Mobile Power Washer Heater Module Servicing and Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile power washers struggle to deliver hot water efficiently, as they often require inconvenient hot water sourcing, suffer from heat loss in bypass loops, and have large, heavy designs unsuitable for trailer mounting with short life expectancy.
Innovation Solution
A mobile power washer with a wheeled trailer featuring a water supply system, a fuel-fired heating system, and a heat exchanger, including a buffer tank to recirculate heated water and maintain temperature, allowing for on-demand hot water delivery with a compact and serviceable design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a bypass loop is used to recirculate water when delivery is stopped, then friction-induced overheating is avoided, but significant heat loss occurs that cannot be recovered
Solution Approach 1:
A heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary component that enables heat transfer from the heated working fluid in the heating system to the water in the water supply system. This allows the water to be heated without direct contact with the high-temperature heating fluid, preventing overheating while recovering heat that would otherwise be lost in the bypass loop.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the water by introducing a controlled heat exchange process. The heat exchanger transfers thermal energy from the heating system's working fluid to the water supply, raising the water temperature to desired levels without the excessive temperature rise that would occur in a direct bypass recirculation system.
2Temperature
If existing seals are used with hot water, then the power washer can deliver hot water, but the seals may not cope with temperatures in excess of 50°C and leaks may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary that heats the water supply to the required temperature without exposing the seals to excessive temperatures. By transferring heat indirectly through the heat exchanger rather than direct heating, the system achieves hot water delivery while maintaining seal integrity within their temperature ratings.
3Temperature
If a heated coil system is used to provide high pressure hot water, then hot water can be delivered, but the machine becomes large and heavy and is not suitable for trailer mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system's working fluid serves multiple functions: it is heated by the fuel-fired heater to generate thermal energy, circulates through the heat exchanger to heat the water supply, and then returns to the heater for reheating. This closed-loop multi-functional system provides hot water delivery in a compact configuration suitable for trailer mounting, replacing the need for large heated coil systems.
4Temperature
If hot water is filled in the water tank, then hot water is available, but there may be no adequate source of hot water available and the hot water may cool before use
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service heating by using the fuel-fired heater and heat exchanger to heat the water supply on-demand as it passes through the system. This eliminates the need for external hot water sources or pre-filling the tank with hot water, as the system generates its own hot water capability through the integrated heating system.
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 enables efficient delivery of hot water at high pressure (up to 238 bar) and temperature (75°C) with reduced heat loss and a compact, trailer-mountable design, suitable for various applications, including building sites and military use.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel fired heater for heating fluid in the fluid circuit
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger for providing heat exchange between heated fluid in the fluid circuit and water in the water supply system
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile power washer includes a heater module that is displaceable from an operative position, beneath a vented panel, to an access position enabling easy servicing or replacement of the module. The module includes a heater and a heat exchanger for heating water drawn from tanks for delivery at high pressure through a spray gun attached to a hose. A buffer tank is provided for retaining water heated by the heater for mixing with cold water from the tanks prior to further heating in the heat exchanger and delivery from the spray gun.