Heating assembly with recirculation loop for storage of heated liquid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Point-Of-Use (POU) water heaters suffer from inconsistent water temperatures due to reliance on buoyancy forces for mixing, leading to unpredictable temperature profiles, mixing with cold water during use, and potential overheating and scaling issues with resistive heating elements.
Innovation Solution
A heater assembly with a recirculating fluidic circuit featuring serpentine paths and a recirculation pump to maintain consistent water temperature, using electrodes to heat water in a controlled manner, minimizing stagnation and turbulence to ensure uniform heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If buoyancy forces are used for mixing hot water, then the heater can operate in vertical orientation, but the water temperature becomes inconsistent and unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the natural buoyancy-based convection system with an artificial recirculation pump system. The pump actively circulates water through defined serpentine fluidic paths, substituting the random mechanical convection currents with a controlled pumping mechanism. This resolves the contradiction by providing consistent temperature through active mechanical circulation while maintaining vertical orientation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the flow regime parameters by introducing a recirculation pump that maintains specific flow rates through the heating element. By controlling the Reynolds number and flow velocity parameters, the system transitions from random natural convection to controlled forced circulation, ensuring consistent temperature profiles while allowing vertical installation.
2Productivity
If cold water is entrained during pouring, then the vessel can be refilled quickly, but the pour temperature becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluidic circuit into distinct heated zones and unheated zones using baffles. The serpentine path ensures that only water in the heated zones is warmed, while cold water entrainment occurs in separate unheated sections. This segmentation allows quick refilling without compromising pour temperature consistency, as the heated and cold water streams remain spatially separated until the pouring stage.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the heating element operates in static water, then energy efficiency is improved, but overheating and scaling occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous water circulation through the recirculation pump, ensuring that water continuously flows over the heating element surface. This continuous action prevents stagnation and maintains efficient heat transfer, resolving the contradiction by sustaining energy efficiency while eliminating overheating and scaling through uninterrupted fluid motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic principles by introducing a recirculation pump system that actively moves water through the heating element. The controlled hydraulic flow ensures continuous contact between water and the heating surface, maintaining thermal efficiency while preventing the harmful effects of static water conditions such as overheating and scale deposition.
4Volume of stationary object
If a small vessel size is used for POU installation, then space constraints are met, but the heating up period becomes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic water circulation through a recirculation pump in a compact vessel. The active pumping system continuously moves water through the heating element, dynamically exchanging water volumes much faster than passive convection. This dynamic approach allows small vessel sizes to meet space constraints while dramatically reducing heating up periods through forced circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous recirculation of water through the compact vessel and heating element. This continuous action ensures that water is constantly being heated and redistributed, eliminating the long heating up periods associated with static small-vessel systems. The continuous flow maintains thermal efficiency despite the limited water volume.
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 provides a consistent and uniform water temperature during use, reducing mixing with cold water and minimizing scaling, thereby extending the life of the heating element and ensuring reliable hot water delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a recirculating pump to continuously pump the liquid through the fluidic circuit during a heating stage of the heater assembly
Implementation Method 2
an array of electrodes defining a second fluidic path of the fluidic circuit
Implementation Method 3
A further aspect of the disclosure provides for sufficient fluidic flow to result in a determinate, coherent flow to accommodate the heating within the electrode array
Data Source
AI summary
A heater assembly includes a housing that defines a reservoir, and an electric heater for heating a conductive fluid within the reservoir. The electric heater includes selectable electrodes, arrayed in such a way as to form channels that define a first fluidic path of a fluidic circuit within the reservoir of the heater assembly. The housing supports baffles that form a plurality of channels that define a second fluidic path within the reservoir that communicates with the first fluidic path to form the fluidic circuit. A recirculation pump is provided to pump the fluid through the fluidic circuit in a continuous loop to uniformly heat the fluid within the reservoir.