Electric resistance heating devices – Heating devices – Combined with nonelectric heating means
Reexamination Certificate
2003-09-19
2004-09-07
Walberg, Teresa J. (Department: 3742)
Electric resistance heating devices
Heating devices
Combined with nonelectric heating means
C392S438000, C165S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06788884
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a building heating system, and more particularly, to a heating system divided into a first partial heating system and a second partial heating system with a temperature regulation and switching unit for controlling the partial heating systems for individual operation or joint operation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional building heating systems typically comprise a heating boiler, such as an oil heating boiler or a gas heating boiler, to which radiators installed in the building's rooms are connected by pipes which operate as flow lines and return lines. The heat generated in the heating boiler is transported, in one or several heating cycles, via a transport medium of hot water through the pipes to the radiators, which act as a heat transfer media for radiating heat into the corresponding rooms.
Such building heating systems require relatively large amounts of heating energy. For reasons of an economical heating operation, the reduction of pollutant emissions, and the known limited fossil fuel resources, considerable alteration has been directed to designing building heating systems that operate more efficiently.
A generally known, generic type of building heating system is made up of two partial heating systems and is often used in so-called low-energy houses. A partial heating system is designed as a basic system for providing heat during cool outside temperatures, and comprises heat sources whose caloric energy is available either entirely or nearly for free and, in particular, do not require any combustion of fossil fuels. Such heat sources can be solar modules and/or geothermal modules and/or coolers for power generators from biogas plants. Such heat sources feature integrated heat source heat exchangers through which the heat transport medium of hot water can be pumped to the radiators or, as required, to intermediate heat storage systems.
One disadvantage of such heat sources is the fact that heat there from will either be available only at specific periods of time or with great variations. For example, heat from solar energy, in an amount useful in terms of heat engineering, will be available only with sufficient solar radiation that is often non-existent when heating is needed, such as at night. Thus, the heating effect achievable with this heating system alone will regularly be insufficient, especially during relatively cold outside temperatures.
Accordingly, an additional partial heating system will therefore be required as an add-on system which is designed in accordance with the initially mentioned conventional building heating system having a heating boiler for burning fossil fuels which is connected to radiators in the room to be heated. It can be switched between the partial heating systems, or operated in parallel, with the heat energy to be transferred by means of hot water to the radiators being optionally selected to come from the individual heat sources or jointly from the heat sources. A switching unit required for joint or individual operation can be integrated into a conventional heating control system with temperature regulation to automatically perform such change-over and/or connections as a function of definable marginal conditions.
It is evident that the expenditure for setting up the above described building heating system from such combination-controlled partial heating systems is considerable since for relatively cold periods, a complete heating plant for fossil fuels must be provided combined with connections and tanks for such fossil fuels as a backup system, although the building heating system is supposed to be basically operated with alternative energies, for example with solar energy, in connection with layer heat accumulators, as required. In addition, aside from the high set-up costs for the partial heating system for fossil fuels, the required maintenance and service costs are also applicable. Due to these conditions, the set-up costs of such combined heating systems are considerable higher compared with the simple, conventional building heating system described in the beginning and the savings potentials are thus relatively low overall so that such combined heating systems are not yet generally being used despite their obvious advantage.
Furthermore, surface heating elements for the construction of a heating system are known (DE 21 51 626 A) which have an electrically conductive coating and are provided with electrical connections. Such a surface heating element is operated in the type of a resistance heating in which according to the electrical resistance of the coating and the transmitted electrical current, heat will be generated directly in the surface heating element, such heat being radiated into a building room. The operation of such electrical resistance heating installations as sole building heating installations is very expensive and thus uneconomical.
Furthermore, a heating arrangement is known (DE 19849432 Al) comprising coated surface heating elements whose coating has a specific chemical composition and which is excitable by means of a harmonic generator for the radiation of electromagnetic waves. Radiation takes place in an oscillation spectrum in the range of molecular own frequencies of the media to be heated. The heating effect is via oscillating resonances such that the surface heating elements remain essentially cool and the heating effect appears directly on the media located within the radiation area. Such a heating system can be manufactured at low cost and has a high efficiency.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to further develop a building heating system from a first partial heating system and a second partial heating system such that low cost manufacture and installation will be possible with little space requirement and high functionality and variability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a building heating system that includes a first partial heating system having at least one first heat source with an integrated heat source heat exchanger, and a heat transfer device installed in at least one building room remote from the heat source and having a heat transfer outside surface. A plurality of conduits provide flow lines and return lines carrying a flowable heat transport medium between the heat source, the source heat exchanger, and the heat transfer device. A second partial heating system is provided which includes a second heat source. The second heat source includes an electrically activated coating applied to at least a part of the heat transfer outside surface of the heat transfer device to provide a radiation surface for radiation heating. A heating control system having at least one temperature regulator and a switching unit is operatively associated with the first and second partial heating systems for individual and joint operation of the partial heating systems. As a result, the heat transfer device is a component of the first partial heating system as well as an integral carrier of the coating of the second partial heating system.
Advantageously, the first partial heating system operates as the primary heat provider for heating a room, and the second partial heating system can be automatically activated through the switching unit, as a function of an outside temperature and/or an inside room temperature when heat output of the first partial heating system is no longer sufficient to maintain a selected room temperature.
Preferably, the first heat source is selected from one of a solar module, a geothermal module, a cooler of a power generator of a biogas, and any combination thereof. Preferably, the heat transport medium comprises a controlled pumpable hot water. However, the arrangement according to the invention can also be designed for hot air heating. For a further reduction of the energy costs of the building heating system, the electrical energy for the second partial heating system can also be provided or at least supplemented,
McNair Law Firm, P.A.
Moletherm Holding AG
Walberg Teresa J.
LandOfFree
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