supplemental water storage tank and service-water heating system including it

• Main Authors: DRUBE, PAUL A, NEESER, TIMOTHY A, SHAW, THOMAS J, WONDRA, DAVID A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 01.12.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; BLASTING; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATINGSYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR; FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEATGENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; RANGES; STORING; TRANSPORTING; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

A supplemental water heater tank (30) comprises inner vessel (32), outer jacket (34) generally surrounding the inner vessel so that a space (38) between the inner vessel and outer jacket is defined. The space is generally evacuated of air so that the inner vessel is vacuum insulated. The inner jacket includes water inlet and outlet ports. Supplemental water heater tank comprises inner vessel, outer jacket generally surrounding the inner vessel so that a space between the inner vessel and outer jacket is defined. The space is generally evacuated of air so that the inner vessel is vacuum insulated. The inner jacket includes water inlet and outlet ports. The water inlet is adapted to receive heated water from a water heater (12) and water outlet port (29, 54) adapted to communicate with a hot water system so that hot water is provided from the supplemental water heater tank to the hot water system. Independent claims are also included for: (a) a water heater system (10) comprising water heater adapted to receive water from a water supply system and including a mechanism for heating the water received from the water supply system, vacuum-insulated supplemental water heater tank, supplemental tank water inlet line (72) in communication with the water heater and vacuum-insulated supplemental tank so that hot water from the water heater is transferred to the supplemental water heater tank, and supplemental tank water outlet line (82) in communication with the supplemental water heater tank and adapted to communicate with a hot water system so hot water is provided from the supplemental water heater tank to the hot water system; and (b) a method for increasing the capacity of a hot water heater comprising providing a vacuum-insulated supplemental water heater tank having a water inlet port (52) and water outlet port, connecting the water inlet port of the supplemental water heater tank to a hot water outlet of the water heater, connecting the water outlet port of the supplemental water heater tank to a hot water system, supplying water to the water heater, heating the water supplied to the water heater, transferring the heated water from the water heater to the supplemental water heater tank, storing the heated water in the supplemental water heater tank, and providing the heated water stored in the supplemental water heater tank to the hot water system.