Heating systems – Ventilating – Enclosed radiator
Patent
1996-05-29
1997-12-30
Bennet, Henry A.
Heating systems
Ventilating
Enclosed radiator
237 123C, 431 2, 431265, G05D 2300
Patent
active
057020558
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a vehicle heater with a burner, to which combustion air is fed by a combustion air blower and to which fuel is fed by means of a fuel feed pump.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such vehicle heaters, which are also frequently called auxiliary heaters or the like, are used in passenger cars, trucks, buses, but also in recreational vehicles, airplanes, construction equipment, and motor yachts. With the combustion air blower switched on, fuel is fed to the burner via the fuel feed pump. The fuel, atomized with an evaporator, atomizer or the like, to which combustion air is added, burns within a combustion chamber, which is surrounded by a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger releases the thermal energy to a heat carrier, e.g., water or water with antifreeze or air.
Numerous embodiments of vehicle heaters of this type have been known. The fuel feed pump is usually located at a certain distance from the combustion chamber, because the temperature of the fuel feed pump shall possibly be maintained below 35.degree. C. for the correct function of the fuel feed pump, and because malfunctions develop above these temperatures due to the formation of vapor bubbles in the fuel (especially gasoline).
If such a vehicle heater is to be built as a compact heater, i.e., if all essential components (combustion chamber, heat exchanger, combustion air blower, fuel feed pump and control unit) are to be arranged in the smallest possible space, which is desirable for many applications, if not necessary for the use of such a vehicle heater, the risk arises that the fuel feed pump will be excessively heated because of the release of heat by the electric motor driving the pump and/or due to external thermal effects, e.g., from the combustion chamber.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle heater of the above-described class, in which correct function of the fuel feed pump is always guaranteed by sufficient cooling even in the case of compact design of the heater.
This object is accomplished in a vehicle heater of the above-described type by the fuel feed pump being arranged in the combustion air flow.
During operation, air is drawn in from the environment by the combustion air blower and is fed to the burner. An intake channel housing is preferably provided for this purpose in front of the combustion air blower, and the fuel feed pump--or at least a large part of it--is located according to the present invention around the intake housing. When the burner is in operation--cooling of the fuel feed pump is necessary during operation of the burner only--the air flow generated by the combustion air blower flows through the intake channel housing, thus cooling the fuel feed pump located in the intake channel sufficiently.
The fuel feed pump is advantageously mounted within the intake channel by means of holding webs such that combustion air flows practically all around the fuel feed pump.
Even though the fuel feed pump may also be arranged, in principle, on the downstream side of the combustion air blower according to the present invention, there is not enough space at that point in practice, especially in the case of a vehicle heater of compact design, so that arrangement upstream of the combustion air blower is recommended.
To achieve the most uniform cooling possible, the present invention provides for the intake channel having an approximately round cross section and for the fuel feed pump likewise having an approximately round cross section in its broadest area, wherein the latter cross section is somewhat smaller than that of the intake channel, and for the fuel feed pump being mounted in the intake channel such that the longitudinal axis of the intake channel essentially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the fuel feed pump. An electromagnetic reciprocating pump is preferably used as the fuel feed pump, and the direction of movement of the piston coincides with the longitudinal axis of the pump.
The various featur
REFERENCES:
patent: 4307701 (1981-12-01), Balon et al.
Bennet Henry A.
Boles Derek S.
J. Eberspacher GmbH & Co.
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