Smart electric heating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric heating devices, such as thermal storage and instantaneous water heaters, face challenges in efficiently providing hot water across different seasons and regions, with thermal storage heaters consuming excess energy in summer and instantaneous heaters struggling in cold areas due to limited power and water temperature limitations.
Innovation Solution
A smart electric heating device with a storage unit, first and second heating units, a control unit, temperature sensing units, and a liquid pipe system that dynamically adjusts heating based on ambient and set temperatures, preventing simultaneous activation of both units to avoid power overload and ensuring efficient water heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a thermal storage water heater is installed, then hot water is available, but in summer it consumes excess energy and requires a long wait
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into two independent heating units: a first heating unit for heating water in the storage tank, and a second heating unit for heating water in the liquid pipe. This segmentation allows selective operation based on ambient temperature, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption in the storage tank when only pipe heating is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit dynamically adjusts the operation of heating units based on real-time ambient temperature sensing. When ambient temperature is high (summer), only the second heating unit operates. When ambient temperature is low (winter), the first heating unit preheats water in the storage tank, and both units may operate together to ensure sufficient hot water supply.
2Use of energy by moving object
If an instantaneous water heater is installed, then energy consumption is reduced, but in winter the power is limited by wiring and water temperature increase is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The first heating unit performs preliminary heating of water in the storage tank before the user needs hot water. This preheating action ensures that when the second heating unit operates, it only needs to provide a small temperature increase to reach the desired effluent temperature, overcoming the power limitation of instantaneous heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the advantages of both thermal storage and instantaneous heating by combining a storage tank with a liquid pipe heating system. The first heating unit provides storage-style preheating, while the second heating unit provides instantaneous heating in the pipe, achieving both energy efficiency and sufficient temperature increase.
3Reliability
If both heating units are activated simultaneously, then hot water supply is ensured, but power overload occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors ambient temperature and flow rate, and provides feedback control for the heating units. Based on this feedback, the control unit intelligently decides whether to activate the first heating unit, the second heating unit, or both together, ensuring reliable hot water supply while avoiding power overload by not simultaneously activating both units when unnecessary.
4Temperature
If a thermal storage water heater is used in summer, then hot water is available, but it requires a long wait time
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the essential heating function from the large storage tank and relocates it to the liquid pipe through the second heating unit. This allows hot water to be generated on-demand at the point of use, eliminating the long wait time associated with thermal storage heaters while still providing sufficient hot water temperature.
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 smart device effectively maintains sufficient hot water temperatures across seasons and regions, prevents power overloads, and automatically replenishes water, ensuring consistent and energy-efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
a first heating unit, disposed in the storage unit
Implementation Method 2
a second heating unit, adjacent to the storage unit and corresponding to the liquid pipe, the second heating unit being configured to heat water in the liquid pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A smart electric heating device comprises a storage unit, a first heating unit, a second heating unit, a control unit and a first temperature sensing unit. With the first temperature sensing unit to obtain an ambient temperature, the control unit compares the ambient temperature with a maximum increased temperature and a set temperature for controlling the first heating unit and the second heating unit to actuate. In this way, each user can use hot water of sufficient temperature better.