EP0990852A1

EP0990852A1 - Burner apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP0990852A1
Application number: EP99307655A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Barry Charlton
Original assignee: Charlton and Jenrick Ltd
Current assignee: Charlton and Jenrick Ltd
Priority date: 1998-10-01
Filing date: 1999-09-28
Publication date: 2000-04-05
Also published as: GB2342156A; GB9821295D0

Abstract

A balanced flue fire includes a burner unit (16) for mounting on one side of a wall (12), the burner unit (16) having an inlet (22) for air and an outlet (24) for combustion products. The outlet (24) is spaced from the inlet (22). An air supply duct (26) passes through the wall (12) and allows air to be supplied to the inlet (22) and a flue duct (28), located above the air supply duct (26), passes through a separate opening in the wall (12) and allows products of combustion to pass to the atmosphere. An airflow unit (30) mounted on the other side of the wall (12) includes a duct (36) extending from an airflow unit inlet (32) in proximity with an outlet of the flue duct (28) to an inlet of the air supply duct (26).

Description

The invention relates to a fuel burning fire and to an attachment for a fuel burning fire, particularly for use in a room without a chimney or flue. The invention is particularly applicable to gas fires.
Fuel burning fires, such as gas fires, require adequate ventilation in the form of an inlet for fresh air and an outlet for the products of combustion. In houses without chimneys or built-in flues, there are two main alternative systems conventionally in use.
In a balanced flue gas fire, a hole is provided in an external wall of the room in which the fire is to be housed. The hole is approximately on a level with the top of the fire. Two concentric ducts pass through this hole, an external duct carrying inlet air and internal duct carrying outlet air. At the rear of the fire, a further substantially vertical duct communicates with the inlet duct to carry inlet air down to the base of the fire, to an inlet for the burner. Fresh air is thus passed to the burner at a base region of the fire. The hot products of combustion rise to the top of the fire and pass through the outlet duct to the external atmosphere.
The above balanced flue fire is room sealed, i.e. a sealed pane of glass is provided between the room and the fire. This provides for efficient burning and allows the fire to function substantially independently of external gusts of wind. Because the inlet and outlet ducts terminate at approximately the same location, and because the system between the inlet and outlet is sealed, any high or low pressure caused by gusts of wind is experienced at both the inlet and the outlet and has little or no effect. These fires are thus efficient and quiet.
An alternative to the balanced flue system described above is a power flue or fan flue system. A power flue fire has an inlet duct and an outlet duct for inlet air and products of combustion respectively and an electric pump which draws air through the system as required. This fire has the advantages of an open front and a relatively narrow construction. However, the disadvantage of the fire is that a motor is required to pump the air and thus an electrical supply is necessary. In addition, because there is no closed system between the inlet and outlet, gusts of wind can cause airflow problems.
According to the invention there is provided a fire comprising: a burner unit for mounting on one side of a wall, the burner unit having an inlet for air and an outlet for combustion products, the outlet being spaced apart from the inlet; first communication means for communicating with the burner outlet and passing through the wall; second communication means for communicating with the burner inlet and passing through the wall; and an airflow unit for mounting on the other side of the wall such that an airflow unit inlet is in proximity to an outlet of the first communication means, the airflow unit including a duct for extending from the airflow unit inlet to the second communication means.
The wall may be an external wall of a house, or a part of such a wall. Preferably the wall is the outer skin of a cavity wall.
Preferably in use the first and second communication means are located substantially at the same vertical level as the burner outlet and inlet respectively.
Preferably in use the first and second communication means pass through separate openings in the wall. Preferably the first and second communication means are located between 200mm and 600mm apart, in use. Most preferably, the first and second communication means are located about 300mm apart, in use. Preferably the first communication means is located at a level above that of the second communication means. The duct of the airflow unit may extend substantially vertically in use. The first and second communication means preferably extend substantially horizontally in use.
The first communication means may comprise a flue duct for inlet air and the second communication means may comprise a supply duct for outlet combustion products. Preferably each duct is at least 100mm long. Each duct may comprise a substantially cylindrical hollow pipe. Means may be provided for sealing a gap between the ducts and the wall. These means may include a resilient doughnut seal.
The burner unit may be sealed such that air may only pass to and from the burner unit via the burner inlet and the burner outlet respectively. The sealing means may include a transparent panel. Preferably the transparent panel is located on an opposite side of the burner from the burner inlet and burner outlet.
Preferably the outlet of the first communication means and the inlet of the airflow unit are adjacent to one another. A baffle plate may be provided for shielding the outlet and inlet from gusts of wind.
Preferably the fire is a gas fire.
According to the invention there is also provided an attachment for a fire, the attachment comprising an airflow unit according to any of the previous definitions.
Preferably the attachment further comprises first and second communication means as previously defined.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of the gas fire according to the present invention; and
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross section through the gas fire of Fig. 1.
Referring to the Figures, an external cavity wall of a house includes inner and outer skins 10 and 12 respectively, defining a cavity 13 therebetween. A gas fire 14 is mounted partly within this cavity wall. A part of the inner skin 10 of the wall is absent, this leaving a recess in which the gas fire is partially housed.
Referring in particular to Fig. 2, the gas fire 14 includes a burner unit 16, located on the internal, room side of the outer skin 12. The burner unit fits into the space left by the removal of a part of the inner skin 10. The burner unit 16 includes a gas burner 18 and a radiant fuel bed 20, which gives the gas burner 18 the appearance of a real fire. A burner air inlet 22 is located at the base of the burner unit 16 adjacent to the gas burner 18. Towards the top of the burner unit 16 is a burner outlet 24.
When the gas burner 18 is functioning, air is drawn through the burner inlet 22 and hot products of combustion rise to the top of the burner unit 16, where they pass through a heat exchanger 25 and eventually pass out of the burner outlet 24.
A transparent heat resistant glass panel 27 seals the front of the burner unit 16 against the inner skin 10 of the cavity wall and prevents any fluid communication taking place between the room and the burner unit 16.
The burner inlet 22 communicates with an air supply duct 26 in the form of a substantially cylindrical metal tube which passes through an opening in the outer skin 12 of the cavity wall. The burner outlet 24 communicates with a flue duct 28 in the form of a substantially cylindrical metal tube which also passes through the outer skin 12 of the cavity wall. The flue duct 28 is located vertically above the air supply duct 26, and passes through a separate opening in the outer skin of the cavity wall. The gaps between the air supply and flue ducts 26, 28 and the outer skin of the cavity wall are sealed with doughnut wall seals 27.
On the other side of the outer skin 12 from the burner unit 16 is an airflow unit or a "snorkel unit" 30. The snorkel unit 30 includes a snorkel inlet 32 through which air passes into the snorkel unit 30 and a snorkel outlet 34 through which products of combustion pass out of the snorkel unit 30. The snorkel outlet 34 comprises an end of the flue duct 28. The snorkel unit 30 includes a snorkel duct 36 which extends between the snorkel inlet 32 and the air supply duct 26. The snorkel duct 36 comprises a metallic rectangular cross section body extending substantially vertically and sealed from the outer skin 12 of the cavity wall by a wall plate 35. The snorkel inlet 32 essentially comprises a gap between the body of the snorkel duct 36 and the flue duct 28.
The fire functions as follows. When the burner 18 is lit, gas is burnt and air is drawn through the snorkel inlet 32 to the snorkel duct 36, through the supply duct 26 and the burner inlet 22 to the burner 18. Hot products of combustion rise to the top of the burner unit 16 and pass through the burner outlet 24 into the flue duct 28 and finally through the snorkel outlet 34 to the atmosphere. Because the burner unit is sealed, a steady circulation of air and combustion products is established and the fire burns efficiently. Any gusts of wind causing low or high pressure near the snorkel inlet or outlet tend to have no net effect because of the proximity of the snorkel inlet and the snorkel outlet. However, a baffle plate 38 minimises the effect of any localised or angled gusts of wind.
Because the snorkel unit, in particular the snorkel duct 36, is located on the external side of the outer skin 12 of the cavity wall, the burner unit 16 may be relatively narrow, and may be inset completely into the cavity wall. It can be seen from Fig. 2 that the front of the burner unit 16 is flush with the inner skin 10 of the cavity wall.
There is thus provided a balanced flue fire which overcomes the problems of bulk and intrusion in to a room associated with prior art balanced flue fires. The fire is particularly applicable to new homes, which are often not provided with chimneys or fireplaces and which may have relatively small living rooms.
Various modifications may be made to the above without departing from the scope of the invention. Various different types of fire such as wood burning stoves, may be used provided that they utilise a fuel which requires an inlet supply of air.
Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

A fire comprising: a burner unit for mounting on one side of a wall, the burner unit having an inlet for air and an outlet for combustion products, the outlet being spaced apart from the inlet; first communication means for communicating with the burner outlet and passing through the wall; second communication means for communicating with the burner inlet and passing through the wall; and an airflow unit for mounting on the other side of the wall such that an airflow unit inlet is in proximity to an outlet of the first communication means, the airflow unit including a duct for extending from the airflow unit inlet to the second communication means.
A fire according to claim 1, the fire being suitable for fitting to an outer skin of a cavity wall of a house.
A fire according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein in use the first and second communication means are located substantially at the same vertical level as the burner outlet and inlet respectively.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein in use the first and second communication means pass through separate openings in the wall.
A fire according to claim 4 wherein the first and second communication means are located about 300mm apart, in use.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein in use the first communication means is located at a level above that of the second communication means.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein in use the duct of the airflow unit extends substantially vertically.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein in use the first and second communication means extend substantially horizontally.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein the first communication means comprises a flue duct for inlet air and the second communication means comprises a supply duct for outlet combustion products.
A fire according to claim 9 wherein each duct is a substantially cylindrical hollow pipe at least 100mm long.
A fire according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein means are provided for sealing a gap between the ducts and the wall.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein in use the burner unit may be sealed such that air may only pass to and from the burner unit via the burner inlet and the burner outlet respectively.
A fire according to claim 12 wherein the sealing means is a transparent panel.
A fire according to claim 13 wherein in use the transparent panel is located on an opposite side of the burner from the burner inlet and burner outlet.
A fire according to any preceding claim wherein in use the outlet of the first communication means and the inlet of the airflow unit are adjacent to one another.
A fire according to any preceding claim, the fire including a baffle plate for shielding the outlet and inlet from gusts of wind.
A gas fire according to any preceding claim.
An attachment for a fire, the attachment comprising an airflow unit according to any preceding claim.
A fire substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
An attachment for a fire, the attachment being substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
A kit of parts for assembling to form a fire according to any of claims 1 to 17 and 19.
A kit of parts for assembling to form an attachment according to claim 18 or claim 20.
Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.