Phase change energy storage water heater
By using phase change material layer and direct bonding heating parts design in the water heater, the problems of insufficient heat storage capacity and uneven heating of existing water heaters are solved, and more efficient hot water heating and energy storage are achieved, reducing energy consumption .
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202420726289.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-09
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-20
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-04-09
AI Technical Summary
The existing water heater has poor heat storage capacity and low energy utilization rate. The heating parts are usually arranged outside the box, resulting in slow and uneven heating, and poor heat exchange effect.
The phase change energy storage water heater design is adopted. By filling the phase change material layer in the shell and directly pasting the heating element to the heat exchanger, the heating element extends along the extension direction of the heat exchanger to achieve multi-directional heating and use the phase The variable material layer stores heat and reduces the power consumption of the heating parts.
It achieves faster heating speed, better heating uniformity, better heat exchange effect, saves energy consumption, and reduces the use time of heating parts through heat storage of the phase change material layer.
Smart Images
Figure CN222210773U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water heaters, in particular to a phase-change energy storage water heater. Background Art
[0002] Water heaters are popular household appliances for bathing and daily hot water. Existing water heaters have weak heat storage capacity and low energy utilization rate. In order to enhance the heat storage capacity of water heaters, some water heaters will add a heat pump unit outside the shell to heat and store energy inside, which makes the whole structure of the water heater relatively complicated, and the power consumption is also increased accordingly, which is environmentally friendly. In addition, the existing heating element is usually arranged outside the box, which leads to slow and uneven heating inside and poor heat exchange effect. Utility Model Content
[0003] In order to overcome at least one of the defects described in the above-mentioned prior art, the utility model provides a phase change energy storage water heater, which stores energy through heat exchange through a phase change material layer, saves energy consumption, and directly attaches the heating element to the heat exchange element, so that the heat exchange element heats faster and more evenly, and the heat exchange effect is better.
[0004] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve the problem is:
[0005] A phase-change energy storage water heater, comprising:
[0006] A shell having a mounting cavity filled with a phase change material layer for heat exchange;
[0007] A heat exchange component, the heat exchange component is located in the installation cavity and embedded in the phase change material layer;
[0008] A heating element is arranged in the installation cavity, the heating element is arranged in close contact with the heat exchange element and extends in the extension direction of the heat exchange element; the heating element is used for heating.
[0009] Furthermore, the heat exchange element includes a heat exchange tube, which includes a plurality of straight tube sections and a plurality of connecting tube sections. The plurality of straight tube sections extend along a first direction and are arranged in sequence along a second direction at intervals. Each adjacent two straight tube sections are connected and interconnected via the connecting tube section.
[0010] Furthermore, the heating element is connected with the plurality of straight pipe sections in sequence along the second direction.
[0011] Furthermore, there are a plurality of the heating elements, and the plurality of the heating elements are sequentially arranged at intervals along the first direction, and are respectively connected with the plurality of the straight pipe sections sequentially along the second direction.
[0012] Furthermore, the heating element is a PTC heater.
[0013] Furthermore, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet are provided on the periphery of the shell, and the heat exchange tube has a liquid inlet end and a liquid outlet end, the liquid inlet end extends to the outside of the shell through the liquid inlet and is used to introduce water flow, and the liquid outlet end extends to the outside of the shell through the liquid outlet and is used to discharge water flow.
[0014] Furthermore, the liquid inlet is provided with a liquid inlet joint, and the liquid outlet is provided with a liquid outlet joint. The liquid inlet joint and the liquid outlet joint are respectively protruding from the periphery of the shell and are respectively communicated with the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.
[0015] Furthermore, the shell has a heat-insulating layer, and the heat-insulating layer extends along the inner wall of the installation cavity and covers the phase change material layer.
[0016] Furthermore, the thermal insulation layer is made of heat insulating material.
[0017] Furthermore, the shell has an opening, the opening is communicated with the installation cavity, and a cover plate is sealed at the opening.
[0018] In summary, the phase change energy storage water heater provided by the utility model has the following technical effects: when in use, domestic water can be introduced into the heat exchange element. Since the heating element is directly attached to the heat exchange element and extends in the extension direction of the heat exchange element, the heating element can directly heat the heat exchange element from multiple directions, so that the heat exchange element is heated faster and more evenly, and the heat exchange effect is better; and in the heating process, the heat on the periphery of the heat exchange element can be conducted to the phase change material layer, and the phase change material layer stores the heat. When it is necessary to heat the water introduced into the heat exchange element again, the water inside the heat exchange element can be heated by the heat stored in the phase change material layer without turning on the heating element, so as to reduce the power consumption of the heating element and save energy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the utility model;
[0020] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the heat exchanger in the utility model;
[0021] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the shell in the utility model.
[0022] Among them, the meanings of the figure numbers are as follows: 10, shell; 11, phase change material layer; 12, insulation layer; 13, liquid inlet; 131, liquid inlet joint; 14, liquid outlet; 141, liquid outlet joint; 20, heat exchange tube; 21, straight pipe section; 22, connecting pipe section; 23, liquid inlet end; 24, liquid outlet end; 30, heating element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] For better understanding and implementation, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0024] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc. indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.
[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0026] See also Figures 1 to 3 The utility model discloses a phase change energy storage water heater, comprising: a shell 10, a heat exchange element and a heating element 30. The shell 10 has an installation cavity, and the installation cavity is filled with a phase change material layer 11. The phase change material layer 11 can be used for heat exchange and energy storage. The heat exchange element is located in the installation cavity and embedded in the phase change material layer 11. The heating element 30 is arranged in the installation cavity. The heating element 30 is arranged in close contact with the heat exchange element and extends in the extension direction of the heat exchange element. The heating element 30 is used for heating.
[0027] On the basis of the above structure, during assembly, a layer of phase change material layer 11 is first filled in the installation cavity inside the shell 10 of the water heater, and then the heat exchange element is embedded in the material so that the heat exchange element can contact the phase change material in multiple directions. The heating element 30 is arranged in close proximity to the heat exchange element and extended in the extension direction of the heat exchange element so that the heating element 30 can heat the heat exchange element in multiple directions.
[0028] When the specific equipment is in an initial state, cold water can be first introduced into the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is heated in multiple directions through the heating element 30 so that the cold water inside the heat exchanger is evenly heated, and the heated water is then discharged for use by the operator. Compared with the method of locally connecting with the heat exchanger to heat it, the heating element 30 in this embodiment is directly attached to the heat exchanger and extends in the extension direction of the heat exchanger, so that the heating element 30 can be directly attached to the heat exchanger from multiple directions for heating, so that the water inside the heat exchanger is heated faster, and the heat is heated more evenly, and the heat exchange effect is better.
[0029] In addition, during the heating process, since the heat exchanger is embedded in the phase change material, the heat of the heat exchanger during the heating process is completely transferred to the phase change material layer 11. After the phase change material layer 11 absorbs heat until the temperature reaches the phase change temperature of the phase change material, it begins a phase change heat storage process from solid to liquid. During this process, the heat is absorbed and stored by the phase change material. Therefore, when the cold water needs to be heated again, the cold water can be directly introduced into the heat exchanger. At this time, the heat energy stored in the phase change material layer 11 can directly heat the heat exchanger, so that the cold water can be directly heated for the user to use, reducing the use of the heating element 30 and indirectly reducing its power consumption. If the water temperature after heating does not meet the user's requirements, the heating element 30 can be turned on again. At this time, the water in the heat exchanger has been preheated by the phase change material layer 11. Therefore, the heating element 30 only needs to run for a short time to raise the water temperature inside the heat exchanger to the temperature required by the user, indirectly reducing the use time of the heating element 30, shortening the power consumption time of the heating element 30, and saving energy consumption to a certain extent.
[0030] It should be noted that the heat exchanger in this embodiment can be formed by a microchannel heat exchanger, a shell and tube heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger or a heat exchange coil, and the heating element 30 can be a PTC heater, a resistance heating tube or an electromagnetic heating element. During installation, the heating element 30 can be installed at the end of the heat exchanger away from the phase change material layer 11 to heat the heat exchanger only. The specifications and dimensions of the heating element 30 can be similar to those of the heat exchanger, and the heating element 30 can be extended along the extension direction of the heat exchanger so that it can fully cover the heat exchanger to heat it comprehensively. Of course, the heating element 30 can also be installed between the heat exchanger and the phase change material layer 11, so that when heating, it can heat the heat exchanger and the phase change material at the same time, so that the phase change material can store heat and energy faster. The specific setting can be based on actual needs.
[0031] Preferably, the phase change material layer 11 in the present embodiment can be a phase change material with high heat storage density per unit mass, good cycle stability, good thermal stability and low corrosiveness, specifically, it can be crystalline hydrated salts, molten salts, paraffin, acetic acid, etc. During assembly, the phase change material can be pumped into the shell 10 when it is in liquid state. Of course, it can also be filled in the form of solid powder, and the specific selection can be made according to the characteristics of the actual material.
[0032] Furthermore, the heat exchange element includes a heat exchange tube 20, which includes a plurality of straight tube sections 21 and a plurality of connecting tube sections 22. The plurality of straight tube sections 21 extend along a first direction and are arranged in sequence along a second direction. Each two adjacent straight tube sections 21 are connected and interconnected via a connecting tube section 22.
[0033] Specifically, the first direction in this embodiment is the left-right direction of the shell 10, and the second direction is the vertical direction of the shell 10. During assembly, the multiple straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange tube 20 are extended along the first direction and arranged in sequence in the second direction, so that they can be extended and expanded in the first direction and the second direction respectively, and each two adjacent straight pipe sections 21 are connected and penetrated by multiple connecting pipe sections 22, so as to maximize the contact area between the heat exchange tube 20 and the phase change material through this arrangement. In this way, during the heating process, the heat exchange tube 20 can fully contact the phase change material layer 11, so that it can quickly and comprehensively transfer heat to the phase change material layer 11, and the heat exchange effect is better.
[0034] More specifically, the connecting pipe section 22 in this embodiment can be formed by a curved pipe or a straight pipe. When assembled, multiple connecting pipe sections 22 can be connected in series with multiple straight pipe sections 21 in the second direction. Specifically, the two can be connected by gluing or soldering, so that the liquid inside them can be mutually conductive and the liquid inside is not easy to flow out.
[0035] It should be noted that when the connecting pipe section 22 is a straight pipe, only two connecting pipe sections 22 are required. In this case, the connecting pipe section 22 can extend along the second direction, and the extension length of the connecting pipe section 22 can be set according to the extension length of the multiple straight pipe sections 21 set at intervals in the second direction. During assembly, multiple insertion ports are pre-set on the connecting pipe section 22, and then the two connecting pipe sections 21 are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the multiple straight pipe sections 21 are arranged one by one between the two connecting pipe sections 22 along the second direction, and the two ends of the multiple straight pipe sections 21 are inserted one by one into the insertion ports on the connecting pipe section 22, so that the multiple straight pipe sections 21 are connected in series through the two connecting pipe sections 22, and finally the connection between the two is reinforced by soldering.
[0036] Preferably, the heat exchange tube 20 can be made of existing high thermal conductivity and corrosion-resistant materials such as aluminum alloy, copper alloy or titanium alloy, so that it can conduct heat faster and reduce the risk of being corroded by the phase change material in the phase change material layer 11 or the liquid flowing inside during long-term use.
[0037] On the basis that the heat exchange tube 20 is composed of multiple straight tube segments 21 and multiple connecting tube segments 22, during assembly, the heating element 30 can be connected with the multiple straight tube segments 21 in sequence along the second direction, so that it can contact the multiple straight tube segments 21 in sequence. Therefore, during the heating process, the multiple straight tube segments 21 can be heated at the same time, so that the heat exchange tube 20 can be heated more evenly.
[0038] Furthermore, a plurality of heating elements 30 are provided, and the plurality of heating elements 30 are sequentially arranged at intervals along the first direction, and are respectively connected with the plurality of straight pipe sections 21 sequentially along the second direction.
[0039] Since the straight pipe section 21 extends along the first direction and has a certain length, in order to fully heat the multiple straight pipe sections 21, multiple heating elements 30 are provided in this embodiment. During assembly, the multiple heating elements 30 can be arranged in sequence along the first direction, so that the multiple sections on the multiple straight pipe sections 21 can be heated respectively in the first direction through the multiple heating elements 30. In addition, since the heating element 30 is connected with the multiple straight pipe sections 21 in sequence in the second direction, it can be in contact with the multiple straight pipe sections 21 in sequence in the second direction at the same time. Therefore, during the heating process, the heating tube can fully heat each position of the multiple straight pipe sections 21 in sequence in the first direction and the second direction at the same time, so that the heat exchange tube 20 is heated more evenly and the heat exchange effect is better.
[0040] Multiple heating elements 30 can be specifically arranged according to the length of the straight pipe section 21. The specific heating element 30 can be connected to the multiple straight pipe sections 21 on the heat exchange tube 20 by gluing or welding. Of course, it can also be connected to the heat exchange tube 20 by connecting parts (such as bolts or screws, etc.).
[0041] Preferably, the heating element 30 in this embodiment can be a PTC heater, such as a PTC ceramic heater or a PTC thermistor. Compared with a traditional heater, the PTC heater can automatically adjust the temperature during operation to maintain a constant heating effect, and due to its high heat exchange efficiency, the PTC heater is more energy-efficient than the traditional heater.
[0042] In addition, compared with other heaters, the power of PTC heaters can automatically drop sharply when the equipment fails, preventing surface overheating and avoiding safety hazards such as burns and fire, making it safer and more reliable to use.
[0043] Furthermore, a liquid inlet 13 and a liquid outlet 14 are provided on the periphery of the shell 10, and the heat exchange tube 20 has a liquid inlet end 23 and a liquid outlet end 24. The liquid inlet end 23 extends to the outside of the shell 10 through the liquid inlet 13 and is used to introduce water flow, and the liquid outlet end 24 extends to the outside of the shell 10 through the liquid outlet 14 and is used to discharge water flow.
[0044] During assembly, a liquid inlet 13 and a liquid outlet 14 can be reserved on the periphery of the shell 10, so that the liquid inlet end 23 and the liquid outlet end 24 of the heat exchange tube 20 can extend to the outside of the shell 10 through the liquid inlet 13 and the liquid outlet 14 respectively, and then the liquid inlet end 23 and the liquid outlet end 24 are respectively connected to the outside to guide or guide the water flow into or out of the heat exchange tube 20 in the shell 10, and the structure is more practical.
[0045] Specifically, the liquid inlet 13 and the liquid outlet 14 can be integrally formed on the periphery of the housing 10 , or can be formed by laser cutting at a later stage.
[0046] Furthermore, a liquid inlet connector 131 is provided on the liquid inlet 13, and a liquid outlet connector 141 is provided on the liquid outlet 14. The liquid inlet connector 131 and the liquid outlet connector 141 are respectively protruded from the periphery of the shell 10 and are respectively connected to the liquid inlet 13 and the liquid outlet 14.
[0047] Specifically, a liquid inlet joint 131 may be provided on the liquid inlet 13 to connect the liquid inlet end 23 of the fixed heat exchange tube 20 through the liquid inlet joint 131. Similarly, a liquid outlet joint 141 may be provided on the liquid outlet 14 to connect the liquid outlet end 24 of the fixed heat exchange tube 20, so that the liquid inlet end 23 and the liquid outlet end 24 of the heat exchange tube 20 can be installed more firmly, and are not easy to shake when water is inletted and outletted, thereby affecting use.
[0048] Preferably, the liquid inlet connector 131 and the liquid outlet connector 141 in this embodiment can be existing hose connectors, hard pipe connectors, quick-connect connectors or other connectors for connecting pipelines.
[0049] Furthermore, the housing 10 has a heat-insulating layer 12 , which extends along the inner wall of the installation cavity and covers the phase change material layer 11 .
[0050] Specifically, in order to prevent the internal heat energy of the phase change material from being easily lost after absorbing heat, the shell 10 in this embodiment also has an insulation layer 12. During assembly, the insulation layer 12 can be extended and laid along the inner wall of the installation cavity so that it completely covers the phase change material layer 11, so that the internal insulation effect of the shell 10 is better and the heat energy is not easily lost.
[0051] It should be noted that the thermal insulation layer 12 can be a layer of thermal insulation material (such as glass wool, polyurethane foam or polyester foam, etc.) laid on the inner wall of the installation cavity so that it can play a thermal insulation role. The thermal insulation layer 12 can be glued or coated inside the shell 10. Of course, in order to make the internal thermal insulation effect better, the shell 10 can also be directly made of a material with low thermal conductivity and good thermal insulation effect, such as stainless steel, aluminum, stainless steel, etc.
[0052] Preferably, the thermal insulation layer 12 in this embodiment is made of thermal insulation material, such as thermal insulation cotton, thermal insulation foam, etc.
[0053] In addition, in order to facilitate assembly, the shell 10 is also provided with an opening. During assembly, the heat exchange element and the heating element 30 can be introduced into the installation cavity through the opening respectively, and then the cover plate is sealed at the opening to form a closed space inside the entire shell 10, so that the internal insulation effect is better.
[0054] It should be noted that the cover plate can be sealed at the opening by welding or hot-melt gluing.
[0055] The technical means disclosed in the solution of the utility model are not limited to the technical means disclosed in the above-mentioned implementation mode, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the utility model, and these improvements and modifications are also regarded as the protection scope of the utility model.
Claims
1. A phase change energy storage water heater, characterized in that: include: A shell having a mounting cavity filled with a phase change material layer for heat exchange; A heat exchange component, the heat exchange component is located in the installation cavity and embedded in the phase change material layer; A heating element is arranged in the installation cavity, the heating element is arranged in close contact with the heat exchange element and extends in the extension direction of the heat exchange element; the heating element is used for heating.
2. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange element includes a heat exchange tube, which includes a plurality of straight tube sections and a plurality of connecting tube sections. The plurality of straight tube sections extend along a first direction and are arranged in sequence along a second direction at intervals. Each two adjacent straight tube sections are connected and interconnected via the connecting tube section.
3. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating element is connected with the plurality of straight pipe sections in sequence along the second direction.
4. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are multiple heating elements, and the multiple heating elements are arranged in sequence and at intervals along the first direction, and are connected with the multiple straight pipe sections in sequence along the second direction respectively.
5. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that: The heating element is a PTC heater.
6. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shell is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet at its periphery, and the heat exchange tube has a liquid inlet end and a liquid outlet end. The liquid inlet end extends to the outside of the shell through the liquid inlet and is used to introduce water flow, and the liquid outlet end extends to the outside of the shell through the liquid outlet and is used to conduct water flow.
7. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 6, characterized in that: The liquid inlet is provided with a liquid inlet joint, and the liquid outlet is provided with a liquid outlet joint. The liquid inlet joint and the liquid outlet joint are respectively protruding from the periphery of the shell and are respectively communicated with the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.
8. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell has a heat-insulating layer, which extends along the inner wall of the installation cavity and covers the phase-change material layer.
9. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 8, characterized in that: The thermal insulation layer is made of heat insulating material.
10. The phase change energy storage water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell has an opening, the opening is communicated with the installation cavity, and a cover plate is sealed at the opening.