According to the present invention, a heat exchanger comprises a fin having a plurality of through holes. The plurality of through holes include mutually adjacent first and second through holes disposed on a side closest to a heating gas's inlet side. The fin has a slit located between the first through hole and the second through hole and cut into the fin from an edge thereof located on the heating gas's inlet side to a side farther from the heating gas's inlet side than a reference line connecting a center of the first through hole and a center of the second through hole. Furthermore, the fin has at least one opening between the slit and the first and second through holes. The opening includes a first opening having a portion located on the side farther from the heating gas's inlet side than the reference line.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for configuring a multivalent energy supply system. The apparatus comprises a memory device in which a base configuration is stored. The base configuration includes a plurality of energy generators which use at least two different energy carriers to provide energy in the form of heat and/or cold and/or electrical energy, a flow through which a carrier medium flows which receives energy from the energy generators and transports it to a consumer circuit, and a return flow which receives the carrier medium coming from the consumer circuit. The base configuration further comprises a buffer storage which is arranged between the flow and the return flow. The energy generators within the base configuration may be arranged at positions in parallel to the buffer storage between the flow and the return flow and/or in series in the flow. The apparatus further comprises a detection device configured to detect, for each of the energy generators, a type from a predetermined set of energy generator types and a position of the energy generator within the base configuration stored in the memory device. The apparatus is configured to transmit the base configuration to a control device which controls the energy generators based on their detected type and position within the base configuration.

When a hot water supply operation is started, a single mode is used in which hot water is output only from a second hot water supply circuit of a water heater, by cut-off of a flow path in a first hot water supply circuit of a space-heating water heater by a cut-off mechanism. When a load imposed by hot water supply by the second hot water supply circuit increases during the hot water supply operation in the single mode, the cut-off mechanism is opened to start hot water output from the first hot water supply circuit and a hot water supply operation in a parallel mode is performed in which hot water is output from both of the first hot water supply circuit and the second hot water supply circuit.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for low temperature waste heat utilization. In the scope of the hot water plant (HWP) there are few low temperature sources, which cannot be used by heat consumer (HC) directly. The method and apparatus for hot water power plant (HWP) waste heat recovery comprises at least one, preferably condensing type heat exchanger (HE), which collects the waste heat for water source high temperature heat pump (HP) employment, wherein a low temperature heat is upgraded to a high temperature heat, hence heat pump (HP) hot water outlet is fed to the boiler in a return line or in a supply line of hot water plant (HWP), wherein the thermal energy balance adjustment of generated heat is executed by adapting the power of said heat pump (HP) and/or by adapting the power of said furnace and/or by adapting the mass flow of the primary heat transfer medium in at least one open loop heating network and/or in at least one closed loop heating circuit in the scope of heat distribution network.

A water heater includes a water tank for storing water to be heated and a thermosiphon tube in the water tank. The thermosiphon tube has a first end in a bottom portion of the water tank and a second end in a top portion of the water tank. At least a portion of a condenser tube of a heat pump is surrounded by the thermosiphon tube to define a water flow channel between the thermosiphon tube and the condenser tube. The condenser tube is at an elevated temperature compared to water temperature in the water flow channel due to a refrigerant cycle of the heat pump. A water pump is configured to flow water through the water flow channel to heat the water in the water flow channel and deliver the heated water into the top portion of the water tank through the second end of the thermosiphon tube.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a domestic hot water (DHW) preheater operable to supply domestic hot water to a structure and/or to preheat a cold return of a space heating system.

A fluid control device includes a housing and a fluid temperature control assembly. The housing includes a first inlet, a second inlet for receiving a fluid, and a first outlet through which a fluid of a third temperature flows. The fluid temperature control assembly is in the housing, with apertures for regulating fluid communication between a mixing cavity and the first inlet of the housing, apertures communicating with the first outlet. The fluid temperature control assembly modifies properties of the apertures for regulating the amount of fluid having a first temperature relative to the amount of fluid having a second temperature with the mixing cavity, thereby maintaining the fluid discharged from the first outlet at a predetermined temperature.

A water heating system includes a first water heater having a first heating source of a first type, and a second water heater having a second heating source of a second type. The system further includes a valve having a first interface connected to the cold water source, a second interface connected to the first cold water inlet of the first water heater, a third interface connected to a second hot water outlet of the second water heater, and a fourth interface connected to the first hot water outlet of the first water heater. A motor positions the valve to one of at least three positions Finally, the system also includes a control circuit including a temperature sensor near the first hot water outlet of the first water heater, and a controller configured to control the motor based on a sensed temperature by the temperature sensor.

A diffuser plate for diffusing a fluid flow in a fluid storage vessel, comprising: a plate having a plurality of holes for the fluid flow to pass through; and at least one wall that extends away from a surface of the plate.

Systems and methods for controlling hybrid water heater systems including a gas heating system and a heat pump system are provided. The gas heating system includes a burner in fluid communication with a gas line and is designed to heat the water tank. The gas line may be in fluid communication with a gas valve of a valve assembly. The heat pump system is further configured to heat the water tank. One or more temperature sensor(s) may be positioned in the water tank and in communication with a controller. The controller may determine a temperature setting for the water tank, request and/or receive one or more tank temperature(s) determined by the one or more temperature sensor(s), and/or send computer-executable instructions to the valve assembly (e.g., to transition the gas valve between closed and open positions) and/or the heat pump system (e.g., to turn on).