Water heater with cavity gap

Abstract

The present invention discloses a water heater with a cavity gap, comprising: a heat absorbing element; a heat preservation barrel for storing water; a cavity gap, the cavity gap is configured to separate the heat absorbing element and the heat preservation barrel between the heat absorbing element and the heat preservation barrel, and the cavity gap contacts the heat transfer part of the heat preservation barrel; a heat preservation heat transfer groove, the heat preservation heat transfer groove contains a cavity gap setting, and part of the heat absorbing element extends into the heat preservation heat transfer groove; a heat transfer element, the heat transfer element is placed in the heat preservation heat transfer groove and transfers the heat of the heat absorbing element to the cavity gap. By using the cavity gap to isolate the heat absorbing element and the heat preservation barrel, on the one hand, the heat preservation effect is strong at night, and the heat preservation performance requirements of the heat absorbing element are low; on the other hand, the performance requirements of the heat absorbing element material are low, and the manufacturing cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of solar thermal utilization, and in particular to a water heater with a cavity gap. Background Art

[0002] Solar water heaters are increasingly widely used. The insulation barrel and heat absorbing parts of existing solar water heaters are directly connected (water is connected). Solar radiation shines on the inner tube surface through the outer surface of the heat absorbing part. The outer surface of the inner tube coated with the absorption coating absorbs solar radiation and transfers heat to the water inside the vacuum tube. After the water is heated, it rises along the vacuum tube and enters the hot water storage tank. At the same time, the relatively low-temperature water in the water tank enters the vacuum tube. This cycle continues, so that the water in the hot water storage tank is continuously heated and heated. These solar heat absorbing parts radiate heat at night, and lose heat in vain. Especially for heat absorbing parts with poor vacuum insulation performance, more heat is lost.

[0003] To this end, we provide a water heater with a cavity gap to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies of the prior art and propose a water heater with a cavity gap, which uses the cavity gap to isolate the heat absorbing element and the heat preservation barrel. On the one hand, the heat preservation effect is strong at night, and the heat preservation performance requirements of the heat absorbing element are low; on the other hand, the performance requirements of the heat absorbing element material are low, and the production cost is low. At the same time, the cavity gap is filled using the principle of material expansion, so that the space gap adapts to the temperature to fill the heat transfer liquid, and has strong adaptability.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the water heater with a cavity gap adopted by the present invention comprises:

[0006] Heat absorbing parts;

[0007] Insulated bucket for storing water;

[0008] A cavity gap, the cavity gap is configured to separate the heat absorbing member and the heat-insulating barrel between the heat absorbing member and the heat-insulating barrel, and the cavity gap contacts a heat transfer portion of the heat-insulating barrel;

[0009] A heat preservation and heat transfer groove, which is arranged close to the cavity gap, and a portion of the heat absorbing element penetrates into the heat preservation and heat transfer groove;

[0010] The heat transfer element is placed in the heat preservation and heat transfer groove and transfers the heat of the heat absorption element to the cavity gap.

[0011] The cavity gap is used to isolate the heat absorbing component and the insulation barrel. On the one hand, the heat preservation effect is strong at night and the heat preservation performance requirements of the heat absorbing component are low; on the other hand, the performance requirements of the heat absorbing component material are low and the production cost is low.

[0012] As a further optimization of the above scheme, an expansion device is provided, the expansion device contacts the heat absorbing element and absorbs the heat of the heat absorbing element, the inner cavity of the expansion device is provided with a medium and a heat transfer liquid that expands with the increase of temperature, the heat transfer liquid is close to the outlet of the expansion device and the outlet is connected to the cavity gap;

[0013] in,

[0014] After the medium is heated, it squeezes the heat transfer liquid through the outlet and fills the cavity gap;

[0015] After the medium is cooled, the heat transfer liquid is sucked back to the expansion device through the cavity gap to lower the liquid level of the heat transfer liquid in the cavity gap. The above-mentioned expansion device is placed in the heat preservation heat transfer tank. The expansion device appears as an expansion bag filled with expandable working fluid. The heat transfer element is filled using the principle of material expansion, so that the space gap adapts to the temperature and is filled with heat transfer liquid, and has strong adaptability.

[0016] As a further optimization of the above scheme, the heat transfer liquid is placed between the medium and the outlet of the expansion device. In this structure, the medium squeezes the heat transfer liquid after being heated and enters the heat insulation heat transfer groove through the opening of the heat insulation heat transfer groove. Then, the heat transfer liquid fills the cavity gap to achieve indirect heating of the heat insulation barrel.

[0017] As a further optimization of the above scheme, the expansion device is placed in the heat preservation tank, the outlet is located at the end of the expansion device, and the medium is placed on the top of the expansion device. As an example of the above expansion device, after the expansion device of this example is heated, the medium squeezes the heat transfer liquid from the opening into the heat preservation tank, and passes through the heat preservation tank to fill the cavity gap, thereby achieving indirect heating of the heat preservation barrel.

[0018] As a further optimization of the above scheme, the above heat preservation and heat transfer groove is placed in the expansion device, the bottom of the above heat preservation and heat transfer groove is connected to the expansion device, the upper part of the inner cavity of the expansion device is medium and the lower part is heat transfer liquid. The above heat preservation and heat transfer groove is in a long straight shape as another example of the above expansion device. In this structure, after being heated, the medium squeezes the heat transfer liquid downward and enters the heat preservation and heat transfer groove through the bottom opening of the heat preservation and heat transfer groove. Then, the heat transfer liquid fills the cavity gap to achieve indirect heating of the above insulation barrel.

[0019] As a further optimization of the above solution, a first blocking structure is placed at the outlet of the above cavity gap to reduce radiation and convection losses.

[0020] As a further optimization of the above solution, the cavity gap is filled with a grid-shaped thermal poor conductor. The design of the grid-shaped thermal poor conductor can further enhance the isolation and heat preservation effect of the present invention.

[0021] As a further optimization of the above solution, the cavity gap is in a zigzag shape. The design of the zigzag cavity gap can further enhance the isolation and heat preservation effect of the present invention.

[0022] As a further optimization of the above solution, the insulation barrel is provided with at least one redundant cavity near the cavity gap, and the redundant cavity is connected to the cavity gap. The design of the above multiple redundant cavities accommodates the excessive heat transfer liquid discharged from the expansion device to reduce the internal pressure.

[0023] As a further optimization of the above solution, a water heater with a cavity gap as in any one of the above items is included, so that the present invention can be applied to various water heaters to expand the practical application scope of the present invention.

[0024] The water heater with a cavity gap of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. Abandoning many defects caused by the direct connection between the traditional heat absorber and the insulation barrel, a more advanced indirect heating process is adopted to change the direct heating of the cold water from the heat absorber to indirect heating through the heat transfer liquid. By designing a cavity gap between the insulation barrel and the heat absorber, on the one hand, the insulation effect is strong at night, the insulation performance requirements of the heat absorber material are low, and the cost is reduced; on the other hand, the insulation effect of the insulation barrel is strong. More importantly, the above-mentioned expansion device uses the principle of material expansion to fill the cavity gap, so as to achieve indirect heating by filling the cavity gap under high temperature conditions; under low temperature conditions, the liquid level in the cavity gap is reduced to achieve the purpose of cavity insulation.

[0026] 2. Further discussion is made on the structure of the above-mentioned expansion device. In one scheme, the above-mentioned expansion device adopts a long straight shell with an opening facing downward. After being heated, the medium squeezes the heat transfer liquid from the opening into the thermal insulation heat transfer groove, and passes through the thermal insulation heat transfer groove to fill the cavity gap, thereby realizing indirect heating of the above-mentioned thermal insulation barrel; in another scheme, the thermal insulation heat transfer groove is placed in the above-mentioned expansion device, and the thermal insulation heat transfer groove in this scheme is a long straight structure with an opening at the bottom. In this structure, after being heated, the medium squeezes the heat transfer liquid downward, and enters the thermal insulation heat transfer groove through the bottom opening of the thermal insulation heat transfer groove. Then, the heat transfer liquid fills the cavity gap, thereby realizing indirect heating of the above-mentioned thermal insulation barrel.

[0027] 3. In fact, the isolation and insulation design structure of the above-mentioned cavity gap can be various. The present invention takes the first blocking structure blocking the outlet of the above-mentioned cavity gap as the basic structure, and can make the following improvements respectively: filling the cavity gap with a grid-shaped poor thermal conductor, designing the cavity gap into a zigzag shape, designing redundant cavities, and filling the redundant cavities with a second blocking structure on the basis of designing redundant cavities; according to the above-mentioned modifications, at least four cavity gaps with isolation and insulation functions can be formed, and the design of the above-mentioned multiple redundant cavities can accommodate the excessive discharge of heat transfer liquid in the expansion device to reduce the internal pressure.

[0028] With reference to the following description and drawings, a specific embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in detail, indicating the manner in which the principles of the present invention can be adopted. It should be understood that the scope of the embodiments of the present invention is not limited thereby, and within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present invention include many changes, modifications and equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a water heater with a cavity gap;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the expansion device in the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a second form of the expansion device in the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a poor conductor in the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the bent cavity gap in the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the redundant cavity in the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first blocking structure in the present invention.

[0036] In the figure: 1. insulation barrel; 2. heat absorbing element; 3. cavity gap; 4. insulation heat transfer groove; 5. expansion device; 6. first blocking structure; 31. poor conductor; 32. redundant cavity; 33. second blocking structure; 51. medium; 52. heat transfer liquid; 53. shell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on, provided with" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may also be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected, connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. "Fixed connection" means a fixed connection. There are many ways of fixed connection, which are not within the scope of protection of this article. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms used in the specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0040] In the existing water heaters, the heat-insulating barrel 1 of the water heater is in direct contact with the heat-absorbing element 2, that is, a water-connected structure. For example, in a solar water heater, in this structure, the heat-absorbing element 2 that absorbs solar energy radiates heat at night, and the heat is lost in vain. Therefore, the vacuum insulation performance of the heat-absorbing element 2 needs to be considered, which makes the heat-absorbing element 2 in this structure have higher material requirements.

[0041] In view of the above situation, the present invention provides a water heater with a cavity gap, which includes a heat preservation barrel 1 and a solar heat absorption element 2. The present invention sets a cavity gap 3 between the heat preservation barrel 1 and the heat absorption element 2, and sets a heat preservation heat transfer groove 4 near the cavity gap 3. The heat preservation heat transfer groove 4 receives the heat transferred by the heat absorption element 2, and then the heat in the heat preservation heat transfer groove 4 is transferred to the cavity gap 3 through the heat transfer element, and then the heat is transferred to the water in the heat preservation barrel 1.

[0042] Combination Figure 1 Further discussion of the preferred embodiment of the water heater with cavity gap:

[0043] Figure 1 The overall structure of an exemplary water heater having a cavity gap is shown, such as a solar water heater having a cavity gap.

[0044] In this example, the following structure is included:

[0045] Thermostatic barrel 1 is used to store liquid to be heated;

[0046] The heat absorbing element 2 is used to absorb heat. In this example, the heat absorbing element 2 is a solar heat absorbing element. Of course, a flat plate heat absorbing structure may also be used.

[0047] A cavity gap 3, the cavity gap 3 is configured to separate the heat absorbing member 2 and the heat-insulating barrel 1 between the heat absorbing member 2 and the heat-insulating barrel 1, and the cavity gap 3 is in contact with a heat transfer portion of the heat-insulating barrel 1;

[0048] The heat-insulating groove 4 has one purpose of connecting the heat-absorbing component 2 and the heat-insulating barrel 1 so that the heat-absorbing component 2 and the heat-insulating barrel 1 form an integral structure through the heat-insulating groove 4. Another purpose of the heat-insulating groove 4 is to conduct heat to the cavity gap 3. Specifically, after the temperature in the heat-insulating groove 4 reaches a certain temperature, the heat is filled into the cavity gap 3 by the heat-transfer component.

[0049] The heat transfer element is placed in the heat preservation and heat transfer groove 4 and transfers the heat of the heat absorption element 2 to the cavity gap 3.

[0050] This example has the following advantages:

[0051] 1) The heat dissipation of the heat absorbing element 2 at night is blocked, and the heat preservation effect of the heat preservation barrel 1 is better.

[0052] 2) The heat absorbing element 2 does not directly contact the water, which can prevent the vacuum tube from bursting.

[0053] 3) The heat absorbing element 2 can be filled with antifreeze to adapt to the colder northern climate.

[0054] 4) The heat absorbing element 2 does not directly contact the water, so a wider range of materials can be considered, and there is no need to worry about contaminating the used water, and the cost can be lower.

[0055] 5) Less scale contamination in the heat absorber 2.

[0056] 6) The water in the insulation barrel 1 is separated from the heat absorbing element 2 to reduce pollution.

[0057] 7) The water in the thermos barrel 1 does not need to be in direct contact with the heat absorbing element 2, and can be used in areas with poor water quality.

[0058] Figure 1 The schematic illustrations are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the disclosed examples.

[0059] Furthermore, there are various types of water heaters, many of which may benefit from the examples disclosed herein and are not limited to the designs shown.

[0060] In the example, the above-mentioned heat preservation and heat transfer device can realize the heat preservation and heat transfer function through electrical control, but the reliability of using electrical control will be damaged or reduced, and the cost of use will also increase accordingly, such as electricity bills and reliability of parts damage.

[0061] To this end, the present invention utilizes the principle of thermal expansion of materials, and selects an expansion device 5 as the heat transfer element based on the above exemplary structure:

[0062] An expansion device 5, the expansion device 5 contacts the heat absorbing element 2 and absorbs the heat of the heat absorbing element 2, the inner cavity of the expansion device 5 is provided with a medium 51 that expands with the increase of temperature and a heat transfer liquid 52, the heat transfer liquid 52 is close to the outlet of the expansion device 5 and the outlet is in communication with the cavity gap 3;

[0063] in,

[0064] After being heated, the medium 51 squeezes the heat transfer liquid 52 through the outlet and fills the cavity gap 3;

[0065] After cooling, the medium 51 absorbs the heat transfer liquid 52 back to the expansion device 5 through the cavity gap 3 to reduce the liquid level of the heat transfer liquid 52 in the cavity gap 3.

[0066] Combine the following Figure 2 and Figure 3 Further discussion of the above expansion device:

[0067] Figure 2 This is one expression of the expansion device 5. The expansion device 5 is provided inside the heat preservation and heat transfer groove 4. The expansion device 5 includes a long straight shell 53, and a sealing limit structure is provided at the outlet. The outlet is located at the bottom end of the shell 53, the medium 51 is placed on the top of the shell 53, and the heat transfer liquid 52 is placed between the medium 51 and the outlet. After being heated, the medium 51 squeezes the heat transfer liquid 52 from the outlet into the heat preservation and heat transfer groove 4, and passes through the heat preservation and heat transfer groove 4 to fill the cavity gap 3, thereby realizing the indirect heating of the heat preservation barrel 1.

[0068] Generally speaking, the expansion device 5 is mostly selected as a piston-type structure with one end closed, which is easy to understand the role of the expansion device 5, and the position direction of the expansion device 5 is arbitrary. Preferably, the shell 53 can be made of tubular metal, with fewer moving parts and higher reliability.

[0069] For the opening of the tubular metal, the outlet can be opened at multiple positions such as the side and top of the tubular metal object. When the outlet is set on the side, it can be connected to the heat preservation and heat transfer groove 4 by connecting the hollow tube. However, considering that the piston of the traditional piston structure frequently reciprocates during use, the probability of damage increases, and the reliability and life are reduced. Therefore, the outlet of the tubular metal object is generally set at the bottom.

[0070] Furthermore, the tubular metal object may be made of other materials. Preferably, the tubular metal object is made of a sealed material, such as a sealed silicone container and a rubber container.

[0071] Figure 3This is another way of expressing the expansion device 5. The heat-insulating heat-transfer groove 4 is placed in the expansion device 5. The heat-insulating heat-transfer groove 4 is long and straight, and the bottom is connected to the expansion device 5. The expansion device 5 has a medium 51 above and a heat-transfer liquid 52 below. In this structure, after being heated, the medium 51 squeezes the heat-transfer liquid 52 downward and enters the heat-insulating heat-transfer groove 4 through the bottom opening of the heat-insulating heat-transfer groove 4. Then, the heat-transfer liquid 52 fills the cavity gap 3 to achieve indirect heating of the insulation barrel 1.

[0072] In this embodiment, the position of the expansion device 5 should be conducive to fully sensing the temperature change of the heat transfer liquid. For example, the expansion device 5 is arranged in the heat absorption element 2.

[0073] The expansion device 5 has the following further embodiments:

[0074] Low-cost solution: Use a sealed silica gel bag (tube) filled with a small amount of ethanol as an expansion device 5, which is built into the heat preservation and heat transfer tank 4. (To ensure the durability of the sealed silica gel bag)

[0075] Furthermore, the heat transfer liquid 52 is generally water, but other liquid substances may also be selected, such as salt solution, antifreeze liquid, etc.

[0076] The above-mentioned medium 51 is generally selected from naphtha that is insoluble in the heat transfer liquid 52. The density of the above-mentioned naphtha is less than that of water, and the boiling point of the naphtha is between 40-105°C. Of course, naphtha can also be replaced by gas, such as air or other liquids with a boiling point of 40-100°C, such as ethanol, etc.

[0077] Furthermore, a blocking measure may be designed for the lower portion of the expansion device 5 to prevent excessive expansion of the gas.

[0078] In actual work:

[0079] During the day, the heat absorbing element 2 absorbs heat, and after the heat transfer liquid 52 is heated up and the temperature is higher than 40 degrees Celsius, the naphtha in the expansion device 5 is vaporized and expanded, and the heat transfer liquid 52 is discharged to fill the cavity gap 3. The water level of the high-temperature heat transfer liquid 52 rises, and the water in the insulation barrel 1 can be heated.

[0080] At night, the water temperature drops, and after the temperature of the heat transfer liquid 52 is lower than 40 degrees Celsius, the naphtha liquefies, the volume shrinks, the water level in the cavity gap 3 drops, the cavity gap 3 is emptied, and the state of heat preservation is entered.

[0081] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The schematic illustrations are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the disclosed examples.

[0082] Furthermore, there are various types of heat exchange devices, many of which may benefit from the examples disclosed herein and are not limited to the designs shown.

[0083] In the example, a structural device that is beneficial to heat transfer is generally installed on the thermos barrel 1. Generally speaking, this is usually achieved by structurally improving the cavity gap 3. Therefore, the present invention further improves the above-mentioned cavity gap 3 based on the structure of the above-mentioned example.

[0084] In fact, the present invention takes the first blocking structure 6 blocking the outlet of the cavity gap 3 as a basic structure.

[0085] Combine the following Figure 4-Figure 7 The improved cavity gap 3 is further described as follows:

[0086] Figure 4 This is a first improvement scheme for the above-mentioned cavity gap 3. In this improvement scheme, a grid-shaped thermal poor conductor 31 is filled in the cavity gap 3. For example, the grid-shaped thermal poor conductor 31 is a sponge, and its water-permeable and air-impermeable properties are used to reduce heat dissipation.

[0087] Figure 5 This is a second improvement to the above-mentioned cavity gap. In this improvement, the cavity gap 3 is designed to be a zigzag structure to reduce radiation heat dissipation.

[0088] Figure 6 This is the third improvement scheme of the above-mentioned cavity gap. This improvement scheme designs the number of cavity gaps 3 to be multiple, and two adjacent cavity gaps 3 are interconnected, and the multiple cavity gaps 3 are designed to be a cavity gap body and redundant cavities 32 to achieve isolation and heat preservation functions.

[0089] Figure 6 This is the fourth improvement scheme for the above-mentioned cavity gap 3. This improvement scheme is improved on the basis of the third improvement scheme. By installing a second blocking structure 33 in the redundant cavity 32, the isolation and heat preservation function of the present invention is further enhanced.

[0090] For example, the first blocking structure 6 and the second blocking structure 33 can be designed to be larger than the width of the cavity gap 3 at the outlet and have a density lower than that of water. Meanwhile, a heat-insulating material can be attached to the outside of the valve stem.

[0091] For example, Figure 7 As shown, the lower surface of the first blocking structure 6 is set to be convex, and the convex part plays a guiding role, so as to better realize the blocking function of the first blocking structure 6.

[0092] It is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification, equivalent substitution or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water heater having a cavity gap, characterized in that: include: Heat absorbing parts; Insulated bucket for storing water; A cavity gap, the cavity gap is configured to separate the heat absorbing member and the heat-insulating barrel between the heat absorbing member and the heat-insulating barrel, and the cavity gap contacts a heat transfer portion of the heat-insulating barrel; A heat preservation and heat transfer groove, which is arranged close to the cavity gap, and the heat transfer liquid in the heat absorbing element is connected to the heat preservation and heat transfer groove; A heat transfer element is placed in the heat preservation and heat transfer groove and transfers the heat of the heat absorbing element to the cavity gap; The heat transfer element includes an expansion device, which contacts the heat absorption element. The inner cavity of the expansion device is provided with a medium that expands as the temperature rises and a heat transfer liquid. The heat transfer liquid is close to the outlet of the expansion device and the outlet is connected to the cavity gap. in, After the medium is heated, it squeezes the heat transfer liquid through the outlet and fills the cavity gap; After the medium is cooled, the heat transfer liquid is sucked back to the expansion device through the cavity gap to lower the liquid level of the heat transfer liquid in the cavity gap. The above-mentioned expansion device is placed in the heat preservation and heat transfer tank. The expansion device appears as an expansion bag filled with expandable working medium.

2. The water heater with a cavity gap according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat transfer liquid is placed between the medium and the outlet of the expansion device.

3. The water heater with a cavity gap according to claim 2, characterized in that: The expansion device is placed in the heat preservation and heat transfer tank, the outlet is located at the end of the expansion device, and the medium is placed on the top of the expansion device.

4. The water heater with a cavity gap according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat preservation and heat transfer groove is placed in the expansion device, the bottom of the heat preservation and heat transfer groove is connected with the expansion device, the upper part of the inner cavity of the expansion device is filled with medium and the lower part is filled with heat transfer liquid.

5. The water heater with a cavity gap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first blocking structure is disposed at the outlet of the cavity gap.

6. The water heater with a cavity gap according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cavity gap is filled with a grid-shaped thermal poor conductor.

7. The water heater with a cavity gap according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cavity gap is in a zigzag shape.

8. The water heater with a cavity gap according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heat preservation barrel is provided with at least one redundant cavity near the cavity gap, and the redundant cavity is communicated with the cavity gap.

9. A heat exchange device, characterized in that: A water heater having a cavity gap comprising the water heater as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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