Shower Tray Heat Exchanger Integration to Reduce Height and Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower trays with heat exchangers have a high overall height, making them difficult to clean and are costly to produce, with excessive material weight and inefficient heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A shower tray with a heat exchanger integrated below the tray, using aluminum or aluminum alloy for the tray and tubes, with a second heat exchanger surface formed by tubes welded to the tray bottom, and a hydrophilic coating for improved heat transfer and corrosion resistance, allowing for efficient heat recovery from waste water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional heat exchangers with plates and channels are used, then heat recovery function is achieved, but the overall height becomes too high and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat exchanger with the shower tray floor itself, making the floor the first heat exchanger surface. This integration eliminates the need for separate high-profile heat exchanger components, reducing overall height while maintaining heat recovery function through the tray floor and welded tubes.
Solution Approach 2:
The shower tray floor serves dual functions: as the structural walking surface and as the first heat exchanger surface in contact with waste water. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional components, reducing height while achieving heat recovery.
2Loss of energy
If complex multi-layer plate structures with meandering channels are used, then heat exchange surface area is increased, but manufacturing cost increases and material weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shower tray floor with the heat exchanger structure, eliminating the need for separate multi-layer plate assemblies. The floor itself becomes part of the heat exchange system, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining effective heat transfer through integrated tube welding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite tube structures with aluminum outer layers and copper inner layers, combining the high thermal conductivity of copper with the lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties of aluminum. This optimizes heat transfer efficiency while controlling material weight and manufacturing complexity.
3Loss of energy
If copper tubes are used for heat exchange, then thermal conductivity is improved, but material weight increases and corrosion resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite tubes with copper inner layers for high thermal conductivity and aluminum outer layers for reduced weight and improved corrosion resistance. This composite structure optimizes the thermal, mechanical, and corrosive properties by combining different materials' advantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different materials to different parts of the tube structure: copper on the inside where thermal conductivity is most critical for heat exchange, and aluminum on the outside where corrosion resistance and weight reduction are prioritized. This local optimization resolves the contradiction between thermal performance and material properties.
4Weight of stationary object
If aluminum is used for the shower tray, then material weight is reduced and corrosion resistance is improved, but welding complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The use of aluminum for the shower tray allows for reduced weight and improved corrosion resistance. The welding complexity is managed through specialized techniques for aluminum-to-aluminum and aluminum-to-copper welding, ensuring structural integrity while maintaining the benefits of aluminum material properties.
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 results in a shower tray with a lower profile, easier cleaning, reduced material weight, and enhanced thermal efficiency, while also simplifying manufacturing and installation due to the use of aluminum and composite tubes.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger surface (12) is in contact with the waste water and a second heat exchanger surface is in contact with the fresh water
Implementation Method 2
heat recovery from waste water for heating fresh water
Implementation Method 3
The second heat exchange surface is formed by tubes which are connected to the bottom of the shower tray by welding
Data Source
Figure 1~11
Figure 2
Figure 3~7
AI summary
Shower tray (10) having a heat exchanger (1), wherein the heat exchanger (1) is arranged beneath the shower tray (10) for recovering heat from waste water in order to heat up clean water, wherein a first heat-exchanger surface (17) is in contact with the waste water and a second heat-exchanger surface is in contact with the clean water, and the first heat-exchanger surface (17) forms the floor, or part of the floor, of the shower tray (10). The shower tray here is produced from aluminium or from an aluminium alloy, or the shower tray is produced from a steel alloy and, in the region of the tray floor (12), beneath the shower tray (10), a base plate (13) made of some other metal is fastened on the tray floor (12), as a result of which a heat-conducting connection to the tray floor (12) is formed substantially over the entire surface of the base plate (13), and, once again beneath said base plate (13), tubes (14) are connected to the base plate (13) in an integral manner, in particular by welding or soldering, wherein said tubes (14) form the second heat-exchanging surface.