Helical Flushing Heat Exchanger for Cleanable Wastewater Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchanger systems in shower and flushing applications are not suitable for efficient heat transfer during cleaning due to restricted access and residue traps, making them difficult to maintain and inefficient in utilizing available surface areas for heat exchange.
Innovation Solution
A flushing assembly with a bowl-shaped foundation and a heat exchanging member featuring a helical channel that enhances contact surface area for heat transfer, allowing primary fluid to flow from the upper inlet to the lower outlet through a helical channel for improved heat exchange between primary and secondary fluids, while being easy to clean and maintain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a heat exchanger with enlarged contact surface is used to improve heat transfer efficiency, then heat exchange performance is improved, but cleaning accessibility deteriorates due to restricted access and residue traps
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple segments or sections, allowing it to be disassembled into smaller parts for easy cleaning. The segmented design eliminates hard-to-reach areas while maintaining the enlarged contact surface area needed for efficient heat transfer between primary and secondary fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger components are designed to be removable and extractable from the flushing assembly. This allows complete removal of the heat exchanger for thorough cleaning, eliminating residue traps while preserving the heat transfer surface area through proper redesign of the extraction interfaces.
2Loss of energy
If the heat exchanger contact surface is enlarged to improve heat transfer, then heat exchange performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger structure is designed to serve multiple functions: heat transfer, easy disassembly for cleaning, and integration with the flushing assembly. By combining these functions into a unified design, the enlarged contact surface area is achieved without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger channels are designed with nested or concentric arrangements that maximize contact surface area within a compact volume. This nested structure achieves enlarged heat transfer surfaces without adding significant external complexity to the overall device configuration.
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 increases the residence time of the primary fluid, enhancing heat transfer efficiency and allowing for effective use of standardized surface areas, such as shower flooring, by providing additional contact surfaces for heat exchange, thus reducing energy waste and improving maintenance accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchange between the primary fluid and the secondary fluid
Implementation Method 2
helical channel being arranged to be provided with a through flow of a secondary fluid
Implementation Method 3
the bowl shaped foundation with its upper inlet and lower outlet will use a gravity flow of the primary fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A flushing assembly comprising a foundation and a heat exchanging member. The foundation comprises a bowl shape providing an envelope surface defining an upper inlet and a lower outlet, the lower outlet being arranged to communicate with a drainage. The heat exchanging member comprises a helical channel defined between an upper and a lower wall, the helical channel having an extension along the envelope surface of the bowl shaped foundation, and the helical channel being arranged to be provided with a through flow of a secondary fluid. The flushing assembly is configured to provide a helical channel for a primary fluid extending between the envelope surface of the foundation and the lower wall of the heat exchanging member for guiding the primary fluid there through from the upper inlet to the lower outlet towards the drainage, thereby allowing heat exchange between the primary fluid and the secondary fluid.