HEATING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATING A HEATING APPARATUS

Abstract

A heating apparatus for generating a hot air flow comprises a single fan, a burner heating element and a resistance heating element. In this respect, an air passage that conducts air to be heated and a combustion air passage that leads to a burner adjoin the fan downstream, wherein a combustion air flow in the combustion air passage can be controlled by a control element associated with the combustion air passage.

Claims

1. A heating apparatus for producing a hot air flow, in particular for a camper, having a single fan; a burner heating element; and a resistance heating element, wherein an air passage that conducts air to be heated and a combustion air passage that leads to a burner adjoin the fan downstream; and wherein a combustion air flow in the combustion air passage can be controlled by a control element associated with the combustion air passage.

2. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control element is arranged in the combustion air passage.

3. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein a backflow line connects the combustion air passage and an inlet of the fan flow-wise.

4. The heating apparatus of claim 3 wherein the control element is arranged in the backflow line.

5. The heating apparatus of claim 4 wherein the control element allows a flow from the combustion air passage to the inlet and blocks a flow from the inlet to the combustion air passage.

6. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein it comprises a sensor for detecting the combustion quality at the burner; and in that the sensor is coupled to the control element.

7. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fan comprises a single fan wheel that feeds the air passage and the combustion air passage.

8. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fan comprises a useful air fan wheel that feeds the air passage and a combustion air fan wheel that feeds the combustion air passage.

9. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the useful air fan wheel and the combustion air fan wheel are rotatably supported, with a rotational movement of the useful air fan wheel being coupled to a rotational movement of the combustion air fan wheel.

10. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control element is a valve flap or a throttle plate.

11. The heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control element is a guide element within the fan with which an internal backflow can be released.

12. A method of operating a heating apparatus for producing a hot air flow, in particular for a camper, having a single fan, wherein an air passage that conducts air to be heated and a combustion air passage that leads to a burner adjoin the fan downstream, said method comprising the following steps: a) providing a combustion air flow produced by the fan in the combustion air passage; b) providing a useful air flow produced by the fan in the air passage, with the useful air flow becoming the hot air flow by heating; and c) setting the combustion air flow by a control element.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein step c) takes place by a complete or partial closing of the combustion air passage.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein step c) takes place by a complete or partial channeling away of the combustion air flow to an inlet of the fan.

15. The method in accordance of claim 12 wherein the combustion air flow and the useful air flow are provided by a single fan wheel.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the combustion air flow is provided by a combustion air fan wheel and the useful air flow is provided by a useful air fan wheel.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the combustion air flow is set in dependence on the combustion quality at the burner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The invention will be explained in the following with reference to different embodiments that are shown in the enclosed drawings. In the drawings,

[0033] FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the heating apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 schematically shows a second embodiment of the heating apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically shows a third embodiment of the heating apparatus in accordance with the invention; and

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a partly sectioned representation of a fourth embodiment of the heating apparatus in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] A first embodiment of a heating apparatus 10 can be seen in FIG. 1. The heating apparatus 10 is configured to generate a hot air flow 12.

[0038] For this purpose, the heating apparatus 10 comprises an air passage 14 into which a useful air flow 16 is introduced. The latter is heated by a resistance heating element 18 and by a burner heating element 20 so that the useful air flow 16 becomes the hot air flow 12.

[0039] The resistance heating element 18 can be an electric heating element, for example.

[0040] The burner heating element 20 transmits heat energy that is produced by a burner 22 to the useful air flow 16.

[0041] So that combustion can take place at the burner 22, a combustion air flow 26 is supplied to the latter via a combustion air passage 24.

[0042] In the embodiment shown, both the useful air flow 16 and the combustion air flow 26 are generated by a single fan 28 having a single fan wheel 30. The two air flows are nevertheless conducted separately, as is symbolized by the continuous dividing wall 31.

[0043] The combustion air flow 26 can be set by a control element 32. In the embodiment shown, the control element 32 is arranged in the combustion air passage 24 and can block it completely or partially. The control element 32 is designed as a valve element or as a throttle plate here. An actuator 33 is provided for the adjustment.

[0044] Alternatively to the shown arrangement of the control element 32, it can also be arranged upstream of the fan wheel 30.

[0045] A sensor 34 that can detect the combustion quality at the burner 22 is additionally provided at the burner 22. The sensor 34 is coupled to the control element 32.

[0046] The function of the heating apparatus 10 will be described in the following with reference to so-called mixed operation in which the useful air flow 16 is heated both via the resistance heating element 18 and via the burner heating element 20 and thus becomes the hot air flow 12.

[0047] Let a total heating power of 4 kW be required in a first application case of which 2 kW are provided by the resistance heating element and 2 kW are provided by the burner heating element 20.

[0048] The fan wheel 30 is now set so that it provides both the useful air flow 16 that corresponds to a total heating power of 4 kW and at least the combustion air flow 26 that is required for a burner power of 2 kW.

[0049] However, a ratio of the useful air flow 16 to the combustion air flow 26 is predefined by the construction design of the air passage 14 and of the combustion air passage 24. The ratio of the line cross-sectional areas of the air passage 14 and of the combustion air passage 24 can be the decisive criterion for this.

[0050] It can therefore be the case that the fan wheel 30 feeds too much air into the combustion air passage 24.

[0051] This is, however, prevented by the control element 32 that is set such that exactly that quantity of air corresponding to the burner power of 2 kW is supplied to the burner 22 via the combustion air flow 26.

[0052] During operation, the sensor 34 detects the combustion quality at the burner 22 and has the effect via the coupling with the control element 32 that the combustion air flow 26 supplied to the burner 22 is readjusted in the case of an insufficient combustion quality. This takes place by a readjustment of the control element 32.

[0053] Let 4 kW total power again be required in a second application case. In this case, however, 3 kW of the total heating power should be supplied via the resistance heating element 18 and 1 kW of the total heating power should be supplied via the burner heating element 20.

[0054] In comparison with the first application case, it now becomes clear that a smaller combustion air flow is required despite an unchanging total heating power of 4 kW that is associated with an unchanging useful air flow 16.

[0055] The control element 32 is therefore set such that the combustion air flow 26 corresponds to a burner power of 1 kW. The position of the control element 32 can again be readjusted by a detection of the combustion quality with the aid of the sensor 34.

[0056] The sensor does not necessarily have to be arranged downstream of the burner. It can also be arranged upstream of the burner depending on the parameters that it detects.

[0057] A second embodiment of the heating apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. 2. Unlike the first embodiment of FIG. 1, the control element 32 in this embodiment is arranged in a backflow line 36 that connects the combustion air passage 24 to an inlet 38 of the fan 28 flow-wise.

[0058] To prevent air from flowing from the inlet 38 via the backflow line 36 into the combustion air passage 24, the control element 32 and comprise a check valve 40.

[0059] The air flow fed into the combustion air passage 24 by the fan wheel 30 is thus divided into the combustion air flow 26 provided at the burner 22 and a return air flow 42.

[0060] The return air flow 42 is adjustable via the control element 32.

[0061] Provision can alternatively also be made that the control element 32, that is here likewise designed as a valve element or as a throttle plate, is arranged in the combustion air passage 24 and controls the volume flow by the stagnation pressure produced there.

[0062] If now a total heating power of 4 kW is again required, of which a respective 2 kW should be provided by the resistance heating element 18 and by the burner heating element 20, the fan wheel 30 is set such that it provides the useful air flow corresponding to 4 kW total heating power and at least the combustion air flow 26 corresponding to 1 kW burner power.

[0063] As described in the first embodiment, the ratio of the air flow fed into the combustion air passage 24 and of the air flow fed into the air passage 14 is fixed construction-wise.

[0064] The fan wheel 30 may therefore feed too much air into the combustion air passage 24.

[0065] The excess air quantity in the combustion air passage 24 can therefore be conducted back to the inlet 38 of the fan 28 via the backflow line 36 as a return air flow 42. In this respect, the amount of the return air flow 42 is set by the control element 32.

[0066] The air flow conveyed by the fan wheel 30 into the combustion air passage 24 less the return air flow 42 conducted back via the backflow line 36 therefore arrives at the burner 22.

[0067] The combustion quality is again detected by the sensor 34 and the sensor value is used to set the control element 32.

[0068] In the event that a total heating power of 4 kW is to be implemented in that 3 kW are provided via the resistance heating element 18 and 1 kW via the burner heating element 20, only a smaller combustion air flow 26 is required at the burner 22.

[0069] The combustion air flow 26 is then set by conducting back of a correspondingly larger return air flow 42 through the backflow line 36. The control element 32 is adjusted accordingly for this purpose.

[0070] A third embodiment of the heating apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. 3. Unlike the first and second embodiments, the fan in this embodiment comprises a useful air fan wheel 50 and a combustion air fan wheel 52, that is a total of two fan wheels.

[0071] In this respect, the useful air fan wheel 50 generates the useful air flow 16 and the combustion air fan wheel 52 generates the combustion air flow 26.

[0072] In the embodiment shown, the useful air fan wheel 50 and the combustion air fan wheel 52 are rotatably supported. The rotational movement of the two fan wheels is coupled in that they are arranged on a common shaft 54.

[0073] The control element 32 is arranged analogously to the second embodiment (see FIG. 2) in the backflow line 36 in this embodiment.

[0074] Alternatively, analogously to the first embodiment, the control element 32 can also be directly arranged in the combustion air passage 24. Such a variant is not shown.

[0075] The function of the heating apparatus in accordance with the third embodiment is as in the second embodiment. However, here the ratio of the air flows fed into the air passage 14 and into the combustion air passage 24 is fixed by the design of the useful air fan wheel 50 and of the combustion air fan wheel 52.

[0076] It is also conceivable in this embodiment to arrange the control element 32 outside the backflow line 36.

[0077] A fourth embodiment can be seen in FIG. 4 that, analogously to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, comprises the useful air fan wheel 50 and the combustion air fan wheel 52.

[0078] The rotational movements of the useful air fan wheel 50 and of the combustion air fan wheel are coupled here via a transmission 56 so that only one drive 58 is required for both fan wheels.

[0079] The amount of the return air flow 42 is again set via the control element 32 so that a suitable combustion air flow 26 is always available at the burner 22.

[0080] The function of the heating apparatus 10 in accordance with the fourth embodiment is analogous to the third embodiment in FIG. 3.