Device for heating ambient air and a liquid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices face challenges in reliably ensuring the emptying of a medium line by air to heat room air and liquid efficiently, particularly when only air is to be heated, due to insufficient air supply in the system.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising an energy unit, heat exchanger, medium container, medium line, conveying device, and control unit, where the control unit controls the conveying device to move air through the medium line during a preparatory step, and monitors the pumping behavior to ensure sufficient air supply, using sensors or power consumption evaluation to manage air flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the device is designed to heat both liquid and ambient air using a shared medium line and heat exchanger, then the device achieves versatility and space efficiency, but the system becomes unreliable when only air heating is required due to insufficient air supply for emptying the medium line
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor is introduced as an intermediary element to detect the presence of liquid in the medium line and trigger the appropriate response. The sensor acts as a mediator between the physical state of the medium line and the control system, enabling reliable detection and subsequent reliable operation in air-only heating mode without requiring additional air supply infrastructure.
2Ease of operation
If the medium line is emptied by passing air through it during preparatory steps, then the system prepares for air heating mode, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming when sufficient air supply cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical process of physically emptying the medium line by forcing air through it is replaced with a detection-based control system. The sensor detects liquid presence and the control unit responds by preventing liquid intake or activating drainage, substituting a time-consuming mechanical emptying process with a faster detection-and-response control mechanism that achieves the same goal more efficiently.
3Reliability
If the conveying device is monitored for pumping behavior, then the system can detect air conveyance and adjust operation, but the control system becomes more complex requiring additional sensors or monitoring mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying device itself provides the monitoring function through its existing performance characteristics. By monitoring the power consumption or operational parameters of the conveying device, the system can infer whether air or liquid is being conveyed without requiring separate dedicated sensors. The device's own operational data serves the dual purpose of driving the conveying function and providing information for mode detection.
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
Ensures reliable air supply for heating room air by effectively emptying the medium line, maintaining system efficiency and ensuring consistent thermal energy transfer to both air and liquid.
Implementation Method 1
the heat exchanger transfers thermal energy to the liquid located in the medium line
Implementation Method 2
the heat exchanger transfers the thermal energy generated by the energy unit to the room air and the liquid
Implementation Method 3
the heat exchanger transfers the thermal energy generated by the energy unit to the room air and the liquid
Implementation Method 4
the heat exchanger transfers thermal energy to the ambient air
Implementation Method 5
the control unit is configured to control the conveying device in a preparatory step so that the conveying device moves air from an air cushion in the medium container through the medium line
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for heating ambient air and a liquid. A heat exchanger (6) transmits thermal energy to the liquid which is situated in a medium line (8). A medium container (7) receives liquid and air, and a conveying device (9) moves liquid and air from the medium container (7) to the medium line (8). If only ambient air is to be heated in an air mode, air from an air cushion (11) in the medium container (7) is moved through the medium line (8). The pump performance of the conveying device (9) is monitored in the process.