Smart Faucet Temperature Control With Heated Water Buffering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional faucets struggle to maintain a consistent water temperature due to changes in supply water pressure and temperature fluctuations, often resulting in undesirable hot or cold water temperatures, which can cause discomfort or burns.
Innovation Solution
A device with temperature sensors, a heating tank, and an electronic valve system that adjusts the mixing ratio of hot and cold water to maintain a desired temperature, using a controller to drive the heater and adjust the valve based on real-time temperature measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional faucet mixes hot and cold water to control temperature, then the temperature can be adjusted by lever rotation, but the discharge temperature changes when supply water pressure or temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs temperature sensors to detect the actual discharge water temperature and feeds this information back to a control unit. The control unit adjusts the electronic valve's mixing ratio in real-time based on the feedback signal, ensuring the discharge temperature remains stable even when supply pressure or temperature fluctuates. This closed-loop feedback mechanism directly resolves the contradiction by maintaining temperature reliability while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical mixing valve operated by lever rotation with an electronically controlled valve system. The electronic valve, controlled by an electronic control unit receiving temperature feedback, substitutes the mechanical adjustment mechanism. This substitution enables precise, dynamic control of the mixing ratio to maintain stable discharge temperature, resolving the reliability issue while keeping the system easy to operate through automatic control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If hot water is supplied through a long hot water pipe, then water can reach distant consumers, but the hot water temperature decreases and may become cold by the time it reaches the faucet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a heating tank with a heater that pre-heats the hot water supplied through the long hot water pipe before it reaches the mixing section. This preliminary heating action compensates for the temperature drop that occurs during transport through extended piping, ensuring the hot water maintains sufficient temperature for effective mixing and discharge, thus resolving the contradiction between supply range and temperature maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating tank continuously heats the hot water supply to maintain its temperature throughout the distribution system. This continuous useful action ensures that even over long pipe distances, the hot water arrives at the faucet with adequate temperature, allowing the system to adapt to extended supply ranges without sacrificing temperature quality.
3Productivity
If the internal temperature of a hot water hydrant is not uniform, then hot water can be supplied to the faucet, but high-temperature water may be suddenly supplied causing burns or the temperature may rapidly drop causing inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor continuously monitors the discharge water temperature and provides feedback to the control unit. When temperature fluctuations are detected (either sudden increases or drops), the control unit immediately adjusts the electronic valve to correct the mixing ratio, preventing harmful temperature variations from reaching the user. This real-time feedback mechanism eliminates the hazard of sudden temperature changes while maintaining continuous hot water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating tank acts as a buffer that stabilizes the hot water supply temperature before it enters the mixing section. By pre-heating and buffering the hot water, the system cushions against sudden temperature variations that might occur in the hydrant, preventing both sudden high-temperature discharge (burns) and rapid temperature drops (inconvenience), thus protecting the user while maintaining supply productivity.
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
Ensures consistent water temperature delivery, even when supply pressures or temperatures change, allowing for immediate adjustment to the user's desired temperature and minimizing the risk of burns or discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
a heating tank heating the hot water supplied from the hot water pipe by a heater provided therein
Implementation Method 2
a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor measuring temperatures of hot water and cold water supplied from the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe, respectively
Implementation Method 3
an electronic valve selecting two of the heated hot water supplied from the heating tank, the hot water supplied from the hot water direct supplying pipe, and the cold water supplied from the cold water pipe as mixture target supply water, and discharging discharge water in a desired temperature by the user through a discharge pipe by controlling a mixing ratio of the selected mixture target supply water
Data Source
AI summary
A device for controlling a faucet has a first and a second temperature sensors measuring temperatures of hot water and cold water, respectively, a heating tank heating the hot water supplied from a hot water pipe with a heater and storing heated water, a third temperature sensor measuring a temperature of the heated water, an electronic valve selecting two among the heated hot water, the cold water, and the hot water supplied from a hot water direct supplying pipe as a mixture target supply water based on a temperature of hot water measured by the first temperature sensor and a desired temperature set by a user, and discharging discharge water at a temperature corresponding to the desired temperature set by the user by controlling a mixing ratio of the mixture target supply water, a fourth temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the discharge water, a flow rate sensor measuring a flow rate of the discharge water, and a controller controlling the drive of the heater and the electric valve.