WO2025136719A1 - Systems and methods for fluid inlet diffusers for a water heater storage tank - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid inlet diffuser is disclosed. The diffuser may include a housing and a fluid inlet port. The housing may include a top wall, a bottom wall, and one or more sidewalls. A length or radius of the top wall may be greater than a length or radius of the bottom wall. The fluid inlet port may be disposed on the top wall, the bottom wall, or the sidewalls. The fluid inlet port may be configured to receive a flow of fluid and output the fluid to an interior portion of the housing. The fluid may exit from the housing into a fluid storage tank.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FLUID INLET DIFFUSERS FOR A WATER HEATER STORAGE TANK

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001 | The present application claims priority to and the benefit of US provisional application No. 63/611,368, filed December 18, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

[0002| The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for fluid inlet diffusers for water heater storage tanks and more specifically to fluid inlet diffusers that are configured to reduce the velocity of water entering a water heater storage tank.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Water heaters are generally used to provide a supply of heated water in a variety of applications, including residential, commercial, and industrial applications. A tank based water heater typically includes a storage tank that stores water that is heated by a heating source. The heating source may be, for example, an electric heating source, a gas burner, a heat pump assembly, solar, and/or the like or combinations thereof. Typically, as hot water is extracted from the water heater, the storage tank is replenished by cold water. In this manner, the injected cold water interacts with the hot water stored in the storage tank and reduces the temperature of the water stored in the storage tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[OIHMj The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.

(0005] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

]0006] FIG. 2 depicts a water heater storage tank and a first fluid inlet diffuser in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0<J0 | FIG. 3 depicts a bottom isometric view of the first fluid inlet diffuser of FIG. 2 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

]0008( FIG. 4 depicts a water flow associated with the first fluid inlet diffuser of FIG. 2 in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

(0009] FIG. 5 depicts a second fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the second fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 6 depicts a third fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the third fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

|00.11( FIG. 7 depicts a fourth fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the fourth fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

(0012] FIG. 8 depicts a fifth fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the fifth fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

(0013] FIG. 9 depicts a sixth fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the sixth fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

(00.1.4] FIG. 10 depicts a seventh fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the seventh fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [0015] FIG. 11 depicts an eighth fluid inlet diffuser and a water flow associated with the eighth fluid inlet diffuser in a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 12 depicts a flow diagram of a method to inject water into a water heater storage tank in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The present disclosure is directed to a fluid inlet diffuser (“diffuser”) that may be configured to receive a supply of cold water and output the cold water into an interior portion of a storage tank of a water heater. In some instances, the storage tank may be configured to receive the cold water via the diffuser from a bottom portion of the storage tank and store the received water. The water heater may include a heating source that may heat the water stored in the storage tank. Any suitable heating source may be used herein, including a heat pump, electric heating element, combustion heating, solar, etc. The storage tank may output the hot water via an outlet valve that may be disposed in proximity to a top portion of the storage tank. In other instances, the inlet may be disposed about a top of the tank and include a tube (e.g., a dip tube) that extends to a bottom of the tank with the diffuser being positioned on the end of the tube. In some instances, the inlet may be positioned in a sidewall of the storage tank with the diffuser being positioned on the end of the tube. In yet other instances, the inlet and the outlet may be disposed about the same portion of the tank, such as both at the bottom or top of the tank with tubes extending to the bottom or top of the tank, respectively. The inlet and the outlet may be disposed at any location about the tank, including the top, bottom, and/or sides. [0018] The diffuser may be disposed in (and/or attached to) an interior portion of the storage tank and configured to reduce a velocity/momentum of the incoming supply of cold water so that the water that may be injected into the storage tank may have low velocity/momentum as compared to no diffuser being present. In some aspects, the diffuser may be disposed in proximity to a bottom surface or a side surface of the storage tank and attached to an end of an inlet tube (or a dip tube) that injects water into the storage tank. The inlet tube may receive the supply of cold water from an inlet that may be disposed at a top portion, a bottom portion, or sidewalls of the storage tank. In some aspects, when the diffuser may be attached to the inlet tube, the inlet to the diffuser may be rotated around (e g., a top portion of the diffuser may be the inlet and a dome-shaped portion of the diffuser may be at the bottom wall of diffuser). For a sidewall diffuser (e.g., when the diffuser is disposed at a sidewall of the storage tank), the diffuser may include an elbow that connects to the end of the inlet tube to connect to the diffuser (either the bottom or the top of the diffuser) so that the diffuser would then be oriented to disperse cold water toward the bottom of the storage tank. [0019] Since the water injected into the storage tank has low velocity /momentum, the injected water may not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank (and hence in proximity to the outlet valve), thereby ensuring that a temperature of the hot water present at the top portion of the storage tank does not reduce substantially or reduce at a low rate. In other words, the diffuser prevents injected cold water from disturbing stratification layers of hot water stored in the storage tank.

[0020| The diffuser may include a housing including a top wall and a bottom wall. In certain embodiments, the diffuser may be generally triangular shaped with rounded edges. The diffuser may be of any suitable size, shape, or configuration. In some aspects, the diffuser includes a diffuser inlet (that receives water from the inlet tube) and a diffuser outlet (that outputs water into the storage tank). The cross-sectional area of the diffuser outlet is greater than the cross-sectional area of the diffuser inlet. Further, the volumetric area enclosed by the diffuser housing at the diffuser inlet is smaller than the volumetric area enclosed by the diffuser housing at the diffuser outlet. The diffuser outlet may be formed by one or more openings in the diffuser housing, including a gap that exists between an end of the bottom wall and a front sidewall of the diffuser, though there may additionally or alternatively be openings in one or more of the walls of the diffuser, such as the front sidewall and/or a portion of the bottom wall.

[0021 j In some instances, the top and bottom walls of the diffuser may be shaped as circular sectors. A radius of the bottom wall may be less than a radius of the top wall. The diffuser may further include a left sidewall, a right sidewall, and a front sidewall. The front sidewall may be arc-shaped and attached to the top wall (and not attached to the bottom wall). Further, since the radius of the bottom wall may be less than the radius of the top wall, a gap may exist between the front sidewall and an edge of the bottom wall proximal to the front sidewall. The diffuser may further include a fluid inlet port (same as the diffuser inlet described above) that may receive the supply of cold water and output the water into an interior portion of the housing. The fluid inlet port may be attached to the bottom wall and disposed in proximity to a center of the circular sector-shaped bottom wall (and away from the front sidewall).

^0022] When the fluid inlet port receives the supply of cold water and outputs the water into the interior portion of the housing, the water gets dispersed in the interior portion of the housing and moves from the fluid inlet port towards the front sidewall. Since the fluid inlet port is disposed in proximity to the center of the circular sector-shaped bottom wall (and hence in a portion of the housing having lesser area/volume), the water loses at least some of its velocity/momentum as the water moves from the fluid inlet port towards the front sidewall (which may be present in a portion of the housing having greater area/volume). When the water reaches in proximity to the front sidewall, the water may exit the housing of the diffuser via the gap (which may be the diffuser outlet described above) present between the front sidewall and the edge of the bottom wall proximal to the front sidewall. The water that exits from the housing of the diffuser enters the storage tank. Since the water reaching the front sidewall has lower velocity/momentum, the water that enters the storage tank also has low velocity/momentum as compared to when the water first enters the diffuser and thus does not interact (or has minimal interaction) with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank. In this manner, the diffuser ensures that the cold water does not rebound off a bottom of the storage tank and reach the top portion of the storage tank, thereby assisting in reducing the rate of temperature drop of the hot water present at the top portion of the storage tank.

^0023] The diffuser may include one or more additional components that may facilitate in further reducing the velocity/momentum of the water as the water moves from the fluid inlet port towards the front sidewall. For example, the top wall and the bottom wall may include a plurality of baffles or obstructions that may disrupt the flow of water as the water moves from the fluid inlet port towards the front sidewall, thereby further reducing velocity/momentum of the water. In some aspects, the baffles may have T-shaped cross-sections or may be shaped as triangles, wedges, pyramids, small-sized walls, and/or the like. The baffles may be any suitable size, shape, or configuration. 0024| The present disclosure discloses a fluid inlet diffuser that may be configured to reduce the velocity/momentum of the cold water that may be injected into a storage tank of a water heater. Since the injected water has lower velocity/momentum, the cold water does not move towards the top portion of the storage tank where the hot water is present, thereby ensuring no or minimal interaction between the cold water and the hot water and preserving stratification layers within the storage tank. Since the incoming cold water does not interact (or has limited interaction) with the hot water present at the top portion of the storage tank, a temperature drop rate of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank may considerably reduce, which may enable the water heater to dispense the hot water at a desired or set temperature for a longer time duration.

[0025] Although certain examples of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other examples, embodiments, and implementations of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented in a variety of examples and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of a fluid inlet diffuser disposed in a water heater storage tank. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of a fluid inlet diffuser disposed in a water heater storage tank, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to. [0026] Although the term “water” is used throughout this specification, it is to be understood that other fluids may take the place of the term “water” as used herein. Therefore, although described as a fluid inlet diffuser disposed in a water heater storage tank, it is to be understood that the system and method described herein can apply to fluids other than water. Further, it is also to be understood that the term “water” can replace the term “fluid” as used herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

(0027] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a water heater 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The water heater 100 may include a plurality of components including, but not limited to, a water heater housing 102, a heating source 104, a storage tank 106, an inlet valve 108, an outlet valve 110, and/or the like. Although FIG. 1 depicts the water heater components being disposed inside the water heater housing 102, in some aspects, one or more water heater components may be disposed outside the water heater housing 102, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, although FIG. 1 depicts the heating source 104 being located in proximity to a top portion of the water heater housing 102 above the storage tank 106, the present disclosure is not limited to such an arrangement. In some aspects, the heating source 104 may be located in proximity to a bottom portion of the water heater housing 102 or in any other location inside (or outside) the water heater housing 102, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

(0028] The storage tank 106 may be configured to receive a supply of cold water 112 (e.g., from a utility water source) via the inlet valve 108 and store the received water in an interior portion of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, the inlet valve 108 may be disposed at or in proximity to a bottom portion of the storage tank 106, as shown in FIG. 1. In other aspects (not shown), the inlet valve 108 may be disposed at a top portion or sidewalls of the storage tank 106. Further, the supply of cold water 112 may be received by the storage tank 106 (at the bottom portion of the storage tank 106) via an inlet tube or a dip tube (not shown) that may receive the cold water 112 from the inlet valve 108 and output the cold water 112 into the interior portion of the storage tank 106. The exemplary arrangement of the inlet valve 108 depicted in FIG. 1 is only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting. The inlet valve 108 may be disposed anywhere in the water heater 100, and the storage tank 106 may receive the cold water 112 via the inlet/dip tube. For example, the cold water 112 may be supplied to a top portion of the diffuser via a dip tube or the like. [0029] The water stored in the storage tank 106 may be heated by the heating source 104 to a desired water temperature set by a water heater user. The hot water stored in the storage tank 106 may then be output (shown as a supply of hot water 114 in FIG. 1) from the outlet valve 110 when the user draws the hot water from the water heater 100. In some aspects, the outlet valve 110 may be disposed at or in proximity to a top portion of the storage tank 106. 0030 The storage tank 106 may be of any size, shape, or configuration based on the water heater application. For example, the storage tank 106 may be sized for common residential use or for commercial or industrial use that may require greater amounts of heated water.

Furthermore, the storage tank 106 may be made of any suitable material for storing and heating water, including copper, carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramics, polymers, composites, or any other suitable material. The storage tank 106 may also be treated or lined with a coating to prevent corrosion and leakage. A suitable treating or coating will be capable of withstanding the temperature and pressure of the water heater 100 and may include, as non-limiting examples, glass enameling, galvanizing, thermosetting resin-bonded lining materials, thermoplastic coating materials, cement coating, or any other suitable treating or coating for the application.

[0031] The heating source 104 may be a gas burner, an electrical heating element, a heat pump, solar, and/or the like. The heating source 104 may heat the water stored in the storage tank 106 via one or more heating elements (e.g., heat exchanger coils, shown as coils 202 in FIG. 2) that may be disposed in an interior portion of the storage tank 106 or wrapped around an exterior surface of the storage tank 106.

[0032] In some aspects, the water heater 100 may further include a fluid inlet diffuser (shown as fluid inlet diffuser 200 in FIG. 2) that may be disposed in proximity to the inlet valve 108 and in the interior portion of the storage tank 106. Specifically, the fluid inlet diffuser may be attached to an end of the inlet/dip tube that injects the cold water 112 into the interior portion of the storage tank 106. The fluid inlet diffuser may receive the supply of cold water 112 (e.g., as a jet of cold water received at a high velocity) from the inlet valve 108 (or the inlet/dip tube) and output the water into the interior portion of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, the fluid inlet diffuser includes a diffuser inlet (that receives water from the inlet tube) and a diffuser outlet (that outputs water into the storage tank 106). The cross-sectional area of the diffuser outlet is greater than the cross-sectional area of the diffuser inlet. Further, the volumetric area enclosed by the diffuser housing at the diffuser inlet is smaller than the volumetric area enclosed by the diffuser housing at the diffuser outlet. The diffuser outlet may be formed by one or more openings in the diffuser housing, including a gap that exists between an end of the bottom wall and a front sidewall of the diffuser, though there may additionally or alternatively be openings in one or more of the walls of the diffuser, such as the front sidewall, or a portion of the bottom wall. Structural details of the fluid inlet diffuser are described below in conjunction with the subsequent figures.

[0033| The fluid inlet diffuser may be configured to considerably reduce the velocity/momentum of the water supply received from the inlet valve 108 or the inlet/dip tube so that the water that may be injected into the interior portion of the storage tank 106 may be at a lower velocity/momentum as compared to the velocity of the water supply received from the inlet valve 108 or the inlet/dip tube. Since the water injected into the interior portion of the storage tank 106 has a considerably lower velocity, the cold water 112 may not reach (or at least take additional time to reach) a substantial height over/above the inlet valve 108 (or the bottom portion of the storage tank 106) and hence may not interact (or reduce the interaction) with the hot water present in proximity to the outlet valve 110 (or the top portion of the storage tank 106). Since the cold water 112 does not interact (or has limited interaction) with the hot water in proximity to the outlet valve 110, the temperature of the hot water in proximity to the outlet valve 110 may not drop substantially (or drop at a considerably lower rate), thereby ensuring that the user receives hot water (at a temperature close to the desired temperature) for a longer time duration from the outlet valve 110 even when the storage tank 106 may be getting replenished with cold water via the inlet valve 108. 0034j Although the present disclosure discloses an aspect where the fluid inlet diffuser is disposed in proximity to the inlet valve 108, the present disclosure is not limited to such an aspect. In some instances, a similar fluid inlet diffuser may be disposed in proximity to the top portion of the storage tank 106, e.g., at an inlet port for hot water that may be getting injected into the storage tank 106 from a recirculation loop (e.g., when the water is heated externally). [0035] Furthermore, in some instances, the inlet valve 108 may be disposed at a top portion or sidewalls of the storage tank 106, and the fluid inlet diffuser may be configured to receive the cold water from the inlet valve 108 via an inlet/dip tube. The inlet tube may receive the supply of cold water 112 from the inlet valve 108 that may be disposed at a top portion, a bottom portion, or sidewalls of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, when the fluid inlet diffuser may be attached to the inlet tube, the diffuser inlet may be rotated around (e.g., a top portion of the diffuser may be the diffuser inlet, and a dome-shaped portion of the diffuser may be at the bottom wall of the diffuser). For a sidewall diffuser (i.e., when the fluid inlet diffuser is disposed at a sidewall of the storage tank), the fluid inlet diffuser may include an elbow that connects to the end of the inlet tube to connect to the fluid inlet diffuser (either the bottom or the top of the diffuser) so that the diffuser would then be oriented to disperse cold water toward the bottom portion of the storage tank 106. 0036] FIG. 2 depicts the storage tank 106 and a first fluid inlet diffuser 200 (or diffuser 200) in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 3, which depicts a bottom isometric view of the diffuser 200.

[0037] As described above, the storage tank 106 may be configured to store water that may be heated by the heating source 104 (not shown in FIG. 2). In an exemplary aspect, heat exchanger coils 202 may be disposed in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 and wrapped along or disposed in proximity to an interior wall surface of the storage tank 106. The heat exchanger coils 202 may be connected to the heating source 104 and configured to transfer heat from the heating source 104 to the water stored in the storage tank 106, thereby heating the stored water. Stated another way, the heating source 104 may heat the water stored in the storage tank 106 via the heat exchanger coils 202, which may be inside or outside of the storage tank 106.

[0038] The diffuser 200 may be disposed at a bottom surface or a side surface of the storage tank 106 and configured to receive the supply of cold water 112 via the inlet valve 108/inlet or dip tube of the water heater 100. As described above, the diffuser 200 may be attached to an end of the inlet/dip tube that supplies the cold water 112 from the inlet valve 108 to the interior portion of the storage tank 106. The diffuser 200 may include a fluid inlet port 204 that may be connected with the inlet valve 108 (or an end of the inlet/dip tube) and configured to receive the supply of cold water 112 from the utility water source (e.g., via the inlet valve 108 or the inlet/dip tube). The fluid inlet port 204 may be of any shape and dimension depending on the shape and dimension of the inlet valve 108 or the end of the inlet/dip tube that is attached to the fluid inlet port 204. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fluid inlet port 204 is shown to be circular in shape, although the present disclosure is not limited to such a shape. Furthermore, the fluid inlet port 204 is shown on the bottom of the diffuser 200 in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 2; however, in alternative aspects, the fluid inlet port 204 may be at the top of the diffuser 200 when the inlet valve 108 may be disposed at a top portion of the storage tank 106 and the fluid inlet port 204 receives the cold water via the inlet/dip tube. In yet another aspect, the fluid inlet port 204 may be disposed either on the top or bottom portion of the diffuser 200 along with a 90 degree elbow connect for a side inlet tube. 0039] The diffuser 200 may further include a housing including a top wall 206, a bottom wall 208, a right sidewall 210, a left sidewall 212 and a front sidewall 214. Each of the housing walls may be made of plastic, ceramics, composites, or any metal such as steel, aluminum, copper, and/or the like. Any suitable material may be used. When the diffuser 200 is disposed at the bottom surface of the storage tank 106, the top wall 206 may face towards the top portion of the storage tank 106, and the bottom wall 208 may face towards the bottom portion/surface of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, the fluid inlet port 204 may be disposed on any wall of the housing including the top wall 206, the bottom wall 208, the right sidewall 210 or the left sidewall 212, as described above. Specifically, the location of the fluid inlet port 204 may depend on the location/type of the inlet/dip tube, e g., a top-mounted inlet tube, a sidewall inlet tube, etc. In some aspects, the fluid inlet port 204 is disposed at a location in the housing that has a smaller area and hence away from the front wall 214 that has relatively larger area. As depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fluid inlet port 204 is disposed at the bottom wall 208. The fluid inlet port 204 may output the cold water 112 received via the inlet valve 108 into an interior portion of the housing. In some aspects, the interior portion of the hosing may be an enclosed volume within the diffuser 200 formed by the diffuser top wall, the bottom wall, the sidewalls, and the front wall. The volumetric area enclosed by the diffuser housing at the diffuser inlet (i.e., the fluid inlet port 204) may be smaller than the volumetric area enclosed by the diffuser housing at the diffuser outlet, which is described later below. In some aspects, the volume of the enclosed space in the housing increases with an increased distance from the fluid inlet port 204 (e.g., the enclosed volume increases from the fluid inlet port 204 to the outlet of the diffuser 200).

[0040j In some aspects, each of the top wall 206 and the bottom wall 208 may be shaped as a circular sector (or “pie slice shaped”), and the front sidewall 214 may be shaped as an arc. A length or radius “Rl” of the top wall 206 may be greater than a length or radius “R2” of the bottom wall 208 (as shown in FIG. 2). The radii “Rl” and “R2” may vary based on the dimensions of the storage tank 106. In an exemplary aspect, the radius “Rl” may be in a range of 5 to 8 inches, and the radius “R2” may be in a range of 3 to 6 inches. In some aspects, planes of the top wall 206 and the bottom wall 208 may be parallel to each other. In other aspects, the planes of the top wall 206 and the bottom wall 208 may not be parallel to each other. In an exemplary aspect (not shown), the plane of the bottom wall 208 may be slightly tilted downwards away from the plane of the top wall 206 so that the water velocity/momentum may reduce when the water flows from the housing into the storage tank 106. Further, the front sidewall 214 (specifically a top edge of the front sidewall 214) may be attached to the top wall 206 such that a lateral axis “LI” (shown in FIG. 3) of the front sidewall 214 may be perpendicular to the plane of the top wall 206. In an exemplary aspect, a height “Hl” (shown in FIG. 3) of the front sidewall 214 may be in a range of 1.5 to 4 inches. Further, since the radius “R2” of the bottom wall 208 is less than the radius “Rl” of the top wall 206, a gap “D” (shown in FIG. 3) may exist between a proximal edge 302 of the bottom wall 208 and the front sidewall 214. In one exemplary embodiment, the gap “D” may be the diffuser outlet described above.

[0041 A distal edge of the left sidewall 212 may be attached to a distal edge of the right sidewall 210 such that a longitudinal axis of the left sidewall 212 may be inclined at a predefined non-zero angle “a” (shown in FIG. 2) relative to a longitudinal axis of the right sidewall 210. In an exemplary aspect, the angle “a” may be in a range of 30 to 60 degrees. Further, a left edge of the front sidewall 214 may be attached to a proximal edge of the left sidewall 212 and a right edge of the front sidewall 214 may be attached to a proximal edge of the right sidewall 210, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In an exemplary aspect, connection points connecting the distal ends of the right and left sidewalls 210, 212, the left edge of the front sidewall 214 with the proximal edge of the left sidewall 212, and the right edge of the front sidewall 214 with the proximal edge of the right sidewall 210 may be shaped as arcs (or may be rounded), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, although the present disclosure is not limited to such an aspect. In other aspects, one or more of the connection points described above may not be shaped as arcs.

[0042] In some aspects, lengths of the right sidewall 210 and the left sidewall 212 may be equivalent to each other, and equivalent to the radius “Rl” of the top wall 206. In further aspects, the left sidewall 212 may include a first portion 304 and a second portion 306, as shown in FIG. 3. The first portion 304 may be disposed in proximity to the distal edge of the left sidewall 212 and the second portion 306 may be disposed in proximity of the proximal edge of the left sidewall 212. In some aspects, a length of the first portion 304 may be equivalent to the radius “R2” of the bottom wall 208, and a length of the second portion 306 may be equivalent to a difference between the radius “Rl” and the radius “R2.” Further, a height of the second portion 306 may be equivalent to the height “Hl” of the front sidewall 214, and a height “H2” of the first portion 304 may be less than the height “Hl.” In some aspects, the height “H2” may be 30-60% of the height “Hl.” Furthermore, the height “H2” of the first portion 304 may be equivalent to a distance between the top wall 206 and the bottom wall 208. 0043] In a similar manner, the right sidewall 210 may include a third portion and a fourth portion (not shown). The third portion may be disposed in proximity to the distal edge of the right sidewall 210, and the fourth portion may be disposed in proximity of the proximal edge of the right sidewall 210. The length and height of the third portion may be equivalent to the length and height of the first portion 304, and the length and height of the fourth portion may be equivalent to the length and height of the second portion 306, described above. Other shapes of the diffuser 200 and configurations of the diffuser sidewalls (and other walls) are contemplated by the present disclosure. The exemplary shape of the diffuser 200 described above should not be construed as limiting. 0044] During operation, the fluid inlet port 204 may receive the supply of cold water 112 and output the water into the housing of the diffuser 200 in a vertically upward direction, as shown by an arrow 216 in FIG. 2. Stated another way, the fluid inlet port 204 may output the water into the housing towards the top wall 206, as shown by the arrow 216. In some aspects, the fluid inlet port 204 may be disposed in proximity to the connection point of the distal edges of the right and left sidewalls 210, 212. Stated another way, the fluid inlet port 204 may be disposed in proximity to a center point of the circular sector-shaped housing, and hence at a portion of the housing having lesser area and volume than the remaining portions of the housing.

[0045] In some aspects, a portion of the top wall 206 above the fluid inlet port 204 may include an arc-shaped or concave- shaped cap or protrusion 218, as shown in FIG. 2. A radius of curvature of the concave-shaped protrusion 218 may be in a range of 1-4 inches, and the protrusion 218 may be circular in shape.

[0046] When the fluid inlet port 204 outputs the water in the vertically upward direction into the housing of the diffuser 200, the water may contact an interior surface of the protrusion 218 and the flow of water may turn by 90 degrees responsive to the contact, as shown by an arrow 220 in FIG. 2. When the water turns 90 degrees, the water may flow towards the front sidewall 214, thereby moving from the portion of the housing having lesser area and volume to a portion of the housing having greater area and volume. As the water moves towards the portion of greater area and volume, the cross-section of the water flow “expands” and the water loses its velocity and momentum. In this manner, the diffuser 200 assists in reducing the velocity and momentum of the cold water 112 that may be injected into the housing as a jet of high velocity cold water. Since the diffuser 200 is closed from the top portion via the top wall 206, the incoming cold water 112 and the water that moves towards the front sidewall 214 do not interact (or minimally interact) with the hot water that may be stored in the storage tank 106 (stored on top of or above the diffuser 200), thereby ensuring that the temperature of the hot water stored in the storage tank 106 does not quickly/substantially reduce.

(0047] As the water moves towards the proximal edge 302 of the bottom wall 208, the flow of water turns by another 90 degrees towards the bottom portion of the storage tank 106, as shown by an arrow 222 in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the water flows in the direction shown by the arrow 222, the water exits from the housing of the diffuser 200 via the gap “D” (i.e., the diffuser outlet) present between the bottom wall 208 and the front sidewall 214. In this manner, the water escapes the diffuser 200 and enters the storage tank 106. Since the water that enters the storage tank 106 has considerably less velocity/m omentum than the velocity /momentum of the jet of cold water 112, the water entering into the storage tank 106 via the diffuser 200 does not move close to or interact with the hot water present at the top portion of the storage tank 106 or the outlet valve 110, and hence the temperature of the hot water in proximity to the outlet valve 110 does not drop significantly or at a high rate/pace.

[0048| In some aspects, the diffuser 200 may further include one or more spacers or legs 308 (shown in FIG. 3) that may be disposed at intersection points of the first and second portions 304, 306 of the left sidewall 212 and the third and fourth portions of the right sidewall 210. A longitudinal axis of each leg 308 may be perpendicular to the planes of the top and bottom walls 206, 208, and each leg 308 may extend towards the bottom portion/surface of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, when the diffuser 200 may be attached to the bottom surface of the storage tank 106, the legs 308 may “rest” on the bottom interior surface of the storage tank 106. In other instances, the legs 308 may be attached to the bottom interior surface of the storage tank 106. A height “H3” of each leg 308 may be greater than the height “Hl” of the front sidewall 214 and the second portion 306 of the left sidewall 212 (and the fourth portion of the right sidewall 210). In an exemplary aspect, the height “H3” may be greater than the height “Hl” by 30-70%.

[0049] Since the height “H3” may be greater than the height “Hl,” a gap “Gl” (shown in FIG. 3) may exist between the bottom edge of the front sidewall 214 and the bottom surface of the storage tank 106, when the diffuser 200 may be attached to the bottom surface of the storage tank 106. The same gap “Gl” may also exist between the bottom edge of the second portion 306 of the left sidewall 212 (and the fourth portion of the right sidewall 210) and the bottom surface of the storage tank 106. In a similar manner, a gap “G2” may exist between the bottom wall 208 and the bottom surface of the storage tank 106 when the diffuser 200 is attached to the bottom surface of the storage tank 106. 0050| When the water flows in the direction shown by the arrow 222, the water may contact the bottom surface of the storage tank 106 and may turn another 90 degrees to move laterally parallel to the planes of the top and bottom walls 206, 208 due to the impact/contact with the bottom surface of the storage tank 106 and the presence of the gaps “Gl” and “G2 ” Lateral water movement is shown by arrows 310 in FIG. 3. The gaps “Gl” and “G2” enable the water to conveniently enter the storage tank 106 from the diffuser 200 via the bottom portion of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, the water further loses its velocity/momentum when the water contacts the bottom surface of the storage tank 106, thus enabling additional reduction in water velocity as the water enters the interior portion of the storage tank 106 from the diffuser 200. 0051] In further aspects, the diffuser 200 may include one or more additional components that may enable efficient working of the diffuser 200 and/or further reduction in water velocity/momentum as the water moves in the housing from the fluid inlet port 204 towards the front sidewall 214 or the gap “D.” For example, the diffuser 200 may include a first baffle 224 that may be attached to the fluid inlet port 204, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In some aspects, the fluid inlet port 204 may output the water into the interior portion of the housing of the diffuser 200 via the first baffle 224. The first baffle 224 may be configured to disperse the water at multiple angles (e.g., at 360 degree angles) as the water exits the fluid inlet port 204 and enters the interior portion of the housing of the diffuser 200. Dispersion of water into the interior portion of the housing of the diffuser 200 enables reduction of water velocity/momentum. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first baffle 224 has a cross-shaped or X-shaped cross-section; however, the present disclosure is not limited to such a shape of the first baffle 224. In other aspects, the first baffle 224 may have triangular cross-section or a cross-section of any other shape, which assists in efficient dispersion of water into the interior portion of the housing of the diffuser 200. [0052] The diffuser 200 may further include a plurality of second baffles 226, a plurality of third baffles 228, and a plurality of fourth baffles 230 that may be disposed in the interior portion of the housing, as shown in FIG. 2. The second baffles 226, the third baffles 228 and the fourth baffles 230 may be disposed in any arrangement in the interior portion of the housing. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the second baffles 226, the third baffles 228 and the fourth baffles 230 are arranged in concentric arcs, with the second baffles 226 being closest to the fluid inlet port 204 and the fourth baffles 230 being closest to the front sidewall 214 (and farthest from the fluid inlet port 204). Further, the third baffles 228 may be disposed between the second baffles 226 and the fourth baffles 230. The radii of the concentric arcs in which the second, third and fourth baffles 226, 228, 230 may be arranged or distances of the arcs from the fluid inlet port 204 may depend on the dimensions of the diffuser. In an exemplary aspect, a distance of each second baffle 226 from the fluid inlet port 204 may be in a range of 1-2 inches, a distance of each third baffle 228 from the fluid inlet port 204 may be in a range of 3-4 inches, and a distance of each fourth baffle 230 from the fluid inlet port 204 may be in a range of 5-6 inches.

[0053] In an exemplary aspect, the second baffles 226 may be attached to a top surface of the bottom wall 208, one or more of the third baffles from the plurality of third baffles 228 may be attached to a bottom surface of the top wall 206 and the remaining third baffles may be attached to the top surface of the bottom wall 208, and the fourth baffles 230 may be attached to the bottom surface of the top wall 206. In some aspects, the fourth baffles 230 may be attached to the bottom surface of the top wall 206 such that the fourth baffles 230 may be disposed above or on top of the gap “D ” Stated another way, the bottom wall 208 may not be present underneath the fourth baffles 230. In some aspects, the bottom wall 208 may be present underneath the second baffles 226 and the third baffles 228. Stated another way, the second baffles 226 and the third baffles 228 may be disposed over the bottom wall 208, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0054] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, each baffle from the second baffles 226, the third baffles 228 and the fourth baffles 230 has a T-shaped cross-section. Specifically, each baffle includes a wall portion 232 and a leg portion 234, as shown in FIG. 2. A plane of the wall portion 232 may be perpendicular to a plane of the leg portion 234. In an exemplary aspect, the wall portion 232 and the leg portion 234 may have lengths in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 inches. Further, one or more baffles (e.g., the second baffles 226) may be disposed in the housing such that their respective wall portions face the fluid inlet port 204, and one or more other baffles (e.g., the third baffles 228 and the fourth baffles 230) may be disposed in the housing such that their respective wall portions face away from the fluid inlet port 204 and towards the front sidewall 214. In some aspects (not shown), wall portions of one or more baffles may additionally or alternatively face towards the right sidewall 210, the left sidewall 212, or any other direction, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the diffuser 200 is shown to include four second baffles 226, three third baffles 228, and four fourth baffles 230.

|0055 The shapes and arrangements of the second baffles 226, the third baffles 228, and the fourth baffles 230 depicted in FIG. 2 are exemplary in nature and should not be construed as limiting. One or more baffles may have different shapes, e.g., having triangular crosssection or shaped as wedges, pyramids, or small-sized walls. Further, the concentric arc-shaped arrangement of the baffles depicted in FIG. 2 may be replaced by a zig-zag shaped arrangement or any other suitable arrangement without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the count of baffles included in the diffuser 200 may also be changed, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 0056| In some aspect, each baffle may be configured to disrupt the flow of water as the water moves from the fluid inlet port 204 towards the front sidewall 214 or the gap “D,” thereby enabling further reduction in water flow velocity/momentum. Specifically, each baffle may be configured to break the water momentum, as the water flows from the fluid inlet port 204 towards the front sidewall 214, so that the water escapes from the gap “D” at a considerably lower velocity than the velocity of the incoming cold water 112.

^0057] FIG. 4 depicts an example water flow 400 associated with the diffuser 200 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The snapshot of the water flow 400, as shown in FIG. 4, was captured by performing simulation of water flow from the diffuser 200 into the storage tank 106, when the diffuser 200 may be attached at the bottom surface of the storage tank 106 and the cold water 112 may be injected into the diffuser 200 via the fluid inlet port 204.

[0058] The water flow 400 specifically depicts velocity profile of the water molecules as they exit the diffuser 200 and enter into the interior portion of the storage tank 106. In some aspects, the water flow 400 depicts velocity profile of those water molecules that have velocities above 0.5 m/s. As apparent from the water flow 400, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 200 does not travel “vertically upwards” in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106. Therefore, the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 may not drop significantly or drop at a reduced rate/pace when the storage tank 106 receives the cold water 112 via the diffuser 200. 0059] FIG. 5 depicts a second fluid inlet diffuser 500 (or diffuser 500) and an example water flow 502 associated with the diffuser 500 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 500 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, instead of having four fourth baffles 230, the diffuser 500 may include two fourth baffles 504. The remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 500 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

[0060] The water flow 502 depicts velocity profile of the water molecules as they exit the diffuser 500 and enter into the interior portion of the storage tank 106. As apparent from the water flow 502, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 500 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106. Therefore, the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 may not drop significantly or drop at a reduced rate/pace when the storage tank 106 receives the cold water 112 via the diffuser 500.

[0061] A test was conducted to determine a time duration it takes for the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 to drop from 55 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius with and without the storage tank 106 having the diffuser 500. It was found that it took 680 seconds for the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 to drop from 55 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius when the storage tank 106 received the cold water 112 directly, i.e., not via the diffuser 500. On the other hand, it took 704 seconds for the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 to drop from 55 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius when the storage tank 106 received the cold water 112 via the diffuser 500. The test proved that the diffuser 500 facilities in reducing the temperature drop rate of hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 (i.e., close to the outlet valve 110).

(0062) FIG. 6 depicts a third fluid inlet diffuser 600 (or diffuser 600) and an example water flow 602 associated with the diffuser 600 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 600 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, instead of having four fourth baffles 230, the diffuser 600 may not include any fourth baffle. Remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 600 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

(0063) As apparent from the water flow 602 depicted in FIG. 6, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 600 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106.

(0064) FIG. 7 depicts a fourth fluid inlet diffuser 700 (or diffuser 700) and an example water flow 702 associated with the diffuser 700 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 700 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, an arc-shaped or concave-shaped cap or protrusion 704 of the diffuser 700 may have a greater radius of curvature than the radius of curvature of the protrusion 218 of the diffuser 200. In an exemplary aspect, the radius of curvature of the protrusion 704 may be 50% to 100% greater than the radius of curvature of the protrusion 218. The remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 700 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

|0065| As apparent from the water flow 702 depicted in FIG. 7, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 700 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106.

FIG. 8 depicts a fifth fluid inlet diffuser 800 (or diffuser 800) and an example water flow 802 associated with the diffuser 800 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 800 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, instead of having the second baffles 226, the third baffles 228 and fourth baffles 230, the diffuser 800 may not include any second, third or fourth baffle. The remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 800 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness. 0067] As apparent from the water flow 802 depicted in FIG. 8, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 800 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106.

[0068] A test was conducted to determine a time duration it takes for the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 to drop from 55 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius with and without the storage tank 106 having the diffuser 800. It was found that it took 680 seconds for the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 to drop from 55 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius when the storage tank 106 received the cold water 112 directly, i.e., not via the diffuser 800. On the other hand, it took 695 seconds for the temperature of the hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 to drop from 55 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius when the storage tank 106 received the cold water 112 via the diffuser 800. The test proved that the diffuser 800 facilities in reducing the temperature drop rate of hot water at the top portion of the storage tank 106 (i.e., close to the outlet valve 110). [0069] FIG. 9 depicts a sixth fluid inlet diffuser 900 (or diffuser 900) and an example water flow 902 associated with the diffuser 900 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 900 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, a front sidewall 904 of the diffuser 900 may additionally include a plurality of perforations and through-holes 906 (which may be the diffuser outlet described above). Each through-hole 906 may be circular in shape (although the present disclosure is not limited to such a shape), with a radius in a range of 1 to 3 centimeters. In some aspects, all the through- holes 906 may have same diameters. In other aspects, one or more through-holes may have different diameters or some may be the same while others are different. When the diffuser 900 may be attached to the bottom surface of the storage tank 106 and receives the cold water 112, the diffuser 900 may inject water into the storage tank 106 via the through-holes 906, in addition to the gap “D” as described above in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3. Stated another way, the water may exit the housing of the diffuser 900 via the through-holes 906, in addition to the gap “D ” Remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 900 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

[0070] As apparent from the water flow 902 depicted in FIG. 9, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 900 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106.

[0071 ] FIG. 10 depicts a seventh fluid inlet diffuser 1000 (or diffuser 1000) and an example water flow 1002 associated with the diffuser 1000 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 1000 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, the diffuser 1000 may additionally include a bottom plate 1004 disposed below the gap “D,” as shown in FIG. 10. The bottom plate 1004 may include a plurality of perforations and through-holes 1006 (which may be the diffuser outlet described above). Each through-hole 1006 may be circular in shape (although the present disclosure is not limited to such a shape), with a radius in a range of 1 to 3 centimeters. When the diffuser 1000 may be attached to the bottom surface of the storage tank 106 and receives the cold water 112, the diffuser 1000 may inject water into the storage tank 106 via the through-holes 1006. Stated another way, the water may exit the housing of the diffuser 900 via the through-holes 1006. Remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 1000 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness. 0072] As apparent from the water flow 1002 depicted in FIG. 10, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 1000 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106.

[0073] FIG. 11 depicts an eighth fluid inlet diffuser 1100 and an example water flow 1102 associated with the diffuser 1100 in the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diffuser 1100 may be similar to the diffuser 200; however, a lateral axis “L2” of a front sidewall 1104 of the diffuser 1100 may be inclined at a predefined angle “P” relative to a longitudinal axis or plane “Pl” of the top and bottom walls of the housing of the diffuser 1100. In some aspects, the angle “P” may be in a range of 30 to 70 degrees. Remaining components and structural details of the diffuser 1000 may be same as the components and structural details of the diffuser 200, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

[0074] As apparent from the water flow 1102 depicted in FIG. 11, the water injected into the storage tank 106 by the diffuser 1100 does not travel vertically upwards in the interior portion of the storage tank 106 as a jet of high velocity cold water, and thus does not interact with the hot water that may be present at the top portion of the storage tank 106.

[0075] FIG. 12 depicts a flow diagram of a method 1200 to inject water into the storage tank 106 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 may be described with continued reference to prior figures, including FIGS. 1-11. The following process is exemplary and not confined to the steps described hereafter. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include more or less steps than are shown or described herein and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following example embodiments. [0076] The method 1200 starts at step 1202. At step 1204, the method 1200 may include providing the storage tank 106. At step 1206, the method 1200 may include attaching the diffuser 200 to the bottom surface of the storage tank 106. At step 1208, the method 1200 may include providing the cold water 112 to the storage tank 106 via the diffuser 200, as described above in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3. 0077] The method 1200 stops at step 1210.

[0078] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, one skilled in the art will recognize such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0079] It should also be understood that the word “example” as used herein is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature. More particularly, the word “example” as used herein indicates one among several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is being directed to the particular example being described.

[0089] With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims. 0081] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation. 0082] All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc., should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A fluid inlet diffuser comprising: a housing comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and one or more sidewalls, wherein a length or radius of the top wall is greater than a length or radius of the bottom wall; and a fluid inlet port disposed on the top wall, the bottom wall, or the one or more sidewalls, wherein the fluid inlet port is configured to receive a flow of fluid and output the fluid to an interior portion of the housing, and wherein the fluid exits from the housing into a fluid storage tank.

2. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 1, wherein the one or more sidewalls comprise a left sidewall, a right sidewall and a front sidewall, wherein a distal edge of the left sidewall is attached to a distal edge of the right sidewall, and wherein a left edge of the front sidewall is attached to a proximal edge of the left sidewall and a right edge of the front sidewall is attached to a proximal edge of the right sidewall.

3. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 2, wherein a lateral axis of the front sidewall is inclined at a predefined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the top wall.

4. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 2, wherein the front sidewall comprises one or more through-holes, and wherein the fluid exits from the housing via the one or more through-holes.

5. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 2, wherein the front sidewall is shaped as an arc and each of the top wall and the bottom wall is shaped as a circular sector, wherein the front sidewall is attached to the top wall, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the left sidewall is inclined at a predefined non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the right sidewall.

6. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 2, wherein the left sidewall comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is in proximity to the distal edge of the left sidewall and the second portion is in proximity of the proximal edge of the left sidewall, wherein a height of the first portion is less than a height of the second portion, and wherein the length or radius of the bottom wall is equivalent to a length of the first portion.

7. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 6, wherein a height of the front sidewall is equivalent to the height of the second portion, and wherein the height of the first portion is equivalent to a distance between the top wall and the bottom wall.

8. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 2, wherein the right sidewall comprises a third portion and a fourth portion, wherein the third portion is in proximity to the distal edge of the right sidewall and the fourth portion is in proximity of the proximal edge of the right sidewall, wherein a height of the third portion is less than a height of the fourth portion, and wherein the length or radius of the bottom wall is equivalent to a length of the third portion.

9. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 2, wherein the fluid exits from the housing via a gap present between the bottom wall and the front sidewall.

10. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 1 further comprising a first baffle attached to the fluid inlet port, wherein the fluid inlet port outputs the fluid to the interior portion of the housing via the first baffle.

11. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 10, wherein the first baffle has an X-shaped crosssection.

12. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of second baffles attached to a top surface of the bottom wall.

13. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 12, wherein at least one second baffle from the plurality of second baffles has a T-shaped cross-section.

14. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of third baffles attached to a bottom surface of the top wall.

15. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 14, wherein at least one third baffle from the plurality of third baffles has a T-shaped cross-section.

16. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 14, wherein at least one third baffle from the plurality of third baffles is disposed above the bottom wall.

17. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 14, wherein at least one third baffle from the plurality of third baffles is disposed above a gap between the bottom wall and at least one sidewall of the one or more sidewalls.

18. The fluid inlet diffuser of claim 1 further comprising a bottom plate disposed below a gap between the bottom wall and at least one sidewall of the one or more sidewalls, wherein the bottom plate comprises one or more through-holes, and wherein the fluid exits from the housing via the one or more through-holes.

19. A fluid inlet diffuser for a hot water tank comprising: a housing comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a left sidewall, a right sidewall and a front sidewall, wherein a length or radius of the top wall is greater than a length or radius of the bottom wall, wherein a distal edge of the left sidewall is attached to a distal edge of the right sidewall, and wherein a left edge of the front sidewall is attached to a proximal edge of the left sidewall and a right edge of the front sidewall is attached to a proximal edge of the right sidewall; and a fluid inlet port disposed on the bottom wall, wherein the fluid inlet port is configured to receive a flow of fluid and output the fluid to an interior portion of the housing, and wherein the fluid exits from the housing into a fluid storage tank.

20. A fluid inlet diffuser comprising: a housing comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a left sidewall, a right sidewall and a front sidewall, wherein a length or radius of the top wall is greater than a length or radius of the bottom wall, wherein a distal edge of the left sidewall is attached to a distal edge of the right sidewall, wherein a left edge of the front sidewall is attached to a proximal edge of the left sidewall and a right edge of the front sidewall is attached to a proximal edge of the right sidewall, wherein the front sidewall is shaped as an arc and each of the top wall and the bottom wall is shaped as a circular sector, and wherein the front sidewall is attached to the top wall; and a fluid inlet port disposed on the bottom wall, wherein the fluid inlet port is configured to receive a flow of fluid and output the fluid to an interior portion of the housing, and wherein the fluid exits from the housing into a fluid storage tank.

21. Systems and methods for a fluid inlet diffuser for a water heater tank as described in the specification and depicted in the figures.