A waste-heat recirculating system, method of installation and method of use thereof

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial and domestic heating systems waste heat through exhaust gases, contributing to climate change, health hazards, and infrastructure damage, while inefficiently using fossil fuels and losing valuable thermal energy.

Innovation Solution

A waste-heat recirculating system that captures heat from flue gases using a heat exchanger to transfer it to air, which can be used to heat enclosed spaces, equipped with sensors, logic processors, and communication modules for automated control and safety features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If heat is vented from exhaust gases to outdoor space, then the flue can be simple and straightforward, but valuable thermal energy is lost and energy efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal energy lossVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful waste heat in exhaust gases into a beneficial resource by capturing it through a heat exchanger and redistributing it to heated spaces. The exhaust gases, which would otherwise be wasted, are used to heat air that is then circulated to rooms, transforming an energy loss into a heating solution that reduces overall energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system recovers thermal energy from exhaust gases that would normally be discarded to the outdoor environment. The heat exchanger captures this waste heat, and the circulation system redistributes it to heated spaces, effectively recovering energy that would otherwise be lost and improving overall system efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Use of energy by moving object

If fossil fuels are burned for heating, then heat can be generated for various purposes, but environmental impact increases and sustainability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy utilization efficiencyVSAvoidenvironmental impact
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the temperature parameter of exhaust gases by capturing heat through the heat exchanger. This reduces the temperature of exhaust gases before they are vented outdoors, thereby reducing thermal pollution and environmental impact while simultaneously improving energy utilization efficiency by recovering the extracted heat for heating spaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If exhaust gas temperature is high, then heat can be captured more effectively, but infrastructure damage risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat capture efficiencyVSAvoidinfrastructure damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system converts the potentially harmful high-temperature exhaust gases into a beneficial heating source. The heat exchanger captures thermal energy from these hot gases, and the circulated heated air is distributed to spaces, transforming what would be a infrastructure damage risk into a useful heating resource.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the hot exhaust gases and the air to be heated. It transfers thermal energy from the exhaust gases to the circulating air, allowing heat capture while preventing direct contact between hot exhaust gases and building infrastructure, thereby avoiding thermal damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Recycles wasted heat to reduce energy demand, enhance safety, and decrease environmental impact by utilizing renewable energy, while minimizing the need for additional heating systems.

Implementation Method 1

a heat exchanger positionable or positioned within the housing body for providing a boundary between the flue-gas flow path and the air flow path

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchanger: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

transferring waste-heat from the flue gas to the air via the heat exchanger

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4636320A1A waste-heat recirculating system, method of installation and method of use thereof
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 HIGHLAND HEAT HARVESTERS LTD
  • EP4636320A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4636320A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4636320A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A waste-heat recirculating system (10;110) enables waste-heat to be transferred from flue gas to air. The air can be used to heat an enclosed space (22). The system (10;110) comprises a housing body (30;130), a heat exchanger (32;132) and a control means (36). The housing body (30;130) has a flue-gas flow path and an air flow path. The heat exchanger (32) is positionable or positioned within the housing body (30;130) for providing a boundary between the flue-gas flow path and the air flow path. The fluid-circulating means (34) enables transfer of waste-heat from the flue gas to the air via the heat exchanger (32;132) by circulating the flue gas along the flue-gas flow path and/or the air along the air flow path; and a control means (36) for controlling the waste-heat recirculating system (10;110), wherein the control means (36) includes at least one of: a sensor (52), a logic processor module (50), an alarm module (56), a memory module (58), a communication module (54), control valving, and a user-interface module (60).