Down-fired high efficiency gas-fired water heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel-fired water heaters face challenges in achieving higher energy efficiency and reduced production costs while maintaining a simple structure, as they struggle to effectively transfer combustion heat to stored tank water.
Innovation Solution
A downfired gas-fired water heater design featuring a vertically oriented metal tank with a submerged tubular combustion chamber and multiple flue pipes that facilitate heat transfer through a condensing heat exchanger, with optional coiled flue pipes and an induced draft blower for enhanced heat exchange and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional fuel-fired water heaters use a simple combustion chamber design, then production costs are reduced and structure is simplified, but heat transfer efficiency to tank water is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion chamber is segmented into multiple sections with separate burners positioned at different locations (top, bottom, and side burners). This segmentation allows each burner to heat different zones of the tank independently, improving overall heat transfer efficiency while maintaining a modular structure that doesn't significantly increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional single-point or single-zone combustion to multi-dimensional heat distribution by positioning burners at the top, bottom, and sides of the combustion chamber. This spatial arrangement creates comprehensive three-dimensional heat coverage, maximizing heat transfer to the tank water without requiring complex internal chamber geometries
2Use of energy by moving object
If conventional water heaters use traditional combustion chamber design, then structure remains simple, but energy efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion chamber is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it houses multiple burners for comprehensive heating, acts as a structural support element, and facilitates heat distribution throughout the tank. This multi-functionality approach improves energy efficiency by maximizing the utility of each structural component without adding separate dedicated parts that would increase complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple heating functions into a single integrated combustion chamber structure. Instead of using separate heating elements or multiple independent chambers, the design merges top heating, bottom heating, and side heating capabilities into one unified combustion system, improving energy efficiency while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate systems
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
The design achieves increased heating efficiency by efficiently transferring combustion heat to the tank water, reducing the temperature of combustion products and lowering production costs through a simple and effective heat transfer mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
heat from the combustion gases being transferred from within the flue to stored tank water through which the flue extends
Implementation Method 2
a specially designed high efficiency downfired gas water heater with a submerged tubular combustion chamber and multiple flue pipes that facilitate heat transfer through a condensing heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
an induced draft blower for enhanced heat exchange and efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A high efficiency downfired gas water heater is provided which has a tank for storing water to be heated, a combustion chamber extending downwardly through a top end of the tank, and a gas burner operative to create hot combustion products within the combustion chamber. At the bottom end of the tank is a transfer chamber coupled to an external discharge conduit and to a single pass heat exchanger, in the form of multiple flue tubes. extending vertically through the tank and connected to the combustion chamber. In one embodiment of the water heater the burner is a power burner which forces the combustion products sequentially through the combustion chamber, heat exchanger, transfer chamber and discharge conduit. In another embodiment of the water heater a draft inducer fan is used to draw the combustion products through this path from the combustion chamber.