U.S. patent application number 13/557275 was filed with the patent office on 2013-07-25 for hot water heater pre-heating apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is David Hamilton. Invention is credited to David Hamilton.
Application Number | 20130186122 13/557275 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48796094 |
Filed Date | 2013-07-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130186122 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hamilton; David |
July 25, 2013 |
Hot Water Heater Pre-Heating Apparatus
Abstract
Disclosed is a hot water heater supplement and means of
utilizing waste heat from a refrigeration cycle. The apparatus
comprises a refrigerator having a compressible refrigerant, a
compressor, a condenser, a refrigerant receiver tank, an expansion
valve and an evaporator for changing the temperature, pressure and
phase of the refrigerant in a standard refrigeration cycle. The
condenser is a coaxial, water cooled heat exchanger that receives
waste heat from the high temperature, condensing refrigerant. The
heated water is pumped into a coaxial heat exchanger within a heat
exchange tank, which heats a volume of water within the exchange
tank that is then mixed with a hot water heater tank for use in a
residence. Cold water is fed into the exchange tank and thus
pre-heated before being moved to the hot water heater, which
utilizes either a gas or resistance style heating means.
Inventors: |
Hamilton; David; (Orange,
VA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hamilton; David |
Orange |
VA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48796094 |
Appl. No.: |
13/557275 |
Filed: |
July 25, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61511346 |
Jul 25, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/238.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02B 30/18 20130101;
F25B 29/003 20130101; F24D 17/0005 20130101; F24D 2200/24 20130101;
F24D 17/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/238.6 |
International
Class: |
F25B 29/00 20060101
F25B029/00 |
Claims
1) A hot water preheating system, comprising: a refrigerator having
a refrigeration cycle that utilizes a compressible material and
phase change operation, including a compressor, condenser,
expansion valve and evaporator for cooling a refrigerator internal
compartment; a hot water heater for heating incoming water to a
desired level; a preheating exchange tank for accepting an incoming
water supply, preheating a quantity of said water supply before
sending said preheated water to said hot water heater for further
heating; said refrigerator condenser further comprising a first
heat exchanger element for drawing heat from said compressible
material, wherein said material undergoes a transition from a vapor
to a liquid phase; a conduit from said first heat exchanger
connecting to a circulating pump, said pump circulating a heat
exchange material from said first heat exchanger element and
through a second heat exchanger element to a return pipe to said
first exchanger; said second heat exchanger element being
positioned in said preheating exchange tank for preheating incoming
water.
2) The device of claim 1, wherein said first heat exchanger element
further comprises a first coaxial heat exchanger.
3) The device of claim 1, wherein said second heat exchanger
element further comprises a second coaxial heat exchanger.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/511,346 filed on Jul. 25, 2011, entitled "Hydro
Fridge." The patent application identified above is incorporated
here by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of
disclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to hot water heaters,
refrigeration cycles and capturing waste heat from a refrigeration
cycle for preheating a hot water heater. More specifically, the
present invention pertains to a closed-loop, dual coaxial heat
exchanger that receives heat from a refrigerator condenser and
heats household water in an exchange tank for preheating water
entering a hot water heater.
[0004] Refrigerators are common household appliances that utilize a
phase-change operation of a compressible medium to create a chilled
environment within the appliance interior for food storage. These
devices utilize a refrigeration cycle that is well known in the
art, which involves the compression of refrigerant, condensing the
refrigerant by removing heat from the refrigerant to change its
phase from a vapor to a liquid before an expansion valve and
evaporator change its phase once again to a liquid, drawing heat
from an environment adapted to be cooled. This closed-circuit cycle
allows the refrigerant phase change to remove heat from a low
temperature region and reject heat to a high temperature region,
wherein the refrigerant is recycled and contained within the cycle.
The process of rejecting or removing heat in the process occurs
when the refrigerant passes through the condenser, wherein waste
heat is removed from the process and into the environment. This
heat is generally expelled into the environment and constitutes a
waste or unrealized use of heat from the cycle.
[0005] The waste heat from this cycle can be capitalized upon and
utilized in a secondary process rather than being wasted in the
environment. The heat can be utilized for mechanical work or
further in a heating process of another medium. The present
invention pertains to such a waste heat recapturing apparatus,
wherein the latent heat from an air-cooled condenser is replaced
with a liquid-cooled, coaxial heat exchanger for drawing heat from
the refrigerant and into a liquid medium. This heated medium is
then pumped into an exchange tank for preheating a volume of water,
which is then fed into a larger hot water heater. Pre-heating the
water entering the hot water heater reduces the overall burden on
the heater and its demands to raise the temperature of the water
from a lower temperature to one that is comfortable for use in a
residential or commercial establishment. The required energy from
the resistive or gas-powered hot water heater is therefore reduced,
as the heat from the refrigerator is utilized as a means to
supplement the hot water heater using a cycling, dual-coaxial heat
exchanger and a preheated exchange tank prior to feeding the hot
water heater.
[0006] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0007] Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to
refrigeration cycle waste heat repurposing apparatuses. These
include devices that have been patented and published in patent
application publications, and generally relate to improved
efficiently cycles that utilize the waste heat rather than
releasing it into the atmosphere. The forgoing is a list of devices
deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein
described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the
unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting
the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
[0008] Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,345 to Tyree discloses an
ice-making and water heating device that utilizes recovered heat
from an ice maker, comprising liquid refrigerant from a high
pressure received is expanded and supplied to an evaporator.
Expanded refrigerant returns to a compressor through an accumulator
and the high pressure vapor is condensed by a heat-exchanger with
circulating water withdrawn from a storage tank. The water is
heated as the refrigerant vapor gives off heat through the
condenser, whereafter the heat may be utilized as pre-heated water
in another process or for a different function.
[0009] Another device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,032 to Speicher, which
discloses a device for utilizing waste heat from a household
refrigerator and utilizing it with a hot water heater, wherein
water is heated by a condenser of the refrigerator and further by
an oil cooling loop from the refrigerator compressor, together
which heat the water for reuse in a hot water tank. The
twice-heated water can be stored in a hot water tank and
distributed throughout a home for hot water use. The Speicher
device utilizes the waste heat from a refrigerator and the heat
generated by the refrigerator compressor to heat water prior to
being mixed directly within a hot water heater. The present
invention utilizes a closed-loop, dual heat exchanger that preheats
water prior to being moved into a hot water heater and mixed
therein.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,093 to Raymond discloses another device
for exchanging heat energy between a refrigeration circuit and a
hot water system, wherein the device heats water in a combination
refrigerant desuperheater water preheater and then conducted to hot
water storage. A fitting mixes the preheater with water in a hot
water tank prior to discharging that water into a hot water system.
While utilizing a preheater prior to mixing water with a hot water
heater, the Raymond device utilizes a desuperheater water preheater
rather than a closed-loop, circulating liquid heat exchanger that
transfers heat from the condenser to a preheating heat exchange
tank.
[0011] Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,764 to Papadakos discloses a
water and energy conserving apparatus that supplies pre-heated
water to a hot water heater and for cooling at least one
refrigeration unit. The apparatus comprises a pre-heater tank
adapted to be connected to a cold water supply. A heat exchanger
accepts heated compressible medium from the refrigeration cycle
heats up the cold water by removing heat from the compressible
medium, after which the heated water is pumped directly into a
pre-heater tank. While similar in intent, the present invention
utilizes a dual heat exchanger that draws heat from the
refrigerator condenser and then exchanges heat with cold water from
an exchange tank, whereafter the preheated water from the exchange
tank is placed within a hot water heater for further heating
through an electrical resistance or fuel burning process.
[0012] Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,807 to Bourne discloses a
combined refrigerator-water heating system, comprising an insulated
food storage compartment and an insulated water storage
compartment. A refrigeration cycle that includes compressible
refrigerant is utilized to cool the food compartment, while a
condenser is utilized to heat the water storage compartment. A
resistance heating element within the water storage compartment is
also utilized on combination with the condenser, wherein the heater
utilizes a logic and time-of-day signal to bias the electrical
heating to time of off-peak electrical use and thus reduce energy
consumption and cost for heating water. The Bourne device relates
to an improved system that utilizes logic to conserve energy or
utilize energy during nonpeak and low cost times, saving the
homeowner money and improving overall efficiency of the system.
[0013] The present invention pertains to a heat exchange device
that preheats water entering a hot water tank using a circulating,
dual-coaxial heat exchanger device that utilizes waste heat from a
refrigeration cycle as a means to preheating household water. It is
submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in
design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear
that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing hot
water preheating devices. In this regard the instant invention
substantially fulfills these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of hot water preheating devices now present in the prior art,
the present invention provides a new preheating device utilizing
waste heat from a refrigeration cycle and a preheating exchange
tank, wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience
for the user when improving overall efficiency of a refrigerator
and hot water heater while reducing energy costs for the
homeowner.
[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved hot water preheating device that has all
of the advantages of the prior art and none of the
disadvantages.
[0016] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
hot water preheating device that utilizes waste heat expelled from
a refrigeration cycle and utilize it as a means of preheating water
prior to a hot water tank.
[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a hot
water preheating device that replaces a condenser with a
liquid-liquid heat exchanger for drawing heat from a refrigeration
cycle and condensing the refrigerant in the process.
[0018] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
hot water preheating device that utilizes a single or dual coaxial
heat exchanger to transfer heat from a refrigerator compressible
refrigerant medium to cold water in a preheating exchange tank.
[0019] Other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Although the characteristic features of this invention will
be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and
manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood
after a review of the following description, taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are
provided throughout.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a pictorial view of the present apparatus.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the present invention and
its elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like
reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like
or similar elements of the hot water preheating device. For the
purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present
invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for
preheating water entering a hot water heater via waste heat from a
refrigeration cycle. The figures are intended for representative
purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any
respect.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a pictorial view of
the present preheating and heat recapturing device of the present
invention. The system comprises a refrigeration unit 11 that
operates a standard refrigeration cycle, wherein compressible
refrigerant or similar material is induced into several phase
changes to absorb and release heat for the purpose of cooling the
refrigerator interior. Another key component of the system is a
household hot water heater 13, which normally intakes cold water
and heats the water to a desired temperature through electrical
resistance heating or a fuel burning process. Finally, a preheating
water exchange tank 12 is provided as an intermediary between the
cold water intake 19 and the hot water heater 13, wherein the cold
water 19 is heated by an exchange process that elevates the
incoming water prior to entry into the hot water heater. This
reduces the burden on the hot water heater and thus energy
expenditure for heating lower temperature water to that desirable
for user showering, cleaning and for other household uses.
[0025] The means of heating the cold water 19 in the exchange tank
12 includes a heat exchange between the refrigerator 11 and the
exchange tank 12, wherein otherwise wasted heat from the
refrigerator condenser is utilized to heat a medium within a
liquid-liquid heat exchanger 15 and pumped 18 into a second
liquid-liquid heat exchanger 14 within the exchange tank 12. The
first heat exchanger 15 reduces the temperature of the refrigerant
for the purpose of condensing it from a vapor to a liquid or liquid
and vapor mixture prior to being accumulated and returned to the
refrigerator compressor for recirculation. Normally this heat is
exhausted from the refrigerator by an elongated condenser coil that
utilizes a liquid-air exchange process; however in the present
invention a coaxial heat exchanger absorbs heat from the
refrigerant in a similar process. The heated material within the
exchanger 15 is then pumped 18 into a second heat exchanger 14
within the exchange tank 12 for heating cold water. Losses in the
cycle limit the ability of the exchangers to raise the temperature
of the cold water 19 to an acceptably high user temperature, as the
ceiling for the exchanger is less than the temperature of the
condensing refrigerant. Therefore, the water in the exchange tank
12 is considered a preheating exercise, wherein this preheated
water 20 is then fed into the hot water heater 13 for further
heating and distribution 21. The heated material from the second
exchanger 14 is reduced in temperature and pumped back 16 to the
first exchanger 15 for reheating by the condensing operation of the
refrigerant.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a schematic view of
the present preheating cycle. As shown, the three primary
components of the system are the refrigerator 11 and its
refrigeration cycle, the preheating exchange tank 12 and the hot
water heater 13. The refrigeration cycle 11 includes a compressor
27 that compresses a refrigerant medium to a high pressure gaseous
state, after which the refrigerant enters a liquid-liquid heat
exchanger 15 that draws heat from the refrigerant and changes its
phase from a vapor to a liquid or to a vapor and liquid mixture.
The liquid refrigerant is then collected in a receiver tank 22 and
forced through an optional refrigerant dryer if required. An
expansion valve 24 is utilized to transform the high pressure
liquid refrigerant into a low pressure refrigerant that is then run
through an evaporator 25. The evaporator 25 changes the phase of
the refrigerant back to a gaseous state by drawing heat from the
surrounding environment before being accumulated 26 and
recompressed. This phase change process is well described in the
art of refrigeration cycles, and is utilized as a means of drawing
heat from an interior refrigerator compartment and for distributing
cold air therewithin.
[0027] During this process, however, heat is normally expelled from
the refrigerant by the condenser as heat is drawn from the high
pressure gas being transformed into a liquid state. In the present
cycle, the condenser includes a first coaxial heat exchanger 15
utilizing an appropriate medium to absorb this heat, after which
the medium is pumped 18 from the condenser through a conduit 17 to
a second coaxial heat exchanger 14 for transferring the absorbed
heat to cold water 19 within the exchange tank 12. Rather than
expelling the heat from the condenser into the environment as waste
heat, the heat exchanger 15 utilizes this energy as a means to
preheat household cold water supplies 19 prior to the water being
placed into the hot water heater 13 for further heating. The
preheated water 20 thus requires less energy to elevate its
temperature to a desired, usable level for household use. The hot
water heater 13 may utilize an electrical resistance or
fuel-burning means of heating the preheated water before being
distributed 21 to the user in a shower, to the kitchen or to any
other household appliance or outlet drawing hot water.
[0028] Conventional refrigerators expel large quantities of waste
heat from their condenser coils, blowing the warm air into the
living spaces of a home. This is a problem in both air conditioned
households and commercial spaces, as the warm air emitted from
freezers and refrigerators raises the ambient air temperature
within the space and requires the climate control system to expel
further energy to maintain a desired indoor temperature. As the
atmospheric temperatures of living spaces and restaurant kitchens
rise, consumers are forced to waste energy and further place an
unnecessary strain on an air conditioning system in extreme heat
environments. Another consideration is the heat expelled during a
refrigeration cycle, which is generally squandered into the
environment as a waste product. This heat includes inherent energy
for work or for further heating auxiliary systems or other
secondary systems. It is therefore submitted that the present
invention discloses a means of capturing and repurposed which
wasted heat for the purposes of preheating a hot water heater water
supply. The system is designed to utilize an insulated water
exchange tank in-line with the water heater and upstream, wherein
the water heater accepts preheated water rather than cold or
ambient water. The implementation of this system may serve to
eliminate unnecessary emission of hot air from refrigerators, while
also repurposing the heat to raise the temperature of water needed
for cooking, washing clothes, showering, and other domestic or
commercial purposes. The use of a dual heat exchanger, and
specifically a coaxial heat exchanger, ensures efficient exchange
of energy between the refrigerator heat and the exchange tank
incoming water supply. The circulating fluid within the exchanger
may be water or similar fluid material suitable for liquid-liquid
heat exchangers.
[0029] It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has
been shown and described in what is considered to be the most
practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however,
that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and
that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the
art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape,
form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are
deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and
all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings
and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed
by the present invention.
[0030] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *