Water heating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional integrated heat pump water cylinders are slow to attain a useful temperature and suffer from scale buildup, requiring time-consuming and environmentally harmful descaling processes, while existing systems with plate heat exchangers pose safety risks due to refrigerants and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An integrated heat pump water tank design with a heat exchanger externally mounted to the tank, a conduit for external flow path, and a non-return valve to prevent backflow, along with a modular design allowing descaling without disassembly, using a separate flow path for descaling fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a plate heat exchanger is used to transfer heat from the heat pump to potable water, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the system becomes difficult to service and descale
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple removable plates that can be separated from each other. This segmentation allows easy access to the flow channels between plates for cleaning and descaling operations, while maintaining high heat transfer efficiency when assembled. The modular plate structure enables maintenance without complete disassembly of the heat exchanger unit.
2Power
If refrigerant is used as heat transfer fluid in the heat pump, then heating performance is improved, but environmental harm and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables switching between different heat transfer fluids by providing both a refrigerant circuit and a water circuit with appropriate valves and flow control. This parameter change allows selection of environmentally friendly alternatives like water or CO2 while maintaining heating performance through optimized heat exchanger design and flow rate control.
3Volume of moving object
If an integrated heat pump water cylinder design is used, then compactness is improved, but heat losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is extracted from the interior of the water storage tank and positioned externally. This extraction separates the heating function from the storage function, allowing the tank to be fully insulated while the heat exchanger operates in a separate, optimally positioned location. The external placement enables better thermal isolation of the storage volume, reducing heat losses while maintaining compact integrated design.
4Speed
If cold water is pumped through the heat exchanger and returned to the top of the tank, then rapid hot water injection is achieved, but system efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic flow path selection with the ability to return heated water to different locations in the tank (top or bottom) based on operational requirements. This dynamic configuration allows optimization between rapid hot water delivery (returning to top) and efficient gradual heating (returning to bottom), with the control system selecting the appropriate mode based on demand patterns and tank temperature distribution.
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
Enables efficient and safe heating with reduced heat losses, simplified descaling, and compact installation, while minimizing environmental impact and safety risks.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger (preferably arranged externally to the tank) for transferring heat from the heat pump to water from the tank
Implementation Method 2
a pump arranged to pump water through the conduit
Data Source
AI summary
A modular heat pump water tank is provided. The modular heat pump water tank comprises a tank unit including a tank for containing heated water; a heat pump unit including a heat pump for providing heat to the tank; and a heat exchanger arranged externally to the tank for transferring heat from the heat pump to water from the tank. The tank unit and the heat pump unit are adapted for mounting to one another to form an integrated heat pump water tank.