WO2001067934A2

WO2001067934A2 - Device for generating heat energy

Info

Publication number: WO2001067934A2
Application number: PCT/KR2001/000401
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yolmun Kim
Original assignee: Yolmun Kim
Priority date: 2000-03-15
Filing date: 2001-03-14
Publication date: 2001-09-20
Also published as: AU2001239578A1; KR20010091444A; WO2001067934A3; KR100362469B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for generating heat energy that can serve both as a portable heater and a rice cooker by using the energy source generated in accordance with phase variations. The object of the present invention is to provide a device for generating heat energy capable of doubling heat efficiency by decreasing the amount of waste heat, as well as by minimizing the exhausting amount of the heated steam to the outside so as to minimize waste of water. The present invention is characterized in that, the device comprises a cylindrical body having a receiver stored with water, which generates steam as the water is heated by a heat source; a cover engaging with said cylindrical body to cover the upper part thereof, having a heat exchanging chamber whose upper part communicates with the outside, and whose lower part communicate with the cylindrical body optionally by the difference between the water level of the cooling water stored therein and that of the water in the cylindrical body, and having a steam outlet formed in one side thereof to exhaust the steam therein; a heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, provided so as to be under said cooling water; and a flexible tube connecting the steam outlet of said cover and the inlet of the heat exchanger, so as to discharge the heated steam generated in the cylindrical body into the cooling water via the outlet of the heat exchanger.

Description

DEVICEFOR GENERATING HEATENERGY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for generating heat energy that can serve both as a portable heater and a rice cooker by using the energy source generated in accordance with phase variations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fig. 1 shows a configuration of a device for generating heat energy according to a prior art.

As shown in Fig. 1, a device for generating heat energy of a prior art comprises an upper-opened cylindrical body 1 for storing water, and a cover 2, which engages with the upper-opened part of, said cylindrical body 1.

Said cover 2 seals the cylindrical body 1 by engaging with the upper part of the body 1, and a steam outlet 3 is formed on one side of the cover to exhaust the heated steam generated, as the water in the cylindrical body 1 is heated by a heat source.

A steam recovering space 4 is formed on the central portion of said cover 2 to retrieve the steam exhausted through the steam outlet 3, and a steam inlet 5 is formed on said steam recovering space 4 to take in the steam exhausted through the steam outlet 3 to the steam recovering space 4.

Said steam outlet 3 and said steam inlet 5 are connected by a tube 6. An external hollow tube 7 is vertically disposed on said steam recovering space 4, and a through hole 7b is formed in said external hollow tube 7 to communicate its internal flow path 7a and the steam recovering space 4. An internal hollow tube 8 is screwed fixedly inside said external hollow tube 7 to communicate the flow path 7a of the external hollow tube 7 and the internal hollow path 8a of the internal hollow tube 8.

Accordingly, when the cylindrical body 1 is heated by a heat source such as a burner, after engaging the upper part of the cylindrical body 1 stored with an optimum amount of water with the cover 2, heated steam is generated as the water heats.

The heated steam is retrieved to the steam recovering space 4 via the steam outlet 3, the tube 6 and the steam inlet 5, and all the retrieved steam is exhausted to the outside of the device via the through hole 7b of the external hollow tube 7 and its flow path 7a, and the flow path 8 a of the internal hollow tube 8. On the tube 6 of said device for generating heat energy, a hot mat 9 is connected, and thermal heat is obtained through the hot mat 9.

However, as the device for generating heat energy of the prior art above mentioned has a structure that all the heated steam is exhausted outside without recovering, there is a problem of having much wasted heat, thus causing a poor thermal efficiency. Moreover, since all the heated steam is exhausted outside without being recovered as above mentioned, there are problems of causing the periodicity of water supplement to shorten as waste of water increases, resulting in inconvenience for use, and use of the device to be made useless if in an unfavorable condition of water shortage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to solve the problems above mentioned, and the object of the present invention is to provide a device for generating heat energy capable of doubling heat efficiency by decreasing the amount of waste heat, as well as by minimizing the exhausting amount of the heated steam to the outside so as to minimize waste of water. To attain the object above mentioned, a device for generating heat energy of the present invention comprises: a cylindrical body having a receiver stored with water, which generates steam as the water is heated by a heat source; a cover engaging with said cylindrical body to cover the upper part thereof, having a heat exchanging chamber whose upper part communicates with the outside, and whose lower part communicate with the cylindrical body optionally by the difference between the water level of the cooling water stored therein and that of the water in the cylindrical body, and having a steam outlet formed in one side thereof to exhaust the steam therein; a heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, provided so as to be under said cooling water; and a flexible tube connecting the steam outlet of said cover and the inlet of the heat exchanger, so as to discharge the heated steam generated in the cylindrical body into the cooling water via the outlet of the heat exchanger.

Said heat exchanger has a tubular shape of continuously bending.

Further, a device for generating heat energy of the present invention comprises: a valve hole formed in a partition wall for defining said cylindrical body and said heat exchanging chamber, so as to communicate said cylindrical body and said heat exchanging chamber optionally; an open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber formed on said valve hole in a manner that the ascending range thereof is limited by a valve housing, said open/shut valve descends to open the valve hole by the water pressure in the heat exchanging chamber, when the water level of the cooling water in the heat exchanging chamber is higher than that of the cylindrical body, and ascends to shut the valve hole by the water pressure in the cylindrical body, when the water level of the cooling water in the heat exchanging chamber is lower than or equal to that of the cylindrical body. Between said partition wall and said heat exchanging chamber, a heat shut-off space is provided to shut off exchange of heat between the partition wall and the heat exchanging chamber, by forming an air layer with the outside air flowed in. In the steam outlet of said cover, an open/shut valve is provided, and on the other side, a safety valve is provided to exhaust the steam when the steam pressure in the cylindrical body is more than a predetermined pressure.

Between the lower end of said cover and the exterior wall of said cylindrical body, a heat recovering part having a spaced shape is provided to retrieve the ascending heat emanating from the cylindrical body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a device for generating heat energy according to a prior art.

Fig. 2 is a disassembled perspective view showing a configuration of a device for generating heat energy according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an engaged state of a device for generating heat energy according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an open state of the buoyant valve of Fig. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings.

Fig. 2 is a disassembled perspective view showing a configuration of a device for generating heat energy according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an engaged state of a device for generating heat energy according to the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a device for generating heat energy of the present invention comprises: a cylindrical body 10 having a receiver 11 stored with water, which generates steam as the water is heated by a heat source; a cover 20 engaging with said cylindrical body 10 to cover the upper part thereof, having a heat exchanging chamber 21 whose upper part communicates with the outside, and whose lower part communicate with the cylindrical body 10 optionally by the difference between the water level of the cooling water stored therein 21 and that of the water in the cylindrical body 10, and having a steam outlet 22 formed in one side thereof 10 to exhaust the steam therein; a heat exchanger 30 having an inlet 31 and an outlet 32, provided so as to be under said cooling water; and a flexible tube 40 connecting the steam outlet 22 of said cover 20 and the inlet 31 of the heat exchanger 30, so as to discharge the heated steam generated in the cylindrical body 10 into the cooling water via the outlet 32 of the heat exchanger 30. The upper part of said heat exchanging chamber 21 is covered with a lower cover

23, and in said lower cover 23, a hole 24 is formed to communicate with the outside. Over said lower cover 23, an upper cover 25 is placed to engage with the cover 20, and in said upper cover 25, a hole 26 is also formed to communicate with the outside.

Accordingly, since the heat exchanging chamber 21 is always in a state of communicating with the outside through the holes 24, 26 formed in the lower cover 23 and upper cover 25 respectively, the remaining steam in the heat exchanging chamber 21 is exhausted through the holes 24, 26 by itself.

On a partition wall 50 defining said cylindrical body 10 and said heat exchanging chamber 21, a valve hole 51 is formed, and in said valve hole 51, an open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60 is provided as a means of opening or shutting the valve hole 51 optionally, as the valve 60 descends or ascends in accordance with the difference between the water level of the cylindrical body 10 and that of the heat exchanging chamber 21.

Also, an ascending and descending range of said open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60 is limited by a valve housing 61 enclosing the exterior thereof, and on the circumferential surface of the open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60, a sealer 62 such as O-ring is provided so as to maintain the gap between the open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60 and the valve housing 61 airtight, when the former 60 have contacted the latter 61. Said heat exchanger 30 has a spiral shape of bending the flow path continuously, so as to cool the heated steam passing therethrough more effectively. However, it is not limited to such a shape, but it goes without saying that a shape capable of forming the maximum flow path within the range of limited size of the heat exchanging chamber 21 may be employed. Between said partition wall 50 and the exterior wall of said heat exchanging chamber 21, a heat shut-off space 70 is formed so as to shut off heat exchange between the cylindrical body 10 and the heat exchanging chamber 21, by forming a air layer with the outside air flowed in through the hole 26 of said upper cover 25 and the hole 24 of said lower cover 23. Said heat shut-off space 70 can prevent decline of heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchanging chamber 21, by shutting off the high thermal heat in the cylindrical body 10 from being transmitted to the heat exchanging chamber 21 having lower temperature relatively.

In the steam outlet 22 of said cover 20, an open/shut valve 27 is provided so as to open or shut the steam outlet 22 if necessary, and on the other one side, a safety valve 28 is provided to exhaust the steam when the steam pressure in the cylindrical body 10 is more than a predetermined pressure. This safe valve 28 has a function of exhausting the steam to the outside, when using the device for generating heat energy as a rice cooker. Between the lower end of said cover 20 and the exterior wall of said cylindrical body 10, a heat recovering part 80 is provided to retrieve the ascending heat emanated from the cylindrical body 10, said heat recovering part 80 having a open-typed spaced shape to retrieve the ascending heat effectively, so that the recovering part 80 can minimize waste of heat amount. Next, an operation of the present invention thus constructed will be described in detail referring to Fig. 2 through Fig. 4. Here, Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of an open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber of Fig. 3 in the open state.

First, after pouring a suitable of water into the cylindrical body 10 when the cylindrical body 10 and the cover 20 are separated, the cylindrical body 10 and the cover 20 are engaged.

Then, after opening the upper part the heat exchanging chamber 21 by separating the upper cover 25 and the lower cover 23, a predetermined amount of cooling water (water of low temperature) is poured into the heat exchanging chamber 21, as much water as to maintain the water level at making the heat exchanger 30 provided in the heat exchanging chamber 21 be under water.

When setting of the device for generating heat energy is completed, the cylindrical body 10 is heated by a heat source such as a burner. At the time when the water stored in the cylindrical body 10 is boiling, the heated steam generates.

The heated steam thus generated exhausts through the steam outlet 22 formed in the cover 20 and flows into the heat exchanger 30 via the tube 40 connected to the steam outlet 22. The steam flowed into the heat exchanger 30 discharges into the cooling water via the outlet 32 of the heat exchanger 30 already being under water. Then, most of the steam liquefies to remain in the cooling water, but the non-liquefied rest exhausts through the holes 24, 25 of the upper cover 25 and the lower cover 23 respectively. Since most of the steam is liquefied during the above process, only the minimum steam not liquefied is exhausted to the outside. Accordingly, as the amount of wastewater is minimized, doubling of heat efficiency can be achieved.

As the operations above-mentioned are repeated, the water level of the cooling water rises gradually. When the water level of the cooling water rises higher than that of the water of the cylindrical body 10, the open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60 provided in the lower part of the heat exchanging chamber 21 descends as being controlled by the water pressure in the chamber 21. Accordingly, the valve hole 51, which has been shut by the open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60, opens, making the cylindrical body 10 and the heat exchanging chamber 21 communicate. Then, as the cooling water in the heat exchanging chamber 21 flows into the cylindrical body 10 through the valve hole 51, the water levels of the heat exchanging chamber 21 and the cylindrical body 10 become balanced.

At the time when the water levels are balanced, the open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60 ascends as being controlled by the water pressure in the cylindrical body 10, making the communication between the heat exchanging chamber 21 and the cylindrical body 10 shut off. Accordingly, exchange of heat between the heat exchanging chamber 21 and the cylindrical body 10 becomes in a state of shutting off.

Heat energy can be generated by repeating such a series of process as mentioned above. When the water is consumed, supplement of water is enough to maintain continuous use of the device. However, as described above, the present invention has an advantage that the device can be used even at the open air where water is lacked, because the periodicity of water supplement is long and the amount of wasted heat is small, owing to the maximum suppression of the exhausting amount of steam.

If a mat 90 is connected to said tube 40, the mat can be used at the open air as a heating mat, because the mat 90 is warmed by the temperature of the heated steam passing through the tube 40.

Further, the device for generating heat energy of the present invention can be used as a rice cooker. When cooking rice, the cylindrical body 10 can be heated, after putting a suitable amount of rice and water in the cylindrical body 10, and then lidding the cover 20.

In this case, when the steam outlet 22 formed in one side of said cover 20 is shut off, as well as the safety valve 28 provided in the other side is opened, the steam pressure in the cylindrical body 10 reaches a predetermined pressure, making the steam exhaust to the outside. The reason of shutting off the steam outlet 22 is to prevent the circulation of the steam. If the steam circulates, the steam converts into water as mentioned above, and flows into the cylindrical body 10 again, making the cooking be impossible.

In the present invention, as above described, most of the recovered steam is liquefied and reused, so that evaporation is minimized to decrease waste water. Accordingly, as the device lasts long with one-time pouring of water, it can be used even at the open air where lacks water.

Also, there is an advantage of convenience, as the periodicity of water supplement is long.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A device for generating heat energy comprising: a cylindrical body 10 having a receiver 11 stored with water, which generates steam as the water is heated by a heat source; a cover 20 engaging with said cylindrical body 10 to cover the upper part thereof, having a heat exchanging chamber 21 whose upper part communicates with the outside, and whose lower part communicate with the cylindrical body 10 optionally by the difference between the water level of the cooling water stored therein 21 and that of the water in the cylindrical body 10, and having a steam outlet 22 formed in one side thereof 10 to exhaust the steam therein; a heat exchanger 30 having an inlet 31 and an outlet 32, provided so as to be under said cooling water; and a flexible tube 40 connecting the steam outlet 22 of said cover 20 and the inlet 31 of the heat exchanger 30, so as to discharge the heated steam generated in the cylindrical body 10 into the cooling water via the outlet 32 of the heat exchanger 30.

2. A device for generating heat energy according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger has a tubular shape of continuously bending.

3. A device for generating heat energy according to claim 1, wherein on a partition wall 50 defining said cylindrical body 10 and said heat exchanging chamber 21, a valve hole 51 is formed; and in said valve hole 51, an open/shut valve of heat exchanging chamber 60 is provided as a means of opening or shutting the valve hole 51 optionally, as the valve 60 descends or ascends in accordance with the difference between the water level of the cylindrical body 10 and that of the heat exchanging chamber 21.

4. A device for generating heat energy according to claim 1, wherein between said partition wall 50 and said heat exchanging chamber 21, a heat shut-off space 70 is formed so as to shut off heat exchange between the cylindrical body 10 and the heat exchanging chamber 21, by forming a air layer with the outside air flowed in.

5. A device for generating heat energy according to claim 1, wherein in the steam outlet 22 of said cover 20, an open/shut valve 27 capable of opening and shutting is provided, and on the other side, a safety valve 28 is provided to exhaust the steam when the steam pressure in the cylindrical body 10 is more than a predetermined pressure.

6. A device for generating heat energy according to claim 1, wherein between the lower end of said cover 20 and said cylindrical body 10, a heat recovering part 80 is provided to retrieve the ascending heat emanated from the cylindrical body 10.