Stratifier for tank-type water heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280557-B2
Application number	US-201716306859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A tank-type water heater includes a storage tank and a heating circuit outside of the tank. The heating circuit includes at least one heat engine and at least one pump for circulating water from the bottom of the tank through the heat engine and back to the top of the tank. A stratifier introduces the heated water from the heating circuit into the top of the tank in a diffuse manner to promote stratification of hot water in the tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tank-type water heater comprising:
a tank for storage of water, the tank including a top, a bottom, and a hot water return spud communicating with a top portion of the water tank;
a heating circuit including a heat engine outside of the tank, a heating circuit outlet communicating between the bottom of the tank and the heat engine for delivery of water to be heated from the tank bottom to the heat engine, and a heating circuit return including the hot water return spud and communicating between the heat engine and tank for return of water heated by the heat engine to the tank through the hot water return spud;
a stratifier located at least partially within the hot water return spud and introducing all of the heated water from the heating circuit return into the top portion of the tank in a diffuse manner to promote stratification of hot water in the tank above the heating circuit outlet; and
a pipe nipple coupled to the hot water return spud, wherein a portion of the pipe nipple is positioned within the hot water return spud, and wherein a portion of the stratifier is at least partially received in the pipe nipple.

2. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the stratifier includes apertures that are sized and arranged so that the combined surface area of the apertures results in fluid flow through the stratifier that has a Reynolds number less than 500.

3. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the stratifier imparts laminar flow to the heated water being introduced to the top portion of the tank.

4. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the stratifier includes a plurality of holes for diffusion of the heated water into the top portion of the tank.

5. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the stratifier includes a longitudinal axis disposed vertically in the top portion of the tank.

6. The water heater of claim 5 , wherein the stratifier includes a plurality of holes having axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the holes causing laminar and diffuse flow of heated water into the top portion of the tank.

7. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the tank is cylindrical and includes a height and a diameter, the aspect ratio of tank height to diameter being less than 2.0.

8. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the tank is cylindrical and includes a height and a diameter, the aspect ratio of tank height to diameter being less than 1.5.

9. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the tank is cylindrical and includes a height and a diameter, the aspect ratio of tank height to diameter being less than 1.2.

10. A method of maximizing hot water stored in a water heater tank, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a tank having a top portion, a bottom portion, a heating circuit return including a hot water return spud joined to the top portion of the tank, the hot water return spud communicating through a wall of the tank with an interior volume of the tank, and a stratifier directly mounted to the hot water return spud and extending from the hot water return spud into the interior volume of the tank in the top portion of the tank;
(b) filling the interior volume of the tank with water;
(c) drawing water from the bottom portion of the tank;
(d) heating the water drawn from the tank in an external heat engine; and
(e) returning all of the heated water from the external heat engine to the top portion of the tank via the heating circuit return and the stratifier in a manner that minimizes turbulence in the water in the tank.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein step (a) includes providing a cylindrical tank having a height-to-diameter ratio of less than 2.0.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein step (a) includes providing a cylindrical tank having a height-to-diameter ratio of less than 1.5.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein step (a) includes providing a cylindrical tank having a height-to-diameter ratio of less than 1.2.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein step (e) includes introducing the heated water into the top portion of the tank using the stratifier having apertures that are sized and arranged so that the combined surface area of the apertures results in fluid flow at a Reynolds number below 500.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein step (e) includes introducing the heated water into the top portion of the tank as a laminar flow.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein step (e) includes passing the heater water through the stratifier to introduce the heated water into the top portion of the tank in a diffuse fashion to minimize mixing with water in the tank.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the vertical stratifier includes a plurality of holes having horizontal axes such that heated water is introduced into the top portion of the tank in horizontally through the holes.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein step (e) includes introducing the water into the top portion of the tank at a Reynolds number below 500.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the stratifier is a vertical stratifier, wherein step (e) includes positioning the vertical stratifier in the top portion of the tank, flowing the heated water through the stratifier, and introducing the water into the top portion of the tank with the stratifier in a diffuse, laminar fashion.

Assignees

• Smith Corp A O

Inventors

• Teng Yingwu
• Schultz Michael W

Classifications

• F24D12/02

  having more than one heat source (using heat pumps, in water central heating systems F24D3/18; in air central heating systems F24D5/12; in systems using heat storage masses F24D11/02) · CPC title

• F24D11/0214

  water heating system · CPC title

• F24D2240/20

  Placed at top position · CPC title

• F24D11/02

  using heat pumps · CPC title

• F28D20/0039 Primary

  with stratification of the heat storage material · CPC title