Heat Exchanger Parallel Tubes Wastewater Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchanger designs for recovering energy from wastewater suffer from low heat recovery efficiency due to limitations in design, such as limited space usage, inefficient mixing of fluids, and unsuitability for various washing facilities, leading to incomplete heat exchange and energy wastage.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring parallel flowing fluids through heat exchange tubes with non-axial flow guides and strip baffles, promoting effective mixing and increasing heat exchange surfaces, along with a modular structure for easy installation and cleaning, suitable for various washing facilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single helical heat exchange tube is used, then the structure is simple, but the heat exchange area is limited and recovery efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single heat exchange tube into multiple parallel heat exchange tubes (at least two), where each tube handles a portion of the wastewater flow. This segmentation increases the total heat exchange area and improves recovery efficiency while maintaining relative structural simplicity through modular arrangement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional helical coil to a multi-dimensional parallel tube arrangement within the pit structure, utilizing vertical and horizontal space more effectively to expand heat exchange capacity without proportionally increasing device complexity
2Quantity of substance
If the heat exchange tube has a large inner diameter, then cold water flow is sufficient, but the cold water in the center passes at higher speed and is not sufficiently heated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cold water flow into multiple parallel streams through separate heat exchange tubes, ensuring each tube receives adequate flow volume while maintaining sufficient velocity for effective heat exchange across the entire cross-section
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the inner diameter of each individual heat exchange tube to ensure appropriate flow velocity distribution across the tube cross-section, preventing excessive velocity in the center while maintaining sufficient flow volume through the multi-tube configuration
3Area of stationary object
If the heat exchange tube is bent into helical shape, then space utilization in bathroom is improved, but the tube wall resistance limits heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple straight or minimally bent heat exchange tubes arranged in parallel within the pit, reducing the total length and bending of individual tubes compared to a single long helical tube, thereby reducing cumulative tube wall resistance while maintaining compact space utilization through the parallel arrangement
4Loss of energy
If a longer heat exchange tube is used, then more heat recovery is achieved, but the cold water requires longer time to reach maximum stable temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the total heat exchange function across multiple parallel tubes, allowing cold water to be distributed into several streams that can be heated simultaneously, achieving the same total heat recovery in less time compared to a single long tube processing sequential flow
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters including the number of tubes, individual tube lengths, and flow distribution to achieve the desired heat recovery amount while minimizing the time required for cold water to reach maximum stable temperature through parallel processing
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 design enhances energy recovery efficiency by ensuring thorough mixing and increased heat exchange surfaces, allowing for rapid temperature stabilization and easy maintenance, making it suitable for showers, sinks, and other washing facilities.
Implementation Method 1
cold water flows through the helical heat exchange tubes 114a and 116 from an inlet pipe 120 via a faucet pipe 56' and undergoes heat exchange with the wastewater outside the heat exchange tubes to gain in temperature
Implementation Method 2
the cold water in the center of the heat exchange tube may pass at a higher speed and will not be sufficiently heated. With the addition of laminar flow phenomena of the water current in the tube, the cold water in the center fails to be thoroughly mixed with the water heated at the tube wall
Implementation Method 3
With the addition of laminar flow phenomena of the water current in the tube, the cold water in the center fails to be thoroughly mixed with the water heated at the tube wall, which also leads to low recovery efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A heat exchanger (1) for recovering energy from a fluid, an energy recovery device including the heat exchanger (1), and an energy recovery system are provided. The heat exchanger (1) includes: a first fluid collector (11) provided with an opening (111) for introducing a first fluid, a cavity (113) and an outlet (112); a first fluid flow guide (12) provided with a first fluid duct (114) connected with the opening (111) and the outlet (112) of the first fluid collector (11); a second fluid flow guide (13) provided with a second fluid inlet (131), a flow diversion chamber (132), a plurality of heat exchange tubes (133), a flow collection chamber (134) and a second fluid outlet (135), a plurality of first fluid annular spaces (141) being formed between the outer walls of the heat exchange tubes (133) and the inner wall of the first fluid duct (114), where a second fluid is entered from the second fluid inlet (131) and flows through the plurality of heat exchange tubes (133), and undergoes heat exchange with the first fluid flowing through the first fluid annular spaces (141). The heat exchanger (1), the energy recovery device and the energy recovery system can effectively recover energy in the fluid is simple in installation and convenient in use.