Heating devices and systems

Abstract

A heating system (e.g. central heating system) comprises a radiator and an induction heater 100 mounted on the radiator to heat at least a portion of the radiator by induction. If the radiator compris

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The present invention relates to induction heating devices and systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to induction heating systems that may be used with, or include, radiators.

[0002] Traditional heating systems have used a variety of methods of increasing the temperature of spaces such as rooms, vehicles, outdoor areas, and the like. Heating systems used in buildings typically heat a fluid which is then distributed to the parts of the building which require heating. Some examples include one or more radiators that may be heated by boilers such as gas boilers which increase the temperature of a liquid at a central boiler before distributing the heated fluid to one or more radiators throughout the heating system. Other boiler or furnace based systems heat air directly before distributing the heated air to desired areas. Historically, many such boiler systems have heated fluids via combustion of carbonaceous fuels such as natural gas or other fossil fuel derived materials. Combustion of carbonaceous fuels is increasingly considered environmentally undesirable. However, it is estimated that in some countries, up to 80% of domestic properties use gas boiler heating systems. Moreover, increased environmental awareness and more stringent government regulations mean that traditional boiler-based heating systems are either discouraged or, in some cases, to be banned at a national level. Many new buildings also lack connections to a gas or hydrocarbon fuel network. There is therefore a need for alternative heating solutions which may replace or adapt traditional approaches to spatial heating.

[0003] The inventor of the present invention has appreciated that induction heating may be used in conjunction with, or in place of, existing heating systems to reduce or eliminate the need to use hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas to heat spaces. In this context, the term ‘induction heating’ means the heating of an electrically conductive material through the principle of electromagnetic induction. Induction heating operates via the principle of formation of eddy currents within a material which in turn causes the temperature of the material to increase. Induction heating systems typically include an electromagnet and an oscillator that causes a high frequency alternating current to be passed through the electromagnet. The alternating current results in a magnetic field which penetrates the material to be heated and generates electric currents, or eddy currents, inside the material.

[0004] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a heating system including a radiator and an induction heating device attachable to the radiator. The induction heating device is configured to heat at least a portion of the radiator via induction. The induction heating device may be removably attached to the exterior of the radiator. The radiator may include a ferrous metal and the induction heating device may be attached to the radiator using one or more magnets. The induction heating device may be configured to at least partly detach from the radiator at a fail-safe temperature. Where the induction heating device is attached to the radiator using one or more magnets, at least one of the one or more magnets may detach from the radiator at the fail-safe temperature. The induction heating device may be integral to the radiator. The induction heating device may have a power rating of less than 1500 W. The induction heating device may have a power rating of less than 500W, less than 400W, less than 300W, or less than 200W. The induction heating device may include a heat sink configured to transmit heat to at least a portion of the radiator. The radiator may include iron, cast iron, steel, mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, any other ferrous metal, or any combination thereof. The radiator may include stainless steel. The radiator may house a fluid and the induction heating device may be configured to heat the fluid housed in the radiator. The heating system may include a controller configured to receive instructions to operate the heating system. The instructions may include instructions to heat the radiator, stop heating the radiator, increase the rate of heating of the radiator, decrease the rate of heating of the radiator, or any combination thereof. The heating system may include one or more sensors configured to detect a non-radiator object in proximity to or adjacent to the heating system. The one or more sensors may include an electromagnetic sensor, and / or an electrical current sensor. The system may include one or more temperature sensors configured to detect the temperature of the radiator, the ambient environment in proximity to the radiator, or any combination thereof. The heating system may be configured to maintain the temperature of the radiator and / or ambient environment in proximity to the radiator within a first temperature range. The first temperature range may be from 25 °C to 70°C, optionally wherein the first temperature range is from 30°C to 45 °C. The first temperature range may be a temperature range defined by the user. The induction heating device may be controlled remotely via an app. The heating system may include a plurality of radiators and a plurality of induction heating devices. The plurality of radiators and each of the plurality of induction heating devices may be substantially identical. Each of the plurality of induction heating devices may be individually controllable.

[0005] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an induction heating device for use in a heating system as described herein. The induction heating device may include a housing and a heating coil at least partially contained within the housing. The induction heating device may further include a temperature sensor; and / or a boost system comprising a boost button configured to activate the induction heating device and / or one or more circuit boards configured to control the heating coil and / or the boost system and / or a wireless network system configured to receive instructions to operate the induction heating device. The induction heating device may include an electrical power supply. The electrical power supply may be powered solely by renewable energy sources.

[0006] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of retrofitting a radiator. The method includes attaching an induction heating device to a radiator to provide a heating system as described herein. The radiator may be compatible with a gas boiler heating system. These aspects and others will be apparent to the skilled practitioner in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. For the avoidance of doubt, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic of an induction heating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] Induction heating devices may be used as part of a heating system. Such heating systems may heat buildings, vehicles, outdoor spaces, or any other suitable area. Where a heating system is used to heat a building, the building may be a domestic residence, a public building, ora place of business such as an office, factory, warehouse, or the like. An induction heating system will generally include at least one radiator and an induction heating device attached, or attachable, to the radiator. In use or operation, the induction heating device heats at least a portion of the radiator via induction. The radiator, once heated, then heats a fluid flowing through, or in proximity to, the radiator to directly or indirectly impart heat to a desired space.

[0009] An induction heating device will generally include an induction coil to enable the device to generate an electromagnetic field to induce the induction effect. The coil may be an induction coil of any suitable design. Examples of suitable induction coils include standard coils, ‘pancake’ coils, elongated coils, multi-turn coils, rectangular coils, spiral coils, or any other suitable coil designs. The induction coil may be contained at least partially within a housing. The housing may be of any suitable shape or configuration that allows the device to be attached to a radiator and the coil to be contained at least partially within the housing. For example, the housing may be a three-dimensional shape with a square, rectangular, triangular, hemispherical, rounded, or irregular cross sectional area. The housing may be elongate such that it may rest against the length and / or height of a radiator. The housing may be formed from any suitable material. For example, the housing may be formed from a non-conductive material such as plastic, glass, ceramics, or the like. In other examples, the housing may include one or more conductive materials which may provide a conductive path to earth to enhance the user-safety of the device.

[0010] When the induction heating device is used in conjunction with a radiator, the induction heating device may be attached or removably attached to the radiator by any suitable means. In some examples, the induction heating device may be directly affixed to the radiator by one or more mechanical fastenings such as clamps, screws, bolts, pins, braces, or the like. In other examples, the induction heating device may be attached to the radiator by an adhesive such as a glue, resin, or the like. In examples where the radiator is formed from one or more ferrous materials, the induction heating device may be attached to the radiator using one or more magnets. In practice, any suitable means of attaching the induction heating device to a radiator may be combined with any other suitable attachment means. The attachment means may be configured such that the induction device ‘fails safe’ and detaches from the radiator in the event that the temperature of the radiator increases beyond a safe threshold. When the attachment means is configured in this manner, the temperature at which the induction heating device detaches from the radiator may be referred to as the failsafe temperature. In examples where adhesives are used, the adhesives may be selected such that they have a melting point and / or boiling point at or just above the fail-safe temperature. In examples where one or more magnets are used, the magnets may be selected such that their magnetic properties are sufficiently diminished beyond the fail-safe temperature such that the induction heating device at least partly detaches from the radiator. In one particular example, the induction heating device may use at least two magnets with different thermal behaviour profiles with one magnet positioned further from the floor or ground than the other. In this example, the magnet further from the floor or ground may exhibit diminished magnetic properties at a lower temperature than the magnet closer to the floor such that the upper portion of the induction heating device falls away from a radiator at the fail-safe temperature while preventing the device from falling to the ground due to the continued attachment of the magnet closer to the floor or ground. In other examples, the device may be attached to the radiator by a combination of different attachment means, including in one example a mechanical fastening in a lower portion and a magnet in an upper portion, arranged such that at the fail-safe temperature the magnet exhibits diminished magnetic properties and the upper portion falls away from the radiator to a sufficient extent to prevent or significantly reduce continued induction heating, but the device remains attached to the radiator by the mechanical fastening to prevent it falling to the ground. In a particular example, the one or more magnets may exhibit diminished magnetic properties at or above 80°C. It may be advantageous to select a fail-safe temperature at or below 100°C to reduce the risk and / or severity of burns being inflicted on a user in the event of an accident. More particularly, it may be advantageous to select a failsafe temperature at or below 50°C, 48°C, 46°C, 44°C, 42°C, 40°C, 38°C, 36°C, 34°C, 32°C, 30°C or less than 30°C.

[0011] The induction heating device may be integral to a radiator. That is, the induction heating device, when attached to the radiator, may form part of the radiator itself. In examples where the induction heating device is integral to the radiator the housing of the induction heating device may form part of the outer shell of the radiator. In other examples, the housing of the induction heating device may be the outer shell of the radiator. In other examples, the housing of the induction heating device may form a sub-compartment of the radiator. An integral induction heating device may be at least partly, or wholly, contained within a radiator. Where the radiator is a fluid radiator, the induction heating device may form at least part of the outer periphery of one or more cavities or volumes of the radiator that contain the radiator fluid.

[0012] The induction heating device may have a power rating sufficient to heat a radiator to a desired temperature within a desired timeframe. Induction heating provides an efficient conversion of electrical energy into heat energy across a rapid timeframe and consequently an induction heating device with a relatively low power rating may be used. The induction heating device may have any suitable power rating depending on the environment and requirements of the device. In some example, the induction heating device may have a power rating of more than or equal to 1500 W, 1800, or 2000 W. In examples where a low power rating is used, the induction heating device may have a power rating of less than 1500W. In more particular examples, the induction heating device may have a power rating of less than 1000W, less than 750W, less than 500W, less than 400W, less than 300W, or less than 200W. The power rating of the induction heating device may be selected to heat a standard domestic radiator to a temperature of 45°C from a starting temperature of 10°C in a period of less than 90 seconds, less than 120 seconds, less than 150 seconds, less than 180 seconds, less than 210 seconds, less than 240 seconds, less than 300 seconds, less than 450 seconds, or less than 600 seconds. The induction heating device may be electrically powered by one or more electrical power supplies. The electrical power supply of the induction heating device may be any suitable electrical power source such as a conventional wall socket power source, a mains power connection, an electrical battery, an integrated energy supply, or the like. The electrical power supply may be powered solely by renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or tidal energy. In one particular example, the induction heating device is powered solely, and / or directly, by one or more solar panels. In another example, the induction heating device is powered solely, and / or directly, by one or more wind turbines. In another example, the induction heating device may be powered solely and / or directly by one or more hydrogen fuel cells.

[0013] The induction heating device may directly heat a radiator to which it is attached. More specifically, the induction heating device may directly heat the outer shell, frame, or main structural components of the radiator to which it is attached. The induction heating device may additionally, or alternatively, indirectly heat the radiator to which it is attached. In these examples, the induction heating device may include heating subcomponent such as a heat sink, heat exchanger, heat transfer component, or the like. Such heating sub-components may be directly heated by the induction coil of the induction heating device such that at least part of the radiator is in turn heated by the heating sub-component. The heating sub-component may heat the outer shell, frame, or main structural components of the radiator and / or may heat a fluid residing in an internal cavity or volume of the radiator which in turn may distribute heat throughout the radiator. The heating sub-component may be configured to optimise the efficiency and / or rate of heat transfer from the induction heating device to a radiator.

[0014] The induction heating device may include one or more temperature sensors. The one or more temperature sensors may determine the temperature of a radiator to which the induction heating device is attached. Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more temperature sensors may determine the temperature of the housing of the induction heating device, the heating coil of the induction heating device, the ambient air in proximity to the induction heating device, or any combination thereof. Where a plurality of temperature sensors are present, each of the plurality of temperature sensors may determine the temperature of the same material, object, or system component. Alternatively, where a plurality of temperature sensors are present, each of the plurality of temperature sensors may determine the temperature of a different material, object, or system component.

[0015] The induction heating device, or heating system in which it is utilised, may include a controller. The controller may operate the induction heating device or heating system. The controller may be operate the induction device or heating system itself and / or be configured to receive instructions to operate the induction heating device or heating system. Operating the induction heating device or heating system may involve turning on the induction heating device, turning off the induction heating device, increasing the rate of heating imparted by the induction heating device, decreasing the rate of heating imparted by the induction heating device, or any combination thereof. Where the controller receives instructions to control the induction heating device or the heating system, the instructions may include heat the radiator, stop heating the radiator, increase the rate of heating of the radiator, decrease the rate of heating of the radiator, or any combination thereof. The controller may include one or more circuit boards configured to control the heating coil of the induction heating device and / or any other function of a heating system as substantially described herein. The controller may include, or be communicably coupled to, a wireless network system configured to receive instructions to operate the induction heating device. Such instructions may be sent from a computer, a phone, tablet, control software, an app, or the like.

[0016] The induction heating device or heating system in which it is utilised, may include one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may be in communication with the controller to allow at least one function of the induction heating device or heating system to be at least party automated. One or more sensors may be configured to detect a non-radiator object in proximity to or adjacent to the heating system. Such sensors may form part of a safety system designed to prevent heating from taking place when a person or object that should not be heated is in proximity to the induction heating device or heating system. For example, if a person is standing close to the induction heating device, a metallic part of the person’s clothing, such as a button or belt buckle, could be heated by the induction heating device in an undesirable and potentially dangerous manner. The one or more sensors configured to detect a non-radiator object in proximity to or adjacent to the heating system may include an electromagnetic sensor, an electrical current sensor, any other suitable sensor, or any combination thereof. Where a current sensor is used, the sensor may detect changes in the current draw from the induction coil as additional objects are unintentionally heated by the coil. When the sensor detects an increase in current draw beyond that required to heat a radiator to which the induction heating device is attached, the device may be heating an additional object. In these situations, the sensor may communicate with a controller of the induction heating device or heating system which may then stop the induction coil from heating. In such examples, the controller may include a memory which stores the current and / or power draw of the induction heating device relative to the heater it is attached to. The current and / or power draw in the controller memory may then be used as a baseline current or power draw which would cause the induction heating device to stop heating when the baseline is exceeded or exceeded by a threshold. In other examples, a proximity sensor may allow the controller to stop heating when an unexpected object is in proximity to the induction heating system and then restart heating when such an object is no longer detected. The induction heating device and / or heating system with which the induction heating device is used may include a thermostat. The thermostat may detect the temperature of one or more components of the induction heating device, heating system, radiator, ambient environment, or any combination thereof. The thermostat may activate or deactivate the induction heating device when the temperature increases beyond, or falls below, a selected temperature. In a particular example, the thermostat may deactivate the induction heating device at a temperature of 100°C or less, 80°C or less, or any other suitable temperature. It may be advantageous for the thermostat to deactivate the induction heating device at a temperature at or below 100°C to reduce the risk and / or seventy of bums being inflicted on a user in the event of accidental contact. More particularly, it may be advantageous for the thermostat to deactivate the induction heating device at or below 50°C, 48°C, 46°C, 44°C, 42°C, 40°C, 38°C, 36°C, 34°C, 32°C, 30°C or less than 30°C. In other examples, the thermostat may activate the induction heating device at a temperature below -10°C, below -5°C, below 0°C, below 5°C, below 10°C, below 15°C, or any other suitable temperature. It may be advantageous for the thermostat to activate the induction heating device at temperatures of below or equal to 13°C or 16°C as these temperatures conform to guidelines for minimum temperatures in a place of work. The temperature at which the thermostat causes the induction heating device to activate or deactivate may be determined or set by a user using a dial, temperature gauge, digital input, or the like. The thermostat may be distant from the induction heating coil. For example, the thermostat may be up to 1 metre, up to 2 metres, up to 3 metres, up to 4 metres, up to 5 metres, up to 6 metres, up to 7 metres, up to 8 metres, up to 9 metres, or up to 10 metres from the induction heating coil. The induction heating device or system may include a boost function. The boost function may cause the induction heating device to activate at a time when it may otherwise not have activated. Additionally, or alternatively, the boost function may cause the induction heating device to heat at an increased rate. The boost function may be initiated by means of a button on the induction heating device that may be pressed by a user. Additionally, or alternatively, where the device includes a controller, the controller may receive an instruction from a networked device or wireless signal that causes it to initiate the boost function. The boost function may be set to operate for a fixed period of time. For example, the boost function may operate for a period of up to 1 minute, up to 2 minutes, up to 3 minutes, up to 4 minutes, up to 5 minutes, up to 10 minutes, up to 15 minutes, or any other suitable period of time. The user may select the period of time that the boost function is activated using one or more interfaces communicably coupled to the controller.

[0017] The induction heating device may be used with a radiator. The radiator may be any radiator that may be at least partly heated using an induction heating coil. In an example, the radiator comprises one or more conductive materials. In other examples where the radiator does not include one or more inductive materials, the inductive heating device and / or inductive heating system may include a heating sub-component such as a heat sink, heat exchanger, heat transfer component, or the like as previously described which transfers heat to one or more components of the radiator. The radiator may be formed, at least in part, from one or more metals. The radiator may include a ferrous metal. The radiator be formed from iron, cast iron, steel, mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, any other ferrous metal, or any combination thereof. Where the induction heating device includes a heating sub-component, the radiator may be formed from other materials such as ceramics although metal radiators as described herein may still be used with such induction heating devices. It may be advantageous to use the induction heating device with a radiator formed from stainless steel due to the high efficiency of heating stainless steel via induction. The radiator may be a standard domestic radiator. A standard domestic radiator is generally a radiator with a height of between 500 mm and 800 mm and a length of between 1250 mm and 2500 mm. Standard domestic radiators are typically made, at least in part, from mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, or cast iron. The radiator may be a large scale radiator. More particularly, the radiator may be formed from a network of pipes, elements, conduits, grills, vanes, or other structure positioned throughout a room, building, vehicle, outdoor space, or the like. For example, the radiator may be an underfloor element network configured to heat a room from beneath. In another example, the radiator may be an air distribution system configured to distribute hot air throughout a building. The radiator may house one or more fluids. The fluids may include water, oil, air, other gases, or any other suitable fluids. The fluid may be included in the radiator in a closed system wherein fluid may not enter or leave the radiator. Alternatively, the radiator may be part of a fluid system in which fluid may enter, flow through, and then exit the radiator. The induction heating device may heat a portion of a radiator or heating sub-component which then, in turn, heats at least a portion of a fluid in a radiator. The heated portion of fluid may then then transfer heat via convection, causing previously unheated fluid to flow into proximity with the heated portion of the radiator or heating sub-component, causing further fluid to be heated. In this manner, the entire fluid contents of a radiator may be heated using the induction heating device. For the avoidance of doubt, heat may also be transferred to and from a radiator fluid by conduction. In systems where a fluid radiator is part of a wider fluid system, heated fluid may travel from the radiator into other parts of the system. For example, heated fluid may exit the radiator and heat one or more pipes, additional radiators, and the like.

[0018] An induction heating system may include one or more induction heating devices and one or more radiators. In systems including a plurality of induction heating devices and or a plurality of radiators, each of the induction heating devices and / or radiators may be substantially identical. In induction heating systems including a plurality of radiators, each radiator may be associated with one or more induction heating devices. In other systems, there may be a greater number of radiators than induction heating devices. In one such example, there may be two radiators for every one induction heating device. In induction heating systems including a plurality of induction heating devices, each induction heating device may be individually controllable. For example, a first induction heating device in a first room may be controllable to heat the first room without activating a second induction heating device to heat a second room.

[0019] The induction heating device, and / or induction heating system, may be controlled via an app. The app may allow each induction heating device or induction heating system to be controlled remotely and / or via the internet. The app may allow induction heating devices in separate rooms to be individually activated, or deactivated. The app may communicate with one or more controllers of the induction heating devices and / or heating system to cause the induction heating devices and / or heating system to maintain a particular temperature selected by the user in proximity to one or more induction heating devices. The induction heating devices may determine their power draw and report the information to the app. The app may then display to the user the power consumption of the induction heating device or induction heating system.

[0020] The induction heating devices described herein may be used to retrofit existing radiators to be heated via induction heating. For example, induction heating devices as described herein may be fitted to radiators traditionally used with a centralised gas boiler heating system such that the radiators may be heated without the combustion of natural gas. A method of retrofitting a radiator includes attaching an induction heating device as described herein to a radiator. Once the induction heating device is attached to the radiator, the induction heating device and radiator form an induction heating system.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross sectional representation of an induction heating device 100. The induction heating device 100 includes a housing 101, an induction heating coil 102 positioned inside the housing, and control circuitry 103 to control the induction heating coil 102. A power supply 104 is attached to the device 100 to provide electrical power. The power supply 104 may be a mains power supply or, alternatively, may be a supply from a renewable energy source such as solar, wind, or the like. In other examples, the power supply may be from a hydrogen fuel cell, battery storage system, or the like. A wireless network antenna 105 is provided to allow remote or wireless control of the induction heating device 100. A user may send instructions over the wireless network which are received by the wireless network antenna 105 and sent to the control circuitry 103 for processing. Four magnet attachments 106 are provided at the comers of the housing 101 to allow attachment to a radiator. A boost button apparatus 107 is provided in proximity to the control circuitry 103 such that a user may manually press the booster button apparatus 107 to activate the induction heating coil 102. A temperature sensor 108 is positioned in proximity to the induction heating coil 102 to measure the temperature of the coil and / or the radiator to which the induction heating device 100 is attached. The temperature sensor 108 is communicably coupled to the control circuitry 103 to allow automatic control of temperature and the reporting of temperature to a user via the wireless network antenna 105.

[0022] The skilled person, with the benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that the induction heating device and system described herein provides numerous advantages over other known systems. The induction heating device allows systems that had previously been heated by the combustion of natural gas or fossil fuels to instead be heated using electricity. Use of renewable energy to provide the electricity may remove all combustion of fossil fuels from the heating of the radiator from the energy generation step down to heating the radiator / fluid itself. The devices and systems described herein may also be highly efficient. For example, where materials such as stainless steel are used in the construction of a radiator, an induction heating device may heat such a radiator at an efficiency of up to 95%. The induction heating devices also allow existing heating systems to be retrofitted to operate using induction heating with relative ease. 06 05 25

Claims

1. A heating system comprising:a radiator; andan induction heating device configured to be removably attachable to the exterior of the radiator for retrofitting to the radiator, the induction heating device configured to heat at least a portion of the radiator via induction, wherein the induction heating device comprises control circuitry configured to control operation of the heating device based on a detected temperature of the radiator or a detected ambient temperature.

2. A heating system according to claim 1, wherein the radiator comprises a ferrous metal and the induction heating device is attached to the radiator using one or more magnets.

3. A heating system according to claim 2, wherein at least an upper portion of the induction heating device is configured to be attached to the radiator using one or more magnets, the one or more magnets made from magnetic material exhibiting thermal characteristics selected such that their magnetic properties are sufficiently diminished at a predetermined failsafe temperature that at least the upper portion of the induction heating device detaches from the radiator at the failsafe temperature, to a sufficient extent to prevent or significantly reduce continued induction heating.

4. A heating system according to claim 3, wherein a lower portion of the induction heating device is configured to be attached to the radiator by attachment means configured to remain attached to the induction heating device at temperatures above the failsafe temperature, whereby the induction heating device remains attached to the radiator at temperatures above the failsafe temperature while the upper portion is sufficiently detached to prevent or significantly reduce continued induction heating.

5. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the induction heating device has a power rating of less than 1500 W.

6. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the induction heating device comprises a heat sink configured to transmit heat to at least a portion of the radiator.

7. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the radiator comprises iron, cast iron, steel, mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, any other ferrous metal, or any combination thereof.

8. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the radiator houses a fluid and the induction heating device is configured to heat the fluid housed in the radiator.06 05 259. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises a controller configured to receive instructions to operate the heating system.10.A heating system according to claim 9, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to heat the radiator, stop heating the radiator, increase the rate of heating of the radiator, decrease the rate of heating of the radiator, or any combination thereof.

11. A heating system according to any preceding claim further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect a non-radiator object in proximity to or adjacent to the heating system, wherein the control circuitry is configured to stop heating in response to the detection of the non-radiator object, and wherein:(i) the one or more sensors comprise an electromagnetic sensor, configured to detect the proximity of a metallic non-radiator object; and / or(ii) the one or more sensors comprise an electrical current sensor configured to detect changes in the current draw from the induction heating device, and to communicate the detection of a non-radiator object in proximity to the induction heating device when the current exceeds a stored baseline current by a predetermined threshold amount.

12. A heating system according to any preceding claim, comprising one or more temperature sensors configured to detect the temperature of the radiator, the ambient environment in proximity to the radiator, or any combination thereof.

13. A heating system according to claim 12, wherein the system is configured to maintain the temperature of the radiator and / or ambient environment in proximity to the radiator within a first temperature range.

14. A heating system according to claim 13 wherein the first temperature range is from 20°C to 70°C15. A heating system according to claim 14, wherein the first temperature range is a temperature range defined by the user.16.A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the induction heating device is controlled remotely via an app.

17. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the heating system comprises a plurality of radiators and a plurality of induction heating devices.

18. A heating system according to claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of induction heating devices are individually controllable.

19. An induction heating device for use as the induction heating device in the heating system according to any of claims 1 to 16, the induction heating device configured to be removably attachable to the exterior of an existing radiator for retrofitting to the radiator, the induction heating device configured to heat at least a portion of the radiator via induction, wherein the induction heating devicecomprises control circuitry configured to control operation of the heating device based on a detected temperature of the radiator or a detected ambient temperature.

20. An induction heating device according to claim 19, wherein the induction heating device comprises:a housing; anda heating coil at least partially contained within the housing.

21. An induction heating device according to claim 19 or 20, the induction heating device further comprising:a temperature sensor; and / ora wireless network system configured to receive instructions to operate the induction heating device.

22. An induction heating device according to any one of claims 19 to 21, the induction heating device further comprising an electrical power supply.

23. A method of retrofitting a radiator, the method comprising attaching an induction heating device to a radiator to provide a heating system as defined in any of claims 1 to 18.LOCXI

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