KR20070081003A - Thermally Conductive Assembly And Method Of Manufacturing The Same - Google Patents

Abstract

In the heat conduction assembly for the water heater 2 and the method of manufacturing the heat conduction assembly, a heat conduction housing 3 having an inner wall 32 cooperating to define the sealing chamber 31 is provided. The heat conduction unit 4 is disposed in the sealing chamber 31. The thermally conductive particles 5 are disposed in the sealing chamber 31, accumulate on the inner wall surface 32 of the thermal conductive housing 3 and the outer wall surface 44 of the thermal conductive unit 4, so that the water in the thermal conductive unit 4 is reduced. Heat it.

Description

Heat conducting assembly and its manufacturing method {HEAT CONDUCTING ASSEMBLY FOR A WATER HEATER, AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE HEAT CONDUCTING ASSEMBLY}

1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a conventional gas water heater,

2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a heat conduction assembly according to the present invention, showing a state installed in a water heater;

3 is a perspective view of a heat conduction unit of a preferred embodiment,

4 is a flow chart of a preferred embodiment of a method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

2: water heater 3: heat conduction housing

4: heat conduction unit 5: heat conduction particle

31 sealing chamber 41 pin plate

43 pipe

The present invention relates to a heat conduction assembly, and more particularly, to a heat conduction assembly for a water heater and a method of manufacturing the heat conduction assembly.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional water heater 1 such as a gas water heater includes an open housing 11, a heat conducting member 12, a water pipe 13 surrounding the heat conducting member 12, and a housing 11. Disposed heating unit 14. The water pipe 13 allows water to pass therethrough and has inlet and outlet ends 131, 132 extending out of the housing 11. In use, the heating unit 14 directly heats the heat conducting member 12, which heat transfers heat to the water pipe 13 to heat the water flowing through the water pipe 13. . However, the conventional water heater 1 has the following disadvantages.

(1) Since only the lower portion of the heat conducting member 12 is heated and the housing 11 is open, the heating region of the heat conducting member 12 is limited, and heat loss deepens due to the flow of ambient air passing through the water heater 1. This lowers the heat transfer efficiency.

(2) As described above, the heating unit 14 has to consume more thermal energy in order to heat the water in the water pipe 13 to a desired temperature, thereby causing a waste of thermal energy.

(3) Since the lower portion of the heat conductive member 12 is close to the heating unit 14, the portion of the water pipe 13 closest to the lower portion of the thermal conductive member 12 is heated rapidly, while the lower portion of the thermal conductive member 14 The far water pipe 13 portion heats up slowly due to the heat loss and low heat transfer efficiency described above, resulting in non-uniform heat distribution. As a result, the water flowing through the water pipe 13 is not heated at the same rate.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heat conduction assembly for a water heater, which has a high heat conduction efficiency to reduce energy consumption.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing the above-described thermal conductive assembly.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a heat conduction assembly includes a heat conduction housing having an inner wall surface cooperating to define a sealing chamber, a heat conduction unit disposed in the sealing chamber, and heat conduction particles accumulating on an inner wall surface of the heat conduction housing. .

According to another embodiment of the invention, the heat conduction assembly is suitable for a water heater comprising an outer casing and a heat-generating source disposed in the outer casing. The heat conduction assembly includes a heat conduction housing disposed in an outer casing above the heat-generating source and having an inner wall surface cooperating to define a sealing chamber; A heat conduction unit disposed in the sealing chamber, the heat conduction unit having an inlet and an outlet end extending out of the sealing chamber and including a pipe body defining a flow path for flowing water from the inlet end to the outlet end; And thermally conductive particles accumulated on the inner wall surface of the thermally conductive housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a heat conducting assembly includes: (a) providing a heat conduction housing having an inner wall surface cooperating to define a sealing chamber and a heat conduction unit disposed therein; (b) evacuating the sealing chamber; (c) accumulating thermally conductive particles on the inner wall surface of the thermally conductive housing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 and 3, a preferred embodiment of the heat conduction assembly according to the invention is suitable for the water heater 2. The water heater 2 includes an outer casing 21 and a heat-generating source 22 disposed in the outer casing 21. The heat-generating source 22 may be a gas burner, an electrical heating element, or a solar energy conversion device.

The thermally conductive assembly of the present invention is shown to include a thermally conductive housing 3, a thermally conductive unit 4, and thermally conductive particles 5.

The heat conduction housing 3 is arranged in the outer casing 21 above the heat-generating source 22 and has an inner wall 32 which cooperates to define the sealing chamber 31. The sealing chamber 31 is evacuated to form a vacuum chamber. The thermally conductive housing 3 has a bottom including a bottom wall 321 and a peripheral wall 322 extending from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 321 and diverging upward. The thermally conductive housing 3 is made of metal in this embodiment, and may be made of other refractory materials such as glass, high temperature heat resistant plastic, ceramic, and the like.

The heat conduction unit 4 is disposed in the sealing chamber 31 and includes a pipe body 43 having inlet and outlet ends 431, 432 extending out of the sealing chamber 31. The pipe body 43 defines a flow path 42 through which water flows from the inlet end 431 to the outlet end 432. In the present embodiment, the pipe body 43 is made of metal and is a serpentine pipe body. The heat conduction unit 4 further includes a plurality of heat conduction fin plates 41 mounted on the pipe body 43. The heat conductive fin plates 41 are arranged up and down in a spaced relationship, and are arranged in parallel with each other. The heat conduction unit 4 has an outer wall surface 44. In this embodiment, the outer wall 44 and the inner wall 32 are subjected to an acid washing treatment for surface passivation to become a passivated surface.

The thermally conductive particles 5 are accumulated on the inner wall surface of the thermally conductive housing 3 and also on the outer wall surface 44 of the thermally conductive unit 4.

Referring to FIG. 2 in conjunction with FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the method of manufacturing the above-described heat conducting assembly according to the present invention comprises: (a) an inner wall 32 that cooperates to define a sealing chamber 31, and Providing a thermally conductive housing 3 having a thermally conductive unit 4 disposed therein; (b) evacuating the sealing chamber (31); (c) accumulating the thermally conductive particles 5 on the inner wall surface 32 of the thermally conductive housing 3.

Step (c) comprises the step (c1) of filling the sealing chamber 31 with a liquid suspension of the thermally conductive particles 5; Applying heat to the thermally conductive housing 3 to evaporate the liquid suspension and accumulating thermally conductive particles on the inner wall surface of the thermal conductive housing 3 and the outer wall surface 44 of the thermal conductive unit 4. .

It is important that the liquid suspension consists of sintered and ground inorganic media such as manganese and beryllium, distilled water (or volatile liquids such as alcohols), and zinc, magnesium and calcium which can suppress the generation of hydrogen and oxygen.

This method passivates the outer wall surface 44 of the heat conducting unit 4 and the inner wall surface 32 of the heat conducting housing 3 in step (a), thereby facilitating the accumulation of the thermally conductive particles 5 on the wall surface. It further comprises a step. The passivation of the outer wall surface 44 of the heat conduction unit 4 and the inner wall surface 32 of the heat conduction housing 3 is carried out through an acid wash treatment.

The method further comprises evacuating the sealing chamber 31 after step (c) to remove residual gas from the sealing chamber 31. Although some thermally conductive particles 5 may be removed during the vacuuming operation, this removal amount is not critical.

In use, when the heat-generating source 22 heats the thermally conductive housing 3, the heat is generated by three mechanisms: thermal radiation of the thermally conductive housing 3; B) the temperature difference (ie, convection) between the heat conduction housing 3 and the heat conduction unit 4 capable of moving the heated heat conduction particles 5 towards the heat conduction unit 4; Ⓒ is transferred to the heat conduction unit 4 via contact (ie, conduction) between the heated heat conduction particles 5 and the heat conduction unit 4.

The shape of the bottom of the thermally conductive housing 3, including the bottom wall 321 and the dissipated peripheral wall 322, is characterized by the presence of thermally conductive particles 5 on the bottom wall 321 relatively close to the heat-generating source 22 for rapid thermal conductivity. It is important that they can be induced to accumulate. In addition, since the sealing chamber 31 is in a vacuum and a dry state, when heat is transferred to the pipe body 43, condensation of water vapor on the pipe body 43 does not occur. In addition, the pressure in the sealing chamber 31 can be maintained at a constant level due to the role of zinc, magnesium and calcium to suppress the generation of hydrogen and oxygen.

While the present invention has been described as being the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and that various configurations included in the broadest spirit and scope are intended to include all modifications and equivalent configurations. It is to be understood that it is intended to be inclusive.

The present invention has the effect of reducing energy consumption by providing a heat conduction assembly for a water heater having a high heat conduction efficiency.

Claims (24)

In a thermally conductive assembly, A thermally conductive housing 3 having an inner wall 32 cooperating to define the sealing chamber 31, A heat conduction unit 4 disposed in the sealing chamber 31, Comprising thermally conductive particles 5 accumulated on the inner wall surface 32 of the thermally conductive housing 3. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 1, The sealing chamber 31 is a vacuum chamber Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 1, The heat conduction unit 4 includes a pipe body 43 having inlet and outlet end portions 431, 432 extending out of the sealing chamber 31, the pipe body 43 having the inlet end ( Defining a flow path for flowing water from 431 to the outlet end 432. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 3, wherein The pipe body 43 is made of metal Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 3, wherein The pipe 43 is a winding pipe chain Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 5, The heat conduction unit 4 further includes a plurality of heat conduction fin plates 41 mounted on the pipe body 43. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 1, The thermally conductive unit 4 has an outer wall surface 44, and the thermally conductive particles 5 are also accumulated on the outer wall surface 44 of the thermally conductive unit 4. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 7, wherein The outer wall 44 of the heat conduction unit 4 is a passivated surface Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 8, The outer wall surface 44 of the heat conduction unit 4 is subjected to acid cleaning for surface passivation. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 1, The thermally conductive housing 3 has a lower wall and a lower part including a peripheral wall 322 extending from an outer periphery of the lower wall 321 and diverging upwardly. Heat conduction assembly. In the heat conduction assembly used for a water heater (2) in which the water heater (2) comprises an outer casing (21) and a heat-generating source (22) disposed in the outer casing. A heat conducting housing (3) disposed in an outer casing (21) above the heat-generating source (22) and having an inner wall (32) cooperating to define a sealing chamber (31); A heat conduction unit 4 disposed in the sealing chamber 31, the inlet and outlet end portions 431, 432 extending out of the sealing chamber 31 and from the inlet end 431 to the outlet end ( The heat conducting unit 4, comprising a pipe body 43 defining a flow path for flowing water up to 432; Comprising thermally conductive particles 5 accumulated on the inner wall surface 32 of the thermally conductive housing 3. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 11, The sealing chamber 31 is a vacuum chamber Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 11, The pipe body 43 is made of metal Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 11, The pipe 43 is a winding pipe chain Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 14, The heat conduction unit 4 further includes a plurality of heat conduction fin plates mounted on the pipe body 43. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 11, The thermally conductive unit 4 has an outer wall surface 44, and the thermally conductive particles 5 are also accumulated on the outer wall surface 44 of the thermally conductive unit 4. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 16, The outer wall 44 of the heat conduction unit 4 is a passivated surface Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 17, The outer wall surface 44 of the heat conduction unit 4 is subjected to acid cleaning for surface passivation. Heat conduction assembly. The method of claim 11, The thermally conductive housing 3 has a lower wall 321 and a lower portion including a peripheral wall 322 extending from an outer circumference of the lower wall 321 and diverging upwardly. Heat conduction assembly. A method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly, (a) providing a thermally conductive housing 3 having an inner wall surface 32 cooperating to define a sealing chamber 31 and a thermally conductive unit 4 disposed therein, (b) evacuating the sealing chamber 31; (c) accumulating thermally conductive particles 5 on the inner wall surface 32 of the thermally conductive housing 3. Method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly. The method of claim 20, The step (c) comprises: (c1) filling the sealing chamber 31 with a liquid suspension of the thermally conductive particles 5, (c2) applying heat to the thermally conductive housing 3 to evaporate the liquid suspension and accumulate the thermally conductive particles 5 on the inner wall surface 32 of the thermally conductive housing 3. Method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly. The method of claim 20, The thermally conductive particles 5 are also accumulated on the outer wall surface 44 of the thermally conductive unit 4. Method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly. The method of claim 22, The step (a) comprises passivating the outer wall surface 44 of the heat conducting unit 4. Method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly. The method of claim 23, The passivation of the outer wall surface 44 of the heat conduction unit 4 is carried out through an acid wash treatment. Method of manufacturing a thermally conductive assembly.

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