One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for a vent-free heater that may be installed in an area used for human occupancy, to provide heat to that area. Such a heater can comprise an environmental detector that senses ambient air conditions, and may provide data used to shut down the heater in predetermined threshold condition. In one implementation, a vent-free heater for installation in high altitudes can comprise a combustion region and a fuel supply component. The heater can comprise an environmental detector with a flameless sensor configured to detect an ambient level of a constituent of the atmosphere and generate a signal indicative of the constituent level; and a sensor interface that can control flow of fuel from the fuel supply, based at least upon a signal received from the sensor.

A thermoelectric fan including: a heat collector; a thermoelectric generator (TEG) thermally coupled to the heat collector; a heat sink thermally coupled to the TEG and positioned to provide a temperature differential across the TEG; a motor in electrical communication with the TEG; a fan blade coupled to the motor and configured to generate a first airflow through the heat sink; and a heat sink shield configured to shield the heat sink from a second airflow, the second airflow having a higher temperature than the first airflow. The second airflow may be generated by the fan blade interacting with the first airflow. A heat sink shield for a thermoelectric fan wherein the heat sink shield is configured to attach to the thermoelectric fan and configured to at least partially shield the heat sink from a vorticity vector field and related air flows generated by the fan blade.

A system for combined heat and electric power generation, preferably including a heat reservoir and one or more electric generators, each preferably including a heat source and an energy converter. A method for combined heat and electric power generation, preferably including activating an electric generator, deactivating the electric generator, and/or providing heat from a heat reservoir.

The present invention relates to an exchanger apparatus (1) for supplying electricity and heat, comprising a radiator element (2) able to irradiate energy as a function of an operating temperature thereof; an electronic device (3) designed to produce output electricity from the energy irradiated by the element, thereby dissipating heat; and a heat exchanger (4) designed to absorb the heat dissipated by the electronic device (3), thereby increasing the temperature of an output fluid.

A water heater may include a water tank, a burner, a pilot for igniting the burner, an ignitor for igniting the pilot, a thermoelectric device in thermal communication with a flame of the pilot, a controller for controlling an ignition sequence of the pilot using the ignitor, and a rechargeable power storage device for supplying power to the ignitor and the controller. The rechargeable power storage device may be rechargeable using the energy produced by the thermoelectric device. The controller is configured to selectively ran only the pilot for at least pan of a heating cycle to increase the recharge lime of the rechargeable power storage device while still healing the water in the water heater.

A water heater may include a water tank, a burner, a pilot for igniting the burner, an ignitor for igniting the pilot, a thermoelectric device in thermal communication with a flame of the pilot, a controller for controlling an ignition sequence of the pilot using the ignitor, and a rechargeable power storage device for supplying power to the ignitor and the controller. The rechargeable power storage device may be rechargeable using the energy produced by the thermoelectric device. The controller is configured to selectively ran only the pilot for at least pan of a heating cycle to increase the recharge lime of the rechargeable power storage device while still healing the water in the water heater.

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems and related methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the CHP system includes a combustion component and a power cell operably coupled to the combustion component. The power cell can include a first heat exchanger thermally coupled to the combustion component to receive heat; a second heat exchanger; and an electricity generation component with a first portion thermally coupled to the first heat exchanger and a second portion thermally coupled to the second heat exchanger. The electricity generation component is positioned to receive at least a portion of the heat received at the first heat exchanger and generate an electrical output using the received heat. To recycle unused heat from the power cell, the second heat exchanger can be thermally coupleable to a third heat exchanger in a residential heating appliance.

An apparatus and method for producing heat and electricity independent of an electrical grid. The apparatus includes a burner adapted to produce at least one of radiant heat, flame and hot combustion gases. A thermal-to-electric conversion device is integrated with the burner and proximate to the burner, for producing electricity. The conversion device has a first side disposed toward the at least one of radiant heat, flame and hot combustion gases and a second side disposed toward and in heat transfer contact with a liquid supply line. The apparatus is useful in water heaters. The liquid supply line provides both water to be heated and a cooling medium for the thermal-to-electric conversion device.

A system for combined heat and electric power generation, preferably including a heat reservoir and one or more electric generators, each preferably including a heat source and an energy converter. A method for combined heat and electric power generation, preferably including activating an electric generator, deactivating the electric generator, and/or providing heat from a heat reservoir.

A water heater control system the water heater system comprising a rechargeable and non-rechargeable power source. In one or more examples, a controller such as a microcontroller of the water heater system is configured to receive power from the non-rechargeable power source and does not receive power from the rechargeable power source. Various other components of the water heater system are configured to receive power from the rechargeable power source. The system may comprise an energy storage system electrically connected to a pilot valve operator and electrically isolated from a main valve operator. The controller may be configured to recognize a call for main burner operation and may also be configured to check an available voltage of the energy storage system against a setpoint.