Floor outlet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional floor outlets in shower spaces are ineffective in removing impurities from drain water and do not efficiently recover thermal energy, leading to increased carbon footprint and energy consumption in water treatment plants.
Innovation Solution
A smart floor outlet with a filter system and heat recovery connection that separates impurities from drain water using a grate and pre/post-filters, and utilizes sensors and a pump to direct water to a heat exchanger for thermal energy recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional floor outlets are used without advanced filtration, then the structure remains simple, but impurities enter the sewer system increasing treatment energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration system is divided into multiple independent filter elements (grate, prefilter, postfilter) that can be separately installed, maintained, and replaced. This segmentation allows the system to achieve effective impurity removal without requiring complete system replacement, thus reducing overall complexity while improving energy efficiency in water treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The prefilter is positioned to perform preliminary filtration before water enters the main outlet channel. This preliminary action removes larger impurities early in the process, preventing them from entering the sewer system and reducing the energy required for downstream water treatment operations.
2Loss of energy
If thermal energy recovery systems are added to floor outlets, then thermal energy is recovered reducing carbon footprint, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor outlet system is designed to perform multiple functions: basic drainage, filtration of impurities, and thermal energy recovery. By integrating these functions into a single unified system, the patent reduces the need for separate independent systems, thereby managing complexity while achieving thermal energy recovery and reducing carbon footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary component between the drain water flow and the fresh water supply. This intermediary enables thermal energy transfer from waste hot water to incoming cold water without direct mixing, facilitating efficient thermal energy recovery while maintaining system simplicity through a well-defined intermediate heat transfer mechanism.
3Reliability
If multiple filter stages are installed in the outlet, then impurity removal efficiency increases, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration system is divided into multiple independent filter elements (grate, prefilter, postfilter) that can be separately installed, maintained, and replaced. This segmentation allows the system to achieve effective impurity removal without requiring complete system replacement, thus reducing overall complexity while improving energy efficiency in water treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter elements are designed to be removable and replaceable, allowing the system to adapt to different maintenance needs. When one filter becomes clogged or degraded, it can be individually replaced without affecting the other filter stages, enabling dynamic maintenance that preserves high impurity removal efficiency while simplifying repair operations.
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 solution effectively reduces impurities entering the sewer system, decreases energy use in water treatment, and recovers thermal energy from drain water, enhancing water purification efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a heat recovery connection, so that it can be connected to a drain pipe leading to a heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1a~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a floor outlet (140) according to an embodiment, which floor outlet comprises an outlet part (142) and a sewer connection (143). The outlet part comprises an inlet opening (144), through which water to be removed enters the floor outlet, and a sewer connection is formed in connection with the outlet part for removing drain water entering it from the floor outlet. Additionally, the floor outlet comprises a heat recovery connection (354) and a guiding part (256). The heat recovery connection is formed in connection with the outlet part for leading water entering it to the heat recovery device (410) and the guiding part is meant for guiding water through the heat recovery connection out of the floor outlet.