Thin-film carbon forced warm-air-heating unit

Abstract

A forced warm-air heating apparatus, a forced warm-air heating system, and method to heat warm-air using an enclosure containing a plurality of thin film carbon-based heating elements configured and arranged to heat a desired heating space driven by a fan assembly, is described. The plurality of thin film heating elements is further ured and arranged to deflect and divide air flow as it flows through the heating enclosure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A forced warm-air room heating apparatus comprising:
 an enclosure having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of panels, wherein the plurality of panels are constructed and arranged to define a plurality of channels that increases heat exchange characteristics as air passes thereover;   a plurality of thin film heating elements lining some of the plurality of panels constructed and arranged to produce warm heated air in each of the plurality of channels; and   a fan operatively coupled to the enclosure to force the warm heated air through each of the plurality of channels to the room.   
     
     
         2 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  wherein some of the plurality of panels are constructed and arranged to at least one of dividing and deflect the direction of flow from the inlet to the outlet through the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         3 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  wherein some of the plurality panels are constructed and arranged as a planar surface, a curve surface to gently generate laminar flow, and a curve surface to aggressively generate laminar flow. 
     
     
         4 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of thin film heating elements is constructed of thin film carbon fibers substantially comprised of carbon. 
     
     
         5 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of thin film heating elements is electrically powered. 
     
     
         6 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of panels is constructed and arranged as a plurality of air ducts. 
     
     
         7 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  wherein some of the panels of the plurality of thin film heating elements align a substantial portion of a panel of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         8 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a thermal insulating layer between the plurality of heating elements and the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         9 . The forced warm-air room heating apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the thermal insulating layer comprises at least one of galvanized steel, steel, stainless steel, zinkalume, copper, super alloys, intermetallics, low alloy steels, carbon-carbon composites, high alloy steels, cast iron, high alloy cast iron, refractory metals, ferrous alloys, nickel based alloys, cobalt based alloys, zirconis, ceramics, titanium based alloys, and high temperature resistance polymers. 
     
     
         10 . A forced warm-air room heating system comprising:
 an enclosure having a fan assembly, an inlet, an outlet, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of thin film heating elements, wherein the plurality of panels is constructed and arranged to define a plurality of channels that increases heat exchange characteristics as air passes thereover, wherein the plurality of thin film heating elements line some of the plurality of panels constructed and arranged to produce warm heated air in each of the plurality of channels, and wherein the fan assembly is configured and arranged to operatively couple to the enclosure to force the warm heated air through each of the plurality of channel; and   a controller assembly comprising a plurality of sensors and a processor, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged within the room to measure thermal properties within room, and wherein the processor operatively couples to the sensor to control at least one of the energizing of at least some of the plurality of the thin film heating elements and the fan assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of thin film heating elements is constructed of thin film carbon fibers substantially comprised of carbon. 
     
     
         12 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein some of the plurality of panels are constructed and arranged to at least one of divide and deflect the direction of flow from the inlet to the outlet through each of the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         13 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein some of the plurality panels are constructed and arranged as a planar surface, a curve surface to gently generate laminar flow, and a curve surface to aggressively generate laminar flow. 
     
     
         14 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of panels is configured as a plurality of air channel comprises a plurality of air ducts. 
     
     
         15 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein some of the panels of the plurality of thin film heating elements align a substantial portion of a panel of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         16 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of sensor further comprises a flow sensor, wherein the flow sensor measures a rate of air flow data within at least one of the plurality of channels, and wherein the controller further operatively coupled to the flow sensor to receive the rate of air flow data. 
     
     
         17 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 10  wherein the controller further comprises a communication module configured to receive a desired temperature set-point from a user interface. 
     
     
         18 . The forced warm-air room heating system of  claim 17  wherein the communication module is configured to receive the desired temperature set-point from the user by electromagnetic waves. 
     
     
         19 . A method of heating a desired heating space using warm air comprising:
 energizing a plurality of the thin film heating elements arranged to a plurality of channels to generate a warm air mass in the plurality of channels;   forcing an air flow by a fan assembly to at least one of deflect and divide the air flow to compel the warm air mass from at least some of the plurality of channels to the desired heating space.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein some of the plurality channels is constructed and arranged with a plurality of curve surfaces to at least one of gently generating laminar flow and aggressively generating laminar flow as the air flow passes over the surface of at least one of the plurality of thin film heating elements.