DUAL FUEL AIR CONDITIONING CIRCUIT-BASED WATER HEATER

• US 20080210177A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company (Paloma Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company (Paloma Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Calvert, Clifford William
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 122/13.01
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/04 Gas or oil fired boiler
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/12 Heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/20 with immersed heating elements, e.g. electric elements or furnace tubes

Abstract

A fuel-fired water heater is coupled to an electrically powered air conditioning refrigerant circuit in a manner permitting water to be heated with either combustible fuel or electricity. In one embodiment a condenser piping section is externally coiled around the water heater tank, in direct thermally conductive contact therewith, and in another embodiment the condenser piping section is disposed in the interior of the tank and is coiled around the water heater flue in a laterally outwardly spaced relationship therewith. In various depicted arrangements thereof the other refrigerant circuit components are compactly supported on the water heater.

Claims

1. Apparatus for heating a liquid using either combustible fuel or electricity, said apparatus comprising:

a fuel-fired liquid heater having a tank for storing liquid for selective outflow from said tank, a fuel burner operative to create hot combustion gases, and a flue, extending through the interior of said tank, for receiving the hot combustion gases and transferring heat therefrom to liquid disposed within said tank; and

an electrically powered air conditioning refrigerant circuit having a condenser portion including a piping structure disposed in an interior portion of said liquid heater and operative to transfer rejected condenser portion heat to liquid in said tank during operation of said air conditioning circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said liquid heater is a fuel-fired water heater.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said fuel-fired liquid heater further comprises a jacket structure outwardly surrounding an outer surface of said tank and defining therewith an insulation space therebetween, and

said piping structure is disposed within said insulation space in direct heat transfer contact with said outer surface of said tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

said tank extends along an axis, and

said piping structure is arranged in a coiled configuration about said axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

said flue also extends along said axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said piping structure is disposed within the interior of said tank in a coiled configuration through which said flue passes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

said apparatus further comprises a support structure for holding said piping structure in a radially outwardly spaced relationship with said flue, said support structure defining a heat conduction barrier between said flue and said piping structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

said support structure includes a circumferentially spaced series of elongated thermally insulative members longitudinally extending generally parallel to said flue, and held radially outwardly apart from said flue and around which said piping structure is coiled.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

said insulative members are of a ceramic material.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

said insulative members have longitudinally spaced lateral support projections thereon between which coils of said piping structure are supported.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said liquid heater has a housing supported thereon, said housing having spaced apart inlet and outlet openings therein through which air may be respectively received and discharged, and

said refrigerant circuit further includes compressor, evaporator and expansion portions, with at least said compressor portion being disposed within said housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

said compressor, evaporator and expansion portions are disposed in said housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

said liquid heater has a top end on which said housing is mounted.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

said liquid heater has a vertically extending side portion on which said housing is mounted.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

said liquid heater has a top end on which said evaporator portion is mounted, and a vertically extending side portion on which said housing is mounted.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a control system operable to selectively (1) permit operation of said fuel burner and lock out operation of said refrigerant circuit, or (2) operate said refrigerant circuit and preclude operation of said fuel burner.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein:

said control system further includes an outdoor temperature sensor operative to output a temperature signal when the sensed outdoor temperature is below a predetermined magnitude, and

said control system is further operable to lock out operation of said refrigerant circuit in response to generation of said temperature signal.

18. A water heater operable using either combustible fuel or electricity, comprising:

a tank for storing water to be heated, said tank having an exterior surface portion;

a jacket structure extending outwardly around said exterior surface portion of said tank and forming therebetween an insulation space;

a combustion chamber disposed beneath said tank;

a fuel burner disposed within said combustion chamber and operative to create hot combustion products therein;

a flue, communicating with said combustion chamber and extending through the interior of said tank, for receiving the hot combustion products and transferring heat to water disposed within said tank; and

an electrically powered air conditioning refrigerant circuit having a condenser portion including a piping structure disposed within an interior portion of said water heater and operative to transfer rejected condenser portion heat to water in said tank during operation of said refrigerant circuit.

19. The water heater of claim 18 wherein:

said tank has opposite ends spaced apart along an axis, and

said piping structure is coiled about said axis.

20. The water heater of claim 19 wherein:

said piping structure is disposed within said insulation space and is in direct heat conductive contact with said exterior surface portion of said tank.

21. The water heater of claim 18 wherein:

said piping structure is disposed within the interior of said tank and is coiled around said flue in a laterally outwardly spaced relationship therewith.

22. The water heater of claim 18 wherein:

said fuel burner is a gas burner.

23. The water heater of claim 18 further comprising:

a control system operable to selectively (1) permit operation of said fuel burner and lock out operation of said refrigerant circuit, or (2) operate said refrigerant circuit and preclude operation of said fuel burner.

24. The water heater of claim 23 wherein:

said control system further includes an outdoor temperature sensor operative to output a temperature signal when the sensed outdoor temperature is below a predetermined magnitude, and

said control system is further operable to lock out operation of said refrigerant circuit in response to generation of said temperature signal.