NZ560563A - Dielectric heating apparatus for heating water - Google Patents

Abstract

A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus is disclosed. The dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus comprises an inlet (1) and outlet (2), first and second electrically non-conducting spacers (3, 4) which couple to and separate first and second electrode structures (5, 6), first and second electrically non-conducting outer cover plates which couple to each side of the electrode structures (5, 6), and an alternating voltage source (10). A water path (9) is defined between the electrode structures (5, 6) and the cover plates through which water flows from the inlet (1), through the apparatus where it is heated, to the outlet (2). The first and second electrode structures (5, 6) are connected to an alternating voltage source that creates an alternating electric field between the first and second electrode structures (5, 6) that permeates the water in water path (9) which leads to heating of the water as it flows through the apparatus from the inlet (1) to the outlet (2).

Description

Form §60563 Patents Act 1953 'age 1 of 1 *10056661334* Complete Specification You can view IP details of registered Intellectual Property at www.iponz.govt.nz Where priority as provided by subsection (2) or subsection (3) of section 11 of the Patents Act 1953 is wanted in respect of one or more provisional specifications, please quote the number(s) below Patent Numbers) Dalo(s) 560 S"6 ~t, Title of invention: Pt'gJec^vve k ceding and QpfiawdivL? J&C tf gtg r ht-^kecl md? it(s) as in, O IT (otWe) (State full name, address, and nationality ot applicants) Ihr^hCu-LCS (E.O VArs: c o/^ *? A application form) Mo/uli r Jh£.A Ciiri hereby declare the invention, for which 1 (jjwwe) pray that a patent may be granted to me (q&ab-), and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement (On the next page begin full description of invention. The continuation of the specification should be upon paper of the same size as this form, on one side only, with the lines well spaced and with a margin of 2.5 cm on the left hand part of the paper. The completion of the description should be followed by the claim or claims numbered consecutively. (See note below.) The specification must be signed at the end) NOTE.-The claims must relate to a single invention, must be clear and succinct, and must be fairly based on the matter disclosed in the specification. They should form in brief a clear statement of that which constitutes the invention. Applicants should be careful that their claims include neither more nor less than they desire to protect by their patent. Any unnecessary multiplicity of claims or prolixity of language should be avoided. Claims should not be made for the efficiency or advantages of the invention.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFIOF OF n.Z. i ? mi»» RECEIVED *■ Economic Development M B I! fi I u imeliertuaf Property Office ; of Nev; Zealand For assis jnce completing this form please call 0508 4 IPONZ (0508 447 669) www.iponz.govt.nz 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 Dielectric heating method and apparatus for the instantaneous production of heated water or other heated fluid.

Field of the present invention The present invention relates generally to a water heating apparatus and more particularly to an instantaneous water heating apparatus that employs a dielectric heating system to heat water or other fluid as it flows through the apparatus.

Background of the present invention There are two main types of water heating apparatus; • Storage water heaters.

• Instantaneous water heaters.

Storage water heaters: Storage water heaters employ a tank/cylinder for storing hot water. Most hot water cylinders available today heat water by the use of one or more resistive electric elements that are immersed directly into the water to be heated or make use of an indirect heat source such as tubular coils, which are supplied with a flow of hot water from a boiler or gas flame. Cold water enters at the bottom of the cylinder to replace the hot water that is used, since hot water is less dense it rises and thus floats on top of the cold water. Hot water is thus taken from the top of the cylinder. The cold water is heated over time ready for when hot water is next required.

Disadvantages of storage water heaters: Storage water heaters store 20 to 80 gallons or more of hot water in an insulated tank for use when required. However this leads to constant heat loss through the cylinder walls (standby heat loss) which can account for up to 60 percent of the total cost of heating water. Thus the gas burner or electric element has to continuously reheat the same water even when no water is being used.

The temperature of the stored water decays exponentially with time. Hence keeping the water hot implies that the water is always cooling at its greatest rate, the loss of heat being rectified by regular boosts from the heat source. This is inefficient, resulting in a higher cost of operation of the unit.

Since water is heated over time, once the available heated water is consumed, no more is available until the storage tank/cylinder has had its volume of water reheated to a useable temperature.

The resistive heating elements used to heat the water are electrodes and because they are in direct contact with the water, cavitation can occur on the surface of the heating elements resulting in damage that can eventually destroy them.

Resistive elements have a small surface area in relation to the volume of water to be heated, thus it takes longer to heat the water and therefore the whole process is less efficient and more costly. This is also a problem for hot water cylinders making use of indirect heat sources. Other problems with indirect heat sources such as a gas flame are that of pollution from the flue gases, energy losses in 2 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 the flue gases, and issues related to safety.

With both configurations the water in the cylinder below the heat source does not come directly into contact with it, becomes stratified and is heated only by conduction through the water and down the walls of the cylinder. The useful storage volume of the cylinder is therefore less than the actual volume of water. In addition the water below the heat source typically reaches temperatures of only 30° - 35°C and at these temperatures bacteria such as Legionella bacteria can multiply.

Instantaneous (tank-less) water heaters: Instantaneous water heaters (tank-less water heaters), provide hot water without using a storage tank. Like storage water heaters, instantaneous water heaters use either gas or electricity to operate. Cold water flows through a conduit in the unit and is heated as it flows by either a gas burner or an electric element and leaves the unit as hot water. Instantaneous water heaters can be very cost effective because unlike conventional water heaters, they do not have standby losses incurred by continuous use of energy to maintain water in a tank to a set temperature. They are also space savers in that they are only a fraction of the size of a storage water heater, so can be placed anywhere that hot water is required thereby reducing the plumbing requirements and heat loss in the pipes which is another source of heat loss and therefore cost.

Instantaneous electric element heaters can be slow to heat, making rapid liquid heating difficult. Similarly, the heating element, once heated, remains hot until the heat has dissipated into the environment, causing the liquid to continue to heat after the heater has been turned off. Gas units generally produce higher flow rates than electric units.

Energy Factor: The term "Energy Factor" characterizes the efficiency of both storage and instantaneous water heaters. The energy factor is the portion of the energy going into the water heater that gets turned into usable hot water under average conditions. It takes into account heat loss through the walls of the tank, heat loss in the flue, and in combustion. The higher the energy factor, the more efficient the heater. Since instantaneous water heaters don't have the losses associated with tanks, their energy factors are higher and can be as much as 50% more energy efficient than storage water heating systems depending on the amount of hot water used and how close the instantaneous units are to the hot water outlet.

Dielectric heating: Dielectric heating (also known as RF or high-frequency heating) is the phenomenon by which high frequency electromagnetic radiation heats a dielectric material. There are two principal mechanisms by which a dielectric material can be heated: 1. Dipole rotation: molecular rotation occurs in materials containing polar molecules having an electrical dipole moment, which will align themselves in the prescence of an electric field by rotating in place; as the field alternates the molecules reverse direction, and the successive rotations causes heat through friction at the molecular level. 2. Electrical conduction: current flow in the oscillating electric field allows the material to absorb energy as heat.

Dielectric heating can be used to heat solids, liquids, or gases.

A water molecule has two hydrogen atoms attached to an oxygen atom, however, the electrons tend 3 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 to congregate around the oxygen atom more than around the hydrogen thus the overall water molecule is neutral and does not carry a charge but the imbalance of the electrons creates a polar molecule.

Not all materials are equally suitable for dielectric heating. The ease with which a dielectric material can be heated is represented by the loss-factor. Dielectric loss can be defined as a loss of energy which eventually produces a rise in temperature of a dielectric placed in an alternating electric field. The higher the loss-factor, the more energy can be absorbed in the material. For dielectric heating, a high loss factor is a favourable property.

Water has a high dielectric constant of 78 at 25 deg centigrade. Due to this high dielectric constant, it has been used as a dielectric in capacitors, in low-impedance, high pulsed-power applications. However it is prone to breakdown under high voltage stress over short durations and due to the polar dipole, it has a relatively high dielectric loss (high loss factor). While the high loss factor is a disadvantage for water when used as a dielectric in a capacitor, it is very advantageous when used as the dielectric in a dielectric heating application such as heating said dielectric by permeating the water or other fluid with a high frequency electric field. High frequencies in high loss dielectrics result in significant heating which is what is required.

The power that is dissipated in a dielectric material is given by the following formula: P = 2TT(f)(eO)(LF)(E) where; P is in W/m3. f is the frequency of the electric field in Hz. eO is the dielectric constant of a vacuum (8.84-10-12 F/m).

LF is the loss factor of the dielectric (0 - 40 for water).

E is the electric field strength permeating the dielectric in V/m.

The dielectric instantaneous water heating apparatus described herein makes use of the principle of dielectric heating to instantaneously heat water or other fluid. The amount of energy transferred to the dielectric (water or other fluid) and therefore the amount of heating is defined by maximising the variables described in the above equation for power dissipation.

In a conventional capacitor the approach is to minimise the dielectric loss within the dielectric of the capacitor that can lead to an increase in heat of the dielectric. However in the water heating apparatus described herein the object is to maximise this dielectric loss so that as much energy as possible is transferred to the dielectric (water or other fluid) as it flows through the apparatus.

Statement of the invention: The general object of the invention is to provide an improved water heater, which obviates for all intents and purposes the aforementioned problems in the art.

In particular, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved water heater, which is capable of quickly heating water to a desired temperature. 4 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 Another object of the current invention is to provide an improved water heater, which is more efficient, and therefore less expensive to run than prior art water heaters.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved water heater, which is capable of providing hot running water without the use of electric resistive elements or other preparatory apparatus.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved water heater, which heats water as it flows through the apparatus.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved instantaneous water heater, which provides a basis for more efficient control of the temperature of the delivered water.

In order to accomplish these and other objectives, the present invention employs dielectric heating via electrical conduction and dipole rotation, to maximise dielectric loss in water or other fluid to heat said water or other fluid as it passes through the apparatus without the aforementioned preparatory devices.

The present invention may include two electrode structures which comprise a plurality of conductive metal plates mounted in parallel spatial orientation to one another and are further orientated such that the plates of one electrode structure are opposite and in between the plates of the second electrode structure.

The present invention may also include two electrically non-conducting spacers that enable the two electrode structures to be electrically isolated from one another.

The present invention may also include two electrically non-conducting cover plates that are also thermally non-conducting.

The present invention may also have a voltage source that is electrically connected to the two electrode structures. This voltage source may be alternating in nature.

The present invention may also include a conduit structure that is formed from a combination of the space between the two electrode structures and further bounded by the two electrically nonconducting spacers and the electrically non-conducting cover plates. The purpose of the conduit structure being to allow the passage water or other fluid through the space between the two electrode structures.

The present invention may also have a dielectric (water or other fluid) that occupies the conduit structure that exists in the space between the two electrode structures.

The present invention may also include an oscillating electric field, created by an alternating voltage source connected to the two electrode structures that permeates the conduit structure between the said electrode structures.

The present invention may also include an electrode structure material that is a good conductor of electricity.

The present invention accomplishes a heating effect in the water or other fluid that flows through or 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 otherwise occupies the conduit structure by maximising the dielectric loss in the said water or other fluid.

The present invention may also create heat in water or other fluid that occupies the conduit structure by molecular friction between neighboring molecules and electrical conduction due to the presence of an oscillating electric field.

The dielectric heating provided by the present invention is capable of producing continuous hot running water from tap water, as well as heated water or other fluid from other sources, without the aforementioned prior art heating devices.

The dielectric heating provided by the present invention is capable of producing steam from a water source or high pressure steam from a continuous pressurised water source.

The dielectric heating provided by the present invention is capable of a host of other potential applications where a fluid (gas or liquid) is required to be channeled through conduit while at the same time have an alternating or constant electric field applied to said fluid.

Brief description of the drawings Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1: is a simple overview of the conceptual operation of the dielectric water heating apparatus showing the relationship between fluid flow, electricity supply, electrical design and mechanical design in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2: is a view of a an electrode structure in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3: is an orthographic view of the dielectric water heating apparatus (not including electrical connections) in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4: is a perspective sectioned view through the dielectric water heating apparatus (not including electrical connections) in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention .

Fig. 5: is an external perspective view of the dielectric water heating apparatus showing first and second non-conducting cover plates and electrically non-conducting separators (not including electrical connections), in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention .

Fig. 6: is an orthographic view of the dielectric water heating apparatus showing the electrical connections to a supply of electrical voltage in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention The following is a detailed description of the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purposes of illustrating the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention is described by the appended claims. 6 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 With reference to figures 1 to 6 and in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, an improved instantaneous, dielectric water heating apparatus is provided which comprises an inlet aperture (1), an outlet aperture (2), a first electrically non-conducting spacer (3), a second electrically non-conducting spacer (4), a first electrode structure (5), a second electrode structure (6), a first electrically non-conducting cover plate (7), a second electrically nonconducting cover plate (8), a conduit structure (9), an alternating voltage source (10).

The first electrode structure (5) comprises a plurality of electrically conducting metal plates that are electrically and physically connected to each other and orientated in such a way that each plate is in parallel spatial relation to its neighbouring plate such that a space is realised between each said plate. A pictorial representation of this arrangement is given in Fig.2. A second electrode structure (6) is orientated relative to the said first electrode structure in such a way that the plates of the second electrode structure are orientated in opposite, parallel spatial relation to the plates of the first electrode structure such that a plate of one electrode structure is opposite and in between a plate of the second electrode structure in an interleaving arrangement but are not physically connected. The second electrode structure is electrically separated from the first electrode structure by first and second electrically non-conducting separators (3)(4). The first and second electrode structures are further aligned in such a way that the space between the plates of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure is the same for every plate and is further orientated such that the plates of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure are parallel in a longitudinal fashion along the entire length of each said plate. A pictorial representation of this arrangement is given in Fig.3 and Fig.4.

The conduit structure (9) is the space that exists between opposite plates of the first and second electrode structures (5)(6) when aligned and orientated as previously described and is further bounded by the first and second electrically non-conducting separators (3)(4) and the first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates (7)(8). The first and second electrically nonconducting cover plates bound the first and second electrode structures and first and second nonconducting separators at their outer edges to form a sealed environment to contain water or other fluid. A first electrically non-conducting cover plate covers the entirety of one side the first and second electrode structures and first and second non-conducting separators when aligned as previously described at their outer edges and the second electrically non-conducting cover plate covers the entirety of the other side of the first and second electrode structures and first and second non-conducting separators whereby the first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates are physically connected to all the outer edges of the first and second electrode structures and and first and second non-conducting separators. The aforementioned conduit structure is therefore sealed in such a way that water or other fluid can only enter the conduit structure though the inlet aperture and exit the conduit structure through the outlet aperture. A pictorial representation of this arrangement can be seen in Fig.3, Fig.4 and also Fig.5.

The first and second electrode structures (5)(6), separated by the first and second electrically nonconducting separators (3)(4) are connected to an alternating or direct current voltage source (10), see Fig. 6. The said alternating voltage creates an oscillating electric field between the adjacent, parallel orientated, opposite plates of the first and second electrode structures. The said electric field permeates the space between said opposite plates of the first and second electrode structures and thus permeates the conduit structure (9) and any fluid that occupies the conduit structure. Thus, the first and second electrode structures and the conduit structure therein, are electrically the same as, and act in the same manner as, a parallel plate capacitor (see Fig.l), with the water or other fluid flowing/contained therein acting as the dielectric. 7

Claims (15)

560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 Water or other fluid (represented by arrows in Fig.l and which also represent fluid flow) enters the conduit structure (9) through the inlet aperture (1) and forms the dielectric between opposite plates of the first and second electrode structures (5)(6). The said electric field that permeates the conduit structure also permeates any fluid that occupies/flow through the conduit structure. The said electric field causes the dipole of the water molecules that are acting as a dielectric to rotate their orientation in order to align themselves with the direction of the applied electric field as will all other molecules that occupy the conduit structure. When the voltage source (10) connected to the first and second electrode structures is of an alternating nature, an oscillating electric field is created. A water molecule or other polar molecule in the conduit structure will attempt to align its dipole with the continually changing direction of the electric field, this in turn will cause the water molecule or other molecule to rotate or move in some way to achieve this alignment. This continual rotation or movement in molecular orientation will result in friction with neighbouring molecules at the molecular level which leads to friction heating of said water water molecules or other molecules resulting in the heating of water or other fluid that occupies said conduit structure. The voltage source connected to the first and second electrode structures also causes a flow of current in the dielectric (water or other fluid) that occupies the conduit structure between the said first and second electrode structures. The flow of current creates a second heating effect by the process of electrical conduction whereby current flow in the oscillating electric field allows the material to absorb energy as heat. The overall heating process, by molecular friction and electrical conduction, occurs continuously in the water or other fluid as it flows through/occupies the conduit structure (9). Thus water or other fluid entering the conduit structure through the inlet aperture (1), exits the conduit structure through the outlet aperture (2) as water or other fluid that is hotter than its temperature at the inlet aperture. In summary, during operation, water enters the preferred embodiment of the present invention through an inlet aperture and occupies a conduit structure that is the space between the first and second electrode structures and further bounded by first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates and first and second electrically non-conducting spacers. The water or other fluid acts as a dielectric between said first and second electrode structures. The whole arrangement is electrically the same as an electric parallel plate capacitor (as depicted in Fig.l). An alternating voltage connected to said first and second electrode structures, separated by said first and second electrically non-conducting spacers, creates on alternating electric field that permeates said dielectric and heats said dielectric by the processes of molecular friction heating and electrical conduction heating as described above. The said processes, known collectively as dielectric heating result in an instantaneous temperature rise in the water or other fluid as it flows through/occupies the conduit structure. The heated water or other fluid then exits the first preferred embodiment of the present invention through the outlet aperture. Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof. What I claim is;

1. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus comprising: an inlet aperture (1), an outlet aperture (2), a first electrically non-conducting spacer (3), a second electrically nonconducting spacer (4), a first electrode structure (5), a second electrode structure (6), a first electrically non-conducting outer cover plate (7), a second electrically non-conducting cover 8 560563 Received at IPONZ 4/06/2010 plate (8), a conduit structure (9), an alternating voltage source (10); water or other fluid enters the water heating apparatus through the inlet aperture from an external source and enters the conduit structure which is an internal passageway of the water heating apparatus; the physical boundaries of the said passageway are the first electrode structure, the second electrode structure, the first electrically non-conducting spacer, the second electrically nonconducting spacer, the first electrically non-conducting outer cover plate and the second electrically non-conducting outer cover plate; water or other fluid occupies/flows through the conduit structure between the first and second electrode structures and between the first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates; the first and second electrode structures are electrically isolated from each other by first and second electrically non-conducting spacers that are physically connected to each of the first and second electrode structures; the first and second electrode structures are connected to an alternating voltage source that creates an alternating electric field between said first and second electrode structures that permeates the said conduit structure that exists between said first and second electrode structures and also permeates the water or other fluid that flows through/occupies said conduit structure causing the molecules of the said water or other fluid to continually align themselves with the instantaneous direction of the electric field causing intermolecular friction leading to direct heating of the water molecules or other fluid molecules of the water or other fluid that occupies the conduit structure; water or other fluid is heated to the desired temperature as it flows through/occupies the conduit structure and leaves the water heating apparatus through the outlet aperture as heated water.

2. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where the first electrode structure is a one piece, uniform, contiguous unit composed of a plurality of electrically conductive metal plates that are physically connected together and mounted in parallel spatial orientation to one another with a space in between.

3. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where the second electrode structure is a one piece, uniform, contiguous unit composed of a plurality of electrically conductive metal plates that are physically connected together and mounted in parallel spatial orientation to one another with a space in between.

4. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 and 4, where the second electrode structure is orientated relative to the first electrode structure in such a way that the plates of the first electrode structure are opposite, parallel to and in between the plates of the second electrode structure in an interleaving arrangement such that there is no physical connection between the first and second electrode structures.

5. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where the first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates are physically connected to the first and second electrode structures and the first and second electrically non-conducting spacers at their outer edges such that one cover plate is connected to the outer edges of one side of the said first and second electrode structures and one side of the first and second electrically non-conducting spacers and the other cover plate is connected to the outer edges of the other side of the first and second electrode structures and first and second electrically nonconducting spacers.

6. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, where the first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates and the first and second electrically non-conducting spacers are also thermally non-conducting. 9 560563 Received at IPONZ 6/07/2010

7. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims where the conduit structure is a sealed environment whereby water or other fluid can only enter said conduit structure though the inlet aperture and exit the conduit structure though the outlet aperture.

8. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where the water or other fluid that occupies the conduit structure acts as a dielectric between the first and second electrode structures.

9. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims where the alternating voltage applied across the conduit structure that exists between first and second electrode structures, creates an alternating electric field that permeates the said dielectric.

10. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims where the said alternating electric field heats the said dielectric that occupies or flows through the conduit structure, by the processes of molecular friction heating and electrical conduction heating known collectively as dielectric heating.

11. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims where the said alternating electric field causes the molecules of the water or other fluid occupying the conduit structure to align to the direction of the electric field due to the existence of a dipole in the molecule or other electrical imbalance in the electrical characteristics of the molecules that causes the same.

12. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the material of the first and second electrode structures is an electrical conductor.

13. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, where the heating effect is accomplished by maximising the dielectric loss in the water or other fluid as it flows through/occupies the conduit structure of the apparatus.

14. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, where maximising of the dielectric loss in the said water or other fluid is accomplished by applying an alternating electric field that permeates said water or other fluid in the conduit structure due to the presence of an alternating voltage that is present across said conduit structure.

15. A dielectric, instantaneous, water heating apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, where the space between the first and second electrode structures, bounded by first and second electrically non-conducting cover plates and first and second electrically nonconducting spacers that forms the conduit structure for the flow of water or other fluid through the apparatus, can be of any shape that allows a said flow or passage of water or other fluid through the conduit structure of the apparatus for the purpose of being heated by the processes of molecular friction heating and electrical conduction heating known collectively as dielectric heating. 10