Double-parallel water heater hot water supply system, control device and control method

Abstract

The invention provides a double-parallel water heater hot water supply system and a control method and device thereof. The hot water supply system comprises two water heaters installed in parallel and corresponding pipelines. A self-operated temperature control valve is installed in a hot water outlet path of the first water heater and used for measuring the water outlet temperature of the first water heater and opening the water path of the water heater when the water temperature reaches the set temperature; installing a self-operated differential pressure control valve in the water inlet / outlet waterway of the second water heater to measure the differential pressure of the water inlet / outlet side of the water heater, judging that the waterway of the first water heater is in a disconnected state when the differential pressure exceeds a set value, and opening the waterway of the second water heater to control the water heater to work. The pressure difference control valve which is not lower than the pressure difference of the water inlet side and the water outlet side of the second water heater water path when the first water heater water path is opened and the second water heater water path is closed is set as the pressure difference, and the two water heaters can be controlled to automatically and alternately work. The method is especially suitable for automatic control of double parallel water heaters which take a solar water heater as a first water heater and are networked with a gas water heater and an electric water heater.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of water heaters, and in particular to an automatic control device for water heaters. Background Art

[0002] Commonly used solar water heaters have problems of unstable and insufficient heating due to the influence of seasons and rainy weather, so users generally install gas water heaters or electric water heaters as supplements. The simplest connection method is to connect the cold water inlet pipes of the two water heaters to the user's cold water supply pipe and the hot water outlet pipes to the user's hot water supply pipe, which is usually called parallel connection. When using this parallel connection networking method, one of the water heaters needs to be closed, otherwise the two water heaters will work at the same time when using water, and the cold water accumulated in the hot water pipes between the two water heaters and the faucet needs to be released. If the hot water in the solar water heater is used up, cold water will continue to flow out and mix with the hot water from the other water heater, causing the hot water temperature to be unstable. This involves the control problem of dual parallel water heaters. At present, some electronic control devices have been developed on the market, but they are prone to failure and high cost due to their reliance on electronic equipment, which affects the popularity of water heater control devices. A dual parallel water heater control device with low development cost and simple structure has become an urgent need for water heater users. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply system, a control device and a control method of a dual parallel water heater.

[0004] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a water heater control device, which is installed in a dual parallel water heater hot water supply system, and includes a self-operated temperature control valve with a valve body in a valve cavity, which opens the valve when the temperature exceeds the set temperature and closes the valve when the temperature is lower than the set temperature, and a self-operated differential pressure control valve with a valve body in the valve cavity, which opens the valve when the pressure difference before and after the valve body is higher than the set differential pressure and closes the valve when the pressure difference is lower than the set differential pressure. The temperature control valve is installed in series on the hot water outlet waterway of the first water heater, and the differential pressure control valve is installed in series on the cold water inlet waterway or the hot water outlet waterway of the second water heater. The set temperature of the temperature control valve and the set differential pressure of the differential pressure control valve can be adjusted to control the two water heaters to automatically work alternately:

[0006] When the outlet water temperature of the first water heater is higher than the set temperature, the valve body cavity of the temperature control valve opens, and the first water heater works to supply hot water when the user uses hot water, and the self-operated differential pressure control valve provided on the water inlet or outlet pipe of the second water heater closes, and the second water heater does not supply hot water;

[0007] When the temperature of hot water flowing out of the hot water outlet of the first water heater is lower than the set temperature, the temperature control valve is closed, the first water heater stops supplying hot water, and when the user uses hot water, the hot water pipe has no hot water replenished by the first water heater, and the pressure drop will be greater than the water-blocking pressure difference set by the pressure difference control valve. The valve body channel of the pressure difference control valve opens, and the second water heater starts to supply hot water.

[0008] Further, the temperature control valve of the water heater control device is a three-way temperature control valve, which includes a water inlet, a water inlet and an outlet, and a bypass outlet. A connected cavity is provided between the water inlet, the water inlet and the outlet, and the bypass outlet. A one-way valve for controlling the flow of water from the cavity to the outlet is provided in the bypass outlet. A self-acting temperature control valve body is provided in the valve cavity, which opens the valve body channel between the water inlet and the water inlet and the outlet when the water temperature exceeds the set temperature, and closes the valve body channel between the water inlet and the outlet and the bypass outlet when the water temperature in the valve body is lower than the set temperature, and closes the valve body channel between the water inlet and the outlet and opens the valve body channel between the water inlet and the outlet and the bypass outlet. The water inlet of the three-way temperature control valve is connected to the hot water outlet of the first water heater, the water inlet and the outlet are connected to the hot water outlet pipe downstream of the hot water outlet, and the bypass outlet is connected to the cold water inlet pipe of the water heater in a bypass connection;

[0009] The water heater control device also includes a water-controlled booster circulation pump, which is connected in series with the pressure difference control valve to the cold water inlet pipe or the hot water outlet pipe of the second water heater. When the water temperature in the valve body of the three-way temperature control valve is lower than the set temperature, the valve body channel between the temperature control valve water inlet and outlet 6112 and the bypass outlet 6113 is opened. In this state, when a user turns on the hot water faucet, the second water heater will be triggered to supply water. After closing the faucet, the water in the water path will continue to flow from the second water heater to the three-way temperature control valve, from the temperature control valve water inlet and outlet to the bypass outlet, to the cold water inlet pipe, to the cold water supply pipe, and to the closed water path of the second water heater under the push of the booster circulation pump. The hot water in the second water heater circulates in the circulating water circuit until the hot water heated by the second water heater flows to the temperature control valve so that the water temperature in the valve body cavity exceeds the set temperature, and the cavity between the water inlet and outlet and the bypass outlet is closed after the closed circulating water circuit is closed; thereafter, when the user uses water again, the control device will automatically control whether the first water heater or the second water heater supplies hot water according to whether the hot water outlet pipe of the first water heater can flow out hot water exceeding the set temperature of the temperature control valve. This can avoid the first water heater being able to supply hot water normally but the hot water in the temperature control valve body being naturally cooled due to the user not using it for a long time, causing the temperature control valve to mistakenly judge that the first water heater cannot supply hot water normally, resulting in an erroneous control state, thereby improving the user's water use experience.

[0010] Furthermore, the water heater control device also includes a normally closed bypass valve that opens in conjunction with the pressure differential control valve. The bypass valve is connected in parallel with the pressure differential control valve and then connected in series with the booster circulation pump in the cold water inlet or hot water outlet water path of the second water heater. After the pressure differential control valve opens, the normally closed bypass valve is triggered to open. Water in the inlet and outlet water paths of the water heater can bypass the pressure reducing valve through the bypass valve to avoid the loss of water outlet pressure caused by water flowing through the pressure differential control valve, thereby increasing the water outlet pressure.

[0011] Furthermore, the normally closed bypass valve can be a mechanical switch valve, or a normally closed electrically controlled valve such as a solenoid valve or an electric ball valve controlled by a water flow controller connected to the water inlet and outlet of the water heater. As long as the valve can be opened synchronously with the pressure difference control valve, the water in the water path can bypass through the bypass valve after the pressure difference control valve opens. If the normally closed bypass valve is an electrically controlled valve controlled by a water flow controller, the water flow controller is connected in series in the water inlet and outlet of the water heater outside the parallel connection point between the electric control valve and the pressure difference control valve, and the water flow controller is electrically connected to the normally closed electrically controlled valve. The electric control valve can also share a water flow controller with the booster circulation pump.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes two controller boxes, and the water heater control devices to be installed at the two water heater ends can be integrated and assembled in the two water heater control boxes respectively. In the first water heater control box, the temperature control valve connected to the hot water water path of the first water heater and the three-way pipe connected to the bypass outlet of the temperature control valve are integrated and assembled. Two interfaces connected to the cold water inlet and the water outlet of the water heater are provided on the upper side of the box, and the other end of the interface connected to the water outlet of the water heater is connected to the water inlet of the temperature control valve, and the other end of the interface connected to the cold water inlet of the water heater is connected to one end of the three-way pipe. Two interfaces connected to the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe are provided on the lower side, and the other end of the interface connected to the cold water inlet pipe is connected to one end of the three-way pipe, and the other end of the interface connected to the hot water outlet pipe is connected to one end of the three-way pipe. Connected to the water inlet and outlet of the temperature control valve; the water heater control device to be installed on the water inlet and outlet waterways below the second water heater includes one or more components of a pressure difference control valve, a boost circulation pump, a normally closed bypass valve, and a water flow controller, which are connected and assembled into the second water heater controller box as described in claim 2, 3, or 4, and two interfaces are set outside the box, one is a controller water inlet interface that is internally connected to the water inlet end of the control device component and externally connected to the upstream of the second water heater controller water inlet and outlet waterways, and the other is a controller water outlet interface that is internally connected to the water outlet end of the control device component and externally connected to the downstream of the second water heater controller water inlet and outlet waterways.

[0013] The control device integrated into the control box can improve the appearance and facilitate installation and maintenance.

[0014] In the second aspect, the present invention provides a dual-parallel water heater hot water supply system, including two water heaters connected in parallel in a hot water supply water circuit and corresponding cold water supply pipes, hot water supply pipes, and faucets. Each water heater is provided with a cold water inlet pipe connected to the user's cold water supply pipe, and each water heater is provided with a hot water outlet pipe connected to the user's hot water supply pipe. It is characterized in that it also includes a temperature control valve installed in the inlet and outlet water circuits of the first water heater and a pressure difference control valve installed in the inlet and outlet water circuits of the second water heater, a booster circulation pump, a normally closed bypass valve, and a water flow controller. One or more combinations of water heater control devices, after setting the set temperature of the temperature control valve and the set pressure difference of the pressure difference control valve, the two water heaters can be controlled to automatically work alternately.

[0015] The hot water supply system is further characterized in that the first water heater is a pressurized solar water heater.

[0016] In a third aspect, the present invention proposes a control method for a dual parallel water heater hot water supply system.

[0017] The control method provided by the present invention can control the two water heaters in the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system to work alternately, which can avoid the disadvantages of unnecessary simultaneous connection of the water paths of the two water heaters, mutual interference in heating, and disadvantageous to energy conservation. It is very suitable for automatic control of the solar water heater and gas water heater parallel dual water heater hot water supply system.

[0018] The specific process of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system control method provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0019] The user turns on the hot water tap to send a water use signal, and the hot water temperature in the hot water outlet pipe of the first water heater is detected. When the temperature is higher than the set temperature, the hot water supply water path of the water heater is opened, and the water heater works to supply hot water; when the temperature is lower than the set temperature, the hot water supply water path of the water heater is closed, and the water heater stops supplying hot water;

[0020] When the user turns on the hot water tap to send a water use signal, the water pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side of the second water heater is detected at the same time. When the pressure difference is higher than the set value, it is judged that the hot water supply waterway of the first water heater is closed and stops supplying hot water, and the working waterway of the second water heater is opened to control the second water heater to work and supply hot water; when the pressure difference is lower than the set value, it is judged that the hot water supply waterway of the first water heater is opened to supply hot water normally, and the working waterway of the second water heater is closed to control the second water heater not to work;

[0021] The set pressure difference should be equal to or greater than the pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side when the water supply circuit of the first water heater is open and the water supply circuit of the second water heater is closed. Obviously, the water pressure on the water supply side (that is, the tap water pressure) should be greater than the set pressure difference to ensure the normal operation of the hot water supply system.

[0022] Furthermore, the control method of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system provided by the present invention is to use a self-operated temperature control valve that relies on the outlet water temperature difference to provide energy and does not rely on electricity to detect the outlet water temperature of the first water heater and control the water circuit of the water heater; and to use a self-operated pressure difference control valve that relies on the pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side to provide energy and detect the pressure difference and provide the power of the switch valve body to control the water circuit of the second water heater. The structure is simpler and easier to install.

[0023] It should be noted that the dual-parallel water heater hot water supply system described in the specification of the present invention does not exclude the installation of more than two water heaters in the hot water supply system, such as a small kitchen quick-heating faucet connected in series in the water circuit, which does not affect the operation of the hot water supply system. If there are more than three water heaters in parallel, manually close the water circuit of the water heater without the water heater control device installed to keep the water circuits of the two water heaters with the water heater control device installed connected.

[0024] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0025] The water heater control device, the hot water supply system installed with the control device and the control method provided by the present invention can automatically control the two water heaters in the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system to work alternately without modifying the water supply pipeline, thereby solving the problems of unstable hot water temperature of the dual parallel water heaters and large amount of cold water in the hot water pipe. In addition, the provided embodiment can directly rely on water temperature and water pressure to provide power for automatic control operation without relying on electricity. It has the characteristics of simple installation and low cost. It is very suitable for users of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system with solar water heater as the main water heater and gas or electric water heater as the auxiliary water heater. It can easily give priority to the use of solar water heaters, close the water circuit of the solar water heater after the hot water in the solar water heater is used up, and automatically start the auxiliary water heater for heating operation, which is conducive to the installation and popularization of solar water heaters and improves user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings described herein are only for explanation purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. In addition, the shapes and proportional dimensions of the various components in the drawings are only schematic, used to help understand the present invention, and are not specifically limited to the shapes and proportional dimensions of the various components of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can select various possible shapes and proportional dimensions to implement the present invention according to specific circumstances under the guidance of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the installation of a water heater control device of a double parallel water heater hot water supply system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the installation of a water heater control device of a water heater supply system of a dual parallel water heater optimized according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of another installation of a dual parallel water heater control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the installation structure in which the dual parallel water heater control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention is integrated and combined in two housings;

[0031] Figure 5 The three-way temperature control valve provided by the embodiment of the present invention is a structural schematic diagram when the water temperature in the valve body is higher than the set value, the valve body cavity between the water inlet and the water outlet of the valve body is opened, and the valve body cavity between the water inlet and the water outlet and the third channel port is closed.

[0032] Figure 6 The three-way temperature control valve provided by the embodiment of the present invention is a structural schematic diagram when the water temperature in the valve body is lower than the set value, the valve body cavity between the valve body water inlet and the water inlet and outlet is closed, and the valve body cavity between the water inlet and outlet and the third channel is opened.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a control flow chart of the control method of the double parallel water heater hot water supply system provided by the present invention

[0034] In the figure: 1. Pressurized water collecting tank of solar water heater; 11. Cold water inlet of solar water heater; 12. Hot water outlet of solar water heater; 2. Water tank of gas water heater; 21. Cold water inlet of gas water heater; 22. Hot water outlet of gas water heater; 3. Cold water supply pipe of users; 4. Hot water supply pipe of users; 5. Hot water tap; 13. Cold water inlet pipe of solar water heater; 14. Hot water outlet pipe of solar water heater; 23. Cold water inlet pipe of gas water heater; 24. Hot water outlet pipe of gas water heater; 61. Temperature control valve; 62. Pressure difference control valve; 63. Booster circulation pump; 611 Three-way temperature control valve; 131 Three-way pipe; 64. Normally closed electric control valve; 641. Normally closed electric control valve water flow controller; 7. Solar control box; 73. Cold water inlet interface of solar water heater; 74. Cold water inlet pipe interface; 72. Hot water outlet pipe interface; 6111. Water inlet; 6112. Water inlet and outlet; 6113. Bypass outlet of temperature control valve; 72. Hot water outlet pipe interface of solar controller; 8. Gas water heater controller; 81. Hot water inlet interface of gas water heater controller; 82. Water outlet interface of gas water heater controller; 6114. Temperature control valve temperature sensing package top rod; 6115. Temperature sensing package; 6116. Temperature control valve core; 6117. Temperature setting knob; 6118 Temperature control valve cavity; 6119 Check valve; 6120. Valve core spring; 6121 Hot water flow channel; 6122. Return water flow channel; 6123 Temperature adjustment top seat; 6124 Water inlet check valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific position, be constructed and operated in a specific position, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. It can also be understood that the features described in conjunction with a single embodiment can be used in other embodiments. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the invention.

[0037] The present invention provides Figure 1A dual parallel water heater automatic control device is shown, in which the solar water heater tank 1 is connected to the user's cold water supply pipe 3 through the cold water inlet pipe 13, and is connected to the user's hot water supply pipe 4 through the hot water outlet pipe 14. The gas water heater tank 2 is connected to the user's cold water supply pipe 3 through the cold water inlet pipe 23, the cold water supply pipe 3 is connected to the tap water pipe, and is connected to the user's hot water supply pipe 4 through the hot water outlet pipe 24, so that the solar water heater 1 and the gas water heater 2 are both connected in parallel to the user's cold and hot water supply pipelines. A water heater control device composed of a temperature control valve 61 is installed in the hot water outlet water path of the solar water heater, and a water heater control device composed of a pressure difference control valve 62 is installed in the inlet and outlet water paths of the gas water heater. The water heater control device of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system composed of the temperature control valve 61 and the pressure difference control valve 62 can control the two water heaters to automatically work alternately.

[0038] The temperature control valve 61 is a self-acting switch valve in which a temperature sensing element whose volume and shape change with temperature is arranged in the valve body and the valve body cavity is opened and closed by the temperature sensing element with the change of its volume and shape. The temperature control valve 61 is connected in series to the hot water outlet pipe 14 of the solar water heater, the water inlet is connected to the hot water outlet of the solar water heater, and the other end is connected to the hot water outlet pipe of the solar water heater. The pressure difference control valve 62 adopts a self-acting pressure difference control valve with a switch valve body arranged in the valve cavity and the pressure difference change between the high pressure side of the water inlet and the low pressure side of the water outlet as the power of the switch valve. The pressure difference control valve is connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe 23 or the hot water outlet pipe 24 of the gas water heater. The embodiment is shown in the figure connected to the hot water outlet pipe 24 of the water heater. By adjusting the thermal set temperature of the temperature control valve 61 and the set pressure difference of the pressure difference control valve 62, the solar water heater and the gas water heater can be automatically controlled to automatically alternately operate.

[0039] First, the set temperature of the temperature control valve 61 needs to be adjusted to be slightly higher than the daily water temperature. Then, when the solar water heater 1 can supply hot water normally, the temperature control valve is opened, and the hot water tap is flowing water normally, the set pressure difference of the pressure difference control valve 62 is adjusted from small to large until the pressure difference control valve is closed and the gas water heater controlled by the water flow stops working. The set pressure difference not lower than this pressure difference is set as the working pressure difference of the pressure difference control valve. At this time, the water heater control device can automatically control the two water heaters to work alternately when the hot water tap 5 is opened to use hot water. When the solar water heater 1 can supply hot water, the water heater control device controls the solar water heater 1 to supply hot water and the gas water heater 2 to shut down. When the water temperature of the water supply of the solar water heater 1 is lower than the set value, the temperature control valve 61 is closed, the pressure difference at both ends of the pressure difference control valve 62 will be higher than the set value, the pressure difference control valve is opened, and the gas water heater automatically takes over the heating work. There are mature products of self-operated differential pressure control valves on the market, also known as differential pressure bypass valves. When the tap water pressure is basically constant, the same effect can be achieved by replacing the differential pressure control valve with a tap water pressure reducing valve. The water heater control device automatically controls the dual parallel water heaters. When the solar water heater can supply hot water, the user gives priority to using the solar water heater to provide hot water and closes the gas water heater water circuit. When the solar water heater has no hot water to supply, the solar water heater water circuit is closed and the gas water heater water circuit is opened, so that the gas water heater automatically takes over the work.

[0040] Figure 2 Provides an embodiment of an optimized design of a dual parallel water heater automatic control device, the temperature control valve 611 is a three-way temperature control valve Figure 5 , Figure 6In addition to two water inlets 6111 and water inlets and outlets 6112 that are interconnected, the temperature control valve is also provided with a bypass water outlet 6113 that is connected to the water inlet and outlet 6112. A one-way valve 6119 that controls the flow of water from the cavity to the water outlet is provided in the water outlet. A valve core assembly consisting of a temperature-sensing package 6115, a temperature-control valve core 6116, and a temperature-control valve temperature-sensing package top rod 6114 is provided in the temperature control valve cavity 6118. The temperature-sensing package 6115 is fixedly connected to the temperature-control valve core 6116. One end of the temperature-sensing package top rod 6114 of the temperature-control valve can be retracted and sealed in the temperature-sensing package, and the other end extends outward. As the water temperature around the temperature-sensing package increases, the temperature-sensing package top rod 6114 of the temperature control valve is retracted and sealed in the temperature-sensing package. The extended length is increased to provide the valve core 6116 with the power to switch the valve. The lower end of the valve core spring 6120 is supported on the inner wall of the valve body at the water inlet and outlet 6112, and the upper end is supported on the valve core assembly 6116. The distal end of the top rod 6114 of the upper temperature control valve temperature sensing package is connected to the temperature adjustment top seat 6123 below the temperature setting knob 6117. The temperature adjustment top seat can be adjusted to move up and down by rotating the temperature setting knob 6117. Under the joint action of the extension and contraction of the top rod 6114, the up and down movement of the temperature adjustment top seat 6123 below the temperature setting knob 6117 and the supporting force of the valve core spring 6120, the valve core assembly can slide up and down in the temperature control valve cavity to open or close the regulating flow channel in the temperature control valve cavity. When the temperature rises, the extension length of the temperature sensing package push rod 6114 increases, pushing the valve core 6116 downward, and the valve body channel between the water inlet 6111, the hot water flow channel 6121, and the water inlet and outlet 6112 opens. At the same time, the lower end of the downward-moving valve core closes the return water channel between the water inlet and outlet 6112 through the return water flow channel 6122 and the bypass outlet 6113. Figure 5 When the temperature drops, the extension length of the temperature sensing package top rod 6114 shortens, the valve core 6116 slides upward under the elastic force of the valve core spring, the valve body channel between the water inlet 6111, the hot water flow channel 6121, and the water inlet and outlet 6112 is closed, and the water return channel between the water inlet and outlet 6112, the return water flow channel 6122 and the bypass outlet 6113 controlled by the lower end of the valve core is opened. Figure 6 As shown, cold water can flow out of the bypass outlet 6113 through the water inlet and outlet 6112 and the return water channel 6122. Figure 5 , Figure 6 The arrows in the figure indicate the flow channel and flow direction of the water flow inside the valve body, which is convenient for readers to understand the content of the diagram. The bypass outlet of the three-way temperature control valve can also be closed to use the three-way temperature control valve as a two-way temperature control valve, or a two-way temperature control valve with only inlet and outlet and internal temperature control valve core can be directly designed for use Figure 1 In the embodiments provided, of course, the physical temperature control valve has many detailed designs and requirements well known to ordinary technicians in the field, which will not be described here. The temperature control valve core can also be driven by other temperature-sensitive materials such as memory alloys to achieve the design goals.

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, the water inlet 6111 of the temperature control valve 611 is connected to the hot water outlet of the solar water heater, the water inlet and outlet 6112 are connected to the hot water outlet pipe 14, and the bypass outlet 6113 is connected to one end of the three-way pipe connected to the cold water inlet pipe 13; Figure 1 The gas water heater shown in the figure has a pressure differential control valve connected in series on the cold water inlet pipe 23 or the hot water outlet pipe 24, and then a water flow-activated booster circulation pump 63 is connected in series on one end of the pressure differential control valve 62. When the water temperature in the valve cavity of the three-way temperature control valve 611 is lower than the set value, the user can start the hot water circulation in the hot water pipe, thereby improving the user's water use experience.

[0042] like Figure 2 In the embodiment, when the user does not use hot water for a long time and the user turns on the hot water tap 5, the water temperature in the temperature control valve body will decrease due to the long-term non-use of hot water. When the water temperature is lower than the set temperature, the cavity between the water inlet 6111 and the water inlet and outlet 6112 of the temperature control valve is closed, and the valve cavity channel between the water inlet and outlet 6112 and the third channel port 6113 is opened. The solar water heater does not work, and the gas water heater starts to work and provide heat. At this time, the tap is closed again. At this time, the water supply system has formed a cold water supply pipe 3 through the cold water inlet pipe 23 into the gas water heater 2, enters the booster circulation pump 63 / pressure difference control valve 62, enters the hot water supply pipe 4, enters the hot water outlet pipe 14, and passes through the three-way valve. The three-way pipe 131 of the water inlet and outlet 6112 of the temperature control valve 611 enters a circulating water circuit of the cold water supply pipe 3, and the water in the water circuit will continue to circulate in the circulating water circuit under the impetus of the booster circulation pump until the hot water heated by the gas water heater 2 flows to the temperature control valve 611, so that the water temperature in the valve body cavity of the temperature control valve exceeds the set temperature, and the cavity between the water inlet and outlet 6112 and the bypass channel 6113 is closed due to the closure of the return water circulation channel. After that, when the user turns on the faucet 5, the automatic control device will automatically control whether the solar water heater or the gas water heater is used to supply hot water according to whether the hot water outlet pipe of the solar water heater can flow out hot water exceeding the set temperature of the temperature control valve. This design is to avoid the occurrence of an erroneous control state in which there is hot water available for users in the solar water heater tank, but the hot water in the temperature control valve body cools naturally due to the user not using it for a long time, causing the temperature control valve to mistakenly judge that the solar water heater cannot provide hot water exceeding the set temperature and shut down the water supply of the solar water heater. At the same time, because the cold water in the hot water pipe has been heated by the gas water heater, hot water will be available soon when the faucet is turned on, improving the user's water experience.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown: The present invention Figure 2Based on the illustrated embodiment, a further optimized embodiment is provided, in which a normally closed electric control valve 62 linked to the pressure differential control valve is connected in parallel with the pressure differential control valve at both ends of the pressure differential control valve, and a water flow sensor 641 is installed on the water inlet and outlet waterway of the water heater outside the parallel connection point between the electric control valve and the pressure differential control valve at both ends. The water flow sensor 641 is electrically connected to the normally closed electric control valve 64 to control the synchronous on and off of the normally closed electric control valve and the pressure differential controller. The water flow sensor is installed at the front end of the booster circulation pump 63. When the gas water heater is working for heating, the water flowing in the waterway triggers the water flow signal sensor of the normally closed electric control valve to output an electric control signal to control the electric control valve 64 to open, so that the water in the hot water outlet pipe of the gas water heater can bypass the pressure differential control valve 62 and flow through the electric control valve when the gas water heater is working, thereby increasing the water supply pressure of the gas water heater and reducing the power consumption of the booster circulation pump.

[0044] Figure 4 The embodiment shown is in Figure 3 The optimized implementation scheme based on the provided embodiment is to connect the bypass outlet of the three-way temperature control valve 611 of the control device assembly that should be installed at the outlet end of the solar water heater with an interface of the three-way pipe 131 and then assemble and integrate it in a solar water heater control box 7. Two interfaces are set on the upper side of the control box, one is the water heater outlet interface that is externally connected to the hot water outlet 12 of the solar water heater and internally connected to the water inlet of the temperature control valve. In this implementation scheme, the water inlet 6111 of the temperature control valve is directly extended outside the box as the water heater outlet interface, and the other is the cold water inlet interface 7 that is externally connected to the cold water inlet 11 of the solar water heater and internally connected to one end of the three-way water pipe. The distance between the two interfaces should be set according to the spacing between the cold and hot water inlets of each brand of solar water heaters, or set in a form where the spacing can be adjusted. Two interfaces are arranged on the opposite side of the control box, one of which is a hot water outlet pipe interface that is connected to the water inlet and outlet 6112 of the temperature control valve internally and to the hot water outlet pipe 14 externally, or the water inlet and outlet 6112 is directly extended out of the control box as an interface to be directly connected to the hot water outlet pipe 14. The other interface is a cold water inlet pipe interface that is externally connected to a port of the cold water inlet pipe 13 that is internally connected to a three-way water pipe. The remaining two ports of the three-way pipe can also be directly extended out of the controller box 7 as the controller external interface. Of course, the temperature regulating screw 6117 of the temperature control valve and the pressure regulating screw of the pressure differential control valve should be exposed outside the controller box. The four interfaces of the solar controller are respectively connected to the water inlet and outlet of the water heater and the cold and hot water inlet and outlet pipes, so that the solar water heater can be automatically controlled with the cooperation of the gas water heater controller.

[0045] The control device assembly that should be installed on the water inlet and outlet pipes below the gas water heater is assembled into the box of the gas controller 8 after the pressure difference control valve 62 and the electric control valve 64 are connected in parallel through pipes, connected in series with the booster pump 63, and then connected in series with the water flow controller 641. An interface is set on each side of the box, and a controller water inlet 82 connected to the water inlet end of the gas controller assembly and exposed outside the control box is set on one side, and a controller water outlet interface 81 connected to the water outlet end of the gas controller assembly is set on the opposite side. The controller is connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe or hot water outlet pipe of the gas water heater in the forward direction of the water flow. After the set pressure difference of the pressure difference control valve is set, the gas water heater can be automatically controlled with the cooperation of the solar water heater controller.

[0046] One embodiment of the present invention provides a dual parallel water heater hot water supply system, such as Figure 1 As shown. The figure shows a dual parallel water heater hot water supply system in which a solar water heater and a gas water heater are networked in parallel. The solar water heater is a common balcony wall-mounted pressure-bearing solar water heater. In the figure, the solar water heater tank 1 is connected to the user's cold water supply pipe 3 through a cold water inlet pipe 13, and is connected to the user's hot water supply pipe 4 through a hot water outlet pipe 14. The gas water heater tank 2 is connected to the user's cold water supply pipe 3 through a cold water inlet pipe 23, and the cold water supply pipe 3 is connected to the tap water pipe, and is connected to the user's hot water supply pipe 4 through a hot water outlet pipe 24. The solar water heater tank 1 and the gas water heater tank 2 are both connected in parallel to the user's cold and hot water supply pipes. The dual parallel water heater hot water supply system also includes a temperature control valve 61 connected in series to the hot water outlet pipe of the gas water heater and a pressure differential control valve connected in series to the hot water outlet pipe 24. The pressure differential control valve can also be connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe 23 of the gas water heater.

[0047] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A water heater hot water supply system is provided based on the embodiment of the water heater hot water supply system shown in the figure, and a three-way temperature control valve 611 is connected in series with the hot water outlet pipe of the solar water heater. Figure 5 , Figure 6 The water inlet of the temperature control valve 611 is connected to the hot water outlet of the solar water heater, the water inlet and outlet 6112 are connected to the hot water outlet pipe 14 of the solar water heater 1, and the bypass outlet 6113 is connected to an interface of the three-way pipe 131 and communicated with the water inlet pipe 13 of the gas water heater through the three-way pipe; on the basis of a pressure difference control valve connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe 23 of the gas water heater, a water flow-started automatic control boost circulation pump is connected in series to one end of the pressure difference control valve, and the user can start the hot water circulation in the hot water pipe when the water temperature in the cavity of the three-way temperature control valve is lower than the set value, so as to achieve better control of the water heater system.

[0048] like Figure 3 Shown is Figure 2 On the basis of the shown embodiment, an embodiment of a dual-parallel water heater hot water supply system of a water heater controller is further optimized. A gas water heater controller including a pressure difference control valve 62, a normally closed electric control valve 64, and a water flow sensor 641 is connected in the inlet and outlet water circuits of the gas water heater, which can increase the water supply pressure of the gas water heater and reduce the power demand of the booster circulation pump.

[0049] Figure 4 Shown is Figure 2 , Figure 3 On the basis of the shown embodiment, the implementation scheme of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system of the water heater controller is further optimized. The scheme is to install two water heater controllers in the water channels of the solar water heater and the gas water heater respectively, and integrate the controller component assembly into the controller box, so that the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system improved by the present invention is more simple and beautiful.

[0050] Figure 7 The control flow chart of the control method of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system proposed by the present invention is shown, which is used to control the two water heaters in the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system to work alternately:

[0051] In the figure, the cold water inlet pipes of the first water heater and the second water heater are connected to the cold water supply pipe of the user, the cold water supply pipe is connected to the tap water pipe, and the hot water outlet pipes of the two water heaters are connected to the hot water supply pipe of the user. When the user turns on the tap, there will be approximately the same pressure difference between the supply and the water. Of course, this connection networking method is also the simplest and most commonly used connection method for balcony wall-mounted solar and gas water heaters.

[0052] The control method of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system is that the user turns on the hot water tap to issue a water use instruction, detects the hot water temperature in the hot water outlet pipe of the first water heater, and if the temperature is higher than the set temperature, opens the hot water supply waterway of the water heater, and the water heater works to supply hot water; if the temperature is lower than the set temperature, closes the hot water supply waterway of the water heater, and the water heater stops supplying hot water. The set temperature can be set by the user according to the use needs, or it can be pre-set by the equipment manufacturer.

[0053] When the user turns on the hot water tap to send a water use signal, the water pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side of the second water heater is detected. When the pressure difference is lower than the set value, it is judged that the first water heater's hot water supply waterway is open and normal hot water supply is provided, and the second water heater's working waterway is closed and the second water heater does not work. When the pressure difference is higher than the set value, it is judged that the first water heater's hot water supply waterway is closed and stops supplying hot water, and the second water heater's working waterway is opened to control the second water heater to work and supply hot water; the set pressure difference should be equal to or greater than the pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side when the first water heater's hot water supply waterway is open and normal hot water supply is provided. Obviously, the water pressure on the water supply side should be greater than the set pressure difference to ensure the normal operation of the hot water supply system.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned dual parallel water heater hot water supply system control method, a self-operated temperature control valve is installed at the hot water outlet of the first water heater, and a self-operated pressure difference control valve is installed at the water inlet and outlet of the second water heater, so that the water heaters of the dual parallel water heater hot water supply system can be better automatically controlled. The self-operated temperature control valve installed on the hot water outlet of the first water heater can complete the on-off control of the first water heater water circuit while detecting the water temperature of the first water heater outlet water, and the pressure difference control valve installed on the cold water inlet or hot water outlet of the second water heater can complete the on-off control of the second water heater water inlet and outlet while detecting the water pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side of the second water heater. The controllers of the two water heaters are directly connected through the user's hot water circuit, which reduces indirect links compared to the control device that needs to use electricity, and will reduce the failure rate.

Claims

1. A water heater control device for a dual parallel water heater hot water supply system, characterized by comprising a self-operated temperature control valve with a valve body in a valve chamber, which opens when the temperature exceeds a set temperature and closes when the temperature is lower than the set temperature, and a self-operated differential pressure control valve with a valve body in a valve chamber, which opens when the pressure difference before and after the valve body is higher than the set differential pressure and closes when the pressure difference is lower than the set differential pressure. The temperature control valve is installed in series on the hot water outlet waterway of the first water heater, and the differential pressure control valve is installed in series on the cold water inlet waterway or the hot water outlet waterway of the second water heater. By adjusting the set temperature of the temperature control valve and the set differential pressure of the differential pressure control valve, the two water heaters can be controlled to automatically work alternately.

2. The water heater control device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the temperature control valve is a three-way temperature control valve, the three-way temperature control valve includes a water inlet, a water inlet and an outlet, and a bypass outlet, a connected cavity is provided between the water inlet, the water inlet and the outlet, and the bypass outlet, a one-way valve for controlling the flow of water from the cavity to the water outlet is provided in the bypass outlet, a self-acting temperature control valve body is provided in the valve cavity, the valve body passage between the water inlet and the water inlet and the outlet is opened when the water temperature exceeds the set temperature, the valve body passage between the water inlet and the water inlet and the outlet is closed when the water temperature in the valve body is lower than the set temperature, the valve body passage between the water inlet and the water inlet and the outlet is closed, and the valve body passage between the water inlet and the outlet is opened when the water temperature in the valve body is lower than the set temperature, the water inlet of the three-way temperature control valve is connected to the hot water outlet of the first water heater, the water inlet and the outlet are connected to the hot water outlet pipe downstream of the hot water outlet, and the bypass outlet is connected to the cold water inlet pipe of the water heater in bypass connection; The water heater control device also includes a water-controlled booster circulation pump, which is connected in series with the pressure difference control valve to the cold water inlet pipe or the hot water outlet pipe of the second water heater.

3. The water heater control device according to claim 2 is characterized in that it also includes a normally closed bypass valve that opens in conjunction with the pressure differential control valve. The bypass valve is connected in parallel with the pressure differential control valve and then connected in series with the booster circulation pump in the cold water inlet or hot water outlet water path of the second water heater. After the pressure differential control valve opens, it triggers the normally closed bypass valve to open, and the water in the inlet and outlet water paths of the water heater can bypass the pressure reducing valve through the bypass valve to increase the water outlet pressure.

4. The water heater control device according to claim 3, characterized in that The normally closed bypass valve is an electrically controlled valve controlled by a water flow controller. The water flow controller is connected in series in the water inlet and outlet water paths of the water heater outside the parallel connection point between the electrically controlled valve and the pressure differential control valve. The water flow controller is electrically connected to the normally closed electrically controlled valve.

5. A dual-parallel water heater control device, characterized in that it also includes two controller boxes respectively installed in the water inlet and outlet water paths at the lower ends of the two water heaters, in the first water heater control box, the temperature control valve connected to the hot water outlet water path of the first water heater and the three-way pipe connected to the bypass outlet of the temperature control valve are integrated and assembled, the upper side of the box is provided with two interfaces respectively connected to the cold water inlet and the water outlet of the water heater, the other end of the interface connected to the water outlet of the water heater is connected to the water inlet of the temperature control valve, the other end of the interface connected to the cold water inlet of the water heater is connected to one end of the three-way pipe, the lower side is provided with two interfaces respectively connected to the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe, the other end of the interface connected to the cold water inlet pipe is connected to One end of the three-way pipe is connected, and the other end of the interface connected to the hot water outlet pipe is connected to the water inlet and outlet of the temperature control valve; the water heater control device to be installed on the water inlet and outlet waterway below the second water heater includes one or more components of a pressure difference control valve, a boost circulation pump, a normally closed bypass valve, and a water flow controller, which are connected and assembled into the second water heater controller box as described in claim 2, 3 or 4, and two interfaces are set outside the box, one is the controller water inlet interface that is internally connected to the water inlet end of the control device component and externally connected to the upstream of the second water heater controller water inlet and outlet waterway, and the other is the controller water outlet interface that is internally connected to the water outlet end of the control device component and externally connected to the downstream of the second water heater controller water inlet and outlet waterway.

6. A dual-parallel water heater hot water supply system, comprising two water heaters connected in parallel in a hot water supply water circuit and corresponding cold water supply pipes, hot water supply pipes, and faucets. Each water heater is provided with a cold water inlet pipe connected to the user's cold water supply pipe, and each water heater is provided with a hot water outlet pipe connected to the user's hot water supply pipe. It is characterized in that it also includes a temperature control valve installed in the inlet and outlet water circuits of the first water heater and a pressure difference control valve installed in the inlet and outlet water circuits of the second water heater, a booster circulation pump, a normally closed bypass valve, a water flow controller, or a combination of several of these water heater control devices. After setting the set temperature of the temperature control valve and the set pressure difference of the pressure difference control valve, the two water heaters can be controlled to automatically work alternately.

7. The hot water supply system according to claim 6, characterized in that The first water heater is a pressurized solar water heater.

8. A control method for a dual parallel water heater hot water supply system, characterized in that a user turns on a hot water tap to send a water use signal, detects the hot water temperature in the hot water outlet pipe of the first water heater, and when the temperature is higher than a set temperature, opens the hot water supply water path of the water heater, and the water heater works to supply hot water; when the temperature is lower than the set temperature, closes the hot water supply water path of the water heater, and the water heater stops supplying hot water; The user turns on the hot water tap to send a water use signal, and at the same time detects the water pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side of the second water heater. When the pressure difference is higher than the set value, it is judged that the hot water supply waterway of the first water heater is closed and stops supplying hot water, and the working waterway of the second water heater is opened to control the second water heater to work and supply hot water; when the pressure difference is lower than the set value, it is judged that the hot water supply waterway of the first water heater is opened to supply hot water normally, and the working waterway of the second water heater is closed to control the second water heater not to work; The set pressure difference should be equal to or greater than the pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side when the water supply circuit of the first water heater is open and normal hot water supply is provided, and when the water circuit of the second water heater is closed.

9. The hot water supply system control method according to claim 8 is characterized in that a self-operated temperature control valve that does not rely on electricity but only relies on the temperature difference of the outlet water temperature to provide energy is used to detect the outlet water temperature of the first water heater and control the water circuit of the water heater; a self-operated pressure difference control valve that does not rely on external force but only relies on the pressure difference between the water supply side and the water use side to provide energy to detect the pressure difference and provide the power for the switching valve body is used to control the water circuit of the second water heater.

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