Heating system for heating a fluid medium
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating systems for fluid mediums, such as those used in domestic appliances, face inefficiencies due to a small contact surface area between the heating element and the carrier, leading to suboptimal heat transfer and potential hot spots.
Innovation Solution
A heating system featuring a disk-like carrier unit with a groove having an inclined bottom, accommodating a helically shaped heating element that matches the groove's shape, enhancing heat transfer and flow conditions within a conveyor pump, thereby optimizing hydraulic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heating element is arranged in a conventional groove with a flat bottom, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the contact surface area between the heating element and the carrier is small, leading to suboptimal heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The groove bottom is designed with a curved surface characterized by a radius of curvature R, which allows the heating element to conform to the curved surface. This curvature increases the contact surface area between the heating element and the carrier unit, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency from the heating element to the fluid medium being heated.
2Reliability
If the heating element has a simple rectangular shape, then it is easy to manufacture, but it creates thermal hot spots particularly at the cranked ends, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is designed with a rounded end instead of a sharp rectangular end. This geometric parameter change distributes the thermal load more evenly across the heating element surface, eliminating thermal hot spots at the ends. The rounded shape reduces stress concentration and improves heat distribution, thereby increasing the reliability and durability of the heating element while remaining manufacturable.
3Productivity
If the groove bottom is inclined with an inclination angle > 0°, then the flow conditions in the pump are optimized and hydraulic efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove bottom is designed with a curved surface characterized by a radius of curvature R and an inclination angle α > 0°. The curved surface with controlled radius provides optimized flow conditions in the pump, improving hydraulic efficiency. The curvature radius serves as a controllable parameter that balances flow optimization with manufacturing feasibility, allowing precision to be managed through specification of the radius parameter.
4Temperature
If the contact surface area between the heating element and the carrier is increased, then heat transfer is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is designed with a curved bottom surface characterized by a radius of curvature R, which integrates the heat transfer enhancement function into the basic structural form. This curved groove design increases the contact surface area between the heating element and the carrier unit, improving heat transfer efficiency. The curvature is implemented as a fundamental geometric parameter of the groove structure rather than an additional complex component, thereby achieving enhanced heat transfer without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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 solution increases the contact area between the heating element and the fluid medium, reduces hot spots, and improves the durability of the heating element, resulting in more efficient heating and conveying of fluids while maintaining high hydraulic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heating unit (130) having a heating element (132) at least partially arranged in the groove (140) of the carrier unit (120). At least a section of the bottom of the groove (140) or the groove bottom (140a), respectively, is inclined with an inclination angle α>0°
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1a
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a heating system (100) for heating a fluid medium, said heating system (100) comprises a carrier unit (120) and a heating unit (130), with the carrier unit (120) having a surface comprising at least a plane portion (121) being at least substantially normal to a longitudinal axis (A) and an at least part-circularly shaped groove (140) extending from said carrier unit (120) and wound about the longitudinal axis (A), and the heating unit (130) having a heating element (132) at least partially arranged in said groove (140) of said carrier unit (120). In the inventive heating system, the groove (140) extends at least partially helically about the longitudinal axis (A). The present invention further relates to a heated conveyor pump (1) for conveying and heating a fluid medium, said pump comprises a drive unit (10), a pump housing (50) and the inventive heating system (100). The heating system (100) is coupled to the pump housing (50) with the groove (140) extending into the pump housing (50) in a manner such that the size of the cross-section of the groove (50) decreases in the flow direction of the conveyed fluid medium.