JP5558407B2 - Water heater - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water heater.

  In recent years, hot water storage type electric water heaters with a small environmental load have attracted attention as water heaters. Hot water storage type electric water heaters store hot water boiled using heat in the atmosphere in a hot water storage tank. Therefore, the hot water storage type electric water heater can supply hot water without generating carbon dioxide due to gas combustion or the like.

  The hot water storage type electric water heater supplies hot water at an appropriate temperature by mixing hot water stored in a hot water storage tank with water using electric power. This makes it difficult to control this mixing during a power failure. Conventional hot water storage type electric water heaters have stopped supplying hot water or supplying only water in order to avoid supplying hot water during a power failure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, the hot water storage type electric water heater which supplies hot water even at the time of a power failure is proposed (for example, refer patent documents 2 and 3). The hot water storage type water heater disclosed in Patent Document 2 supplies hot water from an emergency water intake provided in a hot water storage tank. Moreover, the hot water storage type water heater disclosed in Patent Document 3 can supply hot water even during a power failure by using an auxiliary power source.

JP 2006-258367 A JP 2010-190546 A JP 2010-038482 A

  However, since the hot water storage type hot water heater disclosed in Patent Document 2 directly supplies hot water from the hot water storage tank, it may be difficult to supply hot water depending on the location of the hot water storage tank. Moreover, the hot water storage type water heater disclosed in Patent Document 3 may have a high cost related to the installation and management of the auxiliary power supply.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above-mentioned situation, and it aims at ensuring warm water, without using an auxiliary power supply at the time of a power failure.

In order to achieve the above object, the water heater of the present invention comprises:
A first water storage means for storing water supplied from a water supply system;
Second water storage means provided inside the first water storage means for storing water supplied from the water supply system;
Heating means for heating water stored in the first water storage means;
A first switching valve for switching a water supply destination from the water supply system from the second water storage means to the first water storage means by electric power from an electric power system;
A second switching valve that switches a water supply source to a water discharge system that discharges water from the water storage means from the second water storage means to the first water storage means by using electric power from the power system;
Is provided.

  According to the present invention, when the supply of power from the power system is interrupted due to a power failure, the water supply destination of the water supply system is switched to the second water storage means, and the supply source of the water discharge system is switched to the second water storage means. Thereby, the water supplied from the water supply system is heated by exchanging heat with the water stored in the first water storage means while passing through the second water storage means, and discharged as hot water. Therefore, it is possible to ensure hot water without using an auxiliary power source during a power failure.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the hot water storage type electric water heater which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the shape of a hot water storage tank and a heat exchanger. It is a figure for demonstrating the flow of the water at the time of a power failure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a hot water storage type electric water heater 1 according to this embodiment. The hot water storage type electric water heater 1 is connected to a water supply system such as a water supply. The hot water storage type electric water heater 1 boils water supplied from a water pipe and supplies hot water from a water outlet such as a currant. The hot water storage type electric water heater 1 includes a heat pump unit 2, a water supply switching valve 3, a hot water supply switching valve 4, a hot water storage tank 5, a heat exchanger 6, and a hot water mixing valve 7. These components are connected to each other by piping as shown by the solid line in FIG. In addition, the arrow in a figure shows the direction through which hot water or water in piping flows. Moreover, the dotted line in a figure shows the distribution line which supplies electric power from an electric power grid | system.

  The heat pump unit 2 includes a circulation pump, an expansion valve, a heat exchanger, a compressor, and the like. The heat pump unit 2 boiles the water supplied from the water pipe through the water supply switching valve 3 using heat in the atmosphere. The temperature of hot water boiled by the heat pump unit 2 is, for example, 90 ° C. This hot water is stored in the hot water storage tank 5 from the heat pump unit 2 through the hot water supply switching valve 4. A pipe is connected to the water supply switching valve 3 from the bottom of the hot water storage tank 5. Thus, by providing the pipe line circulating between the heat pump unit 2 and the hot water storage tank 5, hot water is stored in the upper part of the hot water storage tank 5. On the other hand, low temperature hot water or water is stored at the bottom of the hot water storage tank 5. In addition, the capacity | capacitance of the hot water storage tank 5 is 500 liters, for example.

  The heat exchanger 6 is a flowing water pipe accommodated in the hot water storage tank 5. The heat exchanger 6 is formed of, for example, a material having high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum or an alloy containing this material. The heat exchanger 6 is connected to the water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water supply switching valve 4. Specifically, the heat exchanger 6 is, for example, a spiral pipe shown in FIG. The heat exchanger 6 is not limited to a spiral pipe and may be any member that can exchange heat between the hot water in the hot water storage tank 5 and the water in the heat exchanger 6. The heat exchanger 6 may be a member that is not accommodated in the hot water storage tank 5 and has a sufficient contact area with the hot water storage tank 5.

  The water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water switching valve 4 are electromagnetic valves that maintain a state where a predetermined flow path is opened. Specifically, the water supply switching valve 3 has a flow path leading to the water pipe, the hot water storage tank 5 and the heat pump unit 2 opened during normal times when power is supplied from the power system, and a flow path leading to the heat exchanger 6. Keep closed. In addition, the hot water supply switching valve 4 maintains a state where the flow path leading to the heat pump unit 2, the hot water storage tank 5 and the hot water mixing valve 7 is opened and the flow path leading to the heat exchanger 6 is closed during normal times.

  The hot water mixing valve 7 is an electric mixing valve that adjusts the mixing ratio of hot water and water. The normal hot water mixing valve 7 adjusts the opening angle of the valve to mix the hot water supplied from the hot water supply switching valve 4 with the water supplied from the water pipe at a predetermined mixing ratio. Or, water is discharged into a caran or the like. The predetermined water temperature is, for example, a temperature set by a user of the hot water storage type electric water heater 1.

  Next, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 at the time of a power failure when the supply of power by the power system is stopped will be described. The water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water supply switching valve 4 automatically switch the flow path when the power supply is stopped. Specifically, each of the water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water supply switching valve 4 closes the flow path leading to the heat pump unit 2 and the hot water storage tank 5 and opens the flow path leading to the heat exchanger 6. The switching of the flow path by the water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water supply switching valve 4 is realized by a mechanism using a tension such as a spring, for example.

  Moreover, the hot and cold mixing valve 7 automatically closes the flow path leading to the water pipe when the power supply is stopped. Thereby, the hot-water mixing valve 7 at the time of a power failure discharges only the hot water supplied from the hot-water supply switching valve 4 to the currant or the like. The operation in which the hot and cold mixing valve 7 automatically closes the flow path is realized by a mechanism using tension such as a spring.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of water during a power failure. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 3, during a power failure, the water supplied from the water supply switching valve 3 to the heat exchanger 6 absorbs heat from the hot water in the hot water storage tank 5 while flowing through the heat exchanger 6. Hot water. The hot water is supplied to the currant or the like via the hot water supply switching valve 4 and the hot water mixing valve 7.

  As described above, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 according to the present embodiment supplies hot water at an appropriate temperature by mixing hot water and water in the hot water storage tank 5 during normal times. On the other hand, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 uses hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 5 as a heat source at the time of a power failure, and supplies hot water from a currant or the like as in normal times.

  For this reason, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 can supply hot water from a currant or the like at the time of a power failure, without using an auxiliary power source, similarly to the normal time. Further, the amount of hot water supplied at the time of a power failure is not limited to the capacity of the hot water storage tank 5. That is, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 can secure hot water having a capacity larger than the capacity of the hot water storage tank 5. Furthermore, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 can secure hot water for a long time until the hot water temperature in the hot water storage tank 5 becomes equal to or lower than the water temperature supplied from the water pipe.

  Moreover, the hot-water mixing valve 7 automatically closes the flow path leading to the water pipe when the power supply is stopped. Thereby, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 can reliably supply the hot water supplied from the heat exchanger 6 from a currant or the like even during a power failure.

  Further, the water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water supply switching valve 4 during normal times maintain a state where the flow path leading to the heat exchanger 6 is closed. Therefore, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 can make the amount of hot water boiled by the heat pump unit 2 the capacity of only the hot water storage tank 5.

  As mentioned above, although each embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited by the said embodiment.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the water supply switching valve 3 and the hot water supply switching valve 4 in the normal time maintain the state where the flow path to the heat exchanger 6 is closed, but even if this flow path is maintained open. Good. In this case, the hot water in the heat exchanger 6 can be prevented from becoming old due to the hot water flowing inside the heat exchanger 6 during normal times.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the hot and cold water mixing valve 7 at the time of a power failure closes the flow path leading to the water pipe, but this is not restrictive. For example, when the power supply is stopped, the hot water / water mixing valve 7 may have a mechanism for discharging hot water supplied from the hot water supply switching valve 4 and water supplied from the water pipe at a predetermined mixing ratio. In this case, since the amount of heat taken away from the hot water in the hot water storage tank 5 by the heat exchanger 6 is reduced, the hot water storage type electric water heater 1 at the time of a power failure can secure hot water for a longer time.

  Various embodiments and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is shown not by the embodiments but by the claims. Various modifications within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the equivalent invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

  The water heater of the present invention is suitable for a water heater for boiling water and supplying hot water.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hot water storage type electric water heater 2 Heat pump unit 3 Water supply switching valve 4 Hot water supply switching valve 5 Hot water storage tank 6 Heat exchanger 7 Hot water mixing valve

Claims (7)

A first water storage means for storing water supplied from a water supply system;
Second water storage means provided inside the first water storage means for storing water supplied from the water supply system;
Heating means for heating water stored in the first water storage means;
A first switching valve for switching a water supply destination from the water supply system from the second water storage means to the first water storage means by electric power from an electric power system;
A second switching valve that switches a water supply source to a water discharge system that discharges water from the water storage means from the second water storage means to the first water storage means by using electric power from the power system;
A water heater equipped with.   2. The water heater according to claim 1, wherein the second water storage means is a pipe provided inside the first water storage means. The first switching valve switches the water supply destination from the water supply system to the second water storage means when power from the power system is interrupted,
The water heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second switching valve switches a water supply source to the water discharge system to the second water storage means when power from the power system is cut off.   The water heater as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3 provided with the mixing valve which mixes the water from the said water supply system with the water from the said water discharge system, and discharges water.   The water heater according to claim 4, wherein the mixing valve discharges water from the water discharge system when power from the power system is interrupted.   The water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating unit heats water stored in the first water storage unit with electric power supplied from the power system.   The water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the water supply system includes a water pipe.

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