Energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for water heater

Abstract

The application discloses an energy-saving cold and hot water supply system for a water heater, which comprises a mixing valve body, a valve core, and a rotatable mixing valve handle. The mixing valve body is arranged in a three-way state, two openings of which are provided with and communicated with a hot water pipe and a cold water pipe, and the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe are detachably connected to the mixing valve body. The valve core is movably arranged in the mixing valve body, and the motion adjustment position is used to switch the three-way communication state of the mixing valve body. The mixing valve handle is arranged on the outside of the mixing valve body. The application changes the water outlet time by automatically changing the channel path of the mixing valve body, delays the water outlet by switching the channel path, and uses the time for the hot water to return to the water heater to perform transition. The hot water cannot flow out before being heated, so that the state of the valve can be changed to monitor the hot water, the temperature value of the circulating hot water is used to change and switch the discharging or recirculating state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hot and cold water supply technology, specifically to an energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for water heaters. Background Technology

[0002] Water heater supply refers to the process of heating cold water with a water heater and then transporting it to various points of use through pipes. A decentralized hot water supply system involves each user installing their own water heater to heat and supply water as needed. This method is suitable for small buildings or individual residences, offering flexibility and convenience, but its disadvantages include low energy efficiency and the need for users to purchase and maintain their own water heaters.

[0003] Currently, the hot water supply time of water heaters is determined by the length of the pipes. When the pipes are long, excess cold water inside the pipes needs to be drained before hot water can be supplied to the water outlet. This means that excess hot water needs to be drained from the pipes during use, resulting in a waste of cold water inside the pipes.

[0004] A zero-cold-water water heater is a type of water heater that provides hot water without the need for cold water to be discharged when the tap is turned on. It works by using a built-in or external circulation pump to draw back residual cold water from the hot water pipes, heat it, and then return it to the hot water pipes, ensuring that hot water is available as soon as the tap is turned on.

[0005] The main losses of zero-cold-water water heaters are as follows:

[0006] Gas consumption: Zero-cold-water water heaters require continuous heating and circulation even when hot water is not in use, which consumes a certain amount of gas. Electricity consumption: Zero-cold-water water heaters require a circulation pump to pump hot and cold water, which consumes a certain amount of electricity. Piping losses: Zero-cold-water water heaters require pre-installed return pipes or check valves (H-valve) to form a circulation loop, which increases the length and complexity of the piping, leading to pressure and temperature losses.

[0007] However, installing or replacing a zero-cold-water water heater requires re-laying the piping, which involves a significant amount of engineering work. Furthermore, when the zero-cold-water water heater is set to provide 24 / 7 water supply, gas consumption increases substantially. Therefore, a water supply system that can reduce both water heater losses and cold water consumption is needed to replace the zero-cold-water water heater. Summary of the Invention

[0008] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide an energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for water heaters, which reduces water heater losses while also reducing cold water consumption.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater, comprising:

[0010] The mixing valve body is configured as a three-way valve, with a hot water pipe and a cold water pipe installed at two of the openings and connected to the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe. Both the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe are connected to the mixing valve body.

[0011] The valve core is movably disposed inside the valve body of the mixing valve. The movement adjustment position forms the switching of the three-way connection state of the mixing valve body. A movable mixing valve handle is provided on the outside of the mixing valve body. The mixing valve handle extends into the mixing valve body. A positioning structure is provided between the mixing valve handle and the valve core to connect the valve core.

[0012] The temperature-sensitive deformable metal is located on one side of the mixing valve body and is coaxially arranged with the mixing valve body. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal has two states: expansion and contraction, depending on the temperature of the environment. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal expands when heated and contracts when cooled.

[0013] A connecting rod is located in the middle of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal and extends towards the valve core. An elastic element is provided between the connecting rod and the valve core to form a connection between the two. The connecting rod and the valve core form a compression on the elastic element side. A water pump is provided at the end of the connecting rod away from the elastic element. A control module for controlling the switching of the water pump is installed on the mixing valve body.

[0014] The monitoring system monitors the water temperature and pressure inside the mixing valve body and predicts the fatigue of temperature-sensitive deformable metals based on changes in water temperature and pressure.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned elastic element includes:

[0016] A return spring is located between the connecting rod and the valve core. The two ends of the return spring are respectively fixedly connected to the ends of the connecting rod and the valve core that are close to each other to form a pull between them.

[0017] A support spring is located at the end of the valve core away from the reset spring. The support spring is connected to the inner wall of the mixing valve body. A positioning ball is provided at the end of the support spring away from the mixing valve body. The positioning ball is connected to the support spring and extends into the positioning recess formed on the outside of the valve core.

[0018] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the valve body of the above-mentioned mixing valve is connected to the cold water pipe and the hot water pipe to form a cold water port and a hot water port. The cold water port and the hot water port are located at both ends of the valve core. An outlet is provided on the outer side of the middle part of the valve core. The outlet, the cold water port and the hot water port are in a three-way state. A water channel is formed on the outer side of the valve core away from the outlet. The valve core extends into the water channel and can block the water channel.

[0019] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the outer side of the aforementioned temperature-sensitive deformable metal is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mixing valve body. When heated, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal will push the connecting rod to move towards the valve core position. The control module includes: control switch one and control switch two. Both control switch one and control switch two are magnetic induction switches. Control switch one is located on the outer side of the connecting rod, and control switch two is located between the mixing valve body and the mixing valve handle.

[0020] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the positioning structure described above includes:

[0021] The handle protrusion is located at one end of the mixing valve handle that extends into the mixing valve body, and the valve core has a positioning groove corresponding to the handle protrusion. The length of the positioning groove is greater than that of the handle protrusion. When the mixing valve handle is rotated, the valve core is pushed to slide through the handle protrusion and the positioning groove.

[0022] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring system described above includes:

[0023] The temperature module, located at the hot water end of the mixing valve body, monitors the water temperature in the hot water pipe. A temperature recording module is set above the temperature module. The temperature recording module marks and records the temperature monitored by the temperature module, forming a mark of the node water temperature. The trend of water temperature change is obtained by using the change of node temperature over time.

[0024] The curve simulation module is located above the control module and monitors the start and stop times of the control module. The pressure module is set below the curve simulation module. The pressure module monitors the water pressure in the mixing valve. A monitoring module is set between the pressure module and the curve simulation module to detect the pressure changes of the pressure module and connect the pressure module and the curve simulation module.

[0025] The microprocessor is located above the curve simulation module, and the flow meter is set below the microprocessor to monitor the water flow in the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe.

[0026] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring system further includes:

[0027] The fatigue assessment module is used to assess and predict the metal fatigue of temperature-sensitive deformable metals by combining the pressure and temperature curves simulated by the curve simulation module with the SN curve of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal, and by using an assessment algorithm based on the metal SN curve in different environments.

[0028] The correction module determines the deformation of the temperature-sensitive metal based on the speed at which the water pump controls the flow rate of water from the hot water pipe into the cold water pipe when the mixing valve handle is in the hot water position, and corrects the result of the fatigue judgment module.

[0029] The time module, located below the microprocessor, is used to record the time interval between the opening and closing of the control module and the time interval between pressure changes. The microprocessor also has an alarm module, which can display the lifespan of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal through different color changes.

[0030] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned SN curve is represented by the Basquin formula: S a =A(N) f B, where S a It is the stress amplitude, N f This refers to fatigue life, where A and B are material constants. The simulation curve module uses the on / off time of the control module as nodes to plot temperature and pressure curves. The natural cooling curve of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal in water is shown below:

[0031] T = T0 + (T1 - T0)e -kt

[0032] Where T is the water temperature, T0 is the ambient temperature, T1 is the initial water temperature, k is a positive proportionality constant, and e -kt It is an exponential function, which means that the difference between water temperature and ambient temperature decreases exponentially with time. In other words, the closer the water temperature is to the ambient temperature, the smaller the difference becomes.

[0033] Formula for calculating the water temperature rise curve at the location of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal:

[0034]

[0035] Among them, the pipe length L, inner diameter D, and convective heat transfer coefficient h of the pipe wall are specified. w The ambient temperature T a and convective heat transfer coefficient h a The mass flow rate m1 and specific heat capacity c of the original warm water inside the pipe. p1 Density ρ1 and initial temperature T i1 The mass flow rate m2 and specific heat capacity c of the hot water injected at one end of the pipe. p2 Density ρ2 and initial temperature T i2 The mass m of the metal placed in the middle of the pipe m Specific heat capacity c pm Density p m Thermal conductivity k m and initial temperature T im .

[0036] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-described algorithm for determining metal SN curves in different environments includes the following steps:

[0037] Step 1: Based on the temperature change curve, determine the temperature of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal in each time period, and record it as ℃x;

[0038] Based on the stress-strain relationship of temperature-sensitive deformable metal at different temperatures (°C), the stress amplitude S experienced by the temperature-sensitive deformable metal in each time period is determined. a and mean stress S m ;

[0039] Step 3: Based on the SN curves of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal at different temperatures (°C), determine the fatigue life (N) that the temperature-sensitive deformable metal can withstand in each time period. f ;

[0040] Step 4: Determine the degree of surface damage suffered by the temperature-sensitive deformable metal in each time period based on the corrosion rate B of the metal in water.

[0041] Step 5: Correct the SN curve according to the degree of surface damage to obtain the actual fatigue life;

[0042] Step 6: Add up the fatigue life of each time period to obtain the total fatigue life.

[0043] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the turning point of the temperature change curve is determined by the opening and closing of control switch two and control switch one.

[0044] Beneficial effects

[0045] This invention provides an energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for water heaters. Compared with existing technologies, it has the following advantages:

[0046] 1. This invention automatically changes the water outlet time by altering the valve body channel path of the mixing valve. By switching the channel path and delaying the water outlet, it allows time for the hot water to return to the water heater for heating. The hot water will not flow out before it is heated, thus enabling the monitoring of hot water by changing the valve state. By using the temperature value of the circulating hot water, the discharge or recirculation state can be changed and switched. When the hot water is maintained at a certain temperature, the hot water pipe connected to the valve body can be connected to the cold water pipe to form a water supply. This can be directly used in ordinary water heaters, avoiding the consumption of zero-cold-water water heaters and the cold water loss caused by the discharge of cold water when using hot water in ordinary water heaters.

[0047] 2. This invention utilizes a temperature-sensitive deformable metal that can deform according to different temperature ranges. During use, it can detect the internal water temperature of the hot water pipe and control the opening and closing of the water pump by using changes in water temperature. When the water temperature is low, the water pump can circulate the water inside the hot water pipe, and when the water temperature is high, the water pump is in a closed state and water is discharged normally.

[0048] 3. This invention detects the temperature change curve and pressure change curve inside the valve, and determines the metal fatigue of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal based on the SN curve of the metal. This allows for a warning when the fatigue deformation of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal affects normal use, and the metal can be replaced to ensure the circulation effect of hot water.

[0049] 4. When in use, this invention detects the flow rate of both hot and cold water pipes to determine the most suitable temperature range for the user. Within this temperature range, it can selectively heat the hot water inside the hot water pipe based on the different temperatures inside the pipe, thereby further saving energy consumed by the water heater. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 This is a plan view of the internal structure of the mixing valve body of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 2 This is a side view of the internal structure of the mixing valve body of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal working state of the mixing valve body when the mixing valve handle is turned on, wherein: a) is a schematic diagram of the internal working state of the mixing valve body when the mixing valve handle is in the middle warm water position and the hot water reaches the set stable position; b) is a schematic diagram of the internal working state of the mixing valve body when the mixing valve handle is in the hot water position and the hot water reaches the set stable position; c) is a schematic diagram of the internal working state of the mixing valve body when the mixing valve handle is in the middle warm water position and the hot water has not reached the set stable position; d) is a schematic diagram of the internal working state of the mixing valve body when the mixing valve handle is in the cold water position.

[0053] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the monitoring system of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 5 This is a logic diagram of the water outlet of the mixing valve body of the present invention.

[0055] In the diagram: 10 Mixing valve body, 11 Water pump, 12 Control module, 13 Water channel, 14 Temperature-sensitive deformable metal, 15 Mixing valve handle, 16 Valve core, 17 Connecting rod, 18 Positioning structure;

[0056] 21 Cold water pipe, 22 Hot water pipe, 23 Water outlet;

[0057] 121 Control Switch I, 122 Control Switch II, 131 Hot Water Inlet, 132 Cold Water Inlet, 181 Positioning Groove, 182 Handle Protrusion, 191 Return Spring, 192 Support Spring, 193 Positioning Ball, 194 Positioning Recess. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The following describes several embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details are not intended to limit the invention. That is, in some embodiments of the invention, these practical details are not essential. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in the drawings in a simple schematic manner, and in all drawings, the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or similar elements. And, where feasible, features of different embodiments can be interchanged.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have their ordinary meanings, which are understandable to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the definitions of the foregoing terms in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted in the context of this specification as having the meaning consistent with the relevant field of this invention. Unless specifically defined, these terms will not be construed as having idealized or overly formal meanings.

[0060] Please see Figure 1-5 This invention provides an energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater. The method can achieve water and energy saving by controlling the valve position during use. During use, it can detect the temperature of the hot water inside the hot water pipe 22 and use the detection of the hot water temperature to determine whether hot water circulation is needed.

[0061] include:

[0062] The mixing valve body 10 is configured as a three-way valve, with a hot water pipe 22 and a cold water pipe 21 installed at two openings and connected to the hot water pipe 22 and the cold water pipe 21. Both the hot water pipe 22 and the cold water pipe 21 can be detachably connected to the mixing valve body 10.

[0063] The valve core 16 is movably disposed inside the valve body 10 of the mixing valve. The valve core 16 can switch the three-way connection state of the valve body 10 by sliding or rotating to adjust its position. A movable mixing valve handle 15 is provided on the outside of the mixing valve body 10. The mixing valve handle 15 extends into the mixing valve body 10. A positioning structure 18 is provided between the mixing valve handle 15 and the valve core 16 to connect the valve core 16. The mixing valve handle 15 controls the movement of the valve core 16 through the positioning structure 18.

[0064] The temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is located on one side of the mixing valve body 10 and is coaxially arranged with the mixing valve body 10. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 has two states: expansion and contraction, depending on the temperature of the environment. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 expands when heated and contracts when cooled.

[0065] A connecting rod 17 is located in the middle of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 and extends toward the valve core 16. An elastic element is provided between the connecting rod 17 and the valve core 16 to form a connection between the two. The connecting rod 17 and the valve core 16 form a compression on the elastic element side. A water pump 11 is provided at the end of the connecting rod 17 away from the elastic element. A control module 12 for controlling the switching of the water pump 11 is installed on the mixing valve body 10.

[0066] The monitoring system monitors the water temperature and pressure inside the mixing valve body 10 and predicts the metal fatigue of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 based on changes in water temperature and pressure.

[0067] In this embodiment, the three-way states of the mixing valve body 10 are cold water, hot water and outlet position, respectively, with the outlet position being the middle. The valve core 16 inside the mixing valve body 10 can change the connection state of cold water, hot water and outlet position by sliding and changing its position, so as to achieve the purpose of cold water supply, hot water supply and mixed supply. The position of the valve core 16 is controlled by the mixing valve handle 15.

[0068] The temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 can change to different degrees according to the water temperature during use, thereby changing the position of the connecting rod 17. The change in the position of the connecting rod 17 can pull the elastic element, causing the length of the elastic element to change. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal can adopt a simple bimetallic sheet structure or a diaphragm structure, with corresponding holes opened on the diaphragm to allow hot water to flow.

[0069] This invention does not limit the shape of the valve core and the valve body of the mixing valve. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments according to the different types of valves used. Depending on the type of valve, the movement mode of the internal valve core will also change with the change of valve type.

[0070] In one embodiment, the elastic element includes:

[0071] The return spring 191 is located between the connecting rod 17 and the valve core 16. The two ends of the return spring 191 are respectively fixedly connected to the end of the connecting rod 17 and the valve core 16 that are close to each other to form a pull between them.

[0072] A support spring 192 is located at the end of the valve core 16 away from the return spring 191. The support spring 192 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mixing valve body 10. A positioning ball 193 is provided at the end of the support spring 192 away from the mixing valve body 10. The positioning ball 193 is fixedly connected to the support spring 192 and extends into the positioning recess 194 formed on the outside of the valve core 16.

[0073] In this embodiment, the reset spring 191 is configured to ensure the position between the connecting rod 17 and the valve core 16. At the same time, the movement of the connecting rod 17 can restrict one end of the reset spring 191, so that the valve core 16 receives different elastic forces. The position of the valve core 16 can be adjusted by using the change in elastic force.

[0074] The valve core 16 has a recess that can cooperate with the positioning ball 193. The cooperation between the positioning ball 193 and the valve core 16 can position the valve core 16 and ensure the stability of the valve core 16.

[0075] In one embodiment, the valve body 10 of the mixing valve is connected to the cold water pipe 21 and the hot water pipe 22 to form a cold water port 132 and a hot water port 131. The cold water port 132 and the hot water port 131 are located at both ends of the valve core 16. The valve core 16 has an outlet 23 on the outer side of the middle part. The outlet 23, the cold water port 132 and the hot water port 131 are in a three-way state. The valve core 16 forms a water channel 13 on the outer side of the end away from the outlet 23. The valve core 16 extends into the water channel 13 and can block the water channel 13.

[0076] In this embodiment, the hot water inlet 131 and the cold water inlet 132 are mixed and connected at the water channel 13. Changing the position of the valve core 16 can change the ratio of cold water and hot water entering the water channel 13 from the cold water inlet 132 and the hot water inlet 131. The outlet temperature of the mixed hot and cold water is controlled according to the different positions of the valve core 16.

[0077] The positioning ball 193 is used to position the valve core 16 in the middle of the mixing valve body 10.

[0078] When the valve core 16 is in the middle position, the hot water port 131 inside the mixing valve body 10 is connected to the cold water port 132, and the outlet 23 is blocked by the valve core 16, so no water flows out.

[0079] As the valve core 16 gradually moves to the left, the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the hot water inlet 131 gradually decreases, while the cold water inlet 132 and the outlet 23 gradually increase. When it reaches the leftmost position, the hot water inlet 131 is completely closed, and the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the cold water inlet 132 and the outlet 23 reaches its maximum.

[0080] When the valve core 16 moves to the right, the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the hot water inlet 131 and the outlet 23 becomes larger and larger, while the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the cold water inlet 132 becomes smaller and smaller.

[0081] In one embodiment, the outer side of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mixing valve body 10. When heated, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 pushes the connecting rod 17 to move towards the valve core 16. The control module 12 includes a control switch 121 and a control switch 122. Both control switch 121 and control switch 122 are magnetic induction switches. Control switch 121 is located on the outer side of the connecting rod 17, and control switch 122 is located between the mixing valve body 10 and the mixing valve handle 15.

[0082] In this embodiment, control switch 121 is fixed to the inner wall of the mixing valve body 10, and its magnetic structure is fixed to the outside of the connecting rod 17 and moves synchronously with the connecting rod 17. When the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is in the contracted state, control switch 121 is in the open state. Control switch 122 is fixed to the inside of the mixing valve body 10, and its magnetic structure is fixed to the inside of the magnetic valve handle and moves synchronously with the handle. The magnetic sensing range of control switch 122 is the state where the mixing valve handle 15 is in the warm water and hot water positions and is open. Other states are not within the magnetic sensing range of control switch 122. That is, when the mixing valve handle 15 is open in the hot water and warm water range, control switch 122 is in the open state.

[0083] Among them, the resistance of the mixing valve handle 15 is greater than the elastic force of the return spring 191, the elastic force of the return spring 191 is greater than the sliding resistance of the valve core 16, and less than the critical value of the positioning ball 193. The deformation stress of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is greater than the critical value of the positioning ball 193. After the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 heats up and deforms, it pushes and compresses the return spring 191 until the compression stroke reaches its maximum value, which pushes the valve core 16 to the right and pushes the positioning ball 193 out of the socket of the positioning ball 193. At this time, the return spring 191 releases the compression force and quickly pushes the valve core 16 to the rightmost end.

[0084] In one embodiment, the positioning structure 18 includes:

[0085] The handle protrusion 182 is located at one end of the mixing valve handle 15 extending into the mixing valve body 10, and the valve core 16 has a positioning groove 181 corresponding to the handle protrusion 182. The length of the positioning groove 181 is greater than that of the handle protrusion 182. When the mixing valve handle 15 rotates, it pushes the valve core 16 to slide through the handle protrusion 182 and the positioning groove 181.

[0086] In this embodiment, the handle protrusion 182 can slide inside the positioning groove 181 without causing the valve core 16 to move. When the handle protrusion 182 slides to one end of the positioning groove 181, the mixing valve handle 15 continues to swing, causing the positioning protrusion to slide and pushing the valve core 16 to slide.

[0087] The positioning groove 181 on the valve core 16 cooperates with the positioning protrusion on the mixing valve handle 15 to restrict the position of the valve core 16.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the elastic force of the return spring 191 can freely push the valve core 16 back to the middle position, but it cannot overcome the natural friction force after the mixing valve handle 15 is twisted. When the mixing valve handle 15 turns to the cold water position, it drives the valve core 16 to move to the left, and at the same time the return spring 191 is compressed. When the mixing valve handle 15 is rotated to the middle position, the valve core 16 is pushed to the middle position under the thrust of the return spring 191. When the mixing valve handle 15 is rotated to the hot water position, the handle protrusion 182 slides to the right side in the positioning groove 181, and the valve core 16 is still in the middle position.

[0089] When the water temperature in the hot water inlet 131 is lower than the set value, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is in a contracted state. When the water temperature reaches the set value, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is in an expanded state. When the mixing valve handle 15 is lifted at the hot water position, the control switch 122 is turned on. If the water temperature is lower than the set temperature at this time, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is in a contracted state, the corresponding connecting rod 17 is in the left position, the control switch 121 is also turned on, the water pump 11 is activated and starts working, driving the water in the hot water pipe 22 to flow to the cold water pipe 21, and the water heater operates. After heating the water inside, it is driven into the hot water pipe 22 and enters the hot water outlet 131. The heat energy is conducted to the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14. After reaching the set temperature, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 expands, pushing the return spring 191 and the connecting rod 17. The compression of the return spring 191 overcomes the resistance of the positioning ball 193, instantly moving the valve core 16 to the rightmost position. At this time, the connecting rod is pushed to the right position and the control switch 121 is disconnected, blocking the cold water outlet 132. At this time, the hot water outlet 131 is directly connected to the water outlet 23, and hot water flows out.

[0090] After using hot water, close the mixing valve handle 15 to the middle position to stop the water flow. As the water temperature in the hot water outlet 131 gradually drops below the set temperature, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 begins to contract, causing the connecting rod 17 and the return spring 191 to move to the left to the initial position to await the next start-up.

[0091] When the mixing valve handle 15 is rotated to the cold water position, the handle protrusion 182 is at the leftmost position of the positioning groove 181, so it drives the valve core 16 to compress the return spring 191 and move to the left. The cold water port 132 is connected to the water outlet 23, and cold water flows out.

[0092] The water pump 11 requires the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 to be below the set temperature and the mixing valve handle 15 to be in the raised state. When the mixing valve handle 15 is in the cold water position, the control switch 122 cannot be magnetically sensed, so the control switch 122 is in the closed state.

[0093] When the mixing valve handle 15 is lifted in the middle, the valve core 16 is in the middle position. There is a small amount of travel on the left side between the positioning groove 181 and the positioning protrusion on the valve core 16. The control switch 122 set at the position of the mixing valve handle 15 and the control switch 121 set at the position of the connecting rod 17 are both in the on state. The water pump 11 starts to work, starting circulation and heating. When the temperature reaches the set value, as described above, the valve core 16 moves to the right. However, because the travel between the positioning groove 181 and the positioning protrusion is limited, the cold water pipe 21 cannot be completely closed. Therefore, the cold water in the cold water pipe 21 and the hot water in the hot water pipe 22 mix and flow out as warm water from the outlet 23.

[0094] When the mixing valve handle 15 is lifted to the right cold water position, the positioning protrusion on the handle reaches the leftmost position in the positioning groove 181 and is restricted, thus pushing the valve core 16 to move to the leftmost position. At this time, the valve core 16 closes the hot water passage and opens the cold water passage. The cold water pipe 21 is connected to the outlet 23, and cold water is discharged.

[0095] In another embodiment, when the mixing valve handle 15 is lifted, the outlet 23 passage is opened, and the cold water pipe 21 and the hot water pipe 22 passages are opened simultaneously. When closed, the outlet 23 passage is cut off, and the cold water pipe 21 and the hot water pipe 22 passages are cut off simultaneously. When the valve core 16 is in the middle position, the cold water pipe 21, the hot water pipe 22 and the outlet 23 passages are cut off, while the cold water pipe 21 and the hot water pipe 22 are connected. When the valve core 16 is on the left side, the cold water pipe 21 and the outlet 23 passages are opened. When the valve core 16 is on the right side, the hot water pipe 22 and the outlet 23 passages are opened. To achieve the above functions, it is only necessary to make simple holes at the corresponding positions between the valve core 16 and the valve core 16 wall.

[0096] Among them, the valve core 16 has axial translation and rotation around the axis, and can also be divided into two control handles to control the switch and the hot and cold respectively.

[0097] In one embodiment, the monitoring system includes:

[0098] The temperature module is located at the hot water end of the mixing valve body 10 to monitor the water temperature of the hot water pipe 22. The temperature module is equipped with a temperature recording module, which marks and records the temperature monitored by the temperature module.

[0099] The curve simulation module is located above the control module 12 and monitors the start and stop times of the control module 12. The lower level of the curve simulation module is a pressure module that monitors the water pressure in the mixing valve. A monitoring module is set between the pressure module and the curve simulation module to detect the pressure changes of the pressure module and connect the pressure module and the curve simulation module.

[0100] The microprocessor is located above the curve simulation module, and the flow meter is set below the microprocessor. The flow meter monitors the water flow of the hot water pipe 22 and the cold water pipe 21.

[0101] In this embodiment, a temperature module and a temperature recording module are used to sense changes in the internal water temperature of the hot water pipe 22. This, combined with the start and stop times of the control module 12, forms a monitoring mechanism for water temperature changes. A pressure module and a monitoring module are used to sense changes in the internal pressure of the mixing valve body 10 when the outlet 23 is in the open and closed states. A flow meter is used to detect the ratio of hot water to cold water in the hot water pipe 22 and the cold water pipe 21 when the outlet 23 is open.

[0102] The temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is located inside the hot water pipe 22. The water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 and the pressure inside the mixing valve body 10 will affect the metal fatigue of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14, i.e., the environment in which the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is located. The SN curve of the metal material can reflect the fatigue performance of the material under different stress levels. Since the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 needs to be deformed frequently at different temperatures, it is extremely important to ensure the fatigue performance of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14. Ambient temperature and pressure are both factors affecting the SN curve.

[0103] The water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 changes in three stages. In the first stage, when the outlet 23 is closed or the cold water pipe 21 is only connected to the outlet 23, the temperature of the hot water inside the hot water pipe 22 slowly decreases over time. In the second stage, when the outlet 23 is open with the mixing valve handle 15 in the hot or warm water position, the water temperature is insufficient, and the hot water inside the hot water pipe 22 enters the cold water pipe 21, causing the hot water pipe 22 to heat up rapidly. In the third stage, the hot water pipe 22 maintains the hot water temperature until the outlet 23 is closed. Therefore, it can be concluded that when the mixing valve body 10 is not open or only cold water is used, the water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 will continuously decrease, and the cooling time and cooling rate will not change significantly. When the mixing valve handle 15 is open with the hot or warm water position, the temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 rises or hot water continuously flows out of the hot water pipe 22, and then the temperature rises again, and then the temperature remains until the mixing valve handle 15 is closed. When the mixing valve handle 15 is closed, the temperature begins to drop.

[0104] Secondly, the pressure inside the mixing valve body 10 changes with the opening and closing of the mixing valve handle 15. In the first case, when the mixing valve handle 15 is closed or open in the cold water position, the pressure inside the hot water pipe 22 remains unchanged, so the position of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 cannot be affected. When the mixing valve handle 15 is open in the hot or warm water position, the pressure at the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 decreases. At the same time, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 will bear the impact force of the water flow in the hot water pipe 22. Afterwards, when the mixing valve handle 15 is closed or adjusted to the cold water position, the pressure rises and then remains stable. When the mixing valve handle 15 is opened and closed, negative water hammer and positive water hammer will be generated at the two ends before and after the pressure change stage, respectively, affecting the pressure.

[0105] In one embodiment, the monitoring system further includes:

[0106] The fatigue determination module is used to determine and predict the metal fatigue of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 by combining the pressure curve and temperature curve simulated by the curve simulation module with the SN curve of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 through a determination algorithm based on the metal SN curve in different environments.

[0107] The correction module determines the deformation of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 based on the speed at which the water pump 11 controls the flow rate of water from the hot water pipe 22 into the cold water pipe 21 when the mixing valve handle 15 is in the hot water position, and corrects the deformation based on the determination result of the fatigue judgment module.

[0108] The time module, located below the microprocessor, is used to record the time interval between the opening and closing of the control module 12 and the time interval between pressure changes. The microprocessor also has an alarm module, which can display the lifespan of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 by changing different colors.

[0109] In this embodiment, the time module serves as the benchmark for time judgment. When the control module 12 is turned on, the time module will mark the time and record the time from when the control module 12 is turned on to when the control module 12 is turned off. During this time, the temperature and pressure will change significantly. The time from when the control module 12 is turned off to when the control module 12 is turned on again is also recorded. During this time, the temperature and pressure change relatively steadily.

[0110] The calibration state of the calibration module is as follows: the mixing valve handle 15 is in the hot water position, and at the same time, the hot water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 cannot reach the temperature that causes the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 to expand. The water pump 11 is started, and when the water inside the hot water pipe 22 enters the cold water pipe 21, the flow meter detects the speed of the water flow inside the hot water pipe 22 to determine whether the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 has deformed.

[0111] In one embodiment, the SN curve is represented by the Basquin formula: S a =A(N) f B, where S a It is the stress amplitude, which is half the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the cyclic stress, in N. f Fatigue life is the number of stress cycles a material can withstand under a given stress amplitude. A and B are material constants that reflect the material's fatigue performance. A is often taken as the material's tensile strength (ultimate tensile strength), while B is usually a negative number, indicating that the stress amplitude decreases as the fatigue life increases. The graphical representation of the Basquin formula is the SN curve, which is a descending curve, indicating that under the same stress amplitude, the more cycles a material can withstand, the longer its fatigue life.

[0112] The simulation curve module uses the on / off times of control module 12 as nodes to plot temperature and pressure curves. The natural cooling curve of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is as follows:

[0113] T = T0 + (T1 - T0)e -kt

[0114] Where T is the water temperature, a function of time t, meaning the water temperature changes over time; T0 is the ambient temperature, a constant, meaning the ambient temperature does not change over time; T1 is the initial water temperature, also a constant, representing the temperature at which the water begins to cool; k is a positive proportionality constant, depending on factors such as the shape, mass, and thermal conductivity of the pipe, reflecting the heat transfer rate between the water and the environment; that is, the larger k is, the faster the water cools, and the smaller k is, the slower the water cools. -kt It is an exponential function, which means that the difference between water temperature and ambient temperature decreases exponentially with time. In other words, the closer the water temperature is to the ambient temperature, the smaller the difference becomes.

[0115] Formula for calculating the water temperature rise curve at position 14 of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal:

[0116]

[0117] Among them, the pipe length L, inner diameter D, and convective heat transfer coefficient h of the pipe wall are specified. w The ambient temperature T a and convective heat transfer coefficient h a The mass flow rate m1 and specific heat capacity c of the original warm water inside the pipe. p1 Density p1 and initial temperature T i1 The mass flow rate m2 and specific heat capacity c of the hot water injected at one end of the pipe. p2 Density p2 and initial temperature Ti2 The mass m of the metal placed in the middle of the pipe m Specific heat capacity c pm Density ρ m Thermal conductivity k m and initial temperature T im .

[0118] In this embodiment, the simulation curve module simulates the fluctuation of water temperature and can obtain the temperature of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14. The change of the temperature curve is substituted into the SN curve, so that the metal fatigue can be determined by the change of the temperature curve, and thus the fatigue of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 inside the mixing valve body 10 can be determined.

[0119] In one embodiment, the algorithm for determining metal SN curves in different environments includes the following steps:

[0120] Step 1: Based on the temperature change curve, determine the temperature of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 in each time period, and record it as ℃x;

[0121] Step 2: Based on the stress-strain relationship of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 at different temperatures (°C), determine the stress amplitude S borne by the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 in each time period. a and mean stress S m ;

[0122] Step 3: Based on the SN curves of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 at different temperatures (°C), determine the fatigue life N that the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 can withstand in each time period. f ;

[0123] Step 4: Determine the degree of surface damage suffered by the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 in each time period based on the corrosion rate B of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 in water.

[0124] Step 5: Correct the SN curve according to the degree of surface damage to obtain the actual fatigue life;

[0125] Step 6: Add up the fatigue life of each time period to obtain the total fatigue life.

[0126] In this embodiment,

[0127] Stress amplitude:

[0128] Mean stress:

[0129] Among them, S max and S min These represent the maximum and minimum stresses of the material during that time period.

[0130] The corrosion rate B is calculated based on the change in depth of the metal sample after immersion in water for a certain period of time, with units of mm / a. The basic formula is as follows:

[0131]

[0132] B is the corrosion rate, measured in mm / a, which represents the average corrosion depth of the metal per unit time.

[0133] ρ is the density of a metal, with units of g / cm^3, representing the mass of metal per unit volume.

[0134] v is the corrosion rate calculated by weight, with units of g / (m^2*h), representing the change in metal weight per unit area per unit time.

[0135] w0 is the original weight of the sample, in grams, representing the mass of the metal before the test.

[0136] w1 is the weight of the sample after the product is removed, in grams, representing the mass of metal after the corrosion products are removed following the test.

[0137] A is the sample area, in m^2, representing the surface area of ​​the metal.

[0138] t is the test period, in hours, representing the duration of the test.

[0139] The coefficients 100×100365×24×10 in the formula are used to convert units to mm / a. Here, 365 represents that there are 365 days in a year, 24 represents that there are 24 hours in a day, 10 represents that 1 centimeter equals 10 millimeters, and 100 represents that 1 square meter equals 10,000 square centimeters.

[0140] In one embodiment, the turning point of the temperature change curve is determined by the opening and closing of control switch 2 122 and control switch 1 121.

[0141] In this embodiment, control switch 2 122 is closed and control switch 1 121 is closed. At this time, the water outlet 23 is either in a cold water outlet state or in a closed state. At this time, the water temperature at the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 is continuously decreasing. During the process of water temperature decreasing, due to the contraction of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14, control switch 1 121 will be opened.

[0142] When control switch 122 is turned on and control switch 121 is turned off, the position of the mixing valve handle 15 is either warm water or hot water. When control switch 121 is turned off, it means that the water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 has reached the specified temperature or above, the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 is in an expanded state, and the outlet 23 continuously outputs hot water.

[0143] When control switch 122 is turned on and control switch 121 is turned on, the hot water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 has not reached the specified temperature, and the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 contracts. At this time, the water pump 11 is turned on and the outlet 23 is closed. When the hot water inside the water heater enters the hot water pipe 22, the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 expands and the outlet 23 opens to release hot water.

[0144] In summary, the technical solutions disclosed in the above embodiments of the present invention have at least the following advantages:

[0145] 1. This invention changes the water outlet time of the mixing valve body 10, using the delayed water outlet to allow time for the hot water to return to the water heater for heating. The hot water will not flow out before it is heated, thus allowing the monitoring of the hot water by changing the valve state. When the hot water is maintained at a certain temperature, the hot water pipe 22 connected to the valve body can be connected to the cold water pipe 21 to form a water supply, which can be directly used in ordinary water heaters. During use, it avoids the consumption of zero cold water water heaters and the problem of cold water loss caused by the discharge of cold water when using hot water in ordinary water heaters.

[0146] 2. The present invention utilizes a temperature-sensitive deformable metal 14 that can deform according to different temperature ranges. During use, it can detect the water temperature inside the hot water pipe 22 and use the water temperature change to control the opening and closing of the water pump 11. When the water temperature is low, the water pump 11 can circulate the water inside the hot water pipe 22. When the water temperature is high, the water pump 11 is in the closed state and water is discharged normally.

[0147] 3. This invention detects the temperature change curve and pressure change curve inside the valve, and determines the metal fatigue of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 based on the SN curve of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14. This allows for a warning when the fatigue deformation of the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 affects normal use, and the temperature-sensitive deformation metal 14 can be replaced to ensure the circulation effect of hot water.

[0148] 4. In use, this invention detects the flow rates of the hot water pipe 22 and the cold water pipe 21 to determine a suitable temperature range for the user. Within this range, the hot water inside the hot water pipe 22 can be selectively heated based on its internal temperature, thereby further saving energy consumed by the water heater.

[0149] Although the present invention has been disclosed in conjunction with the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for water heaters, characterized in that, include: The mixing valve body is configured as a three-way valve, with a hot water pipe and a cold water pipe installed at two of the openings and connected to the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe. Both the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe are connected to the mixing valve body. The valve core is movably disposed inside the valve body of the mixing valve. The movement adjustment position forms the switching of the three-way connection state of the mixing valve body. A movable mixing valve handle is provided on the outside of the mixing valve body. The mixing valve handle extends into the mixing valve body. A positioning structure is provided between the mixing valve handle and the valve core to connect the valve core. A temperature-sensitive deformable metal is located on one side of the mixing valve body and is coaxially arranged with the mixing valve body. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal has two states: expansion and contraction, depending on the temperature of the environment. The temperature-sensitive deformable metal expands when heated and contracts when cooled. The outer side of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mixing valve body. A connecting rod is located in the middle of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal and extends towards the valve core. An elastic element is provided between the connecting rod and the valve core to form a connection between the two, and the connecting rod and the valve core form a side compression against the elastic element. A water pump is provided at the end of the connecting rod away from the elastic element. A control module for controlling the switching of the water pump is installed on the mixing valve body. The control module includes a control switch one and a control switch two. Both control switches one and two are magnetic induction switches. Control switch one is located on the outside of the connecting rod, and control switch two is located between the mixing valve body and the mixing valve handle. The elastic element includes a return spring and a support spring. The return spring is located between the connecting rod and the valve core. The two ends of the return spring are respectively connected to the ends of the connecting rod and the valve core that are close to each other to form a pull between them. The support spring is located at the end of the valve core away from the reset spring. The support spring is connected to the inner wall of the mixing valve body. A positioning ball is provided at the end of the support spring away from the mixing valve body. The positioning ball is connected to the support spring and extends into the positioning recess formed on the outside of the valve core. The monitoring system monitors the water temperature and pressure inside the mixing valve body and predicts the fatigue of temperature-sensitive deformable metals based on changes in water temperature and pressure.

2. The energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body of the mixing valve is connected to the cold water pipe and the hot water pipe to form a cold water port and a hot water port. The cold water port and the hot water port are located at both ends of the valve core. The outlet is set on the outer side of the middle part of the valve core. The outlet, cold water port and hot water port are in a three-way state. The valve core forms a water channel on the outer side away from the outlet. The valve core extends into the water channel and can block the water channel.

3. The energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, When heated, the temperature-sensitive deformable metal pushes the connecting rod toward the valve core.

4. An energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 3, characterized in that, The positioning structure includes: The handle protrusion is located at one end of the mixing valve handle that extends into the mixing valve body, and the valve core has a positioning groove corresponding to the handle protrusion. The length of the positioning groove is greater than that of the handle protrusion. When the mixing valve handle is rotated, the valve core is pushed to slide through the handle protrusion and the positioning groove.

5. An energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The monitoring system includes: The temperature module, located at the hot water end of the mixing valve body, monitors the temperature of the hot water pipe. A temperature recording module is set above the temperature module, which marks and records the temperature monitored by the temperature module. The curve simulation module is located above the control module and monitors the start and stop times of the control module. The pressure module is set below the curve simulation module. The pressure module monitors the water pressure in the mixing valve. A monitoring module is set between the pressure module and the curve simulation module to detect the pressure changes of the pressure module and connect the pressure module and the curve simulation module. The microprocessor is located above the curve simulation module, and the flow meter is set below the microprocessor to monitor the water flow in the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe.

6. An energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 5, characterized in that, The monitoring system also includes: The fatigue assessment module is used to assess and predict the metal fatigue of temperature-sensitive deformable metals by combining the pressure curve and temperature change curve simulated by the curve simulation module with the SN curve of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal, and by using an assessment algorithm based on the metal SN curve in different environments. The correction module determines the deformation of the temperature-sensitive metal based on the speed at which the water pump controls the flow rate of water from the hot water pipe into the cold water pipe when the mixing valve handle is in the hot water position, and corrects the result of the fatigue judgment module. The time module, located below the microprocessor, is used to record the time interval between the opening and closing of the control module and the time interval between pressure changes. The microprocessor also has an alarm module, which can display the lifespan of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal through different color changes.

7. An energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 6, characterized in that, The algorithm for determining metal SN curves in different environments includes the following steps: Step 1: Based on the temperature change curve, determine the temperature of the temperature-sensitive deformable metal in each time period, and denote it as . ; Step 2: Based on the temperature-sensitive deformation of metals at different temperatures The stress-strain relationship is used to determine the stress amplitude experienced by the temperature-sensitive deformable metal in each time period. and average stress ; Step 3: Based on the temperature-sensitive deformation of the metal at different temperatures The SN curves below determine the fatigue life that the temperature-sensitive deformable metal can withstand in each time period. ; Step 4: Determine the degree of surface damage suffered by the temperature-sensitive deformable metal in each time period based on the corrosion rate B of the metal in water. Step 5: Correct the SN curve according to the degree of surface damage to obtain the actual fatigue life; Step 6: Add up the fatigue life of each time period to obtain the total fatigue life.

8. An energy-saving hot and cold water supply system for a water heater according to claim 7, characterized in that, The turning points of the temperature change curve are determined by the opening and closing of control switch 2 and control switch 1.

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