Heat Pump Water Heater with Replaceable Heat Exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
The maintenance of heat pump water heaters is costly due to the difficulty in replacing the water-refrigerant heat exchanger, which is often covered and housed in a hard case, making it hard to access and replace, especially when scale accumulation narrows the flow path, requiring replacement of the entire unit.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump water heater design with a first and second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, where the first heat exchanger can be replaced independently without replacing the second, allowing for easy and low-cost maintenance by rerouting the refrigerant and water channels to maintain operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the water-refrigerant heat exchanger is covered by heat-insulating material and housed in a hard case, then thermal insulation and protection are improved, but accessibility for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger system is divided into multiple independent heat exchangers (first water-refrigerant heat exchanger and second water-refrigerant heat exchanger) that can be replaced separately. This segmentation allows maintenance of one component without affecting others, improving ease of repair while maintaining the protective housing structure.
2Reliability
If the entire heat pump unit is replaced when scale accumulates, then system reliability is restored, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into multiple replaceable heat exchanger units, allowing only the affected component to be replaced rather than the entire system. This reduces maintenance costs while restoring system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables selective replacement of only the heat exchanger with scale accumulation, while retaining and reusing the functional heat exchanger and other system components. This discards only the necessary part and recovers valuable components, reducing maintenance costs.
3Device complexity
If a single water-refrigerant heat exchanger is used, then device complexity is reduced, but maintenance flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple heat exchangers connected in series, which increases structural complexity slightly but provides significant maintenance flexibility. Each heat exchanger can be independently removed and replaced, allowing maintenance without system shutdown and reducing downtime.
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
Enables easy and cost-effective maintenance by allowing the replacement of the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger without replacing the second, reducing downtime and maintenance costs by maintaining system functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a first water-refrigerant heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and water; a second water-refrigerant heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and water
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pump water heater includes: a compressor; a first water-refrigerant heat exchanger; a second water-refrigerant heat exchanger; refrigerant paths capable of forming a refrigerant circuit; and water channels including a flow channel, the flow channel leading hot water that has passed through the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger. The heat pump water heater is able to perform a heating operation. In the heating operation, the hot water heated in the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger is fed to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger and the hot water further heated in the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger is supplied to a downstream side of the water channels. The first water-refrigerant heat exchanger is able to be replaced without replacing the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger.