Device for providing a fluid and sanitary fitting system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sanitary fittings waste energy and fluid due to long pipe lengths from central hot water sources, leading to inefficient heating and unnecessary cold water discharge, with complex solutions like intermediate heaters and inflexible control systems.
Innovation Solution
A system combining a central warm fluid supply, a cold fluid supply, and a local hot fluid supply, controlled by a device that mixes or uses only the local supply for small demands, reducing energy consumption and ensuring immediate hot water availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If hot water is supplied through long pipes from a central hot water source, then the central heating system can provide warm fluid to multiple locations, but the hot water cools considerably during transport and requires significant energy to reheat
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the hot water supply into two segments: a central warm water supply for bulk heating needs and a local hot water supply for immediate on-demand heating. This segmentation allows the central system to operate efficiently at lower temperatures while the local system provides rapid heating only when needed, reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The local hot water supply device is pre-positioned at the outlet point, ready to immediately heat water on demand. This preliminary positioning eliminates the delay and energy loss associated with transporting hot water through long pipes, as the local device can heat water instantly when required.
2Reliability
If hot water is stored in pipes for later use, then hot water is available when needed, but cold water is wasted and the central source must be reheated requiring significant energy
Solution Approach 1:
The local hot water supply device operates periodically only when hot water is actually needed, rather than continuously maintaining hot water in pipes. This on-demand operation eliminates energy waste from reheating and prevents cold water waste, while still ensuring hot water availability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The local hot water supply device enables the system to serve itself by providing immediate hot water at the point of use without requiring central system intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the need to waste cold water and reheat the central source, as the local device handles small demands independently.
3Productivity
If a local hot water supply device is added to the system, then immediate hot water is available and energy waste is reduced, but the system construction becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The local hot water supply device extracts only the essential function of immediate hot water provision from the central system. By separating this specific function into a standalone local device, the system achieves fast hot water delivery without requiring complex integration, as the local device operates independently with simple connections to the existing water supply.
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
Reduces energy and fluid waste by providing immediate hot water on demand, improving user satisfaction and efficiency through flexible control and reduced heating needs.
Implementation Method 1
the warm fluid is provided by admixing hot fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for supplying a fluid, in particular water, comprising a central hot fluid supply device, preferably comprising a central heater, for supplying hot fluid, a cold fluid supply device for supplying cold fluid, a local hot fluid supply device, characterized in that a control device is arranged which is designed to control the devices such that below a hot fluid output quantity and/or below a temperature at at least one point of a hot fluid supply line from the hot fluid supply device to an outlet, the hot fluid is supplied by mixing in hot fluid, and above the predefinable hot fluid dispensing quantity and/or temperature at at least one point of a hot fluid supply line, the hot fluid is supplied by the central hot fluid supply device.