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AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsJOHANNES HOTZE BERNHARD DE VRIES, YTSEN WIELSTRA, BERNARDO ARNOLDUS MULDER, NIENKE CORNELIE DE VRIES-ARENTSEN
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The invention provides a heater arrangement and method for heating a liquid, wherein the heater comprises a heating element, wherein the method comprises (i) heating the liquid in the heater wherein the heating element is in contact with the liquid, and (ii) applying a potential difference between the heating element and a counter electrode, wherein the potential difference has an AC component whereby the potential difference varies with an AC frequency in the range of 0.01-100 Hz and wherein the potential difference is applied with a cycle time, wherein the potential difference has a sign during a first part of the cycle time that is opposite of the sign of the potential difference during a second part of the cycle time, and wherein during one or more of the first part of the cycle time and the second part of the cycle time, the potential difference temporarily changes sign.
A method for heating a liquid in a heater, wherein the heater comprises a heating element, wherein the method comprises (i) heating the liquid in the heater wherein the heating element is in contact with the liquid, and (ii) applying a potential difference between the heating element and a counter electrode, wherein the potential difference has an AC component whereby the potential difference varies with an AC frequency (f) in the range of 0.01-100 Hz and wherein the potential difference is applied with a cycle time and a duty cycle, wherein the potential difference has a sign during a first part of the cycle time that is opposite of the sign of the potential difference during a second part of the cycle time, and wherein during one or more of the first part of the cycle time and the second part of the cycle time, the potential difference temporarily changes sign with a frequency in the range of 50-2500 Hz.
A heater arrangement comprising a heater, arranged for heating a liquid, comprising a heating element to heat the liquid in the heater, the heating element arranged to be in contact with the liquid, and an electrical power supply, wherein the heater arrangement is configured to apply a potential difference between the heating element and a counter electrode a wherein the potential difference has an AC component whereby the potential difference varies with an AC frequency (f) in the range of 0.01-100 Hz and wherein the potential difference is applied with a cycle time and a duty cycle, wherein the potential difference has a sign during a first part of the cycle time that is opposite of the sign of the potential difference during a second part of the cycle time, and wherein during one or more of the first part of the cycle time and the second part of the cycle time, the potential difference temporarily changes sign with a frequency in the range of 50-2500 Hz.
Use of a combination of (i) AC voltage and (ii) a temporary change of sign with a frequency in the range of 50-2500 Hz during one or more of a first part and a second part of a cycle of the AC voltage to a heating element of a water heater arranged for heating an aqueous liquid to prevent or reduce scaling of the water heater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.