System and method for enhanced provision of hot water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional point-of-use water heating systems are often insufficiently compact and impractical for installation near faucets, and conventional hot water heaters or reservoirs can cause significant delays in hot water delivery due to residual water cooling in connecting pipes, especially when faucets are remotely located.
Innovation Solution
A point-of-use water heating system incorporating a thermostatic mixing valve, hot water tank, actuatable valve, and buffering chamber to regulate and store water temperature, ensuring consistent output at desired temperatures by mixing and buffering water flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a hot water heater is located remotely from faucets to accommodate building layout constraints, then installation flexibility is improved, but hot water delivery time increases due to residual water cooling in connecting pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water heating function into two segments: a remote hot water heater that generates hot water and a point-of-use heater located near the faucet that provides final temperature adjustment. This segmentation allows the main heater to be installed flexibly while ensuring rapid hot water delivery at the usage point.
Solution Approach 2:
A point-of-use heater acts as an intermediary device between the remote hot water heater and the faucet. It receives hot water from the heater, performs rapid reheating if needed, and delivers consistently hot water to the faucet, thereby compensating for the distance-related delays.
2Reliability
If a large hot water heater or reservoir is implemented to ensure hot water availability, then hot water supply reliability is improved, but installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The water heating system is segmented into a main remote heater and a small point-of-use heater. The point-of-use heater serves as a compact buffer that ensures hot water availability without requiring large storage capacity, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The point-of-use heater performs preliminary reheating of water in the connecting pipes or buffer chamber before water reaches the faucet. This ensures that hot water is available on demand without needing to store large volumes of hot water in advance.
3Speed
If conventional point-of-use water heating systems are installed near faucets to reduce delivery time, then hot water delivery speed is improved, but device compactness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces a bulky mechanical point-of-use heater with a compact electronic heating element integrated into the valve assembly. This substitution maintains rapid hot water delivery capability while significantly reducing the device volume to accommodate tight installation spaces near faucets.
4Reliability
If tankless water heaters are used at point-of-use locations to provide immediate hot water, then hot water availability is improved, but installation complexity increases due to gas line requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces gas-powered tankless heaters with electric heating elements that can be integrated into the existing water valve assembly. This substitution eliminates the need for gas line installations and complex ventilation requirements, thereby maintaining immediate hot water availability while significantly simplifying installation.
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 system provides compact, high-power density water heating with rapid delivery of heated water at desired temperatures, reducing temperature spikes and maintaining output consistency, even when faucets are inactive for extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
the hot water tank is configured to heat a portion of the input water received from the thermostatic mixing valve to become heated water having an elevated temperature greater than the input water temperature
Implementation Method 2
the thermostatic mixing valve is configured to output, at the fourth port, mixed water including both a first portion of the input water and a second portion of the heated water
Implementation Method 3
the buffering chamber is configured to retain a residual portion of the mixed water when the actuatable valve is switched to a closed status so that, when the actuatable valve is subsequently switched to an open status, a further amount of water communicated from the thermostatic mixing valve undergoes a mixing with the residual portion
Data Source
AI summary
Point-of-use water heating systems, systems including such heating systems, and methods of operating such systems are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, a point-of-use water heating system includes a thermostatic mixing valve and a hot water tank configured to heat a portion of input water received from the mixing valve to become heated water having an elevated temperature. The heating system includes an actuatable valve and a buffering chamber having an outlet configured to provide, at least indirectly, output water having an output temperature less than the elevated temperature. The mixing valve is configured to output mixed water, and buffering chamber is configured to retain a residual portion of the mixed water when the actuatable valve is switched to a closed status. When the actuatable valve is subsequently switched to an open status, an amount of water communicated from the mixing valve undergoes a mixing with the residual portion.