US 12,241,656 B2
Hybrid residential heater and control system therefor
Walter Wardrop, Vancouver (CA); and Nicholas Barber, Mission (CA)
Assigned to Flexchanger Technologies, Inc., (CA)
Appl. No. 17/760,748
Filed by FLEXCHANGER TECHNOLOGIES INC., Vancouver (CA)
PCT Filed Sep. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/CA2020/051249
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 15, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/051199, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. CA 3056048 (CA), filed on Sep. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0027102 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. F24H 15/16 (2022.01); F24H 3/12 (2022.01); F24H 9/20 (2022.01); F24H 15/20 (2022.01); F24H 15/254 (2022.01); F24H 15/277 (2022.01); F24H 15/281 (2022.01); F24H 15/31 (2022.01); F24H 15/36 (2022.01); F24H 15/37 (2022.01); F24H 15/407 (2022.01); F24H 15/429 (2022.01); F24H 15/45 (2022.01); F24C 1/02 (2021.01)
CPC F24H 9/2064 (2013.01) [F24H 3/12 (2013.01); F24H 15/16 (2022.01); F24H 15/20 (2022.01); F24H 15/254 (2022.01); F24H 15/277 (2022.01); F24H 15/281 (2022.01); F24H 15/31 (2022.01); F24H 15/36 (2022.01); F24H 15/37 (2022.01); F24H 15/407 (2022.01); F24H 15/429 (2022.01); F24H 15/45 (2022.01); F24C 1/02 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-industrial hybrid heater apparatus for use with a gas supply and an electricity supply to provide a temperature controlled environment, the hybrid heater-comprising:
a firebox, which includes a top, a bottom, a back, a pair of sides, a front, an exhaust flue, a gas burner housed in the firebox and providing a first heat source, a variable pressure gas valve in fluid communication with the gas burner, a modulating actuator in mechanical communication with the variable pressure gas valve, a housing attached to the firebox, the housing including a top, a bottom, a back, a pair of sides, an ambient air inlet proximate the top, an ambient air outlet proximate the bottom, a first ambient air channel in fluid communication with the ambient air inlet, a second ambient air channel; a fan between the first ambient air channel and the second ambient air channel, the second ambient air channel in fluid communication with the first ambient air channel via the fan; a heat exchanger housed in the housing proximate the top of the firebox and in fluid communication with the second ambient air channel; a third ambient air channel in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the ambient air outlet; an electric element housed in the housing downstream from the heat exchanger, the electric element providing a second heat source; a high duty cycle on off switch in electrical communication with the electric element, wherein the high duty cycle on off switch is configured to switch at between 30 times and 10,000 times per second; a printed circuit board which is in electronic communication with both the modulating actuator and the high duty cycle on off switch; and a microprocessor which is in electronic communication with the printed circuit board, wherein the microprocessor is configured to modulate the first heat source and the second heat source based on parameters including two or more of a selected rate of heating, a current system load, a cost of a heat source and an availability of the heat source.