Pilot Burner Heat-Concentrating Tube for Water Heater Standby Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel-fired water heaters waste heat from the standing pilot flame during standby periods as it escapes through the flue without effectively heating the stored water, leading to inefficiency and potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
A specially designed pilot burner system with a heat concentrating structure, such as a vertically oriented tube member, directs the pilot flame's heat onto the bottom surface of the tank, combined with a dual firing rate pilot burner that adjusts its output based on water temperature and demand, ensuring efficient heat transfer and utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the pilot flame heat is allowed to escape through the flue during standby periods, then the pilot flame can maintain itself, but heat is wasted and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the previously wasted pilot flame heat (harmful energy loss) into a beneficial heating source by redirecting it through a heat concentrating structure onto the tank bottom, thereby reducing energy loss and improving overall heating efficiency during standby periods
Solution Approach 2:
The heat concentrating structure acts as an intermediary device between the pilot flame and the tank water, concentrating and redirecting the thermal energy from the pilot flame onto the tank bottom surface to improve heat transfer efficiency
2Productivity
If the pilot flame heat is concentrated on the tank bottom, then heating efficiency is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The burner system is segmented into distinct functional components: the pilot burner assembly and the heat concentrating structure, allowing each to perform its specific function independently while working together to achieve improved heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The heat concentrating structure serves as a simple intermediary component that focuses the pilot flame heat onto the tank bottom, adding minimal structural complexity while significantly improving heating efficiency
3Loss of energy
If the pilot flame heat is concentrated on the tank bottom, then standby heat losses are reduced, but the risk of overheating the tank water increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat concentrating structure directs the pilot flame heat to a specific localized area (the tank bottom surface) rather than distributing it throughout the entire tank volume, improving heat transfer efficiency while the large thermal mass of the tank water prevents overheating
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pilot flame's own heat to pre-condition and heat the tank water during standby periods, reducing the need for additional energy input when the main burner operates, thereby reducing overall energy consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces standby heat losses and improves overall efficiency by concentrating the pilot flame's heat on the tank water, preventing overheating and optimizing energy use during both standby and operational periods.
Implementation Method 1
concentrate its heat on the bottom surface portion of the bottom wall of the tank
Implementation Method 2
the heat of the standing pilot flame is more efficiently utilized to heat the tank water
Implementation Method 3
transfer heat therethrough to water stored in the tank
Implementation Method 4
hot combustion products which flow upwardly through the flue and transfer heat therethrough to water stored in the tank
Data Source
AI summary
A tube disposed in the combustion chamber of a standing pilot type fuel-fired water heater is used to increase the overall efficiency of the water heater by improving the heat transfer from the pilot flame to the tank during standby periods by funneling the standing pilot flame upwardly through the tube in a manner concentrating the pilot flame heat against an underside portion of the bottom head of the water heater tank. To further increase water heater efficiency, the pilot burner is of a dual input type. Various pilot burner operational algorithm modes are disclosed for causing the pilot burner to operate at a high firing rate during main burner operation, and at a low firing rate during standby periods.