Hot water storage tank with integrated pump and controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hot water storage systems face inefficiencies in energy use and water conservation due to heat loss and limited capacity, especially in commercial applications, where scaling to higher capacities is necessary.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid hot water supply system decouples an intelligent storage system from a water heating engine, using a recirculation circuit with multiple independent heating engines and a storage tank without integrated heating elements, allowing for improved temperature stratification and increased usable hot water volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a storage tank maintains water at desired temperature at all times, then hot water availability is ensured, but heat loss through radiation occurs and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic recirculation of hot water through the distribution system rather than continuous heating. The controller activates the recirculation pump at scheduled intervals to maintain hot water availability in the distribution system without requiring continuous heating of the entire storage tank volume, thereby reducing energy consumption while ensuring hot water readiness when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains temperature differentials within the storage tank by positioning the recirculation inlet near the top and outlet near the bottom. This creates local thermal zones where hot water is drawn from the upper region and returned to the lower region, preserving temperature stratification and reducing overall heat loss from the tank while ensuring hot water availability at the outlet.
2Reliability
If recirculation pump continuously circulates hot water, then hot water availability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculation pump operates periodically rather than continuously, activated by a controller that schedules recirculation events based on predicted demand patterns. This periodic operation maintains hot water availability in the distribution system while dramatically reducing the energy consumption of the pump compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the thermal energy already present in the storage tank to drive the recirculation process without requiring additional heating during recirculation. The pump merely moves existing hot water through the distribution system and back to the tank, allowing the thermal energy to serve the dual purpose of both heating and circulation.
3Productivity
If tankless water heater uses large current flow for instantaneous heating, then hot water demand is met, but system complexity and energy regulation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the heating function from the recirculation function. A dedicated heating element handles instantaneous heating when needed, while a separate recirculation pump handles water circulation. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently and efficiently, reducing the overall system complexity compared to a single integrated tankless unit that must simultaneously handle both heating and circulation control.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage tank acts as an intermediary between the heating element and the distribution system. Instead of directly heating water on-demand at the point of use, the system heats water in the tank and uses the recirculation pump to deliver it. This intermediary approach simplifies the control system by decoupling the heating regulation from the delivery regulation.
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 approach provides a larger capacity hot water system with redundant heating engines in a smaller footprint, enhancing energy efficiency and water conservation by maintaining a high percentage of usable hot water within the storage tank.
Implementation Method 1
a recirculation circuit that includes a recirculation pump and a recirculation outlet
Implementation Method 2
a thermal energy storage system that includes a storage tank
Data Source
AI summary
A hot water supply system decouples an intelligent hot water storage system from a water heating engine system. The water heating engine system includes a plurality of instantaneous water heaters that provide for redundant operation for improved reliability. The intelligent hot water storage system includes a storage tank that encloses a volume for storage of water. The intelligent hot water storage system includes a recirculation loop driven by an integrated pump and operated by an integrated controller. By positioning the tank recirculation outlet and inlet farther apart from each other, additional usable volume of hot water is provided by the intelligent hot water storage system. Isolation valves positioned on the input and output of a recirculation pump in the recirculation loop facilitate repair or replacement of the recirculation pump. The hot water system provides for increased capacity while providing redundant heating engines in a smaller floor space than conventional systems.