Heat Storage Stone Protrusions for Better Flue Gas Heat Transfer

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat storage devices are inefficient in transferring heat from flue gases in a combustion chamber to heat storage stones, limiting the effectiveness of heat retention and release for heating applications.

Innovation Solution

The surface of the heat storage stone is designed with a plurality of protrusions of predetermined strength and dimensions to obstruct and extract heat from passing flue gases, enhancing heat transfer into the stone's interior.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If heat storage devices use smooth surfaces for heat storage stones, then the device structure is simple, but heat transfer from flue gases to heat storage stones is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer effectivenessVSAvoidsurface structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat storage stone surface is equipped with protrusions at specific locations rather than being uniformly structured. These protrusions create localized turbulence zones where flue gases are forced to rotate and mix, significantly enhancing heat transfer at these critical points while keeping the rest of the surface relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusions on the heat storage stone surface are designed with curved or rounded shapes rather than sharp edges. This curvature promotes smooth flow attachment and controlled separation, creating effective turbulence zones that enhance heat transfer without causing excessive pressure loss or flow detachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Duration of action of stationary object

If heat storage stones are made with complex internal structures to improve heat retention, then heat storage capacity increases, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat retention durationVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The heat storage stones incorporate porous internal structures that provide large surface area for heat absorption and retention. The porous nature allows flue gases to penetrate deeper into the stone material, increasing the effective heat exchange area while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes using common refractory materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Temperature

If protrusions on heat storage stones are made larger to increase turbulence, then heat transfer improves, but pressure loss in the flue gas flow increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer rateVSAvoidpressure loss
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than making the entire heat storage stone surface turbulent, only specific portions with protrusions are designed to create turbulence. The protrusions are sized and positioned to generate sufficient turbulence for effective heat transfer while occupying only a fraction of the total surface area, thus limiting the overall pressure loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusions are strategically positioned upstream on the heat storage stones to create turbulence zones before the flue gases reach the main body of the stone. This preliminary turbulence action ensures thorough mixing and heat transfer occurs in advance, allowing the remaining flow to proceed with minimal additional pressure loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 design significantly improves the effectiveness of heat transfer from flue gases to heat storage stones, regardless of material or internal structure, compared to prior art, leading to more efficient heat retention and release.

Implementation Method 1

the dimensions of which are dimensioned to extract heat from passing flue gas and to introduce it into the interior of the heat storage stone

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

Heat storage devices are used in the prior art to absorb heat from the combustion chamber of a stove and release it back into the environment over the longest possible period of time

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal energy storage: Thermal Energy Storage

Data Source

PatentEP4379264A1Heat storage device
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 SCHWÖRER KONRAD
  • EP4379264A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4379264A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4379264A1 patent drawing

AI summary

In a heat storage device with a heat storage stone (100) having a surface (101), a base surface (102) and four side surfaces (103), wherein the surface (101) is intended for lining the inner surfaces of a combustion chamber of a heating device and/or a system adjoining the combustion chamber and forming a flue gas outlet consisting of one or more ceramic flues, the respective outlets of which open into a chimney, a transfer of heat from the flue gas formed in a combustion chamber of a furnace into corresponding heat storage stones is effectively enabled by providing the surface (101) of the heat storage stone (100) with a plurality of protrusions (110) forming an obstruction of predetermined strength for passing flue gas, the dimensions of which are designed to extract heat from passing flue gas and introduce it into the interior of the heat storage stone (100).