Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for combusting a dirty and/or difficult to burn fuel in a fluidized bed combustor. The fluidized bed and freeboard zone of the combustor are cooled by a non-intrusive counterflow cooling system which controls combustion temperatures and produces a clean, hot gas. The combustor is operated with many combinations of features including: low, in bed fuel injection; use of finely divided fuel; slug flow fluidization; and injection of lime or limestone to effect desulferization or raise the ash melting temperature, if desired.

Abstract: An improved heating system is disclosed for providing heated air to a heated space, preferably using a gaseous fuel as the energy source. The system preferably includes an air heating sub-system, a compact combustion chamber, a separate cold air supply sub-system for conveying cold air from the heated space to the air heating sub-system, a combustion chamber heat exchanger in fluid with the cold air supply sub-system for transferring heat thereto, and a separate air circulating sub-system for withdrawing cold circulating air from the heated space. A mixing chamber is provided for mixing heated air from the air heating sub-system with the cold circulating air to provide heated air to the space. The system also preferably includes separate sub-systems for supplying pressurized combustion air and pressurized gaseous fuel to the air heating sub-system and for forcibly conveying exhaust gases therefrom without the need for a draft-type chimney or stack.

Abstract: An apparatus having a heating chamber, (combustion chamber) a heat storing means and heat transferring means of the kind used in households, commercial furnaces, heaters, boilers, etc., having a heating chamber which is spherically arranged; with ports for receiving fuels and a valve for regulating the internal pressure and temperature, allowing for excessive heat to be exhausted into a secondary heat recovery manifold. The spherical heating chamber allows the heat to radiate uniformly. Said heat is stored by mantle material. Said mantle being entirely surrounded by a crust layer and insulating means and an outside protective covering. The apparatus also having means for transferring the stored heat for heating purposes as is generally in common use.

Abstract: A heater for combustion of carbonaceous fuels comprising a casing which surrounds and contains the fuel immediately prior to and during combustion and a heat exchanger of unique design which is positioned within the casing. The efficiency of the heater may be increased by providing an improved system for supplying pre-heated secondary air for more complete combustion of partially combusted fuel in the general vicinity of and/or within the heat exchanger. The heater may be of the self-feeding type for combustion of solid fuels such as wood and, in this embodiment, preferably the casing is generally cylindrical and the heat exchanger is approximately centrally located within the casing whereby it extends generally along the casing axis and is spaced a substantial distance from the casing wall.

Abstract: An improved solid fuel burning stove arrangement to heat a selected space including a housing defining a combustion chamber, with an access door thereto for providing fuel to the chamber, a tubular combustion air sparger located longitudinally in the bottom of the chamber and having a multiplicity of generally radially directed air flow apertures, an air supply for the sparger to supply combustion air to the combustion chamber, a plenum chamber disposed in heat contact relation with the housing to receive heat generated in the combustion chamber, an air inlet to the plenum chamber and air outlet from the plenum chamber to the space to be heated, an exhaust stack communicating with the combustion chamber, a stack plenum chamber surrounding a portion of the exhaust stack to receive heat from the combustion gases passing therethrough and having an air inlet and a heated air outlet from the exhaust stack plenum chamber and further including first control device to initiate operation of the combustion air supply w

Abstract: A unit heater for heating large volume premises. The heater includes a motor-ventilator unit mounted vertically in an expansion enclosure open at its upper and lower ends. Air is drawn downwardly through this expansion enclosure across a lower outlet orifice and a convex central bottom in the lower end of the enclosure. Air distribution is directed across fins with adjustable orientations. The heat exchange unit includes spirally-wound electric heating resistors, hot fluid radiators, or other equivalent means.

Abstract: A recuperative furnace and method for heating wherein the recirculation air blower directs the return air upwardly first to a recuperative heat exchanger and then to a second heat exchanger operating from the heat of combustion. The flue gases are routed directly to the recuperative heat exchanger where a portion of the products of combustion condense. Accordingly, the recuperative heat exchanger not only provides sensible heat transfer from the flue gases but also recovers a portion of the latent heat of vaporization. The second heat exchanger transfers heat from a solution to the recirculation air. The solution flows through a closed loop between the second heat exchanger and a heat transfer module which includes the burner.

Abstract: A furnace flue gas draft inducer outlet box assembly is provided for connecting an inducer housing to a vent pipe, and comprises a plurality of differently directed openings to allow the vent pipe to be connected thereto in one of a plurality of different orientations, thereby facilitating ease of installation of the furnace. When incorporated with a condensing furnace, the inducer outlet assembly further comprises a condensate collecting system for collecting a return flow of condensate formed in a vent pipe and for delivering the condensate out of the inducer housing to prevent contact with the inducer motor, wheel and the like.

Abstract: A forced hot air furnace having a continously wet condensing heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has an upwardly inclined first segment connected in series to a downwardly inclined second segment. Combustion products are first passed across a water reservoir thereby becoming sufficiently elevated in dew point to condense within the first segment resulting in all wet first segment operation. Condensate formed in the first segment will drain downward opposite the flow of combustion products, into the water reservoir. Since combustion products entering the second segment have been cooled to less than their dew point, the second segment will also operate in the all wet mode. Condensate flows down the second segment into a sump for transfer to the water reservoir.

Abstract: A wood burning furnace, positionable exterior to a home or trailer utilizes an improved heat exchanger with a chimney stack extending downwardly into the heat exchanger chamber to prolong the time interval in which smoke stays in the heat exchanger. A creosote removal blade is slidably mounted within the chamber to scrape creosote deposits from the inner periphery of the chamber and to direct it downwardly into the fire box for subsequent burning.

Abstract: A warm-air heating apparatus has a warm-air blowing port 2 for blowing warm air which is warmed in a heat source 4 provided in a casing after having been sucked through an air intake port 3, and a non-warm-air blowing port 9 provided independent of the warm-air blowing port 2 in which a blower 5 or 11 is placed for each port 2 or 9 to feed warm air to the lower part of a room and to feed non-warm air to the upper part of the room respectively so as to wrap the warm air with the non-warm air whereby temperature distribution in the vertical direction in the room is improved. The warm-air heating apparatus keeps living space warm to create a comfortable heating condition for the room and reduces wasted energy having been consumed to warm the ceiling area of the room in the conventional apparatus thereby improve efficiency of the heating apparatus.

Abstract: A heating installation for local use is disclosed which is to be operated by aggregate fuel having both direct and indirect thermal emission, with a reactor receiving the combustion chamber, and a waste-heat flue above the reactor as well as an outer heat accumulator case, wherein a waste-heat flue is disposed in the space above the reactor and which flue is essentially developed by having a helical elevation between an outer heat accumulator case and an inner heat accumulator case, while air channels are formed opening into the inner space of the air space to be heated between the reactor case which is made of metal encircling directly the reactor case and the outer heat accumulator case which is connected with at least one, adherent part of the combustion chamber, while it is also connected with the air space to be heated, wherein both the outer and inner heat accumulator cases are of hollow walls, and are fitted together from ring-shaped ceramic modular elements, wherein the modular elements have section-s

Abstract: An infra-red heating apparatus includes a radiating surface and an adjacently located black body receiver spaced from the radiating surface. A fuel supply plenum is located adjacent to the radiating surface to provide jets of fuel along the radiating surface to be ignited thereby. Fins of heat radiating material are attached to the black body receiver and project therefrom into an air duct. Air moving through the air duct is heated as it passes over the fins.

Abstract: A furnace using pelletized wood as a fuel and a system for controlling the operation of the furnace are described. Pelletized wood stored in a hopper is fed into the combustion chamber of the furnace from an elevated position; and combustion of the pelletized wood is controlled by microprocessor-based circuit which receives input signals representative of the interior and exterior temperatures of the building, the air flow and the level of fuel in the combustion chamber and processes this information in accordance with a predetermined program to switch the furnace into one of two modes. In the `low` mode, the exterior temperature is below a certain value for example, 0.degree. C., but the interior temperature is above it. In this case a fire is maintained in the combustion chamber in anticipation of the interior temperature falling beneath this value.

Abstract: A jacketed wood burning stove of the type having an inner firebox door and an outer jacket door in front of the firebox door and wherein a flash inhibitor is provided consisting of a relatively small auxiliary firebox door which is manually biased open but is held closed by an engaging bracket on the outer jacket door when the outer jacket door is closed.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for operating a gas furnace system (100) having an air intake (102) for supplying external air into a sealed chamber (110) for input to a gas burner assembly (118). Exhaust air from within the combustion burning chamber (140) is applied through an exhaust duct (170) directly into an environment (174) which is external to the furnace system (100) but which is still within the environment to be heated. The furnace system (100) also includes a conventional fan limit assembly (142) wherein the typical high limit setting is substantially decreased so that a blower fan (160) is activated at lower than normal temperatures. In addition, the conventional gas furnace burner is replaced with a burner assembly (118) having substantially small burner ports (130).

Abstract: A condensing furnace utilizing a pulsating combustion process discharges flue gas and condensate from the furnace through a flue gas conduit. A drain leg assembly is coupled to the flue gas conduit for effectively separating the condensate from the flue gas, whereby the flue gas is discharged to the flue gas vent and the condensate is discharged to a drain line. The drain leg assembly includes tubular body means having a flue gas outlet at the upper end thereof and means defining a condensate reservoir at the lower end thereof. A vent pipe within the tubular body means and having a bore smaller than that of the tubular body communicates at one end to a condensate outlet means, and the other end of the free end of the vent pipe extends toward the bottom of the tubular body, but is spaced therefrom. The normal level of condensate collected in the tubular body means is above the bottom of the vent tube so as to assure separate discharge of flue gas and condensate from the drain leg assembly.

Abstract: A wood furnace permits controlled combustion of sectors or segments of wood-type fuels for a high turn down ratio. The primary combustion chamber comprises a refractory base portion for high temperature combustion and an upper portion with a water jacket in heat exchange relationship with the upper portions of the fuel for quenching combustion. A plurality of refractory secondary combustion channels or a single laterally extending or distributed secondary channel leads away from the refractory base portion of the primary combustion chamber. The secondary channels or distributed channel conduct flue gases from different sectors of the fuel, and permit completion of combustion in a high temperature environment. A plurality of flue draft pathways lead from the secondary combustion channels or distributed channel for transfer of heat from the end products of combustion to a heat transfer medium. Separate dampers are provided for controlling the draft in the separate flue draft heat exchange pathways.

Abstract: By providing a heat exchanging vessel which employs no moving parts and is interposed in the exit flue between the furnace and the chimney, an efficient energy recovery system is achieved which prevents hot air from escaping without any benefit. In the preferred embodiment, the energy saving system of this invention optimizes normal convection currents and air flow paths to eliminate the necessity for any moving parts or electrically driven equipment, as well as incorporating fin members to increase surface areas for heat transfer and heat radiation.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and process having multiple fluidized beds for heat exchange between two gas streams of different temperatures. The apparatus and process provides a compact high efficiency warm air furnace especially adapted for energy conservation for the heating of modern highly insulated residential buildings by gas fired furnaces of relatively low rated gas input.

Abstract: Three elements are secured together in new and unique fashion to form a heating unit, movable and installable as an integral unit and capable of obtaining maximum BTU's from the fuel used. These elements are (1) an outer jacket, which defines the design and outline of the heater, (2) an inner jacket, forming with the outer jacket a residual burning chamber, narrow in cross section and relatively high in vertical extent to provide maximum heat transfer surface, and (3) an A- or tent-shaped fire box or combustion chamber, enclosed by and secured to the inner and outer jackets. The tent-shaped fire box extends from the extreme lower end of the heater to its upper limit. The edges of the walls of the fire box are secured to outer and inner jackets in sealed relationship, dividing the areas within the heater into heat producing and heat conducting areas and clean air passageways. The configuration of the inner jacket 14 is an incomplete cylinder.

Abstract: A refractory lined firebox is encased in a low profile furnace shell of generally rectangular configuration. Mounted on top of the firebox within the furnace shell is a heat exchanger which provides alternating passageways at right angles to one another through which flue gas and air to be heated flow in heat exchange relationship. The heat exchanger and firebox are so related that the axes of the passageways are inclined from the horizontal and the flow through them is generally upward as well as lateral. The furnace includes special combustion air ducts for use in combustion of the solid fuel. The furnace is also equipped with a back-up liquid fuel burner and a control system which activates and operates the liquid fuel burner in response to total consumption or burn out of the solid fuel in the firebox.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and process having multiple fluidized beds for heat exchange between two gas streams of different temperatures. The apparatus and process provides a compact high efficiency warm air furnace especially adapted for energy conservation for the heating of modern highly insulated residential buildings by gas fired furnaces of relatively low rated gas input.

Abstract: A firebox is provided having an end panel, opposite side panels and top and bottom panels, one end of the firebox being open. The firebox includes depending support legs and an outer housing including opposite side and end walls and a top wall is telescoped downwardly over the firebox with the front wall thereof sealingly secured across the open end of the firebox and the other end wall, the top wall and opposite side walls spaced outwardly from the end panel, top panel and opposite side walls, respectively, of the firebox. The lower marginal edges of the opposite side and end walls of the housing are generally horizontally registered with the lower ends of the legs and the firebox includes a grate spaced above the bottom panel. A fuel door opening is provided in the front wall above the grate and a draft door opening is provided in the front wall below the grate and above the bottom panel.

Abstract: The specification discloses a novel energy saving forced-air furnace. In contrast to previous forced-air furnaces, which ran only on gas or oil and in which approximately half of the energy derived from the burning fuel was lost through the chimney, the furnace of the present invention can run on coal, wood, gas or oil and retains a substantial portion of the heat which normally would be lost by the utilization of special tubing units and refractory plates. My furnace saves the greatest amount of energy possible by providing a heat chamber having a special tubing unit therein from the surface area of which heat generated in a stove chamber is transferred to a heat chamber and simultaneously through which exhaust gases air conducted from the stove chamber mounted below the heat chamber to the exterior of the furnace. Refractory plates are placed in a serial arrangement within the furnace heat chamber with spaces provided between them.

Abstract: A modular furnace for adaptation to a conventional domestic heating system includes a firebox which is enclosed on both sides, the top and the bottom. The front portion of the firebox includes an access door for introduction of the combustible fuel onto a grate, and the back of the firebox includes a first opening for an air inlet tube and a second opening for air flow beneath the grate. The inlet tube extends above the grate and provides a single air outlet adjacent the front portion. Surrounding a majority of the firebox is an external housing and extending up the sides and front portion of the firebox between the firebox and the housing are a plurality of air flow passageways. These passageways extend across a V-shaped finned heat exchange plate which comprises the top of the firebox. Heat from the heat exchange plate is convected to circulating air which then exits from the furnace by means of a conduit which is suitable for adaptation to the main heating duct of a conventional domestic heating system.

Abstract: The multipurpose heating apparatus comprises a hollow and closed elongated metal casing forming a combustion chamber which is fixedly mounted within a closed insulated elongated housing, with the combustion chamber casing being spaced from the top, side walls and part of the bottom wall of the housing to define an air circulating passageway. Air supply blower means is connected to one end of the air circulating passageway while the other end of the passageway is connected to an air return passage provided in the bottom wall of the housing. The combustion chamber is divided into a solid waste fuel burning zone and into a gas or liquid fuel burning zone. Fuel burned within the combustion chamber transfers heat to the metal casing which radiates the heat into the air circulating passageway.

Abstract: A furnace shell has a fire pot centrally located therein, the walls of the shell and fire pot being spaced to form a fluid heat transfer chamber therebetween. Heat transfer is effected between the pot and the chamber to heat the fluid medium in the chamber. The shell is located in an interior to be heated, such as a building or home, including mobile and motor homes. An inlet conduit has a first end exteriorly positioned of the building interior and a second end substantially pneumatically sealed from the interior and in fluid communication with the fire pot enclosure to provide combustion supporting fluid exclusively from the exterior. A flue has a first end positioned exteriorly of said interior and a second end positioned in the upper portion of the fire pot enclosure to conduct combustion gases to the exterior. The flue is pneumatically sealed from the interior to prevent combustion gases from entering the interior.

Abstract: A wood and oil burning furnace having a combustion chamber in which logs are laid for burning, a baffle plate across a substantial portion of the top of the combustion chamber, a combustion gas outlet at the top of the chamber, a plurality of secondary air inlet tubes in the upper portion of the combustion chamber, a fan and secondary air preheating chamber in one wall of the combustion chamber and supplying preheated air to such tubes, and oil or gas burner, an auxiliary chamber connected through a port into the combustion chamber and directing the fluid fueled fire into the combustion chamber through the port which is located midway of the length of the sidewall of the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A hot air furnace having a fire box and a plurality of heat exchange units connected together in series, the front wall of said furnace being common to said fire box and said heat exchange units and the remaining walls of said furnace being spaced from said fire box and wall, the furnace employing a mechanical draft control system which simultaneously regulates an air intake to the fire box and an air intake to the exhaust duct from the furnace to uniformly regulate the temperature in the furnace.

Abstract: A system for utilizing furnace waste stack pipe heat which comprises elongating the waste stack pipe so that it defines a substantially rectangular shape and, when a blower is used in conjunction with the furnace, so that it extends over the blower in order that air drawn into the blower is preheated, the system further including placing a cover or hood over the elongated waste stack pipe and a baffle plate thereunder, each in close proximity thereto, for forcing the currents of air to move in close proximity to the hot waste stack pipe to readily absorb the heat therefrom.