Water container flushing system including sediment separator, sediment buster and associated methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water heater flushing systems are not environmentally friendly, waste water, and struggle to break up clogs, while also failing to allow for visual inspection and analysis of sediment and minerals.
Innovation Solution
A water heater flushing system with a housing containing filter elements for separating solid impurities by particle size, a viewing feature for inspection, and a sediment buster to break up clogs using a fluid supply, along with a water pump for recirculation, allowing for a waterless flushing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional open flushing approach is used, then water heater can be flushed to clear sediment, but large amount of water is wasted and environment is contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a closed-loop flushing system with a holding tank as an intermediary component. The system captures flushed water in the holding tank instead of discharging it directly to the environment, allowing for controlled disposal or reuse. This intermediary structure enables the flushing function while eliminating the environmental contamination and water waste problems of traditional open flushing methods.
2Reliability
If traditional open flushing approach is used, then water heater can be flushed, but sediment clogs prevent effective draining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a sediment Buster device that performs preliminary action by injecting high-pressure fluid into the water heater tank before the main flushing operation. This pre-treatment breaks up compacted sediment clogs that would otherwise prevent effective draining, ensuring that the subsequent flushing process can proceed smoothly and remove all sediment without operational difficulties.
3Reliability
If traditional flushing system is used, then flushing can be performed, but no visual inspection of sediment is possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a transparent or translucent viewing window in the holding tank structure. This window allows visual inspection of the sediment collected during flushing by utilizing the optical property of light transmission through the transparent material. The different colors and characteristics of sediment can be observed directly, providing valuable information about water heater condition without requiring the sediment to be removed or analyzed separately.
4Loss of energy
If sediment builds up in water heater tank, then heat transfer efficiency decreases, but breaking up clogs is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sediment Buster device that utilizes hydraulic principles by injecting high-pressure fluid into the water heater tank. This high-pressure fluid stream mechanically breaks up compacted sediment clogs that have formed at the bottom of the tank. The hydraulic force generated overcomes the strength and adhesion of hardened sediment deposits, converting them into smaller particles that can be easily flushed away, thereby restoring heat transfer efficiency without requiring manual intervention.
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 conserves water, prevents environmental contamination, enables visual inspection and analysis of sediment, and effectively breaks up clogs, improving the efficiency and safety of the flushing process.
Implementation Method 1
A series of filter elements positioned and spaced apart within the housing transverse to a water flow path defined between the inlet and the outlet, the series of filter elements being configured to separate solid impurities from the water according to different particle sizes
Implementation Method 2
a sediment buster configured to be coupled to a drain port of the water heater and configured to send a fluid into the drain port to break up sediment accumulated at the drain port inside the water heater
Data Source
AI summary
A water heater flushing system includes a housing having an inlet configured to be coupled to a drain port of the water heater and receive water therefrom, and an outlet configured to discharge water from the housing. A series of filter elements are positioned and spaced apart within the housing transverse to a water flow path defined between the inlet and the outlet, the series of filter elements are configured to separate solid impurities from the water according to different particle sizes (e.g. progressively different or finer particle sizes) in the water flow path between the inlet and the outlet. A viewing feature, such as a transparent lid, is carried by the housing and configured to provide visual access to an interior of the housing for inspection of separated solid impurities at each of the filter elements. A sediment buster may be coupled to the inlet of the housing and configured to send a fluid into the drain port of the water heater. The sediment buster may include a fluid supply device, and shut-off valve between the fluid supply device and the inlet of the housing.