Shower Water Heat Recovery Buffer Vessel Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat recovery devices from shower water are inefficient due to pumps having capacities two to three times the flow rate of showers, leading to the heat exchanger being fed water only one-third of the time, resulting in reduced heat recovery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heat recovery device with a pump configured to pump shower water into a buffer vessel, which supplies the water to a heat exchanger in a controlled manner through a restriction element, allowing gradual flow and increasing the proportion of heat transferred, along with a distribution wall for uniform distribution and an overflow element to prevent overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pump with capacity two to three times greater than shower flow rate is used to prevent drain overflow, then the drain overflow problem is solved, but the heat exchanger is only fed water one third of the time, reducing heat recovery efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer vessel stores shower water in advance before it reaches the heat exchanger. By pre-collecting water in the buffer vessel during periods when the pump capacity exceeds shower flow rate, the system prepares a reservoir that can be gradually fed to the heat exchanger, ensuring continuous operation and maximizing heat recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer vessel acts as an intermediary between the pump and the heat exchanger. It decouples the pump's high capacity from the heat exchanger's processing rate, allowing the pump to operate at full capacity for drain protection while the buffer vessel regulates the flow to the heat exchanger for optimal heat recovery.
2Reliability
If the pump capacity is much greater than the shower flow rate, then the drain does not overflow, but the heat exchanger receives water intermittently, causing peak heat generation and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer vessel accumulates water in advance, creating a steady supply that smooths out the intermittent flow from the high-capacity pump. This preliminary storage action ensures continuous, stable feeding to the heat exchanger, eliminating peak heat generation issues and maintaining stable thermal output.
3Device complexity
If a simple pump is used without complicated control systems, then device costs and malfunction risks are reduced, but controlling the quantity of shower water for optimal heat absorption becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer vessel with its outlet opening below the water level creates a self-regulating system. The hydrostatic pressure automatically controls the flow rate to the heat exchanger, eliminating the need for complex electronic control systems while maintaining optimal heat absorption efficiency through passive flow regulation.
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 configuration enhances heat recovery efficiency by allowing a greater proportion of heat to be transferred, reducing energy costs and noise, while using a simple pump and minimizing the risk of malfunction.
Implementation Method 1
In the heat exchanger the heat of the shower water is relinquished to supplied water
Implementation Method 2
The pump is configured to pump the shower water upward
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A
AI summary
A device for recovering heat from shower water. The device comprises: - a pump which is configured to pump shower water from a drain of a shower; - a heat exchanger which is operatively connected to the pump for the purpose of recovering heat from the shower water supplied by the pump; and - a buffer vessel arranged between the pump and heat exchanger for the purpose of supplying the shower water to the heat exchanger in controlled manner, wherein the buffer vessel comprises: o a first wall and a side wall, wherein the first wall extends in a first plane, wherein the first wall and side wall define a buffer space which is configured to store shower water; o an infeed opening for receiving shower water in the buffer space, wherein the infeed opening is operatively connected to the pump; o an outfeed opening provided in the first wall for the purpose of discharging shower water to the heat exchanger in a first direction, o a restriction element arranged in front of the outfeed opening for the purpose of restrictively allowing the shower water to pass from the buffer space to the outfeed opening.