Water Purifier Circulation and Sterilization Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water purifiers face contamination issues due to stagnant raw and purified water in storage units, leading to degradation over time, especially when not connected to a water pipe, and lack effective circulation and sterilization mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A water purifier design incorporating a reverse osmosis filter with separate storage units for raw and purified water, a flow channel, valve modules, and a sterilization module, allowing for controlled circulation and sterilization modes to prevent contamination and maintain filter cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If water is stored in storage units for long periods, then water supply stability is improved, but water contamination occurs due to stagnation
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation pump continuously circulates water between the storage units and the reverse osmosis filter, preventing stagnation. The system maintains continuous water flow through the filtration system, ensuring that stored water does not remain static for extended periods, thereby preventing contamination while maintaining supply stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically circulates and filters water without external intervention. The circulation pump and reverse osmosis filter work together to continuously purify and recirculate water, making the system self-maintaining and preventing contamination through automatic operation.
2Loss of substance
If domestic water is reused to supplement raw water, then water loss is reduced, but contamination risk increases due to impurities in domestic water
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation system continuously filters domestic water through the reverse osmosis filter before returning it to the raw water storage unit. This continuous filtration process removes impurities from domestic water, allowing safe reuse while preventing contamination of the raw water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The reverse osmosis filter acts as an intermediary between domestic water and the raw water storage unit. Domestic water is filtered through this intermediary component, which removes impurities, before the cleaned water is mixed with raw water, thus preventing direct contamination.
3Manufacturing precision
If reverse osmosis filter continuously filters water, then water purity is improved, but filter contamination accumulates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation pump continuously circulates water through the reverse osmosis filter, maintaining constant filtration action. This continuous operation prevents filter clogging by maintaining steady water flow, and the system periodically backflushes to remove accumulated contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically backflushes the reverse osmosis filter to discard accumulated contaminants. The circulation pump reverses water flow direction to flush out contaminants from the filter membrane, recovering filter performance and preventing permanent contamination buildup.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If circulation system operates continuously, then water contamination is prevented, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation pump operates periodically rather than continuously, circulating water at set intervals. The controller manages the pump to operate during specific cycles, preventing water stagnation and contamination while reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses gravity-assisted water flow and periodic pump operation to maintain circulation. The design leverages natural water flow dynamics and automatic timing mechanisms to reduce the energy required for circulation while still preventing contamination.
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
Enables efficient circulation and sterilization of raw and purified water, preventing contamination and maintaining the integrity of stored water, even in install-free configurations, while keeping the filter clean.
Implementation Method 1
a reverse osmosis filter (RO filter) for filtering the raw water... a reverse osmosis membrane capable of filtering the raw water... some of the raw water is filtered by the reverse osmosis membrane to be purified water
Data Source
AI summary
A water purifier comprises: an RO filter including a non-filtration part, a filtration part, and a reverse osmosis membrane for filtering the raw water into the purified water; purified water and raw water storages; a flow channel through which the raw water and the purified water flow; valve modules selectively opened or closed to adjust the flow of the raw water and the purified water; a sterilization module for sterilizing the raw water from the non-filtration part; and a controller controlling the opening/closing of the valve modules and the sterilization module based on flow modes. In a flushing mode for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane using the purified water, the controller opens/closes the valve modules so that the purified water flows into the non-filtration part and flushing discharge water from the non-filtration part flows toward the raw water storage, and drives the sterilization module to sterilize the flushing discharge water.