Control methods, systems and storage media for dynamic capacity expansion of electric water heaters

Abstract

This application discloses a control method, system, and storage medium for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater. The method includes: determining whether the electric water heater meets preset capacity expansion activation conditions; if the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions, controlling the lower heating element of the inner tank to start working; during the operation of the lower heating element, acquiring the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank; determining whether the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than a preset water storage temperature value; if the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature value, acquiring the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank; determining the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner tank based on the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank; determining whether the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the switching temperature value; if the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the switching temperature value, switching the upper heating element of the inner tank to work. This application can avoid premature switching of the upper heating element of the inner tank, which would cause the upper temperature of the inner tank to become too high and enter an over-temperature protection state, reduce the number of switching operations of the upper heating element, and improve the service life of the upper heating element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a control method, system and storage medium for dynamic capacity expansion of electric water heaters. Background Technology

[0002] Storage-type electric water heaters mix stored hot water with tap water to provide users with ample hot water for bathing. However, the hot water capacity of storage-type electric water heaters is limited. To meet the needs of certain usage scenarios with high water consumption, electric water heaters are equipped with a capacity-enhancing mode. In capacity-enhancing mode, the electric water heater can heat water while using it, thereby increasing the amount of hot water.

[0003] The existing capacity expansion method mainly determines whether to switch the upper heating element to operate based on the monitored water temperature at the bottom of the inner tank. However, this temperature switching logic is relatively fixed, which can easily lead to the upper heating element switching prematurely. This can cause the upper temperature of the inner tank to become too high and enter an over-temperature protection state, requiring the upper heating element to temporarily stop heating to prevent the temperature from rising further. Once the inner tank temperature drops to a safe range, the upper heating element needs to be switched back to operate. In other words, the current capacity expansion process requires multiple switching of the upper heating element, thus affecting its lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a control method, system, and storage medium for dynamic capacity expansion of electric water heaters, which can accurately determine the switching temperature value of the upper heating element, avoid premature switching of the upper heating element of the inner tank causing the upper temperature of the inner tank to be too high and enter the over-temperature protection state, thereby reducing the number of switching operations of the upper heating element and thus improving the service life of the upper heating element.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater. The dynamic capacity expansion control system for the electric water heater includes an inner tank, a lower heating element of the inner tank, and an upper heating element of the inner tank. The method includes:

[0006] Determine whether the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions;

[0007] If the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions, the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank will start working.

[0008] During the operation of the heating element at the bottom of the inner liner, the temperature of the middle part of the inner liner is obtained;

[0009] Determine if the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature.

[0010] If the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature, then the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank is obtained.

[0011] The switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined based on the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner.

[0012] Determine if the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value;

[0013] If the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value, then the upper heating element of the inner liner will switch to work.

[0014] A further technical solution involves obtaining the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner, including:

[0015] Determine the heating time of the lower heating element of the inner liner;

[0016] Based on the heating time, preset power, and preset heating amount of the lower heating element of the inner liner, the first temperature rise value for heating the lower part of the inner liner by the lower heating element is obtained.

[0017] The lower temperature of the inner liner is obtained based on the first temperature rise value and the preset initial temperature of the cold water injection.

[0018] A further technical solution involves determining the heating time of the lower heating element of the inner liner, including:

[0019] The hot water consumption rate is obtained based on the preset water flow rate, preset water temperature, preset initial temperature of cold water injection, and preset storage water temperature.

[0020] The heating time of the lower heating element of the inner tank is obtained based on the hot water consumption rate and the preset heating amount.

[0021] A further technical solution involves determining the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner based on the lower temperature of the inner liner, including:

[0022] Determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the first preset temperature value;

[0023] If the temperature at the bottom of the inner liner is greater than the first preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the heating element at the top of the inner liner is determined to be the first switching temperature value.

[0024] A further technical solution involves determining whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than a first preset temperature value, which also includes:

[0025] If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is not greater than the first preset temperature value, then determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value.

[0026] If the temperature at the bottom of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the heating element at the top of the inner liner is determined to be the second switching temperature value.

[0027] A further technical solution involves determining whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than a second preset temperature value, which also includes:

[0028] If the temperature at the bottom of the inner liner is not greater than the second preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the third switching temperature value.

[0029] Its further technical solution includes the following methods:

[0030] Obtain the second temperature rise value of the upper part of the inner liner when the upper heating element heats the upper part of the inner liner;

[0031] The sum of the switching temperature value and the second temperature rise value is less than or equal to the preset maximum temperature that the inner liner can withstand.

[0032] Secondly, this application provides a dynamic capacity expansion control system for an electric water heater. The dynamic capacity expansion control system for an electric water heater includes an electric water heater device and a controller. The electric water heater device and the controller are electrically connected. The controller is used to execute the steps of any of the above-mentioned control methods for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater.

[0033] The electric water heater assembly includes an inner tank, cold water pipes, hot water pipes, a lower heating element in the inner tank, an upper heating element in the inner tank, a lower temperature sensor in the inner tank, a middle temperature sensor in the inner tank, and an upper temperature sensor in the inner tank.

[0034] The inner tank includes an upper tank and a lower tank that are interconnected and communicate with each other. The hot water pipe runs between the upper tank and the lower tank, while the cold water pipe is located inside the lower tank.

[0035] The lower heating element and the lower temperature sensor of the inner liner are installed in the lower liner, and the lower temperature sensor of the inner liner is integrated on the lower heating element of the inner liner;

[0036] The upper heating element and the upper temperature sensor of the inner liner are installed on the upper liner, and the upper temperature sensor of the inner liner is integrated on the upper heating element of the inner liner.

[0037] The temperature sensor in the middle of the inner liner is installed on the outside of the lower liner.

[0038] A further technical solution is that the electric water heater device also includes a water flow sensor, which is installed on the cold water pipe.

[0039] Thirdly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the methods described above.

[0040] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: Unlike the prior art, this application obtains the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank and determines whether the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature value, which can further determine the consumption of hot water in the inner tank. At the same time, since the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner tank is determined based on the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank, and the upper heating element of the inner tank is switched to work when the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the switching temperature value, the upper heating element of the inner tank can be switched to work at the most appropriate time. This avoids the problem of the inner tank temperature being too high due to switching the upper heating element of the inner tank too early, thereby reducing the number of switching operations of the upper heating element of the inner tank and maximizing the working time of the upper heating element of the inner tank. This can improve the problem of the relatively short service life of the upper heating element of the inner tank caused by frequent starting and stopping of the upper heating element of the inner tank. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Wherein:

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electric water heater device provided in this application;

[0043] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater provided in this application;

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium provided in this application.

[0045] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0046] Electric water heater unit 10, inner tank 100, lower tank 110, lower heating element of inner tank 111, lower temperature sensor of inner tank 112, upper tank 120, upper heating element of inner tank 121, upper temperature sensor of inner tank 122, middle temperature sensor of inner tank 130, cold water pipe 200, hot water pipe 300, water flow sensor 400. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining this application and not for limiting it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all structures. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0048] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0049] Storage-type electric water heaters mix stored hot water with tap water to provide users with ample hot water for bathing. However, the hot water capacity of storage-type electric water heaters is limited. To meet the needs of certain usage scenarios with high water consumption, storage-type electric water heaters are equipped with a capacity-enhancing mode. In capacity-enhancing mode, the water heater can heat water while using it, thereby increasing the amount of hot water.

[0050] Factors affecting the capacity expansion performance of a storage-type electric water heater expansion system include: water storage volume, water storage temperature, hot water consumption rate, heating element power, and heating element location.

[0051] Existing capacity expansion methods primarily monitor the water temperature at the bottom of the inner tank using a temperature probe to determine whether the heating element at the top of the inner tank can be switched on. However, this temperature switching logic is relatively fixed and does not consider actual water usage conditions (such as water flow rate, inlet water temperature, and outlet water temperature). Therefore, it cannot adjust the capacity expansion control logic according to the actual hot water consumption rate, leading to risks such as overheating of the inner tank, decreased capacity expansion performance, and reduced lifespan of electrical components.

[0052] For example, if the heating element at the top of the inner tank is switched too late, the overall maximum temperature of the inner tank will gradually decrease, leading to increased hot water consumption and reduced heater operating time, thus decreasing capacity expansion performance. Conversely, if the heating element at the top of the inner tank is switched too early, the temperature at the top of the inner tank will become too high, triggering an over-temperature protection state. This forces the upper heating element to temporarily stop heating, reducing the operating time of the heating element near the outlet (i.e., the upper inner tank heating element), further affecting capacity expansion performance. Furthermore, once the inner tank temperature drops to a safe range, the upper heating element needs to be switched back on. In other words, the current capacity expansion process requires multiple switching of the upper heating element, affecting its lifespan. Since the switching of the upper heating element is achieved through a relay, the repeated operation of the relay also reduces its lifespan.

[0053] Switching the upper heating element of the inner liner to work too late will result in a decrease in capacity expansion performance.

[0054] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a control method and control system for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater. See the following embodiments for details.

[0055] The electric water heater dynamic capacity expansion control system mentioned in the embodiments of this application includes an electric water heater device and a controller. The electric water heater device and the controller are electrically connected, and the controller is used to execute the electric water heater dynamic capacity expansion control method mentioned in the following embodiments.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, the electric water heater device 10 includes an inner tank 100, a cold water pipe 200, a hot water pipe 300, a lower heating element 111 of the inner tank, an upper heating element 121 of the inner tank, a lower temperature sensor 112 of the inner tank, a middle temperature sensor 130 of the inner tank, and an upper temperature sensor 122 of the inner tank.

[0057] The inner tank 100 includes an upper tank 120 and a lower tank 110 that are interconnected and communicate with each other. A hot water pipe 300 is installed between the upper tank 120 and the lower tank 110. A cold water pipe 200 is installed inside the lower tank 110.

[0058] The lower heating element 111 and the lower temperature sensor 112 of the inner liner are installed on the lower liner 110, and the lower temperature sensor 112 of the inner liner is integrated on the lower heating element 111 of the inner liner.

[0059] The upper heating element 121 of the inner liner and the upper temperature sensor 122 of the inner liner are installed on the upper liner 120, and the upper temperature sensor 122 of the inner liner is integrated on the upper heating element 121 of the inner liner.

[0060] The temperature sensor 130 in the middle of the inner liner is installed on the outside of the lower liner 110.

[0061] Among them, the lower inner liner temperature sensor 112 is used to collect the temperature of the lower liner 110, i.e., the lower temperature of the inner liner; the middle inner liner temperature sensor 130 is used to collect the middle temperature of the inner liner; and the upper inner liner temperature sensor 122 is used to collect the temperature of the upper liner 120, i.e., the upper temperature of the inner liner.

[0062] In some embodiments, the lower heating element 111 and the upper heating element 121 of the inner liner can be in the form of a heating rod, a heating tube, or a heating plate.

[0063] In some embodiments, the temperature sensors mentioned above (such as the lower inner liner temperature sensor 112, the middle inner liner temperature sensor 130, and the upper inner liner temperature sensor 122) can be temperature probes or thermistors, etc.

[0064] Thus, by installing a temperature sensor 130 for the middle part of the inner tank on the outside of the lower tank 110, the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank 100 can be detected, thereby determining the hot water consumption of the inner tank 100. Based on the hot water consumption of the inner tank 100, the operation of the upper heating element 121 of the inner tank can be accurately switched.

[0065] In some embodiments, the electric water heater device 10 also includes a water flow sensor 400, which is installed on the cold water pipe 200 to measure the injection flow rate of cold water.

[0066] Based on the dynamic capacity expansion control system for electric water heaters mentioned in the above embodiments, this application also provides a control method for dynamic capacity expansion of electric water heaters, as detailed in the following references. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater provided in this application. The method includes:

[0067] Step 110: Determine whether the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions.

[0068] Among them, a water flow sensor can be used to determine whether the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions. For example, when the cold water tap is turned on, the water flow sensor at the cold water pipe detects that water is being used, and at this time it can be determined that the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions.

[0069] Step 120: If the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions, then control the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank to start working.

[0070] Regarding capacity expansion, the closer the heating element is to the water outlet, the higher the utilization rate of electric heating energy. However, for storage-type electric water heaters, it is necessary to prevent the risk of the inner tank overheating. Therefore, when the average temperature of the stored water in the storage-type electric water heater is relatively high, the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank that is in direct contact with the cold water should be turned on first.

[0071] Step 130: During the operation of the heating element at the bottom of the inner liner, obtain the temperature of the middle part of the inner liner.

[0072] Step 140: Determine whether the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature.

[0073] The preset water storage temperature value is the temperature of the water stored in the inner tank of the electric water heater, which can usually be any value between 70℃ and 85℃.

[0074] Step 150: If the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature, then obtain the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank, and determine the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner tank based on the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank.

[0075] If the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature, it means that the water originally stored in the lower part of the inner tank at the preset water storage temperature has been used up. Secondly, the electric water heater has been running for a period of time with a fixed hot and cold water ratio.

[0076] For example, if the preset water storage temperature is 75℃, and the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than 75℃, it means that the water originally stored at 75℃ in the lower part of the inner tank has been consumed.

[0077] Step 160: Determine if the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value.

[0078] Step 170: If the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value, then switch the upper heating element of the inner liner to work.

[0079] This embodiment obtains the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank and determines whether the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature value. This allows for further assessment of the hot water consumption in the inner tank. Furthermore, since the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner tank is determined based on the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank, and the upper heating element is switched on when the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the switching temperature value, the upper heating element can be switched on at the most appropriate time. This avoids the problem of the inner tank temperature becoming too high due to premature switching, thereby reducing the number of times the upper heating element switches on and maximizing its working time. This improves the problem of the upper heating element having a relatively short lifespan due to frequent starting and stopping.

[0080] Refer to the second embodiment of the control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater provided in this application. The method includes:

[0081] Step 210: Determine whether the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions.

[0082] Step 220: If the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions, then control the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank to start working.

[0083] Step 230: During the operation of the heating element at the bottom of the inner liner, obtain the temperature of the middle part of the inner liner.

[0084] Step 240: Determine whether the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature.

[0085] Step 250: If the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature, then obtain the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank.

[0086] Step 250, which involves obtaining the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner, may include the following steps:

[0087] Step 251: Determine the heating time of the lower heating element of the inner liner.

[0088] Step 251 may include the following process:

[0089] 1) The hot water consumption rate is obtained based on the preset water flow rate, preset water temperature, preset initial temperature of cold water injection, and preset storage water temperature.

[0090] The preset water flow rate, preset water temperature, and preset initial temperature for cold water injection can be fixed values ​​under normal bathing conditions. For example, the preset water flow rate can be 5L / min, the preset water temperature can be 40℃, and the preset initial temperature for cold water injection can be 23℃, 15℃, and 8.5℃, etc.

[0091] 2) Based on the hot water consumption rate and the preset heating amount, the heating time of the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank is obtained.

[0092] According to the law of conservation of energy, we can obtain: hot water consumption flow rate * hot water temperature + cold water consumption flow rate * preset initial temperature of cold water injection = preset water flow rate * preset water temperature.

[0093] Wherein, cold water consumption flow rate = preset water consumption flow rate - hot water consumption flow rate.

[0094] The hot water consumption rate is calculated as follows: (Preset water temperature - Preset initial temperature of cold water injection) * Preset water flow rate / (Hot water temperature - Preset initial temperature of cold water injection).

[0095] Step 252: Based on the heating time, preset power, and preset heating amount of the lower heating element of the inner liner, obtain the first temperature rise value of the lower heating element heating the lower part of the inner liner.

[0096] The preset heating amount can be understood as the effective range of the heating element at the bottom of the inner liner, i.e., the range of the bottom of the inner liner. The upper and lower inner liners can be regarded as two identical cuboids. Therefore, the volume of the bottom of the inner liner, i.e. the preset heating amount, can be calculated based on the length, width, and height of the cuboid (i.e., the range of the height to be heated).

[0097] Therefore, the heating time T of the lower heating element of the inner tank = (length * width * height) / hot water consumption rate;

[0098] Then the first temperature rise value ΔT1 = Q / (c*m) = (T*P) / (c*m).

[0099] Wherein, the preset heating amount m = length * width * height, Q is the total energy consumed during the heating process of the lower heating element of the inner tank, c is the specific heat capacity of water, and P is the power of the lower heating element of the inner tank, i.e., the preset power.

[0100] Step 253: Based on the first temperature rise value and the preset initial temperature of the cold water injection, obtain the lower temperature of the inner tank.

[0101] The temperature of the lower part of the inner tank is equal to the preset initial temperature of the cold water injection plus the first temperature rise value ΔT1.

[0102] Step 260: Determine the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner based on the lower temperature of the inner liner.

[0103] Step 260 may include the following:

[0104] Step 261: Determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the first preset temperature value;

[0105] Step 262: If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the first preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the first switching temperature value.

[0106] Step 263: If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is not greater than the first preset temperature value, then determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value.

[0107] Step 264: If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the second switching temperature value.

[0108] Step 265: If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is not greater than the second preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the third switching temperature value.

[0109] For steps 261-265, for example, determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than 40℃. If yes, the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is 55℃; if no, determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than 30℃. If yes, the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is 62℃; if no, the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is 74℃.

[0110] In this embodiment, 40°C is the first preset temperature value, 55°C is the first switching temperature value, 30°C is the second preset temperature value, 62°C is the second switching temperature value, and 74°C is the third switching temperature value.

[0111] The above embodiments only illustrate that the heating element on the upper part of the inner tank can be switched through three temperature settings (such as the first switching temperature value, the second switching temperature value, and the third switching temperature value). The number of switching settings and the specific temperature values ​​can be selected and set according to the actual situation. For example, more temperature settings can be set according to the water usage to achieve more precise temperature control. This application does not limit this.

[0112] In some embodiments, a second temperature rise value for the heating element at the top of the inner liner to heat the upper part of the inner liner can be obtained; then, based on the fact that the sum of the switching temperature value and the second temperature rise value is less than or equal to a preset maximum temperature value that the inner liner can withstand, the switching temperature value can be obtained.

[0113] The heating power of the upper heating element and the lower heating element of the inner liner is the same, and the inner liner can be divided into an upper liner and a lower liner with equal upper and lower volumes. Therefore, the second temperature rise value of the upper heating element heating the upper part of the inner liner (i.e., the upper liner) is equal to the first temperature rise value of the lower heating element heating the lower part of the inner liner (i.e., the lower liner). The first temperature rise value can be calculated based on the method mentioned in the above embodiment.

[0114] Therefore, the switching temperature value = the preset maximum temperature that the inner liner can withstand - the first temperature rise value. In other words, the first switching temperature value, the second switching temperature value, and the third switching temperature value mentioned above can be calculated based on this formula.

[0115] The preset maximum temperature that the inner liner can withstand is between 85℃ and 95℃.

[0116] Specifically, when the temperature in the middle of the inner tank equals the switching temperature value, the upper heating element of the inner tank is switched to work. At this time, the inlet water temperature of the upper tank is the switching temperature value. Since the inner tank has a maximum temperature value that it can withstand, i.e., the preset maximum temperature value that the inner tank can withstand, in order to prevent the total temperature of the upper tank from exceeding the preset maximum temperature value after the upper heating element is heated, the total temperature of the upper tank after heating must be less than the preset maximum temperature value that the inner tank can withstand. That is, the sum of the inlet water temperature of the upper tank and the second temperature rise value of the heating element of the upper tank is less than the preset maximum temperature value that the inner tank can withstand.

[0117] Step 270: Determine if the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value.

[0118] Step 280: If the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value, then switch the upper heating element of the inner liner to work.

[0119] Steps 210-240, 270 and 280 have the same or similar technical solutions as the first embodiment described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0120] It should be noted that, in the above embodiment, when switching the upper heating element 111 of the inner tank to work, the water flow sensor 400 and the upper temperature sensor 130 of the inner tank can be monitored in real time to prevent the inner tank 100 from overheating.

[0121] It is understood that the above-mentioned units are also used to implement the technical solutions of any embodiment in this application.

[0122] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a structural illustration of an embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium provided in this application. The computer-readable storage medium 70 is used to store a computer program 71. When the computer program 71 is executed by a processor, it is used to implement the following method steps:

[0123] Determine whether the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions;

[0124] If the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions, the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank will start working.

[0125] During the operation of the heating element at the bottom of the inner liner, the temperature of the middle part of the inner liner is obtained;

[0126] Determine if the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature.

[0127] If the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature, then the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank is obtained.

[0128] The switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined based on the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner.

[0129] Determine if the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value;

[0130] If the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value, then the upper heating element of the inner liner will switch to work.

[0131] It is understood that when computer program 71 is executed by a processor, it is also used to implement the technical solutions of any embodiment of this application.

[0132] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and devices can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, two units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0133] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across two network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0134] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0135] If the integrated units in the other embodiments described above are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0136] The above are merely embodiments of this application and do not limit the scope of this patent application. Any equivalent structural or procedural changes made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater, characterized in that, The dynamic capacity expansion control system for electric water heaters includes an inner tank, a lower heating element within the inner tank, and an upper heating element within the inner tank. The method includes: Determine whether the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions; If the electric water heater meets the preset capacity expansion activation conditions, then the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank is controlled to start working; During the operation of the heating element at the bottom of the inner liner, the temperature of the middle part of the inner liner is obtained; Determine whether the temperature in the middle of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature value; If the temperature of the middle part of the inner tank is lower than the preset water storage temperature value, then the temperature of the lower part of the inner tank is obtained. The switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined based on the lower temperature of the inner liner. Determine whether the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value; If the temperature in the middle of the inner liner is lower than the switching temperature value, then the upper heating element of the inner liner will be switched to work.

2. The control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the lower temperature of the inner liner includes: Determine the heating time of the lower heating element of the inner liner; Based on the heating time, preset power, and preset heating amount of the lower heating element of the inner liner, the first temperature rise value for heating the lower part of the inner liner by the lower heating element is obtained. Based on the first temperature rise value and the preset initial temperature of the cold water injection, the lower temperature of the inner liner is obtained.

3. The control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the heating time of the lower heating element of the inner liner includes: The hot water consumption rate is obtained based on the preset water flow rate, preset water temperature, preset initial temperature of cold water injection, and preset storage water temperature. Based on the hot water consumption rate and the preset heating amount, the heating time of the heating element at the bottom of the inner tank is obtained.

4. The control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner based on the lower temperature of the inner liner includes: Determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than a first preset temperature value; If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the first preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the first switching temperature value.

5. The control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the lower temperature of the inner liner is greater than the first preset temperature value further includes: If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is not greater than the first preset temperature value, then determine whether the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value. If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the second switching temperature value.

6. The control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the lower temperature of the inner liner is greater than the second preset temperature value further includes: If the temperature of the lower part of the inner liner is not greater than the second preset temperature value, then the switching temperature value of the upper heating element of the inner liner is determined to be the third switching temperature value.

7. The control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the second temperature rise value of the upper part of the inner liner when the upper heating element heats the upper part of the inner liner; The sum of the switching temperature value and the second temperature rise value is less than or equal to the preset maximum temperature that the inner liner can withstand.

8. A dynamic capacity expansion control system for an electric water heater, characterized in that, The dynamic capacity expansion control system for an electric water heater includes an electric water heater device and a controller, wherein the electric water heater device and the controller are electrically connected, and the controller is used to execute the control method for dynamic capacity expansion of the electric water heater as described in any one of claims 1-7. The electric water heater device includes an inner tank, a cold water pipe, a hot water pipe, a lower heating element of the inner tank, an upper heating element of the inner tank, a lower temperature sensor of the inner tank, a middle temperature sensor of the inner tank, and an upper temperature sensor of the inner tank. The inner tank includes an upper tank and a lower tank that are interconnected and communicate with each other, with the hot water pipe passing through the upper tank and the lower tank; the cold water pipe is located inside the lower tank; The lower heating element of the inner liner and the lower temperature sensor of the inner liner are installed on the lower liner, and the lower temperature sensor of the inner liner is integrated on the lower heating element of the inner liner; The upper heating element of the inner liner and the upper temperature sensor of the inner liner are installed on the upper liner, and the upper temperature sensor of the inner liner is integrated on the upper heating element of the inner liner; The temperature sensor in the middle of the inner liner is installed on the outside of the lower liner.

9. The dynamic capacity expansion control system for electric water heaters according to claim 8, characterized in that, The electric water heater device also includes a water flow sensor, which is installed on the cold water pipe.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores program data, which, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the control method for dynamic capacity expansion of an electric water heater as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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