Method for operating a stove in a building, and a device for carrying out this method

• US 6,321,997 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Helge Kalsnes
• Original Assignee: Helge Kalsnes
• Inventors: Kalsnes, Helge
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOLES, DEREK
• Application Number:
  US09/424,231
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 237/47, 237/48, 454/238, 454/251, 454/255, 454/340
• US Class Current: 237/46
• CPC Class Codes: F23L 15/00 Heating of air supplied for combustion
• CPC Class Codes: F23L 5/02 Arrangements of fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 7/005 Flue-gas ducts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0004 to create overpressure in a room
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/928 Cooking stoves using biomass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/34 Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery

Abstract

Method to operate a combustion device in a house or similar building, with fossil fuel furnaces, such as wood or oil furnaces. Outdoor air is supplied to a heat exchanger that is connected to the smoke tube of the furnace, in such an amount that an interior excess pressure is created, as excess air is led out of the interior of the building through one or more exhaust openings, especially exhaust devices, which are located at low places in the building at its outer side. This offers better combustion efficiency, better energy-utilization and a more uniform temperature in the building. A device for operating the method, comprises a fan (23) which takes in air from an inlet (19) near the outer walls of the building, through a tube (24) leading to the furnace, with a heat exchanger (33, 34) enclosing some of the smoke tube (18) of the furnace (17). The fan (23) is dimensioned and operated to create an overpressure in the building. There exists at least one overflow valve (25) placed in the lower parts of the building, near its outer wall, which opens upon a low inner pressure.

Claims

1. In a heating system for heating an enclosure having at least one wall comprising a combustion device having a combustion chamber, an air inlet opening into the enclosure for drawing air from the enclosure into the combustion chamber and an exhaust gas outlet for expelling combustion gasses from the combustion chamber, the improvement comprising:

a heat exchanger connected to said exhaust gas outlet;

a passageway extending from a location outside the enclosure to the heat exchanger;

a fan blowing air from outside the enclosure against the heat exchanger and into the enclosure; and

,

an exhaust device separate from said exhaust gas outlet in a lower portion of the at least one wall for releasing air from said enclosure when the air pressure inside the enclosure exceeds the air pressure outside said enclosure.

2. The heating system of claim 1 wherein said exhaust device comprises at least one overflow valve adapted to open when the air pressure inside the enclosure exceeds the air pressure outside the enclosure by a minimal amount.

3. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising control means for regulating the fan, said control means including a differential pressure measurement device for measuring the air pressure inside the enclosure and the air pressure outside the enclosure.

4. The heating system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger surrounds a portion of the exterior of said exhaust gas outlet and wherein the fan is sized to produce a higher pressure in the enclosure than outside the enclosure.

5. The heating system of claim 4 wherein the heat exchanger comprises a mantel around the exhaust gas outlet at the upper portion of the combustion device.

6. The heating system of claim 1 wherein said exhaust device comprises a membrane valve placed in an area of the enclosure remote from the combustion device.

7. The heating system of claim 6 wherein the membrane valve comprises an annular ring in a tube, the ring being covered on the upper side of a freely hanging membrane.

8. The heating system of claim 3 wherein said control means comprises a thermostat positioned near the exhaust gas outlet, said control means activating the fan to create an overpressure in the enclosure when the temperature sensed by the thermostat is about 50°

C.

9. A method for controlling a heating system for heating an enclosure having at least one wall, said heating system comprising a combustion device having a combustion chamber, an air inlet opening into the enclosure for drawing air from the enclosure into the combustion chamber and an exhaust gas outlet for expelling combustion gasses from the combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:

attaching a heat exchanger to said exhaust gas outlet;

connecting a passageway from a location outside the enclosure to the heat exchanger;

placing a fan in said passageway and blowing air from outside the enclosure against the heat exchanger and into the enclosure; and

,

providing an exhaust device separate from said exhaust gas outlet in a lower portion of the at least one wall and releasing air from said enclosure when the air pressure inside the enclosure exceeds the air pressure outside said enclosure.