Japan’s patented energy-saving technology: a small device that tells when to turn on an anti-freeze heater.
Japanese archipelago stretched over 3,000km from the northern edge (an island in Hokkaido, latitude 45°33' N) to the southernmost island (20°25' N). Freezing water pipes is a daily problem in the winter season in Northern Japan and in mountain regions. The problem is common worldwide, and each country has developed its own measures to prevent the water pipes from freezing in cold temperatures. There is a company in Japan producing a sensor device for freeze protection heater that reduces electricity cost by 90% through the patented technologies. Let us explore how the device cuts down energy consumption.
The winter of Sapporo , Hokkaido in Japan.
Why do water pipes freeze and what are the harmful effects?
On a cold day when the temperature falls below 0°C (32°F), some points in the water pipes can freeze (this may not be as apparent to those who do not live in a cold climate). What happens when water pipes freeze?
In general, most substances decrease in volume as they change from gas to liquid and then to solid. Water, however, has the characteristic of increasing in volume when it changes from liquid to solid. This is an exceptional property among many. Water changes from liquid to solid below 0° and becomes ice. Various problems happen due to the increase in volume at this time.
No water comes out as the water pipes become frozen. This is terrible enough. A more serious incident, though, is that the water pipes get burst. When water that remains in the water pipe freezes, its volume increases. However, the water pipes can only accommodate the same volume. As the water inside turns to ice, the volume increases, putting pressure on the water pipes until they get burst. Since this is the most damaging thing can happen in the cold regions, various measures are taken to prevent water pipes from freezing.
Classic solutions: leave the water running or warm the water pipes
There are two main solutions in the cold regions to prevent water pipes from freezing. Water turns into ice when it does not flow at the time the temperature falls below the freezing point. However, when the water is running, it does not. This principle is the basis of solution to let a small amount of water always run during the cold night, when the water is not in use.
Another solution is to install a vine-shaped anti-freeze heater that wraps around the water pipe in the part where the temperature is likely to become very low. The heater keeps the pipes warm and prevent it from freezing.
Yet there is a drawback for each solution. The first option requires to consume the water during unused hours. It results an expensive water bill. The second one in turn consumes electricity to always run the heaters. Either way, the prevention of freezing water pipes put an extra financial burden on the people living in the cold regions. This is something almost unimaginable for the people in the temperate regions.
Power saving solution: freeze protection heater
Previously, the timing of switching on and off the anti-freeze heaters was controlled manually. People switched on when they felt the temperature was dropping. The heaters would stay on all the time, however, if they forgot to switch them off, even when the temperature was high enough during the day.
It is common nowadays to have a thermometer switch that detects the outside temperature and automatically switches on and off the anti-freeze heater. There is less likelihood to leave the heater working when there is no need. This advancement alone saves enough electricity compared to the manual operation.
In Japan, we have the sensor device that is able to save even more energy.
By the way, water always freeze at the 0°C?
Many of anti-freeze heaters for the water pipes today use sensors to detect the temperature. The control is simple: the heater is switched on when the temperature falls below a certain level. Although simple and therefore inexpensive as a sensor, the heater remains working whenever the temperature falls below the set temperature, even if the water runs through the pipe during the daytime usage. In cold regions, it is not uncommon that the temperature stays below 0°C during the day. In this case, the heater remains working all the time.
On the other hand, there is a solution that takes the physical property of water and ice into account. It is known that when water turns to ice, it releases a small amount of heat, called the heat of solidification. Water in water pipes releases the heat of solidification during the process of freezing (until it completely transforms into ice). The freezing point at which water becomes ice is considered to be 0°C, but in reality, it does not turn into ice easily even at 0°C. The reason for this can be explained by the release of the heat of solidification.
To analyse this phenomenon, it is necessary to calculate the thermal equilibrium in the chemical field referring to the outside temperature and the temperature of the water pipes. The calculation of the thermal equilibrium allows the heater to be operated only when it should be and that helps to reduce unnecessary heater operations.
Temco anti-freeze heater / Image source: Temco Co.,Ltd. website
FTC proportional control technology by Temco Co., Ltd.
A Japanese manufacturer has developed a technology that only turns on the freeze protection heater when there is a real risk of freezing, by accurately calculating the thermal equilibrium point with the heat of solidification when the pipe is becoming frozen, and by accurately ascertaining the freezing temperature.
Temco Corporation’s Fast Time Constant (FTC) proportional control technology calculates the thermal equilibrium and exploits the state in which water does not turn into ice due to the heat of solidification. The timing at which this technology performs ON/OFF control of the anti-freeze heaters on the water pipes is different from the one performed by other heaters that only refer to the outside temperature.
Even if the outside temperature is -20°C on the device side, the sensor device will not switch the heater on when it judges that the water pipes will not freeze. The company has announced that the device manages to cut the electricity costs of freeze protection heater by 90% during the winter season.
Temco Corporation has obtained a Japanese patent for this FTC control technology. It is said to have advanced enormously the freeze protection technology of water pipes. There are other manufacturers that produce similar products with similar operating principles, but Temco’s device is the only one that can achieve a 90% reduction in electricity costs.
Graph source : Temco Co.,Ltd. website
Solid energy-saving technologies working unnoticed in niche markets
People often imagine household white goods such as air conditioners when they hear about energy-saving products. A freeze protection heater for the water pipes is catered for a very niche market, which is limited geographically for the cold regions. The competition is therefore likely to be limited; large companies would hesitate to enter for its small market size.
The demand for this product certainly exists nonetheless, so does for energy-saving technology. The product exploits the conditions of chemical thermal equilibrium in its operating principle, and therefore its claim of drastic energy-saving effect is convincing. This is the reason that Temco’s sensor heater device has been a long-selling product in Japan for almost 20 years since its launch.
Heating the water pipes may not be a segment that many people pay attention to, but advanced technologies can be found in such a field as well. There are many solid energy-saving technologies working unnoticed, unaffected by ever produced cutting-edge solutions that hit the headlines.