EP2770270B1 - Apparatus for heating and hot-water production - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an apparatus for heating and producing an energy storage fluid, such as hot water, comprising a reservoir in which said fluid is contained, a heat source for heating the fluid, and an insulating enclosure in which the tank is placed.

Throughout the present application, the fluid example selected is water.

In common parlance, such apparatus is generally referred to as "hot water tank".

Such a tank, whose capacity may be from a few tens to a few hundred liters, provides hot water.

Generally, this tank is surrounded by a thermally insulating enclosure, in order to minimize heat loss.

The tank can also be used to heat a space such as a living room and uses for this purpose a hydraulic heat exchanger. The heat exchanger transfers heat from the reservoir to heat "transmitters", ie radiators, via a network of tubes, a pump, etc.

This system is complex and a high cost. In addition, its performance is low due to heat loss to the radiator.

And this is all the more absurd when you have to heat a small area such as a bedroom, an office or a studio.

Moreover, we know in particular by the documents US 6,237,544 , US7,337,753 , US 5,146,911 and US 6,318,304 hot water balloon structures whose water is heated by a gas burner disposed under the balloon and inside the thermally insulated chamber. There is a space between the outer wall of the balloon and the inner wall of the enclosure, so that any smoke flows. Such devices are dangerous, especially because of the presence of a gas burner in the insulating enclosure.

Moreover, we know FR-A-2,661,241 an apparatus according to the preamble of appended claim 1.

From this state of the art, the present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages listed above.

In other words, it aims to provide an apparatus for heating and producing an energy storage fluid that is simple in structure, economical and that allows the use of the hot fluid reservoir as a heating source.

Thus, the present invention relates to an apparatus for heating and producing an energy storage fluid such as hot water, which comprises a reservoir in which said fluid is contained, a heat source for heating the fluid, and an insulating enclosure in which the reservoir is placed, said reservoir comprising at least one zone which is not in direct contact with the wall of the enclosure, this zone communicating with the outside of this insulating enclosure and being in view of a window opening that includes the wall of said enclosure, opening provided with at least one shutter for closing on demand, characterized in that said flap is constituted by a vertical portion of the enclosure which is movable in translation relative to a second fixed part of the enclosure, these two parts being coaxial, but of different diameter, and that the portion of the reservoir which is opposite the moving part of said component is surrounded by a helical winding of heat exchange connected to a thermal source.

• ladite source thermique est notamment choisie dans la liste suivante : panneau solaire, chaudière ou pompe à chaleur déportée à l'extérieur du réservoir, résistance électrique, brûleur, notamment brûleur à gaz, condenseur d'une pompe à chaleur, chaudière ou pompe à chaleur intégrée dans le réservoir, poêle (à bois ou biomasse), échangeur connecté à une source d'énergie telle que chaudière, pompe à chaleur, panneau solaire ou poêle, ou une combinaison quelconque de certains de ceux-ci ;
• ladite ouverture est pourvue d'une série de lamelles parallèles destinées à orienter le flux d'air réchauffé et à augmenter la surface d'échange avec l'air, ces lamelles étant de préférence fixées sur le réservoir de fluide ;
• ladite source thermique est un échangeur, et ce dernier est connecté en série avec un second échangeur qui échange avec l'air ;
• la surface du réservoir est ondulée.

According to other nonlimiting and advantageous features of the invention:

• said heat source is in particular chosen from the following list: solar panel, boiler or remote heat pump outside the tank, electrical resistance, burner, in particular gas burner, condenser of a heat pump, boiler or heat pump integrated in the tank, stove (wood or biomass), heat exchanger connected to a source of energy such as boiler, heat pump, solar panel or stove, or any combination of some of these;
• said opening is provided with a series of parallel lamellae for directing the flow of heated air and for increasing the exchange surface with air, these lamellae preferably being fixed to the fluid reservoir;
• said heat source is an exchanger, and the latter is connected in series with a second exchanger which exchanges with the air;
• the tank surface is corrugated.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues analogues, en coupe longitudinale, d'un mode de réalisation non couvert par les revendications montrant deux positions différentes d'un volet coulissant ;
• la figure 3 est similaire aux deux figures précédentes, mais montrent un mode de réalisation selon l'invention ;
• enfin, les figures 4 et suivantes montrent des variantes de réalisation du dispositif de la figure 3.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows. It will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• the Figures 1 and 2 are similar views, in longitudinal section, of an embodiment not covered by the claims showing two different positions of a sliding flap;
• the figure 3 is similar to the two previous figures, but show an embodiment according to the invention;
• finally, figures 4 and following show alternative embodiments of the device of the figure 3 .

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 , we are dealing with a first embodiment as already said, not covered by the appended claims.

This apparatus 1 comprises a tank 2 of hot water of known type, for example metal and a capacity of a hundred liters.

Its upper and lower faces are flat or substantially planar, while its lateral surface is cylindrical. Of course, any other form of tank (or "balloon") may be considered.

This reservoir contains a heating means (not shown) of water which consists of an electrical resistance. Of course, any other heating means integrated in the tank or located outside thereof can be considered. This is for example one and / or the other of the following means: gas burner or condenser of a heat pump or an exchanger connected to a power source (boiler, heat pump, solar panel , stove, etc.)

Still in a known manner, the reservoir is disposed inside and surrounded by an enclosure 3 of material which is a thermal insulator, this, in order to lose the minimum of calories stored by the water.

By way of example, the material that constitutes the insulating enclosure 3 is polyurethane foam. It is of course possible to use other materials such as polypropylene, extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, phenolic foam, or any type of material that has low thermal conductivity (λ less than 0.1 W / (mK).

Its top is referenced 30, while its base is referenced 31.

The side wall of the enclosure consists of two parts, in this case a first portion 32 'which is movable in translation relative to a second fixed portion 32 of the enclosure. Of course, these two parts 32 and 32 'are coaxial, but of different diameter. Here, the portion 32 'has the smallest diameter.

This is clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 , the two parts 32 and 32 'being represented at figure 1 in their closed position, while they are shown in the open position at the figure 2 . In this configuration, the outside air can lick the surface of the tank 2.

Of course, unrepresented guiding and moving means equip this apparatus.

To the figure 3 , the movable portion 32 'is the one with the largest diameter and is moved upwards to discover the surface of the tank. The space above the fixed part 32 is used to set up a helical external heat exchanger 7. Under these conditions, the "radiator" which heats the outside air is constituted by the wall of the tank 2 and the exchanger 7.

Of course, the exchanger may have another shape (for example consisting of parallel tubes). At the base, this exchanger is intended to heat the water of the balloon from a source of energy outside the storage tank

The apparatus of the figure 4 is the same type. However, the exchanger 7 is connected via pipes 70 and 71 and a pump 72 to a solar panel P.

This is of course a simple example. Instead of the solar panel, a gas burner, a heat pump condenser or an exchanger connected to an energy source (boiler, heat pump, solar panel, stove, etc.) can be envisaged.

To the figure 5 the exchanger 7 is connected to a heat pump 8 of known type, which will not be detailed here. This heat pump rests on the upper part 30 of the enclosure, so that the footprint of the device is the same as in the embodiments described above.

One can also imagine that the heat pump is remote from the tank, with a suitable connection.

This exchanger contains refrigerant or a heat transfer fluid that recovers heat pump calories and injects them into the tank water.

The embodiment of the figure 6 is identical to the previous one, except that a condenser 9 has been mounted in series with the heat pump 8, mounted at the opening disengaged by the sliding part 32.

When the water contained in the reservoir is sufficiently hot, the exchanger 7 stops heating the water and then operates a reheating of the surrounding air, through the condenser 9 or a gas cooler.

The figure 7 represents a variant of the apparatus of the figure 6 , in which is interposed between the wall of the tank 2 and the condenser 9, a fan 6 whose essential function is to cause a stirring of the air to be heated.

The figure 8 represents an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the figure 4 , in which a fan 6 is placed in the opening 320, as well as an additional heat exchanger 9 '. In addition, the exchanger 7 is connected to the solar panel P via this adding heat exchanger 9 'and the pump 72.

The variant of the figure 9 differs from that of figure 8 in that the solar panel P is replaced by a gas or oil burner B.

It is of course possible to modify the source, with a boiler or solar panel for example.

The system can also be coupled to a solar panel or gas boiler. In this case, the exchanger is not refrigerating but hydraulic.

The circuit or connection between the heat pump and the tank heat exchanger can be hydraulic or refrigerating.

The circuit for other sources of energy (solar panel, boiler, etc.) only is hydraulic.

Claims (5)

1. An apparatus (1) for heating and producing an energy storage fluid such as water, which includes a tank (2) in which said fluid is contained, a heat source (4) for heating the water, as well as an insulating chamber (3) in which the tank (2) is placed, said tank comprising at least one area which is not in direct contact with the wall of the chamber (3), this area communicating with the outside of this insulating chamber (3) and facing an aperture (320) forming a window which the wall of said chamber includes, and aperture (320) provided with at least one flap allowing it to be obturated on demand, characterized by the fact that said flap consists of a vertical portion of the chamber (32') which is translationally movable relatively to a second fixed portion of the chamber (32), both of these portions being coaxial, but with a different diameter, and that the portion of the tank which faces the movable portion (32') of said flap is surrounded by a heat exchange helicoidal coil (7) connected to a heat source (8).
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said heat source (8) is notably selected from the following list: solar panel, boiler or heat pump offset outside the tank, electric resistor, gas burner, heat pump condenser, boiler or heat pump integrated into the tank, wood or biomass stove, exchanger connected to an energy source (boiler, heat pump, solar panel, stove, etc.) or a combination thereof.
3. The apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said aperture (320) is provided with a series of parallel strips intended to orient the heated-up airflow and to increase the exchange surface area with the air, these strips being preferably attached on the fluid tank (2).
4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said heat source (8) is an exchanger, characterized by the fact that the latter is connected in series with a second exchanger which exchanges with the air.
5. The apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of the tank (2) is corrugated.

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