The invention relates to combustion engineering, fluid heating, for example, water heating, using electricity to generate steam. It can be used for a casing of any appliance intended to heat fluid and to generate steam. For example, the invention may be used in circulating water heating systems, self-regulating fluid heaters for autonomous heating and hot water systems, mobile heating units and hot water systems as an universal appliance for different electric heaters and steam generating units, including household ones.
Fluid heating and steam generation using electric current is widespread in household use and in industry as well as in energy-generating plants. Nowadays, various types of heat-resistive plastics are used more and more frequently as housing materials for fluid heating devices. Such housing materials are used most often in household heating devices, for example, in hot water boilers, laundry washers, heating radiators, etc.
The following plastic materials are often used as casing materials:
Filling agents (RU2447107—2007-24-09; CN102776658 (A)—2012-11-14; CN102604410 (A)—2012-07-25; DE102008028195 (B3)—2009-11-26; JP2010040286 (A)—2010-02-18; US2008139698 (A1)—2008-06-12; KR101080650 (B1)—2011-11-08) or laminating materials (RU2492057 C2 29.10.2008—Method of making polycarbonate laminate composite) are often use to modify and preset plastic properties, which provide their high thermal stability, dimensional stability under heat, required mechanical and electric parameters.
However, low homogeneity is the general shortage of such housing materials; it does not provide required operating reliability for water heater cases. It may be explained by severe operating conditions with considerable temperature and pressure drops both in static and dynamic modes, complicated convection processes. These factors in their combination create additional conditions for failure of heater casings manufactured from non-homogeneous material. The same factors significantly decrease operating life and increase their cost since additional special activities should be taken to decrease the effect caused by casing heterogeneity. Besides, material heterogeneity decreases functional capabilities of appliances and their generality since presetting range of material properties becomes confined.
It is known that rare-earth elements are doped into plastics as well as their oxides, for example, sulphates, borides, alkyls, silicides, halides and rare-earth metals and their mixtures (WO2005054132 (A1) Tagged polymeric materials and methods for their preparation—2005-06-16; WO0020472 (A1). Catalyst and methods for polymerizing cycloolefins—2000-04-13). US2009148729 (A1) Inorganic-hydrogen-polymer and hydrogen-polymer compounds and applications thereof—2009-06-11—is known, which is inorganic polymer with increased hydrogen energy.
However, these materials feature by the following disadvantages: high cost and complexity of the material fabricated using such manufacturing processes; manufacturing complexity, its sensitivity to contaminants; overexposure to the accuracy of polymerization conditions;
the need in expensive catalysts, etc. In addition, application of such functionalized materials as well as their manufacturing techniques is unknown at the existing level of science and technology in water heating appliances and other devices used liquid of gaseous heat carrier. Besides, casings of such devices operate in permanent rigid thermal and convection modes resulting in toxicity facilitation for such materials and restriction of their use in household appliances and industrial food-processing plants.
Isotope introduction (mainly, deuterium) in plastics is known, for example, SU572444 (A1). Method for preparation of halogenolefins labelled by deuterium—1977-09-15; EP0268192 (A2) Esters of (meth) acrylic acid—1988-05-25; JPS60237034 (A) Aromatic compound containing deuterium and its preparation—1985-11-25—deuterid of styren. RU2005134170 A—Highly pure 3,3-diphenylpropylamino monoesters—03.04.2004; WO2004011400 (A1). Method of deuterating aromatic ring—2004-02-05; WO2004046066 (A1). Method for deuteration or tritiation of heterocyclic ring—2004-06-03; WO2004060831 (A1). Method of deuterization—2004-07-22.
This method allows achieving variability of physical and mechanical properties at maximum polymer homogeneity. This significantly increases resistance of such materials to changing thermal and mechanical loads as well as improves coordination of properties with other materials. In addition, application of non-toxic isotopes with low content results in high biocompatibility.
Nevertheless, current scientific and technological state-of-art does not have the data concerning introduction of other isotopes, apart from deuterium, into polymeric materials used for manufacturing case of water boiler and steam-generating facilities.
The known appliance desings may be related to several groups.
The first group. Plastic casing with arbitrary geometry, which is used for direct-flow water heaters. This group includes, for example, the following appliances:
a) Devices, in which heating elements contact with the whole heat carrier being within the casing at the given moment: CZ9703589 (A3). Direct-heating electric electrode boiler—1999-06-16—preferably, electrodes are located horizontally along the plastic housing at the vertices of regular hexagon or star and are connected by delta; WO2011009589 (A2). Electrode boiler—2011-01-27—built-in PTFE cylindrical thick-walled housing manufactured as a bushing with side inlet and butt outlet of liquid heat carrier; it contains ionization chamber and ionizing bar.
b) Devices, in which heating elements contact with the part of the heat carrier being within the casing at the given moment: KR20110033884 (A). Induction plastic water heater—2011-04-01—plastic housing of a dirrect-flow induction water heater manufactured as a rectangular block with jacketed walls, in which heat carrier flows. This design aims to improve thermal efficiency, useability and to minimize manufacturing costs;
c) Asymmetric plastic case with the simplest shape US2007081801. Plastic boiler without flange (A1)—2007-04-12—A boiler intended for running fluid heating; it comprises a plastic case and a heating element, which passes through a fixing hole in the boiler case at its inner side and is fastened into the mounting hole. The heater has warming sections located at least in the mounting hole area. Diameter, at least, of the part of the mounting hole is equal to the heater outer diameter. FR2818085 (A1). Heating installation esp for viscous products comprises insulated pipe divided into sections by rotary disc electrodes linked to power supply—2002-06-14—is a plastic casing made as a flow-through pipe divided into sections by rotating disc-shaped electrodes. JPH01296042 (A). Booster heater device for cogeneration system—1989-11-29—is a plastic case as a flow-through pipe with electrodes made as parts of the inner pipe surface;
The second group. Storage water heaters, steam generators.
a) CN200973684 (Y) Omnipotence type cleaner—2007-11-14—is a steam cleaner with several cleaning functions and a case manufactured from high-grade plastic;
b) ES2128967 (A2) Evaporator—1999-05-16—has a case and a cap fabricated from plastic. The cap has a side casing for hidden electric switch of evaporator. Evaporator is formed by two adjacent metallic sheets, which are sunk into a water tank from the evaporator
The third group. Plastic electrodes.
a) WO2006115569 (A2). Instant water heater with PTC plastic conductive electrodes—2006-11-02—is an instantaneous water heater that applies positive temperature factor of plastic electrically-conducting structures used for electrode material. Water is heated by heat emission due to water electric resistance by electric current between electrodes. Electrode material is exposed by phase conversion at certain temperature and becomes non-conducting at preset temperature. Electrode material with positive temperature factor decreases or stops itself water heating upon attaining required water temperature;
b) Application of nanoscale materials—TW200800793 (A). Flexible nano electrothermal material and heating apparatus having the same—2008-01-01. This invention relates as a whole to flexible nanoscale electrothermal material intended for heating device. Flexible nanoscale electrothermal materials comprise the carrying base with certain number of carbon nanotubes dispersed in template. Carbon nanotubes form conducting mesh in template;
The forth group. Appliances with symmetric plastic cases.
a) with symmetric case design U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,561 (A) Tank structure for an air humidifying electrode steam generator—1983-07-19—Steam generator with electrodes that comprises tubular water reservoir, upper and lower halves. They are moulded from electric-insulating plastic as mirror reflections in such a way that may be formed from the matrix of the same design; CA1170698 (A1). Electrical steam generator for air humidifier—1984-07-10.
The fifth group. Use of appliances with elliptic shape.
a) Housing. GB189824498. Improved Apparatus for Evaporating Water or other Liquids by Means of Steam (A)—1899-11-18—longitudinal housing cross section is a cylinder with two coupled hemispheres at butt ends; CN2397431 Environmental protection energy-saving atmospheric hot-water boiler with nonmetal electric heating plate (Y)—2000-09-20;
b) Elliptic pipe cross-section—CN202109789 (U) Heat exchange device using elliptic spiral heat exchange pipes—2012-01-11; GB2148468 (A). A boiler having heat transfer tubes of elliptical cross-section—1985-05-30—pipes with elliptic cross section;
c) Pipes.—CN201241100 (Y). Radiation section boiler tube of hydrocarbons steam cracking furnace—2009-05-20; Pipe configuration is elliptic or close to ellipse;
d) Case and pipes at the same time: JPH02104789 (A). Spray combustor for black liquor and combustion boiler therefor using the same—1990-04-17; KR20050034065 (A). Elliptic heat exchanger for dual-type gas-boiler—2005-04-14.
However, combination of lateral and longitudinal cross section in boiler casing is not found and is not explicit from current level of science and technology, especially in combination of such configuration with plastic case and, moreover, containing isotopes. At the same time, it is the combination allows solving assigned task and, hence, has significant distinctive features.
The object of invention is to improve processability and simplicity while manufacturing casings for water-heating appliances. Simplicity and processability improvement also comprises the possibility to decrease requirements to the materials used for their cases. The object also includes homogeneity increase of the casing materials being used; improvement of thermal, mechanical and electric properties of boiler casings as well as the best combination of their properties with corresponding parameters of metallic components used with plastic casings. The object also claims improvement of reliability and long service life (elliptic case, minimum of split-design parts and ones passing through a case, minimum number of through holes) of an appliance, its protection against improper assembly, less strict requirements to assembly accuracy. The object also claims improvement of operating performance of an appliance (case shape, options for its fastening), its service life, service life of plastic case, increase of the device repairability (split case design, replaceable electrodes, disconnectable outlets). Besides, the invention solves the problem of expanding functional capabilities, versatility and flexibility of the device application, extension of possible product range and increase of adaptability to solve specific problems, the ability to vary the case physical properties without changing its design.
To solve the problems, the plastic hot water boiler contains the body made of heat-resistant plastic; and the composition of plastic of the body includes stable isotopes of the elements composing the plastic. Furthermore, deuterium is used as the isotope included in the plastic structure.
General Variant of the Device Body.
According to the general variant of the body 1 performance of the plastic hot water boiler on the proposed invention, its material contains isotopes of the elements included in the plastic structure. The most common is the deuterium. Isotopes of other elements included in the plastic may be also used. These include 13C, 14C, 17O, 18O, 15N, 33S, 34S, depending on the specific type of used heat-resistant plastic. Moreover, one of these isotopes or their mix in any combination can be used. The content of listed isotopes and their variation can provide programmable variation of physical properties of the body material that enables the best way of their selection according to the device destination, and in compliance with its individual elements. Thus change in the isotopic composition can increase temperature of the glass transition point of the body polymer 1 (EP0268192 (A2)—1988-05-25).
It also allows modifying, as necessary, electrical properties of the body 1, for example, to increase superficial and volumetric electric resistivity, dielectric breakdown strength of the body [1]. Also, the proposed technical solution allows to change directionally the coefficient of linear and volumetric thermal expansion, which is very important for the best match to the thermal expansion coefficients of other elements of the device, in particular, of metallic components. Although the individual change in the plastics properties with variation of the isotopic composition is known (EP0268192 (A2) Esters of (meth) acrylic acid—1988-05-25, [1]), its usage in the field of fluids thermal heating, including in the construction of bodies of water-heating devices in all variants is unknown on the level of the prior development of science and technology, and the combined entry and changes in concentration of the proposed isotopic composition also are unknown. It enables the appearance of new quality properties of hot water boiler bodies, significantly increases their reliability of both static and dynamic modes and improves durability, wear-resistance and reduces the operating cost. Technique and technology of isotopes injection in polymers is known and mastered, in particular, of deuterium (JPS60237034 (A)—1985-11-25; RU2114126—1998-06-27; US2009148729 (A1)—2009-06-11; CN102911372 (A) Benzo crown ether graft polymer material with lithium isotope separation effect and preparation method thereof—2013-02-06) as well as the introduction of rare earths elements and their oxides (WO2005054132 (A1)—2005-06-16). However, it is not known from the preceding development of technology used in bodies of hot water boilers and it is significant difference from the preceding devices. The proposed implementation of bodies, unlike the use of fillers in their materials, allows keeping high uniformity of the body, experiencing significant static and dynamic thermal loads. It increases the resistance to these loads with respect to existing materials containing fillers and other alien additives to body material. Also, when using the proposed implementation of bodies for materials containing fillers (RU2230760. Hydrophobic-nature polymers filled with starch complexes—1999-09-22; RU2034852. Filled polymer production method—1990-07-27; for example polymers of glass filled—RU2185961. Plant for production of filled plastics, mainly, fiber-reinforced material—2001-03-28), it is also performed possibility of finer programming of physical properties without affecting the applied degree of uniformity of the body material.
In addition, in all cases the concentration of isotopes in body plastic can start with the lowest possible value, which allows using materials for bodies manufacturing without special forced polymers refining from natural isotopes contained therein. This allows to raise substantially the simplicity and processibility of the device bodies, and to reduce their production costs.
Variant 1.
According to the variant 1 the body (1) of device consists of two identical halves—the upper (2) and the lower (3) (
The longitudinal section of the body (1) is also made close to elliptical with truncated tops (4) at the poles of the major axis to increase processibility of the device and to simplify assembly. Furthermore, execution of the body (1) in elliptic or close to elliptic form in the longitudinal and transversal sections improves operating conditions by enhancing compactness with simultaneous improvement of the heat-transfer agent convection conditions inside the body (1). The surfaces of poles (top and bottom facets of the body according to drawings) (4) contain through openings (5), into which the metal electrodes (6) are installed in the event of the electrode boiler. Any electric heaters also can be installed in these openings. For this variant, in the case of the electrode boiler, two electrodes are used, and each of the electrodes (6) contains one electric lead (7) connected to the one end of the electrode. Thus, the electrodes (6) are located predominantly in the interior of the body (1) opposite to each other. The second free end (8) of each electrode is inserted into the free opening (5) of the end (4) of each of the halves (2) and (3) of the body (1). The free space (9) may be filled with a compound, sealant or closed with a plug (10) (
Each half (2), (3) of the body (1) contains the nozzle (12), which is made identical and is fixed in the same place at the end (4) of the body (1) and can be both an input, and output in the case of in-line heater. It also raises unification of the device. The body (1) may have one flat facet (13) to enhance serviceability and reliability of the device mounting on a flat surface such as on a wall. And the flat facet (13) can pass through the symmetry axis of the elliptical cross section of the body (1) (
As sub-option, the device body (1) may be formed as a whole not truncated ellipse in cross section, and may further comprise a support (14) (
Variant 2
In the device on the variant 2 (
Variant 3.
According to the variant 3, nozzles (12) for in-line boiler implementation are located along the central longitudinal axis of symmetry or close to it, and electrodes (6) of the device are located on both sides of nozzles (12). The number of electrodes (6) depends on specific destination of the device, and can vary from two or more. Also their number can be both even and odd. Location of electrodes inside the body 6 relatively to the orientation of their electrical leads (7) may be counter (
Variant 4
The variant 4 of the device implementation can be further implemented in each previous variant. According to this variant, the caps (15) are installed on the upper and the lower facets (4) of the body (1); the lower part of caps is open. Caps (15) are mounted over the leads of the electrodes (7), so that they completely cover them, including unused openings (16), if any. In case the electrodes are located on both sides of the nozzles, on each upper and lower facet (4) of the body (1) two caps (15) can be used, each cup covers one group of electrodes (6) located on one side of the fitting (12). Each cap (15) is fixed to the upper or lower facet (4) of the body (1) via at least one rack (17), formed as a boss on each of the facets (4). Number of racks (17) may be more than one per one cap (15) (
Both halves (2) and (3) of the body at the place of connection with each other have the flange (21) (
Operation of the plastic hot water boiler in all variants is as follows.
The boiler can be used independently as pourable boiler, or it can be built in the open or circulating water heating system in any desired location, using nozzles (12). The heating system is filled with water, treated in a usual manner, adjusting its resistance and connecting leads (7) of electrodes (6) of the boiler via wires (20) located outside the body (1) and outputted through the nozzles (19) of protective caps (15). Wire connection is performed to the external electric circuit, single-phase or three-phase. Chilled water from heating radiators enters the body (1) of the boiler via the inlet nozzle (12), where it is heated by current passing through it between the electrodes (6). The heated water comes from the body (1) to consumers, such as heating radiators. Convective processes occurring in the body (1) of the boiler, when heating water between the electrodes (1), can be intentionally arranged by the proposed form of the body (1), the number of the electrodes (6), their mutual orientation and position in such a way that the boiler can serve as a circulating pump without any forced circulation of water in a closed system. The proposed possibility of the body material modification without changing its chemical properties considerably facilitates it, allowing selecting the optimal coefficients of linear and volumetric expansion, electrical resistivity and dielectric strength to be consistent with other elements of the boiler, both in static and dynamic modes of its operation.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2013/003073 | 11/29/2013 | WO | 00 |