JPH0894185A - Hot-water supplier and active type muffler - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To permit the elimination of noise actively without connecting an active type muffler to a commercial power supply by a method wherein the active type muffler is operated by an electric power obtained from a thermoelectric conversion module, employing combustion waste gas as a high-temperature fluid source and water introduced into the hot-water supplier as a low- temperature fluid source. CONSTITUTION: The duct 28 of a hot-water supplier is provided with a thermoelectric conversion module 30 and an active type muffler 32. The thermoelectric conversion module 30 employs combustion waste gas in the duct 28 as a high- temperature fluid source and cooling water in a water cooling jacket 36 wound around the outer periphery of the thermoelectric conversion module 30 as a low-temperature fluid source to generate an electric power by a temperature difference between both of temperature fluid sources. In this hot-water supplier, the controller 56 of the active type muffler 32 is provided with a battery 62, charged by the output of the thermoelectric conversion module 30. The active type muffler 32 is operated by an electric power from the battery 62. Accordingly, it is not necessary to connect the active type muffler 32 to the commercial power supply.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water heater, and more particularly to a water heater provided with an active silencer. The present invention also relates to this active silencer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An active silencer is sometimes installed in a duct in order to reduce noise generated from a water heater.

The active silencer is a device which adds a sound (interference sound) having an opposite phase to noise and suppresses the noise by an interference effect.

As one form of this active silencing, there is adaptive active silencing that detects noise that is actually occurring and generates an interference sound of the opposite phase.

As another active muffling method, when the noise source is operated intermittently, the noise generated by the noise source is stored in advance in a storage device, and when the noise source is activated, the stored noise is reversed. Silencers that generate phase interference sounds have also been considered.

As a water heater with a thermoelectric conversion module having a hot water supply function and a power generation function, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-44245 discloses a thermoelectric conversion module installed on the inner wall surface of a combustion cylinder to generate electric power. The gas from the above is introduced into a heat exchanger to heat water. The wall of the combustion cylinder has a water cooling jacket structure, and the thermoelectric conversion module uses water in the jacket as a low temperature fluid source. Water from the jacket is introduced into the heat exchanger.

[0007]

When the active noise eliminator is operated by a commercial power source, it is necessary to arrange the wiring for that purpose.

In the water heater disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-44245, since the combustion gas before contact with the heat exchanger is used as the high temperature fluid source, heat is recovered from the combustion exhaust gas after leaving the heat exchanger. However, there is a problem that the thermal efficiency is low accordingly.

[0009]

A hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1 is a hot water supply apparatus in which a duct for guiding combustion exhaust gas is provided with an active noise suppressor, and the combustion exhaust gas is used as a high temperature fluid source and introduced into the water heater. A thermoelectric conversion module using water as a low temperature fluid source is provided, and the active silencer is operated by electric power from the thermoelectric conversion module.

The active silencer according to the second aspect comprises a thermoelectric conversion module as a power source.

[0011]

In the water heater according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the active silencer is operated by the electric power from the thermoelectric conversion module, it is not necessary to connect the active silencer to the commercial power source. Further, since the combustion exhaust gas coming out of the heat exchanger comes into contact with the thermoelectric conversion module to generate electric power, the thermal energy of the combustion exhaust gas can be recovered as electric energy.

The active silencer according to the second aspect can be silenced without connecting to a commercial power source.

[0013]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configurations of the thermoelectric generator unit and the silencer.

A can body 12 is installed in the casing 10 of the water heater, a combustion chamber 14 is formed in the lower part of the can body 12, and a heat exchanger 16 is installed in the upper part. Combustion chamber 1
The burner 4 is provided with a burner 18, to which air is supplied from a blower fan 20 and fuel such as kerosene is supplied by a fuel pump (not shown).

The combustion gas generated in the combustion chamber 14 rises in the first gas passage 22 of the heat exchanger 16, and then in the second gas passage 22.
The gas passage 24 of FIG. Further, it is discharged to the outside of the can body 12 through the third gas passage 26 in the center of the heat exchanger 16. A thermoelectric conversion module 30 and an active silencer 32 are installed in the duct 28.

The thermoelectric conversion module 30 includes the duct 2
The combustion exhaust gas in 8 is used as a high temperature fluid source, the cooling water in the water cooling jacket 36 wound around the outer periphery of the thermoelectric conversion module 30 is used as a low temperature fluid source, and power is generated by the temperature difference between the two.

Water from the water supply port 40 is introduced into the water cooling jacket 36 through a water supply pipe 42. The water from the water cooling jacket 36 is supplied to the heat exchanger 16 through the pipe 44.
Is supplied to the hot water outlet 48 through the hot water discharge pipe 46.

The active silencer 32 includes a speaker 52, a microphone 54 for detecting noise in the duct 28, and a controller 5 for producing a silence signal based on the sound detected by the microphone 54.
6 and an evaluation microphone 58.

As is well known, the active muffler 32 adds a sound having a phase opposite to that of noise and muffles it by an interference effect.
After amplifying the detection sound of, the low-pass filter (LPF) is used to select only low-frequency sound signals in the audible band. This low frequency sound signal is A / D converted and converted into a phase inversion signal by a digital filter (DF). This inverted signal is D /
After A conversion, it is amplified and a sound is emitted from the speaker 52. The output sound of the speaker 52 has a phase opposite to the detection sound of the microphone 54, and the sound is muted.

The sound detected by the evaluation microphone 58, after being amplified, passes through a low-pass filter (LPF) and is A / D.
After conversion, it is input to the adaptive controller. The adaptive controller determines whether the silencing effect is sufficiently exerted and sends a control signal to the digital filter (DF) or the amplifier 60,
The phase of the reversal signal and the sound pressure of the reversal sound are optimized, and sufficient silencing is achieved.

In this water heater, the active silencer 3
A battery 62 is attached to the second control device 56,
The output of the thermoelectric conversion module 30 is charged in this battery. The active silencer 32 is operated by the electric power from the battery 62. Therefore, it is not necessary to connect the active silencer 32 to a commercial power source.

In this embodiment, electric energy is taken out from the combustion exhaust gas that has exited the heat exchanger 16 using the thermoelectric conversion module 34, and energy can be recovered from the combustion exhaust gas, and the overall energy The efficiency is extremely high.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the active silencer 3 uses the thermoelectric conversion module 30 as a power source for the noise from the duct 28.
Although the noise is silenced by No. 2, the active silencer using such a thermoelectric conversion module as a power source can be applied to the purpose of silencing various noises such as the noise of the bubble bath device.

[0024]

As described above, in the water heater of the present invention, electric power is obtained from the combustion exhaust gas discharged from the heat exchanger by the thermoelectric conversion module, and the active silencer is operated by the electric power. Noise can be actively silenced without connecting an active silencer to the.

The thermoelectric conversion module of this water heater is designed to recover energy from combustion exhaust gas, and a water heater with extremely high energy recovery efficiency is provided.

According to the active silencer of the second aspect, noise from various noise sources such as the bubble bath device as well as the water heater can be silenced without connecting the active silencer to a commercial power source.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a water heater according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an active silencer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 16 heat exchanger 18 burner 28 duct 30 thermoelectric conversion module 32 active silencer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A water heater having an active silencer in a duct for guiding combustion exhaust gas, wherein a thermoelectric conversion module using the combustion exhaust gas as a high temperature fluid source and water introduced into the water heater as a low temperature fluid source is provided. A water heater characterized in that the active silencer is operated by electric power from the thermoelectric conversion module. 2. An active silencer comprising a thermoelectric conversion module as a power source.