A control method of a gas water heater and a gas water heater

Abstract

This application discloses a control method and a gas water heater for a gas water heater, relating to the field of gas water heater control technology. It can avoid the situation where the DC fan runs out of control due to abnormal bus current data collected by the current sampling circuit. The method includes: when the gas water heater is in operation, acquiring the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with a preset current threshold range; if it is determined that the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range, controlling the DC fan to operate through a first control mode; if it is determined that the current bus current is not within the preset current threshold range, controlling the DC fan to operate through a second control mode; wherein, the first control mode is a drive mode based on bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on PWM signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of gas water heater control technology, and in particular to a control method for a gas water heater and a gas water heater. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the DC fan of gas water heaters typically uses a control method based on bus current. Specifically, an initial current signal can be determined first based on the combustion load setting of the gas water heater selected by the user, and then the DC fan can be started and run according to this initial current signal. During the operation of the gas water heater, the bus current of the DC fan can be collected through a current sampling circuit, and the current signal sent to the DC fan can be adjusted according to the collected bus current.

[0003] However, circuit components in the current sampling circuit may malfunction due to wear or aging, causing abnormal data in the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit, which in turn leads to the uncontrolled operation of the DC fan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a control method and a gas water heater for a gas water heater, which can avoid the situation where the DC fan runs out of control due to abnormal data of the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a control method for a gas water heater, the method comprising: when the gas water heater is in operation, acquiring the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater, and comparing the current bus current with a preset current threshold range; if it is determined that the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range, controlling the DC fan to operate through a first control mode; if it is determined that the current bus current is not within the preset current threshold range, controlling the DC fan to operate through a second control mode; wherein, the first control mode is a drive mode based on bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on PWM signal.

[0007] Optionally, the DC fan can be controlled via a second control mode, including:

[0008] According to the first mapping relationship list, the target duty cycle for the PWM signal corresponding to the current fan speed is determined; wherein, the first mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate fan speed and each candidate duty cycle, the current fan speed belongs to each candidate fan speed, and the target duty cycle belongs to each candidate duty cycle; the DC fan is controlled based on the target duty cycle.

[0009] Optionally, the first mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate duty cycle and each candidate fan speed range; controlling the DC fan operation based on the target duty cycle includes:

[0010] The PWM drive signal is determined based on the target duty cycle and sent to the DC fan so that the DC fan can start running based on the PWM drive signal. During the operation of the DC fan, the PWM drive signal is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle, and the adjusted PWM drive signal is dynamically sent to the DC fan. The target fan speed range belongs to the speed range of each candidate fan.

[0011] Optionally, the DC fan can be controlled via a first control mode, including:

[0012] According to the second mapping relationship list, the target bus current corresponding to the current wind turbine speed is determined; wherein, the second mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate wind turbine speed and each candidate bus current, the current wind turbine speed belongs to each candidate wind turbine speed, and the target bus current belongs to each candidate bus current.

[0013] The operation of the DC fan is controlled based on the target bus current.

[0014] Optionally, the second mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate bus current and each candidate wind turbine speed range, controlling the operation of the DC wind turbine based on the target bus current, including:

[0015] The current drive signal is determined based on the target bus current and sent to the DC wind turbine so that the DC wind turbine can start running based on the current drive signal. During the operation of the DC wind turbine, the current drive signal is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time wind turbine speed of the DC wind turbine and the target wind turbine speed range corresponding to the target bus current, and the adjusted current drive signal is dynamically sent to the DC wind turbine. The target wind turbine speed range belongs to the speed range of each candidate wind turbine.

[0016] Optionally, when the gas water heater is in operation, before acquiring the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with a preset current threshold range, the control method for a gas water heater provided in this application may further include:

[0017] Upon detecting a power-on command, the DC fan is started and operated via the second control mode;

[0018] After controlling the DC fan to run for a first preset time through the second control mode, the operation of obtaining the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with the preset current threshold range is triggered.

[0019] Optionally, upon detecting a power-on command, the DC fan is started and operated via a second control mode, including:

[0020] Upon detecting a power-on command, the start-up duty cycle is acquired, and the DC fan is controlled to start operation based on the start-up duty cycle. Based on the current fan speed of the DC fan and the start-up fan speed range corresponding to the start-up duty cycle, it is determined whether the DC fan is in normal operating condition. If it is determined that the DC fan is in normal operating condition, the gas water heater is controlled to ignite and start.

[0021] Optionally, the DC fan can be controlled via a second control mode, including:

[0022] Determine whether the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold; if the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold, control the DC fan to run through the second control mode; after controlling the DC fan to run through the second control mode for a second preset time, increment the current cumulative number of faults by one.

[0023] Optionally, the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater is obtained, and the current bus current is compared with a preset current threshold range, including:

[0024] The current bus current is periodically acquired using a third preset duration as the sampling period, and then compared with a preset current threshold range.

[0025] In the technical solution provided in this application, during the process of controlling the DC fan based on the bus current of the DC fan collected by the current sampling circuit, the gas water heater can first compare the current bus current of the DC fan with the preset current threshold range. Then, if it is determined that the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range, it means that the current bus current obtained this time is within the normal range, that is, the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit has not yet shown any data abnormality. At this time, the DC fan can continue to be controlled through the normal control mode (i.e., the first control mode in this application, specifically the drive mode based on the bus current). Conversely, if it is determined that the current bus current is not within the preset current threshold range, it means that the current bus current obtained this time exceeds the normal range, that is, the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit has shown any data abnormality. At this time, the switch can be made to the backup control mode (i.e., the second control mode in this application, specifically the drive mode based on the PWM signal), and the DC fan can continue to be controlled through the backup control mode. As can be seen, the technical solution provided in this application adds a backup control mode on top of the normal control mode. During the control of the DC fan, the corresponding control mode can be selected based on whether the data collected by the current sampling circuit is normal. Thus, when the data collected by the current sampling circuit is abnormal, the system can switch to the backup control mode. Therefore, this application can avoid the situation where the DC fan runs out of control due to abnormal bus current data collected by the current sampling circuit.

[0026] Secondly, this application provides a gas water heater, which includes a main control board and a DC fan; wherein the main control board is configured as follows:

[0027] When the gas water heater is in operation, the current bus current of the DC fan is obtained and compared with the preset current threshold range;

[0028] If the current bus current is determined to be within the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the first control mode; if the current bus current is determined to be outside the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the second control mode; wherein, the first control mode is a drive mode based on the bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on the PWM signal.

[0029] It should be noted that the aforementioned computer instructions may be stored, in whole or in part, on a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium may be packaged together with the processor of the control device, or it may be packaged separately from the processor of the control device; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0030] The description of the second aspect in this application can be referred to the detailed description of the first aspect; and the beneficial effects of the description of the second aspect can be referred to the analysis of the beneficial effects of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0031] In this application, the names of the aforementioned devices or functional modules are not limited, and in actual implementation, these devices or functional modules may appear under other names. As long as the functions of each device or functional module are similar to those in this application, they all fall within the scope of this application and its equivalents.

[0032] These or other aspects of this application will become more readily apparent in the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another control method for a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another control method for a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, details a control method for a gas water heater and the gas water heater provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0039] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0040] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects or to distinguish different treatments of the same object, rather than to describe a specific order of objects.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in the description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0042] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0043] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0044] Furthermore, the acquisition, storage, use, and processing of data in this application's technical solution all comply with relevant national laws and regulations.

[0045] Currently, the DC fan of gas water heaters typically uses a control method based on bus current. Specifically, an initial current signal can be determined first based on the combustion load setting of the gas water heater selected by the user, and then the DC fan can be started and run according to this initial current signal. During the operation of the gas water heater, the bus current of the DC fan can be collected through a current sampling circuit, and the current signal sent to the DC fan can be adjusted according to the collected bus current.

[0046] However, circuit components in the current sampling circuit may malfunction due to wear or aging, causing abnormal data in the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit, which in turn leads to the uncontrolled operation of the DC fan.

[0047] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this application provides a control method for a gas water heater. In this method, when the data collected by the current sampling circuit is abnormal, it can switch to a backup control mode. Therefore, this application can avoid the situation where the DC fan runs out of control due to abnormal data of the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit.

[0048] The control method for a gas water heater provided in this application can be applied to the main control board of a gas water heater. (Refer to...) Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1As shown, a gas water heater may include a main control board 01 and a DC fan 02, wherein the main control board 01 can be used to control the DC fan 02. The control method for a gas water heater provided in this application embodiment can be executed by the control device provided in this application embodiment. This device can be implemented by software and / or hardware and integrated into the main control board 01 that executes the method.

[0049] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates a control method for a gas water heater provided in this application.

[0050] Reference Figure 2 The control method for a gas water heater provided in this application includes steps S201-S202:

[0051] S201. When the gas water heater is in operation, obtain the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and compare the current bus current with the preset current threshold range.

[0052] In this context, the gas water heater is in operation, meaning it is running based on a specific combustion load setting selected by the user, and the DC fan of the gas water heater is operating at a specific fan speed corresponding to that combustion load setting (different combustion load settings correspond to different fan speeds).

[0053] During the operation of the gas water heater, the main control board can obtain the current bus current of the DC fan collected by the current sampling circuit. It can also determine the current preset current threshold range based on the current combustion load setting (or current fan setting) of the gas water heater. Then, it can compare the obtained current bus current with the preset current threshold range to determine whether the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the standard bus current under different combustion load levels (or fan speeds) can be pre-calibrated, and then the preset current threshold range corresponding to different combustion load levels (or fan speeds) can be determined based on the obtained calibration results. For example, if the combustion load level is low load level 1 and the corresponding fan speed is fan speed 1, calibrating the standard bus current under low load level 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can determine that the bus current value is 100 mA. Then, the preset current threshold range corresponding to low load level 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can be [95 mA, 105 mA].

[0055] Optionally, the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater is obtained, and the current bus current is compared with a preset current threshold range, including: periodically obtaining the current bus current with a third preset duration as the sampling period and comparing the current bus current with the preset current threshold range.

[0056] The third preset duration can be a predetermined duration, such as 1 minute.

[0057] Since the bus current of the DC fan will not change significantly in a short period of time, in order to save the computing resources of the main control board and the energy consumption of the main control board and the current sampling circuit, in this embodiment, the bus current can be sampled once every third preset time interval, and the sampled bus current can be identified as abnormal (i.e. compared with the preset current threshold range).

[0058] S202. If the current bus current is determined to be within the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the first control mode; if the current bus current is determined to be outside the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the second control mode.

[0059] The first control mode is a drive mode based on bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on pulse width modulation (PWM).

[0060] Optionally, the operation of the DC fan is controlled through a second control mode, including: determining the target duty cycle of the PWM signal corresponding to the current fan speed according to the first mapping relationship list; and controlling the operation of the DC fan based on the target duty cycle.

[0061] The first mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate wind turbine speed and each candidate duty cycle. The current wind turbine speed belongs to each candidate wind turbine speed, and the target duty cycle belongs to each candidate duty cycle.

[0062] In one possible implementation, candidate duty cycles for different candidate fan speeds (or combustion load speeds) can be pre-calibrated, and then a first mapping relationship list can be determined based on the calibration results. If it is determined that the current bus current is not within the preset current threshold range, the candidate duty cycle corresponding to the current fan speed (or current combustion load speed) can be found in the first mapping relationship list, and the found candidate duty cycle can be determined as the target duty cycle.

[0063] Optionally, the first mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate duty cycle and each candidate fan speed range. Controlling the operation of the DC fan based on the target duty cycle includes: determining the PWM drive signal based on the target duty cycle and sending the PWM drive signal to the DC fan so that the DC fan starts running based on the PWM drive signal; during the operation of the DC fan, dynamically adjusting the PWM drive signal based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle, and dynamically sending the adjusted PWM drive signal to the DC fan.

[0064] The target wind turbine speed range falls within the speed range of each candidate wind turbine.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the candidate duty cycles and target fan speed ranges for different candidate fan speeds (or combustion load speeds) can be pre-calibrated, and then a first mapping relationship list can be determined based on the calibration results. For example, taking a combustion load speed of low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) as an example, calibrating the candidate duty cycle for low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can determine that the candidate duty cycle is 12.1%, and calibrating the standard fan speed for low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can determine that the standard fan speed is 1350 rpm. If S1 represents the standard fan speed, then the target fan speed range for low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can be determined as [S1*0.95, S1*1.05]. If the current fan speed is fan speed 1, then according to the first mapping relationship list, the target duty cycle can be determined to be 12.1%, and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle is [S1*0.95, S1*1.05].

[0066] For example, after receiving the PWM drive signal, the DC fan can operate at a speed corresponding to the target duty cycle, as indicated by the PWM drive signal. During operation, the DC fan can feed back the fan speed to the main control board in real time. The main control board can compare the received real-time fan speed with the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle. If the real-time fan speed exceeds the target fan speed range, and is greater than the maximum fan speed within the target range, the main control board can reduce the PWM drive signal and dynamically send the reduced PWM drive signal to the DC fan to decrease its speed. Alternatively, if the real-time fan speed exceeds the target fan speed range, and is less than the maximum fan speed within the target range, the main control board can increase the PWM drive signal and dynamically send the increased PWM drive signal to the DC fan to increase its speed.

[0067] Optionally, the operation of the DC fan is controlled through the second control mode, including: determining whether the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold; if the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold, controlling the operation of the DC fan through the second control mode; and after controlling the DC fan to run for a second preset time through the second control mode, incrementing the current cumulative number of faults by one.

[0068] The cumulative fault count threshold can be a predetermined number of faults, for example, 5 faults. The second preset duration can be a predetermined duration, for example, 10 minutes.

[0069] In practical applications, the control precision of the second control mode is lower than that of the first control mode. Therefore, if the DC fan is controlled by the second control mode for a long period of time, it will affect the user experience of the gas water heater. Based on this, in this embodiment, a threshold for the cumulative number of faults can be predetermined. Users can use the second control mode function provided by the gas water heater within the allowable range of this threshold and report repairs during use. If the main control board determines that the number of times the user uses the second control mode function exceeds the allowable range of the cumulative fault threshold, the second control mode function can be disabled (for example, by putting the gas water heater into a fault-locked state). This further improves the permissible reliability and stability of the DC fan.

[0070] Furthermore, in practical applications, errors may occur in the sampled bus current due to factors such as line instability. After the line automatically repairs itself in a short period, the sampled bus current will return to its normal value. Based on this, in this embodiment, after controlling the DC fan to run for a second preset period through the second control mode, a fault in the current sampling circuit (i.e., abnormal data in the sampled bus current) can be determined, and the current fault count can be incremented by one.

[0071] Optionally, the operation of the DC fan is controlled through the first control mode, including: determining the target bus current corresponding to the current fan speed according to the second mapping relationship list; and controlling the operation of the DC fan based on the target bus current.

[0072] The second mapping list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate wind turbine speed and each candidate bus current. The current wind turbine speed belongs to each candidate wind turbine speed, and the target bus current belongs to each candidate bus current.

[0073] In one possible implementation, the standard bus currents for different candidate fan speeds (or combustion load speeds) can be pre-calibrated. The calibrated standard bus currents are the candidate bus currents for that specific fan speed. A second mapping list can then be obtained based on the calibration results. If the current bus current is determined to be within a preset current threshold range, the candidate bus current corresponding to the current fan speed (or current combustion load speed) can be found in the second mapping list. The found candidate bus current can then be determined as the target bus current.

[0074] Optionally, the second mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate bus current and each candidate fan speed range. Controlling the operation of the DC fan based on the target bus current includes: determining a current drive signal based on the target bus current and sending the current drive signal to the DC fan so that the DC fan starts running based on the current drive signal; during the operation of the DC fan, dynamically adjusting the current drive signal based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target bus current, and dynamically sending the adjusted current drive signal to the DC fan.

[0075] The target wind turbine speed range falls within the speed range of each candidate wind turbine.

[0076] In one possible implementation, the candidate bus currents and target fan speed ranges under different candidate fan speeds (or combustion load speeds) can be pre-calibrated, and then a second mapping relationship list can be determined based on the calibration results. For example, taking a combustion load speed of low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) as an example, calibrating the candidate bus current under low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can determine that the candidate bus current is 100mA, and calibrating the target fan speed range under low load speed 1 (corresponding to fan speed 1) can determine that the target fan speed range is [S1*0.95, S1*1.05]. Therefore, if the current fan speed is fan speed 1, then according to the second mapping relationship list, the target bus current can be determined to be 100mA, and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target bus current is [S1*0.95, S1*1.05].

[0077] For example, after receiving a current drive signal, the DC fan can operate at a speed corresponding to the target bus current, as indicated by the current drive signal. During operation, the DC fan can feed back the fan speed to the main control board in real time. The main control board can compare the received real-time fan speed with the target fan speed range. If the real-time fan speed exceeds the target fan speed range, and is greater than the maximum fan speed within the target range, the main control board can reduce the current drive signal and dynamically send the reduced current drive signal to the DC fan to decrease its speed. Alternatively, if the real-time fan speed exceeds the target fan speed range, and is less than the maximum fan speed within the target range, the main control board can increase the current drive signal and dynamically send the increased current drive signal to the DC fan to increase its speed.

[0078] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the parameters from the first and second mapping relationship lists can be summarized into a single mapping relationship list to obtain a third mapping relationship list. Taking a combustion load level comprising 10 levels (corresponding to 10 candidate fan levels) as an example, the calibrated third mapping relationship list is shown in Table 1:

[0079] Table 1

[0080]

[0081]

[0082]

[0083] In summary, in this embodiment, the main control board of the gas water heater, during the process of controlling the DC fan based on the bus current of the DC fan collected by the current sampling circuit, can first compare the current bus current of the DC fan with a preset current threshold range. Then, if it is determined that the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range, it indicates that the current bus current obtained this time is within the normal range, that is, the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit has not yet shown any data abnormality. At this time, the DC fan can continue to be controlled through the normal control mode (i.e., the first control mode in this application, specifically the drive mode based on the bus current). Conversely, if it is determined that the current bus current is not within the preset current threshold range, it indicates that the current bus current obtained this time exceeds the normal range, that is, the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit has shown any data abnormality. At this time, it can switch to the backup control mode (i.e., the second control mode in this application, specifically the drive mode based on the PWM signal) and continue to control the DC fan through the backup control mode. As can be seen, in this embodiment, a backup control mode is added on top of the normal control mode. During the control of the DC fan, the main control board can select the appropriate control mode based on whether the data collected by the current sampling circuit is normal. Thus, when the data collected by the current sampling circuit is abnormal, it can switch to the backup control mode. Therefore, this application can avoid the situation where the DC fan runs out of control due to abnormal bus current data collected by the current sampling circuit.

[0084] Reference Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating another control method for a gas water heater provided in this application embodiment. The method in this embodiment can be combined with various optional schemes in the control method for a gas water heater provided in the foregoing embodiments, further optimizing the control method for a gas water heater provided in the foregoing embodiments. Figure 3 As shown, the specific steps include:

[0085] S301. Upon detecting a power-on command, the DC fan is started and operated via the second control mode.

[0086] The power-on command can be a command triggered in response to the user's on / off operation of the gas water heater's power button.

[0087] Optionally, upon detecting a power-on command, the DC fan is controlled to start and run via a second control mode, including: upon detecting a power-on command, obtaining the start-up duty cycle and controlling the DC fan to start and run based on the start-up duty cycle; determining whether the DC fan is in normal operating condition based on the current fan speed and the start-up fan speed range corresponding to the start-up duty cycle; and controlling the gas water heater to ignite and start if it is determined that the DC fan is in normal operating condition.

[0088] The starting duty cycle can be the candidate duty cycle corresponding to the combustion load level currently selected by the user, and the starting fan speed range can be the candidate fan speed range corresponding to the starting duty cycle.

[0089] For example, if the current fan speed is within the range of the starting fan speed, it can be determined that the DC fan is in normal operation; conversely, if the current fan speed is not within the range of the starting fan speed, it can be determined that the DC fan is in abnormal operation.

[0090] In this embodiment, the operating status of the DC fan can be determined before controlling the ignition and start-up of the gas water heater. Once it is determined that the DC fan is in normal operating condition, the gas water heater is then controlled to ignite and start. This further ensures the reliability and stability of the gas water heater's operation.

[0091] S302. After controlling the DC fan to run for a first preset time through the second control mode, obtain the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater, and compare the current bus current with the preset current threshold range.

[0092] The first preset duration can be a predetermined duration, such as 1 minute.

[0093] A gas water heater requires a certain amount of time (generally around 30 seconds) to go from startup to a stable state, and each component within the gas water heater also needs time to reach a stable state. Therefore, in this embodiment, the current bus current can be acquired after the DC fan has been running for a first preset time (e.g., 1 minute) via the second control mode. This results in a more accurate acquisition of the current bus current.

[0094] S330. If the current bus current is determined to be within the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the first control mode; if the current bus current is determined to be outside the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the second control mode.

[0095] In this embodiment, based on the aforementioned embodiments, because the bus current collected by the current sampling circuit during the startup phase is unstable, controlling the DC fan to run according to the first control mode during the startup phase may lead to abnormal startup of the DC fan, resulting in ignition failure of the gas water heater. Therefore, in this embodiment, during the startup phase of the DC fan, the DC fan can be controlled to run using a second control mode. This allows for a fast and reliable startup of the DC fan.

[0096] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application and the control method for a gas water heater proposed in the foregoing embodiments belong to the same concept. Technical details not described in detail in this embodiment can be found in the foregoing embodiments, and the beneficial effects of the foregoing embodiments are also applicable in this embodiment.

[0097] To more clearly describe the control method for a gas water heater provided in the embodiments of this application, refer to... Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another control method for a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the main control board of a gas water heater, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0098] S401. Upon detecting a power-on command, determine the starting duty cycle corresponding to the current fan speed according to the first mapping relationship list, and control the DC fan to start operation based on the starting duty cycle.

[0099] S402. Based on the current fan speed of the DC fan and the starting fan speed range corresponding to the starting duty cycle, determine whether the DC fan is in normal operating condition.

[0100] If it is determined that the DC fan is in normal operating condition, proceed to step S403; if it is determined that the DC fan is in abnormal operating condition, proceed to step S409.

[0101] S403, controls the ignition and start-up of the gas water heater.

[0102] After step S403, step S404 is executed after a first preset time.

[0103] S404. With the third preset duration as the sampling period, periodically acquire the current bus current and compare the current bus current with the preset current threshold range.

[0104] S405. Determine whether the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range.

[0105] If the current bus current is determined to be within the preset current threshold range, proceed to step S406; if the current bus current is determined to be outside the preset current threshold range, proceed to step S407.

[0106] S406. According to the second mapping relationship list, determine the target bus current corresponding to the current fan speed; determine the current drive signal based on the target bus current, and send the current drive signal to the DC fan so that the DC fan starts running based on the current drive signal; during the operation of the DC fan, dynamically adjust the current drive signal based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target bus current, and dynamically send the adjusted current drive signal to the DC fan.

[0107] S407. Determine whether the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold.

[0108] If the current cumulative number of faults is determined to be less than the cumulative number of faults threshold, proceed to step S408; if the current cumulative number of faults is determined to be not less than the cumulative number of faults threshold, proceed to step S409.

[0109] S408. Based on the first mapping relationship list, determine the target duty cycle corresponding to the current fan speed; determine the PWM drive signal based on the target duty cycle, and send the PWM drive signal to the DC fan so that the DC fan starts running based on the PWM drive signal; during the operation of the DC fan, dynamically adjust the PWM drive signal based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle, and dynamically send the adjusted PWM drive signal to the DC fan; after controlling the DC fan to run for a second preset time through the second control mode, increment the current cumulative number of faults by one.

[0110] S409, The gas water heater is in a fault-locked state.

[0111] like Figure 5 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a control device, which may include: an acquisition module 11 and a control module 12.

[0112] In this embodiment, the acquisition module 11 executes S201, and the control module 12 executes S202.

[0113] Specifically, the acquisition module 11 is used to acquire the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater when the gas water heater is in operation, and compare the current bus current with a preset current threshold range.

[0114] The control module 12 is used to control the operation of the DC fan through a first control mode when it is determined that the current bus current is within the preset current threshold range; and to control the operation of the DC fan through a second control mode when it is determined that the current bus current is not within the preset current threshold range; wherein, the first control mode is a drive mode based on the bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on the PWM signal.

[0115] Optionally, the control module 12 is specifically used for:

[0116] According to the first mapping relationship list, the target duty cycle for the PWM signal corresponding to the current fan speed is determined; wherein, the first mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate fan speed and each candidate duty cycle, the current fan speed belongs to each candidate fan speed, and the target duty cycle belongs to each candidate duty cycle; the DC fan is controlled based on the target duty cycle.

[0117] Optionally, the first mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate duty cycle and each candidate wind turbine speed range, and the control module 12 is specifically used for:

[0118] The PWM drive signal is determined based on the target duty cycle and sent to the DC fan so that the DC fan can start running based on the PWM drive signal. During the operation of the DC fan, the PWM drive signal is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle, and the adjusted PWM drive signal is dynamically sent to the DC fan. The target fan speed range belongs to the speed range of each candidate fan.

[0119] Optionally, the control module 12 is also specifically used for:

[0120] According to the second mapping relationship list, the target bus current corresponding to the current fan speed is determined; wherein, the second mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate fan speed and each candidate bus current, the current fan speed belongs to each candidate fan speed, and the target bus current belongs to each candidate bus current; the DC fan operation is controlled based on the target bus current.

[0121] Optionally, the second mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between the current of each candidate bus and the speed range of each candidate wind turbine. Specifically, the control module 12 is also used for:

[0122] The current drive signal is determined based on the target bus current and sent to the DC wind turbine so that the DC wind turbine can start running based on the current drive signal. During the operation of the DC wind turbine, the current drive signal is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time wind turbine speed of the DC wind turbine and the target wind turbine speed range corresponding to the target bus current, and the adjusted current drive signal is dynamically sent to the DC wind turbine. The target wind turbine speed range belongs to the speed range of each candidate wind turbine.

[0123] Optionally, the control module 12 is also used for:

[0124] Before the acquisition module 11 acquires the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and compares the current bus current with the preset current threshold range when the gas water heater is in operation, the DC fan is controlled to start running through the second control mode when a start command is detected.

[0125] After controlling the DC fan to run for a first preset time through the second control mode, the operation of obtaining the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with the preset current threshold range is triggered.

[0126] Optionally, the control module 12 is also specifically used for:

[0127] Upon detecting a power-on command, the start-up duty cycle is acquired, and the DC fan is controlled to start operation based on the start-up duty cycle. Based on the current fan speed of the DC fan and the start-up fan speed range corresponding to the start-up duty cycle, it is determined whether the DC fan is in normal operating condition. If it is determined that the DC fan is in normal operating condition, the gas water heater is controlled to ignite and start.

[0128] Optionally, the control module 12 is also specifically used for:

[0129] Determine whether the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold; if the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold, control the DC fan to run through the second control mode; after controlling the DC fan to run through the second control mode for a second preset time, increment the current cumulative number of faults by one.

[0130] Optionally, module 11 is specifically used for:

[0131] The current bus current is periodically acquired using a third preset duration as the sampling period, and then compared with a preset current threshold range.

[0132] Optionally, the control device may also include a storage module for storing the program code of the control device, etc.

[0133] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method of a gas water heater, characterized by, The method includes: When the gas water heater is in operation, the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater is obtained, and the current bus current is compared with a preset current threshold range. If the current bus current is determined to be within the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through a first control mode; if the current bus current is determined to be outside the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through a second control mode; wherein, the first control mode is a drive mode based on the bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal.

2. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized by, The control of the DC fan operation via the second control mode includes: According to the first mapping relationship list, the target duty cycle for the PWM signal corresponding to the current fan speed is determined; wherein, the first mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate fan speed and each candidate duty cycle, the current fan speed belongs to each candidate fan speed, and the target duty cycle belongs to each candidate duty cycle. The DC fan is controlled based on the target duty cycle.

3. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate duty cycle and each candidate fan speed range, and the step of controlling the DC fan operation based on the target duty cycle includes: The PWM drive signal is determined based on the target duty cycle, and the PWM drive signal is sent to the DC fan so that the DC fan starts running based on the PWM drive signal. During the operation of the DC fan, the PWM drive signal is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time fan speed of the DC fan and the target fan speed range corresponding to the target duty cycle, and the adjusted PWM drive signal is dynamically sent to the DC fan; the target fan speed range belongs to the speed range of each candidate fan.

4. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized by, The control of the DC fan operation via the first control mode includes: According to the second mapping relationship list, the target bus current corresponding to the current wind turbine speed is determined; wherein, the second mapping relationship list is used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate wind turbine speed and each candidate bus current, the current wind turbine speed belongs to each candidate wind turbine speed, and the target bus current belongs to each candidate bus current; The operation of the DC fan is controlled based on the target bus current.

5. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second mapping list is also used to characterize the correspondence between each candidate bus current and each candidate wind turbine speed range. The step of controlling the DC wind turbine operation based on the target bus current includes: A current drive signal is determined based on the target bus current, and the current drive signal is sent to the DC wind turbine so that the DC wind turbine starts running based on the current drive signal; During the operation of the DC wind turbine, the current drive signal is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time wind turbine speed and the target wind turbine speed range corresponding to the target bus current, and the adjusted current drive signal is dynamically sent to the DC wind turbine; the target wind turbine speed range belongs to the speed range of each candidate wind turbine.

6. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized by, Before acquiring the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with a preset current threshold range when the gas water heater is in operation, the method further includes: Upon detecting a power-on command, the DC fan is started and operated via the second control mode; After controlling the DC fan to run for a first preset time through the second control mode, the operation of obtaining the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with a preset current threshold range is triggered.

7. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of controlling the DC fan to start operation via the second control mode upon detecting a power-on command includes: Upon detecting a power-on command, the startup duty cycle is obtained, and the DC fan is controlled to start and run based on the startup duty cycle; Based on the current fan speed of the DC fan and the starting fan speed range corresponding to the starting duty cycle, determine whether the DC fan is in normal operating condition; Once it is confirmed that the DC fan is in normal operating condition, the gas water heater is controlled to ignite and start.

8. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized by, The control of the DC fan operation via the second control mode includes: Determine whether the current cumulative number of faults is less than the cumulative number of faults threshold; If the current cumulative number of faults is determined to be less than the cumulative number of faults threshold, the DC fan is controlled to operate through the second control mode; After controlling the DC fan to run for a second preset time through the second control mode, the current cumulative number of faults is incremented by one.

9. The control method of the gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized by, The step of obtaining the current bus current of the DC fan of the gas water heater and comparing the current bus current with a preset current threshold range includes: The current bus current is periodically acquired using a third preset duration as the sampling period, and then compared with the preset current threshold range.

10. A gas water heater, characterized by, Includes a main control board and a DC fan; the main control board is configured as follows: When the gas water heater is in operation, the current bus current of the DC fan is obtained and compared with a preset current threshold range; If the current bus current is determined to be within the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through a first control mode; if the current bus current is determined to be outside the preset current threshold range, the DC fan is controlled to operate through a second control mode; wherein, the first control mode is a drive mode based on bus current, and the second control mode is a drive mode based on PWM signal.

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