Heating unit with bottom mounted blower unit

Abstract

A heating unit for heating a fluid includes a tank, a burner element, and a lower unit. The tank defines top and bottom ends and includes an outer wrap, an inner wrap, and a cooling chamber. The outer wrap extends along an axial centerline defined by the tank. The inner wrap is disposed within the outer wrap. The cooling chamber is defined in-part by and is disposed between the inner and outer wraps along a radial direction of the tank. The burner element is disposed on the top end of the tank. The blower unit is disposed on the bottom end of the tank and is in fluid communication with the burner element via the cooling chamber. An outlet of the blower unit is disposed along the axial centerline of the tank.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A heating unit for heating a fluid, the heating unit comprising:
 a tank defining a top end and a bottom end disposed on an opposite end of the tank from the top end, the tank comprising:
 an outer wrap extending along an axial centerline defined by the tank; 
 an inner wrap disposed within the outer wrap; and 
 a cooling chamber defined in-part by and disposed between the inner wrap and the outer wrap along a radial direction of the tank; and 
   a burner element disposed on the top end of the tank; and   a blower unit disposed on the bottom end of the tank, wherein an outlet of the blower unit is disposed along the axial centerline of the tank, wherein the blower unit is in fluid communication with the burner element via the cooling chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The heating unit of  claim 1 , wherein the tank further comprises:
 a bottom cover connected to the bottom end of the inner wrap; and   a bottom mounting plate affixed to the bottom end of the outer wrap, wherein the bottom mounting plate defines an inlet hole passing through the bottom mounting plate.   
     
     
         3 . The heating unit of  claim 2 , wherein the outlet of the blower unit is in fluid communication with the inlet hole defined by the bottom mounting plate. 
     
     
         4 . The heating unit of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom cover is configured to direct a flow of fluid radially outward as the flow of fluid comes into contact with the bottom cover. 
     
     
         5 . The heating unit of  claim 2 , wherein the inlet hole of the bottom mounting plate is located co-axially with the bottom mounting plate, wherein a center of the inlet hole of the bottom mounting plate is aligned along an axial direction of the tank with a center of the bottom cover. 
     
     
         6 . The heating unit of  claim 2 , wherein a center of the blower outlet is aligned along an axial direction of the tank with a center of the bottom cover. 
     
     
         7 . The heating unit of  claim 1 , wherein the tank further comprises:
 a top mounting plate affixed to the top end of the outer wrap;   wherein the burner element is mounted to the top mounting plate;   wherein the burner element is disposed along the axial centerline of the tank.   
     
     
         8 . The heating unit of  claim 1 , wherein the tank further comprises:
 a top mounting plate affixed to the top end of the outer wrap; and   a bottom mounting plate affixed to the bottom end of the outer wrap;   wherein a portion of the cooling chamber extends from the bottom mounting plate to the top mounting plate.   
     
     
         9 . The heating unit of  claim 1 , wherein the tank further comprises a spacer connecting to and disposed between the bottom mounting plate and the bottom cover. 
     
     
         10 . A heating unit for heating a fluid, the heating unit comprising:
 a tank defining a top end and a bottom end disposed on an opposite end of the tank from the top end, the tank comprising:
 an outer wrap extending along an axial centerline defined by the tank, the outer wrap defining a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end; 
 an inner wrap disposed within the outer wrap; 
 a cooling chamber defined by and disposed between the inner wrap and the outer wrap along a radial direction of the tank; 
 a bottom cover connected to the bottom end of the inner wrap, wherein the bottom cover is configured to direct a flow of fluid radially outward as the flow of fluid comes into contact with the bottom cover; and 
 a bottom mounting plate affixed to the bottom end of the outer wrap, wherein the bottom mounting plate defines an inlet hole passing through the bottom mounting plate; 
   a burner element disposed on the top end of the tank; and   a blower unit disposed on the bottom end of the tank, wherein an outlet of the blower unit is in fluid communication with the inlet hole defined by the bottom mounting plate.   
     
     
         11 . The heating unit of  claim 10 , wherein a center of the inlet hole of the bottom mounting plate is disposed along the axial centerline of the tank. 
     
     
         12 . The heating unit of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom cover comprises a conical portion configured to direct the flow of fluid radially outward as the flow of fluid comes into contact with the bottom cover. 
     
     
         13 . The heating unit of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom mounting plate comprises:
 a disk;   a collar connected to an outer perimeter of the disk and extending approximately perpendicular from the disk; and   a lip connected to the disk around a perimeter of the inlet hole.   
     
     
         14 . The heating unit of  claim 10 , wherein the inlet hole of the bottom mounting plate is located co-axially with the bottom mounting plate, wherein a center of the inlet hole of the bottom mounting plate is aligned along an axial direction of the tank with a center of the bottom cover. 
     
     
         15 . The heating unit of  claim 10 , wherein a center of the blower outlet is aligned along an axial direction of the tank with a center of the bottom cover. 
     
     
         16 . The heating unit of  claim 10 , wherein the tank further comprises:
 a top mounting plate affixed to the top end of the outer wrap;   wherein the burner element is mounted to the top mounting plate;   wherein the burner element is disposed along the axial centerline of the tank.   
     
     
         17 . A heating unit for heating a fluid, the heating unit comprising:
 a tank defining a top end and a bottom end disposed on an opposite end of the tank from the top end, the tank comprising:
 an outer wrap extending along an axial centerline defined by the tank; and 
 an inner wrap disposed within the outer wrap; and 
   a burner element disposed on the top end of the tank; and   a blower unit disposed on the bottom end of the tank, wherein an outlet of the blower unit is disposed along the axial centerline of the tank;   wherein the tank defines a fluid flowpath extending from the outlet of the blower unit to the burner element, wherein the fluid flowpath is defined in-part by and disposed between the inner wrap and the outer wrap along a radial direction of the tank, wherein the blower unit is in fluid communication with the burner element via the fluid flowpath.   
     
     
         18 . The heating unit of  claim 17 , the tank further comprising a bottom cover disposed along the fluid flowpath, wherein the bottom cover is configured to direct a flow of fluid in a radially outward direction. 
     
     
         19 . The heating unit of  claim 17 , wherein a portion of the bottom cover comprises a conical shape, wherein the conical shape is configured to direct the flow of fluid in a radially outward direction.