Hydronic Air Heater Partition Layout for Fan Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air heating systems, such as gas furnaces, face issues like combustion gas leakage and air drying, and require inconvenient fan separation for repairs, necessitating a more efficient and user-friendly solution.
Innovation Solution
An air heating apparatus with a case design that includes an expansion tank, water heating device, heating heat exchanger, and fan, where the expansion tank and fan are coupled to a third partition wall, allowing for easier separation and repair by facilitating the removal of components without mixing combustion gas with air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the fan is disposed inside the lower side of the product, then the air heating apparatus can be compact, but the fan cannot be easily separated for repairs
Solution Approach 1:
The case is divided into multiple partition walls (first, second, and third partition walls) that create separate spaces. The fan is coupled to the third partition wall, which can be separated from the outer box, allowing the fan to be accessed and removed without dismantling the entire apparatus. This segmentation enables independent access to the fan while maintaining a compact overall structure.
2Productivity
If a gas furnace is used to heat air by burning fuel, then heating efficiency is improved, but combustion gas leakage and air drying occur
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful combustion gas is extracted and directed through a dedicated exhaust path separate from the heated air path. The heat exchanger transfers heat from the combustion gas to the air without allowing the combustion gas to mix with the heated air, thereby preventing combustion gas leakage while maintaining heating efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the combustion gas and the air to be heated. It facilitates heat transfer from the combustion gas to the air without allowing direct contact or mixing between the two, thus preventing combustion gas leakage and air drying while maintaining efficient heating.
3Ease of manufacture
If the expansion tank is located in front of the fan, then the hydro furnace can be assembled, but the fan must be separated after the expansion tank for repairs
Solution Approach 1:
The case is segmented into multiple partition walls that create independent access paths. The third partition wall can be separated from the outer box to provide access to the fan, while the expansion tank remains in its position coupled to the first partition wall. This segmentation allows the fan to be accessed and repaired without removing the expansion tank.
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 apparatus reduces the inconvenience of fan separation and enhances safety by preventing combustion gas leakage, while maintaining efficient air heating and humidity control without the need for additional humidity control devices.
Implementation Method 1
a water heating device that receives heat from combustion gas generated by a combustion reaction and heats the water
Implementation Method 2
a heating heat exchanger that receives the water heated by the water heating device and conducts heat exchange between air to be released for heating and the water
Data Source
AI summary
An air heating apparatus includes an expansion tank that stores water, a water heating device that receives heat from combustion gas generated by a combustion reaction and heats the water, a heating heat exchanger that receives the water heated by the water heating device and conducts heat exchange between air to be released for heating and the water, a fan that supplies the air to the heating heat exchanger, and a case in which the water heating device, the expansion tank, the heating heat exchanger, and the fan are disposed. The case includes an outer box, a first partition wall that is coupled to the outer box and that extends in a reference direction to divide the inside of the outer box into a first partition space and a second partition space, a second partition wall disposed in the first partition space, and a third partition wall.