Indoor Thermal Valve Layout for Low-Piping Temperature Regulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional temperature regulation systems face challenges in workability and cost due to the need for extensive piping and complex installations, particularly when thermal valves are outdoors and indoor floor heating appliances require connection, leading to poor workability and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A temperature regulation system with a water unit producing hot or cold water, connected to headers via pipes, and thermal valves, where the water unit is placed outdoors and headers with thermal valves are indoors, reducing the need for multiple holes in walls and eliminating the need for a dedicated controller, using mechanical relays to minimize noise and simplify installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If thermal valves are installed outdoors with the hot water supply apparatus, then temperature control function is provided, but extensive piping and multiple wall holes are required leading to poor workability and increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the thermal valve assembly into separate indoor and outdoor components. The indoor thermal valves are installed separately from the outdoor hot water supply apparatus, allowing independent installation and connection through minimal wall penetration. This segmentation enables the temperature control function to be maintained while significantly reducing installation complexity and wall hole requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication line acts as an intermediary between the outdoor hot water supply apparatus and the indoor thermal valves. This communication line transmits control signals and status information, enabling the outdoor apparatus to control indoor valves without requiring direct physical connection or multiple wall holes, thus improving workability while maintaining control functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple thermal valves are installed to serve multiple floor heating appliances, then each appliance can be controlled independently, but the number of pipes and wall holes increases leading to increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor hot water supply apparatus is designed with universal control capability to manage multiple indoor thermal valves through a single communication interface. This multi-functionality allows one outdoor apparatus to control numerous indoor appliances independently without requiring proportional increases in piping or wall holes, thus maintaining adaptability while reducing material quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication line serves as a multi-functional intermediary that can simultaneously transmit control signals to multiple indoor thermal valves from a single outdoor apparatus. This eliminates the need for separate physical control connections for each valve, reducing the number of pipes and wall holes required while maintaining independent control capability for each appliance.
3Measurement precision
If a dedicated controller is added to control thermal valves indoors, then precise temperature control is achieved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor hot water supply apparatus is equipped with universal control functionality that can directly control multiple indoor thermal valves through communication lines. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated indoor controllers, maintaining precise temperature control capability while reducing system complexity and component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The control function is extracted from potential indoor controller locations and consolidated into the outdoor hot water supply apparatus. By centralizing the control logic in the outdoor unit, the system achieves precise temperature control without adding complex indoor control devices, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
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 configuration improves workability by reducing the number of pipes and holes needed, lowers costs, enhances the appearance of buildings, and minimizes noise, while maintaining efficient temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
water is heated by heat exchange in a hot water supply heat exchanger for heat of combustion gas
Implementation Method 2
supply of the hot water produced by the hot water supply heat exchanger to the floor heating appliances is commonly effected and stopped by a plurality of thermal valves
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A temperature regulation system includes a water unit (2) that produces hot water or cold water and that includes a controller (14), headers (21, 22) that are connected to the water unit (2) through water pipes (52, 53) which guide the hot water or the cold water produced by the water unit (2) to specified supply destinations (27, 28) and which guide return water produced in the specified supply destinations (27, 28) to the water unit (2), and a plurality of thermal valves (23 through 26) connected to the header (21). The water unit (2) is placed opposite to the headers (21, 22) with respect to walls for forming rooms in a building and the controller (14) is connected to the thermal valves (23 through 26) through communication lines (35, 36) and controls opening-closing operations of the thermal valves (23 through 26).