WO2023021435A1

WO2023021435A1 - Solar water heater with integrated water storage tank

Info

Publication number: WO2023021435A1
Application number: PCT/IB2022/057699
Authority: WO
Inventors: Praneeth Pillarisetti; Sasanka Pentapalli; Subrahmanya Sreyan Boggavarapu
Original assignee: Birds Eye Energy Technologies Pvt Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-18
Filing date: 2022-08-17
Publication date: 2023-02-23

Abstract

A solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank is disclosed. The solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank includes a water heating chamber (40) mounted adjacent to the flat top collector plate (30) and configured to absorb solar energy from received sunlight and heat the water present in the water heating chamber (40). After the supply water is heated in the water heating chamber (40), the hot water moves to top end due to thermosyphon principle. The heated water from the top end flows to a fluidically coupled water storage tank (60) via a unidirectional valve. The integration of the water storage tank (60) and the water heating chamber (40) ensures less space usage and guaranteed reduction in usage of coupling components.

Description

SOLAR WATER HEATER WITH INTEGRATED WATER STORAGE TANK

EARLIEST PRIORITY DATE:

This Application claims priority from a Complete patent application filed in India having Patent Application No. 202141037462, filed on August 18, 2021, and titled “SOLAR WATER HEATER WITH INTEGRATED WATER STORAGE TANK”.

FIELD OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to the field of solar water heaters, and more particularly to a solar water heater with an integrated water storage tank.

BACKGROUND

Solar water heaters provide affordable solution to the process of making hot water for domestic or industrial use. Any residential facility or small building complex may install the solar water heaters for non-stop supply of the hot water without worrying about power outages or electricity bills. Such solar water heaters require less maintenance effort and only needs to be replaced every few years. Solar waterheating contributes substantially to the ecology and to saving fossil resources.

Conventionally, every type of the solar water heaters includes two main components solar water heating chamber and water storage tank. The consumers sometimes face problems in positioning the solar water heaters with the water storage tank in a limited area space. Moreover, installing two sperate apparatus require more investments in plumbing pipes or valves. Further, exposed plumbing pipes causes heat loss, thus lowering the overall thermal performance of the solar water heaters.

Hence, there is a need for an improved solar water heater to therefore address the aforementioned issues. BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, a solar water heater with integrated water storage tank is disclosed. The solar water heater with integrated storage tank includes a flat top collector plate. The flat top collector plate is a flat transparent glass cover and configured to allow passage of sunlight.

The solar water heater with integrated water storage tank also includes a water heating chamber mounted adjacent to the flat top collector plate. The water heating chamber is configured to absorb solar energy from received sunlight and heat the water present in the water heating chamber.

The solar water heater with integrated water storage tank also includes the water storage tank fluidically coupled to the water heating chamber. The water storage tank is configured to hold and supply the heated water.

The solar water heater also includes an insulating outer case, housing the solar water heater with integrated water storage tank. The insulating outer case is configured to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank.

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the disclosure will follow by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended figures. It is to be appreciated that these figures depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a solar water heater with an integrated water storage tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating components of the solar water heater with the integrated water storage tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view illustrating one or more first set of openings at top end of the water heating chamber and one or more second set of openings at bottom end of the water heating chamber in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGs. 4A and B are exploded views illustrating the one or more second set of openings at bottom end of the water heating chamber in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating the one or more first set of openings at top end of the water heating chamber in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGs. 6A and B are exploded views illustrating the plurality of interconnected parallel water channels in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIGs. 7A and B are exploded views illustrating the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated online platform, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present disclosure.

The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or subsystems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, subsystems, elements, structures, components, additional devices, additional subsystems, additional elements, additional structures or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

In the following specification and the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In a known design, a solar water heater absorbs sunlight with the help of collectors and then the absorbed sunlight is converted into heat energy. A set of electric pumps enables circulation of water in a manner to absorb the heat energy and increase temperature of water, and subsequently pass the heated water to a water storage tank. The known designs have separate solar water heater and water storage tank. This arrangement creates a lot of technical problems in terms of bulky design, fabrication, installation and dependence on electricity for operation. However, integrating the water heating chamber along with the water storage tank would ensure less space usage while solving the aforementioned technical problems. The integration would also guarantee reduction in usage of coupling components between the water storage tank and the water heating chamber.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a solar water heater 10 with an integrated water storage tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The solar water heater 10 with the integrated water storage tank uses natural sunlight to heat water and thereby provide hot water without consuming expensive electricity.

In an embodiment, the solar water heater 10 and the integrated water storage tank are hermetically sealed in an insulating outer case 20 for efficient functioning. Such sealing helps to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank. In such embodiment, the insulating outer case 20 is manufactured with materials such as metal or polymer or combination thereof. The insulating outer case 20 may also include a plurality of layers of the materials stacked on top of each other for better insulation. In such embodiment, the solar water heater 10 with integrated water storage tank is affixed to the surface base with a predefined inclined angle (Z°) to enable easy transfer of the water from one water heating chamber to another without help of any electric pump.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating components of the solar water heater 10 with the integrated water storage tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The solar water heater 10 with the integrated water storage tank includes a flat top collector plate 30. The flat top collector plate 30 is a flat transparent glass cover and configured to allow passage of sunlight. In one embodiment, sunlight passes through the flat transparent glass cover and falls on the water heating chamber 40.

The solar water heater 10 with the integrated water storage tank also includes the water heating chamber 40 mounted adjacent to the flat top collector plate 30. The water heating chamber 40 is configured to absorb solar energy from received sunlight and heat the water present in the water heating chamber 40. In one embodiment, the water heating chamber 40 comprises a plurality of interconnected parallel water channels. In such embodiment, the plurality of interconnected parallel water channels are fabricated with specific dimensions to provide passage to a maximum quantity of water. The plurality of interconnected parallel water channels also helps to withstand high water pressures. In another embodiment, the water heating chamber 40 may simply be a rectangular chamber. The water heating chamber 40 is configured with special coating or paint or surface treatment to enhance the absorption of solar energy.

The water heating chamber 40 utilizes the absorbed heat to warm the water contained in the plurality of interconnected parallel water channels. In one particular embodiment, as the water gets heated due to the absorbed solar energy, hot water in the plurality of interconnected parallel water channel moves towards a top end of the water heating chamber 40. The hot water is less dense than cold water and therefore lighter than the cold water. Likewise, the cold-water present in the plurality of interconnected parallel water channels moves towards a bottom end of the water heating chamber 40 for being heavier than the hot water.

The water heating chamber 40 is also fabricated with one or more first set of openings 90 at the top end. The one or more first set of openings 90 are configured to allow passage of the heated water from the water heating chamber 40 to a water storage tank 60. In such embodiment, each of the one or more first set of openings 90 is fabricated with a first valve to ascertain unidirectional flow,

flow of hot water from the water heating chamber 40 to the water storage tank 60. In such embodiment, a check valve or non-return-valve or a unidirectional flow device is provided to prevent flow of water in undesired direction.

The water heating chamber 40 is also fabricated with one or more second set of openings 100 at the bottom end. The one or more second set of second openings 100 are configured to allow passage of water at ambient temperature from the water storage tank 60 to the water heating chamber 40. This flow happens by itself without help of any pump, since cold water is heavy, therefore it subsides to bottom. In such embodiment, each of the one or more second set of openings 100 is fabricated with a second valve 120 to ascertain unidirectional flow,

flow of ambient water from the water storage tank 60 to the water heating chamber 40. In such embodiment, a check valve or non-return-valve or a unidirectional flow device prevents flow of water in undesired direction.

The water storage tank 60 is fluidically coupled to the water heating chamber 40 via the one or more first set of openings 90 and one or more second set of openings 100. The water storage tank 60 includes one of a plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 and a plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks or combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 and the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks are of dimensions between 50 to 150mm diameter depending on storage capacity and water pressure bearing capacity. The dimensions of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 and a plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks may be same or differ from each other to hold varying volume of water.

In one particular embodiment, a top cylindrical tank 150 of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks is fluidically coupled to the water heating chamber 40 via the one or more first set of openings 90. In another particular embodiment, a bottom cylindrical tank 150 of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks is fluidically coupled to the water heating chamber 40 via the one or more second set of openings 100. A top portion of the water storage tank 60 or the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 forming the top portion of water storage tank 60 is configured to receive hot water via the one or more first set of openings 90 from the water heating chamber 40 and hold and supply the heated water for use to connected bath fittings or taps. A bottom portion of the water storage tank 60 or the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 forming the bottom portion of water storage tank 60 are configured to hold and allow flow of ambient water received from a water supply via the one or more second set of openings 90 to the water heating chamber 40. In such embodiment, the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 (as shown in FIG. 7A) are fabricated with specific dimensions to hold maximum quantity of water.

A continuous loop is created between the water heating chamber 40 and the water storage tank 60 without any aid from the water pump. After the supply water is heated in the water heating chamber 40, the hot water moves to the top end due to thermosyphon principle. As used herein, the “thermosyphon principle” is a phenomenon where the hot water rises up and the cold water settles to the bottom. Since the hot water is slightly lighter than the cold water, a force of buoyancy pushes the hot water upwards.

The top cylindrical tank 150 of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks is fabricated with an outlet pipe opening 140. The outlet pipe opening 140 is configured to enable outward flow of the heated water for usage.

A first insulation plate 50 is positioned between the water storage tank 60 and the water heating chamber 40 to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank 60. A second insulation plate 70 is positioned between the water storage tank 60 and an inner wall of the insulating outer case 20. The second insulation plate 70 is configured to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank (60).

FIG. 3 is an exploded view illustrating the one or more first set of openings 90 at the top end of the water heating chamber 40 and the one or more second set of openings 100 at the bottom end of the water heating chamber 40 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 a and b are exploded views illustrating the one or more second set of openings 100 at the bottom end of the water heating chamber 40 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the given embodiment, the second valve 120 and a connecting pipe 125 facilitates unidirectional movement of the cold water from the water storage tank 60 to the water heating chamber 40.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustration of the one or more first set of openings 90 at the top end of the water heating chamber 130 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In such embodiment, connecting pipes along with unidirectional valves help in linking the one or more first set of openings 90 at top end of the water heating chamber 40 to the water storage tank 60.

FIGs. 6A and B are exploded views illustrating the plurality of interconnected parallel water channels 40 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, one or more supply openings is fabricated at the bottom end of the plurality of interconnected parallel water channels. The one or more supply openings is configured to provide pathway of supply water into the water heating chamber 40.

In one embodiment, the hot water flows to the water storage tank 60 through the first valve fabricated at each of the one or more first set of openings 90 at the top end of the water heating chamber 40. In such embodiment, the first valve is unidirectional in nature to allow movement of water only from the water heating chamber 40 to the water storage tank 60.

FIGs. 7A and B are exploded views illustrating the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 60 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The water storage tank 60 is divided into the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150. The plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 help in maintaining the pressure at a pre-defined level for efficient use. The plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 may stand up to 10 bar pressures depending on the design, whereas a single large tank may barely with stand 1 bar pressure for the same wall thickness. The outlet pipe opening 140 is fabricated to the top cylindrical tank 150. In such embodiment, the one or more first set of openings 90 allows water entry to the top cylindrical tank 150 via an inlet 160.

In one embodiment, the cold water in the water storage tank 60 moves from the bottom cylindrical tank of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 to the water heating chamber 40 via the one or more second set of openings 100 at bottom end. In such embodiment, the second valve 120 at each of the one or more second set of openings 100 at bottom end are unidirectional in nature to allow movement of only water at ambient temperature to the water heating chamber 40 from the water storage tank 60.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe integration of the solar water heater 10 along with the water storage tank 60. The integration ensures less space usage and guaranteed reduction in usage of coupling components between the water storage tank 60 and the water heating chamber 40. The plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 are used to maintain pressure at a pre-defined level for efficient use. Moreover, the integrated design of the solar water heater 10 along with the water storage tank 60 gives more aesthetic pleasing to users.

The present invention provides the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 in order to impart physical strength to handle high water pressure and prevent the excessive mixing of cold water with existing hot water in the water storage tank 60. Each of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150 individually stores the water, thereby prevent free mixing of water between the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks 150. This ensures good thermal stratification thus supplying water at high temperature to connected showers, faucets, taps and the like. Furthermore, the solar water heater 10 with integrated water storage tank is affixed to the surface base with a predefined inclined angle (Z°) to enable easy transfer of the water from one water heating chamber to another. This flow happens by itself without help of any electric pump. The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, order of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all of the acts need to be necessarily performed. Also, those acts that are not dependant on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank, comprising: a flat top collector plate (30), wherein the flat top collector plate (30) is a flat transparent glass cover and configured to allow passage of sunlight; a water heating chamber (40) mounted adjacent to the flat top collector plate (30) and configured to absorb solar energy from received sunlight and heat water present in the water heating chamber (40); a water storage tank (60) comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks fluidically coupled to the water heating chamber (40), wherein the water storage tank (60) is configured to hold and supply the heated water; wherein a top cylindrical tank of the plurality of interconnected horizontal cylindrical tanks (150) is fabricated with an outlet pipe opening (140) to enable outward flow of the heated water; wherein the water heating chamber (40) comprises: one or more first set of openings (90) at a top end of the water heating chamber (40) to allow passage of heated water from the water heating chamber (40) to the water storage tank (60), wherein each of the one or more first set of openings (90) is fabricated with a first valve to ascertain unidirectional flow; and one or more second set of openings (100) at bottom end of the water heating chamber (40) to allow passage of water at ambient temperature from the water storage tank (60) to the water heating chamber (40), wherein each of the one or more second set of openings (100) is fabricated with a second valve (120) to ascertain unidirectional flow; and an insulating outer case (20) housing the solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank and configured to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank (60).

2. The solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water storage tank (60) is covered with an insulating material.

3. The solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first insulation plate (50) positioned between the water storage tank (60) and the water heating chamber (40) and configured to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank (60).

4. The solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second insulation plate (70) positioned between the water storage tank (60) and an inner wall of the insulating outer case (20) and configured to prevent convective heat loss from the heated water stored in the water storage tank (60).

5. The solar water heater (10) with integrated water storage tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water heating chamber (40) comprises a plurality of interconnected parallel water channels.