Internal Loop Heating Element for Aggressive Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heatable hoses for motor vehicles suffer from inefficiency in transferring heat to the fluid medium due to external heat loss, and the use of sheathed heating conductors is not suitable for chemically aggressive fluids like urea-based liquids, leading to potential damage and leakage issues.
Innovation Solution
A heatable hose design with a heating element arranged inside the hose, comprising two electrically conductive heating conductors forming a loop, allowing direct contact with the fluid and minimizing external heat loss, and utilizing adapter elements for connection and sealing to prevent leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heating conductor is arranged outside the hose wall, then the heating conductor is protected from chemical damage, but heat transfer efficiency to the fluid decreases due to external heat loss
Solution Approach 1:
The heating conductor is inverted from the conventional external arrangement to an internal arrangement within the hose. This reversal places the heating element directly in contact with the fluid, maximizing heat transfer efficiency while the hose wall itself serves as the protective barrier against chemical damage.
2Loss of energy
If the sheathed heating conductor is arranged inside the hose, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but the sheathing and sealing are damaged by chemically aggressive fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The vulnerable organic material sheathing and sealing components are extracted from the heating conductor assembly and replaced with chemically resistant inorganic materials. This extraction eliminates the chemical incompatibility while preserving the internal heating arrangement for efficient heat transfer.
3Loss of energy
If the heating conductor is arranged inside the hose, then direct heat transfer to fluid is achieved, but sealing and connection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating conductor is constructed with homogeneous chemically resistant materials throughout (inorganic sheathing, inorganic sealing, inorganic connection elements), eliminating the need for complex multi-material sealing structures and simplifying the overall design while maintaining chemical resistance.
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 design enhances heat transfer efficiency to the fluid, reduces external heat loss, and prevents chemical damage by maintaining the heating conductors' integrity when using chemically aggressive fluids, while simplifying manufacturing and sealing.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element 2 arranged inside the inner volume 11... The heating element 2 has a first heating conductor 20a and a second heating conductor 20b... directly and in the best possible way. This reduces heat loss to the environment
Implementation Method 2
an electrically heatable hose with at least one electric heating conductor, which is used to heat a medium flowing in the hose
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a heatable tube (1) for conducting fluid, gaseous and/or pasty media, comprising an outer wall (10) that encloses an inner volume (11), and a heating element (2) which is arranged inside the inner volume (11) and which includes a first heating conductor (20a) and a second heating conductor (20b). The heatable tube (1) is characterized in that the first heating conductor (20a) and the second heating conductor (20b) are connected to one another by a heating conductor connector (20c) so as to form a loop in such a way that one heating conductor (20a, 20b) acts as a feed conductor (20a, 20b) and the other heating conductor (20a, 20b) acts as a return conductor (20a, 20b).