Splitter valve

Abstract

A combined heat and power system comprising a Stirling engine ( 1 ) the head ( 2 ) of which is heated by a burner. A heat exchanger ( 10 ) absorbs heat from exhaust gases from the burner which have heated the engine head. A supplementary burner ( 22, 23 ) generates additional heat which is directly absorbed by the heat exchanger. The supplementary burner is a multi-stage burner with separate stages ( 22, 23 ) which are independently controlled.

1 . A splitter valve for splitting a single fluid stream into two streams, the valve comprising a vane rotatable through a range of positions across an orifice to vary the ratio of the single fluid stream diverted to the two streams, wherein the orifice is profiled such that there is a substantially linear relationship between the angular position of the vane and the ratio of the fluid diverted to the two streams.  
     
     
         2 . A valve device including a splitter valve according to  claim 1  and a laminarising device in at least one of the two streams downstream of the splitter valve.  
     
     
         3 . A valve device according to  claim 2 , wherein one or each laminarising device is a plate with a plurality of apertures.  
     
     
         4 . A valve device according to  claim 2 , wherein one or each laminarising device is a ramped surface which provides a constricted passage.  
     
     
         5 . A heating appliance comprising first and second burners, a supply of air, a splitter valve for splitting the supply of air into a stream feeding the first burner and a stream feeding the second burner, means for feeding combustible fuel to mix with the air, a controller for controlling the combustible fuel flow and a proportion of the air fed to each burner dependent on the appliance requirements, and a laminarising device for at least one of the stream feeding the first burner and the stream feeding the second burner positioned downstream of the splitter valve.  
     
     
         6 . A heating appliance according to  claim 5 , wherein one or each laminarising device is a plate with a plurality of apertures.  
     
     
         7 . A heating appliance according to  claim 5 , wherein one or each laminarising device is a ramped surface which provides a constricted passage.