Pressure compensation and mixing device having a mixing unit and a pressure compensation unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060760-B2
Application number	US-201715674249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A pressure compensation and mixing device for a fluid heater has a mixing unit and a pressure compensation unit. The mixing unit is configured to mix a fluid guided in the mixing unit. The pressure compensation unit is configured to restrict pressure rising in the fluid. The mixing unit and the pressure compensation unit are integrated in a container unit. A bottom side of the container unit is closed by a bottom portion on which at least one connection is located via which the fluid may be discharged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure compensation and mixing device for a fluid heater, comprising:
a mixing unit configured to mix a fluid guided in the mixing unit; and
a pressure compensation unit configured to restrict pressure rising in the fluid,
wherein the mixing unit and the pressure compensation unit are integrated in a container unit,
wherein a bottom side of the container unit is closed by a bottom portion on which at least one connection is located via which the fluid may be discharged,
wherein the container unit has an inlet and an outlet,
wherein the container unit comprises a mixing container,
wherein the outlet is arranged in an upper region of the mixing container,
wherein the inlet is arranged in the upper region of the mixing container,
wherein the inlet is tangentially arranged on a mixing volume of the mixing unit such that a fluid entering through the inlet flows into the mixing volume tangentially,
wherein the outlet is axially arranged on the mixing volume such that a fluid exiting through the outlet flows out of the mixing volume axially, and
wherein the pressure compensation unit is arranged at least partly inside of the mixing unit,
wherein the pressure compensation unit has a pressure compensation volume and a chamber with several openings for receiving the pressure compensation volume,
wherein the several openings are provided in a lower region of the chamber such that in an upper region of the chamber above the several openings, the pressure compensation volume is includable as air volume,
wherein the chamber has direct connection with the mixing volume of the mixing unit via the several openings,
wherein the chamber and the mixing volume are arranged concentrically with respect to each other,
wherein a dome-shaped wall extends from the lower end of the lower portion upwards and forms a chamber of the pressure compensation unit,
wherein the dome-shaped wall is closed on an upper side of the dome-shaped wall.

2. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein the mixing unit is a swirl mixing unit comprising a swirl generating unit configured to generate a swirl flow of the fluid in a mixing volume of the mixing unit.

3. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein the outlet is provided at a top side of the mixing volume such that the fluid exits vertically upward out of the mixing volume, and wherein the inlet is provided in an upper region of the mixing volume on a lateral surface of the mixing container encompassing the mixing volume.

4. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid in the mixing volume of the mixing unit has a flow along a flow path selected from the group consisting of a swirl flow, a spiral flow, a helical flow, and a cyclone flow.

5. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein the mixing container is shaped such that a fluid in the mixing volume of the mixing unit has a helical swirl flow in a vertical direction which extends from top-to-bottom in the mixing container, and after reaching the bottom of the mixing container, the vertical direction of the helical swirl flow is inverted such that the helical swirl flow occurs from bottom-to-top with a smaller radius inside the mixing container until the water is discharged.

6. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the mixing unit is a jet mixing unit;
the jet mixing unit has the mixing volume, the inlet arranged at a side of the mixing volume, and the outlet arranged at the same side of the mixing volume as the inlet; and
the inlet and the outlet are arranged coaxially with respect to each other such that either the inlet encompasses the outlet circularly or the outlet encompasses the inlet circularly.

7. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is arranged inside of the mixing volume.

8. The pressure compensation and mixing device of claim 1 , wherein the mixing container is formed by an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the dome-shaped wall extends inside of the lower portion and the upper portion.

9. A fluid heater, comprising:
a pressure compensation and mixing device comprising a mixing unit configured to mix a fluid guided in the mixing unit and a pressure compensation unit configured to restrict pressure rising in the fluid, the mixing unit and the pressure compensation unit being integrated in a container unit, a bottom side of the container unit being closed by a bottom portion on which at least one connection is located via which the fluid may be discharged, the container unit having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the container unit comprises a mixing container, wherein the outlet is arranged in an upper region of the mixing container;
a heat source configured to generate heat;
a heat exchanger configured to transmit the heat to a fluid flowing through the heat exchanger; and
a guiding unit configured to guide the fluid from the heat exchanger to the pressure compensation and mixing device,
wherein the inlet of the container unit is arranged in the upper region of the mixing container,
wherein the inlet of the container unit is tangentially arranged on a mixing volume of the mixing unit such that a fluid entering through the inlet flows into the mixing volume tangentially,
wherein the outlet of the container unit is axially arranged on the mixing volume such that a fluid exiting through the outlet flows out of the mixing volume axially, and
wherein the pressure compensation unit is arranged at least partly inside of the mixing unit,
wherein the pressure compensation unit has a pressure compensation volume and a chamber with several openings for receiving the pressure compensation volume,
wherein the several openings are provided in a lower region of the chamber such that in an upper region of the chamber above the several openings, the pressure compensation volume is includable as air volume,
wherein the chamber has direct connection with the mixing volume of the mixing unit via the several openings,
wherein the chamber and the mixing volume are arranged concentrically with respect to each other,
wherein a dome-shaped wall extends from the lower end of the lower portion upwards and forms a chamber of the pressure compensation unit,
wherein the dome-shaped wall is closed on an upper side of the dome-shaped wall.

10. The fluid heater of claim 9 , wherein the guiding unit is configured to guide the fluid from the heat exchanger to the inlet at the mixing volume.

11. The fluid heater of claim 9 , wherein the pressure compensation and mixing device is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger and wherein the guiding unit comprises a pipe directly guiding the fluid from the heat exchanger to the container unit.

Assignees

• Truma Geraetetechnik Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Wickelmaier Peter
• Laging Johannes

Classifications

• F24H9/0005 Primary

  for water heaters · CPC title

• Y10T137/6416

  With heating or cooling of the system · CPC title

• Y10T137/87652

  With means to promote mixing or combining of plural fluids · CPC title

• F24D3/1091

  Mixing cylinders · CPC title

• E03C1/044

  having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line (water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H) · CPC title