IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,941,754
Granted Patent B2
US 6,941,754 · App. 10/491,521 · Granted Sep 13, 2005

Heating appliance

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,941,754
App. No.
10/491,521
Filed
Apr 2, 2004
Granted
Sep 13, 2005
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3748
USPC
60/524
Abstract

The heating appliance, and particularly a dchp system, comprising two burners ( 3, 17 ). A splitter valve ( 23 ) splits a stream of air ( 24 ) into two streams, one for each burner. Combustible fuel is mixed with the air. A controller controls the combustible fuel, and the splitter valve position, thereby controlling the portion of air fed to each burner.

Claims (7)

1. A domestic combined heat and power system comprising a Stirling engine which is heated by a first burner and a water heater which is heated by a second burner; the system further comprising a supply of air, a splitter valve for splitting the supply of air into a stream feeding the first burner and a stream feeding the second burner, means for feeding combustible fuel to mix with the air and a controller for controlling the combustible fuel flow and the proportion of the air fed to each burner depending on the appliance requirements; wherein the splitter valve is a single valve positioned upstream of the two burners: and wherein the controller further comprises means to control the speed of the fan and the position of the splitter valve to control the proportion of the mixed flow fed to each burner.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the means for feeding combustible fuel is positioned to feed the fuel to the split air streams downstream of the splitter valve.

3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the means for feeding combustible fuel is positioned to feed fuel to the air stream upstream of the splitter valve.

4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the splitter valve is a flap valve.

5. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust gas duct passing from the Stirling engine in contact with a combustible gas inlet into the burner to preheat the combustible gas entering the burner and subsequently contacting water upstream of the water heater to preheat this water.

6. A method of controlling a fuel/air mixture to first and second burners, the method comprising splitting a single air supply into first stream feeding the first burner and a second stream feeding the second burner, feeding combustible fuel to mix with the air and controlling the proportion of the mixed flow fed to each burner depending on the burner requirements; wherein the air supply is driven by a fan, and is split by a splitter valve upstream of the two burners, the method further comprising controlling the speed of the fan and the position of the splitter valve to control the proportion of the mixed flow fed to each burner.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the combustible fuel is fed to the first and second air streams downstream of the split into the two streams.