| DK130318B | 1975-02-03 | |||
| GB1604386A | 1981-12-09 | |||
| DE4231621A1 | 1993-06-09 | |||
| US4979343A | 1990-12-25 | |||
| US5305954A | 1994-04-26 |
The object of the invention is to provide a chimney that can readily be transported and installed in buildings, and which to a much greater extent than conventional chimney solutions, utilises the thermal energy in the flue gases that form as a result of the combustion of fire wood and fossil fuels.
Chimneys are known, among other things from patent publications DK 130 318, UK 1 604 386 and US 4 979 343, which are assembled from relatively small prefabricated chimney elements, wherein a central part forms the flue which is isolated from the external structural elements of the chimney. With these solutions, a substantial proportion of the thermal energy present in the flue gases is not utilised and disappears out of the building.
Furthermore, chimney solutions are known, among other things from DE 4 231 621 and US 5 305 954, which comprise water pipes or water tanks sealingly connected to the flue, where part of the thermal energy in the flue gases is transferred to water that is heated and used as service water and/or for heating purposes. US 5 305 954 describes a heat exchanger mounted in a chimney, in which part of the heat from the flue gases is transferred to water that trickles down the outside of a flue. DE 4 231 621 describes a chimney solution in which parts of a flue is enclosed by a receptacle that contains water which is heated by the flue gases in the flue. The receptacle is provided with internal pipe loops for heating of service water.
Although DE 4 231 621 and US 5 3Q5 954 describe chimney solutions that utilise valuable thermal energy in the flue gases, the known solutions are encumbered with considerable disadvantages. Said patents, in particular DE 4 231 621, describe relatively large and technically complex installations where a substantial part of the assembly takes place in a factory. This requires special equipment for 'transport and mounting, and presupposes access for lifting equipment in connection with the installation of the chimney.
The object of the invention is to remedy the disadvantages of prior art.
The object is achieved by the characteristics given in the description below and in the following claims.
The present invention is constituted by at least two chimney elements made up of one or more flue channels that are surrounded by a receptacle in which a fluid may be filled via at least one filler pipe. The fluid can be passed out of the receptacle via at least one drain pipe.
The furnace/oven for combustion of firewood or fossil fuels is of a known type where the flue of the furnace is led into the flue of the chimney in a manner that is known per se, via a connector provided with an essentially horizontal branch pipe that projects from the vertical flue, and where said pipe is enclosed by a receptacle element.
The upper portion of each chimney element is constructed so as to complement the construction of the lower portion of each chimney element in such a way as to make the centre line of the flue in a first element coincide with the centre line of the flue in said second element after assembly, and such that after assembly, the chimney elements are interlocked to prevent individual horizontal movement.
In order to achieve circulation between the fluids in the receptacles of the chimney elements, two or more receptacles may be interconnected by pipe loops that are connected to the connecting pieces of the receptacles. The circulation may be controlled by use of a pump and/or a float regulator of a type that is known per se.
Another favourable characteristic of the present invention is the fact that the receptacles may be filled with different types of fluid according to the user requirements. As an example, some receptacles can be filled with pure service water that circulates in one or more receptacles and is then carried to household appliances or a hot water tank. Other receptacles in the chimney elements may as an example contain oil based or other fluids which circulate in floor heating systems or radiators. Receptacles which in periods may be exposed to frost can be protected against frost damage e. g. by adding antifreeze solution to the water in the receptacles.
Advantageously, the chimney elements can be prefabricated in sizes that allow easy handling and installation without the use of lifting devices. Installation is performed according to the same principle as for element chimneys made from e. g. light expanded clay aggregate concrete, by placing a second upper element on a first underlying element.
When it is desirable to insulate the heat that is stored in the fluid in the receptacle section of the chimney elements from the room in which the chimney elements are arranged, the chimney may be provided with a jacket that is known per se, which is made of a suitable insulating material.
In order to ensure that the receptacle sections of the chimney elements are not subjected to a higher pressure than that for which they are intended, the receptacles may be equipped with safety valves that are known per se.
The following describes a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical projection of a chimney in accordance with the invention where the chimney is installed in a 3- floor building, and where the chimney is made up of eight chimney elements and the upper section of the chimney is bricked up in a manner that is known per se ; Figure 2 is an elevation of a chimney element in accordance with the invention where a flue is enclosed by a circular receptacle, and where the receptacle is provided with an upper and a lower fluid connector; Figure 3 is a top view of the receptacle in figure 2 ; Figure 4 is an elevation of a furnace connector in accordance with the invention where the upper and lower end portions of the furnace connector complement the chimney element in figure 2; Figure 5 is an elevation of an insulating element in accordance with the invention where the upper and lower end portions of the insulating element complement the chimney element in figure 2 and the furnace connector in figure 4; Figure 6 is an elevation of a chimney element in accordance with the invention where the chimney element is provided with two flues enclosed by a receptacle section with an essentially quadratic horizontal projection ; Figure 7 is a top view of the chimney element in figure 6; Figure 8 is an elevation of a chimney element in accordance with the invention where the chimney element is provided with two flues enclosed by a receptacle section with an essentially quadratic horizontal projection, and where the receptacle section is divided into two chambers; and Figure 9 is a top view of the chimney element in figure 8.
In the drawings reference number 1 denotes a chimney element in accordance with the invention, made up of a flue 5 enclosed by a receptacle 3 suitable for containing a fluid.
The upper end portion 4 of the chimney element 1 is shaped as a straight-truncated cone with the flue 5 essentially centred in and projecting from said upper end portion 4.
The lower end portion 6 of the chimney element 1 is shaped as a straight-truncated cone projecting into the receptacle 3.
The central portion is constituted by the flue 5.
The lower end portion 6 of the chimney element 1 complements the upper end portion 4 of the chimney element 1, so that when two chimney elements 1 are assembled the end faces of the flues 5 will abut each other and form an essentially sealed surface.
The chimney element 1 is provided with an upper pipe socket 10 and a lower pipe socket 10'.
Figure 1 shows a vertical projection of a chimney in accordance with the invention, where the chimney is installed in a building with two floors and a loft.
A furnace connector 1'is arranged on an insulating supporting base 30, into which the flue from a lower furnace 32 passes. The chimney passage has been extended to project above the roof of the building by arranging a plurality of chimney elements 1,15, 1', and a flue 50 enclosed by bricks 40, vertically on top of each other.
In the floors, the chimney is constituted by insulation elements 15 of the same design as the chimney element 1, but where the fluid in the receptacle section is replaced with an insulating material.
On the lower floor of the building shown in figure 1, the receptacle sections 3 in one furnace connector 1'and two chimney elements 1 are interconnected by two pipe loops 34 that allow e. g. cold service water to flow into the chimney element 1 from an upper inlet 36, through the receptacle sections 3 and out through a lower outlet 38, where heated service water can be passed to e. g. household appliances (not shown) or a hot water tank (not shown). The water flow into the receptacle 3 from said upper inlet 36 can be controlled by e. g. a float regulator of a type that is known per se (not shown).
The middle floor of the building shown in figure 1 also has the receptacle sections 3 in one furnace connector 1'and two chimney elements 1 interconnected by two pipe loops 34. In this example, the fluid in the receptacles 3 on the middle floor are used exclusively for storing heat transferred from the flue gases in the flue 5 of the chimney.
In the loft of the building shown in figure 1, a flue 50 continues from the flue 5 in the insulating element 15 in the floor between the loft and the middle floor. In this example embodiment the flue 50 is shown as being enclosed by bricks 40.
Figures 6 and 7 show an alternative embodiment of a chimney element 20 in accordance with the invention where the chimney element is made up of two flues 25 enclosed by a receptacle section 23 with an essentially quadratic horizontal projection.
The chimney element 20 is provided with an upper pipe socket 10 and a lower pipe socket 10', both of which are in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the receptacle section 23.
Figures 8 and 9 show a further alternative embodiment of a chimney element 20'in accordance with the invention where the chimney element is made up of two flues 25 enclosed by separate receptacle sections 23 and 23'divided by an impenetrable partition 26. This embodiment would for instance allow one of the flues 25 to be used for ventilation purposes, where the respective receptacle sections are filled with e. g. air or another suitable gas, while the other flue 25 can be used as a smoke outlet from a furnace, where the respective receptacle sections are filled with e. g. liquid.