Helical Continuous-Flow Heater With Low Thermal Mass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid heating technologies face inefficiencies in heating liquids quickly and cost-effectively due to high heat loss, large mass, and complex manufacturing processes, leading to sluggish heating and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical instantaneous water heater design featuring a thin outer and inner layer with a helically arranged channel, an electrical heating coil, and an insulating layer, where the inner layer has a high thermal conductivity and is made of compacted magnesium oxide, allowing for efficient heat transfer and minimal material mass, reducing manufacturing effort and heat storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a metal body with large mass is used for heating, then heat storage capacity is improved, but heating speed deteriorates and heat losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies thin-walled metal tubing instead of thick metal bodies, reducing thermal mass while maintaining structural integrity. The thin walls minimize heat storage delay and reduce the time required to heat the liquid flowing through the tube, directly resolving the contradiction between heat storage capacity and heating speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system is segmented into discrete sections with individual heating elements rather than using a single large metal body. This allows localized heating where needed, reducing overall heat loss while maintaining rapid heating capability in the fluid path.
2Ease of manufacture
If heating coil is arranged on the outer surface of brass body, then manufacturing is simplified, but heat loss increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The heating coil is nested within or in direct contact with the thin-walled metal tubing, with the liquid flowing through the tube. This nested arrangement ensures that heat generated by the coil is immediately transferred to the liquid with minimal loss to the surrounding environment, while the thin walls facilitate easy manufacturing and assembly.
3Loss of energy
If capillary tube is used for liquid flow, then heating efficiency is improved, but throughput volume is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dimensional parameters of the tubing from capillary-scale to larger diameter thin-walled tubes. This allows significantly increased throughput volume while maintaining the thin-wall advantage for efficient heat transfer. The wall thickness is optimized to be thin for heat efficiency but the overall tube diameter is large for high flow capacity.
4Ease of manufacture
If panel heater is attached to outside of pipe, then manufacturing is simplified, but heat transfer to liquid is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from an external panel heater and integrated directly into the wall structure of the pipe itself. The heating coil is embedded within or in direct contact with the thin-walled tubing, ensuring that heat is generated exactly where needed and transferred directly to the liquid flow, eliminating the heat transfer inefficiency of external attachment while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
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 enables rapid heating of liquids with minimal heat loss and low material mass, achieving the desired temperature in a short time while being cost-effective and adaptable for various applications, including coffee machines and shower systems.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical heating coil (3a) arranged in an inner layer (13)
Implementation Method 2
the inner layer (13) with a high thermal conductivity
Implementation Method 3
an insulating layer (21) arranged in the innermost position
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5~9
AI summary
An instantaneous heater (1) has a body formed from at least two layers (10, 13, 20, 21) extending around an axis (A). Of these layers, an outer layer (10) is furnished with a channel (12) which is formed in a wall (14) of the layer (10) and turns about the axis (A) with approximately the shape of a helical line, the channel having an inflow (18) at one end for a fluid to be heated and an outflow (19) at the other end. An inner layer (13) with a heating coil (3a) adjoins this outer layer (10). Adjoining the inner layer (13), at least one insulation layer (20, 21) is provided in the interior.