Water Heater Accelerator Sleeve with Limescale Flushing Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Domestic water heating systems face significant issues with limescale accumulation due to hard water, leading to reduced efficiency, increased maintenance, and potential damage to components, with existing solutions like chemical softening causing environmental concerns and other methods being unsafe or inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a flushing mechanism within the accelerator of the water heating system to circulate cold water and flush away limescale from the heating elements and tank, utilizing existing water flow to prevent buildup and reduce heat loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a sleeve-shaped cover encases the heating element to create a smaller-volume tank for faster heating, then heating efficiency is improved, but water flow is substantially reduced which increases limescale formation
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve is divided into multiple sections with intermediate openings that allow water to pass through. This segmentation maintains the water flow benefits while preserving the heating efficiency of the enclosed space, resolving the contradiction between fast heating and adequate water flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The accelerator sleeve is nested within the main water tank, creating a concentric arrangement. This nesting allows water to flow through the sleeve structure itself via intermediate openings, maintaining both the heated water storage function and continuous water circulation to prevent limescale.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If chemical softening is used to prevent limescale accumulation, then limescale formation is reduced, but the softened water contains high concentration of salt and lacks valuable minerals which creates environmental contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of water flow (which causes limescale deposition in still water) into a beneficial cleaning mechanism. The continuous circulation of water through the accelerator sleeve creates shear forces that prevent limescale accumulation without requiring chemical intervention, thus avoiding environmental contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own operating water flow to clean and prevent limescale accumulation on heating elements. The water circulation required for system operation serves dual purposes: heating and self-cleaning, eliminating the need for external chemical softening agents.
3Reliability
If limescale accumulates around the heating element, then heat transfer from the element to the water is reduced, but this leads to higher electricity consumption and increased component replacement frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerator sleeve performs preliminary heating of water before it enters the main tank, and the continuous water flow through the sleeve prevents limescale from forming on the heating element in the first place. This preliminary action maintains heat transfer efficiency and avoids the energy waste associated with scale buildup.
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
Effectively reduces limescale accumulation, maintains system efficiency, and minimizes energy consumption by using existing water flow to clean essential components, while avoiding environmental hazards associated with chemical softening.
Implementation Method 1
said mechanism causes a flow of cold-water from a cold-water inlet, to said bottom of the internal hollow of the sleeve, and from there to the main tank via hollows in the sleeve
Implementation Method 2
the water within the container are still most of the time, and flow is obtained only when a user opens a tap to consume hot water from the boiler. Obviously the second condition also applies each time the heater of a boiler is turned on where the water is heated to a relatively high temperature
Implementation Method 3
The accumulation of limescale around a heating element reduces the heat transfer from the element to the water, since the limescale somewhat insulates the heating element from the water
Implementation Method 4
a sinker having a cylinder which passes through the cold-water tube, through the top opening of the perforated tube, and through the top opening of the cup, said sinker having a bottom valve and a top stopper along said cylinder
Implementation Method 5
upon consumption of hot water, a pressure due to a cold-water flow in the cold-water tube elevates the sinker, thereby to raise said cup due to contact with said top stopper
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic water heating system, which comprises: (A) a main water tank; and (B) an accelerator having a sleeve, which in turn comprises a mechanism for flushing lime scale accumulated at the bottom of the internal hollow of the sleeve, said mechanism causes a flow of cold-water from a cold-water inlet, to said bottom of the internal hollow of the sleeve, and from there to the main tank via hollows in the sleeve.