Marinized systems for vaporizing including a water bath vaporizer utilizing a slosh chamber having reduced water surface area to reduce the effects of wave created when the vaporizer is in motion, and systems utilizing such vaporizer, and to methods of making and using such systems.

Various disclosed embodiments include combined heating and power modules and combined heat and power devices. In an illustrative embodiment, a combined heat and power device includes a heating system including: at least one burner; at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner; a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly. At least one thermophotovoltaic converter has a photon emitter and at least one photovoltaic cell, the photon emitter being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the at least one photovoltaic cell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger.

Aspects of the invention relate to water heaters including a water storage tank having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; a combustion chamber extending below the bottom wall of the water storage tank and a heat exchanger configured to receive combustion gases and to transfer heat to water in the water storage tank. The heat exchanger includes a first pass flue extending through the water storage tank and a plurality of second pass flues coupled to receive combustion gases from the first pass flue. The second pass flues extending through the water storage tank and having a straight top portion, a curved bottom portion, and a longitudinal axis residing in a plane. The curved bottom portion of the second pass flues exits the water storage tank through at least one aperture defined in the side wall of the water storage tank.

The improved water heater is a combustion reaction based water heating apparatus. The improved water heater is used to heat fresh water for domestic and light industrial purposes. The improved water heater includes a tank and an enhanced heating device. The insulating structure stores the water during and after the heating process. The enhanced heating device: a) contains the combustion reaction; and, b) transfers through a heat exchange mechanism the heat generated by the combustion reaction to the water contained within the insulating structure. The enhanced heating device includes a heat exchange apparatus. When compared to a traditional exhaust flue, the heat exchange apparatus more efficiently transfers heat between the heated exhaust gases from the combustion reaction and the water contained in the insulating structure.

A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to be in thermal communication with the production fluid to provide convective heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft.sup.2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.

A boiler includes a tank, a gas circuit that includes a main combustion chamber in the tank and branch tubes in the tank that extend off of the main combustion chamber, and a water circuit fluidly isolated from the gas circuit. The water circuit includes a first manifold and water tubes that extend off of the first manifold. Each water tube extends through a respective one of the branch tubes, which may serve to preheat the water prior to discharge of the water into the tank.

A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to provide heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft.sup.2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.

A method of constructing a water heater includes the steps of providing a tank having a metal interior tank wall and a heat exchanger positioned within the tank, coating the interior tank wall and the heat exchanger with a first layer comprising glass enamel, and coating a portion of the first layer with a second layer comprising an organic polymer to protect the portion of the first layer from exposure to water in the tank.

A water heater can include a tank. The water heater can also include a heat exchanger that includes multiple flue tube segments disposed within the tank, where the flue tube segments include a thermally-conductive material. The heat exchanger can further include a heating system that heats a fluid to create a heated fluid, where the heating system further circulates the heated fluid through the flue tube segments, where the flue tube segments absorb thermal energy from the heated fluid and subsequently dissipate the thermal energy into the tank to convert the unheated water to the heated water. The water heater can also include a controller coupled to the heating system, where the controller operates the heating system outside of a normal heating cycle when the controller determines that condensation has accumulated in the flue tube segments, where operating the heating system outside of the normal heating cycle removes the condensation.

The current invention disclose a method and apparatus for production of hot water or steam in a firetube boiler, said method comprising the steps of producing a first flue gas using a first stage of a burner in a first pass of a firetube boiler; passing at least a portion of said first flue gas through a second pass of said boiler, wherein said second pass comprises a plurality of firetubes; routing said portion of said first flue gas to a second stage of said burner to reduce NOx emissions from said second stage of said burner; producing a second flue gas from said second stage of said burner in a third pass of said boiler; passing said second flue gas through a fourth pass of said boiler, wherein said fourth pass comprises a plurality of firetubes.