Tank System with Tangential Flow Deflection for Thermal Stratification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tank systems for cooling, storing, and removing liquids face challenges in maintaining thermal stratification, leading to mixing of cooled and uncooled liquids, which reduces the effectiveness of keeping liquids at a constant low temperature.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a deflection device that introduces uncooled liquid with a horizontal flow component perpendicular to the stratification axis, minimizing turbulence and mixing, and utilizing a cooling system that maintains thermal stratification by cooling the liquid from the top and removing it from the bottom of the tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If uncooled liquid is fed directly into the tank from the filling inlet, then the tank can be refilled efficiently, but turbulence and mixing occur that destroy thermal stratification and heat the cooled liquid
Solution Approach 1:
A deflection device is introduced as an intermediary component between the filling inlet and the tank interior. This device redirects the incoming uncooled liquid flow to move horizontally along the tank wall rather than falling vertically, thereby mediating between the need for efficient refilling and the requirement to maintain thermal stratification by minimizing turbulence and mixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflection device changes the flow dimension from vertical (directly into the tank) to horizontal (along the tank wall). By redirecting the liquid flow in a different spatial dimension, the system achieves both efficient refilling and preservation of thermal stratification, as the horizontal flow avoids disrupting the vertical temperature layers.
2Productivity
If cooled liquid is removed from the tank, then the tank can supply chilled liquid, but the removal process can disturb thermal stratification and allow warmer liquid to mix with cooled liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The removal tube is positioned at the bottom of the tank where the coldest liquid accumulates due to thermal stratification. By locally targeting the coldest region for removal, the system maintains productivity while preserving overall stratification stability, as the removal point is strategically selected to minimize disruption to the temperature gradient.
3Quantity of substance
If the tank volume is large to store sufficient chilled liquid, then chilled liquid availability increases, but the tank footprint and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The removal tube is nested within the tank volume, extending from the bottom towards the center. This nested configuration allows the system to access and remove chilled liquid from the bottom region without requiring additional external equipment or complex piping, thereby increasing chilled liquid availability while maintaining system simplicity.
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 approach effectively maintains thermal stratification, allowing for the continuous removal of chilled liquid at a low temperature, reducing turbulence, and extending the availability of chilled water by minimizing mixing and vortex formation.
Implementation Method 1
thermal stratification of the liquid in the tank can be produced; i.e. This means that the liquid is distributed in the tank in such a way that cold liquid settles at the bottom of the tank while warmer liquid tends to rise to the top
Implementation Method 2
when refilling uncooled liquid into the tank, there is as little turbulence or mixing of the newly inflowing uncooled liquid with the more or less cooled liquid already in the tank as possible
Implementation Method 3
cold liquid settles at the bottom of the tank while warmer liquid tends to rise to the top
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A tank system (1) for cooling, storing, and dispensing a liquid is proposed, comprising a tank (2) for cooling the liquid and storing the liquid in a volume (V) along a stratification axis (L) of the volume (V) for thermal stratification along the stratification axis (L), wherein the tank (2) can be filled by a filling device (4) with a filling inlet (5) in an inlet region along the stratification axis (L) and can be emptied via an outlet in an outlet region opposite the inlet region along the stratification axis (L). For flexible handling, and to prevent mixing, the supplied liquid is directed into a flow that runs completely or partially in a plane perpendicular to the stratification axis (L) and fed to the liquid stored in the tank (2), such that the flow is tangential to a circular arc that runs in a plane perpendicular to the stratification axis (L).