2255results about "Heating fuel" patented technology

A heat pump water heater and systems and methods for its control are disclosed. The systems are configured to heat water within a water storage tank of a heat pump water heater wherein a controller within the system is operatively connected to a plurality of heat sources including at least one electric heating element and a heat pump and sensors in order to selectively energize one of the plurality of heat sources. The controller is configure to process data representative of the temperature of water within the tank near the top of the water storage tank, and rate of water flowing out of the water storage tank, in order to automatically selectively energize the heat sources. The selection of heat sources by the controller is determined by a mode of operation selected by the user and the data processed by the controller in view of the selected mode of operation.

The present invention is directed at methods and apparatus for controlling multi-source heating systems. The multi-source heating systems of the present invention may include two or more heat sources such as a heat pump, a furnace, an electric heating strip, or any other suitable heat source. An illustrative system includes a multi-zone, multi-source heating system. The illustrative system may determine which of the multiple sources to use depending on a number of factors. Some illustrative factors include information about zones calling for heat, external environment information, and information about the heat sources. One of the heat sources may be, for example, a heat pump, and a determination of whether to activate the heat pump may include determining the current heating capacity of the heat pump and comparing the heating capacity to the amount of heat needed to satisfy the current heat calls. Methods for determining which of at least two heat sources to use are also provided. Additional embodiments include methods for controlling multiple-source heating systems, and systems for providing heat with multiple sources.

A power distribution/generation system is disclosed for supplying electrical power to a number of sites (32, 33, 34), one or more of which has a generator (53, 1) such as a Stirling engine (1) which is capable of generating electrical power. The generators (53, 1) are linked together on a local network that is connectable to an external power grid (31). A controller (35) can hold the distribution of power so that a site is supplied with electrical power from the local network if its power demand exceeds the power generated by the generators in that network. However, if the total power demand of all the sites in the network exceeds the total power available from the generators in that network, then the controller (35) causes power to be drawn from the grid (31) instead.

A water heater includes combustion means (burner) that combusts fuel and generates exhaust; heat exchange means (primary heat exchanger and secondary heat exchanger) that exchanges heat of the exhaust for supplied water; bypassing means (bypass pipe) that makes the supplied water flow to an outlet of the heat exchange means; exchanged heat temperature detection means (exchanged heat temperature sensor) that detects temperature of the supplied water after heat exchange; flow rate adjustment means (bypass valve) that adjusts a volume of the supplied water flowing into the bypassing means and the heat exchange means; and a control unit that controls the flow rate adjustment means so as to make a predetermined volume of the supplied water or over flow to the heat exchange means.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for processing agricultural waste to make alcohol and/or biodiesel. The agricultural wastes are subjected to anaerobic digestion which produces a biogas stream containing methane, which is subsequently reformed to a syngas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The syngas is converted to an alcohol which may be stored, sold, used, or fed directly to a reactor for production of biodiesel. The solids effluent from the anaerobic digester can be further utilized as slow release, organic certified fertilizer. Additionally, the wastewater from the process is acceptable for immediate reuse in agricultural operations.

The present invention relates to a heating element controller 100 for a liquid heating system arranged to determine the duty cycle of a heating element 106 and modulate the timepoint of heating initiation by the heating element 106 in dependence upon an expected duration of completing the heating process and upon a required time at which the heating process is to be completed, wherein said expected duration is determined in dependence on said duty cycle. The invention extends to a heating element controller comprising means for computing a fouling parameter and means for controlling the operation of the heating element in dependence upon the fouling parameter. The invention extends to a system for heating liquids comprising at least one heating element associated with a liquid vessel, and preferably the heating element is moveable in the vessel, or alternatively the system for heating liquids may comprise a plurality of heating elements.

A water heating control system for automatically reducing delay in delivering a volume of water at a flowrate, the volume of water is heated from a first temperature to a target temperature during a time interval of a day, the water heating system includes a device for aiding in heating the volume of water from the first temperature to the target temperature, a historical flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day, a current flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day and a controller configured for calculating a new flow demand from the historical flow demand and the current flow demand. The new flow demand is set as the historical flow demand for the time interval of a day and if the new flow demand exceeds a threshold, the device is configured to be activated during the time interval of a day.

A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including a plurality of modulating water heaters, which may be modulating boilers. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater.

A floor heating system includes a flooring substrate having a heating or cooling element in heat transfer relationship therewith. A heat spreader is in heat transfer relationship with the flooring substrate. The heat spreader includes a layer of flexible graphite material. A floor covering overlies the layer of flexible graphite material. Temperature variations across an exposed surface of the floor covering are reduced by the presence of the flexible graphite heat spreader, thus providing an improved and more uniform heating to the floor and to the room with which the floor is associated.

A hybrid space and water heating heat pump system includes a heat pump including an outdoor assembly and an indoor assembly; a hot water module including a first heat exchanger, a controller, and a water pump connected to a water line, the first heat exchanger being configured for heating water; and a water heater in fluid communication with the hot water module, the water heater configured for receiving heated water from the first heat exchanger; wherein the controller is configured to select between one of conditioning an interior space or heating of the water in the first heat exchanger; and wherein the heat pump is configured for circulating a refrigerant through a first refrigerant circuit in response to the conditioning of the interior space and circulating the refrigerant through a second refrigerant circuit in response to the heating of the water in the first heat exchanger.

The thin film transistor formed of polycrystalline silicon is positioned adjacent a heat reaction chamber. The gate electrode for the transistor is formed within a silicon substrate and a gate dielectric is positioned over the gate electrode. A pass transistor is coupled to the gate electrode, the pass transistor having a source/drain region in the same semiconductor substrate and positioned adjacent to the gate electrode of the thin film heating transistor. When the pass transistor is enabled, a voltage is applied to the gate electrode which causes the current to flow from the drain to the source of the thin film transistor. The current flow passes through a highly resistive region which generates heat that is transmitted to the heat reaction chamber.

The invention discloses a glassworks low-temperature afterheat recycling system. Heat is stored underground through an underground pipe heat exchange unit; in winter, an absorption heat pump unit is matched to extract low-temperature afterheat for directly supplying the heat to peripheral communities; and in summer, a cooling tower is used for assisting cooling, so that recycling of low-grade industrial afterheat is realized, and the shortage problem of heating heat sources is effectively solved.

A water heater includes one or a plurality of heat pumps that heat tap water or return water from a hot water supply part, a circulation line that supplies hot water heated in the heat pumps to the hot water supply part, and introduces the return water from the hot water supply part to the heat pumps, an incoming water pipe that joins to between the hot water supply part in the circulation line and the heat pumps and supplies the tap water, a circulation pump that returns the return water to the heat pumps and circulates the return water through the circulation line, and a control unit that controls operation or stop of the circulation pump according to driving operation time or elapsed stop time by linking a combustion process of the heat pumps.

A system and method for controlling operation of a hybrid heating system that includes a heat pump and a gas heater is disclosed. Peak demand or pricing information is received from gas and electric utilities, and outdoor ambient temperature data is also fed to a smart hybrid thermostat. A controller processes this data and calculates overall efficiency of operating the heat pump versus the gas heater by accessing stored performance data relating to the heat pump in memory.

The invention discloses a floor heating multi-connected air conditioner system which comprises an outdoor unit, indoor units and controllers. The indoor units are connected with the outdoor unit through refrigerant pipelines. The controllers are connected with the outdoor unit and the indoor units through shielding signal lines. Each floor heating tube set comprises a composite floor heating tube, a third stop valve, a third filter, a third electronic expansion valve, a fourth stop valve and a floor heating tube set control panel, the third stop valve, the third filter and the third electronic expansion valve are sequentially disposed along the refrigerant flowing in direction on a refrigerant pipeline connected to the refrigerant flowing in end of the composite floor heating tube, the third electronic expansion valve is electrically connected with the heating tube control panel, and the heating tube control panel is connected with corresponding controller through one shielding signal line. By the floor heating multi-connected air conditioner system, indoor temperature can be controlled precisely during heating, and energy consumption can be lowered effectively.

An electric water heater that includes a thermostat is retrofitted for remote control as follows. A relay is installed on an electrical feed to the electric water heater. Water temperature and electric current or power through the electrical feed are measured over time with the relay closed, and the thermostat deadband maximum and minimum are detected as the water temperature at which the thermostat turns the heating element off, and the water temperature at which the thermostat turns the heating element on, respectively. The detected thermostat deadband maximum and minimum are stored as load controller deadband maximum and minimum, respectively. The thermostat set point is raised, and the electric water heater is thereafter controlled using the load controller by operations including closing the relay when the water temperature falls below the load controller deadband minimum and opening the relay when the water temperature rises above the load controller deadband maximum.

The invention provides a thermoelectricity decoupling transformation and operation method based on heat source end and heat network comprehensive adjustment, and the thermoelectricity decoupling is realized through transformation of a high-pressure bypass and low-pressure bypass, cylinder disengaging operation of a low-pressure cylinder, additional arrangement of an electric boiler and pipe network heat storage of a heat network. In order to ensure the heat supply capacity of a unit under the low load, the cylinder disengaging operation transformation of the low-pressure cylinder is carried out on the basis of an original steam extraction and heat supply mode to increase the heat supply capacity of the unit; meanwhile, by means of joint adjustment of an initial station and a secondary station, the defect that the heat supply capacity is insufficient under the low load is overcome through the heat storage of a primary pipe network under the high load; by means of the cylinder disengaging operation of the low-pressure cylinder and the heat storage of the primary pipe network, the problem that the heat supply amount under the low load is low during the whole heat supply period can be solved basically; the electric boiler is adopted during transformation so that the electric boiler can be used as the peak adjustment of the heat load when the heat storage function fails because of an extreme weather period and a long-time pipe network operation of the unit under the low load; and meanwhile, the high-pressure bypass and the low-pressure bypass are transformed to serve as a standby means for heat supply, so that the reliability of heat supply under the low load of the unit is further improved.

The invention discloses an anti-freezing control method of a low-temperature air source heat pump heater. By means of the method, a required anti-freezing level can be judged automatically according to the temperature, and then corresponding devices are started for anti-freezing treatment. When the environment temperature is not very low, a water pump is started to run intermittently, and a watersystem is made to generate current to prevent freezing; when the environment temperature is low and water is still in a low-temperature state even after a first-stage freezing prevention mode of the water pump is started, a second-stage freezing prevention mode is started, heating starts, special treatment is carried out on defrosting at low water temperature, efficiency reduction caused by excessive frosting in the running process is avoided, and the water temperature is increased quickly to prevent freezing; and under the situation that the system cannot implement the second-stage freezing prevention mode due to refrigerant absence, start failure of a compressor and the like, a third-stage freezing prevention mode can be started, and an auxiliary electric heater of the water system is started to directly heat water to increase the temperature, so that the anti-freezing effect is achieved. By adoption of three-stage anti-freezing design, freezing prevention of the water system when the air source heat pump heater is in a standby state or shutdown state or failure state under the low-temperature environment is thoroughly achieved.

The invention belongs to the technical field of thermoelectricity and relates to a cogeneration unit with a heat storage device and a peak shaving method of the cogeneration unit. The cogeneration unit comprises a turbine, a heating network heater, the heat storage device and a heating network circulation water pump. A phase-change material thermocline heat storage tank and an adjusting system of the phase-change material thermocline heat storage tank are adopted in the heat storage device. The heat storage device is arranged behind the heating network heater, and part of discharged water of the heating network heater serves as a heat storage heat source. When the unit participates in peak shaving and the heat generating amount changes, the working state of the heat storage device is changed by opening and closing a valve. When the heat generating amount of the unit is large, heat is supplied through the heating network heater, and the heat storage device stores heat. When the heat generating amount is small, the heat storage device releases heat to replace part of extracted steam of the heating network heater to heat return water of a heating network, and after the return water is mixed with the discharged water of the heating network heater, the mixed water is sent to a heating station. It is ensured that the heating quality is not changed when the heat generating amount of the unit is changed, the capability of the cogeneration unit for participating in peak shaving of a power grid is improved, positive significance is achieved for absorption of renewable energy such as wind power, and the method is suitable for the cogeneration unit participating in peak shaving of the power grid.