Water heater inner container and phase change water heater

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a water heater inner container and a phase change water heater. The water heater inner container comprises a shell filled with phase change materials. The heat exchange tube is used for circulating water to be heated, and the water to be heated exchanges heat with the phase change material through the heat exchange tube; the first fins are arranged in the shell and make contact with the phase change materials, and the heat exchange pipes penetrate through the first fins; at least part of the heating device extends into the shell to heat the phase change material; at least part of the first fins penetrate through the heating device; a heat conduction structure is arranged on the surface of the heating device and extends into the phase change material to transfer heat of the heating device to the phase change material. By arranging the first fins and the heat conduction structure, heat energy generated by the heating device can be transmitted to the phase-change material more quickly and more uniformly, the heat cannot be accumulated on the outer surface of the heating device to cause dehydration failure of the phase-change material in contact with the heating device, and the effectiveness of the phase-change material is ensured; meanwhile, heat exchange efficiency is improved, and heating time is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this specification relate to the technical field of water heater inner tanks, and in particular to a water heater inner tank and a phase change water heater. Background Art

[0002] Affected by the size of the user's bathroom and the installation environment, the volume of the commonly used electric water heater tank is generally no more than 100L. For example, the more common household electric water heaters sold on the market are 60L electric water heaters. However, the ability of electric water heaters with the above capacity to supply hot water is limited. Especially in winter, users generally have problems with insufficient hot water or long heating time when bathing.

[0003] In addition to the water storage heating method, some existing water heaters also use heat exchange tubes and phase change materials to heat water. The working principle is: the circulation pump drives the hot water to circulate in the heat exchange tube, and the hot water exchanges heat with the phase change material, so that the phase change material absorbs heat and stores energy; when hot water is needed, the phase change material uses the stored energy to heat the cold water flowing in the heat exchange tube. However, in the existing water heaters that use heat exchange and energy storage, in the initial stage of heating, because the phase change material is solid and has poor thermal conductivity, there is a problem of heat accumulation due to local heating during heating, causing the phase change material to overheat and fail. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems in the prior art, the purpose of the embodiments of this specification is to provide a water heater tank and a phase change water heater to solve the problem that the phase change material in the heat exchange storage water heater in the prior art is prone to over-temperature failure due to local heating during heating.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the specific technical solutions of the embodiments of this specification are as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, the embodiments of this specification provide a water heater tank, including:

[0007] A shell, wherein the interior of the shell is filled with a phase change material;

[0008] a heat exchange tube, wherein the water to be heated flows through the heat exchange tube, and the water to be heated exchanges heat with the phase change material in the shell through the heat exchange tube;

[0009] A plurality of first fins, wherein the first fins are arranged in the shell and in contact with the phase change material, and the heat exchange tubes pass through the first fins;

[0010] a heating device, wherein at least a portion of the heating device extends into the shell to heat the phase change material in the shell;

[0011] The heating device is provided with at least a portion of the first fins;

[0012] The surface of the heating device is provided with a heat-conducting structure, and the heat-conducting structure extends into the phase-change material to transfer the heat of the heating device to the phase-change material.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the heating device comprises a heating element and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve at least partially extends into the interior of the shell, the heating element extends into the interior of the sleeve, and the heat-conducting structure is arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the heat conducting structure includes a second fin.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the second fin has a through hole, the heating device is inserted into the through hole, and the outer surface of the heating device contacts the edge of the through hole.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the second fins are arranged on the outer surface of the heating device along the length direction of the heating device.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the second fin is annular, the inner edge of the second fin contacts the outer surface of the heating device, the distance between the outer edge and the inner edge of the second fin is 5-25 mm, and the axial thickness of the second fin is 0.1-3 mm.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the distance between adjacent first fins is 3-8 mm.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the heat conducting structure is disposed between at least some of the adjacent first fins.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the heat conducting structure and the first fins are arranged alternately in sequence.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the second fins and the first fins are arranged alternately in sequence.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, a vertical distance between an outer edge of the first fin and the surface of the heating device is greater than a vertical distance between an outer edge of the second fin and the surface of the heating device.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the surface area of ​​the first fin is greater than the surface area of ​​the second fin.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the edge of the through hole of the second fin is provided with a flange, the heating device is fixedly connected to the second fin with the flange by means of expansion tube, and / or the second fin is welded and fixed to the heating device via the flange.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the second fins extend along the length direction of the heating device and are arranged at intervals on the outer surface of the heating device.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, there are a plurality of second fins, and the plurality of second fins are arranged on the outer surface of the heating device at intervals along the circumferential direction of the heating device.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-conducting structure is a corrugated structure formed on the heating device, and the corrugated structure is formed by extruding the surface of the heating device.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the shell, the heat exchange tube, the first fin, the sleeve, and the heat conducting structure are all made of stainless steel.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the sleeve and / or the thermal conductive structure is better than the thermal conductivity of the first fin.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the material of the sleeve and / or the heat-conducting structure is different from the material of the first fin.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the first fin is made of stainless steel;

[0032] The sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are made of copper.

[0033] Or, the sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are made of aluminum,

[0034] Alternatively, the sleeve is made of copper, and the heat-conducting structure is made of aluminum.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, a notch is formed on the edge of at least a portion of the first fin, and the heating device including the heat-conducting structure is installed in the notch.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the first fin is arranged in parallel with the end plate of the shell, the notch is located at the lower edge of the first fin, and the heating device is installed in the notch and matches the shape of the notch.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the heating device is fixedly connected to the housing.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the heating device is fixedly connected to the housing via a connecting piece.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve is detachably connected to the heating element.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the first fin is discontinuously connected to the housing.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, a nucleating agent is dispersed in the phase change material, and at least a portion of the nucleating agent is dispersed between the first fins.

[0042] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present specification provides a phase change water heater, including a water heater tank provided by the above technical solution.

[0043] By adopting the above-mentioned technical scheme, a water heater tank and a phase change water heater provided in the embodiments of this specification can transfer the heat energy generated by the heating device to the phase change material more quickly and evenly by providing a first fin and a heat-conducting structure. Heat will not accumulate on the outer surface of the heating device to cause the phase change material in contact with it to overheat and dehydrate and become ineffective, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the phase change material. At the same time, it is beneficial to improve the heat exchange efficiency, shorten the time required for heating, avoid users waiting for a long time, and help improve the user experience.

[0044] In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the embodiments of this specification more obvious and easy to understand, the following specifically cites preferred embodiments and describes them in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this specification or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this specification. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the water heater tank provided in the embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0047] FIG. 2( a ) and FIG. 2( b ) are schematic diagrams showing thermal imaging of a phase change material at a heating device without a heat-conducting structure and at a heating device with a heat-conducting structure;

[0048] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the second fin and the first fin arranged on the outer surface of the heating device in the embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0049] Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the second fin and the first fin on the surface of the heating device in the embodiment of this specification;

[0050] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the heating device and the housing in the embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0051] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first fin in the embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0052] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the second fins arranged on the outer surface of the heating device in the embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0053] Figure 8 The schematic diagram of the assembly of the second fin and the heat exchange assembly in the embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0054] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the water heater tank after assembly is shown;

[0055] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the distribution of the nucleating agent between the first fins in the embodiment of this specification is shown.

[0056] Description of the accompanying symbols:

[0057] 10. Shell;

[0058] 20. Heat exchange tube;

[0059] 30. First fin;

[0060] 31, 32, gap;

[0061] 33. Solder;

[0062] 34. Gap;

[0063] 40. Heating device;

[0064] 41. Casing;

[0065] 50. Heat conducting structure;

[0066] 51, 52, second fin;

[0067] 511, Flanging;

[0068] 60. Connectors;

[0069] 70. Nucleating agent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this specification to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this specification, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this specification.

[0071] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in this specification, claims, and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present specification described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, apparatus, product, or equipment that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or equipment.

[0072] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0073] In order to solve the problem in the prior art that the phase change material in the heat exchange energy storage water heater is easily overheated and fails at the beginning of each heating operation due to local heating, the embodiments of this specification provide a water heater tank and a phase change water heater.

[0074] like Figure 1 As shown, the water heater tank includes:

[0075] The shell 10 is filled with a phase change material (not shown in the figure); the phase change material is a material whose material state will change. Specifically, when the phase change material changes from solid to liquid, it absorbs heat and stores energy; when the phase change material changes from liquid to solid, it releases energy.

[0076] A heat exchange tube 20, wherein the water to be heated flows through the heat exchange tube 20, and the water to be heated exchanges heat with the phase change material in the shell 10 through the heat exchange tube 20;

[0077] A plurality of first fins 30 are provided in the shell 10 and in contact with the phase change material, and the heat exchange tube 20 is penetrated by the first fins 30; the first fins 30 are used to transfer the heat released by the phase change material to the water to be heated flowing in the heat exchange tube 20 during the heat release of the phase change material, thereby increasing the temperature of the water in the heat exchange tube 20, and the heat conduction function of the plurality of first fins 30 can realize rapid heat transfer between the phase change material and the water to be heated, thereby making full use of the energy storage in the phase change material.

[0078] A heating device 40, wherein the heating device 40 at least partially extends into the shell 10 to heat the phase change material in the shell 10; in the embodiment of this specification, the heating device 40 may be provided with one or more heating devices 40, and the embodiment of this specification does not specifically limit the number of the heating devices 40, and the number of the heating devices 40 may be set according to actual usage.

[0079] The heating device 40 is passed through at least a portion of the first fins 30; in the embodiment of this specification, the at least a portion of the first fins 30 through which the heating device 40 is passed not only conducts the heat generated by the heating device 40, but also supports the installation of the heating device 40 in the housing. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the heating device 40 allows it to pass through all the first fins 30 to transfer heat to all the first fins 30, which is beneficial to improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present specification, the outer surface of the heating device 40 has a heat-conducting structure 50, and the heat-conducting structure 50 extends into the phase change material to transfer the heat of the heating device 40 to the phase change material. In the embodiment of the present specification, the heat-conducting structure 50 can increase the effective heat-conducting area at the heating device, so that the heat at the phase change material in contact with the outer surface of the heating device is transferred more quickly and more evenly in the direction away from the heating device.

[0081] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) show schematic thermal imaging diagrams of the phase change material at a heating device without a heat-conducting structure and at a heating device with a heat-conducting structure. As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the heat-conducting structure can conduct the heat generated by the heating device to the phase change material. Specifically, near the outer surface of the heating device without a heat-conducting structure, the temperature of the phase change material can be as high as 92°C; while near the outer surface of the heating device with a heat-conducting structure, the maximum temperature of the phase change material is 78.5°C; this avoids the accumulation of heat near the outer surface of the heating device 40, which causes the phase change material here to fail due to over-temperature dehydration; and is conducive to more effectively conducting the heat generated by the heating device to the phase change material, thereby reducing the power density.

[0082] A water heater tank provided in an embodiment of the present specification is capable of transferring the heat energy generated by a heating device to a phase change material more quickly and evenly by being provided with a first fin and a heat-conducting structure, thereby preventing heat from accumulating on the outer surface of the heating device and causing the phase change material in contact therewith to become over-heated and dehydrated and ineffective, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the phase change material; this is beneficial to improving heat exchange efficiency, shortening the time required for heating, avoiding long waiting times for users, and improving user experience.

[0083] In some preferred embodiments, a plurality of first fins 30 are evenly and evenly distributed along the axial direction of the heating device 40 to evenly transfer heat from the heating device to the phase change material, thereby making the heating of water flowing in the heat exchange tube 20 more uniform and avoiding local overheating in the shell 10 and thus adversely affecting the life of components therein.

[0084] In other preferred embodiments, a plurality of first fins 30 are evenly and evenly distributed vertically along the axial direction of the heating device 40 to more fully utilize the space within the shell 10, which is beneficial to increasing the number of first fins 30 arranged in the shell 10, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency with the phase change material.

[0085] In some feasible embodiments, the heating device includes a heating element. The heating element may be an electric heating rod, so as to convert electrical energy into thermal energy to heat the phase change material in the housing 10 .

[0086] Preferably, in the embodiments of this specification, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in the embodiment of this specification, the heating device 40 includes a heating element (not shown in the figure) and a sleeve 41, the sleeve 41 at least partially extends into the interior of the shell 10, the heating element extends into the interior of the sleeve 41, and the heat-conducting structure 50 is arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve 41.

[0087] The sleeve 41 can prevent the change in volume of the phase change material due to phase change and the flow caused by the phase change from possibly causing damage to the heating element when the phase change material is heated, thereby protecting the heating element. At the same time, after the sleeve 41 and the heating element are assembled into a heating device, it is easy to install and disassemble the heating device at least at a part of the first fins 30, thereby avoiding damage to the heating element during the installation and disassembly process.

[0088] Preferably, a heat-conducting layer (not shown in the figure) is filled between the heating element and the sleeve 41 . The heat-conducting layer may be thermal grease. The thermal grease has high thermal conductivity and thermal stability, and can facilitate the transfer of heat generated by the heating element to the sleeve 41 .

[0089] The sleeve 41 is detachably connected to the heating element.

[0090] For example, the heating element can be detachably inserted and connected in the sleeve 41 through a flange or a thread, so as to facilitate the installation, disassembly, maintenance or replacement of the heating element.

[0091] The heat conducting structure includes a second fin.

[0092] In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the second fin 51 has a through hole, the heating device 40 is inserted into the through hole, and the outer surface of the heating device 40 contacts the edge of the through hole. Through the through hole, the second fin 51 can be stably installed on the heating device 40; and the outer surface of the heating device 40 contacts the through hole, which is conducive to improving the heat conduction effect of the heat generated by the heating device 40.

[0093] like Figure 3 As shown, the second fins 51 are arranged on the surface of the heating device along the length direction of the heating device 40, so as to conduct the heat on the surface of the heating device to the phase change material more evenly and quickly.

[0094] In some preferred embodiments, the second fins 51 are evenly and evenly distributed vertically along the axial direction of the heating device 40, that is, the second fins 51 are parallel to the first fins 30, so that the space in the shell 10 can be more fully utilized, which is beneficial to increase the number of second fins 51 arranged in the shell 10, thereby facilitating the conduction effect of the heat generated by the heating device and avoiding the failure of the phase change material near the outer surface of the heating device due to over-temperature dehydration due to heat accumulation.

[0095] Furthermore, if Figure 4 As shown, the second fin 51 is in a circular ring shape, so that the second fin 51 has an equal heat conduction effect on the heat generated by the heating device 40 in the circumferential direction along its outer surface, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity of the temperature distribution on the outer surface of the heating device 40; the inner edge of the second fin 51 (that is, the edge of the through hole) is in contact with the outer surface of the heating device 40, and the distance between the outer edge and the inner edge of the second fin 51 is 5-25mm, that is, the difference between the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the circular ring-shaped second fin 51 is in the range of 5-25mm; the thickness of the second fin 51 in the axial direction is 0.1-3mm.

[0096] In the embodiment of this specification, the second fin 51 is relatively small in size, which can reduce the overall weight and manufacturing cost of the water heater tank while ensuring better thermal conductivity to the outer surface of the heating device, and reduce interference with the flow of the phase change material.

[0097] In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the second fins 51 have the same size.

[0098] In some other possible embodiments, the second fins have different sizes.

[0099] Exemplarily, the second fins can be divided into at least two categories, the second fins of the same category have the same size, and the second fins of different categories have different sizes (the second fins of different categories may have different distances between their outer edges and inner edges, and / or different thicknesses), and the second fins of different categories can be arranged alternately on the heating device in sequence.

[0100] In the embodiment of this specification, preferably, the distance between adjacent first fins 30 is 3-8 mm.

[0101] By limiting the distance between two adjacent first fins, the number of first fins arranged in the limited space within the shell is guaranteed, and the heat conduction effect generated by the heating device is guaranteed; it also avoids the problem of increasing the manufacturing cost of the water heater tank and the difficulty of wall-mounted installation due to too many first fins and too heavy weight.

[0102] In some feasible embodiments, the second fin is disposed between at least some of the adjacent first fins. Specifically, there may be a plurality of second fins between at least some of the adjacent two first fins.

[0103] In the embodiments of this specification, preferably, Figure 3 As shown, the second fins 51 and the first fins 30 are arranged alternately in sequence on the outer surface of the heating device 40 .

[0104] Under the action of the second fins 51 , the temperature distribution of the phase change material between two adjacent first fins 30 along the axial direction of the heating device 40 is made more uniform, thereby facilitating improving the uniformity of the temperature distribution of the phase change material at the outer surface of the heating device 40 .

[0105] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the vertical distance between the outer edge of the first fin 30 and the surface of the heating device 40 is greater than the vertical distance between the outer edge of the heat-conducting structure 50 and the surface of the heating device 40. That is, the size of the heat-conducting structure 50 is smaller than the size of the first fin 30.

[0106] Furthermore, the surface area of ​​the first fin 30 is greater than the surface area of ​​the second fin 51 .

[0107] like Figure 5 As shown, the edge of the through hole of the second fin 51 is provided with a flange 511, the heating device 40 is fixedly connected to the second fin 51 having the flange 511 by means of expansion tube, and / or the second fin 51 is welded and fixed to the heating device 40 by means of the flange 511.

[0108] The flange 511 can increase the contact area when the second fin 51 is connected to the heating device 40, which is beneficial to improving the stability when the second fin 51 is connected to the heating device 40, thereby facilitating ensuring the heat exchange effect.

[0109] like Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, a notch 31 is formed on the edge of at least a portion of the first fin 30 , and the heating device 40 including the second fin 51 is installed in the notch 31 .

[0110] The first fin 30 is arranged parallel to the end plate of the housing 10 (eg Figure 1 As shown), the notch 31 is located at the lower edge of the first fin 30, and the heating device 40 is installed in the notch 31 and matches the shape of the notch 31.

[0111] The notch is arranged at the lower edge of the first fin, that is, the heating device is arranged at the bottom end of the shell. As the heat of the heating device is transferred upward, the phase change material in the entire shell is quickly heated, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the heat generated by the heating device.

[0112] The assembly method of the components in the shell 10 can be: connect each heat exchange tube 20 with the first fin 30 to form a heat exchange component, assemble the second fin 51 and the heating device 40 to form a whole; then combine the heat exchange component with the above-mentioned whole, so that the first fins 30 of the heat exchange component are inserted in sequence and alternately between at least part of the second fins 51 of the whole, and the heating device 40 is located at the notch 31 of each first fin 30; finally, place the assembled whole together with the heat exchange component in the shell 10 for welding to complete the assembly of the water heater tank.

[0113] In other feasible embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the second fins 52 extend along the length direction of the heating device 40 and are arranged at intervals on the surface of the heating device 40 .

[0114] There are a plurality of second fins 52 , and the plurality of second fins 52 are arranged on the surface of the heating device 40 at intervals along the circumferential direction of the heating device 40 .

[0115] That is, a plurality of second fins 52 are radially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the heating device 40. The second fins 52 can conduct the heat on the surface of the heating device 40 to the phase change material more evenly and quickly, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heating device and the phase change material, and avoiding over-temperature dehydration failure of the phase change material near the heating device 40 due to heat accumulation.

[0116] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of this specification, the plurality of second fins 52 may be evenly and evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the heating device 40. In some other feasible embodiments, the plurality of second fins 52 may also be unevenly distributed on the outer circumference of the heating device 40.

[0117] In some feasible embodiments, the lengths of the second fins 52 along the axial direction of the heating device may be equal or unequal; the distances between the outer edges of the second fins 52 and the surface of the heating device 40 may be equal or unequal (e.g. Figure 7 shown).

[0118] like Figure 8 As shown, a notch 32 is formed on the edge of at least a portion of the first fin 30 , and the heating device 40 including the second fin 52 is installed in the notch 32 .

[0119] The first fin 30 is arranged parallel to the end plate of the housing 10, the notch 32 is located at the lower edge of the first fin 30, and the heating device 40 is installed in the notch 32 and matches the shape of the notch 32. Figure 8 As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the whole formed by the second fins 52 radially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the heating device 40 and the heating device 40 is adapted to the notch 32 .

[0120] The assembly method of the components in the shell 10 can be: connect the heat exchange tubes 20 with the first fins 30 to form a heat exchange assembly, place the heat exchange assembly in the shell 10 and put it into a welding furnace for welding; assemble the second fins 52 and the heating device 40 to form a whole, and then insert the whole into at least part of the first fins 30 along the notch 32. Fig. 9 shown.

[0121] In some feasible embodiments, the heat-conducting structure can be set to any shape according to actual needs.

[0122] In some feasible embodiments, the heat-conducting structure is integrally formed with the sleeve of the heating device, for example, the sleeve including the heat-conducting structure is cast from metal by processes such as stamping and melting.

[0123] In some feasible embodiments, the heat-conducting structure is formed by extrusion from the surface of the heating device.

[0124] For another example, the heat-conducting structure is a corrugated structure (not shown in the figure) formed on the heating device, and the corrugated structure is formed by extruding the surface of the heating device.

[0125] In the embodiment of this specification, the shell, the heat exchange tube, the first fin, the sleeve and the heat conduction structure are all made of stainless steel.

[0126] Since the shell, the heat exchange tube, the first fin, the sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are all made of stainless steel, the thermal expansion coefficients are the same. Therefore, when the phase change material absorbs heat to store energy or releases heat, each component shrinks or expands synchronously, avoiding local heat accumulation and deformation caused by different thermal expansion coefficients of the materials, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the water heater tank. At the same time, the stainless steel material is cheap, which is beneficial to reducing the cost of the water heater tank. In addition, by utilizing the high thermal conductivity of stainless steel, the heat generated by the heating element can be quickly and low-loss transferred to the sleeve, and then transferred to the phase change material in the shell through the first fin in contact with the sleeve and the heat-conducting structure, and finally the water flowing in the heat exchange tube is heated. It is beneficial to improve the heating efficiency and reduce the heat energy loss.

[0127] The heating device is fixedly connected to the shell.

[0128] Since the sleeve and the shell are both made of stainless steel, the sleeve and the shell can be directly fixedly connected by welding techniques such as brazing, and then the heating element can be detachably inserted into the sleeve, which can improve the convenience of assembling the heating device. In addition to having fast and low-loss heat exchange performance, the stainless steel material can also better avoid the influence of high welding temperature, has strong corrosion resistance, and can provide good protection for the heating element subsequently placed inside it.

[0129] In some feasible embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the sleeve and / or the heat conductor is better than that of the first fin. By using a sleeve and / or a heat-conducting structure with better thermal conductivity, the heat on the outer surface of the heating element can be more efficiently transferred to the phase change material, which is conducive to reducing the power density of the phase change material on the surface of the heating device and avoiding over-temperature failure of the phase change material due to heat accumulation.

[0130] In some other feasible embodiments, the material of the sleeve and / or the heat-conducting structure is different from the material of the first fin.

[0131] For example, the first fin is made of stainless steel, and the sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are made of copper. Copper has better thermal conductivity than stainless steel and is more conducive to reducing the power density of the outer surface of the heating device.

[0132] For another example, the first fin is made of stainless steel, and the sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are made of aluminum. Aluminum has good thermal conductivity, is cheap, and has a smaller mass under the same volume, which is conducive to reducing the manufacturing cost of the water heater tank and reducing the overall weight of the water heater tank.

[0133] For another example, the first fin is made of stainless steel, the sleeve is made of copper, and the heat-conducting structure is made of aluminum, so as to take into account the heat conduction effect on the outer surface of the heating device and the manufacturing cost and overall weight of the inner tank of the water heater.

[0134] like Figure 5 As shown, the sleeve 41 of the heating device is fixedly connected to the shell 10 by a connector 60. Since the sleeve 41 and the shell 10 are made of different materials, and different materials have different melting points, a brazing welding process cannot be used. In the embodiment of this specification, the connection between the heating device 40 and the shell 10 can be ensured to be stable by providing the connector 60.

[0135] Furthermore, if Figure 6 As shown, in the embodiment of this specification, the first fin 30 is discontinuously connected to the housing 10 .

[0136] The connection between the first fin 30 and the shell 10 can be used to apply solder 33. The solder 33 melts during high-temperature welding to achieve welding of the first fin and the shell, which is beneficial to improving the convenience of welding connection between the first fin and the shell and strengthening the welding strength between the first fin and the shell. A gap 34 is formed at the discontinuity between the first fin 30 and the shell 10. The gap 34 can be used to improve the assembly of the first fin 30; it can also make the space inside the shell 10 through, which is convenient for the flow of phase change material and balance of pressure at each point; in addition, it can also increase the exhaust space and the overflow space of phase change material when filling the phase change material, and improve the injection efficiency of the phase change material.

[0137] like Fig.10 As shown, a nucleating agent 70 is dispersed in the phase change material, and at least a portion of the nucleating agent 70 is dispersed between adjacent first fins 30 .

[0138] In the embodiment of the present specification, preferably, the distance between two adjacent first fins 30 is 2-3 times the size of the nucleating agent 70, so that the nucleating agent 70 does not settle under the action of van der Waals force, thereby ensuring the promotion effect on the phase change of the phase change material.

[0139] The embodiment of this specification also provides a phase change water heater, which uses the water heater inner tank provided by the above technical solution. The beneficial effects achieved by the phase change water heater provided by the embodiment of this specification are consistent with the beneficial effects achieved by the water heater inner tank provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0140] In this specification embodiment, the term "consisting essentially of ... " describing the combination should include determined elements, ingredients, parts or steps and other elements, ingredients, parts or steps that do not substantially affect the basic novel features of the combination. The combination of the elements, ingredients, parts or steps described here using the terms "comprising" or "including" also contemplates the implementation method consisting essentially of these elements, ingredients, parts or steps. Here, by using the term "may", it is intended to illustrate that any attribute described that "may" includes is optional. Multiple elements, ingredients, parts or steps can be provided by a single integrated element, ingredient, part or step. Alternatively, a single integrated element, ingredient, part or step can be divided into separate multiple elements, ingredients, parts or steps. The disclosure "one" or "one" used to describe an element, ingredient, part or step is not said to exclude other elements, ingredients, parts or steps.

[0141] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other. The above-mentioned embodiment is only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this embodiment. Its purpose is to enable people familiar with this technology to understand the content of this embodiment and implement it accordingly, and it cannot be used to limit the protection scope of this embodiment. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of this embodiment should be included in the protection scope of this embodiment.

Claims

1. A water heater tank, characterized in that: include: A shell, wherein the interior of the shell is filled with a phase change material; a heat exchange tube, wherein the water to be heated flows through the heat exchange tube, and the water to be heated exchanges heat with the phase change material in the shell through the heat exchange tube; A plurality of first fins, wherein the first fins are arranged in the shell and in contact with the phase change material, and the heat exchange tubes pass through the first fins; a heating device, wherein at least a portion of the heating device extends into the shell to heat the phase change material in the shell; The heating device is provided with at least a portion of the first fins; The surface of the heating device has a heat-conducting structure, and the heat-conducting structure extends into the phase-change material to transfer the heat of the heating device to the phase-change material.

2. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device comprises a heating element and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve at least partially extends into the interior of the shell, the heating element extends into the interior of the sleeve, and the heat-conducting structure is arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve.

3. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat conducting structure includes a second fin.

4. The water heater inner tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second fin has a through hole, the heating device is inserted into the through hole, and the outer surface of the heating device contacts the edge of the through hole.

5. The water heater inner tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second fins are arranged on the outer surface of the heating device along the length direction of the heating device.

6. The water heater inner tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second fin is annular, the inner edge of the second fin contacts the outer surface of the heating device, the distance between the outer edge and the inner edge of the second fin is 5-25 mm, and the thickness of the second fin in the axial direction is 0.1-3 mm.

7. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between adjacent first fins is 3-8 mm.

8. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: The heat conducting structure is disposed between at least some of the adjacent first fins.

9. The water heater inner tank according to claim 8, characterized in that: The heat conducting structure and the first fins are arranged alternately in sequence.

10. The water heater inner tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second fins are arranged alternately with the first fins in sequence.

11. The water heater inner tank according to claim 6, characterized in that: A vertical distance between an outer edge of the first fin and the surface of the heating device is greater than a vertical distance between an outer edge of the second fin and the surface of the heating device.

12. The water heater inner tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: The surface area of ​​the first fin is greater than the surface area of ​​the second fin.

13. The water heater inner tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: The edge of the through hole of the second fin is provided with a flange, the heating device is fixedly connected to the second fin with the flange by means of tube expansion, and / or the second fin is fixed to the heating device by welding through the flange.

14. The water heater inner tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second fins extend along the length direction of the heating device and are arranged at intervals on the outer surface of the heating device.

15. The water heater inner tank according to claim 14, characterized in that: There are multiple second fins, and the multiple second fins are arranged on the outer surface of the heating device at intervals along the circumferential direction of the heating device.

16. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat-conducting structure is a corrugated structure formed on the heating device, and the corrugated structure is formed by extruding the surface of the heating device.

17. The water heater inner tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shell, the heat exchange tube, the first fin, the sleeve, and the heat conduction structure are all made of stainless steel.

18. The water heater inner tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thermal conductivity of the sleeve and / or the thermal conductive structure is better than that of the first fin.

19. The water heater inner tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material of the sleeve and / or the heat-conducting structure is different from the material of the first fin.

20. The water heater inner tank according to claim 19, characterized in that: The first fin is made of stainless steel; The sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are made of copper. Or, the sleeve and the heat-conducting structure are made of aluminum, Alternatively, the sleeve is made of copper, and the heat-conducting structure is made of aluminum.

21. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: A notch is formed on the edge of at least part of the first fin, and the heating device including the heat-conducting structure is installed in the notch.

22. The water heater inner tank according to claim 21, characterized in that: The first fin is arranged in parallel with the end plate of the shell, the notch is located at the lower edge of the first fin, and the heating device is installed in the notch and matches the shape of the notch.

23. The water heater inner tank according to claim 19, characterized in that: The heating device is fixedly connected to the shell.

24. The water heater inner tank according to claim 23, characterized in that: The heating device is fixedly connected to the shell via a connecting piece.

25. The water heater inner tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sleeve is detachably connected to the heating element.

26. The water heater inner tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first fin is discontinuously connected to the shell.

27. The water heater tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: A nucleating agent is dispersed in the phase change material, and at least a portion of the nucleating agent is dispersed between the first fins.

28. A phase change water heater, characterized in that: It comprises a water heater tank as described in any one of claims 1-27.

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