Phase change heat storage water tank with bionic bird feather structure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of phase change heat storage water tanks, and discloses a phase change heat storage water tank with a bionic bird feather structure. The hot water pipe is arranged in the water tank shell and used for conveying hot water; the phase change material is arranged between the water tank shell and the hot water pipe, and the phase change material is used for storing or releasing heat; the number of the bionic feather structures is multiple, the bionic feather structures are connected to the pipe wall of the hot water pipe, each bionic feather structure comprises a feather-imitating shaft, feather-imitating branches and feather-imitating small branches, the feather-imitating shafts are arranged on the pipe wall of the hot water pipe, the feather-imitating branches are arranged on the feather-imitating shafts in an arc-shaped mode, and the feather-imitating small branches are arranged between the adjacent feather-imitating branches in an arc-shaped crossed mode. The bionic feather structure is additionally arranged on the water tank, so that heat can be transferred to the phase change material more efficiently, and uniform temperature distribution and efficient heat transfer of the heat storage water tank are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of phase-change water storage tanks, and in particular to a phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure. Background Art

[0002] Energy is an indispensable part of the development of human society and the driving force of social and economic development. The development and progress of human society cannot be separated from the use of energy. With the development of society, the world's population has increased dramatically, and people's growing demand has led to the intensification of problems such as global energy shortages.

[0003] Existing energy storage technologies can be roughly divided into mechanical energy storage, electrical energy storage, electrochemical energy storage, thermal energy storage and chemical energy storage according to the differences in energy storage principles. Based on a comprehensive trade-off of economy, reliability, stability and adaptability, thermal energy storage technology is the most promising in daily life and practical engineering applications.

[0004] In the current latent heat transfer enhancement technology, expanding the heat dissipation surface is undoubtedly a solution with good economy, simple technology and high maturity. Among them, adding fins is the most common technology. Through the study of a large number of literature, it can be found that although the heat storage and release performance in the latent heat storage system has been improved, the existing heat transfer efficiency level is still difficult to meet the engineering application requirements of latent heat storage technology. It is worth noting that most of the fins in the existing fin types have the problems of simple structure, small specific surface area and low space filling degree, which leads to the defects of large anisotropy of heat transfer rate, obvious temperature gradient and concentrated thermal stress in the heat storage and release process, which seriously affects the heat transfer performance and service life of the latent heat storage system.

[0005] The structure of bird feathers is an efficient temperature regulation and heat transfer system in nature, providing valuable inspiration for the design of bionic heat transfer structures. Bird feathers can effectively exchange heat and regulate temperature under different environmental conditions through their unique multi-layer structure and branch network. The barbs of feathers can promote heat transfer through the capillary effect. This structure enables birds to maintain a stable body temperature in extreme environments, thereby improving their survival ability. Therefore, a new phase change water tank can be designed by bionics of this structure. By simulating the structure of the barbs of the feather shaft and adding a structure to the shaftless water tank, heat can be transferred to the phase change material more efficiently, and a new structural phase change water tank with uniform temperature distribution and efficient heat transfer characteristics can be designed. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to change the temporal and spatial distribution of energy use, store excess heat in various environments and improve energy utilization efficiency, the present invention, based on the multi-layer structure and branch network of bird feathers and their efficient heat management and temperature regulation mechanism, has biomimetically manufactured a new type of phase change energy storage water tank with high heat storage and release efficiency and uniform heat transfer, which solves the problem of low heat storage efficiency of traditional phase change energy storage water tanks.

[0007] The present invention provides a phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure, comprising:

[0008] Water tank housing;

[0009] A hot water pipe is arranged inside the water tank housing and is used to transmit hot water;

[0010] Phase change material, the phase change material is arranged between the water tank housing and the hot water pipe, and the phase change material is used to store or release heat;

[0011] A bionic feather structure is provided with several groups, wherein the bionic feather structure is connected to the tube wall of the hot water pipe, and the bionic feather structure comprises a bionic feather shaft, a bionic feather branch and a bionic feather twig, wherein the bionic feather shaft is provided on the tube wall of the hot water pipe, the bionic feather branch is provided on the bionic feather shaft in an arc shape, and the bionic feather twig is provided between adjacent bionic feather branches in an arc shape and cross-shaped.

[0012] Preferably, the radius of the water tank shell is 600 mm, and the length of the water tank shell is 2000 mm.

[0013] Preferably, the interior of the hot water pipe is connected to the bionic feather structure.

[0014] Preferably, the radius of the hot water pipe is 300 mm.

[0015] Preferably, the end of the feather-like shaft close to the hot water pipe is the bottom, and the end of the feather-like shaft away from the hot water pipe is the top;

[0016] The width of the bottom of the imitation feather shaft is 20 mm, the width of the top of the imitation feather shaft is 10 mm, the length of the imitation feather shaft is 150 mm, and the thickness of the imitation feather shaft is 1 mm.

[0017] Preferably, the end of the imitation barb close to the imitation barb shaft is the bottom, and the end of the imitation barb away from the imitation barb shaft is the top;

[0018] The width of the bottom of the imitation barb is 10 mm, the width of the top of the imitation barb is 5 mm, the length of the imitation barb is 170 mm, and the thickness of the imitation barb is 1 mm.

[0019] Preferably, the arc-shaped opening directions of the barbules between adjacent barbules are opposite, and the length of the barbules is 160±2 mm.

[0020] Preferably, the water tank shell is made of stainless steel, and the hot water pipe, the imitation feather shaft, the imitation feather branches and the imitation feather twigs are made of copper.

[0021] Preferably, the phase change material is a mixture of paraffin and expanded graphite.

[0022] Preferably, the bionic feather structure is produced by 3D printing technology and cast using a sand mold.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the present invention lies in that, by imitating the multi-layer structure and branch network of bird feathers, the present invention adds a structure to the water tank, which can transfer heat to the phase change material more efficiently, and designs a new structural phase change water tank with uniform temperature distribution and efficient heat transfer characteristics. The phase change material stores excess heat when there is sufficient heat, and releases the stored heat when there is insufficient heat.

[0024] The phase change material of the present invention stores excess heat when the heat is sufficient, and releases the stored heat when the heat is insufficient. In the water tank, when hot water passes through the hot water pipe, the phase change material can absorb and store the excess heat of the hot water. When hot water is needed and the water temperature is low, the phase change material can release the stored heat, thereby improving the supply efficiency of hot water and reducing energy consumption.

[0025] The design of the bionic bird feather structure enhances the heat storage and heat release effects. The unique structure of the feather shaft, feather branches and barbules can increase the contact area between the phase change material and the hot water pipe and the water tank shell, making the heat transfer more uniform and sufficient, and improving the efficiency of heat exchange. It also helps to guide the direction of heat conduction so that heat can be transferred more quickly in the phase change material. This structure is similar to the heat conduction channel in bird feathers, which allows heat to be efficiently transferred along a specific path, reduces heat loss during the transfer process, and improves the thermal conductivity of the entire water tank. At the same time, by reasonably arranging the feather shaft, feather branches and barbules, the thermal resistance inside the phase change material can be effectively reduced. The reduction in thermal resistance means that the resistance encountered by heat during the transfer process is reduced, so that the heat can flow more smoothly in the water tank, further improving the heating and insulation effects of the water tank.

[0026] The water tank shell, phase change material and bionic feather structure together constitute a multi-layer insulation system. The water tank shell serves as the outer layer protection and plays a preliminary heat insulation role; the phase change material stores and regulates heat in the middle, further slowing down the heat loss; the bionic feather structure increases the path length of heat transfer through its special shape, making it more difficult for heat to dissipate, thereby significantly improving the thermal insulation performance of the water tank. This multi-layer insulation structure can effectively prevent the heat exchange between the cold air outside and the hot water inside the water tank, and reduce the heat loss through convection, conduction and radiation. In addition, the bionic feather structure can make the temperature distribution inside the water tank more uniform, avoiding local overheating or overcooling. In traditional water tanks, due to uneven heat distribution, some parts of the water tank may be subjected to greater thermal stress, thereby affecting the service life of the water tank. The bionic feather structure in this patent can evenly disperse the heat, reduce the damage of thermal stress to the water tank shell and hot water pipes, and extend the overall service life of the water tank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention 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 in the following description are only embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a diagram of the melting process of the phase change material in the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 It is a temperature and liquid phase ratio change diagram of the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention during simulation.

[0033] In the figure, 1. water tank shell; 2. hot water pipe; 3. phase change material; 4. imitation feather shaft; 5. imitation feather branch; 6. imitation feather twig. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0036] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0037] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0038] like Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a phase change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure, comprising: a water tank shell 1; a hot water pipe 2, a phase change material 3 and a bionic feather structure.

[0039] The hot water pipe 2 is arranged inside the water tank housing 1, and is used to transmit hot water.

[0040] Phase change material 3, the phase change material 3 is arranged between the water tank shell 1 and the hot water pipe 2, and the phase change material 3 is used to store or release heat.

[0041] The bionic feather structure is provided with several groups. The bionic feather structure is connected to the wall of the hot water pipe 2. The bionic feather structure includes a bionic feather shaft 4, a bionic feather branch 5 and a bionic feather twig 6. The bionic feather shaft 4 is provided on the wall of the hot water pipe 2. The bionic feather branch 5 is provided on the bionic feather shaft 4 in an arc shape. The bionic feather twig 6 is provided between adjacent bionic feather branches 5 in an arc shape and cross-shaped.

[0042] The bionic feather structure provided in the present application can effectively increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the outer surface of the hot water pipe 2 and improve the heat dissipation efficiency. At the same time, the bionic feather barbs 5 and bionic feather barbules 6 in the bionic feather structure can form a turbulent airflow, extend the flow path of the hot air in the water tank housing 1, and further improve the heat dissipation effect. In addition, the phase change material 3 can absorb or release heat, effectively adjust the temperature in the water tank housing 1, and keep the water temperature stable.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, the radius of the water tank housing 1 is 600 mm, and the length of the water tank housing 1 is 2000 mm.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present application, the interior of the hot water pipe 2 is connected to the bionic feather structure.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the radius of the hot water pipe 2 is 300 mm.

[0046] It is understandable that, through the design of connecting the inside of the hot water pipe 2 with the bionic feather structure, the hot water can be more fully heat exchanged through the bionic feather structure during the flow process, further improving the heat transfer efficiency. In addition, the integrated design of the hot water pipe 2 and the bionic feather structure also enhances the structural strength of the entire water tank, and improves the reliability and durability of use.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, the end of the imitation feather shaft 4 close to the hot water pipe 2 is the bottom, and the end of the imitation feather shaft 4 away from the hot water pipe 2 is the top; the bottom width of the imitation feather shaft 4 is 20 mm, the top width of the imitation feather shaft 4 is 10 mm, the length of the imitation feather shaft 4 is 150 mm, and the thickness of the imitation feather shaft 4 is 1 mm.

[0048] It can be understood that, by designing the size of the feather-like shaft 4, the bionic feather structure is stably connected to the hot water pipe 2, while ensuring sufficient heat dissipation area. The wider design of the bottom of the feather-like shaft 4 enhances the connection strength with the hot water pipe 2. The narrower design of the top of the feather-like shaft 4 is conducive to reducing air flow resistance and improving heat dissipation efficiency. In addition, the length and thickness design of the feather-like shaft 4 not only ensures sufficient heat dissipation area, but also avoids material waste and increased manufacturing costs caused by oversizing.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present application, the end of the imitation barb 5 close to the imitation barb shaft 4 is the bottom, and the end of the imitation barb 5 away from the imitation barb shaft 4 is the top; the bottom width of the imitation barb 5 is 10 mm, the top width of the imitation barb 5 is 5 mm, the length of the imitation barb 5 is 170 mm, and the thickness of the imitation barb 5 is 1 mm.

[0050] It can be understood that the heat dissipation performance of the bionic feather structure is optimized by designing the size of the imitation barbs 5. The wider design at the bottom of the imitation barbs 5 can increase the contact area with the imitation feather shaft 4 and improve the connection stability. The narrower design at the top of the imitation barbs 5 is conducive to reducing the resistance during air flow, so that heat can be dissipated more smoothly. In addition, the length and thickness design of the imitation barbs 5 not only ensures sufficient heat dissipation area, but also ensures the lightness of the structure, avoiding additional burden on the hot water pipe 2 due to excessive weight. This refined size design not only improves the heat dissipation efficiency, but also enhances the durability and reliability of the bionic feather structure, making the performance of the entire phase change water storage tank more outstanding.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, the arc-shaped opening directions of the barbules 6 between adjacent barbules 5 are opposite, and the length of the barbules 6 is 160±2 mm.

[0052] It is understandable that by designing the arc-shaped opening directions of the barbules 6 between adjacent barbules 5 to be opposite, the flow of airflow can be further disturbed, so that the air generates more eddies and turbulence when flowing through the bionic feather structure, thereby increasing the heat exchange area and time between the air and the outer surface of the hot water pipe 2, and further improving the heat dissipation efficiency. At the same time, the length of the barbules 6 is designed to be 160±2mm, which not only ensures sufficient heat dissipation area, but also takes into account the convenience of manufacturing and cost control.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, the water tank shell 1 is made of stainless steel, and the hot water pipe 2, the imitation feather shaft 4, the imitation feather branch 5 and the imitation feather twig 6 are made of copper.

[0054] It is understandable that by using stainless steel material to make the water tank shell 1, the corrosion resistance and service life of the water tank are greatly improved, ensuring the stability and safety of the water tank during long-term use. The selection of copper material to make the hot water pipe 2, the feather-like shaft 4, the feather-like barbs 5 and the feather-like barbs 6 fully utilizes the good thermal conductivity of copper, so that heat can be transferred and dissipated more quickly, further improving the heat dissipation efficiency. In addition, the copper material also has good mechanical properties and processing properties, which is easy to be processed into various fine structural shapes, meeting the high requirements of the bionic feather structure on material properties.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, the phase change material is a mixture of paraffin wax and expanded graphite, and the phase change temperature of the phase change material is 49°C.

[0056] It can be understood that by using a mixture of paraffin and expanded graphite as the phase change material, the high heat storage capacity of paraffin and the high thermal conductivity of expanded graphite are combined, so that the water tank can store and release heat more effectively during the phase change process. At the same time, the addition of expanded graphite can also enhance the stability and uniformity of the phase change material, avoiding the leakage and stratification problems of paraffin during the phase change process.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, the bionic feather structure is produced using 3D printing technology and is cast using a sand mold.

[0058] When making the present invention, for complex bionic feather structures, 3D printing technology can be used, using sand molds of cast metal to ensure that the mold can accurately replicate the subtle features in the design. For simple geometric parts, mechanical machine tools can be used for precision machining to produce parts that meet the design requirements. Use a grinder to remove burrs and unevenness on the surface of the casting to ensure a smooth contact surface. Then carry out necessary chemical treatments such as pickling and passivation to improve corrosion resistance. Use appropriate welding methods (such as TIG welding, laser welding) to firmly connect the various copper components together. Ensure that the welding quality is good to avoid water leakage and other defects. After the assembly is completed, a comprehensive sealing test is carried out to ensure that the water tank will not leak. Through the above detailed processing process, a hot water storage tank with a bionic feather structure can be manufactured.

[0059] To further illustrate the beneficial effects of the present invention, a numerical simulation comparison is now conducted between the phase change water storage tank of the present invention and the straight fin water storage tank. Figure 3It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention. The dimensions of the straight fin water storage tank are as follows: the radius of the inner water pipe is 300mm, the radius of the water tank is 600mm, the length of the longitudinal fin is 150mm, the width is 20mm, the length of the transverse fin is 300mm, the width is 10mm, the thickness of the fin is 1mm, the five fins are evenly distributed around the circumference, the length of the water storage tank is 2000mm, and the phase change material is filled between the hot water pipe and the outer wall of the water tank. The phase change material in the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention is paraffin plus 1% expanded graphite (i.e. 99% paraffin and 1% expanded graphite), the phase change temperature of the phase change material is 49°C, the latent heat of phase change is 156.42J / g, the internal heat source is set to 353.15K, and the initial temperature is 298.15K. In order to reduce the requirements on computer performance during the numerical simulation process, reduce the calculation time and improve the convergence, the existing physical model can be made into the following assumptions: (1) Ignore the thermal resistance of the inner tube (2) Treat the inner tube and fins as internal heat sources (3) The outer tube wall is insulated and the total heat loss in the heat transfer process is ignored (4) The heat transfer of the phase change material is stable and isotropic, and the natural convection is laminar (5) The Bussines hypothesis is satisfied. After the parameters are set, the straight fin hot water storage tank and the feather structure hot water storage tank are numerically simulated. Figure 4 It is a diagram of the melting process of the phase change material in the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention; Figure 5 The temperature and liquid phase ratio change diagram of the phase change water storage tank and the straight fin water storage tank of the present invention during simulation. It can be seen that the melting rate of the phase change material of the phase change water storage tank of the present invention is higher than that of the straight fin water storage tank, and the complete melting time of the phase change material is shortened by 37.5% compared with the melting time of the phase change material of the straight fin water storage tank. The heat transfer efficiency of the water storage tank of the present invention is greatly improved, and the heat conduction effect of the feather structure is more significant than that of the ordinary straight fin.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify or replace the technical solution of the present invention with equivalents, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot cause the modified technical solution to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure, characterized in that: include: Water tank housing; A hot water pipe is arranged inside the water tank housing and is used to transmit hot water; Phase change material, the phase change material is arranged between the water tank housing and the hot water pipe, and the phase change material is used to store or release heat; A bionic feather structure is provided with several groups, wherein the bionic feather structure is connected to the tube wall of the hot water pipe, and the bionic feather structure comprises a bionic feather shaft, a bionic feather branch and a bionic feather twig, wherein the bionic feather shaft is provided on the tube wall of the hot water pipe, the bionic feather branch is provided on the bionic feather shaft in an arc shape, and the bionic feather twig is provided between adjacent bionic feather branches in an arc shape and cross-shaped.

2. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radius of the water tank shell is 600 mm, and the length of the water tank shell is 2000 mm.

3. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The interior of the hot water pipe is communicated with the bionic feather structure.

4. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radius of the hot water pipe is 300 mm.

5. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the feather-like shaft close to the hot water pipe is the bottom, and the end of the feather-like shaft away from the hot water pipe is the top; The width of the bottom of the imitation feather shaft is 20 mm, the width of the top of the imitation feather shaft is 10 mm, the length of the imitation feather shaft is 150 mm, and the thickness of the imitation feather shaft is 1 mm.

6. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the imitation barb close to the imitation barb shaft is the bottom, and the end of the imitation barb away from the imitation barb shaft is the top; The width of the bottom of the imitation barb is 10 mm, the width of the top of the imitation barb is 5 mm, the length of the imitation barb is 170 mm, and the thickness of the imitation barb is 1 mm.

7. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc-shaped opening directions of the barbules between adjacent barbules are opposite, and the length of the barbules is 160±2 mm.

8. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water tank shell is made of stainless steel, and the hot water pipe, the imitation feather shaft, the imitation feather branch and the imitation feather twig are made of copper.

9. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase change material is a mixture of paraffin wax and expanded graphite.

10. The phase-change water storage tank with a bionic bird feather structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bionic feather structure adopts 3D printing technology and is produced and cast using a sand mold.

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