Systems and methods for heating water using biofuel
First Claim
1. A biofuel heating system for converting biofuel to heat energy to be delivered to a working fluid for transferring heat to a load for residence, comprising:
- a combustion chamber defining a combustion zone, an under-fire zone, and an over-fire zone, wherethe combustion zone is adapted to receive the biofuel,the under-fire zone is below the combustion zone, andthe over-fire zone is above the combustion zone;
a plurality of under-fire ports arranged adjacent to the under-fire zone of the combustion chamber;
a plurality of over-fire ports arranged adjacent to the over-fire zone of the combustion chamber;
a burn-out chamber;
a burn-out port arranged to allow fluid to flow out of the over-fire zone of the combustion chamber and into the burn-out chamber;
a heat exchange chamber;
a heat exchange port arranged to allow fluid to flow out of the burn-out chamber and into the heat exchange chamber;
an exhaust port arranged to allow fluid to flow out of the heat exchange chamber;
a heat exchange system arranged at least partly within the heat exchange chamber, where the working fluid is circulated between the heat exchange system and the load;
an under-fire damper configurable to inhibit flow of fluid through the under-fire ports;
an over-fire damper configurable to inhibit flow of fluid through the over-fire ports;
a fan arranged to cause fluid to flow out of the heat exchange chamber through the exhaust port;
at least one load sensor configured to sense a load operating parameter corresponding to a working fluid temperature of the working fluid after the working fluid returns from the load to the heat exchange system; and
a controller for operating at least one of the fan, the under-fire damper, and the over-fire damper based on the load operating parameter such that air flows along a flow path extending from at least one of the under-fire port and the over-fire port, through the combustion chamber, through the burn-out port, through the burn-out chamber, through the heat exchange port, through the heat exchange chamber, and out of the exhaust port;
wherebythe heat exchange system transfers heat energy from air flowing through the heat exchange chamber to the working fluid; and
the controller operatesin a pre-char mode based at least in part on the load operating parameter to eliminate gas and liquid byproducts from the biofuel, where the biofuel is within the combustion zone during the pre-char mode; and
after occurrence of a trigger condition indicating that gas and liquid byproducts have been eliminated from the biofuel, in a char mode based at least in art on the load operating parameter, where the biofuel remains within the combustion zone during the char mode.
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Abstract
The present invention may be embodied as a biofuel heating system for converting biofuel to heat energy to be delivered to a load comprising a combustion chamber defining a combustion zone, an under-fire zone, and an over-fire zone. A controller operates at least one of a fan, an under-fire damper, and an over-fire damper based on at least one operating parameter such that air flows along a flow path extending from at least one of an under-fire port and an over-fire port, through the combustion chamber, through a burn-out port, through a burn-out chamber, through a heat exchange port, through a heat exchange chamber, and out of an exhaust port. The heat exchange system transfers heat energy from air flowing through the heat exchange chamber to the working fluid.
30 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A biofuel heating system for converting biofuel to heat energy to be delivered to a working fluid for transferring heat to a load for residence, comprising:
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a combustion chamber defining a combustion zone, an under-fire zone, and an over-fire zone, where the combustion zone is adapted to receive the biofuel, the under-fire zone is below the combustion zone, and the over-fire zone is above the combustion zone; a plurality of under-fire ports arranged adjacent to the under-fire zone of the combustion chamber; a plurality of over-fire ports arranged adjacent to the over-fire zone of the combustion chamber; a burn-out chamber; a burn-out port arranged to allow fluid to flow out of the over-fire zone of the combustion chamber and into the burn-out chamber; a heat exchange chamber; a heat exchange port arranged to allow fluid to flow out of the burn-out chamber and into the heat exchange chamber; an exhaust port arranged to allow fluid to flow out of the heat exchange chamber; a heat exchange system arranged at least partly within the heat exchange chamber, where the working fluid is circulated between the heat exchange system and the load; an under-fire damper configurable to inhibit flow of fluid through the under-fire ports; an over-fire damper configurable to inhibit flow of fluid through the over-fire ports; a fan arranged to cause fluid to flow out of the heat exchange chamber through the exhaust port; at least one load sensor configured to sense a load operating parameter corresponding to a working fluid temperature of the working fluid after the working fluid returns from the load to the heat exchange system; and a controller for operating at least one of the fan, the under-fire damper, and the over-fire damper based on the load operating parameter such that air flows along a flow path extending from at least one of the under-fire port and the over-fire port, through the combustion chamber, through the burn-out port, through the burn-out chamber, through the heat exchange port, through the heat exchange chamber, and out of the exhaust port;
wherebythe heat exchange system transfers heat energy from air flowing through the heat exchange chamber to the working fluid; and the controller operates in a pre-char mode based at least in part on the load operating parameter to eliminate gas and liquid byproducts from the biofuel, where the biofuel is within the combustion zone during the pre-char mode; and after occurrence of a trigger condition indicating that gas and liquid byproducts have been eliminated from the biofuel, in a char mode based at least in art on the load operating parameter, where the biofuel remains within the combustion zone during the char mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification