EP2619373A1 - Système d'économie d'eau destiné à être utilisé en association avec des robinets de mélange d'eau - Google Patents

Système d'économie d'eau destiné à être utilisé en association avec des robinets de mélange d'eau

Info

Publication number
EP2619373A1
EP2619373A1 EP10809177.8A EP10809177A EP2619373A1 EP 2619373 A1 EP2619373 A1 EP 2619373A1 EP 10809177 A EP10809177 A EP 10809177A EP 2619373 A1 EP2619373 A1 EP 2619373A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
water
mixing
cold water
cold
inlet
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP10809177.8A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Vítor António FERREIRA DA COSTA
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Universidade de Aveiro
Original Assignee
Universidade de Aveiro
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Universidade de Aveiro filed Critical Universidade de Aveiro
Priority claimed from PCT/IB2010/055698 external-priority patent/WO2012038788A1/fr
Publication of EP2619373A1 publication Critical patent/EP2619373A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
    • E03B—INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER
    • E03B1/00—Methods or layout of installations for water supply
    • E03B1/04—Methods or layout of installations for water supply for domestic or like local supply
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
    • E03B—INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER
    • E03B7/00—Water main or service pipe systems
    • E03B7/04—Domestic or like local pipe systems
    • E03B7/045—Domestic or like local pipe systems diverting initially cold water in warm water supply
    • Y—GENERAL 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
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
    • Y02A20/40—Protecting water resources
    • Y02A20/411—Water saving techniques at user level

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to a water mixing system composed by one or more usual mixing taps associated to an accumulation system, and to a specific hydraulic set associated with each mixing tap, such that the whole system allows potable water savings in domestic water installations or in other water installations including mixing taps.
  • Present invention is preferably used by the industry of civil construction, and more precisely on domestic water installations, or other water installations using water mixing systems .
  • Usual mixing taps for domestic use promote mixing of two water flows, one of hot water and the other of cold water, in order to allow the existence, at the outlet of the mixing tap, of a mixed water flow at a temperature that meets the needs of the user.
  • the temperature of the water leaving the tap is between the temperatures of the inlet flows of cold and hot water entering the mixing tap.
  • the usual mixing taps for domestic use promote, however, potable water losses. In fact, when the user wants hot or partially hot water at the outlet of the mixing tap, but no hot water exists at the mixing tap inlet, the cold or partially cold water at the outlet of the mixing tap under these circumstances does not meet the temperature needs of the user, and it is usually potable water that is directly discharged into the sewage system.
  • the reason for the non-existence of hot water at the mixing tap inlet is associated with the volume of the duct linking the hot water source (the water heater) to the mixing tap. A period of time exists between the hot or partially hot water demand at the mixing tap outlet, and the hot water existence at the inlet of the mixing tap.
  • Document US4750472 refers to a system based on a hot water closed circuit, a driven pump forcing the hot water circulation through the hot water distribution system, in order to guarantee the existence of hot water at the inlet (or nearly at the inlet) of the devices receiving hot water.
  • This is a system trying to partially solve the same problem as that to be solved with the present invention, but the two systems are very different, as the system proposed in document US4750472 uses a pump driven by an electric motor to force the water to return to an accumulation reservoir under pressure or to the inlet of the indoor hot water distribution system.
  • the present invention is a purely mechanical system, without use of any type of pump, and has thus the advantage of no needs of any additional electrical system and the associated electrical installation and electricity consumption.
  • Document US4922943 refers to a system to the return and accumulation of the water leaving the domestic or industrial mixing taps, using the short time periods during which the exit water is not being used (such as, for example, in domestic bath applications, soaping and rub, in order to do not have to adjust the flow and the exit temperature for a new use after the short period during which the exit water was not used.
  • Each hot water device using hot water incorporates an additional manually operated valve with two stable positions, through which is selected if the device should operate normally or if it should operate with the function of return and hot water saving. It is a system whose main objective is to save the water corresponding to the time periods of flow and temperature adjustment to the user needs, which is markedly different from the here proposed system.
  • the here proposed system does not require any additional device on the equipments using hot water, it does not require the user operation to select when the water must follow for the normal use or to the accumulation system (the operation mode of the here proposed system is automatic, in terms of the hot water inlet temperature in the mixing system) , and the required accumulation capacity is only that corresponding to the water volume contained in the tube linking the hot water source and the mixing valve.
  • System proposed by document US5165456 does accumulation of the cold water during the waiting time for hot water at the exit of the used device, from which the water is sent through a mixing tap.
  • system proposed by document US5165456 does not consider the integration of the mixing tap and the accumulation system as a whole, while this integration is a crucial part of the present invention. Due to that, with the system proposed by document US5165456 it is not possible to conduct the water entering the hot water inlet of the mixing tap to the accumulation system or to the exit of the mixing tap, depending on the temperature of the water entering the tap through the hot water inlet or on the level of charge of the accumulation system, and the water contained into the accumulation system is not used preferably to the cold water coming from the main cold water distribution system.
  • the selection system of the cold water entering the mixing tap be considerably different from the cold water selector of the system originally considered in document PCT/IB2009/005378, and in this case the cold water selector system is mainly a pressure regulation, or pressure relief valve, which only permits that cold water from the main cold water distribution system enters the mixing tap if the water pressure in the accumulation system or in the indoor cold water distribution system decreases below a pre-established value.
  • the system proposed by document PCT/IB2009/055545 has the advantage that the mixing tap only needs two external hydraulic connections (hot water inlet and cold water inlet), as it is the case for the usual mixing taps and the installations incorporating them, and the system can thus be easily incorporated in preexisting water installations or in new water installations.
  • PCT/IB2009/055545 has essentially the same functioning principles of the here proposed system.
  • the present system has the main differences and advantageous characteristics of requiring only one accumulation reservoir per home or installation, and only one pressure relief valve per home or installation, forming the lonely accumulation system needed for home or installation, and it incorporates usual mixing taps and not special mixing taps specifically conceived to incorporate the mixing system with the water saving function as it is the case of previous systems proposed by documents PCT/IB2009/005378 and
  • the main core of the proposed system is a specific hydraulic set (presented in Figure 1) to meet the water saving function, which evaluates the temperature of the water coming from the indoor hot water distribution system, and if it is not hot enough to meet the user's requirements it is water that is directed towards the accumulation reservoir and not to the hot water inlet of the mixing tap.
  • each mixing tap requires one associated specific hydraulic set associated to it, which must be as nearest as possible to the mixing tap in order to obtain the best water saving performance.
  • the water accumulated under pressure in the accumulation reservoir can be used to feed any component needing cold water from the indoor cold water distribution system and not only to feed the cold water inlet of the mixing tap which originated the water storage, as it is the case for the systems proposed by documents PCT/IB2009/005378 and PCT/IB2009/055545.
  • the accumulated water in the accumulation reservoir is preferably used than the cold water coming directly from the main cold water distribution system.
  • the present invention concerns a water mixing system composed by a usual mixing tap, a usual accumulation reservoir, a usual (absolute or differential) pressure relief valve, and a specific hydraulic set, in order to allow water savings in domestic water installations or other.
  • the proposed system accordingly to the present invention, has characteristics that give it the water saving function.
  • the proposed mixing system uses usual mixing taps, one common accumulation reservoir per home or per water installation, one common (absolute or differential) pressure relief valve per home or per water installation, and a specific hydraulic component to meet the water saving function associated with each mixing tap.
  • pressure relief valve can be an absolute pressure relief valve, imposing a given pressure after it, as presented in Figure 2, or a differential pressure relief valve, imposing a pressure drop to the water across it, that is, a pressure after it which is a specified value below the pressure of the main cold water distribution system, this alternative form being presented on the right-hand side of Figure 2 ) ; and
  • each specific hydraulic set including a dilatable bulb (2) assembled over a perforated disk (1), the bulb being attached to rod (3) that pushes the perforated sliding piston (4), which is linked through rod (6) to piston (7) which is pushed from the right to the left by the spring (5), and the check valve (8) .
  • Components referred in b) and c) form the accumulation system, and only one accumulation system is required per home or per water installation.
  • the cold or partially cold water entering the system through the hot water inlet (11) is conducted to the indoor cold water distribution system (12), or to the accumulation reservoir (14), where it remains stored under pressure. Only when hot water exists at the inlet (11) of the system, or when the accumulation reservoir (14) is fully charged with water, the water entering the system through the hot water inlet (11) is conducted to the discharge (20) of the mixing tap.
  • Water retained in the accumulation reservoir (14) is in permanent contact with the indoor cold water distribution system (12), and it can thus be used to feed any appliance requiring cold water from the indoor cold water distribution system, or even to feed the cold water inlet (12) of the mixing tap, as if it was fresh water coming from the cold water distribution system.
  • the accumulation reservoir (14) and the pressure relief valve are assembled to form the accumulation system, in a way such that the accumulation system gives preference to the use of the accumulated water in the accumulation reservoir (14) to feed the indoor cold water distribution system (12), that is, while water exists in the accumulation reservoir (14) it is conducted to the indoor cold water distribution system (12) or even to the cold water inlet (12) of the mixing tap preferably to the cold water coming from the main cold water distribution system ( 19 ) .
  • the system is operated by the user as a normal mixing tap through the operation over two handles setting the hot (9) and cold (10) water passages, that regulate the flow rates of hot (13) and cold (12) water inlets in the mixing tap, respectively, represented in Figure 3.
  • Figure 1 Schematic representation of the proposed specific hydraulic set of the invention, associated to each mixing tap, the numbers referring to:
  • FIG. 2 Schematic representation of the accumulation system, composed by the accumulation reservoir (14) and the pressure relief valve, working together with the usual mixing tap and the proposed specific hydraulic set in Figure 1, where the numbers refer to:
  • Figure 4 Schematic representation of the integrated system with the wanted potable water saving function, composed by the specific hydraulic set in Figure 1, the accumulation system in Figure 2, and the usual mixing tap in Figure 3.
  • Reference numbers in Figure 4 refer to the same elements as indicated before, in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and they are thus addressed through the same reference numbers (once the different elements of the system assembled as in Figure 4, points 12 in Figures 1, 2 and 3 are a common shunt point of the system, pertaining to the indoor cold water distribution system) .
  • Pr is the pressure of the main cold water distribution system (the accumulation reservoir is permanently linked to this system, as well as the cold water inlet of any system or device using cold water) ;
  • the accumulation system presented in Figure 2 can reside in the most adequate place at home or of the water installation, and thus accumulation reservoir (14) can be large enough in order to allow accumulation of considerable volumes of water with only small increases in pressure.
  • the accumulation system presented in Figure 2 needs not to be placed close to the specific hydraulic set presented in Figure 1, or close to the mixing tap schematically presented in Figure 3.
  • Outlet/inlet (12) of the accumulation system of Figure 2 is permanently linked to the indoor cold water distribution system, and the cold water inlet (12) of any mixing tap or device using cold water is linked to this indoor cold water distribution system.
  • the accumulation system presented in Figure 2 is essentially composed by one usual accumulation reservoir (14) and by one usual pressure relief valve, which can be an absolute pressure or a differential pressure relief valve, composed by elements (15), (16), (17) and (18), and this accumulation system needs to exist only once for a whole home or water installation. If it is an absolute pressure relief valve, as presented in Figure 2 and in the overall Figure 4, it imposes a given pressure Pc to the indoor cold water distribution system, no matter what is the pressure inside the main cold water distribution system.
  • the proposed system does not present additional difficulties in what concerns its installation which can be divided in two major steps.
  • the first step as illustrated in Figure 5: (a) A direct link of the inlet of water heater (21) to the main cold water distribution system (19), thus obtaining the indoor hot water distribution system (11) at the exit of the water heater; (b) The use of a pressure relief valve where cold water coming from the main cold water distribution system (19) enters, thus obtaining the indoor cold water distribution system (12) .
  • Pressure relief valve needs to be regulated in order to guarantee that pressure of water in the indoor cold distribution system, Pc, is below the pressure in the indoor hot water distribution system, Ph.
  • hot water inlet (11) of the mixing system is linked to the indoor hot water distribution system (11)
  • outlet (12) of the specific hydraulic set in Figure 1 and cold water inlet (12) of the mixing tap in Figure 3 are linked to the indoor cold water distribution system (12)
  • outlet (13) of the specific hydraulic set in Figure 1 is linked to the hot water inlet (13) of the mixing tap in Figure (3)
  • the cold water to feed the inlet (12) of the mixing tap, or of any other components that need cold water comes preferably from the accumulation reservoir (14) and not from the main cold water distribution system through inlet (19) . Only when the pressure in the accumulation reservoir (14) reaches a minimum value, thus meaning that it is almost empty of accumulated water, the cold water enters the mixing system coming directly from the main cold water distribution system through inlet (19) .
  • the temperature sensor element which evaluates the temperature of the water at the hot water inlet (11) of the mixing system, is the dilatable bulb (2) in Figure 1, whose volume increase is converted in a horizontal linear deformation (length increase) from left to right, taking Figure 1 as reference.
  • passage (9) is opened , and pressure pushing the set formed by pistons (4) and (7) and rod (6) in Figure 1 to the right considerably decreases, noting that piston (4) is a perforated piston, and spring (5) forces the set formed by pistons (4) and (7) and rod (6) to move to the left, piston (4) closing the passage of the water entering through inlet (11) to the outlet (13) .
  • accumulation reservoir (14) receives water, pressure inside it increases, as well as pressure in the indoor cold water distribution system, thus also increasing the pressure at which water flow (12) in Figure 1 leaves towards the accumulation reservoir (14) and the indoor cold water distribution system, and also increases the action of this pressure pushing the set formed by pistons (4) and (7) and rod (6) to the right.
  • the accumulation reservoir When the accumulation reservoir is completely charged with water the set formed by pistons (4) and (7) and rod (6) moves to the right, and piston (4) opens passage (13) no matter what the temperature of the water leaving through passage (13) is, which is conducted to the inlet (13) of the mixing tap in Figure 3.
  • Accumulation reservoir (14) has a given limit in its accumulation capacity, and no more water can be accumulated into it once reached this maximum capacity.
  • water entering through the hot water inlet (11) of the system is directed to the mixing tap exit (20) if the accumulation reservoir (14) is completely filled with water or if the water entering the system through the hot water inlet (11) is sufficiently hot, as sensed by bulb (2) .
  • the cold or partially cold water accumulated into the accumulation reservoir (14) can be used to feed any equipments or appliances linked to the indoor cold water distribution system, including the cold water inlet (12) of the mixing tap in Figure 3.
  • the cold water flow (12) entering the mixing tap in Figure 3 is always directed towards the exit (20) of the mixing tap, and the water saving function of the proposed system is related with the saving of the water entering the mixing system through the hot water inlet (11) only, when it is not hot but cold, or partially cold.
  • the functioning of the system is analyzed considering what happens with the water flow entering the system through the hot water inlet (11) only. If it exists, the cold water flow (12) entering the mixing tap in Figure 3 is mixed with the eventual hot water flow entering through inlet (13) of the mixing tap in Figure 3, and the so mixed water leaves through the mixing tap exit (20) to satisfy the user needs.
  • the accumulation system in Figure 2 is such that the indoor cold water distribution system uses preferably the water accumulated into the accumulation reservoir (14) instead of the cold water coming from the main cold water distribution system through inlet (19) .
  • an absolute pressure relief valve is used, if pressure in the accumulation reservoir (14) and in the indoor cold water distribution system is higher than the pressure for which the pressure relief valve formed by elements (15), (16), (17) and (18) is regulated, this pressure acts over the right-hand side of piston (17) and the set formed by elements (16), (17) and (18) is forced to move to the left, against action of spring (15), and piston (17) closes the eventual passage of the water entering the system from the main cold water distribution system inlet (19) .
  • a differential pressure relief valve is used, if pressure in the accumulation reservoir (14) and in the indoor cold water distribution system is higher than the value for which the pressure relief valve formed by elements (15), (16), (17) and
  • (16) , (17) and (18) is forced to move to the left, and piston
  • the indoor cold water distribution system receives water from the accumulation reservoir (14) or from the exits (12) of hydraulic sets like the one in Figure 1, and not cold water coming from the main cold water distribution system (19), thus giving to the proposed mixing system the possibility of use of the accumulated or non-rejected potable water.
  • the proposed system is operated in the same way as the usual mixing taps, the main difference being that when the water flow entering the mixing system through the hot water inlet (11) is being directed towards the accumulation reservoir (14) or to the indoor cold water distribution system there is none of such water being discharged through the main exit (20) of the mixing tap, thus avoiding water losses that otherwise were discharged directly into the sewage system.
  • the proposed system does not present additional difficulties in what concerns its installation, which can be divided in two major steps.
  • the first step as illustrated in Figure 5: (a) A direct link of the inlet of water heater (21) to the main cold water distribution system (19), thus obtaining the indoor hot water distribution system (11) at the exit of the water heater; (b) The use of a pressure relief valve (22), formed by components (15), (16), (17) and (18), where cold water coming from the main cold water distribution system (19) enters, thus obtaining the indoor cold water distribution system (12) .
  • Pressure relief valve (22) needs to be regulated in order to guarantee that pressure Pc of water in the indoor cold water distribution system is below the pressure Ph in the indoor hot water distribution system.
  • hot water inlet (11) of the mixing system is linked to the indoor hot water distribution system
  • outlet (12) of the specific hydraulic set in Figure 1 and the cold water inlet (12) of the mixing tap in Figure 3 are linked to the indoor cold water distribution system
  • outlet (13) of the specific hydraulic set in Figure 1 is linked to the hot water inlet (13) of the mixing tap in Figure (3) .

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Domestic Hot-Water Supply Systems And Details Of Heating Systems (AREA)
  • Domestic Plumbing Installations (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un système d'économie d'eau, dans lequel système de l'eau stagnante et froide dans le tuyau d'eau chaude, dans le cas d'une demande d'eau chaude, est dirigée par un ensemble hydraulique (2, 4, 12, 13) vers un réservoir (14) et est, à partir de celui-ci, délivrée au réseau de distribution d'eau froide (12). La pression dans le réseau d'eau chaude est égale à la pression dans l'alimentation publique, et la pression dans le réseau d'eau froide est réduite par une soupape de surpression (15, 16, 17, 18), de façon à éviter ainsi le besoin de moyens de pressurisation additionnels.
EP10809177.8A 2010-09-23 2010-12-09 Système d'économie d'eau destiné à être utilisé en association avec des robinets de mélange d'eau Withdrawn EP2619373A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PT20105304 2010-09-23
PCT/IB2010/055698 WO2012038788A1 (fr) 2010-09-23 2010-12-09 Système d'économie d'eau destiné à être utilisé en association avec des robinets de mélange d'eau

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2619373A1 true EP2619373A1 (fr) 2013-07-31

Family

ID=45746661

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP10809177.8A Withdrawn EP2619373A1 (fr) 2010-09-23 2010-12-09 Système d'économie d'eau destiné à être utilisé en association avec des robinets de mélange d'eau

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2619373A1 (fr)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2012038788A1 *

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