Storage Water Heater Recirculation With Auxiliary Preheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage water heaters face issues with electrical resistance deterioration due to lime scale formation, leading to increased maintenance and management costs, and they often have large dimensions due to the size of heating elements like heat pumps, which do not meet market demands for compact and low-maintenance solutions.
Innovation Solution
A storage water heater design incorporating a main heater and auxiliary heaters, where the auxiliary heaters act as pre-heaters or post-heaters, are externally installed to reduce maintenance needs and overall dimensions, with a management method that optimizes energy use and heating efficiency by controlling the main and auxiliary heating devices based on temperature and flow sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical resistance heating elements are used to heat water, then heating function is achieved, but the electrical resistance deteriorates due to limescale formation requiring maintenance and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from direct water contact by using a heating element that heats the tank wall or air, which in turn heats the water indirectly. This eliminates the electrical resistance's direct contact with water and limescale, preventing deterioration and maintenance needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary medium (either the tank wall or air) between the electrical resistance and water. The heating element heats this intermediary, which then transfers heat to the water, preventing direct contact and limescale formation on the electrical resistance.
2Use of energy by moving object
If heat pumps are used as heating elements, then energy efficiency is improved, but overall dimensions and size of water heater increase due to heat exchangers and compressors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a partial heat pump system or hybrid approach where a smaller heat pump unit is combined with supplementary heating elements. This allows the system to achieve adequate heating performance with reduced heat exchanger surface area, thereby reducing overall dimensions while maintaining energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the heating elements within the tank structure itself, nesting the heating components inside the existing tank volume rather than adding external components. This reduces the overall footprint and dimensions of the water heater while maintaining all necessary heating functions.
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 solution reduces maintenance costs and overall dimensions of storage water heaters by using auxiliary heaters to supplement the main heating device, ensuring efficient energy use and meeting market demands for compact, low-maintenance solutions.
Implementation Method 1
said additional heater comprises one or more electric resistances which, by conduction, heat the water wherein they are immersed
Implementation Method 2
said additional heater comprises one or more electric resistances which, by conduction, heat the water wherein they are immersed
Implementation Method 3
a circulator capable of circulating the water stored in the tank
Data Source
AI summary
A storage water heater includes at least one heating device, at least one storage tank wherein water is stored and heated, at least one control and management unit capable of checking at least the heating device, at least one inlet duct through which water may be introduced into the tank, at least one outlet duct through which water may be sent/withdrawn from the tank, wherein there are at least two heating devices, of which at least one main heating device and at least one auxiliary heating device are provided, and wherein the water heater includes a circulator dedicated, via at least one hydraulic connection duct, to the recirculation of the storage water stored in the tank, the circulator being capable of recirculating the water of the storage between the lower part and the top part of the tank, by passing through the auxiliary heating device.