A water heater appliance, as provided herein, may include a casing, a tank, an inlet conduit, an electric heating system, and a controller. The tank may be disposed within the casing, the tank defining an inlet and an outlet. The inlet conduit may be mounted to the tank at the inlet of the tank. The electric heating system may be in thermal communication with the tank to heat water within the tank. The controller may be in operative communication with the electric heating system. The controller may be configured to initiate a responsive-heating cycle. The responsive heating cycle may include detecting expiration of a dormant event at the water heater appliance, initiating a randomized delay period in response to detecting expiration of the dormant event, and initiating activation of the water heater appliance following the delay period.

Methods and apparatus for vaporizing liquid from a liquid source into the surrounding environment, are disclosed, where the apparatus comprises at least one manifold comprising at least one liquid port formed by a through-hole and at least one ridge structure, wherein the liquid port is in fluid communication with the liquid source and the one ridge structure. At least one vaporization port is included in a planar structure connecting a first side of the structure to a second side, in fluid communication with the at least one ridge structure and the surrounding environment, wherein fluid flow through the liquid and vaporization ports is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the structure, and the ridge structures are substantially parallel to the plane of the structure. At least one heating element is present that is in thermal communication to the at least one vaporization port and at least one ridge structure.

A circuit for generating electrical energy is disclosed. The circuit uses a pulse generator in combination with a conductor. Waste heat can be converted to usable energy due to a cooling effect of the circuit on the conductor. A resultant energy applied to a load is larger than the energy supplied by the pulse generator due to the absorption of external energy by the conductor.

A circuit for cooling is disclosed. The circuit uses a pulse generator in combination with a conductor. A cooling effect of the circuit on the conductor can be used and can be used in conjunction with a Carnot or Stirling engine. A resultant energy applied to a load is larger than the energy supplied by the pulse generator due to the absorption of external energy by the conductor.

An electric integrated circuit water heater apparatus includes: a cold water inlet for allowing input of cold water into a storage tank with heating elements comprised of integrated circuits configured to exchange heat from the heating elements to the water in the storage tank through a heat exchanger, in which heat produced by running the integrated circuits is recovered into the heat exchanger, thereby heating the stored water by using heat from the integrated circuits. A hot water outlet is provided in the upper portion of storage tank such that the water will have passed all of the heating elements prior to exiting the hot water outlet.

A water heater may operate according to different modes. The water heater may include a storage tank configured to store water, at least one sensor configured to sense a temperature of the water and a temperature related to an outside of the water heater, a first heater assembly (comprising a heating element) configured to heat the water, a first controller configured to control the first heater assembly, a second heater assembly (comprising a heat pump system) configured to heat the water, an inverter connected with the heat pump system, and a second controller configured to control the heat pump system by adjusting an output frequency of the inverter.

A heater bundle includes a plurality of heater assemblies, at least one of the heater assemblies including a plurality of heater units, at least one of the heater units defining at least one independently controlled heating zone. A thermal provision is configured to modify a thermal conductance along a length of the at least one heater assembly to compensate for non-uniform temperatures within at least one heater unit. The heater bundle includes a power supply device including a controller configured to modulate power to the independently controlled heating zone through the power conductors based on the determined temperature to provide a desired power output along a length of at least one heater assembly.

A tankless hot water heater has a molded body having an inlet and an outlet. The water heater has a clamshell design such that upper and lower portions are removably attached to one another. A channel extends from the inlet to the outlet. Heating elements extend through at least a portion of the channel and are configured to heat water flowing through the channel. Sensors are configured to measure temperature of water flowing through the channel prior to coming into contact with the heating element. Sensors measure flow rates, temperatures, presence of air, and/or other factors. A controller adjusts power supplied to heating elements using data from sensors. The controller can be on a printed circuit board that has a current transformer formed from one or more printed coils adjacent to a trace.

A system includes a heater bundle having at least one heater assembly with a plurality of heater units. At least one of the heater units defines at least one independently controlled heating zone, and a plurality of power conductors are electrically connected to the heater units. A power supply device includes a controller configured to modulate power to the at least one independently controlled heating zone through the power conductors, and the controller is configured to calculate temperature within the at least one heater unit based on a predefined model and at least one input, and the controller modulates power to the at least one heater unit based on the calculated temperature.

A heater system includes a heater bundle with heater assemblies, at least one of the heater assemblies having a plurality of heater units, at least one heater unit having an independently controlled heating zone, and the at least one heater assembly having a physical construction configured to deliver a variable power output per unit length along a length of the at least one heater assembly. A plurality of power conductors are electrically connected to the plurality of heater units and the heater system further includes a means for determining temperature. A power supply device includes a controller configured to modulate power to the independently controlled heating zone through the power conductors based on the determined temperature to provide a desired power output along a length of the at least one heater assembly.