Recovery system for the recovery of thermal energy from waste water from building, which system comprises a heat pump adapted to absorb thermal energy from a non-freeze liquid circulating through the heat pump and arranged to deliver thermal energy to water flowing through the heat pump, a heat exchanger device that is in contact with said waste water, and a pipeline system disposed between the heat pump and the heat exchanger device, and in which non-freeze liquid can circulate. The heat exchanger device is designed so that the non-freeze liquid passes through the heat exchanger device, whereby the non-freeze liquid is able to absorb thermal energy from the waste water. Further, the system comprises a collector tank, and a pipeline system for supplying waste water to the collector tank. The heat exchanger device is disposed in the collector tank, wherein the non-freeze liquid can absorb thermal energy from waste water in the collector tank.

An apparatus to preferentially temper a liquid (only heat it, or, only cool it) by heat exchange with a fluid of indeterminate temperature. A tank of the liquid is plumbed to a liquid dispenser such as a water faucet, heater or chiller and has a internal heat exchanger sealed through each end. A drainpipe with a slit sleeve for double-wall safety, passes through the housing with an annular space between and is connected to a supply of fluids. A gasket seals the space forming a conduit for the liquid. One end of the housing extends from the tank for the liquid inlet. The conduit has natural convection holes into the tank controlled by convection valves which are moved by convection allowing convection only in the direction which preferentially tempers the liquid in the tank, regardless of the temperature, volume, rate, and time of flow of fluids.

The present invention provides stretchable laminates with a flat appearance on the visible surface. The laminates comprise a textile layer, a functional layer, and a plurality of elastic fibers. The plurality of elastic fibers are in a substantially parallel arrangement and the internal distance between adjacent fibers does not exceed the maximum fiber spacing, which depends on laminate thickness in a stretched state. Also provided are garments and footwear comprising the stretchable laminates and methods of producing the stretchable laminates.

The present invention provides a cold-storage instantaneous heat pump water heater (HPWH). The HPWH includes a cold-water tank, a main evaporator, a compressor, and a hot water heat exchanger. In the present invention, heat of a working medium in the cold-water tank is absorbed by the main evaporator, and bathing water is rapidly heated by the hot water heat exchanger (condenser of the heat pump), thereby realizing instant heating with small input electrical power. Cold-water tank replaces the hot water tank of conventional HPWH avoiding energy loss during hot water storage. The working medium in the cold-water tank absorbs heat from the environment, to further improve energy utilization. In addition, there are three energy recovery evaporators to recover the waste heat of bathing.

The present invention provides stretchable laminates with a flat appearance on the visible surface. The laminates comprise a textile layer, a functional layer, and a plurality of elastic fibers. The plurality of elastic fibers are in a substantially parallel arrangement and the internal distance between adjacent fibers does not exceed the maximum fiber spacing, which depends on laminate thickness in a stretched state. Also provided are garments and footwear comprising the stretchable laminates and methods of producing the stretchable laminates.

A shower drain system for recovering thermal energy from a flow of shower greywater comprises: a drain cup for receiving shower greywater, and a heat exchanger arranged downstream of the drain cup, the heat exchanger being configured to heat a flow of incoming cold water with the shower greywater, wherein the drain cup comprises a nozzle arranged and configured to supply hot water into the drain cup.

A method of installing a drain water heat recovery exchanger for pre-heating water to be heated using a solar, electric or combustion energy hot water heater or to be sent to the cold-water line of a hot-water-consuming apparatus. It includes providing a drain water heat recovery exchanger including a copper pipe inlet fitting and a copper pipe outlet fitting and a core waste water drain tube, the fittings being fashioned to include barbs for a male plastic pipe connection; inserting the drain water heat recovery exchanger into a drain water pipe, wherein the core waste water drain tube is connected to the drain water pipe; and connecting a first one of the fittings to a cold-water supply and a second one of the fittings to an inlet of a hot water heater, a hot water tank or a cold-water line of a hot-water-consuming apparatus.

This application discloses an advanced design method for customized RCP, (cRCP), with one or more made-to-order reinforcement cages supporting one or more wall-encapsulated heat-exchange channels, cast with special-batch (SB) concrete having additions of fine-disperse CaCO.sub.3 and particular polymer fibers; the resulting Single- and DoubleEPipe sections especially adapted for heat exchange with pipe-internal wastestreams and/or groundwater and including provisions for an optional graywater accumulator for efficient recapture of both water and energy.

A shower drain system for recovering thermal energy from a flow of shower greywater comprises: a drain cup for receiving shower greywater, and a heat exchanger arranged downstream of the drain cup, the heat exchanger being configured to heat a flow of incoming cold water with the shower greywater, wherein the drain cup comprises a nozzle arranged and configured to supply hot water into the drain cup.

A plumbing or ablutionary system is provided, in which a water supply stream flow path from a water supply inlet to a water supply outlet, such that a water supply stream flowing in a water supply pipe is in an antiparallel counterflow heat exchanging relationship with a waste water stream flowing along a length of a serpentine portion of a waste water conduit. When the waste water stream has a higher temperature than the water supply stream heat is exchanged from the waste water stream to the water supply stream, thereby increasing the temperature of the water supply stream.