Patents by Inventor Curtis George Gagne

Curtis George Gagne has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240110728
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including a burner unit is operated based on feedback control loops. The fluid heating system comprises a burner unit configured to heat a fluid, a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the appliance, and a controller coupled to the burner unit and the sensor. The controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on the first signal, a first feedback loop control, control combustion of the burner unit based on the first feedback loop control, determine, based on the first feedback loop control, a second feedback loop control, and control combustion of the burner unit based on the second feedback loop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, Yonggon Lee, Brian Thomas Branecky, Barry Anthony Collins, Daniel Mitchell, Mohamed Mehdi Doura
  • Patent number: 11885531
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including a burner unit is operated based on feedback control loops. The fluid heating system comprises a burner unit configured to heat a fluid, a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the appliance, and a controller coupled to the burner unit and the sensor. The controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on the first signal, a first feedback loop control, control combustion of the burner unit based on the first feedback loop control, determine, based on the first feedback loop control, a second feedback loop control, and control combustion of the burner unit based on the second feedback loop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, Yonggon Lee, Brian Thomas Branecky, Barry Anthony Collins, Daniel Mitchell, Mohamed Mehdi Doura
  • Patent number: 11828474
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and heated domestic hot water (DHW) to a DHW loop. A primary heat exchanger is connected to the boiler loop. A burner provides heat to the primary heat exchanger and an input fan supplies a fuel and air mixture to the burner. A secondary heat exchanger transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to a domestic water loop. A controller determines a boiler loop flow rate. The controller measures an input temperature of the boiler loop, an output temperature of the boiler loop, and a DHW output temperature of the domestic water loop. The controller determines a DHW input temperature and estimates a DHW flow rate. The input fan speed is initiated or operated according to a required heat output of the burner corresponding to the DHW flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Patent number: 11603996
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and domestic hot water (DHW) to a domestic water loop. The combination boiler includes a primary heat exchanger (PHE) connected to the boiler loop and a burner to provide heat to the primary heat exchanger. A secondary heat exchanger (SHE) transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to the domestic water loop. A controller monitors a PHE inlet temperature and a DHW output temperature, obtains a pre-heat initialization temperature threshold and a pre-heat cancellation temperature threshold, and detects a low temperature condition. A pre-heat operation is initiated responsive to the low temperature condition by circulating heated water from the PHE to the SHE. The burner is selectively fired at least in part according to an outlet temperature of the PHE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Publication number: 20220349622
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including a burner unit is operated based on feedback control loops. The fluid heating system comprises a burner unit configured to heat a fluid, a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the appliance, and a controller coupled to the burner unit and the sensor. The controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on the first signal, a first feedback loop control, control combustion of the burner unit based on the first feedback loop control, determine, based on the first feedback loop control, a second feedback loop control, and control combustion of the burner unit based on the second feedback loop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, Yonggon Lee, Brian Thomas Branecky, Barry Anthony Collins, Daniel Mitchell, Mohamed Mehdi Doura
  • Publication number: 20210123610
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and domestic hot water (DHW) to a domestic water loop. The combination boiler includes a primary heat exchanger (PHE) connected to the boiler loop and a burner to provide heat to the primary heat exchanger. A secondary heat exchanger (SHE) transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to the domestic water loop. A controller monitors a PHE inlet temperature and a DHW output temperature, obtains a pre-heat initialization temperature threshold and a pre-heat cancellation temperature threshold, and detects a low temperature condition. A pre-heat operation is initiated responsive to the low temperature condition by circulating heated water from the PHE to the SHE. The burner is selectively fired at least in part according to an outlet temperature of the PHE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Patent number: 10914475
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and domestic hot water (DHW) to a domestic water loop. The combination boiler includes a primary heat exchanger (PHE) connected to the boiler loop and a burner to provide heat to the primary heat exchanger. A secondary heat exchanger (SHE) transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to the domestic water loop. A controller monitors a PHE inlet temperature and a DHW output temperature, obtains a pre-heat initialization temperature threshold and a pre-heat cancellation temperature threshold, and detects a low temperature condition. A pre-heat operation is initiated responsive to the low temperature condition by circulating heated water from the PHE to the SHE. The burner is selectively fired at least in part according to an outlet temperature of the PHE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Patent number: 10876741
    Abstract: A hydronic water heating system heats water for various types of heat emitters. A boiler assembly includes a user interface which receives user-defined water temperature set point corresponding to a minimum outdoor temperature, and an integrated controller generates a nonlinear outdoor reset curve between the user-defined set point and a second set point corresponding to maximum outdoor temperature for which heating is required, and regulates the boiler to heat water to a temperature corresponding to a set point along the nonlinear output reset curve and based on a detected outdoor temperature. The nonlinear outdoor reset curve may be generated based on aggregated heat output functions for various types of heat emitters. A linear outdoor reset curve may be generated between a maximum water temperature set point and the user-defined set point, having a slope equal to an instantaneous slope of the nonlinear outdoor reset curve at the user-defined set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, John Paine, Daniel Mitchell, Robert Wiseman
  • Publication number: 20200200401
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and heated domestic hot water (DHW) to a DHW loop. A primary heat exchanger is connected to the boiler loop. A burner provides heat to the primary heat exchanger and an input fan supplies a fuel and air mixture to the burner. A secondary heat exchanger transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to a domestic water loop. A controller determines a boiler loop flow rate. The controller measures an input temperature of the boiler loop, an output temperature of the boiler loop, and a DHW output temperature of the domestic water loop. The controller determines a DHW input temperature and estimates a DHW flow rate. The input fan speed is initiated or operated according to a required heat output of the burner corresponding to the DHW flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Patent number: 10612795
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and heated domestic hot water (DHW) to a DHW loop. A primary heat exchanger is connected to the boiler loop. A burner provides heat to the primary heat exchanger and an input fan supplies a fuel and air mixture to the burner. A secondary heat exchanger transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to a domestic water loop. A controller determines a boiler loop flow rate. The controller measures an input temperature of the boiler loop, an output temperature of the boiler loop, and a DHW output temperature of the domestic water loop. The controller determines a DHW input temperature and estimates a DHW flow rate. The input fan speed is initiated or operated according to a required heat output of the burner corresponding to the DHW flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Publication number: 20180073749
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and domestic hot water (DHW) to a domestic water loop. The combination boiler includes a primary heat exchanger (PHE) connected to the boiler loop and a burner to provide heat to the primary heat exchanger. A secondary heat exchanger (SHE) transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to the domestic water loop. A controller monitors a PHE inlet temperature and a DHW output temperature, obtains a pre-heat initialization temperature threshold and a pre-heat cancellation temperature threshold, and detects a low temperature condition. A pre-heat operation is initiated responsive to the low temperature condition by circulating heated water from the PHE to the SHE. The burner is selectively fired at least in part according to an outlet temperature of the PHE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Publication number: 20180073748
    Abstract: A combination boiler provides heated water to a boiler loop and heated domestic hot water (DHW) to a DHW loop. A primary heat exchanger is connected to the boiler loop. A burner provides heat to the primary heat exchanger and an input fan supplies a fuel and air mixture to the burner. A secondary heat exchanger transfers heat energy from the boiler loop to a domestic water loop. A controller determines a boiler loop flow rate. The controller measures an input temperature of the boiler loop, an output temperature of the boiler loop, and a DHW output temperature of the domestic water loop. The controller determines a DHW input temperature and estimates a DHW flow rate. The input fan speed is initiated or operated according to a required heat output of the burner corresponding to the DHW flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Curtis George Gagne
  • Publication number: 20180066854
    Abstract: A hydronic water heating system heats water for various types of heat emitters. A boiler assembly includes a user interface which receives user-defined water temperature set point corresponding to a minimum outdoor temperature, and an integrated controller generates a nonlinear outdoor reset curve between the user-defined set point and a second set point corresponding to maximum outdoor temperature for which heating is required, and regulates the boiler to heat water to a temperature corresponding to a set point along the nonlinear output reset curve and based on a detected outdoor temperature. The nonlinear outdoor reset curve may be generated based on aggregated heat output functions for various types of heat emitters. A linear outdoor reset curve may be generated between a maximum water temperature set point and the user-defined set point, having a slope equal to an instantaneous slope of the nonlinear outdoor reset curve at the user-defined set point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, John Paine, Daniel Mitchell, Robert Wiseman