Heater for automotive vehicles

Claim 2

In an automotive vehicle powered by a liquid-cooled diesel engine, having a tank for containing diesel fuel for said engine and a battery electrical system; a heat generating system for use when the diesel engine is stopped, said heat generating system comprising: a fuel reservoir separate from the vehicle enGine fuel tank; means for charging said reservoir with diesel fuel from said vehicle engine tank and for pressurizing said reservoir; a boiler including a combustion chamber; means, including a circulating pump driven by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for interconnecting said boiler with the vehicle engine coolant system; a fuel spray nozzle directed into said combustion chamber; a blower, powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for providing a combustion-supporting air flow around said nozzle; means, including an electrically controllable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said reservoir to said nozzle; means, powered from said battery system, for opening said valve and energizing said blower motor when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler falls below a first preselected level; electric ignition means, powered from said battery system, for selectively igniting fuel sprayed from said nozzle; and means for energizing said circulating pump motor from said battery system when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler exceeds a second preselected level which is higher than said first preselected level thereby to provide heat for said vehicle engine.

Claim 3

A control system for a liquid fueled burner having a fuel spray nozzle, a blower for providing an air flow around said nozzle to support combustion of fuel sprayed therethrough, and an electrically energizable igniter for initiating burning of an air-fuel mixture at said nozzle, said control system comprising: a demand switch which is closed when heat is required from the burner; an accumulator for holding a small amount of fuel capable of sustaining combustion at said burner for a predetermined short period only; electric valve means for admitting fuel from said accumulator to said nozzle under control of said demand switch; means for sensing combustion in said burner; electrically operable means, controlled by said sensing means, for providing fuel to said accumulator under pressure when combustion is present in said chamber; means, responsive to said demand switch and said sensing means for energizing said igniter when fuel is initially admitted to said burner from said accumulator and combustion is not present; and a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said accumulator, said blower, said igniter and said fuel providing means being interconnected with said pressure switch to be de-energized when the pressure in said accumulator falls below a predetermined value.

Claim 4

A control system for a liquid fueled burner having a fuel spray nozzle, a blower for providing an air flow around said nozzle to support combustion of fuel sprayed therethrough, and an electrically energizable igniter for initiating burning of an air-fuel mixture at said nozzle, said control system comprising: a demand switch which is closed when heat is required from the burner; an accumulator for holding a small amount of fuel capable of sustaining combustion at said burner for a predetermined short period only; electric valve means for admitting fuel from said accumulator to said nozzle under control of said demand switch; means for sensing combustion in said burner; electrically operable means, controlled by said sensing means, for providing fuel to said accumulator under pressure when combustion is present in said chamber; means, responsive to said demand switch and said sensing means for energizing said igniter when fuel is initially admitted to said burner from said accumulator and combustion is not present; and a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said accumulator, said blower, said igniter and said fuel providing means being interconnected with said pressure switch to be de-energized when the pressure in said accumulator falls below a predetermined value.

Claim 5

A control system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a boiler heated by said burner and a circulating pump which is energized when liquid in the boiler is heated above a preselected temperature.

Claim 6

In an automotive vehicle powered by a liquid-cooled diesel engine and having a tank for containing diesel fuel for said engine and a battery electrical system; a heat generating system for use when the diesel engine is stopped, said heat generating system comprising: a fuel reservoir separate from the vehicle engine fuel tank; means for charging said reservoir with diesel fuel from said vehicle engine tank and for pressurizing said reservoir; a boiler including a combustion chamber; means, including a circulating pump driven by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for interconnecting said boiler with the vehicle engine coolant system; a fuel spray nozzle directed into said combustion chamber; a blower, powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for providing a combustion-supporting air flow around said nozzle; an accumulator for holding a small amount of fuel capable of sustaining combustion at said burner for a predetermined short time only; means, including an electrically operable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said accumulator to said nozzle; electric ignition means, powered from said battery system, for selectively igniting fuel sprayed from said nozzle; means for opening said valve and energizing said blower motor and said ignition means when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler falls below a first preselected level; means for energizing said circulating pump motor from said battery system when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler exceeds a second preselected level which is higher than said first preselected level thereby to provide heat for said vehicle engine; means, including a second electrically controllable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said reservoir to said accumulator; means for sensing combustion in said burner and for de-energizing said ignition means and opening said second valve when combustion is present; and a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said accumulator, said blower, said ignition means and said second valve being interconnected with said pressure switch to be de-energized thereby, when the pressure in the accumulator falls below a predetermined value.

Claim 7

In an automotive vehicle powered by a liquid-cooled diesel engine and having a tank for containing diesel fuel for said engine and a battery electrical system; a heat generating system for use when the diesel engine is stopped, said heat generating system comprising: a fuel reservoir separate from the vehicle engine fuel tank; means for charging said reservoir with diesel fuel from said vehicle engine tank and for pressurizing said reservoir; a boiler including a combustion chamber; means, including a circulating pump driven by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for interconnecting said boiler with the vehicle engine coolant system; a fuel spray nozzle directed into said combustion chamber; a blower, powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for providing a combustion-supporting air flow around said nozzle; an accumulator for holding a small amount of fuel capable of sustaining combustion at said burner for a predetermined short time only; means, including an electrically operable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said accumulator to said nozzle; electric ignition means, powered from said battery system, for selectively igniting fuel sprayed from said nozzle; means for opening said valve and energizing said blower motor and said ignition means when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler falls below a first preselected level; means for energizing said circulating pump motor from said battery system when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler exceeds a second preselected level which is higher than said first preselected level thereby to provide heat for said vehicle engine; means, including a second electrically controllable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said reservoir to said accumulator; means for sensing combustion in said burner and for de-energizing said ignition means and opening said second valve when combustion is present; and a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said accumulator, said blower, said ignition means and said second valve being interconnected with said pressure switch to be de-energized thereby, when the pressure in the accumulator falls below a predetermined value.

Claim 8

In a semi-trailer truck tractor having a liquid-cooled diesel engine, a tank for containing diesel fuel for said engine, a battery electrical system, and an air brake system, the tractor cab being heated by a heater which is interconnected with the engine coolant system; a heat generating system for use when the diesel engine is stopped, said heat generating system comprising: a fuel reservoir separate from the tractor engine fuel tank; an air reservoir separate from said air brake system means for charging said fuel reservoir with diesel fuel from said tractor engine tank; means for charging said air reservoir from said air brake system; means for pressurizing said fuel reservoir from said air reservoir; a boiler including a combustion chamber; means, including a circulating pump powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for interconnecting said boiler with the engine coolant system and said heater; a fuel spray nozzle directed into said combustion chamber; a blower, powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for providing a combustion-supporting air flow around said nozzle; an exhaust stack for venting said combustion chamber exteriorly of said tractor; means, including an electrically controllable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said reservoir to said nozzle; means, powered from said battery system, for opening said valve and energizing said blower motor when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler falls below a first preselected level; electric spark ignition means, powered from said battery system, for igniting fuel sprayed from said nozzle; means for energizing said ignition means when said valve is initially opened and for de-energizing said ignition means when combustion exists in said chamber; and means for energizing said circulating pump motor from said battery system when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler exceeds a second preselected level which is higher than said first preselected level thereby to provide heat for the tractor cab and engine.

Claim 9

In a semi-trailer truck tractor having a liquid-cooled diesel engine, a tank for containing diesel fuel for said engine, a battery electrical system, and an air brake system, the tractor cab being heated by a heater which is interconnected with the engine coolant system; a heat generating system for use when the diesel engine is stopped, said heat generating system comprising: a fuel reservoir separate from the tractor engine fuel tank; an air reservoir separate from said air brake system means for charging said fuel reservoir with diesel fuel from said tractor engine tank; means for charging said air reservoir from said air brake system; means for pressurizing said fuel reservoir from said air reservoir; a boiler including a combustion chamber; means, including a circulating pump powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for interconnecting said boiler with the engine coolant system and said heater; a fuel spray nozzle directed into said combustion chamber; a blower, powered by a d.c. energizable motor operable from said battery system, for providing a combustion-supporting air flow around said nozzle; an exhaust stack for venting said combustion chamber exteriorly of said tractor; means, including an electrically controllable valve, for selectively admitting fuel from said reservoir to said nozzle; means, powered from said battery system, for opening said valve and energizing said blower motor when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler falls below a first preselected level; electric spark ignition means, powered from said battery system, for igniting fuel sprayed from said nozzle; means for energizing said ignition means when said valve is initially opened and for de-energizing said ignition means when combustion exists in said chamber; and means for energizing said circulating pump motor from said battery system when the temperature of the coolant in said boiler exceeds a second preselected level which is higher than said first preselected level thereby to provide heat for the tractor cab and engine.