Stratified Heat Storage for Production Machine Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature control and heat recovery systems for production machines face challenges in efficiently heating machines to high temperatures and effectively recovering heat due to high peak loads and limited heat exchanger efficiency, leading to excessive energy consumption and inefficient heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A temperature control and heat recovery system with a mixer diverter unit and stratified storage tank that allows for dynamic temperature level adjustment and direct fluid exchange between different temperature levels, minimizing energy losses and optimizing heat transfer through separate pipelines and a vertically oriented mixing chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat exchangers are used to store cooled water in a heat accumulator, then heat recovery is possible, but the temperature cannot rise above the coolant temperature and large amounts of only moderately warm water are obtained which require large insulated containers
Solution Approach 1:
The heat accumulator is divided into multiple zones (first zone, second zone, third zone) with different temperature ranges. Each zone stores water at a specific temperature level, allowing the system to maintain high temperature water without requiring excessively large storage volumes. The segmentation enables efficient utilization of storage space by organizing water according to temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the heat accumulator are assigned different temperature characteristics. The first zone maintains higher temperatures (e.g., 60-90°C) while the third zone maintains lower temperatures (e.g., 20-40°C). This local quality differentiation allows the system to provide both high-temperature and low-temperature water as needed, improving overall system efficiency.
2Temperature
If production machines are heated using electrical heating elements, then high peak loads occur before production begins, but if several production machines are heated simultaneously, the load limits of the sub-distribution system are reached
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple heat sources (solar thermal collectors, heat accumulators, and electrical heating elements) into a unified heating system. This merging allows the system to distribute the heating load across different sources, preventing excessive peak loads on the electrical system while still achieving the required temperature levels for production machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary heating of water in the heat accumulator during off-peak hours or using renewable energy sources before production begins. This advance preparation reduces the need for high-power electrical heating at the start of production, thereby avoiding peak load problems on the electrical distribution system.
3Loss of energy
If cooling water is stored for later heating process, then heat recovery is possible, but large amounts of only moderately warm water are obtained which can only make a limited contribution to the subsequent heating process
Solution Approach 1:
The heat accumulator is segmented into multiple temperature zones, with the first zone specifically dedicated to storing higher temperature water (60-90°C) that can be directly used for heating production machines. This segmentation ensures that recovered heat is stored at temperatures useful for the intended application, maximizing heat recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of stored water by using selective heating zones and controlled heat transfer processes. Instead of storing uniformly warm water, the system maintains different temperature levels in different zones, transforming the thermal energy into more useful forms for various heating applications.
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 system enables efficient heating and cooling of production machines by utilizing heat energy at different temperature levels, reducing energy consumption and maintaining high-quality energy storage, while allowing for flexible operation with small temperature differences, thus optimizing energy use and reducing unnecessary losses.
Implementation Method 1
Storage of thermal energy at different temperature levels
Implementation Method 2
stratified storage tank that allows for dynamic temperature level adjustment
Implementation Method 3
direct flow through the mixing chamber in both directions between the primary and secondary circuit connections
Implementation Method 4
without a material separation of the fluid on the primary and secondary sides, as is conventionally effected via heat exchangers
Implementation Method 5
effective heat recovery of the heat quantities occurring in the cooling phase
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
A temperature control and heat recovery system (100) for at least one machine (31, 33) whose temperature can be controlled by means of a fluid, in which the fluid is conducted from at least one heat source (32) and/or at least one heat accumulator (40) to the machine (50, 60, 70) whose temperature can be controlled, which machine is incorporated into a secondary circuit with at least one feed line and one return line (51, 52, 61, 62, 71, 72); wherein the temperature control and heat recovery system (100) comprises at least three component heat accumulators (41, 42, 43) for at least three different temperature levels TN, TM, TH, and wherein in each case at least one primary line (31, 32, 33) leads from each component heat accumulator (41, 42, 43) to a mixer junction unit (10.1, 10.2, 10.3), and wherein the mixer junction unit (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) has a mixing chamber in which the primary lines (31, 32, 33) open out adjacent to one another, in a row in accordance with the temperature level, in the mixing chamber and in which the lines for a secondary circuit open out.