Spiral heat exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid heating devices using electrical energy suffer from low efficiency and operational reliability issues, particularly due to thermal energy dissipation problems that can lead to heating element destruction and complex control requirements.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical device with a spiral flow channel design featuring a web-shaped heating element with PTC resistance elements, where the flow channel winds inward and outward around the cylinder axis with a decreasing and increasing distance, respectively, ensuring a constant mean temperature across the heating element and maximizing temperature difference at the outlet, thus optimizing heat transfer and preventing overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a web-shaped resistance element is used for heating the fluid, then heating efficiency is improved, but thermal energy dissipation becomes insufficient leading to overheating and destruction of the heating element
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional heating approach by using an outwardly winding flow channel section before the inwardly winding section. This reversal allows the fluid to first pass through regions where the heating element has lower temperature and lower electrical resistance, then through the central region with maximum temperature difference, optimizing both heating efficiency and thermal dissipation throughout the element's length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial distribution of temperature differences along the heating element by implementing a dual spiral flow channel design. The outwardly winding section creates a temperature gradient that progresses from the periphery toward the center, while the inwardly winding section maintains optimal temperature differences, thereby changing the thermal parameters along the heating element's length to prevent overheating while maintaining high heating efficiency.
2Reliability
If the heating element is switched on only when liquid is flowing, then operational reliability is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by designing the flow channel and heating element integration such that the fluid flow itself controls the heating process. The outwardly winding and inwardly winding spiral sections work together to ensure that heating occurs automatically when fluid flows through the system, eliminating the need for external control mechanisms while maintaining operational reliability through the inherent thermal management of the spiral design.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact design is implemented, then space utilization is improved, but heat transfer optimization becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by using spiral flow channels that wind outward and then inward around the cylindrical housing axis. This curved, spiral path maximizes the heat transfer surface area within the compact cylindrical volume, allowing efficient heat exchange between the heating element and the fluid while maintaining a compact device footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a simple linear or single-spiral flow path to a dual-spiral three-dimensional configuration. The outwardly winding section followed by the inwardly winding section creates a complex spatial arrangement that optimizes heat transfer in multiple dimensions, maximizing the use of available volume while maintaining superior heat transfer performance.
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 enhances heating efficiency and reliability by maintaining a constant internal resistance of the PTC elements, ensuring uniform power output and preventing overheating, resulting in a compact design with increased heating capacity and operational stability.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical heating element designed as a sheet-like heating element for heating the flowing fluid, which is equipped with PTC resistance elements
Implementation Method 2
the wall being formed by the web-shaped heating element, which is provided with PTC resistance elements, and as an interface between the outwardly winding flow channel section and the inwardly winding flow channel section
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A device for heating a fluid by means of electrical energy, wherein a cylindrical housing (2) is provided with an inlet (3) and an outlet (5) for the fluid, and the inlet (3) is connected to the outlet (5) via a flow channel (1) for the fluid extending within the housing (2), which has a spiral flow channel section (1a) winding outwards with increasing distance from the cylinder axis, and a spiral flow channel section (1b) winding inwards with decreasing distance from the cylinder axis. The wall of the latter is formed by an electric heating element (4) designed as a linear heating element (4) equipped with PTC resistor elements. The proposed flow channel (1) allows fluids with temperatures of constant average temperature to be present at any point on both sides of the spirally arranged heating element (4).This eliminates the undesirable effect of reduced heating power due to the PTC effect, drastically increasing the possible heating power of the device in a given installation space.