JP2005226938A - Electric water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water heater reducing the volume of a heat insulating tank for storing hot water by heat insulation. <P>SOLUTION: When storing water, water is heated to a higher temperature than 100°C at a higher pressure than 1 atmospheric pressure and stored in the heat insulating tank 20. In supplying water, when water temperature in the tank is higher than 100°C, water in the tank and tap water are mixed and discharged, and when the water temperature in the tank is a predetermined temperature or lower, only the water in the tank is discharged without being mixed with tap water. With the water stored at the higher temperature than 100°C, the volume of the heat insulating tank can be reduced in comparison with the case of storing water at a temperature than 100°C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a water heater that supplies hot water (a hot water supply fluid).

As a water heater (hot water heater), for example, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, hot water (hot water) heated by an electric heater is stored hot in a heat retaining tank. And in a water heater (electric water heater) using this kind of electric heater, normally, hot water is generated at midnight (nighttime) when the electricity rate is low, and the generated hot water is kept at a temperature of 100 ° C. or less in an insulating tank. Hot water is stored, and the stored hot water is taken out and used as it is.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-73652

  However, such a heat retaining tank requires a capacity corresponding to the amount of hot water used in the daytime, so depending on the amount of water used, the heat retaining tank becomes large, and water heaters cannot be used in condominiums where installation space is narrow. There is a case. In particular, in a water heater of a type that cannot be reheated, in order to prevent running out of hot water, a heat retaining tank having a capacity obtained by multiplying the amount of hot water used in the daytime by a safety factor is required, and the problem of installation space becomes more remarkable.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a water heater in which the volume of a heat retaining tank for retaining warm water is reduced.

  In order to achieve the above object, a water heater according to the present invention is a water heater for supplying warm water, a heat retaining tank capable of storing water at a pressure higher than 1 atm and higher than 100 ° C., and the heat retaining temperature. And a mixing valve that mixes and discharges water in the tank and water from the water supply side.

  In such a case, water is stored at a temperature higher than 100 ° C., so that the volume of the heat retention tank can be reduced compared to a water heater storing water at 100 ° C. or less, and the installation space for the water heater can be reduced. Become.

  Although it is conceivable to separately supply water having a temperature higher than 100 ° C. to the heat retaining tank, in reality, heating means for heating the water in the heat retaining tank to a temperature higher than 100 ° C. It is preferable to further include a pressurizing means for pressurizing to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure.

  If the mixing valve always mixes the water in the heat retaining tank and the water from the water supply side, for example, when the water temperature in the heat retaining tank is low, only lower temperature water can be supplied, which may cause problems. is there. In order to avoid this, when the water temperature in the heat retaining tank is lower than a predetermined temperature, the mixing valve can discharge only the water in the heat retaining tank without mixing with the water of 100 ° C. or less. It is desirable to be.

  In order to be able to supply water at a desired temperature, the mixing valve is preferably capable of changing the mixing ratio of water from the water supply side and water from the heat retaining tank.

  In particular, in order to improve usability, it is preferable that the mixing valve automatically adjusts the mixing ratio according to the water temperature in the heat retaining tank. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the mixing valve automatically adjusts the mixing ratio according to the water temperature from the water supply side.

  As a specific embodiment for controlling the pressure and temperature in the heat retaining tank, a pressure regulating valve for releasing internal air to the outside or sucking in from outside according to the pressure or temperature of the air in the heat retaining tank is further provided. Can be mentioned.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a heat retaining tank capable of storing water having a pressure higher than 1 atm and a temperature higher than 100 ° C., water in the heat retaining tank, and water having a temperature of 100 ° C. or less from the water supply side. It is possible to reduce the volume of the water storage tank of the water heater and to secure the necessary amount of water even in condominiums where the installation space is narrow. .

  In the present embodiment, the water heater according to the present invention is applied to a water heater for general household use. This will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a water heater according to the present invention.

  In the block diagram of the water heater of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, 10 is a water heater according to the present invention, 20 is a heat retaining tank capable of storing water at a pressure higher than 1 atm and higher than 100 ° C., 30 Is a pressurizing means that pressurizes water supplied from the water supply side, that is, water supplied from a water supply or the like to a pressure higher than 1 atm and sends it to the heat retaining tank 20, and 40 heats water that is pressurized to a pressure higher than 1 atm Means 50, a mixing valve that mixes and feeds water taken from the heat-retaining tank and water from the water supply, etc. 60 designates the air in the heat-retaining tank in order to set the pressure and temperature in the heat-retaining tank to predetermined values. A valve that releases or sucks air inside the tank to the outside in accordance with the pressure or temperature, and 70 monitors the pressure or temperature in the heat retaining tank 20, and pressurizes means 30, heating means 40, mixing valve 50 and mixing Control the operation of valve 60 Is a control means.

  The boiling point of water increases as the pressure is increased. For example, it is 152 ° C. at 5 atmospheres and 180 ° C. at 10 atmospheres. When the pressure is further increased, the temperature of water is 374.1 ° C. at 218.5 atmospheres, and a supercritical state is obtained at higher temperatures.

  The present invention stores water having a temperature higher than the boiling point of water in the case of 1 atm using the boiling point increase due to the pressure of water. The pressure is 1 atmosphere or more, preferably 5 atmospheres or more, but if the pressure is too high, the rise in boiling point becomes dull and the strength of the container is required, so the upper limit may be about 10 atmospheres. In addition, since water is an incompressible liquid, even if it raises a pressure to about 10 atmospheres, a volume hardly changes.

  The operation at the time of water storage in the water heater 10 of FIG. 1 will be described.

  The tap water supplied from the water supply side is stored in the heat retaining tank 20 and pressurized by the pressurizing means 30 and the water in the tank 20 is heated by the heating means 40. At this time, the pressurizing means 30 may be attached to the tank to pressurize the inside of the tank 20 to a pressure higher than 1 atm. Alternatively, the pressurizing means 30 may be installed between the tank 20 and the water supply side to supply water from the water supply side. You may pressurize to pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. The heating means 40 may be installed in the tank 20 to heat the water in the tank to a temperature higher than 100 ° C., or may be installed between the tank 20 and the heating means 30 to supply water from the water supply side. May be heated to a temperature higher than 100 ° C.

  As the heating unit 40, various heaters such as an electric heater and a gas heater can be applied.

  As the pressurizing means 30, various pressurizing means such as an air cylinder and an air pump can be applied.

  Next, the operation at the time of water supply in the water heater of FIG. 1 will be described.

  When the water temperature in the tank 20 is higher than 100 ° C. during water supply, the water from the tank 20 and tap water supplied from the water supply side are mixed by the mixing valve 50 and sent out. At this time, the control unit 70 calculates the mixing ratio in the mixing valve 50 based on the water temperature and pressure in the tank 20 so that the water temperature after mixing becomes a desired temperature set in advance. 50 can be instructed. As a result, the mixing valve 50 automatically adjusts the mixing ratio between the water from the tank 20 and the supplied tap water based on the instruction of the control means 70 and sends it to the hot water supply side. As the water is used in the heat retaining tank 20, the pressure in the tank and the boiling point of the water decrease while maintaining an equilibrium state. Therefore, when the water is further used and the water temperature in the heat retaining tank 20 is lower than the desired temperature set in advance, the control means 70 thereafter sends out only the water in the heat retaining tank without mixing with the tap water. Instruct the mixing valve to Thereafter, water is sent out until the water in the tank 20 runs out.

  The pressure control valve 60 releases the internal air to the outside when the pressure in the tank 20 exceeds the set pressure. Thereby, the pressure in a tank can be made into setting pressure. Further, the valve 60 sucks air from the outside into the tank 20 as needed when the pressure in the tank 20 becomes less than atmospheric pressure during water supply.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, if the mixing valve automatically adjusts the mixing ratio according to the water temperature from the water supply side, the finally supplied water temperature can be set more accurately.

It is a whole lineblock diagram showing one embodiment of a water heater of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Water heater 20 Thermal insulation tank 30 Pressurizing means 40 Heating means 50 Mixing valve 60 Pressure control valve 70 Control means

Claims (8)

  A water heater for supplying hot water, which is higher than 1 atm and capable of storing water at a temperature higher than 100 ° C., and the water in the heat storage tank and water from the water supply side are mixed and discharged. A water heater characterized by comprising a mixing valve.   The water heater according to claim 1, further comprising heating means for heating water in the heat retaining tank to a temperature higher than 100 ° C.   The water heater according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of the heat retaining tank to a pressure higher than 1 atm.   The said mixing valve can discharge | release only the water in a heat retention tank, without mixing with the said water below 100 degreeC, when the water temperature in the said heat retention tank is lower than predetermined temperature. 3. The water heater according to 3.   The water heater according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the mixing valve is capable of changing a mixing ratio of water from a water supply side and water from the heat retaining tank.   The mixing valve according to claim 5, wherein the mixing valve automatically adjusts the mixing ratio in accordance with a water temperature in a heat retaining tank.   The mixing valve according to claim 6, wherein the mixing valve automatically adjusts the mixing ratio according to a water temperature from a water supply side. The hot water according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure adjusting valve that discharges the internal air to the outside or sucks the air from outside according to the pressure or temperature of the air in the heat retaining tank. vessel.