JP5267380B2 - Water heater - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water heater provided with a water treatment device that removes ions dissolved in water.

  Conventionally, this type of water heater has a configuration as shown in FIG. 2 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, the configuration will be described.

A pair of electrodes 21 and 22 for performing electrodialysis, a cation exchange membrane 23, and an anion exchange membrane 24 are provided, and a voltage is applied so that the electrode 21 serves as a cathode and the electrode 22 serves as an anode. Anion exchange resin 25 that exchanges Cl ⁻ , NO ₃ ⁻ ions with OH ⁻ ions, Mg ²⁺ , cation exchange resin 26 that exchanges Ca ²⁺ ions with H ⁺ ions, and Mg that is not adsorbed by cation exchange resin 6 ^A discharge port 27 that can discharge water enriched with ²⁺ and Ca ^2+, and a diaphragm 28 through which ions dividing the inside of the cell can pass are arranged.

  The operation of the above configuration will be described. When softening, ion exchange by the ion exchange resins 25 and 26 and electrodialysis by electrodialysis means are performed simultaneously. The bathtub water w is sucked from the water inlet 29 by the circulation pump 30 and is divided into the flow paths 31, 32, 33.

First, softening by ion exchange will be described. The bathtub water w divided into the flow path 32 is divided into dilution chambers 34 and 35 partitioned in the cell by the diaphragm 28. The dilution chamber 35 is filled with a cation exchange resin 26, and Ca ²⁺ and Mg ^2+, which are hardness components in the bath water w, are ion-exchanged to H ⁺ by the cation exchange resin 26.

The dilution chamber 34 is filled with an anion exchange resin 25, and Cl ⁻ and NO ₃ ⁻ ions, which are anions in the bath water w, are ion exchanged with OH ⁻ and pass through a net 36 that does not allow the resin to flow out. Then, the bath water w that merges through the switching valve 37 and the switching valve 38 and is ion-exchanged is returned to the bathtub 39 from the discharge port 40.

Next, softening by electrodialysis will be described. Ca ²⁺ and Mg ^2+, which are hardness components in the bath water w, move to the concentration chamber 41 by the electrodialysis force through the cation exchange membrane 23, and are discharged from the discharge port 27 through the switching valve 42. Further, anions such as Cl ⁻ , HClO ₃ ⁻ and SO ₄ ^{2− in} the bath water w move to the concentration chamber 43 through the anion exchange membrane 24 and pass through the switching valve 44. It is discharged from the discharge port 27.

JP 2001-340863 A

  However, in the said conventional structure, the water of the bathtub is circulated and softened and the water which passes the heating means which heats the water (hot water) supplied to a bathtub is not processed. Since the heating means has a high temperature, scales are likely to accumulate, reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the heating means, and further closing the flow path. In addition, ions dissolved in water contain anions that cause corrosion in addition to hardness, and heating means that reach high temperatures are susceptible to corrosion.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and reduces the influence of raw water quality on the equipment by adsorbing ions dissolved in the water supplied to the heating means to prevent scale accumulation and corrosion. The purpose is to provide a water heater.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the water heater of the present invention includes an ion exchanger that adsorbs ions dissolved in water, the ion exchangers having different polarities on the front and back, and dissociating water to dissociate the ions. An ion exchange membrane for desorbing ions adsorbed on the exchanger, at least two electrodes for applying a voltage to the ion exchange membrane, a water treatment device having voltage control means for supplying a voltage to the electrodes, and A treatment device detection means for detecting ion adsorption capacity; and a heating means for heating water treated by the water treatment device, based on the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device detected by the treatment device detection means, The boiling temperature of water by the heating means is changed.

  As a result, the heating means heats the water from which ions dissolved by the water treatment apparatus are removed, so that scale accumulation and corrosion do not occur. Further, even when the capacity of the water treatment device is lowered, scale accumulation and corrosion can be prevented by lowering the temperature of the heating means.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hot water supply machine which reduced the influence on the apparatus by the water quality of raw | natural water can be provided by adsorb | sucking the ion which melt | dissolves in the water supplied to a heating means, and preventing accumulation | storage and corrosion of a scale. .

Configuration diagram of a water heater in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Configuration of a conventional water heater

  The first invention is an ion exchanger that adsorbs ions dissolved in water, and ions that dissociate water by disposing the ion exchangers having different polarities on the front and back and desorb the ions adsorbed on the ion exchanger. A water treatment device having an exchange membrane, at least two electrodes for applying a voltage to the ion exchange membrane, a voltage control means for supplying a voltage to the electrodes, and a treatment device detection means for detecting the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device; A heating means for heating the water treated by the water treatment device, and changes the boiling temperature of the water by the heating means based on the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device detected by the treatment device detection means With the hot water heater characterized by this, scale accumulation and corrosion in the heating means can be prevented even when the ion removal capability of the water treatment device is reduced.

  In the second invention, in particular, the water treatment device of the water heater of the first invention has a water sampling operation for adsorbing ions and a regeneration operation for desorbing ions, and the treatment device detecting means is the water treatment device. When a decrease in the ion adsorption capacity of the device is detected, it is configured to change from a water sampling operation to a regeneration operation, preventing water containing high-concentration ions from being supplied to the heating means. In addition, the treatment capacity of the water treatment device can always be kept in the best state.

In the third invention, in particular, the processing device detection means of the water heater according to the first or second invention is a conductivity measurement means, and measures the conductivity of the water treated by the treatment device detection means by the water treatment device. Thus, it is characterized in that it is configured to detect the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device, and can be directly measured as the conductivity by the amount of water ions treated by the water treatment device,
The processing capacity of the water treatment device can be accurately detected.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, the processing device detection means of the hot water heater of the first or second invention is a flow rate measurement means, and measures the amount of water processed by the water treatment device by the treatment device detection means. It is characterized by having a configuration that detects the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device, and the amount of treated water in the water treatment device can be measured with a flow meter with a simple configuration. Durability can be improved and inexpensive products can be provided.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in particular, the treatment device detection means of the water heater of the first or second invention is a time passage means, and measures the time that the treatment device detection means has processed by the water treatment device. It is characterized by the configuration that detects the ion adsorption capacity of the treatment device, and since the operation time of the water treatment device can be measured with a simple timer, the reliability and durability of the treatment device detection means It is possible to improve the price and provide a cheaper product.

  In addition, since the water heater has time-lapse means for displaying the time or grasping the operation status, it can be used as a processing device detection means, so that a cheaper product can be provided without adding additional components. be able to.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, during the water sampling operation in which the ion exchanger of the water treatment device of the water heater of any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention adsorbs ions in water, water is decomposed between the electrodes. It is characterized by applying a voltage lower than the voltage, and the treated water from which ions in the water have been removed does not contain water electrolysis gas, and gas can accumulate in the flow path leading to the treated water There is no sex.

In the seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, during the regeneration operation in which the ion exchanger of the water treatment device of the hot water heater of any of the first to sixth aspects of the invention desorbs ions in water, the water dissociation voltage between the electrodes The above-described voltage is applied, and water can be dissociated to generate H ⁺ ions and OH ⁻ ions, and an ion exchanger that adsorbs ions in water can be regenerated.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a hot water storage tank 1 for storing water and manufactured hot water is connected to a raw water line supplied from a water source such as tap water, industrial water, and groundwater by a raw water channel 2, and the water in the raw water channel 2 is The water is led to a coarse filtration means 3 for separating and removing insoluble water. The raw water flow path 2 is branched into a tank flow path 4 that leads to a hot water storage tank and a water supply flow path 5.

  In the water treatment device 6, the water in the hot water storage tank 1 is pumped by the pump 8 through the treated water flow path 7, and the three-way valve 9 heats the water treated by the water treatment device 6 to the heating means (heat exchanger) 10. It branches into the alternating current path 11 and the drainage flow path 12 discharged | emitted from a water heater. The processing device detection means 13 detects information relating to water sent to the heating means on the thermal AC path 11. Hot water generated by the heating means 10 is sent to the hot water storage tank 1 through the hot water storage passage 14. Hot water in the hot water storage tank 1 is sent through the hot water supply passage 15, mixed with the water in the water supply passage 6, and discharged.

The configuration of the water treatment device 6 will be described in more detail. The water treatment device 6 includes a pair of opposed electrodes 16a and 16b, a cation exchanger 17 that adsorbs cations dissolved in water, and an anion exchanger 18 that adsorbs anions dissolved in water. Are composed of ion-exchange membranes that are bonded so that the polarities are different on the front and back sides. A plurality of ion exchange membranes are laminated between the electrodes 16, an ion exchange membrane is laminated on a flat surface between the flat opposing electrodes 16, and concentric circles are formed between the concentric cylindrical opposing electrodes 16 having different radii. Alternatively, an ion exchange membrane may be laminated spirally.

  The ion exchanger has a polymer or copolymer polymer of styrene or divinylbenzene as a basic skeleton, and the cation exchanger 17 has a sulfo group or a carboxyl group such as acrylic acid or methacrylic acid introduced therein, and an anion exchanger 18. Has introduced a quaternary ammonium group or a primary to tertiary amino group. When the ion exchanger is formed into an ion exchange membrane, the formability of the membrane can be improved by kneading and dispersing the ion exchanger in a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Ion exchange membranes that have ion exchangers with different polarities on the front and back are called bipolar membranes. Dissociation of water at low voltage is promoted by applying a voltage to promote water dissociation at the interface of the ion exchanger. It can be performed.

  The operation and action of the water heater configured as described above will be described below.

  Usually, the hot water storage tank 1 is filled with hot water and water, and the water pressure of the raw water line is applied. When the hot water is discharged from the water heater, the temperature of the water in the water supply passage 5 and the hot water in the hot water supply passage 14 pushed out from the hot water storage tank 1 when the water flows into the hot water storage tank through the tank passage 4 are at an arbitrary temperature. Mix and pour out.

  Since the operation of the water treatment device 6 is different between a water sampling operation in which ions dissolved in water are adsorbed by the ion exchanger and a regeneration operation in which ions adsorbed in the ion exchanger are desorbed, first, the water treatment A water sampling operation in which the apparatus 6 adsorbs ions in water with an ion exchanger will be described.

  During the water sampling operation in which the water treatment device 6 adsorbs ions dissolved in water, the pump 8 is driven to suck the water in the hot water storage tank 1 through the treated water flow path 7 and pump it to the water treatment device 6. . The water treated by the water treatment device 6 is switched to the heat exchange path 11 by the three-way valve 9, the water quality is confirmed by the treatment device detection means 13, and sent to the heating means 10.

  In the water treatment device 6, ions such as cations Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, and Fe dissolved in water are converted into hydrogen ions by the cation exchanger 16, and anions Cl, carbonic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, etc. dissolved in water. These ions are ion-exchanged into hydroxide ions by the anion exchanger 17 to adsorb various ions dissolved in water to the ion exchanger.

  When the ion exchanger adsorbs ions, a voltage is applied so that the electrode 16a on the cation exchanger 17 side of the ion exchange membrane serves as an anode and the electrode 16b on the anion exchanger 18 side serves as a cathode. Since the ions in 6 move to the ion exchanger, the ion adsorption rate of the ion exchanger can be increased. At that time, since the theoretical decomposition voltage of water in which water molecules are electrolyzed to generate hydrogen molecules and oxygen molecules is 1.226 V, hydrogen gas and oxygen gas are generated by applying a voltage lower than the water decomposition voltage. Without being carried out, ions dissolved in water can be efficiently adsorbed by the ion exchanger.

  By adsorbing ions dissolved in water by the water treatment device 6, when the heating means 10 raises the temperature, the heating means is blocked due to precipitation of hardness components of Ca and Mg, the heating efficiency is lowered, and anions It is possible to prevent the corrosion caused by the corrosion.

In addition, when water with a non-uniform pH is treated, various anions can be converted to hydroxide ions when acidic, and neutral ions can be brought close to neutral water by ion-exchanging various cations to hydrogen ions. Therefore, the water treated by the water treatment device 6 can prevent corrosion due to pH. Further, by applying a voltage lower than the decomposition voltage of water, the treated water does not contain water decomposition gas, and even when the solubility of the gas is reduced by heating from the heating means 10, The cracked gas is not generated and does not accumulate in the hot water storage tank and the flow path.

  In addition, when the water treatment apparatus 6 adsorbs ions dissolved in water, it is not necessary to apply a voltage between the electrodes 16. The effect of the ion exchanger adsorbing ions dissolved in water remains the same, and the effect of not containing the decomposition gas of water in the treated water is also unchanged.

  Next, the operation and action when the water treatment device 6 desorbs ions adsorbed on the ion exchanger will be described.

  In the regeneration operation in which the ion exchanger desorbs ions, the water guided to the water treatment device 6 by the treated water channel 7 is treated by the water treatment device 6 and then switched by the three-way valve 9 to be a drainage channel. 12 is discharged from the water heater. In the water treatment device 6, a voltage is applied so that the electrode 16a on the cation exchanger 17 side of the ion exchange membrane serves as a cathode and the electrode 16b on the anion exchanger 18 side serves as an anode.

  Since the theoretical dissociation voltage of water in which water molecules dissociate into hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions is 0.828 V, the cation exchanger 17 and the anion exchange of the ion exchange membrane are applied by applying a voltage higher than the water dissociation voltage. Water is dissociated at the interface of the body 18 and exchanged with ions adsorbed on the ion exchanger to be desorbed, whereby the ion exchanger is regenerated.

  In addition, by making the applied voltage when the ion exchanger desorbs ions less than the decomposition voltage of water, the reclaimed water of the water treatment apparatus does not contain water decomposition gas, so it can be discharged from the water heater. It is possible to prevent dissolved gas from growing in the drainage flow path 12 and becoming bubbles.

  The operations of the processing device detection unit 13 and the heating unit 10 will be described in detail. The treatment device detection means 13 detects the removal performance of ions dissolved in water by the water treatment device 6 on the thermal AC path 11. In the water treatment device 6, the maximum amount of ions that can be adsorbed is governed by the amount of the ion exchanger that constitutes the water treatment device 6, and the adsorption capacity is limited. When the water treatment device 6 continuously treats a large amount of water, ions that could not be adsorbed on the heat exchange path leak and flow into the heating means 10.

  Scale components such as calcium, magnesium, and silica are reduced in solubility when heated, and are deposited in the flow path of the heating means 10 to block the flow path and prevent heat exchange by lowering the thermal conductivity. On the other hand, anions such as chloride ions, sulfate ions, nitrate ions are highly corrosive, and the reaction rate increases at the high temperature portion of the heating means 10 to promote corrosion.

  The treatment device detection means 13 detects the treatment capacity of the water treatment device 6 to prevent operation beyond the treatment capability of the water treatment device 6, and performs the regeneration operation of the water treatment device 6 at a necessary timing. be able to.

  On the other hand, when a large amount of hot water is required continuously, it is necessary to delay the regeneration frequency of the water treatment device 6 and continuously perform the water sampling operation. The treatment device detection means 13 detects leakage of ions when water is sampled exceeding the limit of the treatment capacity of the water treatment device 6, and lowers the boiling temperature by lowering the output of the heating means 10, thereby reducing the scale temperature. Reduce accumulation and corrosion.

  The treatment device detection means 13 can detect the ion removal performance of the water treatment device 6 by means of conductivity measurement means, flow rate measurement means, and time passage means.

The coarse filtration means 3 will be described. Since the water treatment device reliably adsorbs ions dissolved in water with an ion exchanger, it is desirable that the ion exchange membranes be stacked in close proximity, but there is little space between the ion exchange membranes, Insoluble materials may accumulate. The removal performance of the coarse filtration means 3 needs to be able to remove insoluble matter that is the same as or finer than the interval between the ion exchange membranes.

  The coarse filtration means 3 is formed by microfiltration (MF) such as a thread wound filter, a pleated filter, and a hollow fiber filter, and removes insoluble substances such as sand and iron rust contained in raw water by filtration. It is desirable that the arrangement location be installed in a raw water flow path capable of processing all of the water led to the hot water storage tank 1 of the water heater and the hot water discharged from the water heater.

  Insoluble matter is not mixed or clogged in the flow path and hot water outlet from which the hot water is discharged from the water heater, and the hot water storage tank 1 can be kept clean. In addition, you may install the coarse filtration means 3 in the treated water flow path 6. FIG. When raw water contains a lot of insoluble matter, if the rough filtration means 3 is clogged in a short time and maintenance such as cleaning or replacement occurs frequently, the water treatment knowledge 6 is treated in the treated water flow path 7. The frequency of maintenance can be reduced as a whole hot water supply machine by processing only the guided water.

  In addition, the heating means 10 of a water heater can be freely selected without limitation, such as a heat pump type, a gas heating type, and an electric heating type.

  Although the three-way valve 9 is used to switch between the treated water channel 7 and the drain channel 12, the switching of the channel is not limited to the three-way valve, and a two-way electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the channel. Even if a plurality of combinations are combined, the flow path can be switched.

  As described above, the water heater of the present invention can adsorb ions dissolved in water with an ion exchanger, and can dissociate water by applying a voltage to desorb the adsorbed ions to regenerate the ion exchanger. it can. By performing the adsorption / desorption operation alternately, the user can use the treated water from which ions are continuously removed without maintenance, and the operation conditions are such that hot water is used continuously. However, it is possible to respond without affecting the equipment, improve the reliability and life of the water heater, and adapt to severe water in equipment with high hardness and well water. it can.

  As described above, the water treatment device according to the present invention and the water heater provided with the water treatment device can adsorb and remove dissolved ions of raw water, and are safe without being restricted to household use and industrial use. It can be applied to a water treatment system that uses treated water.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hot water storage tank 6 Water treatment apparatus 10 Heating means 13 Treatment apparatus detection means 16 Electrode 17 Cation exchanger 18 Anion exchanger

Claims (7)

An ion exchanger that adsorbs ions dissolved in water, an ion exchange membrane that disposes the ions adsorbed on the ion exchanger by dissociating water by disposing the ion exchangers having different polarities on the front and back, and the ion exchange A water treatment device having at least two electrodes for applying a voltage to the membrane, a voltage control means for supplying a voltage to the electrodes, a treatment device detection means for detecting the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device, and the water treatment device. A hot water supply comprising heating means for heating the treated water, wherein the boiling temperature of the water by the heating means is changed based on the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device detected by the treatment device detection means Machine. The water treatment device has a water sampling operation for adsorbing ions and a regeneration operation for desorbing ions, and when the treatment device detection means detects a decrease in the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device, The water heater according to claim 1, wherein the hot water heater is changed to a regeneration operation. The treatment device detection means is a conductivity measurement means, wherein the treatment device detection means measures the conductivity of the water treated by the water treatment device, thereby detecting the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device. The water heater according to claim 1 or 2. The treatment device detection means is a flow rate measurement means, and is configured to detect the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device by measuring the amount of water processed by the treatment device detection means by the water treatment device. The water heater according to 1 or 2. The treatment device detection means is a time-lapse means, and is configured to detect the ion adsorption capacity of the water treatment device by measuring the time that the treatment device detection means has processed by the water treatment device. Or the hot water supply apparatus of 2. 6. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the ion exchanger of the water treatment device is configured to apply a voltage lower than a water decomposition voltage between the electrodes during a water sampling operation in which ions in water are adsorbed. The water heater according to item 1. The regeneration apparatus in which the ion exchanger of the water treatment device desorbs ions in water is configured to apply a voltage equal to or higher than the water dissociation voltage between the electrodes. The water heater described in the paragraph.