Boiler Spray Pipe Layout for Combustion Chamber Scale Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hot water storage boilers face issues with scale buildup due to impurities in water, which reduces heat exchange efficiency, and existing methods to prevent scale often require additives or ultrasonic devices, or lower internal temperatures, thereby reducing efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A hot water storage boiler design that includes a spray pipe with C-shaped concentric supply pipes and a baffle to lower the temperature of the combustion chamber's bottom portion without changing the internal burner temperature, using low-temperature water sprayed through the spray holes to prevent scale formation and enhance heat exchange efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the internal temperature of the burner unit is lowered to reduce scale production, then scale formation is reduced, but heat exchange efficiency is lowered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescale formationVSAvoidheat exchange efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a temperature gradient within the combustion chamber - the burner unit maintains high temperature for efficient heat exchange while the bottom portion operates at lower temperature to prevent scale formation. This is achieved through the spray pipe that cools only the bottom portion where scale accumulates, while the burner and heat exchange surfaces remain hot.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The combustion chamber is segmented into different temperature zones - a high-temperature zone around the burner unit for efficient heat exchange and a low-temperature zone at the bottom portion for scale prevention. The spray pipe creates this segmentation by directing coolant only to specific areas, allowing simultaneous optimization of heat exchange efficiency and scale prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional scale prevention methods using additives or ultrasonic devices are employed, then scale formation is reduced, but device complexity and operational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescale formationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses self-service by utilizing water already present in the hot water storage tank as a coolant resource. The spray pipe draws water from the tank itself to cool the bottom portion, making the system self-sufficient without requiring external additives, ultrasonic devices, or complex cooling systems. The stored hot water serves dual purposes: as the product and as the coolant.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

Effectively reduces scale formation on the combustion chamber by uniformly lowering the temperature of the bottom portion, increasing heat exchange efficiency and preventing scale accumulation, while avoiding the need for additives or ultrasonic devices.

Implementation Method 1

Water supplied to the spray pipe is sprayed through the plurality of spray holes toward the bottom surface of the combustion chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporative cooling: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

Water supplied from an external water supply is brought into contact with the bundle of tubes 14a within a housing of the body to be converted into hot water by heat exchange

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

Water supplied from an external water supply is brought into contact with the bundle of tubes 14a within a housing of the body to be converted into hot water by heat exchange

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 4

Since heat exchange is undertaken with supply water being in contact with the bundle of tubes 14a or the burner unit 16

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3489593B1Hot water storage boiler having scale prevention function
Publication Date: 2020.07.22 CHOI OK
  • EP3489593B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3489593B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3489593B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a hot water storage boiler ha ving a scale prevention function, the boiler being able to prevent scale without an additive or an ultrasonic device. Low-temperature water is sprayed toward the bottom portion of the combustion chamb er using the spray pipe. This consequently lowers the temperature of the bottom portion of the combustion chamber, thereby reducing p roduction of scale.