Fluid line heating device and use of a fluid line heating device for heating a fluid line

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid line heating device (1) for heating a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material, comprising a heating device (2) for heating a fluid and a flow device (3) for generating a volume flow through a fluid line to be heated, wherein the fluid line heating device (1) has at least one sensor (4) and a control unit (5) connected to the at least one sensor (4), which is configured to control the heating device (2) and / or the flow device (3) depending on a sensor signal from the at least one sensor (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a fluid line heating device for heating a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material, comprising a heating device for heating a fluid and a flow device for generating a volume flow through a fluid line to be heated. Such a fluid line is generally used for transporting a liquid and / or gaseous medium.

[0002] The installation of fluid lines made of a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene (PE) in the ground or generally outdoors is highly dependent on the prevailing outside temperatures. Thermoplastic lines that are too cold become brittle and are more prone to damage when exposed to external forces. For this reason, there are legal regulations regarding material temperatures that must be observed when welding, joining, and forming thermoplastic fluid lines such as pipes. For example, for PE pipes, it is stipulated that a material temperature of 6 °C must not be exceeded when welding such fluid lines. Otherwise, there is a risk that a water or gas line made with this material will later be leaky and prone to leaks. Thermoplastic fluid lines are usually stored in bundles and must be unwound by forming them before installation.If the required material temperature is not met at low outside temperatures, a welded connection between two fluid lines may not be properly formed. This makes installing thermoplastic fluid lines particularly difficult during colder seasons.

[0003] Solutions of the type mentioned above are already known, in which warm exhaust air generated by an internal combustion engine is introduced into fluid lines to heat them. However, such devices are fundamentally unsuitable for laying fluid lines that will later be used to transport the purest possible fluids, such as drinking water, because the interior of the fluid lines becomes contaminated due to the exhaust gas introduction.

[0004] Another problem arises when the fluid line is to be laid on a remote construction site, since in this case it is often difficult to preheat the fluid line to be laid on site to an appropriate material temperature in order to guarantee safe installation.

[0005] The object is therefore to provide a fluid line heating device for heating a fluid line of the type mentioned above with improved usage properties, with which the aforementioned disadvantages can be eliminated.

[0006] The solution to this problem is provided by the fluid line heating device according to claim 1.

[0007] In particular, to achieve the object, a fluid line heating device of the type mentioned above is proposed, which is characterized in that it has at least one sensor and a controller connected to the at least one sensor, which controller is configured to control the heating device and / or the flow device as a function of a sensor signal from the at least one sensor. The solution according to the invention has the advantage that a safe laying of fluid lines within predetermined temperature limits is possible largely independently of external temperature and weather influences. The fluid line heating device according to the invention makes it possible to heat a fluid to a desired temperature and then introduce this fluid into a fluid line to be heated. The heated fluid flows through the fluid line and in the process heats its wall.This allows the fluid line to be heated to a specified material temperature at which the thermoplastic material can be safely formed, molded and welded, even when the outside temperatures are below a critical threshold.

[0008] Advantageous further developments of the solution according to the invention are described below, which can be combined alone or in combination with other embodiments with the features of claim 1.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment of the fluid line heating device, the at least one sensor can be designed as a temperature sensor arranged at a coupling point for coupling the fluid line to be heated to an outlet of the fluid heated by the fluid line heating device into the fluid line to be heated. This makes it possible to measure the temperature of the fluid introduced into the fluid line very precisely. This improves the control properties of the fluid line heating device, so that an introduced fluid temperature corresponds exactly, or as exactly as possible, to a set temperature value.

[0010] According to a further advantageous embodiment, a temperature setpoint can be set or stored in the controller, wherein the sensor signal of the at least one sensor corresponds to an actual temperature value, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts the heating device and / or the flow device so that the actual temperature value corresponds almost or exactly to the temperature setpoint. This makes it particularly effective to prevent the fluid line to be heated from becoming overheated. Exceeding an upper temperature threshold can cause damage to the fluid line, which must be prevented.

[0011] The heating of the material to be heated can be influenced by the fluid temperature and / or by the volume flow of the fluid that is sent through the fluid line to be heated. According to an advantageous embodiment, the controller can be configured to change the heating power of the heating device. In particular, this can be provided in such a way that the heating power is increased when the temperature falls below the setpoint and that the heating power is reduced when the temperature exceeds the setpoint. By adjusting the heating power, the fluid temperature can be adjusted particularly easily.

[0012] Alternatively or additionally, the controller can be configured to change the flow rate of the flow device. In particular, this can be provided in such a way that the flow rate is reduced when the temperature falls below the setpoint and that the flow rate is increased when the temperature exceeds the setpoint.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment, the heating device can have a heating chamber with at least one heat exchanger, wherein the heating chamber has a fresh air inlet through which ambient air and / or fluid from a fluid circuit can be sucked into the heating chamber, and wherein the heating chamber has a chamber outlet through which heated air can be removed. The use of a fluid circuit can have the advantage that already heated fluid, such as preferably air, which has already been passed through a fluid line to be heated for the purpose of heating the fluid line, is reused. The energy requirement for heating the fluid before it is reintroduced into a fluid line to be heated can thus be reduced compared to the use of ambient air if the ambient air is colder than the temperature of the fluid from the fluid circuit.

[0014] The heating device can, for example, be designed as a combustion device. Heat can be generated by burning a fuel, such as gasoline, diesel, and / or gas. Since the combustion of a fuel often produces exhaust gases that could lead to contamination inside the fluid line, the exhaust gases are not discharged through the fluid line. If contamination occurs within the fluid line, it would no longer be suitable for use as a drinking water line, for example. Therefore, there is a spatial separation in the heating device between the fluid to be heated and the resulting exhaust gases. The exhaust gases are released into the environment via a separate exhaust outlet. This ensures that the fluid line to be heated remains free of contamination.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, an outlet for the fluid heated by the fluid line heating device, such as the aforementioned outlet for the fluid into the fluid line to be heated, can be formed by a hose, in particular a flexible hose. This makes it easier to heat a fluid line that is positioned, for example, at an angle and / or at a distance from the fluid line heating device, without the alignment of the fluid line heating device and the fluid line to be heated having to be precisely coordinated. According to a preferred embodiment, the hose can be double-walled. Due to the double-walled design, an intermediate space designed as an insulating space can be formed between the two hose walls.This prevents the heated fluid inside the hose from cooling down significantly, even at very low outside temperatures. Furthermore, it allows users to touch the outside of the hose without risking burns from excessively high temperatures inside. A further advantage of the double-walled design of the hose is that at least one cable for at least one sensor, such as a power supply and / or signal line, is located in the space between the two hose walls.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment, the controller can have a data transfer interface configured to transmit operating protocols. For example, the data transfer interface can be a contact-based and / or a contactless data transfer interface. A contact-based data transfer interface can be configured, for example, as a USB port. A contactless data transfer interface can be configured, for example, as a WLAN port and / or a Bluetooth port. This makes it easy to perform checks of the operating parameters. This therefore offers the operator of the fluid line heating device the security of being able to provide complete proof, in the event of subsequent damage to the fluid line, that legal regulations were observed during the installation and / or welding of the fluid line and that the damage did not occur due to incorrect handling of the fluid line.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fluid line heating device can have a housing in which the heating device, the flow device, and the control system are arranged. The housing can serve as weather protection to allow the fluid line heating device to be stored outdoors, such as on an outdoor construction site. Sensitive components of the fluid line heating device are better protected from the elements by the housing.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fluid line heating device can have a further sensor which is arranged in the heating device and is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow device depending on a sensor signal from the further sensor. For example, the further sensor can be a temperature sensor. The further sensor can, for example, be designed to detect a temperature within the heating device. If this temperature is below a limit temperature, i.e., the heating device is not yet sufficiently heated, the controller prevents the flow device from being switched on or reduces the flow rate of the flow device to a value below a normal flow rate, which is provided once the limit temperature is reached.This ensures that the heating device can first heat up to the required operating temperature before heat dissipation occurs. This enables more energy-efficient operation.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment, the flow device can be configured to generate a flow, in particular a turbulent flow, in a fluid line with a length-to-diameter ratio of greater than or equal to 100. This ensures that even fluid lines of greater length can be sufficiently supplied with heated fluid, so that the material of the fluid line further downstream is also sufficiently heated.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fluid line heating device can have a power connection and / or a battery. The battery can be provided as a redundant energy source and / or as a buffer storage energy source for the power connection in order to supply the fluid line heating device as a whole or individual components with energy. Preferably, the control system is supplied with energy during operation via the power connection and / or the battery. The battery can, for example, compensate for voltage fluctuations that sometimes occur with power generators on construction sites. Voltage fluctuations can cause malfunctions by negatively affecting the control system and should therefore be avoided.For example, by inserting a battery between the power connection and the controller, voltage fluctuations occurring on the controller can be prevented because its power supply is then set up via the battery, and the battery can be charged via the power connection.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fluid line heating device can have at least one handle and / or wheels. Thus, the fluid line heating device is designed to be mobile and can be transported more easily. In particular, this makes it possible for the fluid line heating device to be easily transported to its intended location, such as an outdoor construction site, and in particular, to be portable by one or more users.

[0022] The invention further relates to the use of a fluid line heating device, as described and / or claimed herein, for heating a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material. The features and advantages described with respect to the fluid line heating device apply equally to the inventive use for heating a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material.

[0023] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fluid line heated by the fluid line heating device can subsequently be deformed and / or welded. Thus, a fluid line can be safely deformed, welded, and / or installed even at outside temperatures below threshold temperatures.

[0024] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fluid line can be heated at the installation site. This eliminates the need to transport a previously preheated fluid line; instead, the fluid line can be heated to the required temperature directly at its installation site. This allows the material temperature to be adjusted and controlled much more precisely, as intermediate cooling is better avoided.

[0025] The invention will now be described in more detail using an exemplary embodiment, but is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments result from the combination of the features of individual or multiple claims with one another and / or with individual or multiple features of the exemplary embodiments.

[0026] It shows: Fig. 1 shows a partially sectioned embodiment of a fluid line heating device according to the invention, Fig. 2 an enlargement of the Fig. 1 circled detail of the heating device, wherein the heating device is designed as a combustion device having a heating chamber with a heat exchanger, Fig. 3 an overall view of the Fig. 1 shown embodiment of the fluid line heating device according to the invention.

[0027] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 shows a fluid line heating device, designated overall as 1. The fluid line heating device 1 is designed to be used to heat a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material. The material of the fluid line, such as PE, can thus be heated to a required temperature to ensure that deformation, welding, joining, and / or laying of the fluid line can be carried out safely even at low outside temperatures below a temperature limit that the material would have to have.

[0028] The fluid line heating device 1 comprises a heating device 2 for heating a fluid. Furthermore, the fluid line heating device 1 comprises a flow device 3 for generating a volume flow of the fluid in order to allow the fluid heated by the heating device 2 to flow through a fluid line to be heated. The flow device 3 can be, for example, a fan and / or a blower.

[0029] To ensure that the material of the fluid line is not overheated, the fluid line heating device 1 has at least one sensor 4 and a controller 5 connected to the at least one sensor 4. The controller 5 is configured to control the heating device 2 and / or the flow device 3 depending on a sensor signal from the at least one sensor 4.

[0030] The at least one sensor 4 represents a first sensor 4, which is designed as a temperature sensor. The sensor 4 is in the Fig. 1 and Fig. In the embodiment of the fluid line heating device 1 shown in Figure 3, the sensor 4 is arranged at a coupling point 6 for coupling the fluid line to be heated to an outlet 7 of the fluid line heating device 1. The sensor 4 therefore detects the temperature of the heated fluid shortly before or at the point where the fluid flows into the fluid line. This allows a very accurate conclusion to be drawn as to how strongly the material of the fluid line is heated by the fluid. Heat losses of the fluid flow that occur between the heating device 2 and the coupling point 6 are therefore also irrelevant.

[0031] A temperature setpoint can be set or stored in the controller 5. The sensor signal supplied by sensor 4 corresponds to an actual temperature value, i.e., a currently measured temperature of the fluid. The controller 5 automatically adjusts the heating device 2 and / or the flow device 3 if the actual temperature deviates from the temperature setpoint. Ideally, the controller 5 is configured so that the actual temperature value is set almost or exactly to the temperature setpoint.

[0032] The controller 5 can, for example, be configured to change the heating power of the heating device 2 such that the heating power is increased when the temperature falls below the setpoint and the heating power is reduced when the temperature exceeds the setpoint.

[0033] Alternatively or additionally, the controller 5 can be configured to change the flow rate of the flow device 3 such that the flow rate is reduced when the temperature falls below the setpoint and the flow rate is increased when the temperature exceeds the setpoint.

[0034] As in Fig. 2, the heating device 2 has a heating chamber 8 with at least one heat exchanger 9. The heat exchanger 9 comprises a combustion chamber 19 which has an air inlet 20 and an exhaust gas outlet 21. Within the combustion chamber 19, a fuel can be burned, thereby generating heat which is transferred to the fluid in the heating chamber 8. The heating chamber 8 has its own fresh air inlet 10, through which ambient air can be sucked into the heating chamber 8 as the fluid to be heated. The heating chamber 8 has a chamber outlet 11, through which heated fluid (here, heated air) can be transported away. The combustion chamber 19 and the heating chamber 8 are therefore separated from one another, so that no gas exchange can take place.

[0035] In the Fig. 1 and Fig.In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the outlet 7 of the fluid line heating device 1 is formed by a hose 12. Previously heated fluid can thus be introduced into the fluid line to be heated via the hose 12. The hose 12 can preferably be flexible or at least partially flexible or articulated. The hose 12 is double-walled here, both to achieve better thermal insulation of the hose interior and to accommodate cabling, particularly for the sensor 4, in the space between the hose walls.

[0036] In order to be able to read and / or transfer operating parameters, for example in the form of operating protocols, in the simplest possible way, the fluid line heating device 1, for example the controller 5, comprises a data transfer interface 13.

[0037] For improved weather protection, the individual components of the fluid line heating device 1 are housed in a housing 14. Preferably, the control unit 5 has its own waterproof housing in which control electronics are housed.

[0038] The fluid line heating device 1 comprises a further, i.e. second, sensor 15, which can be configured, for example, as a temperature sensor. The second sensor 15 is arranged in the heating device 2 to measure an operating temperature of the heating device 2. The second sensor 15 is operatively coupled to the controller 5 in order to transmit sensor signals to the controller. The controller 5 is configured to control the flow device 3 depending on a sensor signal from the second sensor 15. If the measured temperature falls below a setpoint, the power of the flow device 3 is reduced, it is not switched on, or it is even switched off.

[0039] The flow device 3 is designed in a performance class that makes it possible to generate a flow, in particular a turbulent flow, in a fluid line with a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 100.

[0040] The fluid line heating device 1 comprises at least one power connection 16 and / or a battery 17 to supply power to the components of the fluid line heating device 1, preferably all except the heating device 2.

[0041] For easier transport, the fluid line heating device 1 comprises at least one handle 18 and / or wheels. List of reference symbols 1 fluid line heater 2 heating device 3 Flow device 4 Sensor 5 Control 6 Coupling point 7 Outlet 8 Heating chamber 9 heat exchangers 10 Fresh air intake 11 Chamber outlet 12 hose 13 Data transfer interface 14 housings 15 Additional sensor 16 Power connection 17 Battery 18 handle 19 Combustion chamber 20 Air intake 21 Exhaust outlet

Claims

[1] Fluid line heating device (1) for heating a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material, comprising a heating device (2) for heating a fluid and a flow device (3) for generating a volume flow through a fluid line to be heated, characterized by that the fluid line heating device (1) has at least one sensor (4) and a controller (5) connected to the at least one sensor (4), which controller is designed to control the heating device (2) and / or the flow device (3) as a function of a sensor signal from the at least one sensor (4). [2] Fluid line heating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the at least one sensor (4) is designed as a temperature sensor which is arranged at a coupling point (6) for coupling the fluid line to be heated to an outlet (7) of the fluid heated by means of the fluid line heating device (1) into the fluid line to be heated. [3] Fluid line heating device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that a temperature setpoint is adjustable or stored in the controller (5), that the sensor signal of the at least one sensor (4) corresponds to an actual temperature value, and that the controller (5) automatically adjusts the heating device (2) and / or the flow device (3) so that the actual temperature value corresponds almost or exactly to the temperature setpoint. [4] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the control (5) is designed to change the heating power of the heating device (2), in particular such that the heating power is increased when the temperature falls below the setpoint and that the heating power is reduced when the temperature exceeds the setpoint. [5] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the control (5) is designed to change the flow rate of the flow device (3), in particular such that when the temperature falls below the setpoint value, the flow rate is reduced and when the temperature exceeds the setpoint value, the flow rate is increased. [6] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the heating device (2) has a heating chamber (8) with at least one heat exchanger (9), that the heating chamber (8) has a fresh air inlet (10) via which ambient air and / or a fluid from a fluid circuit can be sucked into the heating chamber (8), and that the heating chamber (8) has a chamber outlet (11) via which heated air can be transported away, in particular wherein the heating device (2) is a combustion device. [7] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat one or the outlet (7) of the fluid heated by means of the fluid line heating device (1) into the fluid line to be heated is formed by a hose (12), in particular by a flexible hose (12), preferably wherein the hose (12) is double-walled. [8] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the controller (5) has a data transfer interface (13) which is configured to transmit operating protocols. [9] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fluid line heating device (1) has a housing (14) in which the heating device (2), the flow device (3) and the control (5) are arranged. [10] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byin that the fluid line heating device (1) has a further sensor (15), in particular a further sensor (15) designed as a temperature sensor, which is arranged in the heating device (2) and is connected to the controller (5), wherein the controller (5) is designed to control the flow device (3) as a function of a sensor signal from the further sensor (15). [11] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the flow device (3) is designed to generate a flow, in particular a turbulent flow, in a fluid line with a length to diameter ratio of at least 100. [12] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fluid line heating device (1) has a power connection (16) and a battery (17). [13] Fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fluid line heating device (1) has at least one handle (18) and / or rollers. [14] Use of a fluid line heating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims for heating a fluid line made of a thermoplastic material. [15] Use according to claim 14, characterized by that the fluid line heated by means of the fluid line heating device (1) is subsequently deformed and / or welded. [16] Use according to claim 14 or 15, characterized by that the heating of the fluid line is carried out at a laying location.

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