Electric Boiler Nested Container Design for Instantaneous Hot Water
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric boilers are not suitable for providing instantaneous hot water supply or central heating systems without the need for preheated cylinders, leading to inefficiencies and residual energy storage.
Innovation Solution
A compact electric boiler design with an inner and outer container arrangement that maximizes heat transfer by concentrating water flow over heating elements, allowing for instantaneous hot water supply and integration with central heating systems without valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional electric boiler is used to provide instantaneous hot water supply, then the boiler must be large and powerful, but this increases installation cost and disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested container structure where an inner container is placed inside an outer container. The inner container holds the heating element and a small volume of water, while the outer container provides additional heating surface area. This nesting arrangement maximizes heating efficiency within a compact footprint, enabling instantaneous hot water supply without requiring a large boiler installation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by arranging heating elements and containers in a stacked configuration. The inner container surrounds the heating element vertically, and the outer container extends the heating surface area in the radial direction. This three-dimensional arrangement increases the heating surface area to volume ratio, providing high productivity in a compact form factor that simplifies installation
2Speed
If water flows quickly through the boiler for instantaneous heating, then heating efficiency must be high, but this reduces the volume of water that can be heated
Solution Approach 1:
The nested container arrangement provides multiple heating zones - water is heated in the inner container first, then further heated as it flows through the outer container. This multi-stage heating process increases the overall heating efficiency, allowing high flow rates to be maintained while still achieving the required temperature increase for instantaneous hot water supply
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous heating action by arranging the inner and outer containers so that water flows sequentially through both heating zones without interruption. The heating element continuously heats water in the inner container, and the outer container continuously heats the water as it passes through, maintaining a continuous useful heating action that supports high flow rates
3Loss of time
If the boiler stores minimal water for instantaneous heating, then response time is fast, but residual energy storage is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The nested container structure creates a compact thermal mass within the boiler. The inner container holds a small volume of water that can be heated quickly, providing fast response time. The outer container provides additional heating surface area that can store thermal energy, allowing the system to quickly recover and maintain hot water supply while minimizing overall water storage volume
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 provides rapid hot water delivery and efficient energy transfer, minimizing residual energy storage and enabling simultaneous heating of sanitary and central heating water supplies.
Implementation Method 1
the inner container being thermally conductive... water received at the inner container inlet to flow along the inner passage in close proximity to a surface of the heating element
Implementation Method 2
water being drawn into an inlet of the boiler to be preheated, by first passing through the outer container and absorbing heat from the inner container
Implementation Method 3
the inner container can be arranged to concentrate the flow of water over the surface of the heating element, providing only a small clearance between a surface of the container and a surface of the heating element
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an electric boiler having a heating element surrounded by a thermally conductive inner container to define an inner passage about the heating element, the inner container having an inlet and an outlet for a flow of water and is arranged such as to cause water received at the inner container inlet to flow along the inner passage in close proximity to a surface of the heating element, the boiler further comprising an outer container in which the inner container is substantially located, the outer container defining an outer passage about at least part of the inner container, the outer container having an outlet into the inner container wherein the outer container is arranged such as to cause water to flow along the outer passage in close proximity to a surface of the inner container, such that water received in the boiler makes at least a double pass through the boiler to increase the potential heat transfer to the water.