Fluid supply and circulation system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid supply and circulation systems for hot water face challenges in providing hot water quickly and efficiently at the point of use, leading to energy and material inefficiencies, as well as hygienic issues due to temperature fluctuations and legionella formation, particularly in systems where the circulation line is complex and requires significant material and installation costs.
Innovation Solution
A fluid supply and circulation system with a mechanically switchable mode between supply and circulation, utilizing a circulation line connected directly to the supply line at the tapping point, featuring a circulation pump and a mechanical circulation regulator with an overflow valve to ensure consistent fluid properties and reduce energy consumption, incorporating a two-chamber line design for reduced installation costs and improved flow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a circulation line is integrated into the hot water supply system to maintain constant temperature, then hot water availability and hygiene are improved, but thermal energy losses increase due to temperature drops in stratified storage tanks
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation line is divided into two separate lines instead of being combined into a single pipe-in-pipe system. This segmentation allows each line to have its own flow path and connection points, eliminating the flow cross-section reduction problem while maintaining circulation functionality. The first circulation line connects to the supply line upstream of the extraction point, and the second circulation line connects downstream, creating independent circulation paths that do not interfere with hot water delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal bridge element is introduced as an intermediary component to transfer thermal energy from the hot water supply line to the circulation line. This thermal bridge enables heat exchange between the two lines without requiring direct fluid mixing or complex pipe-in-pipe constructions. The thermal bridge maintains the temperature of circulating water by extracting heat from the supply line, thereby reducing thermal energy losses in the storage tank while preserving hot water availability.
2Loss of energy
If the circulation line is arranged within the supply line (pipe-in-pipe arrangement) to reduce heat losses, then thermal efficiency is improved, but device complexity and installation costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex pipe-in-pipe arrangement, the system segments the circulation function into two separate simple lines. The first circulation line runs from the storage tank through the supply line area to the extraction point, and the second circulation line returns water from the extraction point back to the storage tank. This segmentation eliminates the need for nested pipe constructions while achieving similar thermal efficiency through proximity arrangement and thermal bridge connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal bridge serves as a merging point where the circulation line and supply line are thermally connected without being mechanically integrated. This merging of thermal paths allows heat transfer between lines while keeping the fluid paths separate and simple, reducing device complexity compared to pipe-in-pipe systems while maintaining the benefit of reduced heat losses through thermal coupling.
3Ease of manufacture
If the circulation line runs parallel to the supply line to simplify installation, then ease of installation is improved, but thermal contact is reduced leading to increased energy losses
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal bridge acts as an intermediary component that actively creates thermal contact between the circulation line and supply line without requiring the lines to be physically intertwined or nested. This intermediary element facilitates efficient heat transfer from the hot supply water to the circulation water, maintaining thermal efficiency while allowing the lines to run in simple parallel configurations that are easy to install and maintain.
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 system ensures rapid and efficient delivery of hot water with consistent properties, reducing energy consumption and installation costs, while minimizing the risk of legionella formation by maintaining stable temperatures and reducing thermal losses.
Implementation Method 1
a circulation pump for circulating the fluid
Implementation Method 2
the circulation line can also be in thermal contact with the hot water supply line at least over a certain part of its length
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fluid supply and circulation system (1) with a storage unit (20) for storing and/or treating a fluid with an adjustable property, with at least one feed line (32) to at least one removal point (70) and at least one Circulation line (62), with a circulation pump (64) for circulating the fluid, wherein the at least one supply line (32) and the at least one circulation line (62) are connected in a fluid-conducting manner. Furthermore, a circulation regulator (40) can be arranged in the system (1), which comprises a feed area (47) and a circulation area (48), which can be fluidly connected to one another by means of an overflow valve (42).