A heat storage water tank and a control method for adjusting the effective volume thereof

Abstract

The application provides a heat storage water tank and a control method for adjusting the effective volume of the heat storage water tank. The heat storage water tank is characterized by comprising a shell, wherein the shell is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet; the water inlet is arranged on one side of the shell, the water outlet is located below the water inlet, and the height of the water outlet can be adjusted; the volumes of the static area and the circulation area are changed by switching the height of the water outlet, so that the effective volume of the heat storage water tank is changed. Through the technical scheme of the application, the response time of the heating system can be effectively shortened, the operation control strategy of the heating system is simplified, the system energy consumption is reduced, and the upgrading and reconstruction of the traditional heat storage water tank are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hot water storage tanks, specifically to a hot water storage tank with variable effective volume, and also to a control method for adjusting the effective volume of the hot water storage tank. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of water heater technology, higher requirements are placed on hot water storage tanks. Traditional hot water storage tanks are vertically placed cylindrical tanks. Their main structure includes a shell, an inlet connected to a solar collector, and an outlet flowing to the collector. From top to bottom, the tank is divided into a heat exchange zone, a circulation zone, and a static zone. Due to thermal buoyancy, the temperature at the top of the tank is generally the highest. To increase the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange coils, these coils are installed in the top area of ​​the tank; therefore, this area is called the heat exchange zone. Through the heat exchange coils in the heat exchange zone, heat from the tank can be effectively transferred to the heating terminals. Therefore, the temperature distribution within the heat exchange zone has a significant impact on the system's heating performance.

[0003] The water tank inlet is directly connected to the solar collector, and the temperature of the fluid entering through the inlet is greatly affected by weather conditions. When solar radiation is weak, the inlet water temperature may be lower than the temperature of the heat exchange zone, leading to the mixing of fluids of different temperatures within the heat exchange zone, causing a decrease in energy quality and affecting the heating performance of the system.

[0004] To avoid the above problems, the inlet of a traditional water tank is designed at the bottom of the heat exchange zone. Therefore, only the high-temperature fluid entering through the inlet can flow upwards into the heat exchange zone, causing the temperature inside the zone to continuously rise. The area between the water tank's inlet and the currently used outlet is called the circulation zone. Within the circulation zone, the fluid continuously circulates between the water tank and the collector under the action of a water pump. The area below the outlet is called the quiescent zone. The fluid in this zone is essentially stationary and does not participate in the circulation between the water tank and the collector; heat from the water tank is also difficult to transfer to this zone. Therefore, the volume of the water tank in this zone cannot be considered the effective volume of the water tank. The solar energy absorbed by the collector is transferred from the collector to the water tank through fluid circulation. Due to thermal buoyancy and temperature stratification inside the water tank, apart from a small portion of heat dissipating to the quiescent zone through heat conduction, the vast majority of the heat is stored in the heat exchange zone and the circulation zone. Therefore, only the heat exchange zone and the circulation zone are considered the effective volume area of ​​the water tank. Traditional water tanks minimize the static area to maximize the effective volume. However, for the variable effective volume hot water storage tank of this invention, the existence of the static area is key to the change in effective volume. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the issues of traditional hot water storage tanks having inlet water temperatures that may be lower than heat exchange zone temperatures, thus affecting system heating performance and having a small effective volume,

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a hot water storage tank;

[0007] Another objective of this invention is to provide a control method for adjusting the effective volume of a hot water storage tank;

[0008] Another objective of this invention is to propose a hot water storage tank that transforms a traditional hot water storage tank into a hot water storage tank with a variable effective volume; and to propose a method for controlling the effective volume of the hot water storage tank.

[0009] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a hot water storage tank.

[0011] The device includes a shell A, on which an inlet A and an outlet A are provided. The inlet A is located on one side of the shell, and the outlet A is located below the inlet A. The area above the inlet A is the heat exchange zone, the area between the inlet A and the outlet A is the circulation zone, and the area below the outlet A is the quiescent zone. Due to the effect of thermal buoyancy and temperature stratification inside the water tank, most of the heat in the water tank is stored in the heat exchange zone and the circulation zone, except for a small portion that is dispersed to the quiescent zone through heat conduction. Therefore, the heat exchange zone and the circulation zone are considered the effective volume area of ​​the water tank. The hot water storage tank of this invention changes the volume of the quiescent zone and the circulation zone by switching the outlet located at different heights. When different outlets are used, the volumes of the quiescent zone and the circulation zone of the hot water storage tank are different, thus changing the effective volume of the hot water storage tank.

[0012] Furthermore, the hot water storage tank also includes an electric multi-way valve. The outlet A is connected to the input end of the electric multi-way valve, the outlet end of the electric multi-way valve is connected to the input end of the solar collector, and the inlet A is connected to the output end of the solar collector. A temperature sensor A for detecting water temperature is installed at the top inside the hot water storage tank. A data acquisition module A and a signal output module A are installed on the outside of the shell. The temperature sensor A is connected to the data acquisition module A, the data acquisition module A is connected to the signal output module A, and the signal output module A is connected to the electric multi-way valve.

[0013] Preferably, the hot water storage tank is provided with two or more water outlets, and adjacent water outlets are arranged at equal intervals.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention provides a control method for adjusting the effective volume of a hot water storage tank, used in the aforementioned hot water storage tank, the control method comprising,

[0015] The inlet of the hot water storage tank is located at the bottom of the heat exchange zone. Therefore, only high-temperature fluid entering through the inlet can flow upwards into the heat exchange zone, causing the temperature inside the zone to continuously rise. At the beginning of heat collection, the outlet of the tank is at its highest position. At this time, the stagnant zone occupies more than half of the tank's volume, indicating that the effective volume of the tank is less than half of its actual volume. This smaller effective volume makes the tank appear smaller. After the water temperature rises to the target temperature T1, the outlet switches from the highest outlet to the second highest outlet. As the water temperature continues to rise to the target temperature T2, it eventually switches to an outlet lower than the second highest outlet. With each switch of the outlet, the height of the outlet continuously decreases. This causes the volume of the circulation zone to continuously increase, while the volume of the stagnant zone continuously decreases. At this point, the larger effective volume makes the tank appear larger. Therefore, by switching the outlet, the tank can dynamically allocate the volumes of the circulation and stagnant zones, thereby changing the effective volume of the tank.

[0016] In the above technical solution, preferably, when the temperature sensor A detects that the water temperature has reached the set value, the data acquisition module A collects the temperature information and controls the electric multi-way valve to adjust the actual outlet through the signal output module A.

[0017] Thirdly, the present invention also provides a hot water storage tank modified from a traditional fixed-volume hot water storage tank, which transforms the traditional hot water storage tank into a hot water storage tank with variable effective volume, comprising:

[0018] A traditional fixed-volume hot water storage tank has a shell B with an inlet B and an outlet B. The inlet B is located on the side of the shell B, and the outlet B is located below the inlet B. An integrated tank cover is located on top of the shell and consists of a traction motor, a rainproof and ventilated outer shell, and a traction line. An insulated hose with a suction port is installed inside the tank. The insulated hose connects to the original outlet B of the tank and replaces the original outlet B to the input end of the solar collector. The traction line is connected to the suction port of the insulated hose, and moves the insulated hose up and down to adjust the vertical position of the suction port in the tank. The area above the inlet B is designated as the heat exchange zone, the area between the inlet B and the suction port is designated as the circulation zone, and the area below the suction port is designated as the static zone. The heat exchange zone and the circulation zone constitute the effective volume area of ​​the tank.

[0019] Furthermore, the aforementioned hot water storage tank modified from a traditional constant-capacity hot water storage tank also includes: a temperature sensor B installed at the top of the tank, the temperature sensor B being connected to a data acquisition module B, the data acquisition module B being connected to a signal output module B, and the signal output module B being connected to the traction motor.

[0020] Finally, the present invention also provides a control method for adjusting the effective volume of a hot water storage tank, used in the aforementioned hot water storage tank modified from a traditional fixed-volume hot water storage tank. This control method includes...

[0021] At the beginning of heat collection, the water inlet of the insulated hose is located above half the height of the water tank. At this time, the static zone occupies more than half of the water tank's volume, indicating that the effective volume of the hot water storage tank is less than half of its actual volume. After the water temperature rises to the target temperature T1, the position of the water inlet is adjusted downwards by the traction motor. When the water temperature continues to rise to the target temperature T2, the position of the water inlet is adjusted downwards again by the traction motor. As the height of the water inlet of the insulated hose continuously decreases, the volume of the circulation zone continuously increases, while the volume of the static zone continuously decreases. At this point, the larger effective volume will make the water tank exhibit the characteristics of a large water tank. Therefore, by adjusting the height of the water inlet, the water tank can dynamically allocate the volume of the circulation zone and the static zone, thereby changing the effective volume of the water tank.

[0022] In the above technical solution, preferably, when the temperature sensor B detects that the temperature has reached the set value, the data acquisition module B collects the temperature information and controls the traction motor to adjust the position of the water inlet through the signal output module B.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0024] (1) Compared with traditional water tanks, the new type of water tank, as a variable effective volume water tank, can effectively shorten the response time of the heating system, reduce the usage time of auxiliary heat sources, and thus reduce system energy consumption. The new type of water tank makes the operation of the heating system more flexible and more conducive to adapting to constantly changing outdoor environmental conditions and different heating needs.

[0025] (2) Compared with multi-tank systems, the new type of water tank consists of only a single water tank and a single heat exchange coil, and its inlet and outlet ports and the number of water temperature sensors are also fewer than those of multi-tank systems. This not only effectively reduces construction and maintenance costs, but also helps to simplify the operation and control strategy of the heating system.

[0026] (3) For projects that transform traditional water tank systems into variable effective volume systems, multi-tank systems require replacing the original tanks with multiple tanks. However, by adopting a new type of water tank design, only the controllable outlet needs to be modified on the basis of the original water tank to become a new type of water tank with variable effective volume function. This method can significantly reduce the cost of water tank modification and is conducive to promoting the upgrading of traditional systems. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a traditional constant-volume hot water storage tank with fixed inlet and outlet.

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a hot water storage tank with a variable effective volume and different outlet heights, in the initial heat collection state.

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a hot water storage tank with a variable effective volume and different outlet heights in a state where the temperature rises to the target temperature.

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a hot water storage tank with a variable effective volume for connecting an electric multi-way valve to the water outlet;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a hot water storage tank with a variable effective volume for connecting an electric three-way valve to the water outlet;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a hot water storage tank with variable effective volume, which is a modification of a traditional fixed-volume hot water storage tank.

[0033] Explanation of main components and symbols:

[0034] 1. Housing A; 2. Inlet A; 3. Outlet A; 31. First outlet; 32. Second outlet; 33. Third outlet; 4. Temperature sensor A; 5. Data acquisition module A; 6. Signal output module A; 7. Electric multi-way valve; 8. First electric three-way valve; 9. Second electric three-way valve;

[0035] 10. Housing B; 11. Inlet B; 12. Outlet B; 13. Integrated water tank cover; 131. Traction motor; 132. Rainproof and ventilated housing; 133. Traction line; 14. Insulated hose; 15. Water intake; 16. Temperature sensor B; 17. Data acquisition module B; 18. Signal output module B. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the present invention and to provide a clearer understanding of its technical features, objectives, and beneficial effects, the technical solution of the present invention will now be described in detail below, but this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] A hot water storage tank with variable effective volume, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown,

[0039] The device includes a housing A1, on which are provided a water inlet A2, a first water outlet 31, a second water outlet 32, and a third water outlet 33. The water inlet A2 is located on the side of the housing, the first water outlet 31 is located below the water inlet A2, the second water outlet 32 ​​is located below the first water outlet 31, and the third water outlet 33 is located below the second water outlet 32. The area above the water inlet A2 of the hot water storage tank is the heat exchange zone, the area between the water inlet A2 and the water outlet is the circulation zone, and the area of ​​the water tank below the water outlet is the static zone. The different water outlets are evenly spaced.

[0040] At the beginning of the heat collection process, the water tank outlet is at its highest position, outlet A3. At this time, the stagnant zone occupies more than half of the tank's volume. After the water temperature rises to the target temperature T1, the water tank outlet will switch from the first outlet 31 to the second outlet 32; and after the water temperature continues to rise to the target temperature T2, it will finally switch to the third outlet 33. As the water tank outlet switches, the height of the outlet continuously decreases. This causes the volume of the circulation zone to continuously increase, while the volume of the stagnant zone to continuously decrease. At this point, the larger effective volume will give the water tank the characteristics of a large water tank.

[0041] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, preferably, the hot water storage tank further includes an electric multi-way valve 7, with three outlets connected to the input end of the electric multi-way valve 7, the outlet end of the electric multi-way valve 7 connected to the input end of the solar collector, and the inlet connected to the output end of the solar collector. A temperature sensor A4 for detecting water temperature is installed at the top inside the hot water storage tank. A data acquisition module A5 and a signal output module A6 are installed outside the housing A1. The temperature sensor A4 is connected to the data acquisition module A5, the data acquisition module A5 is connected to the signal output module A6, and the signal output module A6 is connected to the electric multi-way valve 7. When the temperature sensor A4 detects that the water temperature has reached a set value, the data acquisition module A5 collects the temperature information and controls the electric multi-way valve 7 to adjust the actual outlet through the signal output module A6.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] The variable-volume hot water storage tank described in Embodiment 1 above, such as... Figure 5As shown, preferably, the hot water storage tank further includes a first electric three-way valve 8 and a second electric three-way valve 9. A first outlet 31 is connected to the input end of the first electric three-way valve 8, and the outlet end of the first electric three-way valve 8 is connected to the input end of the solar collector. The inlet A2 is connected to the output end of the solar collector. A temperature sensor A4 for detecting water temperature is installed at the top inside the hot water storage tank. A data acquisition module A5 and a signal output module A6 are installed outside the housing A1. The temperature sensor A4 is connected to the data acquisition module A5, and the data acquisition module A5 is connected to the signal output module A6. The signal output module A6 is connected to the two electric three-way valves. When the temperature sensor A4 detects that the water temperature has reached a set value, the data acquisition module A5 collects the temperature information and controls the action combination strategy of the two electric three-way valves through the signal output module A6, thereby adjusting the actual water outlet.

[0044] Example 3

[0045] A type of hot water storage tank based on a traditional fixed-volume hot water storage tank is proposed, which transforms the traditional hot water storage tank into a hot water storage tank with variable effective volume, such as... Figure 6 As shown, it includes:

[0046] The conventional fixed-volume hot water storage tank has a shell B10, which has an inlet B11 and an outlet B12. The inlet B11 is located on the side of the shell, and the outlet B12 is located below the inlet B11. An integrated tank cover 13 is provided, consisting of a traction motor 131, a rainproof and ventilated outer shell 132, and a traction line 133. An insulated hose 14 is installed inside the tank, with a suction port 15. The insulated hose 14 is connected to the input end of the solar collector via the original outlet 3 of the tank and replaces the original outlet 3. The traction line 133 is connected to the suction port end of the insulated hose 14, and the traction line 133 drives the insulated hose 14 to move up and down, thereby adjusting the vertical position of the suction port 15 in the tank.

[0047] At the beginning of heat collection, the water inlet 15 of the insulated hose is located above half the height of the water tank. At this time, the static zone occupies more than half of the water tank's volume, indicating that the effective volume of the water tank is less than half of its actual volume. After the water temperature rises to the target temperature T1, the position of the water inlet 15 is adjusted downwards by the traction motor 131. When the water temperature continues to rise to the target temperature T2, the position of the water inlet 15 is adjusted downwards again by the traction motor 131. As the height of the water inlet 15 of the insulated hose continuously decreases, the volume of the circulation zone continuously increases, while the volume of the static zone continuously decreases. At this point, the larger effective volume will make the water tank exhibit the characteristics of a large water tank. Therefore, by adjusting the height of the water inlet 15, the water tank can dynamically allocate the volume of the circulation zone and the static zone, thereby changing the effective volume of the water tank.

[0048] In the above embodiment, preferably, the hot water storage tank modified from a traditional constant-volume hot water storage tank further includes a temperature sensor B16 installed at the top of the tank. The temperature sensor B16 is connected to a data acquisition module B17, which is connected to a signal output module B18, and the signal output module B18 is connected to the traction motor 131. When the detected temperature reaches the set value, the traction motor 131 is controlled to adjust the position of the water inlet 15 via signal output.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hot water storage tank, characterized in that, Includes a housing B (10), on which an inlet B (11) and an outlet B (12) are provided. The inlet B (11) is located on the side of the housing B (10), and the outlet B (12) is located below the inlet B (11). The inlet B (11) is connected to the output end of the solar collector. An integrated water tank cover (13) is located on top of the housing B (10). The integrated water tank cover (13) is composed of a traction motor (131), a rainproof and ventilated outer shell (132), and a traction line (133). An insulated hose (14) is provided inside the water tank. The insulated hose (14) has a water inlet (15). 14) The original outlet B (12) of the water tank is connected to the input end of the collector. The traction line (133) is connected to the suction port (15) of the heat-insulating hose (14). The traction line (133) drives the heat-insulating hose (14) to move up and down, thereby adjusting the vertical position of the suction port (15) of the heat-insulating hose (14) in the water tank. The area above the inlet B (11) of the hot water storage tank is set as the heat exchange zone, the area between the inlet B (11) and the suction port (15) is set as the circulation zone, and the area of ​​the water tank below the suction port (15) is set as the static zone. The heat exchange zone and the circulation zone are the effective volume area of ​​the water tank.

2. The hot water storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Temperature sensor B (16) is installed at the top of the hot water storage tank. Temperature sensor B (16) is connected to data acquisition module B (17). Data acquisition module B (17) is connected to signal output module B (18). Signal output module B (18) is connected to traction motor (131).

3. A method for controlling the effective volume of a hot water storage tank, used in the hot water storage tank of claim 2, characterized in that, The control method includes: at the beginning of heat collection, the water inlet (15) of the heat-insulating hose (14) is located at more than half the height of the water tank. At this time, the static area occupies more than half of the volume of the water tank, and the effective volume of the water tank is less than half of the actual volume. After the water temperature rises to the target temperature T1, the position of the water inlet (15) is adjusted downward by the traction motor (131). When the water temperature continues to rise to the target temperature T2, the position of the water inlet (15) is adjusted downward by the traction motor (131).

4. The method for controlling the effective volume of a hot water storage tank according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the temperature sensor B (16) detects that the temperature has reached the set value, the data acquisition module B (17) collects the temperature information and controls the traction motor (131) to adjust the position of the water inlet (15) through the signal output module B (18).

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