Water heater start-up control method, system, electronic equipment, storage medium

Abstract

This invention discloses a water heater start-up control method, system, electronic device, and storage medium. The water heater start-up control method includes: acquiring the water heater's flow rate in real time; recording the time point corresponding to the flow rate when it exceeds a preset start-up flow rate; determining the peak flow rate and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow rate based on the flow rate growth rate; and starting the water heater when the flow rate meets the start-up conditions within a first preset time period starting from the peak time point. This invention determines whether the water heater needs to start by judging the flow rate growth rate and start-up conditions, avoiding automatic start-up of the water heater, reducing start-up delay time, accelerating the hot water output speed, and reducing the temperature drop of the re-outflow water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water heater technology, and in particular to a water heater start-up control method, system, electronic device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Existing technologies often extend the start-up judgment time of water heaters to prevent the water heater from automatically starting up when there is a brief flow of water in and out when there is no demand for hot water. However, this delayed start-up method slows down the speed at which hot water is produced during normal water use, and also exacerbates the phenomenon of water temperature drop upon re-outflow. This re-outflow temperature drop refers to the phenomenon where the user initially feels hot water at the tap (from previous use of the water heater and the hot water pipes), then gradually cools down (from the cold water produced during ignition), and then heats up again (to meet the current user's needs for hot water). Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art that cause the water heater to produce hot water at a slower speed and the water temperature to drop more severely due to the extended start-up time of the water heater, and to provide a water heater start-up control method, system, electronic device and storage medium.

[0004] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0005] This invention provides a water heater start-up control method, the water heater start-up control method comprising:

[0006] The flow rate of the water heater is acquired in real time, and when the flow rate is greater than the preset start-up flow rate, the time point corresponding to the flow rate is recorded.

[0007] The peak flow rate and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow rate are determined based on the growth rate of the flow rate.

[0008] The water heater is activated when the flow rate meets the activation conditions within a first preset duration starting from the peak time point.

[0009] Preferably, the activation conditions include:

[0010] Within the second preset time period, the absolute value of the growth rate of the traffic is less than or equal to the preset growth rate, and the difference between the peak traffic and the traffic is less than the preset traffic difference, and the traffic is greater than the preset start-up traffic.

[0011] Preferably, the step of determining the peak flow and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow based on the growth rate of the flow includes:

[0012] The peak time point is determined based on the fact that the growth rate of time points before the peak time point is greater than or equal to zero, and the growth rate of the peak time point and the growth rate of time points after the peak time point are less than or equal to zero.

[0013] Preferably, the activation conditions further include:

[0014] The absolute value of the growth rate of traffic within the third preset time period is greater than the preset growth rate, or the difference between the peak traffic and the current traffic is greater than or equal to the preset traffic difference, and the current traffic is greater than the preset start traffic, while the current time point is greater than the preset maximum start time point.

[0015] The present invention also provides a water heater start-up control system, the water heater start-up control system comprising:

[0016] The acquisition module is used to acquire the flow rate of the water heater in real time, and record the time point corresponding to the flow rate when the flow rate is greater than the preset start-up flow rate.

[0017] The determination module is used to determine the peak flow and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow based on the growth rate of the flow.

[0018] The startup module is used to start the water heater when the flow rate meets the startup conditions within a first preset duration starting from the peak time point.

[0019] Preferably, the start-up module is further configured to start the water heater when, within a second preset time period, the absolute value of the growth rate of the flow is less than or equal to a preset growth rate, the difference between the peak flow and the flow is less than a preset flow difference, and the flow is greater than the preset start-up flow.

[0020] Preferably, the determining module is further configured to determine the peak time point based on the fact that the growth rate of the time points before the peak time point is greater than or equal to zero and the growth rate of the peak time point and the growth rate of the time points after the peak time point are less than or equal to zero.

[0021] Preferably, the start-up module is further configured to start the water heater when the absolute value of the flow rate increase rate within a third preset time period is greater than a preset growth rate, or the difference between the peak flow rate and the current flow rate is greater than or equal to a preset flow rate difference, and the current flow rate is greater than the preset start-up flow rate, while the current time point is greater than a preset maximum start-up time point.

[0022] The present invention also provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and used to run on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the above-described water heater start-up control method.

[0023] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described water heater start-up control method.

[0024] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0026] This invention determines whether a water heater needs to be started by measuring the rate of increase in flow rate and the start-up conditions, thereby preventing the water heater from starting automatically, reducing start-up delay time, accelerating the hot water output speed, and reducing the temperature drop of the water after it is output. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the water heater start-up control method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the flow rate curve during normal startup of the water heater startup control method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flow rate curve of the self-starting phenomenon of the water heater start-up control method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a specific example of the water heater start-up control method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the module structure of the water heater start-up control system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments described herein.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] The start-up conditions of existing gas water heaters are determined by monitoring the flow rate through the water heater. When the flow rate reaches a certain value, the gas water heater starts the fan to begin the pre-purge process. However, household piping is complex, and pressure fluctuations occur when cold water usage ends. These pressure fluctuations often cause brief flows of water into and out of the water heater even when there is no demand for hot water. When this abnormal inflow of water reaches the water heater's start-up flow rate, the fan will activate the pre-purge process, resulting in an abnormal start-up of the water heater. This is what is commonly referred to as the water heater self-starting phenomenon.

[0036] Currently, the most common method to solve this problem is to extend the water heater's start-up judgment time. This means the water heater is only turned on after the incoming water flow exceeds the start-up flow for a certain period. After this delay, most of the water flow caused by brief water pressure fluctuations will drop back below the start-up flow. However, this delayed start-up method slows down the speed at which hot water is produced during normal use, and the temperature drop phenomenon after the water is turned on becomes more severe. This temperature drop phenomenon occurs when gas water heaters are turned on and off. After the water is turned on for a while and then off, the pipes are filled with hot water. However, when the water is turned on again immediately, the water temperature drops because pre-purge, ignition, and flame propagation are required during startup before combustion can proceed to the user's desired temperature. Therefore, the user will feel the water at the tap is initially hot (from the hot water remaining in the pipes), then slowly cools down (from the cold water during the ignition process), and then heats up again (from the water produced by combustion). This temperature drop phenomenon makes the user's water temperature experience particularly poor. If a delay is added to the hot water startup process, it is equivalent to increasing the amount of cold water flowing through the water heater when the water comes out again, which will make the temperature drop of the water when it comes out again even greater.

[0037] To address these issues, this embodiment proposes a water heater start-up control method to more accurately determine whether the water flow rate is at the normal start-up point of the water heater, thereby preventing self-starting and avoiding excessive subsequent water temperature drop. See also... Figure 1 The water heater start-up control methods include:

[0038] S1. Real-time acquisition of water heater flow rate; when the flow rate exceeds the preset start-up flow rate, record the corresponding time point.

[0039] The preset startup traffic can be set according to your needs.

[0040] S2. Determine the peak flow rate and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow rate based on the flow rate growth rate.

[0041] S3. The water heater is started when the flow rate meets the start-up conditions within the first preset duration starting from the peak time point.

[0042] The first preset duration can be set according to your needs.

[0043] In this embodiment, the need for the water heater to start is determined by the growth rate of the flow rate and the start-up conditions, thereby avoiding the water heater from starting on its own, reducing the start-up delay time, speeding up the hot water output speed, and reducing the temperature drop of the water after it comes out.

[0044] In one optional implementation, the activation conditions include:

[0045] Within the second preset time period, the absolute value of the traffic growth rate is less than or equal to the preset growth rate, and the difference between the peak traffic and the traffic is less than the preset traffic difference, while the traffic is greater than the preset start traffic.

[0046] The second preset time period, preset growth rate, and preset flow difference can be set according to requirements.

[0047] Figure 2 The normal water flow rate when the water heater starts operating. Figure 3 It is the water flow rate at which the water heater starts automatically. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The horizontal axis represents time (seconds), and the vertical axis represents flow rate (liters / minute). For example, Figure 2 and Figure 3 q s Characterizing the preset startup traffic, t q t represents the time period when the traffic is less than or equal to the preset startup traffic. f The time period t represents the period during which the traffic volume is greater than the preset startup traffic volume but less than the peak traffic volume. p The preset time period t represents the period following the peak time point. m Characterizing t q The longest possible startup time period, which is also the first preset duration in this implementation method. m With t p t f The difference represents the second preset time period in this embodiment.

[0048] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be seen that when the water heater starts normally, the flow rate of the water heater remains basically constant during the second preset time period (that is, the absolute value of the flow rate increase rate is less than or equal to the preset increase rate, and the difference between the peak flow rate and the current flow rate is less than the preset flow rate difference). At the same time, the flow rate of the water heater during the second preset time period will not be less than the preset start-up flow rate. However, in the case of self-starting, the flow rate of the water heater gradually decreases during the second preset time period, the difference between the peak flow rate and the current flow rate gradually increases, and at a certain point in time, the current flow rate of the water heater will drop to zero.

[0049] In this embodiment, the start-up conditions are determined by the difference between the flow curve of the water heater during normal start-up and the flow curve of the water heater that causes self-starting. This reduces the time required to determine if the water heater is starting up, improves the efficiency of the determination, speeds up the hot water output, reduces the temperature drop of the water after it starts to flow out, and improves the user experience.

[0050] In an optional implementation, step S2 includes:

[0051] S21. Determine the peak time point based on the fact that the growth rate of time points before the peak time point is greater than or equal to zero and the growth rate of the peak time point and the growth rate of time points after the peak time point are less than or equal to zero.

[0052] The growth rate is... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The slope of the curve. Theoretically, the flow curve reaching peak flow should have an upward trend, meaning the growth rate of time points before the peak time point should be greater than or equal to zero; the flow curve after peak flow should have a downward trend, meaning the growth rate of time points after the peak time point should be less than or equal to zero.

[0053] In this embodiment, the peak time point and peak flow rate are determined by calculating the growth rate of the flow rate and the corresponding time point, which effectively shortens the time for determining whether the water heater is starting normally and improves the user experience.

[0054] In an optional implementation, the activation conditions further include:

[0055] The absolute value of the traffic growth rate within the third preset time period is greater than the preset growth rate, or the difference between the peak traffic and the current traffic is greater than or equal to the preset traffic difference, and the current traffic is greater than the preset startup traffic, while the current time point is greater than the preset maximum startup time point.

[0056] Among them, see Figure 2 and Figure 3 The third preset time period is t m The time period that follows.

[0057] In this embodiment, if the previous time point is greater than the preset maximum start time point and the current flow rate is greater than the preset start flow rate, then even if the absolute value of the flow rate growth rate is greater than the preset growth rate, or the difference between the peak flow rate and the current flow rate is greater than or equal to the preset flow rate difference, the water heater is determined to start normally, thereby supporting the normal start of the water heater under special circumstances.

[0058] The following is a specific example of a water heater start-up control method. Figure 4 The flowchart for a specific example is as follows:

[0059] S41. Detect water flow into the water heater.

[0060] S42. Detect the real-time water flow rate q of the water heater. n .

[0061] S43. Judgment q n Is it greater than q? s .

[0062] Where q s The preset startup flow rate is set to 2.5 L / min in this example.

[0063] If yes, proceed to step S44; otherwise, return to step S42.

[0064] S44. Start recording time t, and form a flow curve with time as the horizontal axis and flow rate as the vertical axis.

[0065] S45. Calculate the slope k of the real-time flow curve. n This refers to the rate of increase in the water heater's flow rate.

[0066] The formula for calculating the slope is: k n =(q n -q n-1 ) / △t

[0067] Where △t is the sampling time period, q n-1 For q n The flow rate corresponding to the previous time point △t.

[0068] S46. Determine whether the slope of the real-time flow curve is less than or equal to 0, and at the same time, whether the slope of the flow curve corresponding to the previous Δt time point is greater than or equal to 0.

[0069] If yes, proceed to step S47; otherwise, proceed to step S411.

[0070] S47. Record the current traffic as the peak traffic q. m Record the current time point as the peak time point.

[0071] S48, Extended time period t p .

[0072] S49. Determine the slope (i.e., k) of the preset second time period. n k n-1 k n-a Whether the absolute value of ) is less than the preset growth rate Δk, whether the difference between peak flow and real-time flow is less than the preset flow difference Δq, and whether the real-time flow is greater than the preset startup flow q. s .

[0073] Where a is a positive integer, and Δt*(a+1) is less than t. p .

[0074] If yes, proceed to step S410; otherwise, proceed to step S411.

[0075] S410, Start the water heater.

[0076] S411, Determine real-time traffic q n Is it greater than the preset startup traffic q? s .

[0077] If yes, proceed to step S412; otherwise, proceed to step S413.

[0078] S412. Determine if the time is greater than the preset maximum startup time t. m .

[0079] In this example, the maximum startup time t is preset. m It lasts for 3 seconds.

[0080] If yes, proceed to step S410; otherwise, return to step S45.

[0081] S413, Control the water heater to return to standby mode and stop calculation.

[0082] Example 2

[0083] This embodiment provides a water heater start-up control system, see [link]. Figure 5 The water heater start-up control system includes:

[0084] The acquisition module 51 is used to acquire the flow rate of the water heater in real time. When the flow rate is greater than the preset start-up flow rate, the corresponding time point is recorded.

[0085] The determination module 52 is used to determine the peak flow and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow based on the growth rate of the flow.

[0086] The start-up module 53 is used to start the water heater when the flow rate meets the start-up conditions within a first preset duration starting from the peak time point.

[0087] In an optional implementation, the start module 53 is further configured to start the water heater when, within a second preset time period, the absolute value of the flow rate growth rate is less than or equal to the preset growth rate, the difference between the peak flow rate and the flow rate is less than the preset flow rate difference, and the flow rate is greater than the preset start flow rate.

[0088] In an optional implementation, the determining module 52 is further configured to determine the peak time point based on the fact that the growth rate of the time points before the peak time point is greater than or equal to zero and the growth rate of the peak time point and the growth rate of the time points after the peak time point are less than or equal to zero.

[0089] In an optional implementation, the startup module 53 is further configured to start the water heater when the absolute value of the flow rate increase rate within the third preset time period is greater than the preset growth rate, or the difference between the peak flow rate and the current flow rate is greater than or equal to the preset flow rate difference, and the current flow rate is greater than the preset startup flow rate, and the current time point is greater than the preset maximum startup time point.

[0090] It should be noted that the principles and technical effects of each module of the water heater start-up control system in this embodiment can be referred to the corresponding part of Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0091] Example 3

[0092] This embodiment provides an electronic device. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic device. The electronic device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, it implements the water heater start-up control method of Embodiment 1. Figure 6 The electronic device 30 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0093] like Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 30 can be manifested as a general-purpose computing device, such as a server device. The components of the electronic device 30 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processor 31, at least one memory 32, and a bus 33 connecting different system components (including memory 32 and processor 31).

[0094] Bus 33 includes a data bus, an address bus, and a control bus.

[0095] The memory 32 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 321 and / or cache memory 322, and may further include read-only memory (ROM) 323.

[0096] The memory 32 may also include a program / utility 325 having a set (at least one) of program modules 324, including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0097] The processor 31 executes various functional applications and data processing by running computer programs stored in the memory 32, such as the water heater start-up control method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0098] Electronic device 30 can also communicate with one or more external devices 34 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 35. Furthermore, the model-generating device 30 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 36. Figure 6 As shown, network adapter 36 communicates with other modules of the model-generated device 30 via bus 33. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the model-generated device 30, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processors, external disk drive arrays, RAID (disk array) systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0099] It should be noted that although several units / modules or sub-units / modules of the electronic device have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is merely exemplary and not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of the present invention, the features and functions of two or more units / modules described above can be embodied in one unit / module. Conversely, the features and functions of one unit / module described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple units / modules.

[0100] Example 4

[0101] This embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the water heater start-up control method of Embodiment 1.

[0102] The readable storage medium may be more specifically adopted, including but not limited to: portable disk, hard disk, random access memory, read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0103] In a possible implementation, the present invention can also be implemented as a program product comprising program code, which, when the program product is run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to execute the water heater start-up control method of Embodiment 1.

[0104] The program code for executing the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user device, partially on the user device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user device and partially on a remote device, or entirely on a remote device.

[0105] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water heater start-up control method, characterized by, The water heater starting control method comprises: Real-time acquisition of the flow rate of the water heater, and recording a time point corresponding to the flow rate when the flow rate is greater than a preset starting flow rate; Determination of a peak flow rate and a peak time point corresponding to the peak flow rate according to a growth rate of the flow rate; Starting of the water heater when the flow rate within a first preset time length starting from the peak time point satisfies a starting condition; The starting condition comprises: In a second preset time period, an absolute value of the growth rate of the flow rate is less than or equal to a preset growth rate, a difference between the peak flow rate and the flow rate is less than a preset flow rate difference, and the flow rate is greater than the preset starting flow rate; Or, The starting condition further comprises: In a third preset time period, an absolute value of the growth rate of the flow rate is greater than the preset growth rate, or a difference between the peak flow rate and a current flow rate is greater than or equal to the preset flow rate difference, the current flow rate is greater than the preset starting flow rate, and a current time point is greater than a preset maximum starting time point.

2. The water heater start-up control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The step of determining the peak flow rate and the peak time point corresponding to the peak flow rate according to the growth rate of the flow rate comprises: Determination of the peak time point according to the fact that a growth rate of a time point before the peak time point is greater than or equal to zero, and the growth rate of the peak time point and a growth rate of a time point after the peak time point are less than or equal to zero.

3. A water heater start control system characterized by, The water heater starting control system comprises: An acquisition module configured to acquire the flow rate of the water heater in real time, and record a time point corresponding to the flow rate when the flow rate is greater than a preset starting flow rate; A determination module configured to determine a peak flow rate and a peak time point corresponding to the peak flow rate according to a growth rate of the flow rate; A starting module configured to start the water heater when the flow rate within a first preset time length starting from the peak time point satisfies a starting condition; The starting module is further configured to start the water heater when, in a second preset time period, an absolute value of the growth rate of the flow rate is less than or equal to a preset growth rate, a difference between the peak flow rate and the flow rate is less than a preset flow rate difference, and the flow rate is greater than the preset starting flow rate; Or, The starting module is further configured to start the water heater when, in a third preset time period, an absolute value of the growth rate of the flow rate is greater than the preset growth rate, or a difference between the peak flow rate and a current flow rate is greater than or equal to the preset flow rate difference, the current flow rate is greater than the preset starting flow rate, and a current time point is greater than a preset maximum starting time point.

4. The water heater start control system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further programmed to: The determination module is further configured to determine the peak time point according to the fact that a growth rate of a time point before the peak time point is greater than or equal to zero, and the growth rate of the peak time point and a growth rate of a time point after the peak time point are less than or equal to zero.

5. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory for running on the processor, characterized in that, The processor implements the water heater starting control method of any one of claims 1-2 when executing the computer program.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the water heater starting control method of any one of claims 1-2.

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