1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to atmospheric liquid heaters; and, more particularly to portable atmospheric heaters for recirculating super heated aqueous solutions.
2. Description of Related Art
In cooler climes such as northern and southern regions of the globe, as well as in high altitudes, such as the Rocky Mountain areas, there is need for portable heater devices. Although there are many portable heaters in many aspects, these heater systems suffer from one or more problems which render them deficient in supplying the quality and quantity of heated liquid required. While a number of pressurized boilers for providing heated steam/water mixtures exist, they are somewhat complicated, require pressurized vessels and are expensive to build and maintain. Additionally, housing pressurized vessels, pump valves and the like becomes somewhat difficult if the system is to be mobilized especially, in mountainous areas where roads are inferior and spaces where the systems are to be utilized have limited access.
One of the problems with most atmospheric boilers is that, as the altitude increases, the temperature at which the liquid boils decreases. Thus, in order to achieve elevated liquid temperatures at atmospheric pressure, it has been necessary to employ boiling point elevators to increase the liquid temperature at which the liquid boils. These substances can cause corrosion as well as limit the use of the heater system. Pure water is necessary for field showers and the like. Use of boiling point enhancers may be toxic.
Additionally, in for example, high altitude or northern construction, it is necessary to melt or thaw the ground, for example, to dig trenches, foundations, lay wire, pipe cure concrete, and the like during the winter months. Further in these climes, it is necessary to have a device which is portable to remove ice and snow from for example, shelter and sheds nestled in mountain terrain. Finally, it is necessary to have portable heating devices for construction of buildings, houses and the like in these remote inclimate locations, so that workman can have an atmosphere which supports a work environment without the necessity of multi layers of clothes which hinder mobility.
Heretofore, a number of devices have been available to do one or more of the aforementioned tasks, but none have been versatile enough to truly meet all of the above needs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,655, for "Mobile Heating System" issued to Mark Bruckelmyer on Jan. 26, 1993 provides for a mobile heating system for thawing ground for construction which involves pumping heated water from a reservoir through hosing to a plurality of elongated heater probe which are driven into the ground or the substance to be thawed. Generally, this patent discloses a heating system for thawing frozen ground or building materials, such as bricks. The invention includes a heater for heating fluid which is circulated by a pump through a connected line which is in fluid communication with a plurality of elongated heater probes adapted to be implanted in the ground. An antifreeze reservoir is connected to the line for pumping antifreeze into the line to protect it and the probe from freeze damage when not in use. This system has a number of draw backs including the necessity of driving the heating probes into the frozen earth.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,085 issued to Bruckelmyer on Oct. 22, 1996 uses a circulation hose that is covered with a aggregate to be placed into a form from which concrete is poured. The hot fluid circulating in the hose covered by the aggregate becomes part of the concrete structure in one embodiment and the hose is severed at its exit point from the concrete forms. Neither of these systems employ a booster recirculating type reservoir system to provide fast recovery and large heat capacity for incrementally super heating the water before it is returned to the system with a high gained heater. In addition, these systems are not designed for high capacity such as providing hot water for field showers, hygienic purposes for forest services and the like. Thus, it would be advantageous to have a high capacity atmospheric transportable system to provide hot water and heat to remote and undeveloped sites, locations in construction or development stage, whether for space heating, drying and curing concrete plaster, paste, or the like or for simply melting ice and snow and thawing earth for forms laying wire conduit pipe and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,113, for "Probe for Circulating Heated Water" issued to Mark Bruckelmyer on Sep. 12, 1995 generally discloses an insertable thawing probe for circulating heated water for thawing frozen ground as a portion of a mobile heating system. The probe includes a T connection having a fluid inlet section, and a fluid outlet section. The probes are generally used for insertion into frozen ground for thawing in area proximate to the frozen sewer or water line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,085, for "Method of Thawing Frozen Ground for Laying Concrete" issued to Mark Bruckelmyer on Oct. 22, 1996, is directed toward a method for thawing frozen ground for the purpose of laying concrete wherein a continuous length of circulating hose is placed on the frozen ground either inside or adjacent the concrete form where the concrete is to be poured and then the hose is covered with a layer of aggregate material for insulation. In one aspect, this method invention is for circulating warm liquid through a circulating hose inserted into pored to prevent freezing while the concrete hardens. A disclosed advantage is that this method of thawing frozen ground to lay concrete does not require removal of the hose prior to actually laying the concrete.