Portable heater with environmental sensors

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for a portable heater that may be used in an area used for human occupancy, to provide heat to that area. Such a heater can be portable, and comprise an environmental detector that senses ambient air conditions, and may provide data used to shut down the heater in threshold conditions. In one implementation, a portable heater for use in high altitudes can comprise a housing configured for portability, in which a combustion region and a fuel supply component are disposed. The heater can comprise an environmental detector with a flameless sensor configured to detect an ambient level of a constituent of the atmosphere, and generate a signal indicative of the constituent level; and a sensor interface that can control flow of fuel from the fuel supply, based at least upon a signal received from the sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable heater, comprising:
 housing comprising a carrying component configured to facilitate portable transport of the heater;   a combustion region coupled with the housing, and configured for fuel combustion;   a fuel supply component to supply fuel to the combustion region and to fluidly couple with a fuel source; and   an environmental detector comprising:
 a flameless sensor to detect an ambient level of a constituent of the atmosphere, and generate a signal indicative of the ambient level of the constituent; and 
 a sensor interface that to control at least a portion of the fuel supply component that allows for provision of fuel to the combustion region, based at least upon the signal from the sensor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heater of  claim 1 , the sensor further to detect an ambient level of carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         3 . The heater of  claim 2 , the sensor interface further to identify an ambient level of oxygen based at least upon the ambient level of carbon dioxide, where the ambient level of oxygen is inversely proportional to the ambient level of carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         4 . The heater of  claim 1 , the sensor comprising an infrared sensor configured to detect the level of the constituent based on an amount of light reaching an infrared detector. 
     
     
         5 . The heater of  claim 1 , the signal from the sensor comprising an indication of a transistor voltage level. 
     
     
         6 . The heater of  claim 5 , the sensor interface further to shut off the fuel supply component based at least upon the voltage level reaching a predetermined first threshold level. 
     
     
         7 . The heater of  claim 1 , the sensor interface:
 to receive the signal from the sensor;   to identify that the signal level reaches a predetermined first threshold level;   to activate a shut off state; and   to open an electrical power supplying circuit to a fuel supply valve disposed in the fuel supply component, resulting in a shut off of fuel to the combustion region.   
     
     
         8 . The heater of  claim 7 , the sensor interface further to reset the shut off state merely after the ambient level of the constituent reaches a second threshold level, the second threshold level different than the first threshold level. 
     
     
         9 . The heater of  claim 8 , the first threshold level and second threshold level set using a firmware adjustment for the sensor interface. 
     
     
         10 . The heater of  claim 1 , the fuel supply component comprising a fuel valve, comprising an electromagnetically operated valve that is merely disposed in an open position under electrical power, and disposed in a closed position in the absence of electrical power. 
     
     
         11 . The heater of  claim 1 , the sensor interface merely receiving the signal from sensor at predetermined intervals, the predetermined intervals mitigating use of electrical power. 
     
     
         12 . The heater of  claim 1 , the environmental detector disposed in a location in the housing that comprises a temperature range between one-hundred and five degrees Fahrenheit and negative six degrees Fahrenheit during operation. 
     
     
         13 . The heater of  claim 1 , a fluid coupling between the fuel source and the combustion region disposed in a shut off condition at least until a signal from the sensor interface closes an electrical power circuit to the fuel supply component. 
     
     
         14 . The heater of  claim 1 , to prevent ignition of fuel when one or more of the sensor and the sensor interface are malfunctioning or disconnected. 
     
     
         15 . The heater of  claim 1 , comprising a power supply, the power supply comprising one or more of:
 an electrical supply provided by an outlet coupled with a plugged in cord;   an on-board battery; and   an on-board thermoelectric generator.   
     
     
         16 . The heater of  claim 1 , to start in an alert state upon an electrical start-up, after electrical power is interrupted. 
     
     
         17 . The heater of  claim 1 , comprising an alerting component to alert a user of an alert condition, the alert comprising one or more of:
 a visual alert; and   an audio alert.   
     
     
         18 . The heater of  claim 1 , the carrying component comprising a handle disposed proximate the top of the housing, to provide support for the heater during transport, and disposed in a manner to mitigate exposure to heat emitted from the heater. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a portable heater for installation in high altitudes, comprising:
 installing a combustion region in housing of a heater, the combustion region to provide for fuel combustion, and the housing to facilitate portable transport of heater by a user;   installing a fuel supply component in operable engagement with the combustion region, the fuel supply component to supply fuel to the combustion region and to fluidly couple with a portable fuel source; and   installing an environmental detector in the heater, the environmental detector comprising:
 a flameless sensor to detect an ambient level of a constituent of the atmosphere, and generate a signal indicative of the ambient level of the constituent; and 
 a sensor interface to control at least a portion of the fuel supply component that allows for provision of fuel to the combustion region, based at least upon the signal from the sensor. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method of using a portable heater for installation in high altitudes, comprising:
 provide fuel from a portable fuel source to a fuel supply component in operable engagement with a combustion region, resulting in the fuel supply component supplying fuel to the combustion region, the combustion region disposed in a housing to facilitate portability of the heater by a user;   cause fuel to be combusted in the combustion region; and   provide power to an environmental detector disposed in the heater, the environmental detector comprising:
 a flameless sensor to detect an ambient level of a constituent of the atmosphere, and generates a signal indicative of the ambient level of the constituent; and 
 a sensor interface to control at least a portion of the fuel supply component that allows for provision of fuel to the combustion region, based at least upon the signal from the sensor.