Shower heat recovery system

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of heat recovery, in particular to a shower heat recovery system which comprises a water supply assembly, a cold water container, a hot water container, a shower, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger is located above the shower, cold water in the cold water container flows through the first heat exchanger to absorb heat of shower waste water and then flows back to the cold water container, and cold water in the cold water container flows through the second heat exchanger to absorb heat of shower waste gas and then flows back to the cold water container; the heat pump assembly is arranged between the cold water container and the hot water container, the heat pump assembly comprises a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a throttling element which form refrigerant circulation, the evaporator is used for refrigerating water in the cold water container, and the condenser is used for heating water in the hot water container. The energy-saving effect is better, and the working efficiency of the heat pump assembly is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of heat recovery technology, and in particular to a shower heat recovery system. Background Technology

[0002] Shower water consumption accounts for a significant proportion of domestic hot water energy consumption due to its large user base and wide distribution. Waste heat recovery and reuse are beneficial for carbon reduction, energy saving, cost reduction, and efficiency improvement, possessing significant economic value and deserving widespread application. Existing shower heat recovery systems generally only recover heat from wastewater. For example, patent number ZL201520325491.7, "A Hot Water System for Pumping Out Heat for Cooling and Then Exchanging Heat with Wastewater," uses an increased temperature difference between fresh water and wastewater to enhance the absorption of wastewater heat, thus achieving greater energy savings. Specifically, the heat pump system absorbs heat from tap water (fresh water), cools it, and then exchanges heat with wastewater through a wall-to-wall process. The heat pump system then uses the absorbed heat to heat the fresh water after the heat exchange. The fresh water absorbs more waste heat from the wastewater, resulting in higher energy efficiency. However, this design is limited in that it only utilizes the waste heat of wastewater, and heating can continue when there is wastewater but is forced to stop when there is no wastewater. Therefore, the energy-saving effect is not high. In addition, this design has a significant drawback: during long-term cooling, the temperature of the cold water is prone to become too low, which affects the working efficiency of the heat pump system. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application aims to at least partially address one of the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art. To this end, embodiments of this application provide a shower heat recovery system with better energy-saving performance and higher operating efficiency of the heat pump components.

[0004] A shower heat recovery system, comprising:

[0005] A water supply assembly includes a cold water container, a hot water container, a shower, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The hot water container is connected to the shower and has a fresh water inlet for supplying fresh water. The first heat exchanger is located below the shower, and the second heat exchanger is located above the shower. Cold water in the cold water container flows through the first heat exchanger to absorb heat from the shower wastewater and then flows back to the cold water container. Cold water in the cold water container flows through the second heat exchanger to absorb heat from the shower exhaust gas and then flows back to the cold water container.

[0006] At least one heat pump assembly is provided, which is disposed between the cold water container and the hot water container. The heat pump assembly includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a throttling element for forming a refrigerant cycle. The evaporator is used to cool the water in the cold water container, and the condenser is used to heat the water in the hot water container.

[0007] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the first heat exchanger has a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel that exchange heat with each other. The first heat exchange channel has a first inlet and a first outlet for collecting and discharging shower wastewater, respectively. The second heat exchange channel is connected to the cold water container through a first circulating inlet pipe and a first circulating outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the water in the cold water container through the first heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger is connected to the cold water container through a second circulating inlet pipe and a second circulating outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the water in the cold water container through the second heat exchanger.

[0008] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the water supply assembly further includes a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger. After the new water absorbs the heat from the shower wastewater through the third heat exchanger, it enters the hot water container through the new water inlet. After the new water absorbs the heat from the shower exhaust gas through the fourth heat exchanger, it enters the hot water container through the new water inlet.

[0009] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the third heat exchanger has a third heat exchange channel and a fourth heat exchange channel for mutual heat exchange. The third heat exchange channel has a second inlet and a second outlet for collecting and discharging shower wastewater, respectively. One end of the fourth heat exchange channel is connected to a water source through a first fresh water inlet pipe, and the other end of the fourth heat exchange channel is connected to the fresh water inlet through a first fresh water outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the fresh water through the third heat exchanger. The fourth heat exchanger is connected to a water source through a second fresh water inlet pipe, and the fourth heat exchanger is connected to the fresh water inlet through a second fresh water outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the fresh water through the fourth heat exchanger.

[0010] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the third heat exchanger is located above the first heat exchanger, and the second outlet is connected to the first inlet.

[0011] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the first heat exchanger is a partitioned heat exchanger, in which cold water flowing out of the cold water container exchanges heat with wastewater flowing through the first heat exchange channel as it flows through the second heat exchange channel. The third heat exchanger is a partitioned heat exchanger, in which fresh water exchanges heat with wastewater flowing through the third heat exchange channel as it flows through the fourth heat exchange channel.

[0012] In an optional or preferred embodiment, a fan is provided above the shower to exhaust the exhaust gas from the shower room and form an exhaust duct. The second heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger are both located in the exhaust duct. The fourth heat exchanger is located above the shower, the second heat exchanger is located above the fourth heat exchanger, and the fan is located above the second heat exchanger.

[0013] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the cold water container is provided with a refrigeration outlet and a refrigeration return outlet. The refrigeration outlet is connected to the evaporator through a pre-refrigeration outlet pipe, and the refrigeration return outlet is connected to the evaporator through a post-refrigeration return pipe. The hot water container is provided with a heating outlet and a heating return outlet. The heating outlet is connected to the condenser through a pre-heating outlet pipe, and the heating return outlet is connected to the condenser through a post-heating return pipe.

[0014] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the cold water container includes a first cold water tank and a second cold water tank. The bottom of the first cold water tank and the top of the second cold water tank are connected by a cold water pipe. The refrigeration outlet is located at the bottom of the first cold water tank, and the refrigeration return outlet is located at the top of the second cold water tank. The first circulating water inlet pipe and the second circulating water inlet pipe are both connected to the bottom of the second cold water tank, and the first circulating water outlet pipe and the second circulating water outlet pipe are both connected to the top of the first cold water tank.

[0015] In an optional or preferred embodiment, the hot water container includes a first hot water tank and a second hot water tank, the top of the first hot water tank and the bottom of the second hot water tank are connected by a hot water pipe, the heating outlet is located at the bottom of the first hot water tank, the heating return outlet is located at the top of the second hot water tank, and the fresh water inlet is located at the top of the first hot water tank.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, the embodiments of this application have at least the following beneficial effects: Utilizing the heat from exhaust gas and wastewater generated during showering allows for continuous heating of the cold water in the cold water container, resulting in higher efficiency of the heat pump components. Even without wastewater, continuous heating can be achieved solely by absorbing residual heat from water vapor in the air. Furthermore, when hot water use is stopped, the remaining wastewater and exhaust gas continue to flow, and this residual heat can still be utilized, thus achieving better energy savings. This application solves the problem in traditional heat recovery systems where heating can continue when wastewater is present but is forced to stop when there is no wastewater. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the shower heat recovery system according to Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shower heat recovery system according to Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the shower heat recovery system according to Embodiment 3 of this application;

[0021] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the shower heat recovery system according to Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0022] Figure label:

[0023] 100-Water supply assembly; 110-Cold water container; 111-First cold water tank; 112-Second cold water tank; 1110-Refrigeration outlet; 1120-Refrigeration return outlet; 120-Hot water container; 121-First hot water tank; 122-Second hot water tank; 1210-Fresh water inlet; 1211-Heating outlet; 1220-Heating return outlet; 130-First heat exchanger; 131-First heat exchange channel; 132-Second heat exchange channel; 140-Second heat exchanger; 150-Shower; 160-Third heat exchanger; 161-Third heat exchange channel; 162-Fourth heat exchange channel; 170-Fourth heat exchanger; 200-Heat pump assembly; 210-Compressor Machine; 220-Condenser; 230-Evaporator; 240-Throttling element; 300-First cold water circulation pump; 400-Second cold water circulation pump; 500-Hot water circulation pump; 600-Fan; 101-First circulation inlet pipe; 102-First circulation outlet pipe; 103-Second circulation inlet pipe; 104-Second circulation outlet pipe; 105-First fresh water inlet pipe; 106-First fresh water outlet pipe; 107-Second fresh water inlet pipe; 108-Second fresh water outlet pipe; 1111-Outlet pipe before cooling; 1121-Return pipe after cooling; 1212-Outlet pipe before heating; 1221-Return pipe after heating; 113-Cold water pipe; 123-Hot water pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0029] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0030] Shower water consumption accounts for a significant proportion of domestic hot water energy consumption due to its large user base and wide distribution. Waste heat recovery and reuse are beneficial for carbon reduction, energy saving, cost reduction, and efficiency improvement, possessing significant economic value and deserving widespread application. Existing shower heat recovery systems generally only recover heat from wastewater. For example, patent number ZL201520325491.7, "A Hot Water System for Pumping Out Heat for Cooling and Then Exchanging Heat with Wastewater," uses an increased temperature difference between fresh water and wastewater to enhance the absorption of wastewater heat, thus achieving greater energy savings. Specifically, the heat pump system absorbs heat from tap water (fresh water), cools it, and then exchanges heat with wastewater through a wall-to-wall process. The heat pump system then uses the absorbed heat to heat the fresh water after the heat exchange. The fresh water absorbs more waste heat from the wastewater, resulting in higher energy efficiency. However, this design is limited in that it only utilizes the waste heat of wastewater, and heating can continue when there is wastewater but is forced to stop when there is no wastewater. Therefore, the energy-saving effect is not high. In addition, this design has a significant drawback: during long-term cooling, the temperature of the cold water is prone to become too low, which affects the working efficiency of the heat pump system.

[0031] The following reference Figures 1 to 4 This application provides a shower heat recovery system, specifically showing four embodiments.

[0032] Example 1:

[0033] Reference Figure 1 The shower heat recovery system of this embodiment includes a water supply assembly 100 and a heat pump assembly 200. The water supply assembly 100 includes a cold water container 110, a hot water container 120, a first heat exchanger 130, a second heat exchanger 140, and a shower 150. The hot water container 120 is provided with a fresh water inlet 1210 for supplying fresh water. The first heat exchanger 130 is located below the shower 150, and the second heat exchanger 140 is located above the shower 150. The cold water in the cold water container 110 flows through the first heat exchanger 130 to absorb the heat of the shower wastewater and then flows back to the cold water container 110. The cold water in the cold water container 110 flows through the second heat exchanger 140 to absorb the heat of the shower waste gas and then flows back to the cold water container 110.

[0034] The heat pump assembly 200 is disposed between the cold water container 110 and the hot water container 120. The heat pump assembly 200 includes a compressor 210, a condenser 220, an evaporator 230 and a throttling element 240 for forming a refrigerant cycle. The evaporator 230 is used to cool the water in the cold water container 110 and the condenser 220 is used to heat the water in the hot water container 120.

[0035] The working principle of the heat pump assembly 200 is based on existing technology. Specifically, the refrigerant, driven by the compressor 210, flows sequentially through the condenser 220, the throttling element 240, and the evaporator 230 before returning to the compressor 210. The throttling element 240 is an expansion valve. The refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas by the compressor 210. This high-temperature, high-pressure gas releases heat to heat the water as it flows through the condenser 220. Then, as it flows through the expansion valve, it is throttled into a low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant, which then enters the evaporator 230 to release cooling energy to cool the water. The refrigerant that has released cooling energy is then drawn back into the compressor 210, forming a continuous cycle.

[0036] In this embodiment, a heat pump assembly 200 is installed between the cold water container 110 and the hot water container 120. Of course, two or more heat pump assemblies 200 can also be installed between the cold water container 110 and the hot water container 120 to further improve heating and cooling efficiency.

[0037] To prevent freezing, antifreeze is added to the cold water in the cold water container 110, the cold water in the first heat exchanger 130, the cold water in the second heat exchanger 140, and the cold water flow.

[0038] The first heat exchanger 130 is installed on the floor of the shower room to absorb the waste heat generated during showering. During showering, the shower room generates a large amount of waste water. When the cooled water flowing from the cold water container 110 passes through the first heat exchanger 130, the first heat exchanger 130 transfers the heat of the shower waste water to the cold water, thereby heating the cold water. The heated cold water then flows back to the cold water container 110 to continue heating the cold water. After the cold water recovers waste heat, its temperature rises, and it is further cooled to a low temperature by the evaporator 230. Compared with directly cooling the raw water, this embodiment can effectively reduce the energy consumption of the compressor 210 and improve the working efficiency of the heat pump assembly 200.

[0039] The first heat exchanger 130 has a first heat exchange channel 131 and a second heat exchange channel 132 for mutual heat exchange. The first heat exchange channel 131 has a first inlet and a first outlet for collecting and discharging shower wastewater, respectively. The second heat exchange channel 132 is connected to a cold water container 110 through a first circulating inlet pipe 101 and a first circulating outlet pipe 102, thereby continuously heating the water in the cold water container 110 through the first heat exchanger 130. A first cold water circulating pump 300 is installed on the first circulating inlet pipe 101. The second heat exchanger 140 is connected to the cold water container 110 through a second circulating inlet pipe 103 and a second circulating outlet pipe 104, thereby continuously heating the water in the cold water container 110 through the second heat exchanger 140. Furthermore, the first heat exchanger 130 is an indirect heat exchanger, in which the cold water flowing out of the cold water container 110 undergoes indirect heat exchange with the wastewater flowing through the first heat exchange channel 131 as it flows through the second heat exchange channel 132.

[0040] The first cold water circulation pump 300 operates, causing the cold water in the cold water container 110 to enter the second heat exchange channel 132 through the first circulation inlet pipe 101. When the wastewater passes through the first heat exchange channel 131, it undergoes indirect heat exchange with the cold water flowing through the second heat exchange channel 132, thus heating the cold water. The heated cold water then flows out from the first circulation outlet pipe 102 and returns to the cold water container 110. In this way, the waste heat in the shower wastewater is utilized to heat the cold water through the first heat exchanger 130.

[0041] The second heat exchanger 140 is positioned above the showerhead 150 to absorb the waste heat from the exhaust gases generated during showering. The showerhead 150 is typically installed above the shower enclosure. During use, the shower enclosure generates a large amount of exhaust gas, which is essentially water vapor. This water vapor has both sensible and latent heat. The exhaust gas is most concentrated above the showerhead 150. Therefore, by positioning the second heat exchanger 140 above the showerhead 150, the heat from the exhaust gas can be transferred to the cold water, thus heating the cold water. The heated cold water then flows back to the cold water container 110, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the heat pump assembly 200.

[0042] The first cold water circulation pump 300 operates, causing cold water in the cold water container 110 to flow from the second circulation inlet pipe 103 through the second heat exchanger 140 to exchange heat with the exhaust gas. The heated cold water then flows out from the second circulation outlet pipe 104 and returns to the cold water container 110. In this way, the second heat exchanger 140 absorbs the sensible heat of water vapor and air to continuously heat the cold water, thereby further improving the working efficiency of the heat pump assembly 200.

[0043] The cold water container 110 is equipped with a refrigeration outlet 1110 and a refrigeration return outlet 1120. The refrigeration outlet 1110 is connected to the evaporator 230 via a pre-refrigeration outlet pipe 1111, and the refrigeration return outlet 1120 is connected to the evaporator 230 via a post-refrigeration return pipe 1121. The hot water container 120 is equipped with a heating outlet 1211 and a heating return outlet 1220. The heating outlet 1211 is connected to the condenser 220 via a pre-heating outlet pipe 1212, and the heating return outlet 1220 is connected to the condenser 220 via a post-heating return pipe 1221. A second cold water circulation pump 400 is installed on the pre-refrigeration outlet pipe 1111, and a hot water circulation pump 500 is installed on the pre-heating outlet pipe 1212.

[0044] When the second cold water circulation pump 400 operates, water in the cold water container 110 flows out from the cooling outlet 1110 and enters the evaporator 230 through the pre-cooling outlet pipe 1111. After being cooled by the evaporator 230, the cooled water flows through the post-cooling return pipe 1121 and finally enters the cold water container 110 from the cooling return port 1120. Similarly, when the hot water circulation pump 500 operates, water flowing out of the hot water container 120 enters the condenser 220 through the pre-heating outlet pipe 1212 and is heated by the condenser 220. The heated water flows through the post-heating return pipe 1221 and finally enters the hot water container 120 from the heating return port 1220.

[0045] A fan 600 is installed above the shower 150 to exhaust the exhaust gas from the shower room and form an exhaust duct. A second heat exchanger 140 is installed in the exhaust duct. The fan 600 enables the exhaust gas to flow more concentratedly through the second heat exchanger 140 for heat exchange, further improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0046] In this embodiment, the shower room is equipped with two showers 150, and two first heat exchangers 130 and two second heat exchangers 140 are provided. The two first heat exchangers 130 are arranged opposite each other below the two showers 150, and the two second heat exchangers 140 are arranged opposite each other above the two showers 150, thereby forming a double-row shower system that can accommodate two people showering at the same time, reducing the space occupied in the water area.

[0047] This embodiment utilizes the heat from exhaust gas and wastewater generated during showering, enabling continuous heating of the cold water in the cold water container 110 and thus increasing the efficiency of the heat pump assembly 200. Even without wastewater, heating can continue solely by absorbing residual heat from water vapor in the air. Furthermore, when hot water use ceases, the remaining wastewater and exhaust gas continue to flow, allowing for further utilization of this residual heat, resulting in even better energy savings. This application solves the problem in traditional heat recovery systems where heating can continue when wastewater is present but is forced to stop when there is no wastewater. In addition, both the cold water container 110 and the hot water container 120 have a certain amount of water stored. Even when hot water is not in use, the heat pump assembly 200 can still operate normally, absorbing heat from the water in the cold water container 110 through the evaporator 230 and simultaneously heating the water in the hot water container 120 through the condenser 220.

[0048] Example 2:

[0049] Reference Figure 2 In this embodiment, based on the first embodiment, the cold water container 110 is configured as the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112, and the hot water container 120 is configured as the first hot water tank 121 and the second hot water tank 122.

[0050] Specifically, the cold water container 110 includes a first cold water tank 111 and a second cold water tank 112. The bottom of the first cold water tank 111 and the top of the second cold water tank 112 are connected by a cold water pipe 113. The cooling water outlet 1110 is located at the bottom of the first cold water tank 111, and the cooling return outlet 1120 is located at the top of the second cold water tank 112. The first circulating water inlet pipe 101 and the second circulating water inlet pipe 103 are both connected to the bottom of the second cold water tank 112, and the first circulating water outlet pipe 102 and the second circulating water outlet pipe 104 are both connected to the top of the first cold water tank 111.

[0051] Water in the first cold water tank 111 flows out from the pre-cooling outlet pipe 1111 and is cooled by the evaporator 230. The cooled water flows back to the second cold water tank 112 through the post-cooling return pipe 1121. Therefore, the water temperature in the second cold water tank 112 is lower than that in the first cold water tank 111. In this embodiment, the cold water container 110 is divided into the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112. On the one hand, this realizes the separation of heated water and original cold water, avoids the mixing of the two, and improves the working efficiency of the heat pump component 200. On the other hand, this separate tank design can reduce the mutual influence between the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112 and improve the stability of the water output from the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112.

[0052] The hot water container 120 includes a first hot water tank 121 and a second hot water tank 122. The top of the first hot water tank 121 and the bottom of the second hot water tank 122 are connected by a hot water pipe 123. The heating outlet 1211 is located at the bottom of the first hot water tank 121, the heating return outlet 1220 is located at the top of the second hot water tank 122, and the fresh water inlet 1210 is located at the top of the first hot water tank 121.

[0053] Fresh water enters the first hot water tank 121 through the fresh water inlet 1210. Water in the first hot water tank 121 flows out through the pre-heating outlet pipe 1212, is heated by the condenser 220, and then flows back to the second hot water tank 122 through the post-heating return pipe 1221. The hot water in the second hot water tank 122 is then delivered to the shower 150. This arrangement reduces the mutual interference between the first and second hot water tanks 121 and improves the stability of the water output from both tanks.

[0054] Example 3:

[0055] Reference Figure 3 This embodiment adds a third heat exchanger 160 and a fourth heat exchanger 170 to the first embodiment.

[0056] Specifically, the water supply assembly 100 also includes a third heat exchanger 160 and a fourth heat exchanger 170. After the new water absorbs the heat from the shower wastewater through the third heat exchanger 160, it enters the hot water container 120 through the new water inlet 1210. After the new water absorbs the heat from the shower wastewater through the fourth heat exchanger 170, it enters the hot water container 120 through the new water inlet 1210.

[0057] The third heat exchanger 160 is located below the shower unit 150. Specifically, the third heat exchanger 160 is installed on the floor of the shower room to absorb the residual heat from the wastewater generated during showering. During use, the shower room produces a large amount of wastewater. When fresh water flows through the third heat exchanger 160, the third heat exchanger 160 transfers the heat of the wastewater to the fresh water, thereby heating the fresh water. The heated fresh water then flows into the hot water container 120. The fourth heat exchanger 170 is located above the shower unit 150 to absorb the residual heat from the exhaust gas generated during showering. The shower unit 150 is usually installed in the upper part of the shower room. During use, the shower room produces a large amount of exhaust gas, which is essentially water vapor. This water vapor has not only sensible heat but also a significant amount of latent heat. Among them, the exhaust gas is most concentrated above the shower 150. Therefore, the fourth heat exchanger 170 is set above the shower 150. The heat in the exhaust gas can be transferred to the fresh water through the fourth heat exchanger 170, thereby heating the fresh water. After the fresh water is heated, it flows into the hot water container 120.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, the fresh water absorbs the residual heat from the wastewater and exhaust gas, rapidly increases in temperature, and then enters the hot water container 120, where it is heated by the condenser 220 and mixes with the hot water in the container 120. The wastewater does not need to enter the condenser 220 or evaporator 230 of the heat pump assembly 200, allowing the residual heat to be recovered and utilized.

[0059] In this embodiment, the third heat exchanger 160 has a third heat exchange channel 161 and a fourth heat exchange channel 162 that exchange heat with each other. The third heat exchange channel 161 has a second inlet and a second outlet for collecting and discharging shower wastewater, respectively. The third heat exchange channel 161 is connected to a water source through a first fresh water inlet pipe 105 and a fresh water inlet 1210 through a first fresh water outlet pipe 106, thereby continuously heating the fresh water through the third heat exchanger 160. Furthermore, the third heat exchanger 160 is an indirect heat exchanger, and the fresh water undergoes indirect heat exchange with the wastewater flowing through the third heat exchange channel 161 during the flow of the fourth heat exchange channel 162.

[0060] Wastewater from the shower enters the third heat exchange channel 161 through the second inlet and flows out through the second outlet. Fresh water enters the fourth heat exchange channel 162 through the first fresh water inlet pipe 105 and undergoes indirect heat exchange with the wastewater flowing through the third heat exchange channel 161, thus heating the fresh water. The heated fresh water flows out through the first fresh water outlet pipe 106 and then flows into the hot water container 120 through the fresh water inlet 1210.

[0061] The fourth heat exchanger 170 is connected to a water source via a second fresh water inlet pipe 107 and a fresh water inlet pipe 108, thereby continuously heating the fresh water. Fresh water flows into the fourth heat exchanger 170 from the second fresh water inlet pipe 107 to exchange heat with the exhaust gas. The heated fresh water then flows out from the second fresh water outlet pipe 108 and then into the hot water container 120 from the fresh water inlet pipe 1210.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third heat exchanger 160 is located above the first heat exchanger 130, and the second outlet is connected to the first inlet. Thus, the shower wastewater first undergoes indirect heat exchange with the fresh water flowing through the fourth heat exchange channel 162 via the third heat exchange channel 161, and then enters the first heat exchange channel 131 to undergo indirect heat exchange with the cold water flowing through the second heat exchange channel 132. This achieves two-stage utilization of the waste heat from the shower wastewater, making the waste heat utilization in this embodiment more thorough.

[0063] Furthermore, a fan 600 is installed above the shower 150 to exhaust the shower exhaust gas and form an exhaust duct. The second heat exchanger 140 and the fourth heat exchanger 170 are both located within the exhaust duct, with the fourth heat exchanger 170 positioned above the shower 150 and the second heat exchanger 140 positioned above the fourth heat exchanger 170. The fan 600 is positioned above the second heat exchanger 140. The fan 600 allows the exhaust gas to flow more concentratedly through the fourth heat exchanger 170 and the second heat exchanger 140 for heat exchange, further improving heat exchange efficiency. Since the second heat exchanger 140 is positioned above the fourth heat exchanger 170, the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust duct first heats the fresh water in the fourth heat exchanger 170, and then heats the cold water in the second heat exchanger 140. Therefore, this embodiment achieves two-stage utilization of shower exhaust gas, resulting in more thorough waste heat utilization.

[0064] In this embodiment, two showers 150 are installed in the shower room to form a double-row shower system, which can accommodate two people showering at the same time.

[0065] Example 4:

[0066] Reference Figure 4In this embodiment, based on embodiment three, the cold water container 110 is configured as a first cold water tank 111 and a second cold water tank 112, and the hot water container 120 is configured as a first hot water tank 121 and a second hot water tank 122.

[0067] Specifically, the cold water container 110 includes a first cold water tank 111 and a second cold water tank 112. The bottom of the first cold water tank 111 and the top of the second cold water tank 112 are connected by a cold water pipe 113. The cooling water outlet 1110 is located at the bottom of the first cold water tank 111, and the cooling return outlet 1120 is located at the top of the second cold water tank 112. The first circulating water inlet pipe 101 and the second circulating water inlet pipe 103 are both connected to the bottom of the second cold water tank 112, and the first circulating water outlet pipe 102 and the second circulating water outlet pipe 104 are both connected to the top of the first cold water tank 111.

[0068] Water in the first cold water tank 111 flows out from the pre-cooling outlet pipe 1111, is cooled by the evaporator 230, and then flows back to the second cold water tank 112 through the post-cooling return pipe 1121. Therefore, the water temperature in the second cold water tank 112 is lower than that in the first cold water tank 111. In this embodiment, the cold water container 110 is divided into the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112. On the one hand, this achieves the separation of heated water from the original cold water, avoids the mixing of the two, and improves the working efficiency of the heat pump component 200. On the other hand, this separate tank design can reduce the mutual influence between the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112 and improve the stability of the water output from the first cold water tank 111 and the second cold water tank 112.

[0069] The hot water container 120 includes a first hot water tank 121 and a second hot water tank 122. The top of the first hot water tank 121 and the bottom of the second hot water tank 122 are connected by a hot water pipe 123. The heating outlet 1211 is located at the bottom of the first hot water tank 121, the heating return outlet 1220 is located at the top of the second cold water tank 112, and the fresh water inlet 1210 is located at the top of the first hot water tank 121.

[0070] Fresh water flows into the fourth heat exchange channel 162 through the first fresh water inlet pipe 105. In the fourth heat exchange channel 162, it is heated by the wastewater flowing through the third heat exchange channel 161. The heated fresh water flows out from the first fresh water outlet pipe 106 and enters the first hot water tank 121 through the fresh water inlet 1210. Fresh water flows into the fourth heat exchanger 170 through the second fresh water inlet pipe 107 to exchange heat with the waste gas. The heated fresh water flows out from the second fresh water outlet pipe 108 and enters the first hot water tank 121 through the fresh water inlet 1210.

[0071] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application.

Claims

1. A shower heat recovery system, characterized in that, include: A water supply assembly includes a cold water container, a hot water container, a shower, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The hot water container is connected to the shower and has a fresh water inlet for supplying fresh water. The first heat exchanger is located below the shower, and the second heat exchanger is located above the shower. Cold water in the cold water container flows through the first heat exchanger to absorb heat from the shower wastewater and then flows back to the cold water container. Cold water in the cold water container flows through the second heat exchanger to absorb heat from the shower exhaust gas and then flows back to the cold water container. At least one heat pump assembly is provided, which is disposed between the cold water container and the hot water container. The heat pump assembly includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a throttling element for forming a refrigerant cycle. The evaporator is used to cool the water in the cold water container, and the condenser is used to heat the water in the hot water container.

2. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first heat exchanger has a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel for mutual heat exchange. The first heat exchange channel has a first inlet and a first outlet for collecting and discharging shower wastewater, respectively. The second heat exchange channel is connected to the cold water container through a first circulating inlet pipe and a first circulating outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the water in the cold water container through the first heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger is connected to the cold water container through a second circulating inlet pipe and a second circulating outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the water in the cold water container through the second heat exchanger.

3. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water supply assembly also includes a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger. After the new water absorbs the heat from the shower wastewater through the third heat exchanger, it enters the hot water container through the new water inlet. After the new water absorbs the heat from the shower exhaust gas through the fourth heat exchanger, it enters the hot water container through the new water inlet.

4. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The third heat exchanger has a third heat exchange channel and a fourth heat exchange channel for mutual heat exchange. The third heat exchange channel has a second inlet and a second outlet for collecting and discharging shower wastewater, respectively. One end of the fourth heat exchange channel is connected to a water source through a first fresh water inlet pipe, and the other end of the fourth heat exchange channel is connected to the fresh water inlet through a first fresh water outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the fresh water through the third heat exchanger. The fourth heat exchanger is connected to a water source through a second fresh water inlet pipe, and the fourth heat exchanger is connected to the fresh water inlet through a second fresh water outlet pipe, thereby continuously heating the fresh water through the fourth heat exchanger.

5. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The third heat exchanger is located above the first heat exchanger, and the second outlet is connected to the first inlet.

6. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first heat exchanger is a partitioned heat exchanger, in which cold water flowing out of the cold water container exchanges heat with wastewater flowing through the first heat exchanger as it flows through the second heat exchange channel. The third heat exchanger is a partitioned heat exchanger, in which fresh water exchanges heat with wastewater flowing through the third heat exchange channel as it flows through the fourth heat exchange channel.

7. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: A fan is installed above the shower to exhaust the exhaust gas from the shower room and form an exhaust duct. The second heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger are both installed in the exhaust duct. The fourth heat exchanger is located above the shower, and the second heat exchanger is located above the fourth heat exchanger. The fan is located above the second heat exchanger.

8. The shower heat recovery system according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The cold water container is provided with a refrigeration outlet and a refrigeration return outlet. The refrigeration outlet is connected to the evaporator through a pre-refrigeration outlet pipe, and the refrigeration return outlet is connected to the evaporator through a post-refrigeration return pipe. The hot water container is provided with a heating outlet and a heating return outlet. The heating outlet is connected to the condenser through a pre-heating outlet pipe, and the heating return outlet is connected to the condenser through a post-heating return pipe.

9. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cold water container includes a first cold water tank and a second cold water tank. The bottom of the first cold water tank and the top of the second cold water tank are connected by a cold water pipe. The refrigeration outlet is located at the bottom of the first cold water tank, and the refrigeration return outlet is located at the top of the second cold water tank. The first circulating water inlet pipe and the second circulating water inlet pipe are both connected to the bottom of the second cold water tank, and the first circulating water outlet pipe and the second circulating water outlet pipe are both connected to the top of the first cold water tank.

10. The shower heat recovery system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The hot water container includes a first hot water tank and a second hot water tank. The top of the first hot water tank and the bottom of the second hot water tank are connected by a hot water pipe. The heating outlet is located at the bottom of the first hot water tank, the heating return outlet is located at the top of the second hot water tank, and the fresh water inlet is located at the top of the first hot water tank.

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