A first conduit having a cylindrical upper entrance region with the axis of the cylindrical region oriented vertically, which accepts incoming downwardly flowing hot drain water, a central region of said first conduit below the said entrance region having a conical shape of increasing diameter, reaching a maximum diameter 2-7 times larger than the upper region, the shape then transitioning to a decreasing diameter area of a conical shape, the shape transitioning to a cylindrical lower region with a diameter similar to the upper region diameter; a second conduit for the flow of the shower cold water supply, with a diameter 10-40 times smaller than the maximum diameter of the drain water conduit, and a length 10-40 times longer than the vertical length of the drain water conduit, the second conduit tightly wrapped around the first conduit and in close thermal contact with the first conduit.

The present invention relates drying clothes and other fabrics. The present invention further relates to a cold-air system for removing moisture from fabric. The present invention even further relates to a system for drying fabrics in a closed, non-exhausted system. The present invention even further relates to a free-standing, low energy appliance for drying fabrics.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) and a method for recovering heat from a liquid medium (G), comprising: a heat exchanger (2) having at least two heat exchanger cells (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), which are thermally separate from each other, for receiving the liquid medium (G), wherein each of the heat exchanger cells (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) has a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the liquid medium (G) located therein, at least one pipeline (4, 4.1) for conducting drinking water and/or heating water, which pipeline extends through at least one of the heat exchanger cells (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), a supply line (6), in which the liquid medium (G) is conducted, a number of controllable flaps (15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5), by means of which the liquid medium (G) can be selectively fed from the supply line (6) to the heat exchanger cells (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), at least one temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid medium (G) in the supply line (6), wherein the flaps (15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5) are controlled in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner such that the liquid medium (G) is supplied from the supply line (6) to the heat exchanger cell (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) that has a current temperature which is the least colder than the gray water (G) in the supply line (6).

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.

A dish washing machine including a housing having an interior wash space and a liquid inlet. A spray nozzle sprays the liquid onto dishes. The machine further includes a heating tank for heating the liquid which is supplied to the rotating spray nozzle. A heat exchange system transfers heat from the liquid heated by the heating tank to the liquid added from the liquid inlet. The heat exchange system comprising a pipe system defining a first path therethrough and a second path therethrough, with the first heat exchange system transferring heat from liquid in the second path to liquid in the first path. A first surface portion of the pipe system of the first path engaging the liquid in the first path having a greater thermal conductivity than a second surface portion of the pipe system of the second path engaging the liquid in the second path.

The shower system has a heat exchanger located in compartment vertically adjacent to the wall of the shower space and closed off by an openable or removable panel. The heat exchanger comprising a helically winding heat exchange conduit with successive windings around a vertical axis in said compartment above the floor of the shower space. A pump coupled to the shower drain pumps warm water to a warm water feed of the heat exchanger, from where it is sprayed on a top winding of the heat exchange conduit. Tap water is fed to the shower head successively via the heat exchange conduit and a heater and/or a mixing element for mixing water from the heat exchanger with water from a supply input for external hot water.

Disclosed is a device for recovering waste heat from hot water. The waste water heat recovery device includes heat exchange units each having a waste water pipe part along which waste water as the hot water flows and a raw water pipe part along which raw water as cold water flows, while being located inside the waste water pipe part, and a rotation driving part for rotating the raw water pipe parts. Each raw water pipe part includes a rotary shaft, a spiral blade attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, and a raw water pipe spirally wound on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft to flow the raw water therealong, while being disposed along the space formed by the spiral blade on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft. While the raw water pipe is rotating, foreign matter flowing along the waste water pipe part is discharged by means of the spiral blade, and the raw water pipe is disposed below top of the spiral blade to thus have no contact with the inner peripheral wall of the waste water pipe part.

A heat exchange system for transferring heat energy to control the temperature of a building, comprising a first heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy between waste water and a first water supply, a second heat exchanger connected to the first heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between the thermally treated first water supply and a second water supply, and a heat pump operatively arranged to supply the first water supply to the first heat exchanger, fluidly arranged between the building and the first heat exchanger, and fluidly arranged between the building and the second heat exchanger.

A dish washing machine including a housing having an interior wash space for washing dishes. The housing has a liquid inlet for adding a liquid to the dish washing machine. At least one rotating spray nozzle sprays the liquid onto dishes positioned within the interior wash space. The machine further includes a heating tank for heating the liquid which is supplied to the at least one rotating spray nozzle for spraying onto the dishes in the interior wash space. Two heat exchange systems are within the housing. The two heat exchange systems transfer heat from the liquid heated by the heating tank to the liquid added to the dish washing machine from the liquid inlet. A first one of the two heat exchange systems passes heat from water in the wash tank or the interior wash space to water in the first one of the two heat exchange systems.

A free-standing Energy Recovery System enables sanitary recovery of thermal energy with heat transfer from hot waste effluent to incoming domestic water. The source of the effluent may, for example, be conventional commercial ware-washing, clothes washing equipment, pasteurization and other industrial processes.