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Title: Water heater

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5817923

A water heater cacable of utilizing as one of its heat sources hot exhaust gases emitted from at least one other heat source such as a furnace fueled by a natural resource fuel such as gas or oil, and capable of utilizing as another of its heat sources heat emitted from a fluid heated by solar energy. The water heater comprises a central flue having a heat conductive wall, one end of the said flue having a thimble member secureable to an exhaust pipe carrying hot exhaust gases from a heat source fueled by a natural resource fuel, and the other end of said flue secureable to a chimney leading to the atmosphere. Disposed within the flue is a turbulator means which disperses entering hot exhaust gases along the surface of the flue wall. A fluid tight tank for water surrounds the central flue, said tank having as its inner wall the wall common to the flue and having a heat conductive outer wall, and having an inlet pipe at the bottom of the tank for entrance of water under pressure and an outlet pipe at the top for exit of water under pressure. Disposed within the tank is a turbulator means which disperses entering water along the interior surfaces of the inner and outer tank walls. Surrounding and in contact with the outer wall of the tank is a hollow jacket to house fluid which is to be in communication with like fluid within a solar heat collection means, with the walls of said jacketbeing heat conductive. Said fluid is made to circulate between the jacket and the solar heat collection means by means of a circulator which is activated thermostatically only above selected temperatures of the fluid situated within the solar heat collection means, the water to be heated, and the gases within the flue. Finally, insulation means which inhibits heat conduction surrounds the jacket.

Assignee:
TIC; ERA-05-002853; EDB-79-136120
Patent Number(s):
US 4157706
OSTI ID:
5817923
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 28 Apr 1978
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English