KR20220101400A - A Water Heater - Google Patents

Abstract

A water heater according to one aspect of the present invention includes a water tank containing water therein, a water inlet pipe for supplying water to the water tank, a water outlet pipe for discharging the water contained in the water tank, and a water inlet head connected to one end of the water inlet pipe extending to the inside of the water tank to discharge the water passing through the water inlet pipe to the inside of the water tank, wherein the water inlet head includes a main body connected to the water inlet pipe and a front cover disposed in a front opening of the main body and including a plurality of spray holes. The water heater of the present invention can maintain a thin thermocline.

Description

Water Heater {A Water Heater}

The present invention relates to a water heater, and more particularly, to a water heater capable of improving efficiency.

The water heater refers to a device that heats the introduced cold water and supplies it to a hot water demanding destination. A heat pump water heater is a hot water supply device using a heat pump, and generally includes a water tank for supplying hot water and a heat pump cycle for heating water in the water tank.

The heat pump cycle may include a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser in which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is condensed, an expander in which the refrigerant passing through the condenser expands, and an evaporator in which the refrigerant expanded in the expander is evaporated. . In the heat pump cycle, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the evaporator to release heat from the condenser, and heat is transferred to the water to produce hot water.

The heat pump water heater evaporates from an external heat source through the heat pump cycle operation and discharges the cooled air to the outside. In addition, in a state in which the high-temperature and high-pressure condensing heat exchanger is in contact with the outside of the water tank, it may have a structure in which the water inside the water tank is heated.

Inside the water tank, hot water at the top and cold water at the bottom exist together, and an intermediate layer (thermostat layer) in which the water temperature changes is formed (stratification phenomenon).

On the other hand, most of the on operation of a product that heats water using a hot water storage water tank is performed based on a temperature sensor installed at a specific point among the height of the water tank.

When the hot water/cold water boundary (intermediate layer) where the stratification occurs passes through the point where the temperature sensor is installed using hot water, the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor rapidly drops close to the cold water temperature, and the temperature is lower than the temperature set by the product. When it goes low, it turns on.

That is, the on time is controlled according to how the thickness of the intermediate layer is formed and the temperature value set to operate on the product. Even if the product setting and use are the same, the height of the water tank and the time of on-operation due to the resolution limit of the temperature sensor may not be the same.

Thin preservation of the water thermocline layer makes the boundary between hot and cold water clear and prevents mixing with each other, and helps to improve the efficiency of the water heater.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a water heater capable of preserving a water temperature medicine layer thinner.

An object of the present invention is to provide a water heater capable of high-efficiency operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a water heater capable of reducing the possibility that cold water or lukewarm water may be discharged and reducing the delay in restarting a heat pump through a temperature sensor.

The object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned object, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the detailed description according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In order to achieve the above or other object, a water heater according to an aspect of the present invention includes a water tank accommodating water therein, an inlet pipe supplying water to the water tank, an outlet pipe discharging water contained in the water tank, and an acquisition head connected to one end of the acquisition pipe extending into the water tank and discharging the water passing through the acquisition pipe into the water tank, wherein the acquisition head is connected to the acquisition pipe It may include a main body, a front cover disposed in the front opening of the main body and including a plurality of injection holes.

The front cover may include a plurality of support legs for supporting the acquisition head.

Also, the support leg may contact a bottom surface of the water tank.

The area of each of the plurality of injection holes may be smaller than the area of the inner cavity of the inlet pipe.

The total area of the plurality of injection holes may be larger than the area of the inner cavity of the inlet pipe.

A cavity is formed inside the body in which the water introduced from the acquisition pipe moves to the front cover, and the cavity may have an area of the front cover-side outlet than the area of the inlet side of the acquisition pipe.

Also, the cavity can be gradually widened.

The inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe may extend from the upper side of the water tank into the water tank, and the length of the length extending into the water tank may be greater than that of the water outlet pipe.

The acquisition pipe and the water outlet pipe may extend into the water tank from a side surface of the water tank, and the inflow pipe may be closer to the bottom surface of the water tank than the outflow pipe.

The acquisition head may discharge the water toward the bottom of the water tank in the longitudinal direction of the water tank.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to preserve the thermocline layer thinner.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a water heater capable of high-efficiency operation.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the possibility that cold water or tepid water can be discharged, and it is possible to reduce a delay in restarting the heat pump through the temperature sensor.

On the other hand, various other effects will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description according to the embodiment of the present invention to be described later.

1 is a front view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the measured temperature of the hot water sensor according to the thickness of the thermostat layer.
5 is a diagram referenced in the description of the water input/exit method of the water heater.
6 is a diagram illustrating an acquisition head according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating an acquisition head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and may be modified in various forms.

In the drawings, in order to clearly and briefly describe the present invention, the illustration of parts irrelevant to the description is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for the same or extremely similar parts throughout the specification.

The spatially relative terms "below", "beneath", "lower", "above", "upper", "before", "after", etc. As shown in , it can be used to easily describe the correlation between one component and other components. Spatially relative terms should be understood as terms including different orientations of components in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, when a component shown in the drawing is turned over, a component described as “beneath” or “beneath” of another component may be placed “above” of the other component. can Accordingly, the exemplary term “below” may include both directions below and above. Components may also be oriented in other orientations, and thus spatially relative terms may be interpreted according to orientation.

On the other hand, the suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given only considering the ease of writing the present specification, and do not give a particularly important meaning or role by itself. Accordingly, the terms “module” and “unit” may be used interchangeably.

1 is a front view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2 , a water heater 1 according to embodiments of the present invention includes a water tank unit 10 including a water tank 11 for supplying hot water, and water from the water tank 11 . It may include a heat pump cycle 20 for heating. According to an embodiment, the water heater 1 according to the embodiments of the present invention may heat the water tank 11 by a heating means other than the heat pump cycle 20 .

The water tank unit 10 includes a water tank 11 for accommodating water therein, a water inlet pipe 12a for supplying water to the water tank 11 , and an outlet for discharging water heated from the water tank 11 . It may include a pipe (12b).

A water intake pipe 12a for supplying water to the water tank 11 may be formed at a lower portion of the water heater 1 . The end of the acquisition pipe (12a) may be formed to be recessed into the inside of the water heater (1), it may be formed to protrude to the outside of the water heater (1). The acquisition pipe 12a is formed in a structure in which a water supply source such as a hose can be inserted or bound, and is connected to the water supply source to supply water into the water tank 11 .

An outlet pipe 12b for discharging water heated in the water tank 11 may be formed at an upper portion of the water tank 11 . According to an embodiment, the end of the water outlet pipe 12b may be formed to be recessed into the inside of the water heater 1 or may be formed to protrude to the outside of the water heater 1 .

The water outlet pipe 12b is formed to have a structure in which a water source such as a hose can be inserted or bound, and is connected to the water source to discharge water heated in the water tank 11 to a hot water demander.

A display 30 displaying one or more pieces of information may be disposed on the outer wall of the case of the water heater 1 . For example, the display 30 displaying the temperature of the hot water discharged from the water heater 1 may be disposed near the water outlet pipe 12b of the water heater 1 . The display 30 may be formed by being attached to the outer wall of the water heater 1 or may be built into the outer wall to display the temperature. The display 30 may provide not only the temperature of the hot water discharged from the water heater 1, but also other information required by the hot water demander at the same time.

The water tank 11 may be disposed indoors, and the water introduced into the water tank 11 through the water inlet pipe 12a is heated by the heat pump 20 and the heater 60 to the water outlet pipe 12b. can be released through

The water heater 1 includes a compressor 21 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 22 for supplying heat to the water by heat-exchanging the refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state discharged from the compressor 21 with water inside the water tank 11; It may include an expander 23 for depressurizing the refrigerant condensed through the condenser 22, and an evaporator 24 for evaporating the refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state decompressed through the expander 23 by exchanging heat with external air.

The condenser 22 may be disposed on an outer wall of the water tank 11 disposed indoors. The condenser 22 may be disposed to have a minimum distance for heat exchange with water inside the water tank 11 , or may be disposed to be attached to the outer wall of the water tank 11 .

The condenser 22 may be disposed to be attached to the lower region of the water tank 11 , and a heating region in the water tank 11 is a region where water is heated by receiving heat from a refrigerant flowing through the condenser 22 . (H) may be formed.

A first temperature sensor 51 for measuring the temperature of the water stored in the heating region H may be disposed in the vicinity of the heating region H, and stored in the upper portion of the water tank 11 at the upper portion of the water tank 11 . A second temperature sensor 52 for measuring the temperature of water may be disposed.

The first temperature sensor 51 may measure an average temperature value of water stored in the heating region H, and the second temperature sensor 52 may measure an average temperature value of water discharged through the water outlet pipe 12b. have.

The first temperature sensor 51 may be disposed in the middle of the heating region H or at the midpoint of the condenser 22 attached to the water tank 11, and when the total height of the water tank 11 is 1 , it can be arranged at a height point of 0.21 ratio of the total height from the lowermost side.

The second temperature sensor 52 may be disposed at the same height as the water outlet pipe 12b, and when the overall height of the water tank 11 is 1, the second temperature sensor 52 is to be disposed at a height point of 0.74 of the total height from the lowest side. can

The second temperature sensor 52 and the outlet pipe 12b are disposed at a position higher than the condenser 22 and the heating region H, and the inlet pipe 12a is disposed below the condenser 22 or the condenser 22 It may be disposed at a lower side.

The water heater 1 may further include an auxiliary heat source for rapid heating. For example, an auxiliary heater 60 for supplying additional heat to the heating area H together with the heat pump 20 may be disposed near the heating area H, and the auxiliary heater 60 may include a water tank ( 11) may be disposed in the lower part.

The heat pump 20 may further include a fan 25 for generating an external air flow to help heat exchange in the evaporator 24 .

The water heater 1 may include a controller 40 that controls the operation of the compressor 21 and the overall operation of the water heater 1 . The controller 40 may control not only the compressor 21 but also the operation of the fan 25 and the heater 60 .

The control unit 40 is connected to the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 wirelessly or by wire to receive a signal transmitted from the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 . can In addition, the controller 40 controls the operation of the compressor 21 , the fan 25 and the heater 60 based on the signals received from the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 . can

For example, the controller 40 turns off the compressor 21 when the second temperature sensor 52 and the set temperature differ within a predetermined temperature difference (eg, 2.5 degrees Celsius), otherwise, to drive the compressor 21 . can

In some cases, the condenser 22 may be disposed on the outer wall of the water tank 11 disposed indoors, and the compressor 21 , the expander 23 , the evaporator 24 , and the fan 25 may be disposed outdoors. .

More preferably, the condenser 22 is disposed on the outer wall of the water tank 11 disposed in the room, and the compressor 21, the expander 23, the evaporator 24, and the fan 25 are water disposed inside the room. It may be disposed on the upper part of the tank 11 . That is, the entire product of the compact water heater 1 may be disposed indoors.

3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 3 , in the water heater 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the water tank unit 10 including the hot water supply water tank 11 is disposed at the lower part of the product, and the heat pump is disposed at the upper part of the product. A cycle 20 may be disposed.

The heat pump machine room 20a accommodates the compressor 21 , the evaporator 24 , and the expander 23 of the heat pump cycle 20 , and has a structure separated from the water tank unit 10 . can have

In the heat pump machine room 20a, a suction duct 27 for introducing external air and a discharge duct 28 for discharging internal air may be formed. The suction duct 27 may be connected to an upper side of the heat pump machine room 20a, and the discharge duct 28 may be connected to a side surface of the heat pump machine room 20a. Also, the water tank 11 may be disposed below the heat pump machine room 20a.

The water tank unit 10 under the product includes the water tank 11 , the water inlet pipe 12a formed under the water tank 11 , and the water outlet pipe 12b formed at the upper portion of the water tank 11 . may include According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water tank unit 10 may further include a water outlet pipe selection unit 400 . The water outlet pipe selection unit 400 may be formed on the upper portion of the water tank 11 .

The heat pump cycle 20 includes a compressor 21 for compressing the refrigerant, and a condenser 22 for supplying heat to the water by exchanging heat with water in the water tank 11 with the refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state discharged from the compressor 21 . ), an expander 23 for depressurizing the refrigerant condensed through the condenser 22, and an evaporator 24 for evaporating the refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state decompressed through the expander 23 by exchanging heat with external air. have. The refrigerant circulating in the heat pump cycle 20 exchanges heat with water and air in the condenser 22 and the evaporator 24 which are heat exchangers.

In the heat pump cycle 20 above the product, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circulation pipe according to the operation of the compressor 21 .

The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 passes through the condenser (condensation heat exchanger) 22 surrounding the water tank 11 to exchange heat with the cold water inside the water tank 11 .

The water temperature of the cold water inside the water tank 11 rises through heat exchange, and the refrigerant of the condensing heat exchanger 22 circulates in the upper heat pump cycle 20 as a liquid refrigerant in a supercooled state.

The supercooled refrigerant passes through the expander 23 again and is circulated to the evaporator (evaporative heat exchanger) 24 as a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant. At this time, the fan 25 and the fan motor 25m may help heat exchange by flowing outside air.

According to the exemplary embodiment, the fan motor 25m and the fan 25 rotate to suck the outside air into the heat pump machine room 20a through the suction duct 27 , and the outside air to the evaporative heat exchanger 24 . to allow the refrigerant to absorb heat. Meanwhile, the cooled air may be discharged to the outside of the heat pump machine room 20a through the discharge duct 28 .

In a general heat pump water heater, when the temperature of water in a water tank falls below a certain temperature, the entire inside of the water tank is heated to a set temperature through a heat pump cycle operation. Then, the temperature of the entire water tank is increased to a high temperature state corresponding to the set temperature. On the other hand, the overall temperature of the hot water inside the water tank decreases over time.

The water tank automatically supplies time water (cold water) when hot water is used, and cold water is generally located at the lower end of the water tank because it has a higher density than hot water. For this reason, it is common that the inlet pipe is located at the lower end of the water tank and the water outlet pipe is located at the upper end.

When hot water is used, hot water at the top and cold water at the bottom exist together inside the water tank, and an intermediate layer (thermostat layer) in which the water temperature changes is formed, which is called stratification. The stratification state is dominantly influenced by the use rate of hot water (the inflow rate of cold water), and the thinner the intermediate layer, the better the stratification. When the stratification is well done, the hot water at the top can maintain the temperature well.

Most of the on operation of products using a hot water storage water tank is based on a temperature sensor installed at a specific point among the height of the water tank. When the hot water/cold water boundary (intermediate layer) where the stratification occurs passes through the point where the temperature sensor is installed using hot water, the temperature received by the temperature sensor rapidly drops close to the cold water temperature and is lower than the temperature set by the product. It will work all over the ground. That is, the timing is controlled according to how the thickness of the intermediate layer is formed and the temperature value set to operate on the product. Even if the product setting and use are the same, the height of the water tank and the time of on-operation due to the resolution limit of the temperature sensor may not be the same.

4A and 4B are roads exemplifying the measured temperature of the hot water sensor according to the thickness of the thermostat layer, FIG. 4A exemplifies a case where the thermocup layer is thick, and FIG. 4b exemplifies the case where the thermostat layer is thin.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B , if water is discharged at the same speed, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor decreases with time.

The thermocline layer refers to a temperature change section between hot and cold water, and generally enters the reheating condition set in the temperature sensor value of the water tank in this section.

As shown in FIG. 4A , if the reheating temperature condition is very low in a state in which the thickness of the thermostat layer is thick, it becomes a condition in which a very large amount of tepid water can be discharged. For example, assuming a 200 L-class water tank with a height of 2000 mm and the temperature sensor is around 1500 mm from the floor, if a thermocline layer is formed 500 mm, it will be a situation with about 50 L of tepid water, and a thermocup layer of 500 mm. The operation starts when the middle part of the sensor passes through the 1500 mm sensor position as the reheating condition. However, if there is a lot of water flowing out at this time, the lukewarm water is already discharged before reheating is completed.

Conversely, as shown in Figure 4b, if the thickness of the thermostat layer is thin (for example, at the level of 50 mm), the tepid water between the hot water and the cold water is about 5L, and there is a very small amount, and the 1500 mm high temperature sensor section The temperature sensor can recognize it quickly when passing through.

If the set temperature is low to restart the heat pump at a point close to cold water, the thickness of the thermostat layer acts as a controlled delay time for restart, and the possibility of tepid water outflow increases. Therefore, it can be seen that the thinner the thermocline layer, the more secure the control stability.

Another advantage of having a thin thermocline layer is the maintenance time of the hot water temperature close to the set temperature. The graph of the hot water temperature shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is a graph of the temperature sensor measured value when water is discharged at a constant speed. However, the thickness of the thermocline layer differs only in the slope in the form of a straight line. This means that the overall average shows the same value, and it can be seen that the holding time of hot water is relatively increased in FIG. 4B .

Another benefit that can be obtained when the thermocline layer is thin is an increase in heat pump operation efficiency, which may have different effects depending on the height of the condenser (heat exchanger). This is an advantage that arises from the difference in heat exchange efficiency between operating the heat exchanger while it is contained in the water temperature agent layer and operating it while it is completely immersed in cold water during the reheating operation. In general, there is a saturation point, but the greater the temperature difference between the heat exchanger and the object to be heated (cold water or lukewarm water), the better the heat exchange performance. If the thermocline layer is thin, the possibility of taking a large temperature difference with the heat exchanger increases, and operation becomes possible in a state where the high and low pressure difference of the heat pump cycle is small.

As described above, the advantages obtained when the thickness of the thermostatic layer is thin include securing control stability, increasing the holding time of the hot water temperature close to the set temperature, and increasing the operation efficiency of the heat pump. Therefore, there is a need for a method for thinly preserving the thermostat layer inside the water tank.

5 is a road referenced in the description of the input/exit method of the water heater, FIG. 5 (a) illustrates an upper piping connection method, and FIG. 5 (b) illustrates a side piping connection method.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a general hot water tank 11 for hot water supply has a structure having a water inlet pipe near the lowermost end.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 5 , in the upper pipe connection method, an inlet pipe 510a and an outlet pipe 520a are disposed on the upper part of the water tank 11 , and the inlet pipe 510a is connected to the inside of the water tank 11 . is extended to discharge water to the lower part of the water tank 11 .

Referring to (b) of FIG. 5 , in the side pipe connection method, the water inlet pipe 510b is disposed at the lower side of the water tank 11 , and the water outlet pipe 520b is disposed at the upper side of the water tank 11 . Accordingly, water is discharged to the lower portion of the water tank 11 through the water inlet pipe 510b disposed on the lower side of the water tank 11 .

The water entering through the water inlet pipes 510a and 510b has a high flow rate and thus creates a flow in the water tank 11, which is a cause of preventing the thermocline layer from being maintained.

In particular, when a high mass flow rate is used, the internal flow 530 is generated in a direction in which the water tank 11 collides with the inner wall or is pressurized to increase the flow rate and further mixing of water occurs. For example, water entering the water tank 11 through the water inlet pipes 510a and 510b collides with the inner wall, and then an upward flow 530 occurs. When hot water is used at a high flow rate, the mass flow rate of water entering the water tank 11 is large, so that the inner wall of the water tank 11 is collided and hot water and cold water are forcibly mixed. This internal flow 530 causes the thermocline layer T1 to be thickly formed, which may be fatal to securing control stability.

Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the internal flow 530 to keep the thermocline layer thin.

Figure 6 is a road illustrating an acquisition head according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 (a) illustrates the acquisition head (600a) of the upper pipe connection method, Figure 6 (b) of the side pipe connection method The acquisition head 600b is illustrated.

7 is a road illustrating a configuration of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 (a) illustrates the water tank 11 in which the acquisition head 600a of the upper pipe connection method is disposed, and FIG. The tank 11 is illustrated.

6 and 7, the water heater 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a water tank 11 for accommodating water therein, a water inlet pipe 510a for supplying water to the water tank 11, 510b), the water outlet pipes 520a and 520b for discharging the water contained in the water tank 11, and one end of the inlet pipes 510a and 510b extending into the water tank 11, It may include an acquisition head 600 for discharging the water passing through the acquisition pipe (510a, 510b) into the water tank.

The acquisition head 600, the body 610 connected to the acquisition pipe (510a, 510b), is disposed in the front opening of the body 610 and a front cover 611 including a plurality of injection holes 612 may include The acquisition head 600 discharges water into the water tank 11 through a plurality of injection holes 612, and reduces the flow rate discharged into the water tank 11 to suppress the internal flow, thereby forming the thermostat layer (T2). It can be kept thin.

Referring to Figure 6 (a), the upper pipe connection type of the acquisition head 600a, the body 610 connected to the acquisition pipe 510a, is disposed in the front opening of the main body 610 and a plurality of injection holes a front cover 611 including 612 .

Referring to (a) of FIG. 7 , in the upper pipe connection method, the inlet pipe 510a and the water outlet pipe 520a extend from the upper side of the water tank 11 to the inside of the water tank 11, The length extending into the water tank 11 may be greater in the inlet pipe 510a than in the outlet pipe 520a. The acquisition head (600a) may be connected to the end of the acquisition pipe (510a).

A porous injection hole 612 may be disposed on a flat front surface of the front cover 611 . According to an embodiment, a connector 620 connected to the inlet pipe 510a in a vertical direction may be disposed on the rear surface of the main body 610 . The connection pipe 620 may serve to extend the acquisition pipe 510a closer to the bottom surface.

Referring to (b) of Figure 6, the side pipe connection type of the acquisition head (600b), the body 610 connected to the acquisition pipe (510b), is disposed in the front opening of the main body 610 and a plurality of injection holes a front cover 611 including 612 .

Referring to (b) of FIG. 7 , the inlet pipe 510b and the water outlet pipe 520b extend from the side of the water tank 11 into the water tank 11, and the inlet pipe 510b. The water outlet pipe 520b may be closer to the bottom surface of the water tank 11 than the water outlet pipe 520b. The acquisition head (600b) may be connected to the end of the acquisition pipe (510b).

The acquisition heads 600a and 600b may discharge the water toward the bottom of the water tank 11 in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the water tank 11 .

A porous injection hole 612 may be disposed on a flat front surface of the front cover 611 . According to an embodiment, a connector 630 connected to the inlet pipe 510b in the horizontal direction may be disposed on the rear surface of the main body 610 . The connection pipe 630 may serve to extend the inlet pipe 510b closer to the center of the water tank 11 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water tank 11 has a general shape, but has a different acquisition structure. For example, it may have a structure (porous structure) in which the length of the pipe is increased so as to lower the inlet flow rate, and the hole through which water comes out is increased. At this time, the flow rate of each hole to be discharged is distributed so that it can come out with a very small mass.

A cavity through which water can flow is formed in the inlet pipe (510a, 510b). The total area of the plurality of injection holes 612 may be larger than the area of the inner cavity of the inlet pipe (510a, 510b). The total area of the injection hole 612 of the porous structure may be set to be larger than the area of the tube used in the original acquisition pipe (510a, 510b). The flow rate of water coming out through the porous structure may be relatively slow, and the mass flow rate of water coming out per one nozzle 612 may also be slowed down. Through the porous structure of the acquisition head 600, when the supply of new time water (cold water) to the water tank 11 is made, it is possible to lower the flow rate of the time water.

In addition, the area of each of the plurality of injection holes 612 may be smaller than the area of the inlet pipe (510a, 510b) internal cavity (not shown).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, through the porous structure of the acquisition head 600, by reducing the flow rate and reducing the flow (710, 720), it is possible to preserve the water temperature medicine layer (T2) thinner.

The thin preservation of the thermochemical layer T2 can prevent mixing with each other by clarifying the boundary between hot water and cold water. In addition, the water tank temperature sensor can more clearly determine the degree of use of the hot water due to the thin water thermostat layer T2. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, although the average temperature of the water inside the water tank 11 is the same, the boundary becomes clear, so that it is possible to use a higher temperature than before in the hot water section just above the thermocline layer.

On the other hand, inside the main body 610, a cavity is formed in which the water introduced from the inlet pipes 510a and 510b moves to the front cover 610, and the cavity is the area of the outlet on the front cover 610 side. This may be larger than the area of the inlet side of the inlet pipe (510a, 510b). In some embodiments, the cavity may gradually widen to reduce the flow rate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the porous structure of the acquisition head 600 attenuates the mass flow rate of the incoming water at a high flow rate, thereby dropping the water tank 11 to a flow rate that does not collide with the inner wall. The flows 710 and 720 that occur upward inside the water tank disappear, and the flows 710 and 720 that break the thermocline layer disappear. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the water temperature agent layer (T2) between the hot water heated by the heat pump operation and the fresh cold water while being formed thinly.

For example, the maximum flow rate is 10 LPM, and if water enters the water tank 11 through the 15A (eg, diameter 12.7 mm) inlet pipes 510a and 510b, the water outlet velocity is about 1.3 m/s. will have Usually, the obtained water is discharged toward the bottom, so it spreads out in all directions after colliding with the bottom, which adversely affects the maintenance of the stratification.

If 10 injection holes 612 of the same size are used to lower this to 1/10 level, the flow rate will be 0.13 m/s, and the effect of significantly lowering the generation of internal flow can be seen.

In order to evenly distribute the flow rate in the plurality of injection holes 612, it is advantageous to configure the injection hole 612 to be smaller than the inlet pipe (510a, 510b) and to have a wide total area. If not, it is possible to add a distribution device for even distribution of flow.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when using hot water at a high flow rate, the mass flow rate entering the water tank 11 is large, but after passing through the porous structure having a larger area than the existing pipe, the mass flow rate per injection port 12 is reduced. Accordingly, the amount of water 710 and 720 that strongly collides with the inner wall of the water tank 11 is reduced.

Accordingly, the cold water obtained from the bottom of the water tank 11 may be maintained in a form in which it is gradually accumulated, and the thickness T2 of the thermostat layer may be kept thin.

8 is a diagram illustrating an acquisition head according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 (a) illustrates the acquisition head (600a) of the upper pipe connection method, Figure 8 (b) illustrates the acquisition head (600b) of the side pipe connection method.

8, the front cover 612 may include a plurality of support legs 800 for supporting the acquisition head (600a, 600b). The support leg 800 may contact the bottom surface of the water tank 11 .

In the front cover 612 , the surface on which the porous structure 611 is formed is flat, and unlike taking a porous structure in a tube, the direction of the flow rate may be implemented in a vertical direction. If the tube has a porous structure, the vertical direction is only partially applied, and the exit angle can be varied.

In addition, there is a point that the porous structure of the tube has to be produced in consideration of the hole of the tube during manufacture, and if the operation is wrong, there is a risk of water flow in the lateral direction and in the upward direction. However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface on which the porous structure 611 is formed in the front cover 612 is flat, and has a good structure for installing the support legs 800 for fixing the direction. A distance from the bottom of the water tank 11 may be constantly maintained through the support legs 800 . For example, the acquisition head (600a, 600b), it is advantageous to maintain a distance from the bottom of the water tank (11) within 5 cm.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the thickness T3 of the body 610 has a thin structure, the structure may be more advantageous for stratification.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, even in a situation where a high mass flow rate is used, the thickness of the thermocide layer can be thinly managed by suppressing the amount of upward flow in the water tank.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the thermostat layer can be managed thinly, the possibility that cold or tepid water can be discharged can be suppressed as much as possible, and the heat pump restart time delay through the temperature sensor can be reduced. There is this.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the hot water may be uniformly maintained until the heat pump is restarted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that high-efficiency operation is possible by lowering the possibility that the heat exchanger for heating will include a thermocline layer.

The water heater and its operating method according to the present invention are not limited to the configuration and method of the described embodiments as described above, but all or part of each embodiment is selective so that various modifications can be made to the embodiments. It may be configured in combination with .

In addition, although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims In addition, various modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.

Compressor: 21
Condenser: 22
Evaporator: 24
Controls: 40
Intake Head: 600

Claims (10)

a water tank accommodating water therein;
an inlet pipe for supplying water to the water tank;
an outlet pipe for discharging the water contained in the water tank; and,
Including; and a receiving head connected to one end of the acquisition pipe extending into the water tank and discharging the water passing through the acquisition pipe into the water tank;
The acquisition head,
a body connected to the inlet pipe;
A water heater including a front cover disposed in the front opening of the main body and including a plurality of injection holes. According to claim 1,
The front cover, water heater, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of support legs for supporting the acquisition head. 3. The method of claim 2,
The support leg, the water heater, characterized in that in contact with the bottom surface of the water tank. According to claim 1,
A water heater, characterized in that the area of each of the plurality of injection ports is smaller than the area of the inner cavity of the inlet pipe. According to claim 1,
The total area of the plurality of injection ports is a water heater, characterized in that larger than the area of the inner cavity of the inlet pipe. According to claim 1,
A cavity is formed in the body in which the water introduced from the inlet pipe moves to the front cover, and the cavity has a water heater, characterized in that the area of the outlet on the front cover is larger than the area of the inlet on the side of the inlet pipe. . 7. The method of claim 6,
The water heater, characterized in that the cavity gradually widens. According to claim 1,
The water heater, characterized in that the inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe extend from the upper side of the water tank into the water tank, and the length extending into the water tank is greater than that of the water outlet pipe in the inlet pipe. According to claim 1,
The inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe extend from the side of the water tank into the water tank, and the inlet pipe is closer to the bottom surface of the water tank than the outflow pipe. According to claim 1,
The acquisition head is a water heater, characterized in that for discharging the water toward the bottom of the water tank in the longitudinal direction of the water tank.

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