A fired water heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fired water heaters face the issue of scale accumulation on heat exchanger elements when water temperature exceeds 60°C, significantly reducing heater life and performance.
Innovation Solution
A fired water heater design featuring an external jacket with a combustion chamber, vertical flame pipes fixed in sieve bottoms, and a unique inlet pipe configuration with transverse partitions and apertures to control water flow, ensuring cold water is heated below 60°C to prevent scale deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If water is heated to high temperatures in conventional water heaters, then heating efficiency is improved, but scale accumulates on heat exchanger elements reducing heater life and performance
Solution Approach 1:
The water heater is divided into multiple heating zones with separate flame pipes for different water circuits. The first flame pipe heats water in the first circuit while the second flame pipe heats water in the second circuit, allowing independent temperature control for each circuit to prevent scale accumulation
Solution Approach 2:
A heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary between the flame pipe and the water in the first circuit. The flame pipe heats the heat exchanger which then transfers heat to the water, preventing direct contact between hot combustion gases and water, thereby maintaining water temperature below scale deposition thresholds
2Device complexity
If a single flame pipe design is used, then device complexity is reduced, but scale accumulation occurs on heat exchanger elements
Solution Approach 1:
The single flame pipe is segmented into multiple flame pipes (first flame pipe and second flame pipe), each serving different water circuits. This segmentation allows each flame pipe to be optimized for its specific function, with the first flame pipe using a heat exchanger to prevent scale accumulation while the second flame pipe provides direct heating
3Reliability
If water temperature is maintained below 60°C, then scale accumulation is prevented, but heating efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The water heating system is segmented into two independent circuits: the first circuit is heated to below 60°C through a heat exchanger to prevent scale accumulation, while the second circuit can be heated to higher temperatures for applications requiring hot water, thereby maintaining both scale prevention and heating efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter for different water circuits based on their specific requirements. The first circuit maintains temperature below 60°C to prevent scale, while the second circuit can operate at higher temperatures, optimizing both scale prevention and heating efficiency for different applications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively reduces scale accumulation on heater surfaces, enhancing the longevity and performance of the water heater by maintaining water temperature below the scale deposition threshold.
Implementation Method 1
the first flame pipe (4a) being arranged to heat water in the first circuit via a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
the second flame pipe (4b) being arranged to heat water in the second circuit
Implementation Method 3
a pump (30) arranged to circulate water from the first circuit to the second circuit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A fired water heater has an external jacket (1), where in its upper part there is a combustion chamber (2) with an opening for a burner. Under the combustion chamber (2) there is chamber (3) for the flow of the heater water, inside which there are vertical flame pipes (4) fixed in sieve bottoms (5, 6). In the lower part of the external jacket (1) there is a first inlet pipe (7) for cold water, and in its upper part there is an outlet pipe (9) for hot water. Cold water is supplied via the first inlet pipe (7) and a second inlet pipe (8) pointing towards the upper sieve bottom (6) is fitted in the mouth of the first inlet pipe (7), where formed in between the pipes is an aperture (10). There are partitions over the lower sieve bottom (5) and the upper sieve bottom (6).