[0001] This invention relates to a hot-air heating system and in particularly, to the hot-air
heating system in which a heat generated from an electric heater as a heat source
is emitted through a plurality of radiating pipe where a heat transfer midium is contained,
whereby a warm-air heating is made available.
[0002] It has been well known that electric energy is a clean energy without any contaminants.
When a heating is made through such electric energy, the facility investment can be
minimized and on top of that, it is a high-class energy in a safe manner, since there
is no danger of explosion unlike oil or gas. However, in the circumstances where the
electric energy requires a higher heating cost, the end-users have no choice but to
rely on the oil and gas energy, in spite of the fact that such oil or gas has encountered
various environmental contamination, a heavy facility investment and safety problems.
[0003] Further, the conventional heating system using a heat transfer medium has been applied;
a heat generated from a heat source is transferred to an electric heat medium and
through the circulation of it, a heat air is indirectly given to some heated materials
and distributed in a wider area by fan, while avoiding the local concentration heat
by a direct heating method.
[0004] However, such heating system using a heat transfer medium has recognized some disadvantages
in that (1) since a heat source is a gas or oil burner, it is extremely difficult
to control its heating temperature appropriately, and as the case may be, the end-users
hesitates to utilize the above system despite its higher energy efficiency, since
the upper-limit temperature of heat transfer medium line may be exceeded, (2) environmental
contamination problems exists, (3) a heavy facility investment should be required.
[0005] Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a hot-air heating system that
can ensure a high-efficiency heating in such a manner that a heat generated from an
electric heater as a heat source, is emitted through a heat transfer medium having
an efficient heat transfer action.
[0006] Another object of this invention is to provide a hot-air heating system that can
ensure an efficient heating in such a manner that a heat is emitted in a wider surface
area through a heat reservoir means which reserve the heat generated from a heat source
to maintain a certain temperature and some thermally connected heat transfer medium
pipes.
[0007] Another object of this invention is to provide a hot-air heating system that can
ensure less environmental contamination and reasonable facility and maintenance costs
using an electric heat as heat source.
[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the hot-air heating system of this invention is
characterized in that the system comprises a case having a warm-air discharge vent
hole provided at the upper front part having an air-supply fan at the lower rear part;
a plurality of heat transfer medium pipes having a plurality of radiating fins arranged
at the outer surface; and a heat reservoir block where the lower part of the heat
transfer medium pipes is connected and an electric heater is installed.
[0009] The heat transfer medium pipes comprise a sealed pipe body and liquid-phase heat
transfer medium are contained in its inside. The heat reservoir block is stacked by
a plurality of plates consisting of metals with a high heat conduction .
[0010] According to another embodiment of this invention, the heat reservoir block may be
provided in a liquidtight container form; a heat transfer medium, which is the same
as that contained in the heat transfer medium pipes, may be contained in the heat
reservoir block. Further, the pipe body of heat transfer medium pipes and the heat
reservoir block may be fabricated in an integrated form.
[0011] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference
to the drawings, of which:
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hot-air heating system according to this
invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of a hot-air heating system
according to this invention;
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a heat transfer medium pipes and a
heat reservoir block as heat reservoir means.
Fig. 4 is a partially sectional view showing a heat transfer medium pipes and a heat
reservoir block.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a heat transfer medium pipes and a heat reservoir block
according to another embodiment of this invention.
[0012] Fig. 1 shows that the whole structure of the hot-air heating system according to
this invention is dissembled. As noted from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the hot-air heating
system of this invention comprises a case 14 having a warm-air discharge vent hole
10 provided at the front upper part and having an air-supply fan 12 at the lower rear
part. Provided in the case 14 is a heat reservoir block 16 and a plurality of heat
transfer medium pipes 18 being thermally connected with the heat reservoir block 16.
[0013] Electric heaters 20 are connected to the heat reservoir block 16, and and the latter
serves to reserve a heat generated by the electric heaters 20 and transfer it to the
heat transfer medium pipes 18.
[0014] According to the first embodiment 1 of this invention, the heat reservoir block 16
is stacked by a plurality of plates 22 consisting of aluminum or copper with a high
conduction. Between these plates 22, the electric heater 20 as a heat source, is inserted
to a recesses 24 formed to the opposite sides of the adjacent boards 22. Therefore,
when the current flows into the electric heater 20 to generate a heating due to its
resistance heat, the heat is transferred to the heat reservoir block 16 consisting
of a plurality of plates 22. Then, in order to connect the lower part of the heat
transfer medium pipe 18 to the heat reservoir block 16, a plurality of insert grooves
26 are formed to the plates 22 of the heat reservoir block 16.
[0015] The heat transfer medium pipe 18 comprises a sealed pipe body 28. The inside of the
pipe body 28 is completely filled with an organic or inorganic, non-combustible, liquid-phase
heat transfer medium 30, which has a low vapor pressure with better thermal stability,
less corrosiveness and large specific heat and vaporization heat, for sealing thereof.
The pipe body 28 is fabricated by some metals such as aluminum or copper with better
heat conduction. Further, to the outer side of the pipe body 28, a plurality of radiating
fins 32 whose material is the same as the pipe body 28 are formed.
[0016] Since the lower part of the heat transfer medium pipe 18 is tightly inserted into
the insert groove 26 of the heat reservoir block 16, the heat can be effectively transferred
from the heat reservoir block 16 to the heat transfer medium pipe 18.
[0017] Meantime, a control panel 34 for controlling the operation of the electric heater
20 and the air-supply fan 12 are provided at the front of the case 14; at the rear
side of the case 14, a temperature sensor 36 is installed so that the predetermined
range of temperature can be maintained.
[0018] Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the heat reservoir block; the heat reservoir block
16A has a liquidtight container where the heat transfer medium 30A, which is the same
as that contained in the heat transfer medium pipe 18, along with the electric heater
20A in the heat reservoir block 16A. Like the first embodiment of this invention,
a plurality of the heat transfer medium pipe 18A is tightly inserted into the heat
reservoir block 16A for a complete sealing thereof. According to another embodiment
of this invention, the heat transfer medium pipe 18A and heat reservoir block 16A
are fabricated in an integrated form and the same heat transfer medium may be inserted
into their inside.
[0019] As such, the hot-air heating system of this invention is operated in such a manner
that through the control panel 34, the temperature of a heater is established and
then, the current is supplied to the electric heater 20 to make a warm-air heating
by the air-supply fan 12. The electric heater 20, so heated, generates a heat and
then, the heat reservoir block 16 is heated. Since the heat reservoir block 16 having
a large thermal mass, it can store a lot of heat. The stored heat is transferred to
the heat transfer medium pipe 18 at the predetermined range of temperature. The heat
reservoir block 16 is stacked by a plurality of plates 22 consisting of aluminum or
copper with a high heat conduction. The lower part of the heat transfer medium pipe
18 is tightly inserted into the heat reservoir block 16. Since the heat transfer medium
30 with better heat conduction is housed in the heat transfer medium pipe 18, the
heat stored in the heat reservoir block 16 can be readily or effective transferred
to the heat medium transfer pipe 18. The heat is emitted via the radiating fins 32
of the heat medium transfer pipe 18, expanding the surface area of radiation to the
maximum level. By heating the air supplied by the air-supply fan 12, an in-door equipped
with the hot-air heating system becomes heated via the warm-air discharge vent hole
10 formed at the front of the case 14.
[0020] As mentioned above, the heat reservoir block 16 is stacked by a plurality of plates
22 consisting of metals with a high heat conduction. Since these plates can store
a large amount of heat when heated by the electric heater 20, a sustained heat can
be transferred to the heat transfer medium pipe 18 for a longer time, in spite of
the temporal block-off of electric power.
[0021] As such, this invention has several advantages in that (1) a warm-air heating with
a very high efficiency can be ensured in such a manner that a radiation via electric
heat is made available using a heat transfer medium with an efficient heat transfer
effect, (2) an efficient heating can be also ensured in such a manner that through
the heat transfer medium pipes which is thermally connected with a heat reservoir
means which can maintain a certain range of temperature by storing the heat generated
from a heat source, a radiation may be made available at a large surface area, and
(3) the hot-air heating system with a simple structure, which required less facility
investment or maintenance cost, can be utilized as a comfortable in-door heater.
1. A hot-air heating system, wherein the system comprises a case having a warm-air discharge
vent hole provided at the upper front part having an air-supply fan at the lower rear
part; a plurality of heat transfer medium pipes having a plurality of radiating fins
arranged at the outer surface; and a heat reservoir block where the lower part of
the heat transfer medium pipes is connected and an electric heater is installed.
2. The hot-air heating system according to claim 1, wherein said heat transfer medium
pipes comprise a sealed pipe body and liquid-phase heat transfer mediums are contained
in its inside.
3. The hot-air heating system according to claim 1, wherein said heat reservoir block
is stacked by a plurality of plates consisting of metals with a high heat conduction
.
4. The hot-air heating system according to claim 1, wherein said heat reservoir block
may be provided in a liqridtight container form, and a heat transfer medium, which
is the same as the heat transfer medium contained in the heat transfer medium pipe,
may be, contained in the heat reservoir blocks.
5. The hot-air heating system according to claim 1, wherein said pipe body of heat transfer
medium pipes and heat reservoir blocks may be fabricated in an integrated form.