Hydraulic Heat Exchanger Mixing Layout for Lower Return Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating and cooling systems face inefficiencies due to increased return temperatures, which reduce the overall efficiency of heat generation and distribution, particularly in systems using heat exchangers for separation, leading to undesirable drops in flow temperatures and reduced benefits from heat or cold generation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a system subunit with a heat exchanger, a mixing device, and a pump with low differential pressure, allowing for the efficient mixing and distribution of fluid streams at different temperatures, enabling additional components and circuits with their own return flows, and optimizing the use of return flows to control temperatures and enhance heat or cold transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heat exchangers are used for system separation between different fluid circuits, then hydraulic separation is achieved, but return temperature increases which reduces system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer storage tank is introduced as an intermediary component between the heat generator and the heating circuits. The buffer tank receives hot water from the heat generator and stores it, then supplies heated water to the heating circuits. This mediator allows the heat generator to operate independently at optimal temperatures while the buffer tank handles the temperature matching with various heating circuits, thus preventing return temperature increases from affecting the heat generator efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system is segmented into distinct functional zones: the heat generator circuit, the buffer storage tank, and the heating circuit distribution system. By dividing the system into separate segments with independent hydraulic circuits, the patent enables each component to operate optimally without being constrained by the thermal requirements of other parts, thereby maintaining low return temperatures to the heat generator.
2Productivity
If return flow increase is used in heat generators, then heat generation benefit is improved, but flow temperature drops which reduces overall system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer storage tank is pre-filled with hot water from the heat generator before the heating circuits require heat. This preliminary action allows the buffer tank to have a sufficient supply of hot water ready, enabling the heat generator to maintain higher flow temperatures while still meeting the heating demands of the circuits through the buffer's stored heat.
3Temperature
If mixer device is placed before heat exchanger for system separation, then temperature control is improved, but additional pump requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer storage tank combines multiple functions: it acts as a thermal buffer, a hydraulic separator, and a temperature equalization chamber. By merging these functions into a single component, the patent eliminates the need for separate mixer devices and additional pumps, achieving temperature control and system separation without increasing device complexity.
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
This solution significantly improves the transfer of heat or cold by allowing for more flexible system configurations, reducing return temperatures, and increasing the efficiency of heat or cold distribution, thereby enhancing the overall performance of heating and cooling systems.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchangers are used in the heating or cooling system for system separation
Implementation Method 2
a pump with low differential pressure, which in an unbranched input line or in an unbranched output line of the heat exchanger is arranged
Implementation Method 3
a mixing device with which two fluid streams at different temperatures are fed to the heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~6
Figure 7
AI summary
The invention relates to a heating or cooling system comprising at least one heat/cold generator (7, 21, 70) and at least one partial system unit (95). The partial system unit comprises a heat/cold exchanger (11) used as a system separator, a mixing device (13, 13a, 61) comprising two inputs (E1, E2, or E3) and an output, and a pump (15, 65). The output of the mixing device (13, 13a, 61) is thereby connected to a mixer-side input of the heat/cold exchanger (11) via an unbranched input line (91), and a mixer-side output of the heat/cold exchanger (11) is connected to a feed or return of a heat/cold source (7, 30, 66, 80, 82) and/or a heat/cold sink (10, 30) via an unbranched output line (90). The invention is characterized in that a pump (15, 65) is provided in the unbranched input line (91) or in the unbranched output line (90) of the heat/cold exchanger (11). A low delivery head of preferably 100 mbar to 200 mbar is advantageously provided for the pump (15, 65).