Heating control system

Abstract

There is provided a heating control system for use in a heating system 20 comprising a heating source 22 and a heating circuit, the heating control system comprising: at least one flow control device

Description

This invention relates to a heating control system, a kit of parts, a heating system, a method of operating a heating control system, a method of installing a heating control system, a computer-implemented method of operating a heating control system, and computer program comprising computer code configured to perform the computer-implemented method. It is known to use automatic radiator valves to control heating outputs of radiators. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a heating control system for use in a heating system comprising a heating source and a heating circuit, the heating control system comprising: at least one flow control device for controlling a flow of fluid between the heating source and the heating circuit; a flow decoupler for connection between the heating source and the heating circuit; at least one flow actuator for controlling a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit; and a controller programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The fluid may be any type of liquid or gas (such as water, air and a refrigerant), a combination of liquids, a combination of gases and / or a combination of liquids and gases. The flow decoupler may be any type of hydraulic separator configured to, in use, provide hydraulic separation between the heating source and the heating circuit. In embodiments of the invention, the flow decoupler may include a low loss header and / or closely spaced tees and / or a heat exchanger. Alternatively, the flow decoupler may include one or more valves operable to provide hydraulic separation between the heating source and the heating circuit. In further embodiments of the invention, the at least one flow control device includes at least one pump and / or at least one valve. The at least one flow control device may include a single flow control device or a plurality of flow control devices. Various configurations of the at least one flow control device are envisaged. In embodiments of the invention, the at least one flow control device may include a first flow control device for connection between the heating source and the heating circuit. In further embodiments of the invention, the at least one flow control device may include a second flow control device for controlling a fluid flow output of the heating source. In still further embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator to control a mixing of fluid flow streams inside the heating circuit and / or inside the flow decoupler so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The controller may be configured to be in wired or wireless communication with the flow control device and / or the or each flow actuator. It will be appreciated that the heating control system may use a combination of wired and wireless communication between the controller and the other elements of the heating control system. The heating control system may include at least one sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating parameter or environmental condition of the heating system and / or an enclosure comprising the heating system. The controller may be programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator based on one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The at least one sensor may include: • at least one temperature sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating temperature parameter or an environmental temperature parameter of the heating circuit; and / or • at least one temperature sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating temperature parameter or an environmental temperature parameter of the or each heat emitter; and / or • at least one temperature sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing into, through and / or out of the flow decoupler; and / or • at least one flow or pressure sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating flow parameter of fluid flowing into, through and / or out of the flow decoupler; and / or • at least one flow or pressure sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating flow parameter of fluid flowing into, through and / or out of the or each respective heat emitter; and / or • at least one external sensor that, in use, is external to the heating circuit. The controller may be configured to be in wired or wireless communication with the at least one sensor. It will be appreciated that the heating control system may use a combination of wired and wireless communication between the controller and a plurality of sensors of the heating control system. The sensor reading(s) of the at least one sensor may be used by the controller to perform a variety of functions such as: • The controller may be programmed to use one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor to identify a fault (e.g. a leak, a blockage or a malfunction) in the heating system; and / or • The controller may be programmed to use one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor to provide a user with information and / or a suggested action. Non-limiting examples of such users, information and suggested actions are described throughout the specification; and / or • The controller may be programmed to use one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor as feedback for the operation of the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator. This enhances the control of the heating system and thereby provide efficiency improvements. Different types of heating sources may be used in the invention. Non-limiting examples of the heating source may include a heat pump, a boiler, an oil boiler, a solar power device, a communal heating source for a building or multiple buildings, or a district heating source. Different types of heat emitters may be used in the invention. Non-limiting examples of the or each heat emitter may include a radiator or an underfloor heating element. In embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to balance heating outputs of the heat emitters of the heating circuit. Non-limiting examples of heating output balancing are described throughout the specification. In further embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to control a heating output of the heating source in coordination with the operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The heating control system of the invention may be used in combination with a thermal model (e.g. digital twin) of the heating system and / or an enclosure comprising the heating system. Specifically, the controller may be programmed to use a thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to control an operation of the heating control system. The controller may be programmed to build or update the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure based on one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor. Alternatively the thermal model may be built or updated independently of the controller and / or heating control system. The thermal model may be used by the invention in different ways. The controller may be programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator based on the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. In embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to use the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to identify a fault (e.g. a leak, a blockage or a malfunction) in the heating system. In further embodiment of the invention, the controller may be programmed to use the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to provide a user with information and / or a suggested action. Non-limiting examples of such users, information and suggested actions are described throughout the specification. In embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to perform a hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit. In such embodiments, the one or more properties of the heating circuit may include a topology of the heating circuit, a layout of the heating circuit and / or one or more dimensions of the heating circuit. The one or more properties of the heating circuit may include, but is not limited to, an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing through the heating circuit and / or an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing through the or each heat emitter. In embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator in combination with using a digital model (e.g. a thermal model, such as the thermal model described in this specification) of the heating system and / or enclosure so as to perform the hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit. The hydronic determination can be performed in a number of different ways, nonlimiting examples of which are described throughout the specification. The controller may be programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to generate a perturbation (e.g. a fluidic, thermal or sound perturbation) in the fluid flowing through the heating circuit so as to perform the hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit. The controller may be programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to generate a pulse (e.g. a fluidic, thermal or sound pulse) to travel through the heating circuit, and wherein the controller is programmed to process a travel time of the pulse through the heating circuit and an operating flow parameter of fluid flowing through the heating circuit so as to determine a volumetric parameter of the heating circuit. In further embodiments of the invention, the controller may be programmed to process a rate of increase in environmental temperature of the or each heat emitter, an external environmental temperature outside an or a respective enclosure in which the or each heat emitter is located, and a heating power output of the or each heat emitter so as to determine an environmental heat loss of the or each enclosure. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit of parts comprising at least one flow control device, at least one flow decoupler, at least one flow actuator and at least one controller that are combinable to form the heating control system according to any one of the first aspect of the invention and its embodiments. The features and advantages of the preceding aspect of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the second aspect of the invention and its embodiments. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a heating system comprising: a heating source; a heating circuit; a heating control system according to any one of the first aspect of the invention and its embodiments, wherein the flow decoupler is connected between the heating source and the heating circuit. The features and advantages of the preceding aspects of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the third aspect of the invention and its embodiments. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a heating control system for use in a heating system comprising a heating source and a heating circuit, the heating control system comprising: at least one flow control device for controlling a flow of fluid between the heating source and the heating circuit; a flow decoupler for connection between the heating source and the heating circuit; and at least one flow actuator for controlling a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit, wherein the method comprises the step of coordinating operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The features and advantages of the preceding aspects of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the fourth aspect of the invention and its embodiments. According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing a heating control system according to any one of the first aspect of the invention and its embodiments in a heating system, the method comprising the steps of: connecting a flow decoupler between the heating source and the heating circuit; and installing a controller programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The features and advantages of the preceding aspects of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the fifth aspect of the invention and its embodiments. According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of building a thermal model of a heating system and / or an enclosure comprising the heating system, the heating system comprising: a heating source; a heating circuit; a heating control system including: at least one flow actuator for controlling a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit; and at least one sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating parameter or environmental condition of the heating system and / or enclosure, wherein the method comprising the steps of: operating the at least one flow actuator to control a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit; collecting a set of data, wherein the collected set of data is based on one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor during the operation of the at least one flow actuator to control a flow of fluid through the or each respective heat emitter of the heating circuit; determining the thermal model based on the collected set of data. The features and advantages of the preceding aspects of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the sixth aspect of the invention and its embodiments. Preferably the heating control system is in accordance with any one of the first aspect of the invention and its embodiments. In the invention, the thermal model may include, but is not limited to: • a building fabric of the enclosure; and / or • a building fabric of one or more rooms of the enclosure; and / or • a performance curve of the heating source; and / or • a volume of fluid in the heating circuit; and / or • one or more dimensions of pipework of the heating circuit; and / or • one or more dimensions of the or each heat emitter; and / or • a heat loss profile of the enclosure; and / or • a heat loss profile of one or more rooms of the enclosure. The building fabric includes the physical components and materials that make up the building, including but not limited to a roof, a ceiling, a floor, walls, doors and windows. The method may include the steps of: generating one or more target properties of the heating system and / or enclosure from the thermal model; operating the heating control system in accordance with the one or more target properties of the heating system and / or enclosure. The one or more target properties of the heating system and / or enclosure may include, but is not limited to: • a target ambient temperature of the enclosure; and / or • a target temperature of fluid flowing in the heating circuit; and / or • a target operating mode or configuration of the at least one flow actuator; and / or • a target operating flow rate of a flow control device of the heating control system. The method may include the step of, based on the thermal model, identifying one or more elements of the heating system and / or enclosure that may be modified to increase heating efficiency of the heating system and / or enclosure. The or each element may include, but is not limited to, a component, an operating parameter and / or an operating configuration of the heating system and / or enclosure. The method may include the step of determining a projected reduction in energy usage from modifying the or each identified element of the heating system and / or enclosure. The method may include the steps of: feeding the collected set of data to a machine learning algorithm or model; determining the thermal model based on an output of the machine learning algorithm or model. The method may include the steps of: creating a training set including the collected set of data; training a machine learning algorithm or model using the training set. The method of any one of the sixth aspect of the invention and its embodiments may be a computer-implemented method. According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method of operating a heating control system according to any one of the first aspect of the invention and its embodiments, the computer-implemented method comprising the step of coordinating operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter. The features and advantages of the preceding aspects of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the seventh aspect of the invention and its embodiments. The computer-implemented method may include the step of using a thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to control an operation of the heating control system. According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program comprising computer code configured to perform the computer-implemented method according to embodiments of the invention. The features and advantages of the preceding aspects of the invention and their embodiments apply mutatis mutandis to the eighth aspect of the invention and its embodiments. It will be appreciated that the use of the terms "first" and "second", and the like, in this patent specification is merely intended to help distinguish between similar features, and is not intended to indicate the relative importance of one feature over another feature, unless otherwise specified. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, and the claims and / or the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and all features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim orfile any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a heating system according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows closely spaced tees; Figure 3 shows a process of installing and commissioning a heating system; Figure 4 shows thermal experiments for determining thermal properties of a heating system and associated rooms; Figure 5 shows a step-by-step process of building and using a digital twin of a heating system, rooms and a house; and Figure 6 shows a step-by-step process of training a machine learning algorithm or model. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic form in the interests of clarity and conciseness. The following embodiments of the invention are described with reference to a heating system for a house. It will be appreciated that the following embodiments of the invention apply mutatis mutandis to other types of buildings and residences. Heat pumps have come to the forefront in recent years as a replacement for gas boilers. However the number of heat pump installations in homes and buildings have been lower than expected due to a number of reasons, such as length of installation time, skills gap in the industry, operational expenditure (OpEx), capital expenditure (CapEx)and so on. The invention addresses these challenges as follows: • Installation time: Conventionally heat pump installation is a process that can take several months to complete, which is much longer than a gas boiler installation that typically takes a few days to complete. The invention reduces the heat pump installation process to a few days or less, which is less disruptive for the end user. • Skills gap: By removing the need for manual time-consuming heat loss calculations, system design for new pipework and radiators, and sophisticated system commissioning, the invention reduces the additional skills required for an installation engineer to start installing heat pumps. This increases the number of installation engineers available to install heat pumps across the population. The level of automation provided by the invention not only does not require the presence of the installation engineer (although the installation engineer may choose to remain present) but also helps to ensure that the installation meets predefined high quality and reliability requirements; • Costs: By installing the heat pump with the existing heating circuit and by using the automated features of the invention, the invention reduces the upfront CapEx involved in switching from gas boilers to heat pumps, both in terms of equipment purchases and installation time. In particular cost savings can be obtained from reducing the time it takes to design the system, and the need for additional changes to pipework and radiators. Over time, the invention automatically optimises the heating system by providing targeted system upgrade recommendations to allow the homeowner to make smart investments in their home and reduce their ongoing energy costs and OpEx as affordably as possible; • Certification: The invention simplifies the heat loss calculations required for certification. Heating system A heating system according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1 and is designated generally by the reference numeral 20. In the embodiment shown, the heating system 20 is for a multi-room house. The heating system 20 comprises a heating source, a heating circuit and a heating control system. The heating system 20 further comprises pipework for interconnecting its various components and carrying heated water. The heating source is a heat pump 22 but may take the form of a different type of heating source, non-limiting examples of which are described through the specification. The heating circuit includes a plurality of heat emitters in the form of radiators 24. Each room of the house may include one or more radiators. It will be understood that a room or multiple rooms can be regarded as a heating zone, whereby each heating zone includes one or more radiators. The heat pump 22 is operable to pump heated water throughout the heating circuit, including the radiators 24. The heat pump 22 is controllable to control a temperature of the heated water supplied by the heat pump 22. Other types of heat emitters may replace the radiators 24. The heating control system includes a flow control device, a flow decoupler and a plurality of flow actuators. The flow control device is in the form of a flow pump 26 that is connected in fluid communication between the heat pump 22 and the heating circuit. In use, the flow pump 26 is operable to control a flow of water between the heat pump 22 and the heating circuit. In other embodiments, the flow pump 26 may be replaced by a flow valve or a combination of flow valves that are operable to control a flow of water between the heat pump 22 and the heating circuit. The flow decoupler is in the form of a low loss header 28 that is connected in fluid communication between the heat pump 22 and the heating circuit (as shown in Figure 2). The flow decoupler functions as a hydraulic break separating the heat pump 22 and the heating circuit, which enables control over the flow of water between the heat pump 22 and the heating circuit with minimal distortion. In other embodiments, the low loss header 28 may be replaced by closely spaced tees 32 (as shown in Figure 2). Each flow actuator is in the form of a radiator valve 30 30 that is configured to control a flow of water through each respective radiator 24. The radiator valve 30 may be, for example, a thermostatic radiator valve 30 (TRV). In use, each radiator valve 30 may be closed to reduce or stop the flow of water through each respective radiator 24, and may be opened to increase the flow of water through each respective radiator 24. The flow of heated water through a given radiator 24 enables the radiator 24 to emit heat and thereby increase an environmental temperature of the associated room. In the embodiment shown, the heating system 20 is configured as follows: • A primary input port 34 of the low loss header 28 is connected to an output port 36 of the heat pump 22; • A primary output port 38 of the low loss header 28 is connected to an input port of the flow pump 26; • An output port of the flow pump 26 is connected to input ports of the radiators 24 via the corresponding radiator valves 30; • Output ports of the radiator valves 30 are connected to a secondary input port 40 of the low loss header 28; • A secondary output port 42 of the low loss header 28 is connected to an input port 44 of the heat pump 22. In this way heated fluid can be pumped from the heat pump 22, through the primary input and output ports 34,38 of the low loss header 28, through the flow pump 26 and into the radiators 24 via the radiator valves 30, and then return to the heat pump 22 through the secondary input and output ports 40,42 of the low loss header 28. It is envisaged that, in other embodiments of the invention, the flow pump 26 may be connected between the output port 36 of the heat pump 22 and the primary input port 34 of the low loss header 28, or between the secondary output port 42 of the low loss header 28 and the input port 44 of the heat pump 22, or between the heating circuit and the secondary input port 40 of the low loss header 28. The heating control system further includes a controller 46 programmed to operate the flow pump 26 and radiator valves 30 in order to perform their respective flow control functions. In the embodiment shown, the controller 46 is configured to be in wireless communication with the radiator valves 30, the low loss header 28 and the flow pump 26, and optionally the heat pump 22 (e.g. through direct communication, a local area network and / or the internet). Optionally the controller 46 may be programmed to control the heat pump 22. The controller 46 includes a processor and memory including computer program code. The memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, enable the controller 46 to carry out various control functions. The controller 46 may be, may include or may form part of one or more of an electronic device, a portable electronic device, a portable telecommunications device, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a phablet, a laptop computer, a server, a cloud computing network, a smartphone, a smartwatch, smart eyewear, and a module for one or more of the same. It will be appreciated that references to a memory or a processor may encompass a plurality of memories or processors. In other embodiments, the flow pump 26 may be omitted, and the function of the flow pump 26 in the invention may be performed by the heat pump 22 or another pump configured to control a fluid flow output of the heating source. Installation A method of installing the heat pump 22 and the heating control system in the heating system 20 is described as follows, with reference to Figure 3. An installation engineer visits the house and surveys the existing heating system, including the existing heating source and heating circuit, to determine what parts are required. If some of the parts (such as the heat pump 22, the flow pump 26 and / or radiator valves 30) are already present in the existing heating system 20, then the installation engineer may reuse these parts or replace these parts with new parts. It will be appreciated that an installation engineer may install the entire heating system 20 using brand new parts, rather than use any existing hardware. The installation engineer then reconfigures the existing heating system to be in accordance with the heating system 20 of the invention as follows. The installation engineer connects the heat pump 22, the low loss header 28, the flow pump 26, the radiator valves 30 and radiators 24 in accordance with configuration of the heating system 20. The provision of the low loss header 28 enables compatibility of the heating control system with existing heating systems, particularly heating systems that use microbore pipework. The installation engineer also installs the controller 46 to communicate with the flow pump 26 and the radiator valves 30, and optionally the heat pump 22. The installation engineering also installs sensors for measuring an operating parameter or environmental condition of the heating system 20 and / or the associated room. The sensors may take different forms and may perform different sensing functions. The sensors may be built into other components (such as the low loss header 28 and the radiator valves 30) or may be standalone sensors. For example, each sensor may be: • a temperature sensor for measuring an operating temperature parameter of the heating circuit (e.g. the pipework, the radiators 24) or an environmental temperature parameter of the radiator 24 or the room in which the radiator 24 is located; or • a temperature sensor for measuring an operating temperature parameter of water flowing into, through and / or out of the flow decoupler; or • a flow or pressure sensor for measuring an operating flow parameter of water flowing in the pipework; or • a flow or pressure sensor for measuring an operating flow parameter of water flowing into, through and / or out of the flow decoupler; or • a flow or pressure sensor for measuring an operating flow parameter of water flowing into, through and / or out of each respective radiator 24. Each sensor may be installed so as to be built into the heating circuit or external to the heating circuit (such as in the rooms). For example, temperature and / or flow sensors could be integrated into the radiator valves 30. By measuring the temperature, the temperature sensors can effectively infer or measure the heating output and heat loss in each room and the home. Temperature sensors may be installed to measure operating temperature parameters of water flowing from the heat pump 22 to the radiators 24, and from the radiators 24 back to the heat pump 22. One or more temperature, flow or pressure sensors may be installed in or near one, some or all of the primary input port, primary output port, secondary input port and secondary output port of the flow decoupler. The temperature sensor(s) may be used to perform absolute temperature sensing and / or differential temperature sensing, and / or may be used to measure a temperature drop across each radiator 24. Flow sensors may be installed to measure a first flow of fluid through the primary input and output ports of the low loss header 28, and to measure a second flow of fluid through the secondary input and output ports of the low loss header 28. One or more flow sensors may be used to measure an operating flow parameter (e.g. flow rate) of the flow pump 26. Alternatively the flow rate of the flow pump 26 can be determined using the flow pump's operating characteristics (e.g. electrical power consumption). The pressure sensor(s) may be used to perform absolute pressure sensing and / or differential pressure sensing throughout the heating circuit. Pressure readings can be used to determine flow rate. References to flow rate in this specification include mass flow rate and volumetric flow rate. The controller 46 is programmed to receive sensor readings from the sensors, process the sensor readings and provide output control commands based on the sensor readings. The output control commands are provided to the flow pump 26 and radiator valves 30, and optionally the heat pump 22. In addition to temperature, flow and pressure sensor readings, the controller 46 may use one or more sensor readings to identify a fault (e.g. a leak, a blockage or a malfunction) in the heating system 20, such as in the pipework or one or more radiators 24. In the embodiment shown, the controller 46 is configured to be in wireless communication with the sensors, including the sensors associated with the radiator valves 30, the low loss header 28, the flow pump 26, and optionally the heat pump 22 (e.g. through direct communication, a local area network and / or the internet). The installation may include a system purge and refill of the heating circuit. After installation, the reconfigured heating system 20 undergoes a commissioning step The controller 46 completes a self-check of heat loss in the heating system 20 using the sensor readings and performs balancing of heating outputs of the radiators 24 by coordinating the operations of the flow pump 26 and the radiator valves 30, and optionally the heat pump 22. In this way the controller 46 can optimise the heating system 20 to achieve greater heating efficiency, improve energy savings and increase robustness of operation. Balancing of the radiators' heating outputs may be performed to achieve various outcomes, which include but are not limited to: • the flow rate through each radiator 24 being proportional to the heating output required for that radiator 24; • the temperature drop of the water between the input and output of the radiator 24 is the same for every radiator 24 in the house; • the temperatures of the rooms in the house increase or decrease in coordination so that there are no hot or cold spots in the house. In this way the commissioning of the system is performed automatically by the heating control system after the installation of the hardware by the installation engineer. The results of the commissioning are reported by the controller 46 to the installation engineer via a mobile device, such as a tablet or a smartphone. Once the controller 46 validates the quality of the installation and commission, it can automatically complete any required certification paperwork. During the installation process, the installation engineer may have access to software (e.g. an app) that enables them to, for example, initiate the automatic commissioning, perform quality validation of the installation (e.g. flow, pressure, temperature, heating efficiency) and perform one or more troubleshooting functions (e.g. operate different parts of the heating system 20 in order to identify potential issues). After the installation is completed, the heating control system provides ongoing monitoring of the heating system 20, rooms and house (particularly monitoring of heat loss) and automatic optimisation of the operation of the heating system 20. In response to sensed changes in the heating system 20, rooms, house or environment, the controller 46 is able to coordinate the operations of the flow pump 26 and the radiator valves 30 to rebalance the heating outputs of the radiators 24. Examples of optimising the operation of the heating system 20 include but are not limited to: • Reduction of distortion and temperature difference between different radiators 24 or different heating zones. Coordinating the operations of the flow pump 26 and the radiator valves 30, using temperature sensor readings, to mix fluid flow streams returning from a heating zone or radiators 24 in order to modify the temperature of the water flowing from the heating zone or radiators 24 and thereby control the heating outputs of the radiators 24: o This can be used to minimise distortion between two mixed fluid flow streams, which in turn optimises the water temperature in the heating circuit and thereby improves heat pump efficiency; o In scenarios where a heating zone or a radiator 24 requires a difference in temperature that is outside the range of a heat pump 22, the operations of the flow pump 26 and the radiator valves 30 can be coordinated to intelligently mix the flow streams so that the heating zone or the radiator 24 receives water with the correct temperature but does not cause excess distortion; • Automatic system volume control. By coordinating the control of the flow pump 26 and radiator valves 30, the effective system volume can be dynamically adjusted for efficient operation; • Control of heating power to rooms. By controlling mass flow to a sub-zone (e.g. a radiator 24) and measuring the temperature difference across the sub-zone, the correct amount of heat power can be supplied to that sub-zone; • Using an external temperature sensor in combination with flow pump control and temperature sensor readings, room-level predictive control strategy can be achieved. In addition, the controller 46 is able to provide information (such as status, readings, alerts, estimated or projected energy usage, estimated or projected energy cost) and suggested actions (such as recommendations for fixing, maintaining or replacing one or more parts of the heating system 20 (e.g. the radiators 24), identifying a particular replacement part, ordering one or more replacement parts, calling a maintenance or repair engineer, shutting down the heating system 20, improving insulation inside the room and / or the house). In particular the predictive maintenance capability of the controller 46 ensures that the heating system 20 is optimally maintained when needed instead of waiting for an annual maintenance. The information may be provided to an occupant of the house or another user. The occupant may have access to home energy management system (HEMS) software (e.g. an app) that provides control options (such as temperature control) as well as information and suggested actions such as daily cost caps, heating time scheduling, system performance overview, recommendations, flex tariff adherence, demand side flexibility). The heating system 20 of the invention may be operated in a number of ways, nonlimiting examples of which are described elsewhere in the specification and below. In a first example, the controller 46 may adjust the valve open / close position of each radiator valve 30 in coordination with the flow pump's speed and the heat pump's control in order to control the power delivered to each room via the radiators 24. An example aim of such control may be to achieve the lowest possible total power consumption by the heating system 20 (e.g. by lowering a fluid flow temperature of the heat pump 22, improve coefficient of performance of the heating system 20, lowering the power used for pumping) In a second example, the sensors may monitor the performance and condition of the heating system 20 during normal operation. In a third example, the sensors may monitor the performance and condition of the heating system 20 during a testing phase in which normal operation is stopped. The testing phase may involve a hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit and / or the introduction of a perturbation or pulse into the heating system 20 (e.g. by adjusting one or some of the radiator valves 30, or by turning on one or some of the radiator valves 30 before turning on the other radiator valve 30(s)). The hydronic determination may involve operating the flow pump 26 and / or the radiator valves 30 to alter the flow of fluid flowing through the heating circuit. For example, in the hydronic determination, different combinations of open and closed radiator valves 30 may be used to understand the influence each radiator valve 30 has on the other radiator valves 30. The results of the hydronic determination may be combined with a digital model of the house to determine one or more properties of the heating circuit. The one or more properties of the heating circuit may include: • a topology or layout of the heating circuit, e.g. the type and number of components, the order in which components are connected; • one or more dimensions of the heating circuit, e.g. pipework diameter or length; • an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing through the heating circuit; • an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing through the or each heat emitter. The determined properties of the heating circuit may be presented in different ways that is informative to a user. For example, the determined properties may be described as: • 'a house with 2 radiators with very long, but large diameter pipes'; • 'a house with 2 radiators with very short but narrow pipes'. The properties of the heating circuit may be initially determined as a plurality of possible answers, which can then be narrowed down to a single answer based on prior information, such as known dimensions of typical heating systems and houses. For example, if it is known that the house is small (e.g. a terrace house), then the second option presented above is more likely than the first option. In a fourth example, the controller 46 may operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to generate a perturbation (e.g. a fluidic, thermal or sound perturbation) in the fluid flowing through the heating circuit so as to perform the hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit. The controller 46 may be programmed to operate the flow pump 26 and the radiator valves 30 to generate a thermal pulse (i.e. a pulse of heated water) that travels through the heating circuit. Using the sensors, a travel time of the thermal pulse through the heating circuit is recorded. The controller 46 processes the recorded travel time in combination with a measured flow rate of the water flowing through the heating circuit to determine a volumetric parameter of the heating circuit. In a fifth example, the controller 46 may be programmed to perform experiments to determine thermal properties of the heating system 20 and the associated rooms. As illustrated in Figure 4, the experiments may involve: a) Measuring a rate of increase in environmental temperature of the rooms using the in-room temperature sensors; b) Measuring a return flow temperature of each radiator 24 while in operation. This can be achieved by operating the radiator valves 30 to introduce fluidic perturbations and checking the change in temperature of the mixed water flow returning from the radiators 24. Take for example a scenario in which the hydronic determination enables a prediction that the flow rate through two radiators 24 are 2 litres per minute and 1 litre per minute respective and that the temperature of the mixed water flow is 30°C. If the radiator valve 30 of the first radiator 24 is completely closed with the flow rate of the second radiator 24 maintained at 1 litre per second, the increase in mixed water flow temperature to 35°C indicates that the temperature of the water flow returning from the second radiator 24 is 35°C while the temperature of the water flow returning from the first radiator 24 is 27.5°C. c) Using the temperature of the water flow returning from the radiators 24, the temperature of the water supplied to the radiators 24 and the flow rate of the water suppled to the radiators 24, the power delivered to each radiator 24 can be calculated by multiplying the flow rate with the change in temperature. d) Then, using the measured rate of increase in environmental temperature of the rooms, the temperature outside the house and the power delivered to each radiator 24, it is possible to infer the thermal mass / inertia and heat loss of each room and the house. The results of the experiments may be used in combination with a thermal model of the house to determine thermal properties of the heating system 20 and the associated rooms, such as total building heat loss, room-by-room heat loss, thermal inertia and air exchange rates / drafts. In a sixth example, the heating control system may be used in combination with a digital twin of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house to control an operation of the heating control system. The digital twin may be used by the invention in different ways, such as: • Coordinating operations of the flow pump 26 and radiators valves based on the digital twin to control a heating output of each radiator 24; • Infer a local state of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house at a location without any sensor. The inferred local state may include, but is not limited to, temperature, mass flow rate, volume flow rate, pressure. This minimises the required number of sensors; • Using the digital twin of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house to identify a fault (e.g. a leak, a blockage or a malfunction) in the heating system 20. • Using the digital twin of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house to provide a user with information and / or a suggested action. Non-limiting examples of such users, information and suggested actions are described throughout the specification. The digital twin can be built or updated independently of the heating control system or may be built or updated based on sensor readings of the sensors. The invention enables the digital twin to be built without requiring specialised equipment outside of the heating system 20 and / or without requiring additional heating resources. The digital twin of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house may be built in a number of different ways. For example, as illustrated in Figure 5, the digital twin of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house may be built and used in accordance with the following steps: a) The controller 46 automatically operates the radiator valves 30 to control the flow of water through the respective radiators 24, and collects a set of data based on sensor readings of the sensors during the operation of the radiator valves 30; b) The collected set of data is fed to a machine learning algorithm or model. Using the data, the machine learning algorithm or model solves for a possible digital twin of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house; c) The machine learning algorithm or model then generates one or more optimal target properties of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house from the digital twin; d) The controller 46 then operates the flow pump 26 and / or the radiator valves 30 in order to achieve the one or more optimal target properties of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house. The digital twin may include one or more properties of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house, including but not limited to: • a building fabric of the rooms and / or house; • a performance curve of the heat pump 22; • a volume of water in the heating circuit; • one or more dimensions of pipework of the heating circuit (e.g. diameter, length); • one or more dimensions of each radiator 24 (e.g. size, surface area); • a heat loss profile of the rooms and / or the house. The optimal target properties of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house may include, but is not limited to: • a temperature of water flowing in the heating circuit; • an operating mode or configuration of the radiator valves 30 (e.g. valve open / close position); and / or • an operating flow rate of the flow pump 26. The following further steps may be performed: e) identifying one or more elements of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house that may be modified to increase heating efficiency of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house. This may involve fixing or replacing a component of the heating system 20, changing an operating parameter or configuration of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house; f) determining a projected reduction in energy usage and cost from modifying the identified element(s) of the heating system 20, the rooms and the house. The identified elements may be presented as recommendations to the user, while the projected reduction in energy usage and cost can be presented as information to the user. The above steps a) to f) can be repeated to optimise the performance of the heating system 20 in response to changes in the environment (e.g. external temperature changes, internal insulation of the rooms and the house). The thermal model may be built by feeding the collected set of data to a predictive machine learning algorithm or machine learning prediction model and determining the thermal model based on an output of the machine learning algorithm or model. As illustrated in Figure 6, training of the machine learning algorithm may be performed by creating a training set including the collected set of data and training a machine learning algorithm or model using the training set. Non-limiting examples of machine learning techniques, methods, algorithms and models suitable for the invention include differentiable physics simulation (e.g. for thermofluids), automatic differentiation, gradient descent, Newton-Raphson gradient descent, model fitting, genetic algorithms, Monte Carlo methods, tuned / parameterized simulation (e.g. using gradient descent for tuning, and automatic differentiation for speed), artificial neural networks, multilayer perceptron, multiple linear registration and random forest. Benefits of the invention 1. The invention is compatible with various types of heating source technologies, such as thermal storage system and renewable energy sources (e.g. solar panels) 2. Radiator heating output balancing makes a heating system more efficient by ensuring an even distribution of heat. The invention enables such balancing to be carried out dynamically and automatically. 3. By improving the optimised usage of each radiator, comfort in the home is maximised using the existing pipework and radiators. 4. The invention's ability to control flow temperatures allows domestic hot water cylinders to be intelligently controlled and heated. 5. The provision of the flow decoupler together with the understanding of the thermal requirements of the house means that the distortion across the flow decoupler can be minimised, thus allowing the flow temperature of the heat pump 22 to be minimised. 6. The use of the flow decoupler means that a house with microbore plumbing can be made compatible with a heat pump 22 while not becoming too inefficient. 7. Cycling and defrosting. Heat pumps often need to cycle by turning on and off when running at low power outputs because they have a minimum output power. They also need to run defrost cycles when operating in cold outdoor conditions, which is where the operation of the heat pump 22 is temporarily reversed to push hot fluid outside and melt ice build-up arising from condensation. Both heat pump cycling and defrosting are impacted by the 'system volume', i.e. how much water is available in the heating loop to receive and supply heat. More system volume means the cycles can happen less frequently and have less impact on the system. In a conventional heating system, radiator valves are closed periodically, causing the effective system volume to reduce. In contrast, the invention allows the radiator valves to be kept open for as long as possible, without affecting the system's heating operation, in order to keep the effective system volume as high as possible, thereby reducing heat pump cycling and defrosting. 8. Improvements in heat loss surveys, measurements and calculations: Conventional heat loss surveys are inaccurate and time consuming. The invention enables measurement of heat loss in the home to provide precise data, which can be used for targeted and specific interventions for improving home efficiency over time. 9. The ongoing monitoring and recommendation capabilities of the heating system means that changes and upgrades to the heating system can be made more gradually, which enables an installation plan to created taking into account expenditure and home disruption. 10. Risk mitigation / predictive maintenance. The sensors across the system generate automated information that can be communicated to the user or installation engineer to notify them of any events or problems, which may include but are not limited to loss of pressure in the system, leaks, blockages, airlocks, hydronic pump failure, heat pump problems, and heat pump cycling. 11. The digital twin approach enables low-cost sensors to be used without adversely affecting the overall performance of the heating system. 12.The invention can be readily integrated with an existing HEMS, or become a whole HEMS by itself, for consumers, energy provides, domestic properties and commercial properties. 13.The invention (in particular the digital twin aspect) enables a deeper understanding of the energy consumption profile of the home for the purposes of heating, which can be used to provide more accurate return-on-investment cost estimates for rooftop solar panels and batteries or other energy generation / storage technologies. 14. The invention enables the heating system to interact with the smart grid and smart tariff information to participate in load shedding and lower costs for the consumer. 15. Carbon credit issuance. The invention enables energy usage measurement and efficiency improvements in the home, thus allowing for the measurement of emission reduction impact of building efficiency improvement interventions. This enables the invention to be used as a tool for the issuance of carbon offsets whether for privately owned homes, social housing or commercial properties. In the invention, a user may be, but is not limited to, an occupant, an installation engineer, a surveyor, a social housing provider and so on. It will be appreciated that fluidic connections between different components of the invention may be direct or indirect fluidic connections. It will be appreciated that the recited numerical values, e.g. of parameters and dimensions, are non-limiting and are intended to illustrate the working of the invention. The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document or apparently prior-published information in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document or information is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge. Preferences and options for a given aspect, feature or parameter of the invention should, unless the context indicates otherwise, be regarded as having been disclosed in combination with any and all preferences and options for all other aspects, features and parameters of the invention.

Claims

1. A heating control system for use in a heating system comprising a heating source and a heating circuit, the heating control system comprising:at least one flow control device for controlling a flow of fluid between the heating source and the heating circuit;a flow decoupler for connection between the heating source and the heating circuit;at least one flow actuator for controlling a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit; anda controller programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

2. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the flow decoupler includes a low loss header and / or closely spaced tees.

3. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one flow control device includes at least one pump.

4. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one flow control device includes at least one valve.

5. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one flow control device includes a first flow control device for connection between the heating source and the heating circuit.

6. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one flow control device includes a second flow control device for controlling a fluid flow output of the heating source.

7. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator to control a mixing of fluid flow streams inside the heating circuit and / or inside the flow decoupler so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

8. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims including at least one sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating parameter or environmental condition of the heating system, wherein the controller is programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator based on one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

9. A heating control system according to Claim 8 wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one temperature sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing into, through and / or out of the flow decoupler.

10. A heating control system according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one flow or pressure sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating flow parameter of fluid flowing into, through and / or out of the flow decoupler.

11. A heating control system according to any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one flow or pressure sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating flow parameter of fluid flowing into, through and / or out of the or each respective heat emitter.

12. A heating control system according to any one of Claims 8 to 11 wherein the controller is programmed to use one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor to identify a fault in the heating system.

13. A heating control system according to any one of Claims 8 to 12 wherein the controller is programmed to use one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor to provide a user with information and / or a suggested action.

14. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to balance heating outputs of the heat emitters of the heating circuit.

15. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to control a heating output of the heating source in coordination with the operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

16. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to use a thermal model of the heating system and / or an enclosure comprising the heating system in order to control an operation of the heating control system.

17. A heating control system according to Claim 16 when dependent on Claim 8, wherein the controller is programmed to build or update the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure based on one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor.

18. A heating control system according to Claim 16 or Claim 17 wherein the controller is programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator based on the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

19. A heating control system according to any one of Claims 16 to 18 wherein the controller is programmed to use the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to identify a fault in the heating system.

20. A heating control system according to any one of Claims 16 to 19 wherein the controller is programmed to use the thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to provide a user with information and / or a suggested action.

21. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to perform a hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit.

22. A heating control system according to Claim 21 wherein the one or more properties of the heating circuit includes a topology of the heating circuit, a layout of the heating circuit and / or one or more dimensions of the heating circuit.

23. A heating control system according to Claim 21 or Claim 22 wherein the one or more properties of the heating circuit includes an operating temperature parameter of fluid flowing through the or each heat emitter.

24. A heating control system according to any one of Claims 21 to 23, wherein the controller is programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator in combination with using a digital model of the heating system or enclosure so as to perform the hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit.

25. A heating control system according to Claim 24 wherein the controller is programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to generate a perturbation in the fluid flowing through the heating circuit so as to perform the hydronic determination of one or more properties of the heating circuit.

26. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to operate the at least one flow control device and / or the at least one flow actuator so as to generate a pulse to travel through the heating circuit, and wherein the controller is programmed to process a travel time of the pulse through the heating circuit and an operating flow parameter of fluid flowing through the heating circuit so as to determine a volumetric parameter of the heating circuit.

27. A heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the controller is programmed to process a rate of increase in environmental temperature of the or each heat emitter, an external environmental temperature outside an or a respective enclosure in which the or each heat emitter is located, and a heating power output of the or each heat emitter so as to determine an environmental heat loss of the or each enclosure.

28. A kit of parts comprising at least one flow control device, at least one flow decoupler, at least one flow actuator and at least one controller that are combinable to form the heating control system according to any one of the preceding claims.

29. A heating system comprising:a heating source;a heating circuit;a heating control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 27, wherein the flow decoupler is connected between the heating source and the heating circuit.

30. A method of operating a heating control system for use in a heating system comprising a heating source and a heating circuit, the heating control system comprising:at least one flow control device for controlling a flow of fluid between the heating source and the heating circuit;a flow decoupler for connection between the heating source and the heating circuit; andat least one flow actuator for controlling a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit,wherein the method comprises the step of coordinating operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

31. A method of installing a heating control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 27 in a heating system, the method comprising the steps of:connecting a flow decoupler between the heating source and the heating circuit; andinstalling a controller programmed to coordinate operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

32. A method of building a thermal model of a heating system and / or an enclosure comprising the heating system, the heating system comprising:a heating source;a heating circuit;a heating control system including: at least one flow actuator for controlling a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit; and at least one sensor configured to, in use, measure an operating parameter or environmental condition of the heating system and / or enclosure,wherein the method comprising the steps of:operating the at least one flow actuator to control a flow of fluid through a or a respective heat emitter of the heating circuit;collecting a set of data, wherein the collected set of data is based on one or more sensor readings of the at least one sensor during the operation of the at least one flow actuator to control a flow of fluid through the or each respective heat emitter of the heating circuit;determining the thermal model based on the collected set of data.

33. A method according to Claim 32 wherein the heating control system is in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 27.

34. A method according to Claim 32 or 33 wherein the thermal model includes:• a building fabric of the enclosure; and / or• a building fabric of one or more rooms of the enclosure; and / or• a performance curve of the heating source; and / or• a volume of fluid in the heating circuit; and / or• one or more dimensions of pipework of the heating circuit; and / or• one or more dimensions of the or each heat emitter; and / or• a heat loss profile of the enclosure; and / or• a heat loss profile of one or more rooms of the enclosure.

35. A method according to any one of Claims 32 to 34 including the steps of: generating one or more target properties of the heating system and / or enclosure from the thermal model;operating the heating control system in accordance with the one or more target properties of the heating system and / or enclosure.

36. A method according to Claim 35 wherein the one or more target properties of the heating system and / or enclosure includes:• a target ambient temperature of the enclosure; and / or• a target temperature of fluid flowing in the heating circuit; and / or• a target operating mode or configuration of the at least one flow actuator; and / or• a target operating flow rate of a flow control device of the heating control system.

37. A method according to any one of Claims 32 to 36 including the step of, based on the thermal model, identifying one or more elements of the heating system and / or enclosure that may be modified to increase heating efficiency of the heating system and / or enclosure.

38. A method according to Claim 37 including the step of determining a projected reduction in energy usage and / or cost from modifying the or each identified element of the heating system and / or enclosure.

39. A method according to any one of Claims 32 to 38 including the steps of:feeding the collected set of data to a machine learning algorithm or model; determining the thermal model based on an output of the machine learning algorithm or model.

40. A method according to any one of Claims 32 to 39 including the steps of: creating a training set including the collected set of data;training a machine learning algorithm or model using the training set.

41. A method according to any one of Claims 32 to 40 wherein the method is a computer-implemented method.

42. A computer-implemented method of operating a heating control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 27, the computer-implemented method comprising the step of coordinating operations of the at least one flow control device and the at least one flow actuator so as to control a heating output of the or each heat emitter.

43. A computer-implemented method according to Claim 42 including the step of using a thermal model of the heating system and / or enclosure to control an operation of the heating control system.

44. A computer program comprising computer code configured to perform the computer-implemented method according to any one of Claims 41 to 43.

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