Method and apparatus for providing efficient heat

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for providing heat that includes preheating an incoming air flow from outside an apparatus in a first channel of a heat exchanger by a flow in a second channel of the heat exchanger, transferring the flow from the second channel outside the apparatus through an exhaust channel, providing heat by the preheated incoming air flow in a heat pump, and transferring in a transfer channel a flue gas flow provided by a burner to the second channel.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing heat comprises
 preheating an incoming air flow from outside an apparatus ( 210 ) in a first channel of a heat exchanger ( 240 ) by means of a flow in a second channel of the heat exchanger,   transferring the flow from the second channel of the heat exchanger outside the apparatus through an exhaust channel ( 248   a ),   providing heat by means of the preheated incoming air flow in a heat pump ( 250 ), and   transferring in a transfer channel ( 270 ) a flue gas flow provided by a burner ( 222 ) to the second channel of the heat exchanger,   wherein the method comprises   receiving in the transfer channel a part of the exhausted flow from the exhaust channel and   controlling a flow of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow in the transfer channel so that moisture in the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow condenses on a surface of the second channel of the heat exchanger and reacts with flue gas particles of the flue gas flow when the flow of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow interacts with the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger increasing the preheating of the incoming air flow.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises mixing the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow in the transfer channel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises providing a mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow in a condense chamber ( 272 ) of the transfer channel near a dew point of the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow before transferring the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow into the second channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method comprises preventing the condensed moisture to flow away from the second channel of the heat exchanger because of gravity so that the heat productive reaction between the condensed moisture and the flue gas particles is possible by controlling a flow velocity of the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises preventing the condensed moisture to flow away from the second channel of the heat exchanger because of gravity so that the heat productive reaction between the condensed moisture and the flue gas particles is possible by providing a tapered channel part in the second channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises guiding the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger and the mixture of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow in the second channel of the heat exchanger to flow opposite directions in the heat exchanger by means of a counter current heat exchanger ( 240 ). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a control unit ( 280 ) of the apparatus is capable of controlling an exhaust fan ( 246 ) and the burner of a boiler ( 220 ) when the apparatus is connected to an exhaust channel ( 248   b,    248   c ) of the boiler through the exhaust channel of the apparatus and the transfer channel of the apparatus by means of a temperature sensor ( 282   a,    282   b,    282   c,    282   d,    282   e ) and a pressure sensor ( 284 ). 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus ( 210 ) for providing heat being configured to perform the method of  claim 9 , the apparatus comprises
 a heat exchanger ( 240 ) for preheating an incoming air flow from outside the apparatus in a first channel of the heat exchanger by means of a flow in a second channel of the heat exchanger,   an exhaust channel ( 248   a ) for transferring the flow from the second channel of the heat exchanger outside the apparatus,   a heat pump ( 250 ) for providing heat by means of the preheated incoming air flow,   a transfer channel ( 270 ) for transferring a flue gas flow provided by a burner ( 222 ) to the second channel of the heat exchanger and for receiving in the transfer channel a part of the exhausted flow from the exhaust channel, and   control means ( 280 ) for controlling a flow of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow in the transfer channel so that moisture in the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow condenses on a surface of the second channel of the heat exchanger and reacts with flue gas particles of the flue gas flow when the flow of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow interacts with the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger increasing the preheating of the incoming air flow.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises providing a mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow in a condense chamber ( 272 ) of the transfer channel near a dew point of the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow before transferring the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flow into the second channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method comprises preventing the condensed moisture to flow away from the second channel of the heat exchanger because of gravity so that the heat productive reaction between the condensed moisture and the flue gas particles is possible by controlling a flow velocity of the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method comprises preventing the condensed moisture to flow away from the second channel of the heat exchanger because of gravity so that the heat productive reaction between the condensed moisture and the flue gas particles is possible by controlling a flow velocity of the mixture comprising the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises guiding the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger and the mixture of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger to flow opposite directions in the heat exchanger by means of a counter current heat exchanger ( 240 ). 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises guiding the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger and the mixture of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger to flow opposite directions in the heat exchanger by means of a counter current heat exchanger ( 240 ). 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises guiding the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger and the mixture of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger to flow opposite directions in the heat exchanger by means of a counter current heat exchanger ( 240 ). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises guiding the incoming air flow in the first channel of the heat exchanger and the mixture of the flue gas flow and the received part of the exhausted flowing the second channel of the heat exchanger to flow opposite directions in the heat exchanger by means of a counter current heat exchanger ( 240 ). 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a control unit ( 280 ) of the apparatuses capable of controlling an exhaust fan ( 246 ) and the burner of a boiler ( 220 ) when the apparatus is connected to an exhaust channel ( 248   b,    248   c ) of the boiler through the exhaust channel of the apparatus and the transfer channel of the apparatus by means of a temperature sensor ( 282   a,    282   b,    282   c,    282   d,    282   e ) and a pressure sensor ( 284 ). 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a control unit ( 280 ) of the apparatuses capable of controlling an exhaust fan ( 246 ) and the burner of a boiler ( 220 ) when the apparatus is connected to an exhaust channel ( 248   b,    248   c ) of the boiler through the exhaust channel of the apparatus and the transfer channel of the apparatus by means of a temperature sensor ( 282   a,    282   b,    282   c,    282   d,    282   e ) and a pressure sensor ( 284 ). 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a control unit ( 280 ) of the apparatuses capable of controlling an exhaust fan ( 246 ) and the burner of a boiler ( 220 ) when the apparatus is connected to an exhaust channel ( 248   b,    248   c ) of the boiler through the exhaust channel of the apparatus and the transfer channel of the apparatus by means of a temperature sensor ( 282   a,    282   b,    282   c,    282   d,    282   e ) and a pressure sensor ( 284 ). 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a control unit ( 280 ) of the apparatuses capable of controlling an exhaust fan ( 246 ) and the burner of a boiler ( 220 ) when the apparatus is connected to an exhaust channel ( 248   b,    248   c ) of the boiler through the exhaust channel of the apparatus and the transfer channel of the apparatus by means of a temperature sensor ( 282   a,    282   b,    282   c,    282   d,    282   e ) and a pressure sensor ( 284 ). 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a control unit ( 280 ) of the apparatuses capable of controlling an exhaust fan ( 246 ) and the burner of a boiler ( 220 ) when the apparatus is connected to an exhaust channel ( 248   b,    248   c ) of the boiler through the exhaust channel of the apparatus and the transfer channel of the apparatus by means of a temperature sensor ( 282   a,    282   b,    282   c,    282   d,    282   e ) and a pressure sensor ( 284 ).