STORAGE COMBINATION BOILER

• US 20100230088A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microgen Engine Corporation B.V.
• Original Assignee: Microgen Engine Corporation Holding BV
• Inventors: Clark, David, Steade, David
• Application Number:
  US12/448,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20100230088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/287
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2254/10 by burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 18/00 Small-scale combined heat and power [CHP] generation systems specially adapted for domestic heating, space heating or domestic hot-water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2101/80 Electric generators driven by external combustion engines, e.g. Stirling engines
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2103/13 characterised by their heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2103/17 Storage tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/00 Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters steam boilers F22B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]

Abstract

A storage combination boiler system and a method for providing heating, comprising: a domestic combined heat and power (dchp) unit, which provides a heat output and an electricity output; a first piping system, containing fluid which is heated by the heat output of the dchp unit; a second piping system, containing fluid which is heated by transfer of heat from the fluid in the first piping system using a heat exchanger; and a storage vessel, located within the first piping system, downstream from the heat exchanger, for receiving and storing fluid within that first piping system so as to provide a thermal store for the heat in the first piping system.

Claims

1. A storage combination boiler system, comprising:

a domestic combined heat and power (dchp) unit, which provides a heat output and an electricity output;

a first piping system, containing fluid which is heated by the heat output of the dchp unit;

a second piping system, containing fluid which is heated by transfer of heat from the fluid in the first piping system using a heat exchanger; and

a storage vessel, located within the first piping system, downstream from the heat exchanger, for receiving and storing fluid within that first piping system so as to provide a thermal store for the heat in the first piping system.

2. The storage combination boiler system claim 1, wherein the first piping system comprises:

a first piping circuit;

a second piping circuit; and

a valve, configured to cause the fluid in the first piping system either to flow around the first piping circuit or to flow around the second piping circuit; and

wherein the storage vessel is located in the first piping circuit.

3. The storage combination boiler system of claim 2, wherein the second piping circuit is a central heating piping network and the fluid in the first piping system is a central heating fluid.

4. The storage combination boiler system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller, configured to control the dchp unit based on a temperature at the storage vessel.

5. The storage combination boiler system of claim 4, wherein the controller is arranged to control the dchp unit based upon a comparison of the temperature of the storage vessel with a threshold temperature.

6. The storage combination boiler system of claim 4, wherein the controller is arranged to control the dchp unit based upon a rate of change of the temperature of the storage vessel.

7. The storage combination boiler system of claim 6, wherein the controller is arranged to control the dchp unit based on a comparison of rate of change of the temperature of the storage vessel with a threshold rate of change of temperature.

8. The storage combination boiler system of claim 1, wherein the storage vessel is of sufficient volume so as to cause the fluid stored therein to have a rate of change of temperature substantially less than the rate of change of temperature of the fluid in the first piping system without the storage vessel.

9. The storage combination boiler system of claim 1, wherein the dchp unit comprises a Stirling engine.

10. The storage combination boiler system of claim 9, wherein the dchp unit further comprises a secondary burner and a heat exchanger, adapted to heat the fluid in the first piping system.

11. The storage combination boiler system of claim 7, wherein the dchp unit further comprises a secondary burner and a heat exchanger, adapted to heat the fluid in the first piping system, wherein the controller is arranged to switch on the secondary burner when the rate of change of temperature of the storage vessel is greater than a rate of change of temperature threshold and the temperature of the storage vessel is less than a threshold.

12. The storage combination boiler system of claim 1, wherein the storage vessel comprises a first tank and a second tank.

13. The storage combination boiler system of claim 1, further comprising a boiler housing arranged to enclose the dchp unit.

16. The storage combination boiler system of claim 1, wherein the storage vessel is physically separate from the from the heat exchanger.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17. A method for providing heating, using a domestic combined heat and power (dchp) unit that provides a heat output and an electricity output, the method comprising:

heating a fluid in a first piping system with the heat output of the dchp unit;

heating a fluid in a second piping system by transfer of heat from the fluid in the first piping system using a heat exchanger; and

receiving and storing fluid within the first piping system in a storage vessel located within that first piping system, downstream from the heat exchanger, so as to provide a thermal store for the heat in the first piping system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first piping system comprises a first piping circuit and a second piping circuit, the method further comprising:

controlling the flow of the fluid in the first piping system to flow either around the first piping circuit or around the second piping circuit; and

wherein the storage vessel is located in the first piping circuit.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second piping circuit is a central heating piping network and the fluid in the first piping system is a central heating fluid.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

controlling the dchp unit based on a temperature at the storage vessel.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of controlling is based upon a comparison of the temperature of the storage vessel with a threshold temperature.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of controlling is based upon a rate of change of the temperature of the storage vessel.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of controlling is based on a comparison of rate of change of the temperature of the storage vessel with a threshold rate of change of temperature.

20. (canceled)

25. (canceled)