Heating Block Half-Shell with Pins to Prevent Air Bubble Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric household continuous flow heaters suffer from air bubbles adhering to the heating coil, leading to overheating and potential burn-out, particularly in sections with deflection areas where recirculation occurs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating pins into the deflection areas of the heating channel, which generate Kármán vortices to counteract recirculation zones and prevent air bubble formation, while maintaining a cost-effective and simple manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional heating blocks with deflection areas are used, then the heating channel can be compactly designed, but air bubbles adhere to the heating coil causing overheating and potential burn-out
Solution Approach 1:
A pin is introduced as an intermediary element in the deflection area of the heating channel. This pin generates Kármán vortices that act as a mediator to disrupt recirculation zones and prevent air bubble adhesion to the heating coil, thereby resolving the contradiction between compact channel design and heating coil reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The pin in the deflection area generates periodic vortex structures (Kármán vortices) that create mechanical disturbances in the fluid flow. These vibrations counteract the formation of stationary recirculation zones where air bubbles would otherwise accumulate and adhere to the heating coil
2Reliability
If pins are added to generate Kármán vortices, then air bubble adhesion is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the entire heating channel, the pin is placed locally only in the deflection area where recirculation zones form. This localized intervention prevents air bubble adhesion at critical points without requiring complex modifications throughout the entire heating block structure
Solution Approach 2:
The pin is a simple, inexpensive geometric element (cylinder or prism) that can be easily manufactured and integrated into the heating block. Its simple geometry allows for cost-effective production while achieving the complex fluid dynamic effect of vortex generation
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 pins effectively prevent air bubble adhesion, ensuring the heating coil operates efficiently above a flow rate of 2.5 L/min, reducing the risk of overheating and extending the coil's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
The pin acts as an interfering element in the liquid flow, which, as is known from fluid mechanics, generates a Kármán vortex street
Implementation Method 2
The heating coil represents an electrical resistor that heats up when electrical current passes through, and releases heat to the water flowing around it
Data Source
AI summary
A continuous flow heater includes a heating block, where the heating block includes a heating block half-shell for a continuous flow heater. The half-shell includes a partial wall for a heating channel that includes at least one deflection area for a liquid flow. The half-shell further includes, in the deflection area, at least one pin that, in its longitudinal direction, protrudes into the heating channel.