System and method for heating fluids, and an adapter for use with a boiler

Abstract

A fluid heating system, comprising: a heater having an inlet and an outlet; a storage vessel; a fluid mixer having a first inlet for receiving fluid stored in or passing through the storage vessel, a second inlet for receiving fluid from a cold fluid supply, and an outlet for supplying fluid to the heater inlet; wherein in a first mode the heater is operable to heat fluid in the storage vessel, and in a second mode the fluid mixer is mixes fluid from or passing through the storage vessel with fluid from the cold fluid supply at a predefined volumetric ratio to provide mixed fluid to the inlet of the heater to be heated further to an output temperature.

1 . A fluid heating system, comprising:
 a heater having an inlet and an outlet;   a storage vessel;   a fluid mixer having a first inlet for receiving fluid stored in or passing through the storage vessel, a second inlet for receiving fluid from a cold fluid supply, and an outlet for supplying fluid to the heater inlet;   wherein in a first mode the heater is operable to heat fluid in the storage vessel, and in a second mode the fluid mixer mixes fluid from or passing through the storage vessel with fluid from the cold fluid supply at a predefined volumetric ratio to provide mixed fluid to the inlet of the heater to be heated further to an output temperature.   
     
     
         2 . A fluid heating system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid mixer is a venturi arrangement or a tee. 
     
     
         3 . A fluid heating system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second inlets of the fluid mixer have different cross-sectional areas. 
     
     
         4 . A fluid system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a flow restrictor arranged to restrict the flow of fluid provided to one or both of the first and second inlets of the fluid mixer. 
     
     
         5 . A fluid system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the volume of fluid mixed from the first inlet relative to the second inlet by the fluid mixer is fixed or is user variable. 
     
     
         6 . A fluid system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the heater is a combustion heater and a flue heat transfer heating means recovers heat from the flue gases of the combustion heater for delivery to fluid in the storage vessel. 
     
     
         7 . A fluid system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a combustion heater, an electric heater or a solar heater for heating fluid in the storage vessel. 
     
     
         8 . A fluid heating system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an adapter, comprising:
 a support;   at least first and second boiler ports supported by the support;   at least first and second plumbing ports supported by the support, the first plumbing port in fluid flow communication with the first boiler port, and the second plumbing port in fluid flow communication with the second boiler port, wherein the first and second boiler ports are arranged to align with corresponding ports on a boiler, and at least one of the plumbing ports is out of alignment with the corresponding boiler port.   
     
     
         9 . A fluid heating system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein one of the first inlet and the second inlet are in fluid communication with the plumbing ports and the mixer output is in fluid communication with one of the boiler ports. 
     
     
         10 . An adapter for a boiler, comprising:
 a support,   at least first and second boiler ports supported by the support;   at least first and second plumbing ports supported by the support, the first plumbing port in fluid flow communication with the first boiler port, and the second plumbing port in fluid flow communication with the second boiler port, wherein the first and second boiler ports are arranged to align with corresponding ports on a boiler, and at least one of the plumbing ports is out of alignment with the corresponding boiler port.   
     
     
         11 . An adapter as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising one or more additional boiler ports in fluid communication with one or more corresponding additional plumbing ports. 
     
     
         12 . An adapter as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the one or each of the additional boiler ports are out of line with the corresponding additional plumbing port. 
     
     
         13 . An adapter as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the boiler ports comprises boiler connection means to sealingly connect the boiler ports to the corresponding ports on the boiler. 
     
     
         14 . An adapter as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the plumbing ports comprise plumbing connection means to sealingly connect the plumbing port to a corresponding plumbed inlet/outlet. 
     
     
         15 . An adapter as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a fluid mixer having first and second inputs and a mixer output, the fluid mixer adapted to mix fluid from a first input with fluid from a second input and supply mixed fluid to a mixer output. 
     
     
         16 . An adapter as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the fluid mixer mixes fluid from the first input with fluid from the second input at a predefined volumetric ratio. 
     
     
         17 . An adapter as claimed in  claims 15 , wherein one of the first inlet and the second inlet are in fluid communication with plumbing ports and the mixer output is in fluid communication with one of the boiler ports. 
     
     
         18 . A method of operating a fluid heating system, the heating system comprising:
 a heater having an inlet and an outlet;   a storage vessel; and   a fluid mixer having a first inlet for receiving fluid from a cold fluid supply, a second inlet for receiving fluid stored in or passing through the storage vessel and an output for supplying fluid to the heater inlet,   the method comprising, operating the heating system in a first mode where the heater is used to warm fluid stored in the storage vessel, and in a second mode where the fluid mixer mixes fluid from the first inlet with fluid from the second inlet at a predetermined volumetric ratio and supplying mixed fluid to the heater to be heated further to an output temperature.