Flow controller and a hot water appliance provided therewith
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power hot water appliances face challenges in temperature control, particularly when water is left motionless, leading to potentially scalding temperatures, and in managing fluctuating demand in facilities like sports centers and swimming pools, where conventional solutions require multiple shut-off valves for effective management.
Innovation Solution
A flow controller with a housing featuring three channels and a branching chamber with a shut-off valve that allows selective fluid flow, enabling the bypass of hot water to prevent overheating and temporary uncoupling of appliances from parallel circuits with a single valve, simplifying control and reducing the need for multiple valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional hot water appliances are equipped with a bypass channel to prevent scalding, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bypass valve and shut-off valve functions into a single integrated flow controller component. The bypass channel is integrated within the housing of the flow controller, allowing cold water to mix with hot water to prevent scalding while maintaining a compact design. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate components needed while preserving safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow controller serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a shut-off valve to control water flow to the heat exchanger, a bypass valve to prevent scalding by mixing cold and hot water, and a flow regulation device. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate bypass channels and valves, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining safety.
2Reliability
If multiple shut-off valves are used to manage fluctuating demand in parallel circuits, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow controller is designed to be used in parallel circuits where multiple units can be cascaded to handle fluctuating demand. Each flow controller unit independently manages its own bypass and shut-off functions, allowing reliable operation across multiple appliances without requiring additional coordinating valves. This modular approach maintains reliability while avoiding the complexity of interconnected valve systems.
3Device complexity
If a single shut-off valve is used to control multiple channels, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow controller housing is segmented into distinct channels (first channel for hot water to heat exchanger, second channel for cold water bypass, third channel for mixed water output) with a branching chamber that clearly separates flow paths. The shut-off valve is positioned to selectively block either the first or third channel while allowing flow through the other, providing clear functional segmentation that simplifies manufacturing tolerances compared to a fully integrated single-channel design.
Data Source
AI summary
A flow controller for a hot water appliance includes a housing having at least three channels, a branching chamber arranged in the housing and in which the at least three channels debouch, and in which a shut-off valve is arranged with which at least two of the three channels can be closed and left clear. The shut-off valve has an adjustment range with a first extreme position in which a first channel and a second channel of the at least three channels are in flow connection with each other via the branching chamber and in which the first channel and a third channel of the at least three channels are substantially closed off from each other. A hot water appliance can include such a flow controller.