JP2006130422A - Condensate neutralizing machine and water heater equipped with this - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a condensate neutralizing machine which can easily and quickly perform the filling operation of a neutralizer into a container, and can efficiently and properly perform the neutralizing treatment of a condensate. <P>SOLUTION: In the condensate neutralizing machine A, the accommodation space part 20 of a container 2 for accommodating the neutralizer 1 is partitioned into first and second areas AR1, AR2 with an upper partition wall 26a. A plurality of charging ports 33 for the neutralizer are installed in the upper wall part 21 of the container 2 so as to be located right above the top parts of the first and second areas AR1, AR2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a condensate neutralizer for neutralizing a condensate generated when the temperature of a combustion gas is equal to or lower than a dew point, and a hot water supply apparatus including the condensate neutralizer.

  Some hot water supply apparatuses include a so-called latent heat recovery type heat exchanger. In this type of water heater, not only the sensible heat of the combustion gas generated by the combustor is recovered by the heat exchanger, but also the latent heat of the combustion gas (more precisely, the latent heat of water vapor in the combustion gas) Collected. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency can be increased. When the above-described latent heat recovery is performed, water vapor in the combustion gas is condensed and a large amount of condensed water is generated. Generally, this condensed water absorbs sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, etc. in the combustion gas. It becomes strong acidity of about PH3. If the condensed water is drained into a general pipe with strong acidity, the pipe is not only corroded, but also causes environmental degradation such as water pollution.

  Therefore, conventionally, a means has been used in which a neutralizer containing a neutralizing agent is assembled to a hot water supply device, and condensed water generated in the hot water supply device is neutralized using the neutralizer. According to such means, it is possible to prevent the condensed water from being discarded while remaining strongly acidic.

  As a specific example of such a neutralizer, a synthetic resin container containing a neutralizing agent is provided with an upper partition wall extending downward from the upper part of the container, whereby the inside of the container is There is a structure that is divided into two regions. A communication path that connects the lower portions of the two regions is formed below the upper partition wall (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to such a configuration, when condensed water is introduced into the upper part of one of the two regions, the condensed water travels downward in the region and then flows into the other region through the communication path. , It is discharged outside after circulating through this area. Thus, if condensed water distribute | circulates through two area | regions in a container, the flow path length of the condensed water in a container will become long, and condensed water will contact many neutralizing agents. Therefore, the neutralization process is performed efficiently.

  However, conventionally, the following problems have occurred.

  That is, in the past, the idea that the manufacturing cost of the neutralizer can be reduced as the structure of the neutralizer container is simplified, and the neutralizer is introduced into the container. The actual situation is that only one slot is provided. However, the inside of the container of the neutralizer described above is divided into two regions by the upper partition wall. For this reason, conventionally, when the neutralizing agent is filled in the container, it is difficult to spread the neutralizing agent to every corner of the two regions in the container simply by adding the neutralizing agent from the inlet. For example, every time the neutralizing agent is accommodated to some extent in one of the two regions, it is necessary to perform an operation of moving the neutralizing agent to the other region by tilting or shaking the container in a sideways manner. was there. As a result, the filling operation of the neutralizing agent becomes very troublesome and takes a long time, and the operation cost is very expensive. As the neutralizing agent, for example, granular calcium carbonate is used. However, if the container is tilted or shaken as described above, the neutralizing agent may be damaged and crushed into powder. If the neutralizer is damaged in this way, the neutralizer may clog the condensate, for example, clogging the discharge port or other parts, or it may flow out of the discharge port together with the condensate. This is not preferable.

JP 2003-320380 A

  The present invention has been conceived under the circumstances described above, and it is possible to easily and quickly fill a container with a neutralizing agent, and to efficiently and appropriately perform a neutralization treatment of condensed water. An object of the present invention is to provide a condensate neutralizer that can be used, and a hot water supply device including the same.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.

  The condensed water neutralizer provided by the first aspect of the present invention includes a neutralizing agent for neutralizing condensed water generated due to a decrease in the temperature of the combustion gas, and an accommodating space for accommodating the neutralizing agent. A container formed on the upper wall portion, the bottom wall portion, and the side wall portion that define the accommodation space portion, the charging port for the neutralizing agent, and the container. An upper part that extends downward from the upper part and divides the housing space into first and second regions in the width direction of the container and forms a communication path that communicates the first and second regions below or below the container. Condensation having a partition wall, an inlet for introducing condensed water into the first region, and an outlet for discharging condensed water that has passed through the second region to the outside A water neutralizer, wherein the neutralization agent inlet is the first neutralizer. And it is characterized in that comprises a plurality of input ports provided on said wall portion so as to be positioned just above the top of the second region.

  According to such a configuration, when the neutralizing agent is filled in the storage space in the container, the neutralizing agent may be introduced from a plurality of inlets. Since it is provided corresponding to each of the first and second regions of the accommodation space portion, the neutralizing agent can be directly introduced into both of the first and second regions. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to move the neutralizer in the container by tilting or shaking the container every time the neutralizer is introduced into the container. Can be carried out easily and quickly. In particular, since the plurality of inlets are provided on the upper wall portion of the container so as to be located immediately above the uppermost portions of the first and second regions, the plurality of neutralizers may be supplied. This can be done by a simple operation of dropping the neutralizing agent from above into the charging port. In the present invention, since a plurality of inlets for the neutralizing agent are provided, the manufacturing cost of the container itself may be slightly higher than that of a conventional container having only one inlet. However, if the neutralization agent filling operation is facilitated and speeded up, it is possible to obtain a large cost reduction effect that can sufficiently absorb the increased manufacturing cost of such a container itself. is there. Conventionally, the neutralizing agent must be manually filled, but according to the present invention, automatic operation using a machine (filling device) is also possible. For this reason, according to the present invention, the total manufacturing cost of the condensate neutralizer can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional case.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, as described above, since there is no need to tilt or shake the container during the filling operation of the neutralizing agent, the neutralizing agent may be damaged and crushed into powder. Less. Therefore, for example, the neutralizing agent crushed into a powdery state is appropriately prevented from being clogged at the discharge port or flowing out together with the condensed water. Of course, according to the present invention, the condensed water flowing into the container sequentially flows through the first and second regions in the container. It takes a long time and can efficiently perform the neutralization treatment of the condensed water.

  In preferable embodiment of this invention, the width | variety is made smaller than the upper part of the said up-and-down height direction intermediate part of the said accommodation space part.

  According to such a structure, it becomes easier to fill the neutralizing agent over the entire accommodation space. That is, unlike the above-described configuration, when the width of the upper portion of the accommodation space portion is large, the area of the upper portion of the accommodation space portion that is not located immediately below the inlet is increased, and this portion is neutralized. It becomes difficult to fill the agent. On the other hand, according to the said structure, since the width | variety of the upper part of an accommodation space part is small, such a malfunction is suppressed and a neutralizing agent is easily also given to the whole upper part or substantially the whole of an accommodation space part. Filling becomes possible.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container communicates with the introduction port and is partitioned from the first region through a slit portion for preventing the neutralizer from entering. And a header having a structure in which a water level detection electrode for detecting when the water level of the condensed water in the container exceeds a predetermined height is disposed in the compartment. The header portion is provided at one end of the upper portion of the container so as to be aligned with the upper portion of the accommodating space portion in the width direction of the container, and the lower portion of the header portion is the first portion It is formed as part of the region.

  According to such a configuration, the header portion is provided with a condensate inlet, a water level detection electrode, and the like, and compared to the case where they are provided in a container in a dispersed state, the configuration is Be reasonable. The header portion is provided at one end of the upper portion of the container and is aligned with the upper portion of the accommodation space portion. The width of the upper portion of the accommodation space portion is reduced as described above. Therefore, despite the fact that the upper part of the container is provided with a header part, the upper part of the container is prevented from being wider than the other part of the container (the middle part or the lower part in the vertical direction). An increase in the size of the container can be suppressed. Since the lower portion of the header portion is formed as a part of the first region, it is also suitable for increasing the filling amount of the neutralizing agent. It should be noted that the water level detection electrode provided in the header part is useful for detecting when the water level of the condensed water rises abnormally due to clogging in the container, for example. It is preferable to prevent being left for a period of time. In addition, since the water level detection electrode is arranged in the compartment where the intrusion of the neutralizing agent is prevented, the water level detecting electrode and the neutralizing agent in the container are avoided from contacting each other, It is also suitable for preventing erroneous detection caused by the contact conduction.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second region includes one or more additional members extending in the vertical height direction for causing the condensed water to meander in the vertical direction in the second region. A partition wall is provided, and at least a part of the upper end edge of the additional partition wall is located immediately below the charging port for the neutralizing agent provided corresponding to the second region.

  According to such a configuration, since the condensed water meanders in the vertical direction along the additional partition wall in the second region, the length of the condensed water flow path is further increased, and the efficiency of the neutralization treatment is increased. Is further enhanced. On the other hand, since at least a part of the upper edge of the additional partition wall is located immediately below the charging port, when the neutralizing agent is dropped from the charging port, the neutralizing agent hits the upper edge. As a result, it is distributed to both the left and right sides of the upper edge and falls. Therefore, it is also appropriately avoided that the neutralizing agent is concentrated on only one side of the partition wall.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the upper partition wall and the additional partition wall has a configuration in which the whole or a part is inclined so that a portion closer to a lower portion thereof approaches a lower portion of the header portion. Has been.

  As described above, a part of the first area is formed below the header part, and this part has a shape that swells in the width direction of the container as compared with the upper part of the first area. Become. On the other hand, according to the configuration, the upper partition wall is inclined so that the portion closer to the lower portion approaches the lower portion of the header portion, and the width of the lower portion of the header portion in the first region is increased. It has become narrower. For this reason, it becomes possible to set the volume of each of the first and second regions to a well-balanced ratio so that the first region does not have an extremely large volume compared to the second region. Further, since the additional partition wall is inclined in the same direction as the upper partition wall, the interval between these partition walls can be made substantially constant, so that the condensed water flows smoothly through these regions. Can be. Further, if each of the upper partition wall and the additional partition wall is inclined, it becomes possible to use the partition walls as a neutralizing agent slide guide when performing the charging operation of the neutralizing agent. Compared with the case where the agent falls directly to the bottom of the container, the impact when the neutralizing agent falls is reduced, and the effect of preventing the neutralizing agent from being damaged can be expected.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second region is provided with a lower partition wall standing upward from the bottom wall portion, so that the condensed water upstream of the lower partition wall is It is configured to flow to the downstream side beyond the upper end of the lower partition wall, and the auxiliary drain that allows the condensed water to be extracted to the outside of the bottom wall portion upstream of the lower partition wall. An outlet is formed, and a wall that regulates the progress of the neutralizing agent toward the auxiliary outlet is provided above the auxiliary outlet.

  According to such a configuration, the flow path length of the condensed water can be increased by using the lower partition wall, and the neutralization efficiency can be increased, as well as the portion upstream of the lower partition wall. The condensed water accumulated in the water can be removed from the auxiliary discharge port as necessary, for example, to prevent freezing. Moreover, according to the said structure, when throwing a neutralizing agent into an accommodation space part, it is suppressed appropriately by the said wall part that this neutralizing agent advances toward the said auxiliary | assistant discharge port. For this reason, the trouble that the auxiliary outlet is clogged with the neutralizing agent is also appropriately avoided.

  The condensed water neutralizer provided by the second aspect of the present invention includes a combustor, a heat exchanger having a water pipe for performing heat exchange with the combustion gas generated by the combustor, and the heat exchange. A condensed water neutralizer for neutralizing the generated condensed water, wherein the condensed water neutralizer provided by the first aspect of the present invention is the condensed water neutralizer. It is characterized by being used.

  According to such a configuration, the same effect as described for the condensed water neutralizer provided by the first aspect of the present invention can be obtained.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a condensate neutralizer according to the present invention. The condensed water neutralizer A of this embodiment has a configuration in which the neutralizing agent 1 is accommodated in a container 2 having an inlet 30 and an outlet 31 for condensed water. The neutralizing agent 1 is, for example, granular calcium carbonate.

  The container 2 is a blow molded product made of polypropylene or other synthetic resin, and has a box shape in which an accommodation space 20 in which the neutralizing agent 1 is accommodated is formed. However, the upper end of the container 2 is also provided with a header 27 having a compartment 27 in which the inflow of the neutralizing agent 1 is suppressed, an inlet 30, and a pair of electrodes 5 for detecting the water level. . Although the detailed structure of this header part H is mentioned later, this header part H is located in a line with the upper part of the accommodation space part 20 in the width direction (left-right direction of FIG. 1) of the container 2. FIG. However, the width s1 of the upper part of the accommodation space part 20 is made smaller than the width s2 of the middle part in the vertical direction of the accommodation space part 20, and thus the header part H is made larger on one side of the container 2. It has a good appearance so that it does not bulge.

  The container 2 includes an upper wall portion 21, a bottom wall portion 22, and a plurality of side wall portions 23 a to 23 d as a plurality of wall portions that define the accommodation space portion 20. Two cylindrical portions 32 are erected on the upper wall portion 21. Each opening of these two cylindrical parts 32 is the inlet 33 (33a, 33b) for neutralizing agents. A male screw portion 32a for removably screwing the lid 6 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of each cylindrical portion 22, and each insertion port 33 is normally closed by the lid 6. Although not shown in the drawings, if a vent hole is provided in both or one of the two lids 6, when the condensed water is discharged to the outside of the container 2, the vent hole can be removed from the vent hole. The effect of promoting the discharge of condensed water by flowing external air into the container 2 is obtained.

  The container 2 is integrally formed with an upper partition wall 26a, a lower partition wall 26b, and an auxiliary partition wall 26c as means for partitioning the storage space 20 into a plurality of regions. The upper partition wall 26 a extends downward from the upper wall portion 21, and partitions the storage space portion 20 into first and second regions AR <b> 1 and AR <b> 2 in the width direction of the container 2. However, a communication passage 29a for allowing condensed water to pass therethrough is formed between the lower end portion of the upper partition wall 26a and the bottom wall portion 22. The two inlets 33 are spaced apart in the width direction of the container 2 with the connecting portion between the upper end of the upper partition wall 26 a and the upper wall portion 21 interposed therebetween. As a result, one input port 33 is provided in correspondence with the top of each of the first and second regions AR1 and AR2.

  The lower partition wall 26b and the auxiliary partition wall 26c correspond to a specific example of the additional partition wall referred to in the present invention, and a portion closer to the bottom of the second region AR2 is further divided into a plurality of small regions AR2-1 to AR2-3. It is divided into. More specifically, the lower partition wall 26b extends upright from the bottom wall portion 22 of the container 2 in the second region AR2, and is interposed between the lower partition wall 26b and the upper partition wall 26a. A small area AR2-1 is formed. The auxiliary partition wall 26c is provided on the further downstream side (the discharge port 31 side) than the lower partition wall 26b, and the communication passage 29b is formed between the auxiliary partition wall 26c and the bottom wall portion 22 of the container 2, and It extends in the vertical direction. A space between the auxiliary partition wall 26c and the lower partition wall 26b is a small area AR2-2, and a portion downstream of the auxiliary partition wall 26c is a small area AR2-3. The condensed water that has flowed into the accommodation space 20 from the inlet 30 is, as indicated by arrows N1 to N4 in FIG. 1, a plurality of small areas AR2-1 to AR2- from the first area AR1 to the second area AR2. 3 is guided to the discharge port 31 while meandering in the vertical direction.

  Both the upper end edges 26b 'and 26c' of the lower partition wall 26b and the auxiliary partition wall 26c have a certain length in the thickness direction of the container 2 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). At least a portion is located directly below the insertion port 33b (the region indicated by reference sign d1 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the region directly below the insertion port 33b). In addition, the total three partition walls 26a to 26c are inclined obliquely so as to approach the lower region of the header portion H as they are closer to the lower part. The technical significance of these configurations will be described later.

  A cylindrical portion 30 a is formed upright on the upper wall portion 28 of the header portion H, and the opening of the cylindrical portion 30 a serves as an inlet 30 for condensed water. The cylindrical portion 30a is used to fit and connect a pipe that supplies condensed water. The pair of electrodes 5 are separated from each other so as to sandwich the introduction port 30 in the width direction of the container 2, and their lower end portions protrude downward from the upper wall portion 28 into the compartment 27. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of energization wirings 4 to which a voltage is applied are connected to these electrodes 5. Therefore, when the tip portions of the pair of electrodes 5 are immersed in the condensed water and they are electrically connected, a current flows through the pair of wirings 4, which becomes an abnormal water level detection signal. This signal is input, for example, to a control unit of hot water supply apparatus B described later.

  As each electrode 5, for example, a commercially available male screw member such as a commercially available tapped screw with a cross hole is used. The male screw member is screwed into the upper wall portion 28 to be attached. Yes. According to such a structure, the work of attaching the electrode 5 is facilitated, the cost of parts is reduced, and it is suitable for reducing the manufacturing cost of the condensed water neutralizer A. Furthermore, when the wiring 4 is connected, it is only necessary to press the wiring 4 with the hook-shaped head of the male screw member, and the work is facilitated. A boss portion 25 having a partially increased thickness is formed on the upper wall portion 28 of the header portion H, and each electrode 5 is screwed into the boss portion 25. According to such a structure, the screwing amount of each electrode 5 is not increased and the electrode 5 does not wobble, and the strength of the resin portion supporting each electrode 5 is increased. Installation reliability is improved. As a means for facilitating the screwing operation of the electrode 5 to the boss portion 25, the boss portion 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a pilot hole 250 as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). Is preferred. Further, as a means for further increasing the strength of the boss portion 25, a structure in which ribs 251 are continuously provided on the boss portion 25 may be employed.

  The compartment 27 of the header portion H has a structure in which entry of the neutralizing agent 1 is restricted. As shown well in FIG. 3C, the opposing portions 23c 'and 23d' of the side wall portions 23c and 23d of the container 2 are close to each other, and the slit portion 27a narrowed down to the narrow width s4. Is formed. The slit 27a allows condensed water to pass between the compartment 27 and the first area AR1, but prevents passage of the granular neutralizer 1 from the first area AR1 to the compartment 27. Since the neutralizing agent 1 is present in the compartment 27, the electrode 5 and the neutralizing agent 1 are brought into contact with each other, and there is an abnormality though the water level of the condensed water is not the original abnormal water level. There is a possibility that the water level is erroneously detected, but according to the configuration of the present embodiment, such a fear can be eliminated. Further, the electrode 5 can be protected by avoiding the collision of the neutralizing agent 1 with the electrode 5. As shown in FIG. 1, a narrow slit portion 27 b is also formed in the portion above the discharge port 31. Like the slit portion 27a described above, the slit portion 27b has a narrow width formed by bringing parts of the side wall portions 23c and 23d of the container 2 closer to each other, and allows passage of condensed water, The granular neutralizer 1 is prevented from flowing out to the outlet 31.

  An auxiliary discharge port 34 is provided at the bottom of the first area AR1. For example, when the condensate neutralizer A is not used for a long period of time, the auxiliary discharge port 34 is condensed water collected in the small area AR2-1 of the first area AR1 and the second area AR2. It is used to prevent freezing. Condensed water accumulated in the first area AR1 and the small area AR2-1 is difficult to be removed from the discharge port 31 due to the lower partition wall 26b, but the auxiliary discharge port 34 described above is provided. In this case, the condensed water in that region can be easily extracted. Above the auxiliary discharge port 34, a wall portion 24 is provided by extending a part of the side wall portion 23a of the container 2 so as to cover the auxiliary discharge port 34, and a lower region of the wall portion 24 is a partition chamber 24a. It is formed as. The auxiliary discharge port 34 opens into the compartment 24a. On one side of the compartment 24a, a slit 27c that allows passage of condensed water and restricts passage of the granular neutralizer 1 is formed. The slit portion 27c is formed by bringing a part of the side wall portions 23c and 23d of the container 2 closer to each other, similarly to the slit portions 27a and 27b described above.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a hot water supply apparatus provided with the condensed water neutralizer A described above.

  A hot water supply apparatus B shown in the figure includes a combustor 91 provided at a lower portion in a can body 90 having an exhaust port 99 at an upper portion, a blower blower 92 for sending combustion air upward from below the combustor 91, and A heat exchanger 93 having a water pipe 93a and an outer case 94 covering the whole are provided. The combustor 91 generates a combustion gas by burning a gas or liquid fuel such as city gas or kerosene. The heat exchanger 93 includes a primary heat exchange unit 93A capable of recovering sensible heat from the combustion gas, and a secondary heat exchange unit 93B capable of recovering latent heat from the combustion gas. The water supplied to the water inlet 930 of the water pipe 93a passes through the secondary heat exchange part 93B and the primary heat exchange part 93A and is heated and then supplied from the hot water outlet 931 to a predetermined hot water supply destination.

  Below the secondary heat exchange section 93B, a receiving member 95 that receives condensed water generated along with the recovery of latent heat is provided. The condensate neutralizer A (schematically shown in FIG. 4) is disposed in a space between the can 90 and one side wall of the outer case 94, and this condensate neutralizer The introduction port 30 of A and the discharge port of the receiving member 95 are connected via a pipe 96a. A pipe 96b is connected to the outlet 31 of the condensed water neutralizer A, and the condensed water neutralized by the condensed water neutralizer A is guided to the outside of the outer case 94 through the pipe 96b. It has become.

  Next, the operation of the condensed water neutralizer A and the hot water supply apparatus B will be described.

  First, the acidic condensate generated in the secondary heat exchange section 93B of the hot water supply apparatus B is received by the receiving member 95 and then led to the inlet 30 of the condensate neutralizer A via the pipe 96a, and the neutralizing agent. It is neutralized by the action of 1. Next, the condensed water after the neutralization process is discharged to the outside of the exterior case 94 through the discharge port 31 and the pipe 96b. Accordingly, the condensed water is prevented from being discharged outside the exterior case 94 while being acidic, which is preferable for preventing environmental pollution and the like.

  As described above, the condensed water flowing into the container 2 of the condensed water neutralizer A circulates so as to meander in the accommodation space 20 along the path indicated by the arrows N1 to N4 in FIG. Therefore, the flow path length of the condensed water is increased, and the condensed water touches a large amount of the neutralizing agent 1. As a result, the condensed water is sufficiently neutralized. A lower region of the header portion H of the container 2 is a part of the first region AR1, and this portion is also effectively used as a storage portion for the neutralizing agent 1. The wall 26a is inclined so as to approach the portion toward the lower end. Due to the inclination of the upper partition wall 26a, the lower region of the header portion H can be narrowed to an appropriate width so that the first region AR1 does not have an extremely large volume with respect to the second region AR2. Since the lower partition wall 26b and the auxiliary partition wall 26c are also inclined in the same direction as the upper partition wall 26a, the partition walls 26a to 26c are made substantially parallel to each other to form a plurality of small regions AR2-1 to AR2-3. The width of each part can be made substantially constant. If, for example, an extremely narrow portion exists in any of the plurality of small regions AR2-1 to AR2-3, clogging is likely to occur in this portion, but according to the configuration of the present embodiment, Is appropriately avoided.

  In a normal time when clogging does not occur in the accommodation space 20, the water level of the condensed water has a height indicated by virtual lines L1 and L2 in FIG. These water levels coincide with the upper end height of the lower partition wall 26 b and the upper end height of the side wall in the vicinity of the discharge port 31. On the other hand, for example, contaminants such as soot and rust generated in the can 90 of the hot water supply apparatus B flow into the container 2 together with the condensed water, thereby causing clogging in any of the accommodation space portions 20. As a result, the water level of the condensed water rises. Then, when the tip of the pair of electrodes 5 is immersed in the condensed water due to the rise in the water level, the tip is electrically connected and a current flows through the pair of wirings 40, and it is detected that the condensed water has become an abnormal water level. The When such a detection is made, the hot water supply device B is provided with a notification means (not shown) for visually or audibly informing the user of this fact. It is possible to accurately detect and take appropriate measures to eliminate clogging in the container 2.

  In the normal use state of the condensed water neutralizer A, the container 2 may be shaken or tilted due to various circumstances, and waves may be generated on the surface of the condensed water. When such a wave is generated, there is a possibility that the wave may touch the electrode 5 even though the condensed water is not actually at an abnormal water level. On the other hand, the pair of electrodes 5 are arranged with the introduction port 30 in between, and the distance between them is large. For this reason, there is little possibility that the wave of the condensed water touches each of the pair of electrodes 5, and the possibility that the generation of the wave of the condensed water is erroneously detected as an abnormal water level is reduced. Therefore, the reliability of abnormal water level detection of condensed water can be made high. In addition, the introduction port 30 is provided in a space-efficient region between the pair of electrodes 5, and the overall width s 3 of the header portion H of the container 2 is a width required to provide the pair of electrodes 5. This is sufficient, and it is not necessary to separately provide a space for providing the inlet 30 in addition to the region of the width s3. Therefore, although the distance between the pair of electrodes 5 is large, the entire header portion H can be made compact and the increase in size of the container 2 can be suppressed.

  When manufacturing this condensed water neutralizer A, as shown in FIG. 5, it is necessary to fill the accommodating space 20 of the container 2 with the neutralizing agent 1. The accommodating space 20 is partitioned into the first and second regions AR1 and AR2 by the upper partition wall 26a. Correspondingly, the two input ports 33 are directly above the uppermost portions of the respective regions. It is provided so that it may be located in. Therefore, the neutralizing agent 1 can be appropriately filled in each of the first and second regions AR1 and AR2 by introducing the neutralizing agent 1 from these two inlets 33. Unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to incline or shake the container 2 so that the neutralizing agent 1 introduced into a part of the accommodation space 20 is moved to another part. Therefore, damage to the neutralizing agent 1 due to such an operation is also prevented.

  In addition, as described with reference to FIG. 1, the width s <b> 1 of the upper portion of the accommodation space portion 20 is narrowed, and thus the neutralizing agent 1 can be easily filled up to the uppermost portion of the accommodation space portion 20 or the height in the vicinity thereof. The effect which can be done is also acquired. That is, FIG. 6 shows a comparison with this embodiment, and the width s5 of the upper part of the illustrated container 2A is widened. In the case of this proportionality, it is difficult to fill the neutralizing agent 1 at the corner indicated by reference numeral n1 in the upper part of the container 2A, and a large cavity portion not filled with the neutralizing agent 1 is generated. Although the neutralizing agent 1 has a certain degree of fluidity, as shown in the figure, the neutralizing agent 1 has a granular shape that rises so that the position directly below the inlet 33A becomes the highest when it is naturally dropped into the container 2A. This is because it is difficult to cause natural flow to the corner indicated by n1. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, unlike the comparative example, the width of the upper portion of the accommodation space portion 20 is small, and the portion corresponding to the corner portion described above is small. The neutralizing agent 1 can be easily filled over substantially the entire area up to the upper part or the vicinity thereof.

  The second area AR2 is divided into a plurality of small areas AR2-1 to AR2-3. As described above, each of the upper edges 26b 'and 26c' of the lower partition wall 26b and the auxiliary partition wall 26c is provided. A part is located directly under the insertion port 33b. Therefore, when the neutralizing agent 1 is thrown downward from the charging port 33b, the neutralizing agent 1 hits the upper edge 26b ', 26c', and is distributed to the left and right of the upper edge 26b ', 26c'. Become. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately fill the neutralizing agent 1 in any of the small areas AR2-1 to AR2-3 without tilting the container 2. Further, since the plurality of partition walls 26 a to 26 c are all inclined, the neutralizing agent 1 is slid and guided by the partition walls 26 a to 26 c when being introduced into the container 2. When the neutralizing agent 1 is slide-guided in this way, the impact when the neutralizing agent 1 falls on the bottom wall portion 22 of the container 2 is reduced, and the effect of preventing damage to the neutralizing agent 1 is also expected. it can.

  An auxiliary discharge port 34 is provided at the bottom of the first area AR1, and the auxiliary discharge port 34 is covered by a wall 24 positioned above the auxiliary discharge port 34. Therefore, the problem that the neutralizing agent 1 charged into the first area AR1 directly reaches the auxiliary discharge port 34 and is clogged at this portion is also prevented. Since the wall portion 24 does not allow the neutralizing agent 1 crushed into a powder to pass through, the prevention of clogging is further ensured. Further, in the present embodiment, the auxiliary discharge port 34 is not provided at the intermediate portion in the width direction of the container 2 and is provided at a corner near one end in the width direction. By extending a part of the side wall part 23a, an advantage that the wall part 24 can be easily formed is obtained.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. The specific configuration of each part of the condensate neutralizer according to the present invention and the hot water supply apparatus including the condensate neutralizer can be varied in design in various ways.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper partition wall 26 a is not connected to the upper wall portion 21, and the neutralizer 1 passes between the upper end 26 a ′ of the upper partition wall 26 a and the upper wall portion 21. The present invention can also be applied to a case where a gap 80 having a width that is difficult to be formed is formed. Further, as shown in the figure, an opening (communication path) 29a 'is formed in the upper partition wall 26a itself, not below the upper partition wall 26a, and the condensed water may pass through this portion. it can.

  The number of upper partition walls is not limited to one. In the present invention, a plurality of upper partition walls may be provided, so that the housing space portion of the container may be configured to be partitioned into, for example, first to third regions or more regions. Absent. Also in this case, since the first and second regions are provided, as long as at least two charging ports for the neutralizing agent are provided corresponding to each of these regions, the technical features of the present invention. Included in the range. However, for example, in the case where the first to third regions are provided, it is desirable to provide the inlet for the neutralizing agent corresponding to all the three regions.

  The inlet for the neutralizing agent is preferably as large as possible in view of ease of charging the neutralizing agent, but the specific size is not limited and the shape is not limited. The charging port for the neutralizing agent can be configured as an opening hole that is merely opened in the upper wall portion of the container without forming a cylindrical portion for attaching a lid on the upper wall portion of the container.

  As the neutralizing agent, a substance other than calcium carbonate can be used. The condensate neutralizer according to the present invention can be used for various purposes as long as the condensate generated by the temperature decrease of the combustion gas is neutralized. For example, the condensate neutralizer is incorporated in a combustion device different from a hot water supply device. Of course, it can be used.

  The hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention can be configured as a so-called instantaneous hot water heater, as well as a hot water supply apparatus used for other hot water supplies for baths, floor heaters, hot water for snow melting, and the like. it can.

It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the condensed water neutralizer which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part top view of FIG. (A) is a top view which shows the container of the condensed water neutralizer shown in FIG. 1, (b) is the front view, (c) is III-III sectional drawing of (b). . It is explanatory drawing which shows typically an example of the hot water supply apparatus provided with the condensed water neutralizer shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state which throws in the neutralizing agent in the container of a condensed water neutralizer. It is explanatory drawing which shows contrast with the condensed water neutralizer shown in FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Condensate neutralizer B Water heater H Header part 1 Neutralizing agent 2 Container 5 Electrode 20 Storage space part 21 Upper wall part 22 Bottom wall part 23a-23d Side wall part 24 Wall part 26a Upper partition wall 26b Lower partition wall (additional partition wall Partition wall)
26c Auxiliary partition wall (additional partition wall)
27 compartments 27a slits 29 communication passages 30 inlets 31 outlets 33 inlets 34 auxiliary outlets 91 combustors 93 heat exchangers

Claims (7)

A neutralizing agent for neutralizing condensed water generated due to a decrease in the temperature of the combustion gas, and a container in which an accommodation space for accommodating the neutralizing agent is formed.
The container includes an upper wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and a side wall portion that define the accommodation space portion, a charging port for the neutralizing agent, and extends downward from an upper portion of the container so that the accommodation space portion is disposed in the container. An upper partition wall that partitions the first and second regions in the width direction and forms a communication path that communicates the first and second regions below or below the first region, and condensate water in the first region. A condensate neutralizer having an introduction port for introducing and a discharge port for discharging condensed water that has passed through the second region to the outside;
The neutralizing agent inlet includes a plurality of inlets provided in the upper wall portion so as to be located immediately above the uppermost portions of the first and second regions, respectively. Condensate neutralizer.   The condensed water neutralizer according to claim 1, wherein a width of an upper portion of the accommodation space portion is smaller than a middle portion in a vertical height direction of the accommodation space portion. The container has a compartment that communicates with the inlet and is partitioned from the first region through a slit portion for preventing the neutralizer from entering. The chamber is provided with a header portion having a structure in which a water level detection electrode for detecting when the water level of the condensed water in the container reaches a predetermined height or more,
The header portion is provided at one end of the upper portion of the container so as to be aligned with the upper portion of the accommodating space portion in the width direction of the container, and a lower portion of the header portion is formed as a part of the first region. The condensed water neutralizer according to claim 2.   The second region is provided with one or a plurality of additional partition walls extending in the vertical height direction for causing the condensed water to meander in the vertical direction in the second region, and this additional region. 3. The condensed water neutralizer according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of an upper end edge of the partition wall is located immediately below a neutralizing agent inlet provided corresponding to the second region. . The second region is provided with one or a plurality of additional partition walls extending in the vertical height direction for causing the condensed water to meander in the vertical direction in the second region, and this additional region. At least a part of the upper edge of the partition wall is located immediately below the neutralization agent inlet provided corresponding to the second region,
Each of the said upper partition wall and the said additional partition wall is set as the structure which the whole or one part inclined so that the part near those lower parts may approach the downward direction of the said header part. Condensate neutralizer. In the second region, a lower partition wall standing upward from the bottom wall portion is provided, so that the condensed water on the upstream side of the lower partition wall exceeds the upper end of the lower partition wall and reaches the downstream side thereof. It is configured to flow to the side,
An auxiliary discharge port that allows the condensed water to be extracted to the outside is formed in a portion of the bottom wall portion upstream of the lower partition wall, and the auxiliary discharge port is disposed above the auxiliary discharge port. The condensate water neutralizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a wall that restricts the progress of the neutralizing agent. A heat exchanger having a water pipe for exchanging heat with the combustion gas generated by the combustor, and a condensed water neutralizer for neutralizing condensed water generated by the heat exchange. A hot water supply device comprising:
A hot water supply apparatus, wherein the condensed water neutralizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used as the condensed water neutralizer.

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