Control method of water heater, water heater and control device

Abstract

The invention discloses a control method of a water heater, the water heater and a control device. The water heater comprises a heat exchanger, a water collecting device arranged below the heat exchanger and a drainage device connected with the water collecting device, and the method comprises the steps that the generation rate of condensate water of the heat exchanger is obtained; determining a first target duration according to the generation rate; and when the closing duration of the drainage device reaches the first target duration, the drainage device is controlled to be started. The opening frequency of the drainage device is reduced, and the service life of the device and the water heater is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electrical appliances, and in particular to a control method for a water heater, a water heater and a control device. Background Art

[0002] During the operation of the condensing water heater, the high-temperature flue gas generated by combustion can be condensed and discharged to the outside. Condensed water will be produced during the flue gas condensation process. Generally, a water collection device is set up to collect the condensed water, and the water is drained away through a drainage device such as a water pump connected to the water collection device.

[0003] Among them, the operation of the drainage device during the operation of the water heater is generally controlled according to a fixed duration, that is, it is opened at fixed intervals. However, this method can easily lead to unnecessary opening of the drainage device, affecting the device and even the service life of the entire equipment. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a control method for a water heater, a water heater and a control device, aiming to reduce the number of times a drainage device is opened and to increase the service life of the device and the water heater.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a control method for a water heater, wherein the water heater comprises a heat exchanger, a water collecting device disposed below the heat exchanger, and a drainage device connected to the water collecting device, and the control method for the water heater comprises the following steps:

[0006] Obtaining a condensed water generation rate of the heat exchanger;

[0007] determining a first target duration according to the generation rate;

[0008] When the closing time of the drainage device reaches the first target time, the drainage device is controlled to open.

[0009] Optionally, the step of determining a first target duration according to the generation rate includes:

[0010] The first target duration is determined according to the generation rate and the remaining capacity of the water collection device.

[0011] Optionally, the step of obtaining the generation rate of condensed water on the heat exchanger includes:

[0012] Obtaining the water inlet temperature of the heat exchanger and the water flow rate of the heat exchanger;

[0013] The generation rate is determined according to the inlet water temperature and the water flow rate.

[0014] Optionally, the step of determining the generation rate according to the inlet water temperature and the water flow rate comprises:

[0015] The generation rate is determined according to the inlet water temperature and a corresponding first weight value, and the water flow rate and a corresponding second weight value.

[0016] Optionally, the step of determining the generation rate according to the inlet water temperature and the corresponding first weight value, and the water flow rate and the corresponding second weight value comprises:

[0017] The generation rate is calculated according to the water inlet temperature, the first weight value, the water flow rate, the second weight value and the following formula:

[0018] M=C1*Q+C2*T in +C3;

[0019] Wherein, M is the generation rate, C1 is the first weight value, C2 is the second weight value, C3 is the preset adjustment value, T in is the water inlet temperature, and Q is the water flow rate.

[0020] Optionally, the first weight value is not less than 1.2 and not greater than 1.5, the second weight value is not greater than 0.7 and not greater than 0.9, and the preset adjustment value is not less than -10 and not greater than -5.

[0021] Optionally, the water heater control method further includes:

[0022] Obtaining the water level in the water collecting device and the operating status of the drainage device;

[0023] When the water level reaches a preset water level and the operating state is a closed state, the step of obtaining the rate of generation of condensed water on the heat exchanger is performed.

[0024] Optionally, the closing time duration includes the first timing time duration, and the first timing time duration starts from the starting moment when the water level in the water collection device reaches the preset water level.

[0025] Optionally, after the step of obtaining the water level in the water collecting device and the operating state of the drainage device, the method further includes:

[0026] When the water level does not reach the preset water level and the operating state is the open state, the drainage device is controlled to be closed when the opening time of the drainage device reaches a second target time.

[0027] Optionally, the opening duration includes a second timing duration, and the second timing duration starts from the starting moment when the water level in the water collection device does not reach the preset water level.

[0028] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also proposes a water heater, which comprises:

[0029] Heat exchanger;

[0030] A water collecting device, wherein the water collecting device is arranged below the heat exchanger;

[0031] A drainage device, the drainage device is connected to the water collecting device;

[0032] A control device, the drainage device is connected to the control device, the control device comprises: a memory, a processor and a control program for the water heater stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the control program for the water heater, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the control method for the water heater as described in any one of the above items.

[0033] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also proposes a control device, on which a control program of a water heater is stored. When the control program of the water heater is executed by a processor, the steps of the control method of the water heater as described in any of the above items are implemented.

[0034] The present invention proposes a control method for a water heater. In this method, in a water heater including a heat exchanger, a water collection device and a drainage device, the drainage device is no longer controlled to be opened based on a preset fixed time when it is closed. Instead, a first target time is determined according to the condensation water generation rate of the heat exchanger, and the drainage device is controlled to be opened when the closing time of the drainage device reaches the first target time. Based on this, it is beneficial to ensure that the opening of the drainage device can be accurately matched with the actual drainage device of the water collection device, reduce the number of times the drainage device is opened, and increase the service life of the device and the water heater. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a water heater of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure involved in the operation of an embodiment of a water heater of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for controlling a water heater of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a water heater according to the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a water heater of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic flow chart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a water heater of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 The figure is a flow chart of another optional embodiment of the control method of the water heater of the present invention.

[0042] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0044] An embodiment of the present invention provides a water heater.

[0045] In the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The water heater includes a first heat exchanger 11, a water collecting device 2 arranged below the first heat exchanger 11, a drainage device 3 connected to the water collecting device 2, and a control device 4.

[0046] The water collecting device 2 is specifically used to collect condensed water generated on the surface of the first heat exchanger 11. In this embodiment, the water collecting device 2 is a water collecting box disposed below the first heat exchanger 11.

[0047] The drainage device 3 is specifically used as a device for regulating the drainage of the water collection device 2. In this embodiment, the drainage device 3 includes a drainage pipe and a water pump provided on the drainage pipe, wherein the drainage pipe is connected to the drainage port of the water collection device 2. In other embodiments, the drainage device 3 may also include a drainage valve provided on the drainage port of the water collection device 2. The control device 4 can obtain the operating status of the drainage device 3 and control the operation of the drainage device 3.

[0048] Optional, see Figure 1 The water heater further comprises a water circuit 5 and a burner 6. The water circuit 5 comprises the first heat exchanger 11 and the second heat exchanger 12. The water circuit 5 has a water inlet and a water outlet. The water flow direction in the water circuit 5 is that the water flows through the water inlet, the first heat exchanger 11, the second heat exchanger 12 and the water outlet in sequence. When the water flows through the first heat exchanger 11 and the second heat exchanger 12, it exchanges heat with the air in the corresponding area in sequence.

[0049] The second heat exchanger 12 is arranged above the burner 6, and the water flowing through the second heat exchanger 12 can exchange heat with the high-temperature flue gas generated by the combustion of the burner 6. The first heat exchanger 11 is arranged in the air outlet direction corresponding to the second heat exchanger 12, and the flue gas after heat exchange with the second heat exchanger 12 can exchange heat with the water in the first heat exchanger 11. The water flowing into the waterway 5 flows through the first heat exchanger 11 and the second heat exchanger 12 in sequence, absorbs the heat in the flue gas, and forms hot water flowing out of the waterway 5. Among them, since the water temperature in the first heat exchanger 11 is relatively low, the water vapor in the flue gas condenses on the surface of the second heat exchanger 12 after heat exchange with the low-temperature water in the second heat exchanger 12 to produce condensed water, and the condensed water drips under the action of gravity, and the water collection device 2 collects the dripping condensed water.

[0050] Furthermore, the water heater may also include a fan 7, which can drive the flue gas generated by the burner 6 to flow through the second heat exchanger 12 and the first heat exchanger 11 in sequence for heat exchange.

[0051] Furthermore, the pipeline in the water circuit 5 connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger 11 is defined as the water inlet pipeline, and the drainage pipeline in the drainage device 3 can be provided with a water treatment device 8, and the water outlet of the water treatment device 8 is connected to the water inlet pipeline. The water treatment device 8 is specifically used to purify and filter the water flowing through so that the outflowing water reaches the target water quality. Based on this, the water pump can drive the water treated by the water treatment device 8 to be discharged into the water inlet pipeline for recycling to save water resources.

[0052] Furthermore, the water heater also includes a liquid level sensor 91, which can be arranged on the water collecting device 2. The liquid level sensor 91 is used to detect the water level in the water collecting device 2. The liquid level sensor 91 is connected to the control device 4, and the control device 4 can be used to obtain data detected by the liquid level sensor 91. Specifically, in this embodiment, the liquid level sensor 91 includes a first liquid level sensor 91 and a second liquid level sensor 91, the first liquid level sensor 91 is arranged at a liquid level height corresponding to a first liquid level on the water collecting device 2, and the second liquid level sensor 91 is arranged at a liquid level height corresponding to a second liquid level on the water collecting device 2, and the first liquid level is less than the second liquid level. Specifically, the first liquid level is a low liquid level, and the second liquid level is a high liquid level.

[0053] Furthermore, the water heater further includes a flow sensor 92, which can be disposed in the first heat exchanger 11 or in a pipeline connected to the first heat exchanger 11, and the flow sensor 92 is used to detect the water flow of the first heat exchanger 11. The flow sensor 92 is connected to the control device 4, and the control device 4 can be used to obtain data detected by the flow sensor 92.

[0054] Furthermore, the water heater further includes a temperature sensor 93, which can be disposed at the water inlet side of the first heat exchanger 11 and can be used to detect the water inlet temperature of the first heat exchanger 11. The temperature sensor 93 is connected to the control device 4, and the control device 4 can be used to obtain data detected by the temperature sensor 93.

[0055] In other embodiments, the water heater may also include a heat pump system, and the first heat exchanger 11 may be an evaporator in the heat pump system.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 2 The control device 4 of the water heater includes: a processor 1001 (such as a CPU), a memory 1002, a timer 1003, etc. The components in the control device 4 are connected via a communication bus. The memory 1002 can be a high-speed RAM memory or a stable memory (non-volatile memory), such as a disk memory. The memory 1002 can also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0057] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 2 The device structure shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation of the device, and may include more or less components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 4 includes a first controller and a second controller. The liquid level sensor 91 and the drainage device 3 are both connected to the first controller. The flow sensor 92 and the temperature sensor 93 are both connected to the second controller. The second controller can obtain the data detected by the flow sensor 92 and the temperature sensor 93, determine the generation rate of condensed water according to the obtained data, and then send it to the first controller. The first controller can generate condensed water according to the received data.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the memory 1002 as a storage medium may include a control program for the water heater. Figure 2 In the device shown, the processor 1001 can be used to call the water heater control program stored in the memory 1002 and execute the relevant step operations of the water heater control method in the following embodiment.

[0060] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a water heater control method, which is applied to the above water heater.

[0061] Reference Figure 3, an embodiment of a control method for a water heater of the present application is proposed. In this embodiment, the water heater includes a heat exchanger and a water collecting device arranged below the heat exchanger and a drainage device connected to the water collecting device. The heat exchanger involved in the following embodiments specifically refers to the first heat exchanger mentioned above. The control method of the water heater includes:

[0062] Step S10, obtaining the condensed water generation rate of the heat exchanger;

[0063] The generation rate is specifically a characteristic parameter that characterizes how fast the heat exchanger generates condensed water. In this embodiment, the generation rate is the amount of condensed water generated by the heat exchanger per unit time.

[0064] Optionally, the condensed water generation rate of the heat exchanger can be detected in real time during the operation of the water heater; the condensed water generation rate of the heat exchanger can also be detected when the water heater reaches a preset state.

[0065] The rate of condensed water generation can be determined based on state data detected in the water collection device, and can also be determined based on detection data related to heat exchange of the heat exchanger.

[0066] In this embodiment, the generation rate of condensed water is detected when the drainage device is in a closed state. In other embodiments, the generation rate of condensed water can also be detected when the drainage device is in an open state.

[0067] Step S20, determining a first target duration according to the generation rate;

[0068] The first target duration is specifically the target duration required for the drainage device to maintain the closed state from the reference time until the drainage device is opened. The reference time here can be the time when the drainage device is switched from the open state to the closed state, or the time when the water state information in the water collection device reaches a preset condition or the current time, etc. Optionally, the reference time can be determined according to the detection time of the generation rate.

[0069] Different generation rates correspond to different first target durations. Optionally, a correspondence between the generation rate and the first target duration may be established in advance, and the correspondence may include a calculation formula or a mapping relationship, etc. Based on the correspondence, the first target duration may be calculated by substituting the generation rate into a preset formula, or the first target duration may be obtained by looking up the generation rate in a table.

[0070] In one embodiment, the first target duration may be determined based on the generation rate alone. In another embodiment, the first target duration may be determined in combination with the generation rate and other parameters other than the generation rate (e.g., the remaining capacity of the water collection device, the current water level of the water collection device, and / or water volume change information in the water collection device, etc.).

[0071] Step S30, when the closing time of the drainage device reaches the first target time, controlling the drainage device to open.

[0072] The closing time may start from the moment when the drainage device switches from the open state to the closed state, or may start from the moment when the water heater reaches a preset condition when the drainage device is in the closed state.

[0073] Here, the closing time reaches the first target time specifically means that the closing time is greater than or equal to the first target time, and the difference between the closing time and the first target time is less than a preset value, for example, the closing time is equal to the first target time.

[0074] The opening of the drainage device here specifically refers to the switching of the drainage device from a closed state to an open state.

[0075] A control method for a water heater is proposed in an embodiment of the present invention. In the water heater including a heat exchanger, a water collection device and a drainage device, the drainage device is no longer controlled to be opened based on a preset fixed time when it is closed. Instead, a first target time is determined according to a condensation water generation rate of the heat exchanger. When the closing time of the drainage device reaches the first target time, the drainage device is controlled to be opened. Based on this, it is helpful to ensure that the opening of the drainage device can be accurately matched with the actual drainage device of the water collection device, reduce the number of times the drainage device is opened, and increase the service life of the device and the water heater.

[0076] Furthermore, based on the above embodiments, another embodiment of the control method of the water heater of the present application is proposed.

[0077] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 4 , the step S20 comprises:

[0078] Step S21, determining the first target duration according to the generation rate and the remaining capacity of the water collection device.

[0079] The remaining capacity here is specifically the maximum water capacity currently allowed by the water collection device. The remaining capacity can be specifically determined according to the current operating state of the water heater. In this embodiment, the remaining capacity here is determined according to the current liquid level of the water collection device. The remaining capacity is specifically detected simultaneously with the generation rate.

[0080] Different generation rates and different remaining capacities correspond to different first target durations. The first target duration is negatively correlated with the generation rate, and the first target duration is positively correlated with the remaining capacity.

[0081] In this embodiment, a calculation formula between the generation rate, the remaining capacity and the first target duration is pre-established, and the first target duration is calculated by substituting the generation rate and the remaining capacity into the calculation formula.

[0082] Optionally, the ratio of the remaining capacity to the generation rate can be determined, and the first target duration can be determined based on the ratio. In this embodiment, the first target duration is obtained by adjusting the ratio according to a preset adjustment value. For example, T1 = (V / M)*C, where V is the remaining capacity, M is the generation rate, C is the preset adjustment value, and T1 is the first target duration, where the value range of C is [0.6, 1.0], for example, C can be selected as 0.8.

[0083] In other embodiments, a mapping table between the generation rate, the remaining capacity and the first target duration may be pre-established, and the mapping table may be queried by using the generation rate and the remaining capacity, and the matching result may be used as the first target duration.

[0084] In this embodiment, the first target duration is determined in combination with the generation rate and the remaining capacity of the water collection device, thereby achieving maximum utilization of the water collection space of the water collection device, and the drainage device is opened to drain water when the water collection device can no longer carry condensed water, thereby further avoiding unnecessary opening of the drainage device, reducing the number of times the drainage device is opened, and increasing the service life of the drainage device and the water heater.

[0085] Further, based on any of the above embodiments, another embodiment of the control method of the water heater of the present application is proposed. Figure 5 , step S10 comprises:

[0086] Step S11, obtaining the water inlet temperature of the heat exchanger and the water flow rate of the heat exchanger;

[0087] The water inlet temperature can be determined by obtaining the temperature data currently detected by the temperature sensor. The water flow rate can be determined by obtaining the flow rate data currently detected by the flow rate sensor.

[0088] Step S12, determining the generation rate according to the inlet water temperature and the water flow rate.

[0089] Different inlet water temperatures and different water flow rates correspond to different generation rates. Specifically, the corresponding relationship between the inlet water temperature, the water flow rate, and the generation rate can be preset, and the corresponding relationship can include a quantitative relationship, a mapping relationship, etc. Based on the corresponding relationship, the generation rate corresponding to the current inlet water temperature and water flow rate can be determined.

[0090] In this embodiment, the generation rate is determined according to the inlet water temperature and the corresponding first weight value, and the water flow rate and the corresponding second weight value.

[0091] The first weight value represents the contribution of the water inlet temperature to the speed of condensed water generation, and the second weight value represents the contribution of the water flow rate to the speed of condensed water generation. In this embodiment, the first weight value is greater than the second weight value.

[0092] In this embodiment, the first weight value and the second weight value may be pre-set fixed values. In other embodiments, the first weight value and the second weight value may also be values ​​determined according to the actual state of the water heater, for example, the first weight value and the second weight value may be determined according to the heat exchange area of ​​the heat exchanger, or the first weight value and the second weight value may be determined according to the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature corresponding to the heat exchanger, and so on.

[0093] Optionally, a first rate value is determined according to the inlet water temperature and the first weight value, a second rate value is determined according to the water flow rate and the second weight value, and the production rate is determined according to the first rate value and the second rate value. Optionally, a reference rate is determined according to the first rate value and the second rate value, and the reference rate is adjusted according to a preset adjustment value to obtain the production rate. Optionally, the production rate is obtained by reducing the reference rate according to the preset adjustment value.

[0094] Furthermore, the generation rate M can be calculated by substituting the inlet water temperature and water flow rate into the following formula:

[0095] M=C1*Q+C2*Tin+C3, wherein C1 is the first weight value, C2 is the second weight value, C3 is the preset adjustment value, Tin is the inlet water temperature, and Q is the water flow rate.

[0096] Optionally, the first weight value is not less than 1.2 and the first weight value is not greater than 1.5, the second weight value is not greater than 0.7 and the second weight value is not greater than 0.9, the preset adjustment value is not less than -10 and the preset adjustment value is not greater than -5. The value range of the first weight value C1 is [1.2, 1.5], for example, 1.4, such as 1.3 or 1.45, etc.; the value range of the second weight value C2 is [0.7, 0.9], for example, 0.85, such as 0.8 or 0.76, etc.; the value range of the preset adjustment value C3 is [-10, -5], for example, -8, such as -9 or -6, etc.

[0097] In this embodiment, determining the production rate in the above manner is conducive to ensuring that the determined production rate can accurately characterize the actual speed at which the heat exchanger produces condensed water, so as to ensure that the first target duration is determined based on the determined production rate to achieve accurate regulation of the opening time of the drainage device, thereby further avoiding unnecessary opening of the drainage device, so as to further improve the service life of the device and equipment.

[0098] In other embodiments, a pre-set mapping table may be queried according to the inlet water temperature and the water flow rate, and the rate obtained by matching in the mapping table may be used as the generation rate.

[0099] In other embodiments, the generation rate may also be determined based on characteristic parameters of water level changes in the water collection device detected.

[0100] Further, based on any of the above embodiments, another embodiment of the control method of the water heater of the present application is proposed. In this embodiment, referring to Figure 6 , the control method of the water heater further includes:

[0101] Step S01, obtaining the water level in the water collecting device and the operating status of the drainage device;

[0102] The water level here can be specifically detected by the above-mentioned liquid level sensor. Optionally, when the first liquid level sensor detects a liquid level signal, it can be determined that the water level is greater than or equal to the first liquid level corresponding to the first liquid level sensor; when both the first liquid level sensor and the second liquid level sensor detect liquid level signals, it can be determined that the water level is greater than or equal to the second liquid level corresponding to the second liquid level sensor; when neither the first liquid level sensor nor the second liquid level sensor detects a liquid level signal, it can be determined that the water level is less than the first liquid level; when the first liquid level sensor detects a liquid level signal and the second liquid level sensor does not detect a liquid level signal, it can be determined that the water level is greater than or equal to the first liquid level corresponding to the first liquid level sensor and less than the second liquid level corresponding to the second liquid level sensor.

[0103] The operating state includes an open state and a closed state. When the operating state is the closed state, the water in the water collection device stops being discharged to the outside of the water collection device. When the drainage device includes a water pump, the drainage device is in the closed state means that the water pump is turned off; when the drainage device includes a drain valve, the drainage device is in the closed state means that the drain valve blocks the drain outlet of the water collection device. When the operating state is the open state, the water in the water collection device is discharged to the outside of the water collection device. When the drainage device includes a water pump, the drainage device is in the open state means that the water pump is turned on; when the drainage device includes a drain valve, the drainage device is in the open state means that the drain valve opens the drain outlet of the water collection device.

[0104] Step S101, when the water level reaches a preset water level and the operating state is a closed state, the generation rate of condensed water on the heat exchanger is obtained.

[0105] The preset water level is specifically a preset minimum water level that indicates that the water collection device has a drainage demand. If the water level reaches the preset water level, it indicates that the water collection device has a drainage demand; if the water level does not reach the preset water level, it indicates that the water collection device does not have a drainage demand.

[0106] The preset water level here is lower than the set water level, and the set water level is 50% of the maximum water level of the water collection device. For example, the preset water level may be 10% of the maximum water level, 20% of the maximum water level, or 30% of the maximum water level.

[0107] In this embodiment, the water level reaching the preset water level means that the water level is equal to the preset water level. In other embodiments, the water level reaching the preset water level may also mean that the water level is greater than the preset water level.

[0108] In this embodiment, the water level reaches the preset water level and the operating state is in the closed state, indicating that the drainage device has a startup requirement. At this time, the drainage device is not turned on immediately, but the drainage device is controlled to turn on based on the first target time determined by the condensed water generation rate, thereby further avoiding unnecessary opening of the drainage device and increasing the service life of the drainage device and the water heater.

[0109] Further, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned remaining capacity can be obtained according to the preset water level here. Alternatively, a preset corresponding relationship (such as a calculation relationship or a mapping relationship, etc.) between the generation rate and the first target duration can be established based on the preset remaining capacity corresponding to the preset water level, and based on this, when determining the first target duration, based on the preset corresponding relationship, the first target duration can be directly determined by the generation rate without detecting the remaining capacity.

[0110] Further, in this embodiment, the closing duration in step S30 includes a first timing duration, which starts from the start time when the water level in the water collection device reaches the preset water level. The first timing duration is specifically the cumulative duration from the start time when the water level in the water collection device reaches the preset water level to the current time.

[0111] In this embodiment, when the water level reaches a preset water level and the operating state is in a closed state, the drainage device is turned on when the first timing duration reaches the first target duration, thereby achieving delayed start control that is accurate and adaptable to the speed of condensed water generation when the drainage device has a startup requirement, thereby ensuring that the storage space of the water collection device can be effectively utilized during the delay process, thereby further reducing unnecessary startup of the drainage device and increasing the service life of the device and the water heater.

[0112] Further, based on any of the above embodiments, another optional embodiment of the control method of the water heater of the present application is proposed. Figure 7 , after step S01, further comprising:

[0113] Step S40, when the water level does not reach the preset water level and the operating state is the open state, the drainage device is controlled to be closed when the opening time of the drainage device reaches a second target time.

[0114] The opening duration here may specifically be the duration of the drainage device being opened when the water level has not reached the preset water level and the operation state is the open state. In this embodiment, the opening duration includes a second timing duration, and the second timing duration starts from the start time when the water level in the water collection device has not reached the preset water level. In other embodiments, the opening duration may also start from the current time.

[0115] In this embodiment, the second target duration is a preset fixed duration, which can be optionally determined in advance according to a preset water level. In other embodiments, the second target duration can also be a duration determined according to the actual state of the water heater, for example, the second target duration can be determined according to the generation rate of the above-mentioned condensed water, so that the water in the water collection device is completely drained when the drainage device is closed. Wherein, when the drainage device includes a water pump, determining the second target duration according to the generation rate is conducive to ensuring that the water in the water collection device is completely drained when the water pump is turned off, and the water pump does not run idle without water.

[0116] In this embodiment, when the water level has not reached the preset water level and the operation state is in the open state, it indicates that the water collection device has no drainage demand and the drainage device can be closed. At this time, the drainage device is not closed immediately, but delayed to open until the second target time is reached before closing, so as to ensure that the water in the water collection device is drained as clean as possible, so as to use the space in the water collection device to store condensed water as much as possible before the next opening of the drainage device, so as to further avoid unnecessary opening of the drainage device, reduce the number of times the drainage device is opened, and effectively improve the service life of the drainage device and the water heater. Among them, when the opening time includes the above-mentioned second timing time, the accuracy of the delayed closing of the drainage device can be further improved, ensuring that the water in the water collection device can be drained, and the utilization rate of the water stored in the water collection device can be further improved, so as to further reduce the number of times the drainage device is opened.

[0117] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a control device, on which a control program for a water heater is stored. When the control program for the water heater is executed by a processor, the relevant steps of any embodiment of the above water heater control method are implemented.

[0118] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or system including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or system. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or system including the element.

[0119] The serial numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are only for description and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0120] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present invention is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes a number of instructions for a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, water heater, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0121] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a water heater, characterized in that: The water heater comprises a heat exchanger, a water collecting device arranged below the heat exchanger, and a drainage device connected to the water collecting device. The control method of the water heater comprises the following steps: Obtaining a condensed water generation rate of the heat exchanger; Determining a first target duration according to the generation rate; and When the closing time of the drainage device reaches the first target time, the drainage device is controlled to open.

2. The water heater control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of determining the first target duration according to the generation rate comprises: The first target duration is determined according to the generation rate and the remaining capacity of the water collection device.

3. The control method of the water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of obtaining the generation rate of condensed water on the heat exchanger comprises: Obtaining the water inlet temperature of the heat exchanger and the water flow rate of the heat exchanger; and The generation rate is determined according to the inlet water temperature and the water flow rate.

4. The control method of the water heater according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step of determining the generation rate according to the inlet water temperature and the water flow rate comprises: The generation rate is determined according to the inlet water temperature and a corresponding first weight value, and the water flow rate and a corresponding second weight value.

5. The control method of the water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step of determining the generation rate according to the inlet water temperature and the corresponding first weight value, and the water flow rate and the corresponding second weight value comprises: The generation rate is calculated according to the water inlet temperature, the first weight value, the water flow rate, the second weight value and the following formula: M=C1*Q+C2*T in +C3; Wherein, M is the generation rate, C1 is the first weight value, C2 is the second weight value, C3 is the preset adjustment value, T in is the water inlet temperature, and Q is the water flow rate.

6. The control method of the water heater according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first weight value is not less than 1.2 and not greater than 1.5, the second weight value is not greater than 0.7 and not greater than 0.9, and the preset adjustment value is not less than -10 and not greater than -5.

7. The control method of a water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control method of the water heater also includes: Obtaining the water level in the water collecting device and the operating status of the drainage device; and When the water level reaches a preset water level and the operating state is a closed state, the step of obtaining the generation rate of condensed water on the heat exchanger is performed.

8. The control method of the water heater according to claim 7, characterized in that: The closing time duration includes the first timing time duration, and the first timing time duration starts from the starting moment when the water level in the water collection device reaches the preset water level.

9. The control method of the water heater according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the step of obtaining the water level in the water collecting device and the operating state of the drainage device, the method further includes: When the water level does not reach the preset water level and the operating state is the open state, the drainage device is controlled to be closed when the opening time of the drainage device reaches a second target time.

10. The control method of the water heater according to claim 9, characterized in that: The opening duration includes a second timing duration, and the second timing duration starts from the starting moment when the water level in the water collection device does not reach the preset water level.

11. A water heater, characterized in that: The water heater comprises: Heat exchanger; A water collecting device, wherein the water collecting device is arranged below the heat exchanger; a drainage device connected to the water collecting device; and A control device, the drainage device is connected to the control device, the control device comprises: a memory, a processor and a control program for the water heater stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the control program for the water heater, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the control method for the water heater as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A control device, characterized in that: The control device stores a control program for the water heater, and when the control program for the water heater is executed by the processor, the steps of the control method for the water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 10 are implemented.

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