Device and Method for Heating a Pumped Fluid

Abstract

This system relates to a heat transfer system utilized to transfer heat away from a fluid circulation pump for the purposes of cooling the pump and heating the pumped fluid and is especially useful for heating the water of a swimming pool using a water cooled filtration pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heating system for pumped fluids comprising:
 a. a pump, said pump having a pump motor, a pump motor housing, pump inlet, a pump outlet, and a fluidic heat exchanger, wherein said pump motor is arranged in close proximity with said fluidic heat exchanger, said fluidic heat exchanger possessing at least one fluidic heat exchanger inlet and at least one fluidic heat exchanger outlet;   b. at least one fluid retrieval conduit for the transmission of a fluid to said pump, said fluid retrieval conduit having a fluid retrieval end and a pump end;   c. at least one fluid transmission conduit which functions to transmit said fluid drawn by and through said pump to a point past said pump   d. a heat exchanger inlet conduit to conduct at least some of said fluid from said pump outlet to said fluidic heat exchanger inlet; and   e. a fluidic heat exchanger outlet conduit to conduct said fluid from said fluidic heat exchanger to said fluid transmission conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The heating system of  claim 1 , wherein said heating system possesses a means to control said heating system, said means to control said system being selected from the group consisting of manual and electronic control systems. 
     
     
         3 . The heating system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fluidic heat exchanger flow control valve which controls the rate of flow of said fluid through said fluidic heat exchanger, wherein a flow rate of said flow valve is controlled by said means to control. 
     
     
         4 . The heating system of  claim 3 , wherein said pump motor housing possesses at least one air vent and at least one moveable air vent cover. 
     
     
         5 . The heating system of  claim 4 , wherein said at least one air vent cover is moved by said means to control so as to allow at least part of said vent to be covered and inhibit air cooling of said pump motor. 
     
     
         6 . The heating system of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The heating system of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one temperature sensor is selected from the group consisting of contact and non-contact sensors. 
     
     
         8 . The heating system of  claim 7 , wherein said at least one temperature sensor is arranged to measure a temperature of said fluid within a fluid transmission circuit. 
     
     
         9 . The heating system of  claim 8 , wherein said temperature of said fluid is sensed within said fluid transmission conduit. 
     
     
         10 . The heating system of  claim 8 , wherein said flow rate of said flow valve is modified by said control means in response to said temperature of said fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The heating system of  claim 10 , wherein said fluid transmission circuit originates and ends at a fluid reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The heating system of  claim 11 , wherein said the temperature of said fluid is sensed within said fluid transmission conduit. 
     
     
         13 . The heating system of  claim 2 , wherein said control system is electronic and possesses programmed instructions, a machine readable memory for storing said programmed instructions, a display, a user interface and a means for processing said programmed instructions read from said machine readable memory. 
     
     
         14 . The heating system of  claim 13 , wherein said user interface of said control system allows a user to input a desired fluid reservoir temperature for use by said control system in controlling said heating system. 
     
     
         15 . The heating system of  claim 14 , wherein said control system is programmed to achieve a desired fluid temperature in said fluid transmission conduit by calculating optimal values for system variables comprised of the group consisting of pump speed, fluidic heat exchanger flow rate, and the position of at least one air vent cover relative at least one said air vent. 
     
     
         16 . The heating system of  claim 15 , wherein said speed of said pump, said flow rate through said fluidic heat exchanger, and said position of said at least one air vent cover are controlled by said control system in response to said calculations. 
     
     
         17 . A heating system for pumped fluids comprising:
 a. a pump, said pump having a pump motor, a pump motor housing, pump inlet, a pump outlet, and a fluidic heat exchanger, wherein said pump motor is arranged in close proximity with said fluidic heat exchanger, said fluidic heat exchanger possessing at least one fluidic heat exchanger inlet and at least one fluidic heat exchanger outlet;   b. at least one fluid retrieval conduit for the transmission of a fluid to said pump, said fluid retrieval conduit having a fluid retrieval end and a pump end;   c. at least one fluid transmission conduit which functions to transmit said fluid drawn by and through said pump to a point past said pump.   d. a heat exchanger inlet conduit to conduct at least some of said fluid from said pump outlet to said fluidic heat exchanger inlet;   e. a fluidic heat exchanger outlet conduit to conduct said fluid from said fluidic heat exchanger to said fluid transmission conduit;   f. a means to control said heating system, said means to control said system being selected from the group consisting of manual and electronic control systems.   g. a flow valve to control a flow rate of said fluid through said fluidic heat exchanger, wherein a flow rate of said flow valve is controlled by said means to control;   h. The heating system of claim, wherein said pump motor housing possesses at least one air vent and at least one moveable air vent cover moved by said means to control so as to allow at least part of said vent to be covered and inhibit air cooling of said pump motor.   
     
     
         18 . The heating system of  claim 17 , wherein said fluid heat exchanger possesses tubular channels for directing said fluid along a heat exchanger conduction wall adjacent to said pump motor. 
     
     
         19 . The heating system of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The heating system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one temperature sensor is selected from the group consisting of contact and non-contact sensors. 
     
     
         21 . The heating system of  claim 20 , wherein said at least one temperature sensor is arranged to measure the temperature of said fluid within a fluid transmission circuit. 
     
     
         22 . The heating system of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one temperature sensor arranged to measure the temperature of said fluid within said fluid transmission conduit. 
     
     
         23 . The heating system of  claim 20 , wherein said flow rate of said flow valve is modified by said control means in response to said at least one temperature sensor. 
     
     
         24 . The heating system of  claim 23 , wherein said fluid transmission circuit originates and ends at a fluid reservoir. 
     
     
         25 . The heating system of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one temperature sensor is arranged to measure the temperature of said fluid within said fluid transmission conduit. 
     
     
         26 . The method of heating a body of fluid by pumping said fluid from a fluid reservoir, through a pump which directs at least part of said pumped fluid through a fluidic heat exchanger arranged to transfer heat from a pump motor to said fluid, then returning said fluid directed through said fluidic heat exchanger back to said fluid reservoir. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said pump further consists of a pump housing possessing at least one air vent and at least movable one air vent cover, wherein said at least one air vent cover can be moved to restrict air flow through said at least one air vent for the purpose of increasing the temperature of said pump motor within said pump motor housing so as to direct more heat to said fluid within said fluidic heat exchanger. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said fluid reservoir is a swimming pool. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said pump is a swimming pool filtration pump.