Portable water heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable water heaters cannot maintain constant water temperature, are prone to unstable outlet temperatures due to fluctuating inlet temperatures or water flow, and initial restarts result in excessively hot water, increasing the risk of scalding and wasting resources.
Innovation Solution
A portable water heater with a segmented self-priming valve, gas-regulating valve, thermostatic chamber, and temperature probes to control fire row activation, stabilize combustion, and mix unheated water with heated water to stabilize outlet temperature, featuring a fume collecting hood with a rotatable wind-guide plate for efficient smoke discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If all fire rows are turned on or off at the same time, then the burner structure is simple, but the minimum load is large and cannot produce suitable warm water when inlet temperature is high
Solution Approach 1:
The burner is divided into multiple independently controllable fire rows (first fire row, second fire row, etc.), each with its own control valve. This segmentation allows selective activation of individual fire rows based on temperature requirements, reducing minimum load and improving adaptability to different inlet temperatures while maintaining relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If gas inlet pressure fluctuates, then the system is simple to operate, but the water outlet temperature becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
A temperature sensor detects the outlet water temperature and feeds this information back to the controller, which adjusts the gas flow to the burner accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system stabilizes the outlet temperature despite fluctuations in gas inlet pressure, while requiring minimal user intervention to maintain.
3Device complexity
If manual adjustment of water flow and fire intensity is required, then the valve body structure is simple, but the temperature cannot be kept constant automatically
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a temperature sensor and controller that automatically adjust the gas flow and water flow ratios based on detected temperature, enabling self-regulating temperature control without requiring manual intervention. The controller autonomously maintains the set temperature by balancing heat input and water flow.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If the water heater is restarted after shutdown, then the system can resume operation, but the initial output water is too hot then too cold, wasting water and increasing scalding risk
Solution Approach 1:
Before resuming normal operation after shutdown, the system performs preliminary actions: first activating only the first fire row with a limited gas flow ratio, then gradually transitioning to full operation. This staged preliminary heating prevents excessive temperature spikes and eliminates the hot-cold fluctuation problem during restart, reducing scalding risk and water waste.
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
Stabilizes water temperature, reduces energy consumption, prevents scalding, and optimizes water usage by maintaining consistent outlet temperatures and minimizing temperature fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
a burner and a heat exchanger are arranged in the inner bracket; an upper end of the heat exchanger is provided with a fume collecting hood
Implementation Method 2
the thermostatic chamber is provided with a water inlet connected to the hot water delivering pipe and a water outlet connected to a hot water discharging pipe; and a connecting pipe is provided between the cold water feeding pipe and the hot water delivering pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A portable water heater includes an inner bracket and a thermostatic chamber. A burner and a heat exchanger are arranged in the inner bracket. An upper end of the heat exchanger is provided with a fume collecting hood. The burner includes multiple fire rows arranged side by side, and the fire rows are connected to each other through a gas-distributing rod. The gas-distributing rod is provided with a segmented self-priming valve. A gas-regulating valve is provided on a gas inlet pipe. An inlet end of an internal heat-exchanging pipe of the heat exchanger is communicated with a cold water feeding pipe. The thermostatic chamber has a water inlet connected to a hot water delivering pipe and a water outlet connected to a hot water discharging pipe, and a connecting pipe is provided between the cold water feeding pipe and the hot water delivering pipe.