Heating device with condensing counter-flow heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9273880-B2
Application number	US-201313966670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2013
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A heating device includes a heating chamber, a heating element for heating air in the heating chamber, and a condensing counter-flow heat exchanger including a first flow path that receives outgoing air from the heating chamber and a second flow path for providing incoming air to the heating chamber. The first flow path and the second flow path are configured in a counter-flow heat exchange relationship such that the outgoing air flows in a direction opposite the incoming air and the latent heat of evaporated water in the outgoing air is transferred to the incoming air thereby condensing liquid water from the outgoing air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating device, comprising:
a heating chamber;
a heating element for heating air in the heating chamber; and
a condensing counter-flow heat exchanger including a first flow path that receives outgoing air from the heating chamber and a second flow path for providing incoming air to the heating chamber, the first flow path and the second flow path configured in a counter-flow heat exchange relationship such that the incoming air flows in a first direction and the outgoing air flows in a second direction opposite the first direction and the latent heat of evaporated water in the outgoing air is transferred to the incoming air thereby condensing liquid water from the outgoing air.

2. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pre-heating heating element for heating the incoming air prior to the incoming air entering the heating chamber.

3. The heating device of claim 2 , wherein the pre-heating heating element is located upstream of the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger.

4. The heating device of claim 2 , wherein the pre-heating heating element is located downstream of the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger.

5. The heating device of claim 2 , wherein the pre-heating heating element is located within the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger.

6. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an exhaust outlet downstream of the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger for exhausting the outgoing air from the heating device.

7. The heating device of claim 6 , further comprising:
an air inlet upstream of the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger for allowing ambient air located outside of the heating device to enter the second flow path as the incoming air.

8. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air inlet upstream of the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger for allowing ambient air located outside of the heating device to enter the second flow path as the incoming air.

9. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recirculation flow path fluidly connecting the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger to the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger such that the outgoing air exits the first flow path, passes through the recirculation flow path, and enters the second flow path as the incoming air.

10. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recirculation flow path fluidly connecting the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger to the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger; and
an outgoing air damper movable to a plurality of positions between an exhaust position and a recirculation position to control a first amount of outgoing air and a second amount of outgoing air, wherein the first amount of outgoing air exits the first flow path and is exhausted from the heating device through an exhaust outlet and wherein the second amount of outgoing air exits the first flow path, passes through the recirculation flow path, and enters the second flow path as the incoming air;
wherein with the outgoing air damper in the exhaust position, all of the outgoing air is exhausted from the heating device through the exhaust outlet; and
wherein with the outgoing air damper in the recirculation position, all of the outgoing air exits the first flow path, passes through the recirculation flow path, and enters the second flow path as incoming air.

11. The heating device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to automatically control the position of the outgoing air damper.

12. The heating device of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is further configured to vary the position of the outgoing air damper to control the first and second amounts of outgoing air to control an exit state of the outgoing air exhausted from the heating device.

13. The heating device of claim 10 , wherein the position of the outgoing air damper is set by a user.

14. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recirculation flow path fluidly connecting the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger to the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger; and
a fixed outgoing air damper that controls a first amount of outgoing air and a second amount of outgoing air, wherein the first amount of outgoing air exits the first flow path and is exhausted from the heating device through an exhaust outlet and wherein the second amount of outgoing air exits the first flow path, passes through the recirculation flow path, and enters the second flow path as the incoming air.

15. The heating device of claim 14 , further comprising:
an air inlet upstream of the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger for allowing ambient air located outside of the heating device to enter the second flow path as the incoming air; and
a fixed incoming air damper that regulates the amount of ambient air located outside of the heating device that enters the second flow path through the air inlet as the incoming air.

16. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pre-heat heat exchanger including a third flow path downstream of the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger to receive the outgoing air from the first flow path and a fourth flow path upstream of the second flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger to provide the incoming air to the second flow path, the third flow path and the fourth flow path configured in a heat exchange relationship such that heat from the outgoing air is transferred to the incoming air in the fourth flow path to pre-heat the incoming air.

17. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a blower configured to move the outgoing air through the first flow path of the condensing cross-flow heat exchanger.

18. The heating device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to vary the speed of the blower to control the flow rate of the outgoing air.

19. The heating device of claim 17 , further comprising:
an exhaust outlet downstream of the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger for exhausting the outgoing air from the heating device;
wherein the control unit is further configured to vary the speed of the blower to control the flow rate of the outgoing air to control an exit state of the outgoing air exhausted from the heating device.

20. The heating device of claim 18 , wherein the control unit is further configured to vary the speed of the blower to control the flow rate of the outgoing air to control one of the amount of heat transferred to the incoming air, the temperature of the air in the heating chamber, and the humidity of the air in the heating chamber.

21. The heating device of claim 1 , wherein the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger is positioned within the heating chamber.

22. The heating device of claim 1 , wherein the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger is positioned outside of the heating chamber.

23. The heating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a secondary heat exchanger including a third flow path downstream of the first flow path of the condensing counter-flow heat exchanger to receive the outgoing air from the first flow path and a fourth flow path through w

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Bilet Maxime Jean Jerome
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Peterson Nels R
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Young Christopher Charles

Classifications

• F24F12/006 Primary

  using an air-to-air heat exchanger (F24F12/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24C7/00

  Stoves or ranges heated by electric energy (stoves or ranges specially adapted for the use of two or more kinds of fuel or energy supply F24C1/02) · CPC title

• F24D5/00

  Hot-air central heating systems (district heating systems F24D10/00; central heating systems using heat accumulated in storage masses F24D11/00; air conditioning F24F); Exhaust gas central heating systems · CPC title

• F24D2200/22

  Ventilation air · CPC title

• F24C15/2007

  from oven cavities · CPC title