Cold Water Tank Float Venting to Prevent Temperature Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cold water tanks and water treatment apparatuses face issues where water at different temperatures in the upper and lower portions of the tank mix undesirably through air vent holes, leading to the supply of water at a higher temperature than desired.
Innovation Solution
A floating member is used to block the air vent hole in the water outlet pipe, preventing water from the upper portion of the tank from draining and mixing with cooler water from the lower portion, ensuring only the cooler water is supplied by positioning the floating member to ascend and block the vent hole when the water level reaches it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an air vent hole is provided in the water outlet pipe to allow air to escape during water filling, then air can be vented effectively, but water from the upper portion of the tank can undesirably drain through the air vent hole and mix with cooler water from the lower portion
Solution Approach 1:
The air vent hole is made movable rather than fixed. The air vent hole is formed in a movable blocking member that can be positioned to block or open the hole based on water level, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to operating conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member automatically positions itself based on water level without external control. When water fills the tank, the blocking member moves with the water level, self-activating to open the air vent hole during filling and close it when the tank is full, eliminating the need for external actuators
2Temperature
If water outlet pipe extends to the lower portion of the tank to provide cooler water, then cooler water can be supplied to users, but water from the upper portion can mix with it through the air vent hole, reducing cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The movable blocking member acts as an intermediary between the air venting function and the water temperature control. It mediates by selectively opening or closing the air vent hole based on water level, preventing direct communication between the upper and lower water portions when the tank is full
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
This solution effectively prevents the mixing of water at different temperatures, ensuring that only the cooler water from the lower portion is supplied, maintaining the desired temperature and quality of water delivered.
Implementation Method 1
a floating member movably provided at the water outlet pipe to block the air vent hole when the water filling the tank body reaches a height of the air vent hole
Implementation Method 2
a refrigerant pipe wound around the circumference of the tank body to cool the water in the tank body. That is, the water, having flowed in the tank body through the water inlet pipe, is cooled by heat exchange with a refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a cold water tank and a water treatment apparatus. The cold water tank includes a tank body, a water inlet pipe provided at the tank body to convey water into the tank body, a water outlet pipe provided at the tank body to convey the water out of the tank body, and including an air vent hole, and a floating member movably provided at the water outlet pipe to block the air vent hole when the water filling the tank body reaches a height of the air vent hole. The water in the upper portion of the tank body is prevented from passing through the air vent hole and draining through the water outlet pipe, thereby preventing the cooler water in the lower portion from mixing with the hotter water in the upper portion. Only the cooler water in the lower portion can be supplied to a user.