Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H9/00—Details
  • F24H9/20—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
  • F24H9/2007—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters
  • F24H9/2014—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters using electrical energy supply
  • F24H9/2021—Storage heaters
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H15/00—Control of fluid heaters
  • F24H15/20—Control of fluid heaters characterised by control inputs
  • F24H15/212—Temperature of the water
  • F24H15/223—Temperature of the water in the water storage tank
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H15/00—Control of fluid heaters
  • F24H15/30—Control of fluid heaters characterised by control outputs; characterised by the components to be controlled
  • F24H15/395—Information to users, e.g. alarms
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H9/00—Details
  • F24H9/18—Arrangement or mounting of grates or heating means
  • F24H9/1854—Arrangement or mounting of grates or heating means for air heaters
  • F24H9/1863—Arrangement or mounting of electric heating means

Definitions

• the present patent relates to an electric or gas accumulator water heater and to a flange for the same.
• the accumulator water heaters are equipped with a tank, an inlet pipe for cold water that is inserted in the lower part of the water heater and an outlet pipe for hot water taken from the uppermost part of the tank.
• a removable flange for inspection and maintenance operations.
• hi electric water heaters upon said flange are mounted one or more electric resistances, a thermostat provided with one or more temperature sensors and a possible anticorrosion device, usually formed from a magnesium anode.
• the flange most commonly used is circular in shape and mounted on the exterior of the tank; however it can often also be oval-shaped and mounted on the exterior or on the surge tank.
• the electric resistances mounted in the flange are adapted to heat the cold water as it enters, and these can be either accordion or spiral type electric resistances in order to obtain a compromise between the need for adequate spiral length and the possibility of insertion and extraction of the flange on which the electric resistance is mounted.
• the thermostat contains one or more temperature sensors suitable to measure the water temperature inside the tank, both during the normal operation and in order to guarantee the safety in case of breakdown.
• a thermostat comprises an electric contact (of cutoff or switching type) actuated from an element sensing to the temperature, and a device for regulating the threshold temperature.
• thermostats currently used in water heaters may be either rod or bulb-type or electronic or of "clickson" type.
• the working of the rod thermostat is based on the principle of the different thermal dilatation coefficient of two materials, and is generally composed of a brass rod with an invar core.
• the working of the bulb-type is based on a hydraulic principle, since the bulb contains a liquid whose volume varies in connection with temperature variations.
• the temperature sensor (which can be a NTC sensor or, more rarely, a PCT sensor) comprises an electric resistivity conductor which varies in function of the temperature and an electronic logic which acts on current switches in function of the detected temperature.
• the sensing/actuators elements are formed from so-called “bimetallic” disks, obtained from sheets constituted from two layers of different metals and appropriate different thermal dilation coefficient.
• the temperature sensors can be inserted in an appropriate sheath, directly immersed in the water of the tank and generally connected to the flange of the water heater.
• the immersion of the sensor in the water of the tank guarantees precision and rapidity in the regulation of the temperature.
• a sheath limits the possibility to utilize variously-shaped electric resistances, and, more precisely, it is impossible to utilize L-shaped electric resistances, due to the presence of the sheath that would preclude the insertion of the flange in the tank.
• Said difficulty is particularly emphasized in the flanges mounted on the surge tank, that, for being mounted, need more freedom in order to permit complicates movements.
• the sensors can be inserted in a so-called "tie" which is placed close to the external surface of the tank, usually in a position no more accessible once produced the water heater.
• the rounded portion of the sensor can not be placed in narrow thermal contact with the flat surface of the tank.
• the clickson-type thermostats are rather imprecise and have a high thermal inertia; in particular, the bimetallic disk, which constitutes the sensing/actuator element, can not be placed in narrow thermal contact with the flange, through which is transmitted the water temperature to be controlled.
• the sensor of the clickson detects the decrease of the water temperature below the utilization temperature, with a delay that can be of various minutes, thus increasing the time for restoring the desiderate temperature.
• the aim of the present patent is to solve at least part of the problems encountered with currently known electric accumulator water heaters, and in particular to resolve the problems described above.
• fig. 1 is a view from below of the water heater; - fig. 2 is a cross section side view of the water heater; fig. 3 is a detail of fig. 2.
• the reference numeral 1 indicates a whole water heater comprising a tank 2 equipped with a closing element 3, a cold-water inlet pipe
• the closing element 3 is usually a flange 3 adapted to close an opening 10 present on the tank 2, on which the heating means, generally the electric resistances 7, and the possible anticorrosion means (not showed in the drawings) are mounted.
• the flange 3 comprises one or more thermostats 8 which contain one or more temperature sensors.
• the inlet pipe 6.1 introduces the cold water into the tank 2 in its lower part.
• the outlet pipe 6.2 enters the lower part of the tank and terminates at the upper end to take the water heated to the required user temperature.
• characteristic of the flange 3 is that of having a hollow 11, faced towards the exterior of tank 2, said hollow 11 lodging one or more temperature sensors 12 of the one or more thermostats 8.
• the hollow 11 extends substantially and/or generally parallel to the plane defined by said flange 3.
• the thermostats 8 can be bulb-type or electronics. As example, in case of presence of two temperature sensors, a first sensor can have the regulation function, while the second one can have the safety function.
• the hollow 11 is preferably realized trough spinning of grooves during the pressing of said flange 3, so that it is not requested any further work.
• the position of the sensor 12 simplifies the assemblage or the disassembly in case of breakdown.
• the hollow 11 can be of the more appropriated geometry in order to permit the housing of various shaped sensors.
• the hollow 11 can have a substantially semicircular section, said section having generally a diameter between 5 and 10 mm, while the length of said hollow
• the problems of thermal inertia typical for the clickson-type thermostat, are significantly reduced.
• the decrease of the water temperature below the utilization temperature is recorded from the sensor 12 within about 1 minute, and said decrease is indicated through the lighting of an appropriate warning light 13 that signals the on going heating.
• the recording and starting time of the thermostat is further reduced up to 30/40 seconds if a conductive compound is placed between the sensor and the flange.
• Said hollow 11 can be utilized on normal flanges 3 or on flanges mounted on the surge tank, giving the same advantages allowed by a clickson-type thermostat 8, that are facility in mounting the said flange and in accessibility of the thermostat but without the disadvantages above described in connection with promptness and accuracy of the control function.
• the flange 3 realized in this way can be mounted on existing and in use electric water heaters solving problems of complaints expressed by the customers about the water heaters controlled by a clickson-type thermostat.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Heat-Pump Type And Storage Water Heaters (AREA)
• Instantaneous Water Boilers, Portable Hot-Water Supply Apparatuses, And Control Of Portable Hot-Water Supply Apparatuses (AREA)
• Farming Of Fish And Shellfish (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34956693

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Citations (4)

• 2004
  • 2004-11-26 IT IT000056A patent/ITAN20040056A1/it unknown
• 2005
  • 2005-11-24 CN CN200580047061.2A patent/CN100557330C/zh active Active
  • 2005-11-24 RU RU2007118677/06A patent/RU2390697C2/ru active
  • 2005-11-24 WO PCT/IB2005/003611 patent/WO2006056883A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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