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
  • F24H1/00—Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters
  • F24H1/18—Water-storage heaters
  • F24H1/20—Water-storage heaters with immersed heating elements, e.g. electric elements or furnace tubes
  • F24H1/201—Water-storage heaters with immersed heating elements, e.g. electric elements or furnace tubes using electric energy supply
  • F24H1/202—Water-storage heaters with immersed heating elements, e.g. electric elements or furnace tubes using electric energy supply with resistances
• • 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
  • F24H9/0005—Details for water heaters
  • F24H9/001—Guiding means
  • F24H9/0015—Guiding means in water channels
  • F24H9/0021—Sleeves surrounding heating elements or heating pipes, e.g. pipes filled with heat transfer fluid, for guiding heated liquid

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to hot. water tanks and more particularly to optimizing the use of hot water tanks
• Hot water tanks have seen little technical development throughout the years.
• the heating is usually based on gas, oil, electricity or solar panels.
• the tanks are basically thermally isolated reservoirs containing water and means for warming water. Although the tanks are usually cylindrical, they are not limited to a specific form. Most heating means are of an oblong shape and located in along the central axis of the tank. Locating the heating means in the center is done in order to equally heat the water throughout the tank.
• accessories Over the years, a variety of accessories have been developped to complement the features of a hot water tanks. These accessories include timers to start and stop water heating as an energy saving feature and humidity alarms to detect water leaks and shut off water intake to the tank
• FIG. 1 shows an isometric schematic view of a hot water tank 100 according to the prior art invention.
• the tank comprises an external casing 110, an entry pipe 120 of warm water from a solar collector, an exit pipe 130 of warm water to the solar collector, an entry pipe 140 of cold water from the water piping, and an exit pipe 150 of warm water to the residence.
• the tank 100 may or may not have the solar heating system, and may include any heating means as suggested above.
• Using hot water stored in the tank causes hot water to flow out from the tank and cold water, or at minimum - water in ambience temperature, to flow into the tank. As a result, the hot and the cold water mix thus decreasing the entire temperature of the water within the tank.
• the division allows keeping the hot water in a first compartment and the cold water in a second compartment.
• the partition is made from a thermally isolating material so that the cold water in the second compartment does not influence the temperature of the hot water in the first compartment.
• the partition may move so that the size of the first and second compartments increases or decreases respectively.
• the partition moves towards the first compartment and thus decreasing the size of the first compartment and the temperature of the hot water in the first compartment is retained.
• FIG. 1 is an schematic isometric view of a hot water tank according to the prior art
• FIG. 2 is a side cutaway isometric view of a hot water tank according to the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is a cross section showing one aspect of the hot water tank according to some embodiments of the invention.
• FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross sections showing the hot water tank according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• the present invention is a dual compartment hot water tank for optimal use of hot water has a movable partition mechanism that divides the tank into two compartments.
• the division allows keeping the hot water in a first compartment and the cold water in a second compartment, wherein the size of the hot water compartment is adjusted according to the actual amount of hot water.
• the partition is made from a thermally isolating material so that the cold water in the second compartment does not influence the temperature of the hot water in the first compartment.
• the partition may move freely so that the size of the first and second compartments increases or decreases respectively and wherein sealing means along the inner and outer contour of the partition prevent the hot and cold water from mixing.
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic cutaway view of the hot water tank with the movable inner partition according to the present invention.
• the disclosed tank 200 The tank comprises an external casing 110, a thermally isolating material 205, inner casing 260 (hereinafter inner side), an entry pipe 120 of warm water from a solar collector, an exit pipe 130 of warm water to the solar collector, an entry pipe 140 of cold water from the water piping, and an exit pipe 150 of warm water to the residence.
• a partition 210 which is made from a thermally isolating material.
• a tube 220 is substantially positioned along the central axis of the tank 200.
• the tube 220 encompasses entirely the heating means 230 and has a top opening 225.
• the partition 210 has a hole substantially in its center and further comprises sealing means 240, affixed to the outer and inner contours of the partition 210.
• the partition 210 is positioned substantially horizontally, so that the tube fits in through the hole of the partition.
• the partition 210 can thus move freely vertically, with the sealing means 240 on the inner and outer contours of the partition 210 sliding freely, with minimal friction, along the outer side of the tube and the inner side of the tank 200, respectively.
• the sealing means 240 are positioned so that they provide optimal sealing so that the water in the upper compartment and the water in the lower compartment don't mix.
• the partition may be made of any polymer, or other material with high thermal isolation properties.
• the partition is made from a material that has a specific gravity that is substantially higher than the specific gravity of water in ambient temperature (between 5 to 35 degrees centigrade) and lower than the specific gravity of water near boiling point (higher than 95 degrees centigrade).
• the partition floats on the cooler water at any time.
• the tank 200 further comprises a horizontally positioned wall 250 with openings 255 allowing passage of water.
• the wall 250 is affixed to the lower part of the tube 220 and is substantially near the lower end of the tank 200.
• FIG. 3 shows in further details the sealing means 240 affixed to the outer and inner contours of the partition.
• the sealing means 240 retain the sealing ability also when the partition 210 moves up and down.
• the sealing means 240 are made of rubber, latex, or any polymer with sealing properties.
• the sealing means 240 may comprise several strips of sealing material or a single strip.
• the surface of the sealing means 240 has elevated dots or points. This texture allows low friction on one hand, and effective sealing while moving on the other hand.
• the sealing means comprise a strip of ultra high density brush that block any passage of water through it and yet has a low friction as it slides across the inner side ode of the tank and the outer side of the tube, respectively.
• the partition, the tube and the affixed wall may fit in to an existing water tank. Thus enabling an upgrade of presently available hot water tanks.
• the operation of the partition within the tank is as follows: whenever hot water flows out of the first compartment, the partition moves towards the first compartment and thus decreasing the size of the first compartment and the temperature of the hot water in the first compartment is retained. Similarly, when cold water flows out from second compartment, no mix between the hot and cold water take place. In a static mode, when no water flows in or from the tank, the water is heated by the heating means and flows due to thermosyphonic phenomena to the first compartment holding the hot water. The first compartment then expands and as a result the partition moves further to the direction of the second compartment.
• FIGS. 4A and 4B show schematic cross sections of the tank according to the present invention.
• the upper compartment is full of hot water.
• cooler water enter the tank via the inlet pipe 140 located at the bottom of the tank.
• This causes the partition 210 to move upwards and decrease the size of the upper compartment filled with hot water.
• the division between the two compartments is kept, the water does not mix and the outcome is that the user does not feel ant decrease in the temperature of the hot water arriving.
• cooler water enters the outlet pipe 150. However, as long as there is still hot water in the upper compartment, their temperature shall not decrease.
• FIG. 4B shows the lower compartment of the tank 200 full of cold water (or water in the temperature of the ambience). Heating the water in the tube causes a flow upwards, from the tube into the upper compartment which causes the partition 210 to move downwards. This is due to the pressure that keeps the partition 210 low as the temperature in the upper compartment increases.
• the partition 210 is made from a material that has a specific gravity higher than the specific gravity of the hot water (above approximately 95 degrees centigrade) and lower than the specific gravity of cold water (lower than approximately 35 degrees centigrade), the partition 210 floats on the cooler water and the exact location of the partition 210 is determined dynamically, according to the amount of hot water in the tank 200.
• the tank further comprises a water pump positioned within the tube.
• the water pump is configured to circulate the water upwards thus facilitating the downward movement of the partition when the amount of hot water in the upper compartment increases.
• the tank further comprises heat sensors and means for moving the partition 210 upwards and downwards.
• the means for moving the partition 210 upwards and downwards may be electrical drive or any other drive. Whenever the sensor sense that the amount of hot water in the upper compartment increases, the drive moves the partition 210 downwards. Similarly, whenever the sensor sense that the amount of hot water in the upper compartment decreases, the drive moves the partition 210 upwards.
• method may refer to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the invention belongs.

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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)
• Cookers (AREA)

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ID=38957191

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Cited By (4)

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Citations (3)

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• 2007
  • 2007-07-16 WO PCT/IL2007/000889 patent/WO2008010211A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-07-16 CN CNA2007800268954A patent/CN101611272A/zh active Pending
  • 2007-07-16 US US12/373,883 patent/US20090272373A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

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