate for roasts;

- rotisserie (equipped with 220 Volt fixed electric motor); STRUCTURE

The fireplace stove (fig. 1) is made by assembling several parts built separately:

- the external structure, the front cover, the hood and part of the boiler are made of cold press-bent sheet metal 3 ÷ 4 mm thick; in each part there are holes, specially designed for the connection of the pipes and for the passage of air and fumes;

- the boiler is made up of a box-shaped part (built with 4 mm thick sheet metal) and a tube bundle (fig. 5 and fig. 6), consisting of 14 copper pipes with a diameter of 42 mm and a thickness of 1.5 mm, connected to the boiler itself by means of iron sleeves with a diameter of 48 mm and a thickness of 3 mm.

The water to be heated circulates in the tube bundle in direct contact with the flame; the special technique of hooking the copper tube bundle to the boiler, carried out by means of iron sleeves, makes it possible to significantly improve the response to mechanical stresses due to the thermal expansion of the boiler itself (iron-iron welding).

- an additional 25 m copper circuit (fig. 6) embedded in the upper box-like part of the boiler, allows independent circulation and heating of the water for sanitary use;

- the front panel (fig. 2) consists of three parts:

1) the supporting structure, with hinged opening (pin hinge);

2) the door contained in a frame with "sliding" opening with a chain mechanism, enclosed in the same column as the mat, with counterweights equivalent to the weight of the door (fig. 7);

3) the glazed door with hinged opening (pin hinge).

The qualifying detail is constituted by the fact that the glass panel does not adhere perfectly to the frame during closing (fig. 8); this allows to have a space of about 3 mm through which a self-cleaning air flow for the glass circulates, coming from the outside.

Tie rods, obtained by bending the walls, ensure the stability of the box-like structure even at pressures higher than the operating pressure.

OPERATION

Combustion and draft.

The hearth is suitable for receiving and burning common firewood of various sizes (up to 70 cm in length and 25 cm in diameter).

The air necessary for the combustion process is taken from two distinct openings suitably channeled into the boiler:

- the first is directly the front opening; the inlet air flow can be adjusted by graduating the opening of the glass panel;

- the second (primary air) is the ash collection grate that communicates directly with the outside through a series of oval holes, fitted with adjustable closure, made on the front of the ash pan (fig. 2).

The flame produced by combustion directly touches both the copper manifolds (tube bundle placed in the center of the flame) and the side and upper part of the box-like structure of the boiler.

The arrangement of the copper manifolds (tube bundle) and the particular shape of the boiler ensure maximum heat exchange with the water contained therein (fig. 5 and fig. 6).

Charcoal, ash and other solid and minute combustion products are in direct contact with the lower part of the boiler itself (also with water circulation) and contribute to increasing the amount of heat transferred to the water.

During combustion, the wood is lifted and separated from the ash by a special grate that promotes combustion by keeping the air flow constant while the wood is consumed.

The lights touch the entire internal part of the boiler, including the tube bundle on which a removable steel plastron is placed at the top, which serves to retain both the fumes and the heat produced by combustion.

The heat contained in the fumes is in this case almost completely transferred to the boiler; furthermore, the presence of the steel plate placed above the tube bundle and the primary air coming from the ash collection grids causes turbulence inside the boiler which substantially increases its efficiency. The smoke draft can also be suitably regulated by a butterfly valve inserted in the terminal part of the hood and adjustable from the outside with a simple lever control (fig. 6). Water circuit

The heating of the rooms of the living unit is mainly entrusted to a common system with metal radiators; the connection to the boiler takes place with the usual techniques and accessories of a typical heating system (open expansion tank, thermal discharge valve, circulation pump, operating and alarm detectors, room thermostat, etc ...).

The return water from the radiators enters the boiler at a point (return) located in the lower part of the boiler, which can be right or left (to facilitate positioning of the boiler with respect to the existing water circuit).

Instead, the withdrawal takes place in a point located in the upper part of the boiler (it can also be right or left).

Two distinct connection points, one for inlet and the other for withdrawal (interchangeable), allow the water to be used independently for sanitary purposes (fig. 4 and fig. 6); this circuit is of the open type.

Thermal insulation

The external part of the boiler, to avoid heat loss to the outside, is entirely insulated with pre-compressed glass wool protected from the outside by an aluminum foil, 25 mm thick.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1 - The particular technique of coupling the copper tube bundle to the boiler is carried out with steel sleeves, in order to obtain an iron-iron welding, thus improving the response to the thermal stresses of the boiler itself (fig. 5 and fig. . 6). 2 - 11 front panel consisting of three parts: a) the load-bearing structure with hinged opening (pin hinge) (fig. 2); b) the door, contained in a frame with opening (hinge pin) and with "sliding" opening, made possible by a chain mechanism enclosed in the same column of the matte, with two iron counterweights equivalent to the weight of the door (fig . 7); c) The glazed panel, thanks to an internal rise, does not adhere perfectly to the frame during closing (fig. 8), this allows for a space of about three mm through which a flow of air from the outside circulates, making the glass itself "self-cleaning". 3 - The presence of a removable steel plastron, placed above the tube bundle, allows to retain both the fumes and the heat produced by combustion much longer, thus creating it in the boiler, thanks to the primary air coming from the grate lower, an internal turbulence that significantly increases the efficiency of the boiler itself.