Inner container assembly applied to phase change water heater and phase change water heater

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an inner container assembly applied to a phase change water heater and the phase change water heater, and the inner container assembly comprises a box body provided with a containing cavity filled with phase change materials; the heat exchanger is arranged in the containing cavity and is in heat transfer contact with the phase change material, the phase change material can be converted from a solid state to a liquid state when the heat exchanger releases heat and can be converted from the liquid state to the solid state when the heat exchanger absorbs heat, when the phase change material is in the solid state, a gap is formed between the phase change material and the top wall of the containing cavity, and the ratio of the gap to the volume of the containing cavity is 5%-20%. When the phase-change material is in the solid state, the ratio of the gap between the phase-change material and the top wall of the containing cavity to the volume of the containing cavity is set to be 5%-20%, the phase-change material has enough space to be completely liquefied and can fully absorb heat, and meanwhile the containing cavity is internally provided with enough phase-change material, so that the heat storage upper limit is increased, and the energy storage requirement is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water heaters, in particular to an inner tank component used in a phase change water heater and the phase change water heater. Background Art

[0002] A water heater is a device that uses various physical principles to heat cold water to hot water over a certain period of time. Phase change water heaters are a recently emerging type of water heater. They use a phase change material in an inner tank to store heat. In water-using mode, the tank exchanges heat with cold water to produce hot water. In heat circulation mode, the tank exchanges heat with hot water to store heat in the inner tank's phase change material, allowing it to heat cold water in water-using mode.

[0003] When phase change materials exchange heat with the heat exchanger, they convert between solid and liquid states. During this process, the volume of the phase change material changes. Therefore, gaps need to be reserved to accommodate the volume changes of the phase change material. However, the design of the gaps in the phase change tanks of existing phase change water heaters is unreasonable, making it difficult for the phase change material to completely absorb heat and liquefy, or the phase change material cannot meet the energy storage requirements. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides an inner tank assembly for a phase change water heater and a phase change water heater, wherein the phase change material can completely absorb heat and liquefy while meeting energy storage requirements.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an inner tank assembly for a phase change water heater, the inner tank assembly comprising: a box body having a cavity filled with a phase change material; a heat exchanger disposed in the cavity and in heat transfer contact with the phase change material, the phase change material being capable of changing from a solid state to a liquid state when the heat exchanger releases heat, and from a liquid state to a solid state when the heat exchanger absorbs heat; when the phase change material is in a solid state, there is a gap between the phase change material and the top wall of the cavity, and the ratio of the gap to the volume of the cavity is 5%-20%.

[0006] The inner tank assembly for a phase change water heater provided by the first embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0007] By setting the gap between the phase change material in solid state and the top wall of the cavity to a ratio of 5% to 20% of the volume of the cavity, the phase change material has enough space to completely liquefy, the phase change material can fully absorb heat, and at the same time there is enough phase change material in the cavity to increase the upper limit of heat storage and meet the energy storage requirements.

[0008] In an example of this embodiment, the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conducting plates arranged in sequence and spaced apart from each other. The plurality of heat conducting plates abut against the bottom wall of the cavity and have a spacing distance from the top wall of the cavity.

[0009] In an example of this implementation manner, when the phase change material is in a solid state, the phase change material covers the plurality of thermal conductive plates; or, when the phase change material is in a solid state, the phase change material is flush with the plurality of thermal conductive plates.

[0010] In an embodiment of this implementation manner, the plurality of heat conducting plates are arranged in a horizontal direction, and the plane on which the heat conducting plates are located is parallel to the vertical plane.

[0011] In an example of this embodiment, in a horizontal direction parallel to the heat conducting plates, a plurality of the heat conducting plates abut against at least one side wall of the cavity.

[0012] In an example of this implementation manner, when the phase change material is in a solid state, a ratio of a distance between the phase change material and a top wall of the cavity to a height of the cavity is in a range of 5%-20%.

[0013] In an example of this implementation manner, when the phase change material is in a liquid state, the phase change material fills the gap.

[0014] In one embodiment of this embodiment, the inner tank assembly includes a filling block, and the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat-conducting plates arranged in sequence. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat-conducting plates, the filling block is arranged between the side wall of the cavity and the heat-conducting plates.

[0015] In an example of this embodiment, the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conducting plates arranged in sequence, the distance between two adjacent heat conducting plates ranges from 1 mm to 5 mm, and the viscosity of the phase change material in liquid state ranges from 1000 Pa·s to 5000 Pa·s.

[0016] In one embodiment of this embodiment, the inner tank assembly includes a water inlet pipe, a water outlet pipe, and multiple heat conduction pipes, multiple heat conduction pipes are arranged through the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger has a middle area and an edge area surrounding the middle area, the heat conduction pipes extend from the middle area to the edge area, and multiple heat conduction pipes are connected to the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe to form multiple water channels flowing into the middle area and flowing out of the edge area.

[0017] In one embodiment of this implementation manner, a plurality of the heat conduction pipes are connected in parallel.

[0018] In an example of this embodiment, the heat exchanger includes a plurality of the heat conducting plates, and the heat conducting pipe is arranged to extend in a circuitous manner along the arrangement direction of the plurality of the heat conducting plates to extend from the middle area to the edge area.

[0019] In one embodiment of this embodiment, in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the multiple heat-conducting plates, the heat-conducting pipe first extends along the length direction of the heat-conducting plate, then extends along the width direction of the heat-conducting plate, and then extends along the length direction of the heat-conducting plate to the middle of the heat-conducting plate in the length direction.

[0020] In an example of this implementation manner, the outer diameter of the heat exchange pipeline ranges from 5 mm to 9.5 mm.

[0021] In one embodiment of this embodiment, the heat exchange pipeline includes a plurality of first heat conducting tubes and a plurality of second heat conducting tubes, the number of the first heat conducting tubes and the number of the second heat conducting tubes are both multiple, the multiple first heat conducting tubes and the multiple second heat conducting tubes are arranged in an array, and the distance between two adjacent first heat conducting tubes, two adjacent second heat conducting tubes, and adjacent first heat conducting tubes and second heat conducting tubes is in the range of 20 mm to 45 mm.

[0022] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a phase change water heater, which includes the inner tank assembly described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect.

[0023] The phase change water heater provided by the second embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] By adding the inner tank assembly provided by the first embodiment of the present utility model to the phase change water heater, the phase change water heater can meet the requirements of miniaturization design while having good heat storage performance.

[0025] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and will become apparent from the following description or learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a phase change water heater provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a phase change water heater in a decomposed state;

[0029] Figure 3It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the cast aluminum electric heater;

[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a partial structure of a cast aluminum electric heater;

[0031] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the water pump and shock-absorbing pad of the phase change water heater;

[0032] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a heating component and a bracket of a phase change water heater;

[0033] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the heating component and bracket of the phase change water heater from another perspective;

[0034] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the inner tank assembly of the phase change water heater in a disassembled state;

[0035] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchanger and part of the box of the inner tank assembly;

[0036] Figure 10 1 is a structural diagram of a heat exchanger and a portion of a housing of an inner tank assembly according to another embodiment;

[0037] Figure 11 yes Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of the heat exchanger and piping structure of the inner tank assembly;

[0038] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of region I;

[0039] Figure 13 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the waterway with the heat exchanger and piping structure viewed from the cover side;

[0040] Figure 14 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the water path with the heat exchanger and piping structure viewed from the side facing away from the tank cover.

[0041] Reference numerals:

[0042] Phase change water heater 1000; inner tank assembly 100; housing 10; main tank 11; cover 12; cavity 101; gap 102; top wall 1011; bottom wall 1012; first side wall 1013; second side wall 1014; heat exchanger 20; heat conducting plate 21; middle area 2101; edge area 2102; pipe structure 22; water inlet pipe 221; water outlet pipe 222; first heat conducting pipe 223; second heat conducting pipe 224; first water distribution pipe 225; second water distribution pipe 226; heating assembly 200; first heater 2 10; second heater 220; water pump 230; base 2310; shock-absorbing pad 2320; connecting hole 23201; annular groove 23202; thermostatic valve 240; first water inlet valve port 2410; second water inlet valve port 2420; water outlet valve port 2430; water connecting pipe 250; drain pipe 260; wiring board 310; cast aluminum electric heater 270; aluminum body 2710; spiral pipe 2720; electric heating core 2730; first bellows 2810; second bellows 2820; bracket 300; arrangement direction 91. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0044] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They 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 orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0045] In the description of this utility model, "several" means more than one, "plurality" means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of the terms "first" and "second" is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and is not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the exemplary expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0048] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a phase change water heater 1000 provided in one embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the phase change water heater 1000 in a disassembled state. An embodiment of the present invention provides a phase change water heater 1000, which includes an inner tank assembly 100. Specifically, the phase change water heater 1000 also includes a heating assembly 200 and a bracket 300. The inner tank assembly 100 and the heating assembly 200 are respectively installed on opposite sides of the bracket 300 to reduce the difficulty of assembly and facilitate miniaturization. By adding the inner tank assembly 100 provided in an embodiment of the present invention to the phase change water heater 1000, the phase change water heater 1000 can meet the requirements of miniaturization design while having good heat storage performance.

[0049] The following describes the heating assembly 200 in the phase change water heater 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] In this embodiment, the heating assembly 200 includes a first heater 210, a second heater 220, a water pump 230, a thermostatic valve 240, a water receiving pipe 250, and a water discharge pipe 260. The first heater 210 is connected to the water inlet of the inner tank assembly 100, the second heater 220 is connected to the water outlet of the inner tank assembly 100, and the water pump 230 is connected to the water inlet of the first heater 210. The water pump 230 is used to provide power for the water flow, so that in the internal circulation mode, the water flow can circulate along the first heater 210, the inner tank assembly 100, the second heater 220, and the thermostatic valve 240. The thermostatic valve 240 is provided with a first water inlet valve port 2410, a second water inlet valve port 2420, a water outlet valve port 2430, and a water mixing chamber. The first water inlet valve port 2410, the second water inlet valve port 2420, and the water outlet valve port 2430 are all connected to the water mixing chamber. First water inlet valve port 2410 communicates with water connection pipe 250, which is used to connect to an external water source. Second water inlet valve port 2420 communicates with the water outlet of second heater 220. Water outlet valve port 2430 communicates with drain pipe 260, which is used to connect to water-using appliances such as showers. Thermostatic valve 240 includes a valve core and a driver. The valve core is positioned within a water mixing chamber. The driver is connected to the valve core and is used to drive the valve core within the mixing chamber to adjust the amount of cold water entering through first water inlet valve port 2410 and the amount of hot water entering through second water inlet valve port 2420, thereby adjusting the temperature of the mixed water.

[0051] A wiring board 310 is provided on the bracket 300. The wiring board 310 is provided on the side of the first heater 210 and the second heater 220 facing away from the bracket 300. The wiring board 310 is used to install cables and circuit boards and other devices that are electrically connected to the first heater 210 and the second heater 220 and other components.

[0052] In the internal circulation mode, the first heater 210 and the second heater 220 heat the circulating water flow, and the heated water flow can exchange heat with the inner liner component 100. The phase change material in the inner liner component 100 absorbs heat during the conversion process.

[0053] In the water discharge mode, the water receiving pipe 250 is connected to the external water source, and a part of the cold water can enter the mixing water chamber through the first water inlet valve port 2410, and the other part of the cold water flows through the first heater 210, the inner tank assembly 100 and the second heater 220 and absorbs heat to form hot water, and then enters the mixing water chamber through the second water inlet valve port 2420. The cold water and hot water meet and mix to form mixed water of appropriate temperature, and then flow out from the water outlet valve port 2430 and the drain pipe 260.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first heater 210 and the second heater 220 are both constructed as cast aluminum electric heaters 270. Figures 2 to 4 , Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the cast aluminum electric heater 270; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the partial structure of a cast aluminum electric heater 270. Cast aluminum electric heater 270 includes an aluminum body 2710, a spiral conduit 2720, and an electric heating core 2730. The aluminum body 2710 encases the spiral conduit 2720 and the electric heating core 2730. The electric heating core 2730 generates heat when electricity is applied. This heat is then transferred through the aluminum body 2710 to the water flowing in the spiral conduit 2720, thereby heating the water. During this process, the electric heating core 2730 does not need to come into direct contact with the water, which improves electrical safety and eliminates the need for an additional anti-electrical barrier, reducing costs. Furthermore, the cast aluminum electric heater 270 is smaller than other conventional heaters, facilitating the miniaturization of the phase change water heater 1000.

[0055] In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the water pump 230 and shock-absorbing pad 2320 of the phase change water heater 1000. The water pump 230 is mounted to the bracket 300 via the shock-absorbing pad 2320. Specifically, a base 2310 is mounted on the bracket 300. The shock-absorbing pad 2320 has a connection hole 23201 for screws to pass through and connect to the base 2310, completing the installation of the shock-absorbing pad 2320 on the base 2310. The shock-absorbing pad 2320 also has an annular groove 23202, into which the water pump 230 is snapped, completing the installation of the water pump 230 on the base 2310. The placement of the shock-absorbing pad 2320 between the water pump 230 and the bracket 300 effectively reduces the noise generated by the water pump 230 during operation.

[0056] In this embodiment, the mounting direction of the shock-absorbing pad 2320 on the base 2310 (i.e., the axial direction of the connecting hole 23201) is parallel to the axial direction of the output shaft of the water pump 230. This allows the shock-absorbing pad 2320 to cushion radial vibrations of the water pump 230, thereby improving noise reduction. Furthermore, the mounting direction of the shock-absorbing pad 2320 on the base 2310 is parallel to the plane on which the bracket 300 is mounted on the base 2310. This allows the bracket 300 to bear the load generated by the operation of the water pump 230.

[0057] In this embodiment, the shock-absorbing pad 2320 is constructed as an elastic silicone gasket. In other embodiments, the shock-absorbing pad 2320 can also be other devices that can absorb vibration.

[0058] In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 、 Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 yes Figure 1A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the heating component 200 and the bracket 300 of the phase change water heater 1000; Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the heating assembly 200 and bracket 300 of the phase change water heater 1000 from another perspective. The first heater 210 and the second heater 220 are arranged side by side, and the water pump 230 and the thermostatic valve 240 are arranged on the same side of the first and second heaters 210, 220. The water pump 230 and the first heater 210 are opposite each other, and the thermostatic valve 240 and the second heater 220 are opposite each other. This arrangement not only reduces the amount of heat generated by the first and second heaters 210, but also shortens the length of the piping between the components, reducing water resistance and improving flow efficiency.

[0059] Specifically, the water inlet of the first heater 210 is closer to the bracket 300 than the water outlet, and is connected to the water pump 230 via a first bellows 2810. The water outlet of the second heater 220 is closer to the bracket 300 than the water inlet, and is connected to the thermostatic valve 240 via a second bellows 2820. Gaskets are installed between the first bellows 2810 and the water pump 230, and between the second bellows 2820 and the thermostatic valve 240. This arrangement ensures uniform force on the gaskets, increases their service life, and reduces the risk of water leakage.

[0060] The following describes the inner tank assembly 100 in the phase change water heater 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] See also Figure 8 and Figure 9 , Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the inner tank assembly 100 of the phase change water heater 1000 in a disassembled state; Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchanger 20 and part of the box body 10 of the inner tank assembly 100. An embodiment of the present utility model provides an inner tank assembly 100 applied to a phase change water heater 1000, and the inner tank assembly 100 includes a box body 10 and a heat exchanger 20. The box body 10 has a cavity 101, and the cavity 101 is filled with a phase change material. The heat exchanger 20 is arranged in the cavity 101 and is in heat transfer contact with the phase change material. The phase change material can change from solid to liquid when the heat exchanger 20 releases heat, and from liquid to solid when the heat exchanger 20 absorbs heat. When the phase change material is in a solid state, there is a gap 102 between the phase change material and the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101, and the ratio of the gap 102 to the volume of the cavity 101 is 5%-20%.

[0062] Specifically, the housing 10 includes a main housing 11 and a cover 12. The main housing 11 defines a cavity 101, and the cover 12 covers the opening of the main housing 11 to seal the cavity 101. In this embodiment, the main housing 11 and the cover 12 are fixedly connected by welding. In other embodiments, the main housing 11 and the cover 12 may also be connected by other means, such as screws. The ratio of the gap 102 to the volume of the cavity 101 can be selected to be 5%, 6%, 7%, 8.5%, 9.5%, 10%, 15%, 18%, 20%, etc.

[0063] It is understandable that after the solid phase change material absorbs enough heat through the heat exchanger 20, it will melt into a liquid state. During this process, the volume of the phase change material will increase. After the liquefied phase change material conducts enough heat to the heat exchanger 20, it will solidify into a solid state. During this process, the volume of the phase change material will decrease. When the ratio of the volume of the gap 102 to the volume of the cavity 101 is less than 5%, the phase change material does not have enough space to fully liquefy. When the ratio of the volume of the gap 102 to the volume of the cavity 101 is greater than 20%, there is too little phase change material in the cavity 101, making it difficult to store a large amount of heat. The upper limit of heat storage is too low, making it difficult to meet energy storage requirements.

[0064] By setting the ratio of the gap 102 between the phase change material in solid state and the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101 to 5%-20% of the volume of the cavity 101, the phase change material has enough space to completely liquefy, the phase change material can fully absorb heat, and at the same time, there is enough phase change material in the cavity 101 to increase the upper limit of heat storage and meet the energy storage requirements.

[0065] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 When the phase change material is in a liquid state, it fills the gap 102 of the cavity 101. This configuration allows a large amount of phase change material to be accommodated in the cavity 101, achieving a higher upper limit for heat storage while maintaining the volume of the cavity 101. Furthermore, after absorbing heat, the phase change material has sufficient space to completely liquefy, which facilitates miniaturization of the phase change water heater 1000 while meeting energy storage requirements.

[0066] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9The heat exchanger 20 includes a plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21 arranged in sequence and spaced apart from each other. The plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21 abut against the bottom wall 1012 of the cavity 101 and have a spacing distance from the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101. Specifically, the material of the heat-conducting sheet 21 can be selected from metals or alloys with excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum and copper. It is understandable that when the liquid phase change material solidifies during heat release, the phase change material will be deposited at the bottom of the cavity 101 under the action of its own gravity. By setting the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21 to abut against the bottom wall 1012 of the cavity 101, the solid phase change material has a larger contact area with the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchanger 20 and the solid phase change material. In other words, when the amount of phase change material remains unchanged, the heat-conducting sheet 21 can be designed with a larger size to obtain a larger contact area with the phase change material.

[0067] In this embodiment, the sidewalls of the cavity 101 include a first sidewall 1013 and a second sidewall 1014. There are two first sidewalls 1013 and two second sidewalls 1014. The two first sidewalls 1013 are arranged opposite each other in a horizontal direction parallel to the thermal conductive sheet 21, and the two second sidewalls 1014 are arranged opposite each other in the arrangement direction 91 of the plurality of thermal conductive sheets 21. The two first sidewalls 1013, the two second sidewalls 1014, the top wall 1011, and the bottom wall 1012 enclose the cavity 101. The plurality of thermal conductive sheets 21 abut against the two first sidewalls 1013 to further increase the contact area between the solid phase change material and the plurality of thermal conductive sheets 21.

[0068] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 9 and Figure 11 , Figure 11 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchanger 20 and the piping structure 22 of the inner tank assembly 100. Multiple heat-conducting plates 21 are arranged in the horizontal direction, and the plane on which the heat-conducting plates 21 are located is parallel to the vertical plane. With this arrangement, during the solid-liquid conversion process of the phase change material, the phase change material in the gap between two adjacent heat-conducting plates 21 can be deformed in the vertical direction. The extrusion force of the phase change material on the heat-conducting plates 21 is small, which can reduce the risk of the heat-conducting plates 21 being squeezed and damaged by the phase change material. At the same time, the phase change material is subject to less resistance, so that the phase change material can be completely solidified or liquefied.

[0069] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 When the phase change material is in a solid state, the phase change material covers the plurality of heat conducting sheets 21. In this embodiment, the solid phase change material is higher than the plurality of heat conducting sheets 21 by a certain height. For ease of understanding, Figure 9The shaded portion 90 in the figure represents the phase change material in its solid state. It is understood that as the phase change material solidifies, its volume gradually decreases until it completely solidifies into a solid state. By providing a solid phase change material covering the multiple thermally conductive plates 21, the phase change material is ensured to be in full contact with the multiple thermally conductive plates 21 at all times, maintaining a high heat exchange efficiency between the phase change material and the multiple thermally conductive plates 21.

[0070] In other embodiments, see Figure 10 , Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchanger 20 and part of the housing 10 of the liner assembly 100 under another embodiment. The solid phase-change material is flush with the multiple heat-conducting sheets 21, that is, the solid phase-change material and the multiple heat-conducting sheets 21 are at the same height (the top side of the solid phase-change material is flush with the top side of the multiple heat-conducting sheets 21), and the distance between the solid phase-change material and the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101 is equal to the distance between the multiple heat-conducting sheets 21 and the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101. This arrangement can reduce the amount of phase-change material used while ensuring the contact area between the multiple heat-conducting sheets 21 and the phase-change material, thereby helping to reduce the volume of the liner assembly 100.

[0071] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 8 to 10 When the phase-change material is in a solid state, the ratio of the distance H1 between the phase-change material and the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101 to the height H2 of the cavity 101 is in a range of 5%-20%. In this embodiment, the cavity 101 of the housing 10 is constructed as a rectangular cavity. The ratio of the distance H1 between the phase-change material and the top wall 1011 of the cavity 101 when in a solid state to the height H2 of the cavity 101 is also in a range of 5%-20%. This facilitates achieving a ratio of the gap 102 to the volume of the cavity 101 within a range of 5%-20%, thereby reducing the design difficulty of the liner assembly 100.

[0072] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 11 The inner tank assembly 100 includes a filling block. In the arrangement direction 91 of the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21, the filling block is arranged between the heat-conducting sheet 21 and the corresponding side wall of the cavity 101. Specifically, one side of the filling block is in contact with the heat-conducting sheet 21, and the other side of the filling block is in contact with the second side wall 1014. It is understandable that the space between the heat-conducting sheet 21 and the second side wall 1014 cannot be effectively exchanged due to the presence of a heat-conducting device. By arranging the filling block between the heat-conducting sheet 21 and the second side wall 1014, the filling block can fill the space between the heat-conducting sheet 21 and the second side wall 1014, thereby saving phase change material and reducing costs.

[0073] In this embodiment, there are two filler blocks, each disposed between the two second side walls 1014 and the corresponding thermally conductive sheet 21. In other embodiments, there may be one filler block, disposed between one of the second side walls 1014 and the corresponding thermally conductive sheet 21, to conserve phase change material and reduce costs. In other embodiments, a filler block may be disposed between multiple thermally conductive sheets 21 and the bottom wall 1012 to further conserve phase change material.

[0074] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 11 The inner liner assembly 100 includes a piping structure 22. In the arrangement direction 91 of the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21, the piping structure 22 is disposed through the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21 and protrudes from at least one side of the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21. A filler block is provided with a hollow structure that avoids the protruding portion of the piping structure 22. By providing the hollow structure in the filler block, the portion of the piping structure 22 that protrudes from the plurality of heat-conducting sheets 21 can be accommodated within the hollow structure, allowing the filler block to better fill the space between the heat-conducting sheets 21 and the second sidewall 1014, thereby saving phase change material.

[0075] In this embodiment, the piping structure 22 protrudes from opposite sides of the plurality of heat conducting sheets 21 in the arrangement direction 91, and the filler blocks on both sides are provided with corresponding hollow structures to accommodate the protrusions on both sides of the piping structure 22. In other embodiments, the piping structure 22 may protrude from only one side of the plurality of heat conducting sheets 21, and the filler blocks on that side are provided with corresponding hollow structures to accommodate the protruding portion of the piping structure 22 on that side.

[0076] In this embodiment, the filling block is constructed as a deformable foam to better fill the space between the heat conducting sheet 21 and the second side wall 1014. In other embodiments, the filling block may also be made of other materials.

[0077] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 , Figure 12 yes Figure 11 The distance D between two adjacent heat conducting sheets 21 is in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm, and the viscosity of the phase change material in liquid state is in the range of 1000 Pa·s to 5000 Pa·s.

[0078] Specifically, the distance D between two adjacent thermally conductive sheets 21 can be selected to be 1.0 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.7 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.7 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, etc. The viscosity range of the phase change material in the liquid state can be selected to be 1000 Pa·s, 1390 Pa·s, 1950 Pa·s, 2200 Pa·s, 2650 Pa·s, 3200 Pa·s, 3870 Pa·s, 4570 Pa·s, 5000 Pa·s, etc.

[0079] It is understandable that, when the volume of the cavity 101 is constant, when the distance D between two adjacent thermal conductive plates 21 is greater than 5 mm, the number of thermal conductive plates 21 will be too small, the contact area between the heat exchanger 20 and the phase change material will be too small, and the heat exchange efficiency will be too low; when the distance D between two adjacent thermal conductive plates 21 is less than 1 mm, the liquid phase change material will have difficulty flowing in the multiple thermal conductive plates 21, the phase change material will have difficulty in fully contacting the multiple thermal conductive plates 21, and it will also be difficult to complete the filling of the phase change material.

[0080] Furthermore, when the viscosity of the phase change material in its liquid state exceeds 5000 Pa·s, the liquid phase change material has poor fluidity, making filling difficult. When the viscosity of the phase change material in its liquid state is less than 1000 Pa·s, the phase change material is not sufficiently viscous and is prone to stratification after multiple solid-liquid conversions, resulting in reduced energy storage efficiency. Furthermore, the convective heat transfer coefficient between the phase change material and the multiple thermal conductive plates 21 is also unsatisfactory, resulting in low heat exchange efficiency between the phase change material and the heat exchanger 20.

[0081] It should be noted that if the heat transfer coefficient of the phase change material is too low, the heat released by the phase change material will not be transferred to the water through the heat exchanger in time. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the heat transfer coefficient between the phase change material and the heat exchanger, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the two, so that the phase change material can quickly transfer energy to the water in the water use mode, and the heat in the water can be quickly transferred to the phase change material in the internal circulation mode.

[0082] By setting the distance D between two adjacent heat conducting plates 21 to a range of 1mm-5mm, and setting the viscosity range of the phase change material in a liquid state to 1000Pa·s-5000Pa·s, there is a suitable gap between the heat conducting plates 21, thereby ensuring the number of heat conducting plates 21, and the contact area between the phase change material and the multiple heat conducting plates 21 is large. The heat exchanger 20 has a high heat exchange efficiency. At the same time, the phase change material has a suitable viscosity, and the phase change material and the multiple heat conducting plates 21 have a high convective heat transfer coefficient, which further improves the heat exchange efficiency between the phase change material and the heat exchanger 20. The phase change material can flow in the gap between the heat conducting plates 21 to complete filling, and reduces the risk of energy storage attenuation of the phase change material after multiple solid-liquid conversions, thereby ensuring the energy storage efficiency of the phase change material.

[0083] The inner liner assembly 100 provided in the embodiment of the present invention has a higher heat transfer coefficient between the phase change material and the heat exchanger 20 by reasonably designing the gap between the heat conducting plates 21 and the viscosity of the phase change material when in liquid state, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency. As a result, the phase change material can quickly transfer energy to water in the water use mode, and the heat in the water can be quickly transferred to the phase change material in the internal circulation mode, thereby improving the user experience.

[0084] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 11 、 Figure 13 and Figure 14 , Figure 13 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the waterway of the heat exchanger 20 and the piping structure 22 observed from one side of the tank cover 12; Figure 14 yes Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the water circuit of the heat exchanger 20 and piping structure 22, viewed from the side facing away from the cover 12. The piping structure 22 includes an inlet pipe 221, an outlet pipe 222, and multiple parallel heat transfer pipes. The multiple heat transfer pipes are arranged through the heat exchanger 20. The heat exchanger 20 has a central region 2101 and an edge region 2102 surrounding the central region 2101. The heat transfer pipes extend from the central region 2101 to the edge region 2102. The multiple heat transfer pipes are connected to the inlet pipe 221 and the outlet pipe 222, forming multiple water channels that flow from the central region 2101 and out of the edge region 2102.

[0085] For details, please refer to Figure 2 The heat transfer pipes include a first heat transfer pipe 223 and a second heat transfer pipe 224. The first heat transfer pipe 223 is disposed in the middle region 2101, and the second heat transfer pipe 224 is disposed in the edge region 2102. The water inlet pipe 221 is connected to the water outlet of the first heater 210, and the water outlet pipe 222 is connected to the water inlet of the second heater 220. The water inlet pipe 221 and the water outlet pipe 222 are both disposed on the same side of the plurality of heat conductive sheets 21 in the arrangement direction 91, so that the water inlet pipe 221 and the water outlet pipe 222 are connected to the first heater 210 and the second heater 220, respectively, which helps shorten the pipe length and reduce the water resistance.

[0086] By setting up multiple parallel heat-conducting pipes, the multiple heat-conducting pipes all extend from the middle area 2101 to the edge area 2102, forming multiple water channels flowing into the middle area 2101 and flowing out of the edge area 2102. The multiple water flows and the middle area 2101 and the edge area 2102 of the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 exchange heat in turn. The contact area between the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 and the multiple heat-conducting pipes is large, the utilization rate of the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 is high, the heat exchange efficiency is improved, and the size requirements of the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 are reduced, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the phase change water heater 1000.

[0087] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 13 and Figure 14 The heat conducting pipe is arranged to extend in a circuitous manner along the arrangement direction of the multiple heat conducting sheets 21, so as to extend from the middle area 2101 to the edge area 2102. Specifically, the heat conducting pipe penetrates the multiple heat conducting sheets 21 from one side of the box cover 12, and then penetrates the multiple heat conducting sheets 21 again after passing through the multiple heat conducting sheets 21 from the side facing away from the box cover 12, and passes through the multiple heat conducting sheets 21 from the side facing the box cover 12, and repeatedly passes through the multiple heat conducting sheets 21 to form a circuitous and winding structure. In the same plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the multiple heat conducting sheets 21, the heat conducting pipe extends from the middle area 2101 to the edge area 2102. With such an arrangement, the heat conducting pipe has a larger contact area with the multiple heat conducting sheets 21, and improves the utilization rate of the multiple heat conducting sheets 21, which is conducive to further improving the heat exchange efficiency of the multiple heat conducting sheets 21 and the heat conducting pipe.

[0088] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 13 and Figure 14 , multiple heat conducting pipes are connected in parallel. Specifically, the multiple heat conducting pipes have the same length. This arrangement allows water to flow in and out of the multiple water channels formed by the multiple heat conducting pipes simultaneously, ensuring uniform heat exchange across the multiple heat conducting plates 21 and fully utilizing the multiple heat conducting plates 21.

[0089] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 13 and Figure 14 In a plane perpendicular to the arrangement of the multiple thermally conductive sheets 21, the heat transfer pipes first extend along the length of the thermally conductive sheets 21, then along the width of the thermally conductive sheets 21, and then along the length of the thermally conductive sheets 21 to the middle of the length of the thermally conductive sheets 21. This arrangement ensures that the heat transfer pipes of each water channel fully contact the multiple thermally conductive sheets 21, which helps improve the utilization rate of the multiple thermally conductive sheets 21 and thus enhance heat exchange efficiency.

[0090] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the heat conducting sheet 21 is rectangular and has a length direction and a width direction. The length direction is vertical and the width direction is horizontal. In other embodiments, the length direction of the heat conducting sheet 21 may also be horizontal, and the width direction of the heat conducting sheet 21 may also be vertical.

[0091] In this embodiment, the edge region 2102 includes A1 sub-region, B1 sub-region, C1 sub-region, and D1 sub-regions distributed at the four corners of the middle region 2101. The middle region 2101 includes A2 sub-region, B2 sub-region, C2 sub-region, and D2 sub-regions corresponding to the A1 sub-region, B1 sub-region, C1 sub-region, and D1 sub-regions respectively. The first heat exchange tubes of the A2 sub-region, B2 sub-region, C2 sub-region, and D2 sub-regions are correspondingly connected to the second heat exchange tubes of the A1 sub-region, B1 sub-region, C1 sub-region, and D1 sub-regions. The pipeline structure 22 includes a first water distribution pipe 225 and a second water distribution pipe 226. The water inlet pipe 221 is connected to the first water distribution pipe 225, and the second water distribution pipe 226 is connected to the water outlet pipe 222. Both the first water distribution pipe 225 and the second water distribution pipe 226 are provided with four water distribution ports. The four water distribution ports of the first water distribution pipe 225 are respectively connected to the first heat conduction tubes 223 of the A2 sub-region, B2 sub-region, C2 sub-region, and D2 sub-regions. The four water distribution ports of the second water distribution pipe 226 are respectively connected to the second heat conduction tubes 224 of the A1 sub-region, B1 sub-region, C1 sub-region, and D1 sub-regions. With such a setting, the water flow can be divided into four streams. The four water streams exchange heat with the A1 and A2 sub-regions, B1 and B2 sub-regions, C1 and C2 sub-regions, and D1 and D2 sub-regions of the heat conduction sheet 21 respectively. The water flow can fully exchange heat with each region of multiple heat conduction sheets 21 simultaneously, improving the heat exchange efficiency. Moreover, the heat exchange of the heat conduction sheet 21 is relatively uniform, and the utilization rate of the heat conduction sheet 21 is relatively high.

[0092] In this embodiment, in the corresponding sub-regions, for example, the A1 sub-region and the A2 sub-region, in the water flow direction of the water path, multiple first heat conduction tubes 223 are arranged along the length direction of the heat conduction sheet 21, and multiple second heat conduction tubes 224 are arranged in sequence along the width direction and the length direction of the heat conduction sheet 21, and the last second heat conduction tube 224 is located in the middle of the edge region 2102 in the vertical direction. Specifically, in the corresponding sub-regions, when observing along the arrangement direction of multiple heat conduction sheets 21, multiple first heat conduction tubes 223 and multiple second heat conduction tubes 224 as a whole present an extended shape of "匚". This can improve the utilization rate of multiple heat conduction sheets 2, which is beneficial to miniaturized design. At the same time, the last second heat conduction tube 224 is located in the middle of the edge region 2102 in the vertical direction, so as to facilitate setting the lengths of multiple heat conduction pipelines to be equal, thereby realizing the simultaneous inflow and outflow of the water flow in multiple water paths.

[0093] In other embodiments, the number of sub-regions in the middle region 2101 and the edge region 2102 can also be other numbers, such as 3 and 5.

[0094] In an embodiment of this implementation manner, please refer to Figures 11 to 13The outer diameters OD of the first heat pipe 223 and the second heat pipe 224 are in the range of 5 mm to 9.5 mm. Specifically, the outer diameters OD of the first heat pipe 223 and the second heat pipe 224 are equal and can be selected from 5 mm, 6.1 mm, 7.5 mm, 8 mm, 9.2 mm, 9.5 mm, etc.

[0095] It is understood that when the outer diameter (OD) of the first and second heat pipes 223, 224 is less than 5 mm, the contact area between the first and second heat pipes 223, 224 and the thermal sheet 21 is too small, and the heat exchange efficiency between the pipe structure 22 and the multiple thermal sheets 21 is too low. When the outer diameter (OD) of the first and second heat pipes 223, 224 is greater than 9.5 mm, the area of the thermal sheet 21 is overly compressed, the contact area between the multiple thermal sheets 21 and the phase change material is too small, and the heat exchange efficiency between the phase change material and the multiple thermal sheets 21 is too low. When the heat exchange efficiency between the pipe structure 22 and the thermal sheet 21 is too low, or between the thermal sheet 21 and the phase change material is too low, the heat transfer between the water flow and the phase change material is affected. By setting the outer diameters OD of the first heat conducting pipe 223 and the second heat conducting pipe 224 to be between 5 mm and 9.5 mm, the pipe structure 22 and the plurality of heat conducting sheets 21 as well as the phase change material and the plurality of heat conducting sheets 21 have matching heat exchange efficiencies.

[0096] In one embodiment of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 11 to 14 , the number of the first heat pipe 223 and the second heat pipe 224 are both multiple, and the multiple first heat pipes 223 and the multiple second heat pipes 224 are arranged in an array, and the distance between two adjacent first heat pipes 223, two adjacent second heat pipes 224, and adjacent first heat pipes 223 and second heat pipes 224 is in the range of 20mm-45mm. Specifically, the multiple first heat pipes 223 and the multiple second heat pipes 224 are arranged in the longitudinal and transverse directions, and the longitudinal spacing DA1 and the transverse spacing DA2 both meet the requirements of 20mm-45mm. In this embodiment, the transverse spacing DA2 is greater than the longitudinal spacing DA1. In other embodiments, the transverse spacing DA2 may be less than or equal to the longitudinal spacing DA1. The longitudinal spacing DA1 and the transverse spacing DA2 may be 20mm, 25mm, 31mm, 37mm, 40mm, 45mm, etc., respectively.

[0097] It can be understood that when the longitudinal spacing DA1 and the transverse spacing DA2 are less than 20 mm, the first heat pipe 223 and the second heat pipe 224 are distributed too densely, so that the contact area between the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 and the phase change material is too small, the number of phase change materials is too small, the heat exchange efficiency between the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 and the phase change material is low, and the heat storage capacity of the phase change material is weak; when the longitudinal spacing DA1 and the transverse spacing DA2 are greater than 45 mm, the number of the first heat pipe 223 and the second heat pipe 224 is too small, so that the contact area between the first heat pipe 223 and the second heat pipe 224 and the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 is too small, the heat exchange efficiency between the pipeline structure 22 and the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 is too low, and the water flow cannot fully exchange heat. By setting the longitudinal spacing DA1 and the transverse spacing DA2 to between 20mm-45mm, the pipeline structure 22 and the multiple heat-conducting plates 21, and the phase change material and the multiple heat-conducting plates 21 have good heat exchange efficiency. At the same time, the amount of phase change material in the cavity 101 is appropriate, and it has better heat storage capacity.

[0098] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features of the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

Claims

1. An inner tank assembly for a phase change water heater, characterized in that: include: The box has a cavity filled with a phase change material; A heat exchanger is provided in the cavity and is in heat transfer contact with the phase change material. The phase change material can change from solid to liquid when the heat exchanger releases heat, and from liquid to solid when the heat exchanger absorbs heat. When the phase change material is in solid state, there is a gap between the phase change material and the top wall of the cavity. The ratio of the gap to the volume of the cavity is 5%-20%.

2. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conducting fins arranged in sequence and spaced apart from each other. The plurality of heat conducting fins abut against the bottom wall of the cavity and are spaced apart from the top wall of the cavity.

3. The liner assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the phase change material is in a solid state, the phase change material covers the plurality of heat conductive plates; or, when the phase change material is in a solid state, the phase change material is flush with the plurality of heat conductive plates.

4. The liner assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of heat conducting plates are arranged in a horizontal direction, and the planes on which the heat conducting plates are located are parallel to the vertical plane.

5. The liner assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: In a horizontal direction parallel to the heat conducting sheets, a plurality of the heat conducting sheets abut against at least one side wall of the cavity.

6. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the phase change material is in a solid state, a ratio of a distance between the phase change material and a top wall of the cavity to a height of the cavity is in a range of 5% to 20%.

7. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the phase change material is in a liquid state, the phase change material fills the gap.

8. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner tank assembly includes a filling block, and the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conducting plates arranged in sequence. In the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat conducting plates, the filling block is arranged between the side wall of the cavity and the heat conducting plates.

9. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conducting plates arranged in sequence, the distance between two adjacent heat conducting plates ranges from 1 mm to 5 mm, and the viscosity of the phase change material in a liquid state ranges from 1000 Pa·s to 5000 Pa·s.

10. The liner assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner tank assembly includes a water inlet pipe, a water outlet pipe, and multiple heat conduction pipes. The multiple heat conduction pipes are arranged in the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a middle area and an edge area surrounding the middle area. The heat conduction pipes extend from the middle area to the edge area. The multiple heat conduction pipes are connected to the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe to form multiple water channels flowing into the middle area and flowing out of the edge area.

11. The liner assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: A plurality of the heat conduction pipes are connected in parallel.

12. The liner assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conducting fins, and the heat conducting pipeline is arranged in a circuitous manner along the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat conducting fins to extend from the middle area to the edge area.

13. The liner assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: In a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat conducting sheets, the heat conducting pipe first extends along the length direction of the heat conducting sheet, then extends along the width direction of the heat conducting sheet, and then extends along the length direction of the heat conducting sheet to the middle of the heat conducting sheet in the length direction.

14. The liner assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the heat conduction pipe ranges from 5 mm to 9.5 mm.

15. The liner assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: The heat conduction pipe includes a plurality of first heat conduction pipes and a plurality of second heat conduction pipes, which are arranged in an array. The distance between two adjacent first heat conduction pipes, two adjacent second heat conduction pipes, and adjacent first heat conduction pipes and second heat conduction pipes is in a range of 20 mm to 45 mm.

16. A phase change water heater, characterized in that: Comprising the liner assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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