Fluid heating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot water supply devices face challenges such as long recovery times, energy loss, and potential cracking due to local overheating in fire tube-type heat exchangers, especially when dealing with small water volumes, which affect heat exchange efficiency and durability.
Innovation Solution
A fluid heating apparatus incorporating a burner, heat exchanger, flow rate sensors, temperature sensors, and a controller to manage fluid flow and heat distribution, ensuring a minimum flow rate and constant temperature supply, even at low usage levels, without the need for external tanks, thereby reducing heat loss and installation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a fire tube-type heat exchanger is used to heat fluid, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but local overheating occurs causing cracks and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing additional fire tubes specifically in the upper pipe plate region where direct flame heating occurs. This localized reinforcement addresses the specific problem of local overheating and crack formation in the upper pipe plate without modifying the entire heat exchanger structure, thereby maintaining high heat exchange efficiency while improving reliability in the critical area.
2Reliability
If a large amount of fluid is concentrated on the upper pipe plate to prevent cracking, then reliability is improved, but when small amount of hot water is used, flow rate decreases causing lime precipitation and intensified local heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the heat exchanger by adding more fire tubes in the upper pipe plate region. This structural parameter change ensures that even when the overall fluid flow rate is low, the additional heat exchange surfaces in the critical upper region receive sufficient fluid contact to prevent lime precipitation and maintain effective heat transfer, thus preventing intensified local heating while protecting against cracks.
3Productivity
If external hot water tank is installed to ensure constant hot water supply, then hot water availability is improved, but additional facilities and installation space are required increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hot water storage function into the heat exchanger itself by designing a heat exchanger with an integrated water tank. This combination eliminates the need for separate external hot water tanks and associated piping systems, thereby maintaining the capability to supply constant hot water while significantly reducing device complexity and installation requirements.
4Speed
If water tube-type instantaneous heat exchanger is used, then hot water supply speed is improved, but flow distribution and high pressure drop make it difficult to apply to commercial sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fire tube-type heat exchanger design with multiple fire tubes arranged in parallel, which improves flow distribution characteristics compared to water tube designs. The fire tube configuration with proper manifold design ensures more uniform pressure distribution and reduces pressure drop, making the system suitable for commercial applications while maintaining fast hot water supply speed through efficient thermal transfer.
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 apparatus enables instantaneous hot water supply with reduced energy loss and installation costs, protects the heat exchanger from cracking, and maintains consistent temperature, improving durability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a burner
Implementation Method 2
heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
a pump provided in an internal circulation flow path
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A fluid heating apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed herein may include a burner, a heat exchanger, a first flow rate sensor that detects a flow rate of a fluid supplied to the heat exchanger, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of a fluid discharged from the heat exchanger, and a controller that controls a first pump provided in an internal circulation flow path on the basis of the flow rate detected by the first flow rate sensor to manage the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the heat exchanger and controls an operation of the burner on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.