[0001] This patent application concerns an electric oil radiator with heat exchanger for
the production of hot water.
[0002] Conventional oil radiators consist of a bank of adjacent metal radiating elements
containing diathermic oil heated by means of a heating element, generally positioned
at the base of the radiator and inserted through the series of aligned hubs by means
of which said radiating elements are connected at the bottom and intercommunicate.
[0003] These oil radiators are commonly and successfully used to heat rooms which are not
very large such as a room in a home which does not have a heating system or a system
which is not sufficient to increase the air temperature to the required value. At
times the home owner may wish to turn the central heating system off in order to save
energy and costs and may prefer to heat only several rooms at a time with these oil
radiators rather than the entire house.
[0004] This often happens if the home is a large one in which just one or two people live,
or in the case of seaside or mountain flats which are not used all the year round
but opened and used for perhaps a few hours outside the holiday period.
[0005] The new oil radiator model according to the invention was designed in consideration
of the fact that when a central heating system does not exist or is not used, the
problem of requiring hot water for bathrooms etc. may arise.
[0006] Accordingly, the inventive idea involves equipping a conventional electric oil radiator
with a heat exchanger which produces hot water using the heat produced by the radiator
itself.
[0007] The thermal energy used to produce hot water is moreover not lost if the hot water
is not used since, during cooling, the heat previously absorbed during the heating
stage is returned to the room.
[0008] In its most simplified embodiment, the radiator according to the invention is characterised
by a coil immersed in diathermic oil connected by means of fast couplings to the water
mains.
[0009] In this embodiment, the cold water from the mains enters and flows along the entire
coil and then out of the coil outlet as a continuous flow of hot water at about 40°C,
for a temperature of the diathermic oil of about 110°C
[0010] In a more sophisticated embodiment, the radiator according to the invention includes,
in addition to the above coil immersed in thermal oil, one or more hot water storage
tanks, thus forming a reserve of very hot water which at full running rate may reach
temperatures almost equal to the maximum temperatures of the diathermic oil.
[0011] The position and shape of the tank may vary according to requirements in that the
same may be divided into several chambers placed between each pair of adjacent radiating
elements or may be positioned above the series of adjacent radiating elements.
[0012] In any case, the connection between the coil and the tank is made according to conventional
techniques so that - in the intervals when hot water is not used - spontaneous convective
movements occur thanks to which the water in the tank enters the coil immersed directly
in the oil, while the water in the coil returns to the storage tank.
[0013] For major clarity the description continues with reference to the enclosed drawings
which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense, whereby:
- fig. 1 is a schematic side view of the radiator according to the invention;
- fig. 2 is a schematic top view of the radiator according to the invention.
[0014] With reference to the above figures the electric oil radiator model according to
the invention has a conventional structure in terms of shape, position and coupling
of the different radiating elements.
[0015] In particular said radiator (1) consists of a bank of adjacent metal radiating elements
(1a), containing the diathermic oil which is heating by means of a heating element
positioned at the base of the radiator and inserted through the aligned series of
bottom hubs of said radiating elements (1a).
[0016] The radiator (1) in question is equipped, in a totally innovative way, with a heat
exchanger for the production of hot water, which consists, in the case in question,
of two identical horizontal tubular coils (2a e 2b), connected in series and fitted
respectively in the upper series (3a) and in the lower series (3b) of hubs, by means
of which said radiating elements (1a) are connected and intercommunicate.
[0017] Said heat exchanger is provided at its inlet with a coupling (4), which in the preferred
embodiment should be a rapid coupling, and which makes it possible to connect the
same to the water mains.
[0018] The second coil (3b) is provided downstream with a fork leading off to two hot water
supply pipes: the first (5) supplying the hot water supply tap (6) directly and the
second (7) supplying a hot water storage tank (8) provided with pipe (8a) to draw
the hot water stored in the same.
[0019] Said tap (6) being provided with two opening positions, one to draw hot water from
the tank (8) and the other to draw hot water from the heat exchanger through pipe
(5).
1. An electric oil radiator provided with heat exchanger for the production of hot water
of the kind consisting of a bank of adjacent metal radiating elements (1a) containing
diathermic oil in which a heating element is immersed, characterised in that the radiator
(1) is provided with a heat exchanger for the production of hot water consisting of
one ore more tubular coils fitted in the aligned series of hubs by means of which
said radiating elements (1a) are connected and intercommunicate; it being provided
that said heat exchanger has a coupling (4) at its inlet for connection to the water
mains and a tap (6) at its outlet for drawing hot water.
2. An electric oil radiator provided with heat exchanger for the production of hot water
according to the previous claim, characterised in that the same is provided with a
hot water storage tank (8) supplied by the heat exchanger and is fitted with a pipe
(8a) for drawing the hot water contained in the same. 3) An electric oil radiator
provided with heat exchanger for the production of hot water according to the previous
claims, characterised in that the heat exchanger is provided downstream with a fork
leading off to two hot water supply pipes: the first (5) supplying tap (6) directly
and the second (7) supplying the hot water storage tank (8).