Apparatus and method for heat recovery from a liquid medium

A device for recovering heat from a liquid medium, comprising:

• a heat exchanger having at least two at least partially thermally separate heat exchanger cells for accommodating the liquid medium, wherein each of the heat exchanger cells comprises a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the liquid medium situated therein,
• at least one pipeline for carrying one of drinking water and heating water, the at least one pipeline passing through at least one of the heat exchanger cells,
• a supply line, in which the liquid medium is carried,
• a distributor device, by means of which the liquid medium can be selectively supplied to the heat exchanger cells from the supply line,
• at least one temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid medium in the supply line,
• wherein the distributor device is controllable in at least one of an open loop and a closed loop manner such that the liquid medium from the supply line is supplied to the heat exchanger cell whose current temperature is the least colder than that of the liquid medium in the supply line;
• wherein each of the heat exchanger cells is connected to at least one adjacent one of the heat exchanger cells via at least one of a cell connector and a structure restraining the flow of the liquid medium in each case in order to supply the liquid medium to the at least one adjacent one of the heat exchanger cells;
• and
• wherein the cell connector respectively comprises at least one of a further controllable flap and a siphon, collecting the liquid medium at an outlet, in particular, at a bottom of a respective upper one of interconnected heat exchanger cells, then conducts the liquid medium at least up to the height of an upper edge of the respective upper one of the interconnected heat exchanger cells and finally into a respective lower one of the interconnected heat exchanger cells.

A device for recovering heat from a liquid medium, comprising:

• a heat exchanger having at least two at least partially thermally separate heat exchanger cells for accommodating the liquid medium, wherein each of the heat exchanger cells comprises a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the liquid medium situated therein,
• at least one pipeline for carrying one of drinking water and heating water, the at least one pipeline passing through at least one of the heat exchanger cells,
• a supply line, in which the liquid medium is carried,
• a distributor device, by means of which the liquid medium can be selectively supplied to the heat exchanger cells from the supply line,
• at least one temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid medium in the supply line,
• wherein the distributor device is controllable in at least one of an open loop and a closed loop manner such that the liquid medium from the supply line is supplied to the heat exchanger cell whose current temperature is the least colder than that of the liquid medium in the supply line;
• wherein a further pipeline is provided as a return of a heating system, passing through the heat exchanger cells from a bottom upward, wherein between the heat exchanger cells and above a top heat exchanger cell, the pipeline is respectively connected via connection tubes to a feed line, wherein controllable flaps are provided in the connection tubes by means of which a predetermined supply temperature is adjustable in the feed line.

A method for operating a device for recovering heat from a liquid medium, the device comprising:

• a heat exchanger having at least two at least partially thermally separate heat exchanger cells for accommodating the liquid medium, wherein each of the heat exchanger cells comprises a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the liquid medium situated therein,
• at least one pipeline for carrying one of drinking water and heating water, the at least one pipeline passing through at least one of the heat exchanger cells,
• a supply line, in which the liquid medium is carried,
• a distributor device, by means of which the liquid medium can be selectively supplied to the heat exchanger cells from the supply line,
• at least one temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid medium in the supply line,
• the method comprising controlling the distributor device in at least one of an open loop and a closed loop manner such that the liquid medium from the supply line is supplied to the heat exchanger cell whose current temperature is the least colder than that of a gray-water in the supply line;
• wherein the heat exchanger cells are arranged on top of one another, wherein the coldest liquid medium is stored in a bottom heat exchanger cell and the hottest liquid medium is stored in the topmost heat exchanger cell;
• and
• wherein each of the heat exchanger cells is connected to at least one adjacent one of the heat exchanger cells via a cell connector within each case a further controllable flap in order to supply the liquid medium to the at least one of the adjacent heat exchanger cells, wherein, if a heat exchanger cell to be filled is already filled with liquid medium, the further flap thereof in the cell connector is initially opened to provide the necessary space and to conduct the existing liquid medium into one of the subjacent heat exchanger cell and a sewage system.

A device for recovering heat from a liquid medium, comprising:

• a heat exchanger having at least two at least partially thermally separate heat exchanger cells for accommodating the liquid medium, wherein each of the heat exchanger cells comprises a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the liquid medium situated therein,
• at least one pipeline for carrying one of drinking water and heating water, the at least one pipeline passing through at least one of the heat exchanger cells,
• a supply line, in which the liquid medium is carried,
• a distributor device, by means of which the liquid medium can be selectively supplied to the heat exchanger cells from the supply line,
• at least one temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid medium in the supply line,
• wherein the distributor device is controllable in at least one of an open loop and a closed loop manner such that the liquid medium from the supply line is supplied to the heat exchanger cell whose current temperature is the least colder than that of the liquid medium in the supply line;
• wherein the distributor device comprises:
• an outer tube, at which branches to the individual heat exchanger cells are provided,
• an inner tube arranged within the outer tube and rotatable by means of a drive,
• wherein an outer diameter of the inner tube at least approximately corresponds to an inner diameter of the outer tube, wherein the inner tube comprises a respective aperture to each branch at the same level in the longitudinal direction, which, by rotating the inner tube, can be set to an angular position in which it aligns with the respective branch, such that in each rotational position of the inner tube at most one of the apertures is aligned with the associated branch.