CA2217972C - Greywater heat recovery device using a combined thermosyphon/heat pipe principle - Google Patents

Greywater heat recovery device using a combined thermosyphon/heat pipe principle Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2217972C
CA2217972C CA002217972A CA2217972A CA2217972C CA 2217972 C CA2217972 C CA 2217972C CA 002217972 A CA002217972 A CA 002217972A CA 2217972 A CA2217972 A CA 2217972A CA 2217972 C CA2217972 C CA 2217972C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
chamber
refrigerant
heat
condenser
evaporator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA002217972A
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French (fr)
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CA2217972A1 (en
Inventor
Gary Proskiw
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Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA002217972A priority Critical patent/CA2217972C/en
Publication of CA2217972A1 publication Critical patent/CA2217972A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2217972C publication Critical patent/CA2217972C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24DDOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
    • F24D17/00Domestic hot-water supply systems
    • F24D17/0005Domestic hot-water supply systems using recuperation of waste heat
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28DHEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D15/00Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
    • F28D15/02Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
    • F28D15/04Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes with tubes having a capillary structure
    • F28D15/043Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes with tubes having a capillary structure forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24DDOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
    • F24D2220/00Components of central heating installations excluding heat sources
    • F24D2220/07Heat pipes
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24DDOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
    • F24D2220/00Components of central heating installations excluding heat sources
    • F24D2220/20Heat consumers
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28DHEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D21/00Heat-exchange apparatus not covered by any of the groups F28D1/00 - F28D20/00
    • F28D21/0001Recuperative heat exchangers
    • F28D21/0012Recuperative heat exchangers the heat being recuperated from waste water or from condensates
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02BCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B30/00Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
    • Y02B30/18Domestic hot-water supply systems using recuperated or waste heat
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02BCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B30/00Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
    • Y02B30/56Heat recovery units

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)

Abstract

A heat recovery device recovers heat from a waste water pipe or the like. The device includes an evaporator chamber surrounding a length of the pipe. The chamber contains a refrigerant in both liquid and vapour states. A
wick surrounding the pipe within the evaporator chamber extends into the liquid state refrigerant. A vapour outlet from the evaporator chamber above the liquid refrigerant leads to a condenser chamber around a container for liquid to be heated. The condenser chamber has an outlet connected to the evaporator chamber for delivering liquid refrigerant from the condenser chamber to the evaporator chamber. Heat in the pipe evaporates refrigerant from the wick. The evaporated refrigerant then travels into the condenser chamber where the cold surface of the water chamber extracts heat from the refrigerant and condenses it to be discharged back to the evaporator chamber. The water container in the condenser chamber is connected into the hot water system.

Description

GREYWATER HEAT RECOVERY DEVICE USING A
COMBINED THERMOSYPHON/HEAT PIPE PRINCIPLE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the recovery of energy which would otherwise be wasted. It has particular application to the recovery of heat from greywater when it is sent down the drain. "Greywater" is water which has been used and may contain contaminants such as soap, grease, etc..
BACKGROUND
Various types of greywater heat recovery systems have been developed over the years. Most have been relatively simple devices consisting of a combined storage tank/preheater into which the house's greywater is plumbed. Some form of piping coil (copper or plastic) is then inserted in or around the tank through which the incoming water is plumbed. Fresh water to the house is directed to this coil where it picks up heat from the greywater and is then directed to the hot water heater.
A
complication to these designs is that greywater plumbing has to be modified so that wastewater from toilets and cold sinks is not directed into the storage tank.
A relatively recent development has been a system developed by Carmine Vasile of Water Film Energy Inc. and being marketed by Vaughn Manufacturing Corp. of Salisbury MA as the "GFX" system This system is described in U.S. Patent number 4,619,311. It consists of a copper coil which is wrapped around a vertical section of the normal drain, waste, vent line (DWV) of a house.
Greywater flowing down the DWV line preheats incoming fresh water in the copper coil. The main advantage of this system is that a very high heat transfer coefficient is achieved because water (or greywater) falling vertically through a pipe tends to cling to the walls of the pipe (this is described as "falling-film" technology).
Segregated plumbing is not required. The main disadvantage of the system is that there is very little inherent thermal storage which means it only works effectively when the greywater and fresh water flows occur continuously and simultaneously, such as occurs with a shower but which does not occur with a bath or dishwasher.
Unfortunately, in most houses the majority of the hot water flows do not occur simultaneously with the resulting greywater flows. Another limitation of the Vaughn system is that whenever cold water goes down the DWV stack it will cool down (rather than heat up) the fresh water in the copper coil. Hence, the potential savings achievable by the Vaughn system are somewhat limited.
The present invention is concerned with solutions to these problems.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided a heat recovery device for recovering heat from an elongate object such as a pipe, said heat recovery device comprising:
an evaporator chamber surrounding a length of the object;
a refrigerant in liquid and vapour states in the evaporator chamber;
a wick surrounding the object within the evaporator chamber and extending into the liquid state refrigerant;
a vapour outlet from the evaporator chamber above the liquid refrigerant;
a condenser chamber receiving vapour from the vapour outlet and having an outlet connected to the evaporator chamber for delivering liquid refrigerant from the condenser chamber to the evaporator chamber; and a container for liquid to be heated within the condenser chamber.
Heat in the pipe, normally a waste water pipe in the application discussed above, evaporates the refrigerant from the wick. The evaporated refrigerant then travels into the condenser chamber where the cold surface of a water chamber extracts heat from the refrigerant and condenses it to be discharged back to the evaporator chamber. The water container in the condenser chamber is, in the greywater application, connected into a hot water line.
Because the heat is being transferred as the result of phase changes, large amounts of heat can be transferred with little or no change in temperature. The water supply in the condenser chamber provides significant thermal storage to take advantage of non-coincident greywater/freshwater flows.
The vapour flow between the evaporator and condenser sections of the apparatus operates the thermosyphon principle so that the apparatus operates as a thermal diode, transferring heat in one direction only.
Devices according to the invention are primarily intended for residential applications but could also be used in commercial and industrial environments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiments of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A heat recovery device 10 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. It includes an evaporator section 11 having an evaporator chamber 12 which surrounds the DWV stack 14. A condenser section 15 has a condenser chamber 16 extending over the sides and bottom of a preheat tank 18. A connecting pipe 20 leads from adjacent the top of the evaporator chamber to adjacent the top of the condenser chamber. A pipe 22 leads from the bottom of condenser chamber to the evaporator chamber near its bottom. The bottom of the condenser chamber is above the bottom of the evaporator chamber so that liquid will flow from the condenser to the evaporator. A water supply line 24 delivers fresh water to the preheat tank 18, while water is discharged from the preheat tank through a discharge line 26.
Inside the evaporator chamber 12 is a wick 28 which is wrapped around the DWV stack 14. A small amount of refrigerant 30 is located in the bottom of the evaporator 12 such that it is free to climb up through the wick by capillary action. A very low pressure (below atmospheric) is maintained in the evaporator 12 and condenser 16 to facilitate evaporation of the refrigerant.
The principle of operation is as follows. When greywater flows down the DWV stack 14 heat is transferred from the greywater, through the walls of the stack 14 to the refrigerant in the wick 28. Because of the very low pressure in the evaporator 12, this slight increase in temperature causes evaporation of the liquid refrigerant in the wick. The refrigerant gas flows through pipe 20 to the condenser 16 where the cold surface of the preheat tank 18 causes the refrigerant 30 to condense back into a liquid state which then drains back to the condenser through return pipe 22. Heat is thus very efficiently transferred from the greywater to water in the preheat tank. The key to this process is that heat is being transferred as the result of phase changes (evaporatiow in the evaporator and condensation in the condenser), a process in which huge amounts of heat can be transferred with little or no change in temperature. The device takes advantage of the high heat transfer coefficients recognized in Vaughn's falling-film technology but overcomes the limitations of the Vaughn system by incorporating thermal storage using a combined "heat pipe/thermosyphon" process.
An alternate arrangement is shown in Figure 2 in which the condensate is delivered to a cup 32 around the upper portion of the wick 28 so that it can flow up the wick by capillary action and down the wick due to gravity action. The purpose of this arrangement is to improve refrigerant wetting of the entire wick.
The preheat tank is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as a tank-within-a-tank. An alternate arrangement could also be used in which the outer tank was replaced with a coil, thermally attached to the preheat tank, through which the refrigerant could flow. While Figure 1 shows the evaporator and condenser as separate units, they could be combined into a single device to facilitate easy installation.
The advantages of the device are that it not only has high heat recovery and does not require separate greywater plumbing, but also provides significant thermal storage to accommodate non-coincident greywater/fresh water flows, providing an overall energy recovery greater than that of the prior art. In addition, the thermosyphon principle allows the device to operate as a thermal diode, transferring heat in only one direction. Because of the thermal diode effect, segregated plumbing is not needed. This combined thermosyphon/heat pipe process may also be applied to other heat transfer processes.
While two particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. A heat recovery device for recovering heat from an elongate object such as a pipe, said heat recovery device comprising:
an evaporator chamber extending along a length of the object;
a refrigerant in liquid and vapour states in the evaporator chamber;
a wick engaging the object within the evaporator chamber and extending into the liquid state refrigerant;
a vapour outlet from the evaporator chamber above the liquid refrigerant;
a condenser chamber receiving vapour from the vapour outlet and delivering liquid refrigerant from the condenser chamber to the evaporator chamber; and a container for liquid to be heated in heat exchange relationship with the condenser chamber.
2. A heat recovery device according to Claim 1 wherein the evaporator chamber surrounds a portion of the object.
3. A heat recovery device according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the container for liquid to be heated is within the condenser chamber.
4. A heat recovery device according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 including a vapour pipe leading from the evaporator chamber to the condenser chamber.
5. A heat recovery device according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 including a condensate pipe leading from the condenser chamber to the evaporator chamber.
6. A heat recovery device according to any preceding claim wherein the object is a waste water pipe.
CA002217972A 1997-10-09 1997-10-09 Greywater heat recovery device using a combined thermosyphon/heat pipe principle Expired - Fee Related CA2217972C (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002217972A CA2217972C (en) 1997-10-09 1997-10-09 Greywater heat recovery device using a combined thermosyphon/heat pipe principle

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002217972A CA2217972C (en) 1997-10-09 1997-10-09 Greywater heat recovery device using a combined thermosyphon/heat pipe principle

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2217972A1 CA2217972A1 (en) 1999-04-09
CA2217972C true CA2217972C (en) 2004-03-09

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CA002217972A Expired - Fee Related CA2217972C (en) 1997-10-09 1997-10-09 Greywater heat recovery device using a combined thermosyphon/heat pipe principle

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Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITUB20150833A1 (en) * 2015-05-21 2016-11-21 Alenia Aermacchi Spa Heat recovery system, particularly for use on aircraft, using a two-phase fluid circuit.
CN112128966B (en) * 2020-09-08 2021-04-06 山东楚雨源环保科技有限公司 Multifunctional water boiler based on energy conservation and environmental protection

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CA2217972A1 (en) 1999-04-09

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Effective date: 20141009