Patent Application
20220196285
The present invention relates generally to an electric water heater, and more particularly to a storage electric water heater.
A conventional storage electric water heater includes a storage tank and a heating pipe, wherein an interior of the storage tank has a storing space for containing water. The storage tank is disposed with an inlet tube and an outlet tube which communicates with the storing space. The heating pipe is disposed in the storage tank. The heating pipe has a heating wire inside. When the heating wire is energized, thermal energy could be transferred to the water via a shell of the heating pipe to heat water.
Since the storage tank of the storage electric water heater stores hot water, so that a user could easily access the hot water at any time, thereby enhance a convenience of life. However, the heating pipe of the conventional storage electric water heater is merely soaked in water, and water in the storing space of the storage tank stands still, so the thermal convection is not good during the heating process. Therefore, to heat water in the tank to a predetermined temperature needs more heating time, so that the heating efficiency of the storage electric water heater is reduced.
In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a storage electric water heater that is able to enhance thermal convection during a heating process.
The present invention provides a storage electric water heater including a tank an inlet tube, an outlet tube, an isolating member, and a heating device, wherein the tank has a storing space. The inlet tube and the outlet tube are respectively disposed in the tank. The isolating member is disposed in the tank and located in the storing space. The isolating member divides the storing space into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber communicates with the inlet tube and the outlet tube and contains water. The heating device is disposed in the second chamber and includes a tube body and a heating element. The tube body has a first end and a second end which respectively communicate with the first chamber, so that water in the first chamber is able to flow into an interior of the tube body; the heating element is disposed on a tube wall of the tube body, wherein thermal energy generated by the heating element is transferred to the interior of the tube body via the tube wall of the tube body to heat the water in the interior of the tube body.
By communicating the two ends of the tube body with the first chamber and heating the tube body, the thermal convection in the first chamber could be improved. Besides, since the second chamber is located in the tank, the thermal energy generated by the heating device could be fully utilized.
The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
As illustrated in
The tank 10 has a storing space 12 inside, wherein a tank body of the tank 10 is disposed with an inlet tube 14 and an outlet tube 16. The inlet tube 14 and the outlet tube 16 communicate with the storing space 12. A shell 18 is disposed around the tank 10, and an insulated material 20 is disposed between the shell 18 and the tank 10. A bottom portion of the shell 18 has a base 19. The inlet tube 14 and the outlet tube 16 extends out of the shell 18. In the current embodiment, a location of the outlet tube 16 is higher than a location of the inlet tube 14. Namely, a distance between the inlet tube 14 and the base 19 is shorter than a distance between the outlet tube 16 and the base 19.
The isolating member 22 is disposed in the tank 10 and is located in the storing space 12 to divide the storing space 12 into a first chamber 122 and a second chamber 124, wherein the first chamber 122 communicates with the inlet tube 14 and the outlet tube 16. Water inputted through the inlet tube 14 is stored in the first chamber 122. A volume of the first chamber 122 is greater than a volume of the second chamber 124, and the first chamber 122 surrounds the second chamber 124.
The isolating member 22 has a top portion 24 and a body 26, wherein a top end of the body 26 is connected to the top portion 24; a bottom end of the body 26 is an open-end, and a periphery of the bottom end of the body 26 is connected to a bottom portion of the tank 10. The isolating member 22 has a first surface 262 and a second surface 264 which face opposite directions, wherein the first surface 262 faces toward the first chamber 122, and the second surface 264 faces toward the second chamber 124. In the current embodiment, the first surface 262 and the second surface 264 are located on the body 26. The bottom end of the body 26 is disposed with an enclosing member 28.
The heating device 30 is disposed in the second chamber 124 and includes a tube body 32 and a heating element 34. The tube body 32 has a first end 322 and a second end 324 which respectively communicate with the first chamber 122, so that water in the first chamber 122 could flow into an interior of the tube body 32, and water in the interior of the tube body 32 could flow into the first chamber 122. The heating element 34 is disposed on a tube wall of the tube body 32, and an air space 38 is disposed between the heating element 34 and the second surface 264. In other words, the heating element 34 does not directly contact with water.
In the current embodiment, a location of the second end 324 of the tube body 32 is higher than a location of the first end 322 of the tube body 32. Namely, a distance between the second end 324 of the tube body 32 and the base 19 is greater than a distance between the first end 322 of the tube body 32 and the base 19. The first end 322 of the tube body 32 communicates with the first chamber 122 via a connecting tube 40, wherein the connecting tube 40 passes through the bottom portion of the tank 10 and the enclosing member 28. A location of an inlet end 402 of the connecting tube 40 is lower than the location of the inlet tube 14. The second end 324 of the tube body 32 passes through the top portion 24 of the isolating member 22 and communicates with the first chamber 122. The second end 324 is located between the outlet tube 16 and the inlet tube 14. Some of the water inputted through the inlet tube 14 flows into the tube body 32 of the heating device 30 via the connecting tube 40 and then overflows from the second end 324 of the tube body 32. Preferably, a level of water in the first chamber 122 is above the second end 324 of the tube body 32.
Practically, the first chamber 122 could be disposed with a minimum level sensor 42 and a maximum level sensor 44, wherein the minimum level sensor 42 is located above the outlet tube 16. When the minimum level sensor 42 detects that a level of water is lower than a first predetermined level, a water supplying device (not shown) is activated to supply water through the inlet tube 14, until the maximum level sensor 44 detects that a level of water reaches a second predetermined level. When a level of water reaches a second predetermined level, the maximum level sensor 44 stops the water supplying device supplying water.
In the current embodiment, the tube body 32 is made by an electrically insulating material, such as a quartz tube or a ceramic tube. The heating element 34 includes a nano-carbon coating 342 which is coated on the tube wall of the tube body 32 to increase a heating area. The nano-carbon coating 342 is disposed with two electrodes 344 which are respectively connected to two power wires 36. The two power wires 36 passes through the enclosing member 28. The tube body 32 separates the nano-carbon coating 342 from water in the tube body 32 to prevent the nano-carbon coating 342 from touching the water, thereby avoiding an electrical leakage.
When an electric current is passed through the two power wires 36, the heating element 34 generates thermal energy, wherein the thermal energy generated by the heating element 34 is transferred to the interior of the tube body 32 via the tube wall of the tube body 32 to heat the water in the interior of the tube body 32. When water in the interior of the tube body 32 is heated, water flows upwardly, namely in a direction from the first end 322 to the second end 324 of the tube body 32, so that a temperature of water above the second end 324 is higher than a temperature of water below the second end 324. Since the second end 324 of the tube body 32 is closer to the outlet tube 16, and the location of the outlet tube 16 is higher than the location of the inlet tube 14, water which is hotter above the second end 324 in the first chamber 122 flows downwardly, namely in a direction from the second end 324 to the first end 322 of the tube body 32, due to thermal convection, thereby forming a circulation without an assistance of a convection device. Even if additional cool water flows into the first chamber 122 through the inlet tube 14, cool water is brought into the tube body 32 and is heated to be hot water. In other words, during a heating process, the tube body 32 could facilitate the circulation due to thermal conduction in the first chamber 122.
The thermal energy of the heating element 34 could be transferred to the first chamber 122 via the isolating member 22. In the current embodiment, the second surface 264 of the isolating member 22 could optionally be disposed with a thermally conductive layer 46 which faces the heating element 34. Preferably, the thermally conductive layer 46 is a nano-carbon coating and could enhance an ability to conduct the thermal energy from the heating element 34 to the isolating member 22, so that the thermal energy of the heating element 34 could be utilized effectively. The enclosing member 28 could prevent thermal energy in the second chamber 124 from dissipating into the atmosphere through the bottom end of the body 26.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In an embodiment, the heating pipe 52 could also include an induction coil to heat the tube body 54 of the metal material.
In view of the above, in the storage electric water heater of the current application, the thermal convection in the first chamber during the heating process could be enhanced by communicating the two ends of the tube body with the first chamber. Additionally, since the second chamber is located in the tank, the thermal energy generated by the heating device could be fully utilized. The heating element is separated from water by the tube body, so that the could be avoided.
It must be pointed out that the embodiment described above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention.
