Method for controlling operation of modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement and modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement

Abstract

A method (200) for controlling operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100) is disclosed, the modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement comprising a plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b), the plurality of heat pump modules comprising a control unit (133) connected to each control unit (133) of the other heat pump modules (130a, 130b) via a communication channel (140), and a memory (139), the memory (139) being configured to store the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b). The invention relates to a method (200) for transmitting heat pump modules (130a, 130b) in a memory in which heat pump module configuration information relating to the associated heat pump modules (130a, 130b) is stored, the method (200) comprising: a) transmitting the associated heat pump module configuration information over a communication channel (140); b) receiving associated heat pump module configuration information; c) storing the received heat pump module configuration information in order to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information; d) determining a master control unit selected from the control units (133) on the basis of the heat transfer arrangement configuration information, a control unit (133) different from the master control unit being defined as a slave control unit; and e) transmitting the operation control information from the master control unit to the slave control unit. The disclosure further relates to a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling the operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement. The present disclosure further relates to a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement. Background Art

[0002] Almost all large developed cities in the world have at least two types of energy grids incorporated in their infrastructure; one grid for providing electrical energy and one grid for providing space heating and hot tap water preparation. Today, the common grid for providing space heating and hot tap water preparation is a gas grid that provides combustible gas (typically fossil fuel gas). The gas provided by the gas grid is locally burned for providing space heating and hot tap water. In order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, it is planned to replace this gas grid with a more "green" energy-saving energy system.

[0003] One such energy-efficient energy system is a heating and cooling grid. A heating and cooling grid is an evolution of the district heating and district cooling systems, where a combined district heating and district cooling system can provide cooling, heating and water preparation for buildings simultaneously by using heat pumps for heating and cooling.

[0004] In order to successfully replace a gas grid (where the corresponding gas burners are replaced by heat pumps), the heat pumps used need to be smaller, less expensive, easier to control and less technically complex, e.g. the number of sensors for measuring space heat and tap water energy consumption needs to be smaller and / or less complex than in currently used heat pumps.

[0005] Therefore, conventional heating and / or cooling systems are associated with several disadvantages. Therefore, there is a need in the art to improve in this regard. Summary of the invention

[0006] An object is to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above mentioned deficiencies and disadvantages in the art singly or in any combination and to solve at least the above mentioned problems.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an efficient control method for a heat transfer arrangement.

[0008] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a time-saving control method for a heat transfer arrangement.

[0009] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a precise control method for a heat transfer arrangement.

[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a cost-effective control method for a heat transfer arrangement.

[0011] Yet another object is to provide a cost-effective heat transfer arrangement.

[0012] According to a first aspect, a method for controlling the operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement is provided, wherein the fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement comprises a plurality of heat pump modules, each heat pump module comprising a control unit and a memory, wherein heat pump module configuration information relating to the associated heat pump module is stored in the memory, the heat pump module configuration information comprising at least identification data unique to the associated heat pump module, and wherein the control unit of each heat pump module is connected to each control unit of other heat pump modules of the plurality of heat pump modules via a communication channel,

[0013] The method includes:

[0014] a) transmitting, by the control unit of each heat pump module, associated heat pump module configuration information on a communication channel;

[0015] b) receiving, by a control unit of each heat pump module, associated heat pump module configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules in the plurality of heat pump modules;

[0016] c) storing the received heat pump module configuration information on a memory of each heat pump module so as to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information in the memory, the heat transfer arrangement configuration information comprising heat pump module configuration information for each heat pump module in the plurality of heat pump modules;

[0017] d) determining a master control unit selected from the control units of the plurality of heat pump modules based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information, wherein one or more control units different from the master control unit are defined as slave control units; and

[0018] e) Transmitting operational control information from the master control unit to the slave control units.

[0019] Throughout the text of this application, the term "modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement" will also be referred to as "heat transfer arrangement" or "arrangement".

[0020] The term "modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement" refers herein to an arrangement comprising a plurality of heat pump modules that are separate and independent of each other. Thus, a plurality of heat pump modules can be introduced into a housing or region, for example, into a controlled space in which the plurality of heat pump modules are arranged, without being attached to each other (e.g., without being fastened or mounted to each other). The arrangement can be configured to cover an area, i.e., to be able to heat and / or cool and / or provide running water to the area. An area can be an entire building or part of a building. Thus, the fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement can be configured to cool or heat a building or a part of a building. If the arrangement is configured to heat a building, the purpose of the arrangement is to supply heat from the cold side to the hot side. If the arrangement is configured to cool a building (i.e., to remove heat from a building), the purpose of the arrangement is to remove heat from the cold side.

[0021] The disclosed method helps to control the operation of the modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement in a simple and efficient manner so as to provide a desired outlet temperature. The desired outlet temperature may be a temperature required to meet heating demand and / or cooling demand and / or mains water demand.

[0022] The one or more control units defined as slave control units are different from the master control unit. This means that the one or more control units defined as slave control units are control units among the plurality of control units that remain "unselected" after the master control unit has been selected. Thus, the one or more control units defined as slave control units are control units that do not function as master control units.

[0023] The fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement may be a fluid-fluid heat pump arrangement configured to provide heat to the hot-side fluid to heat the hot-side fluid.

[0024] The fluid-to-fluid heat transfer arrangement may be a fluid-to-fluid cooling pump arrangement configured to remove heat from the cold-side fluid to cool the cold-side fluid.

[0025] As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the fluid-fluid heat pump arrangement and the fluid-fluid cooling pump arrangement are in principle identical, the only difference being whether the end user is interested in achieving heating or cooling. However, the two embodiments of the general concept may differ in features such as the temperature ranges used in the hot and cold side networks.

[0026] The term "control unit" herein refers to any device or unit configured to control the operation of the associated heat pump module. Each heat pump module has a corresponding control unit, which is configured to control the operation of the associated heat pump module. The control unit may be, for example, a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU), which is capable of performing its own individual evaluation based on operational control information from a main control unit and input data from, for example, sensors.

[0027] The memory of each heat pump module may be arranged in the control unit. The memory of each heat pump module may be arranged outside the control unit but may communicate with the control unit.

[0028] The term "communication channel" herein refers to a means of connection by which the control units are connected to each other. The communication channel can be wired or wireless. In other words, the control unit can be wired or wireless. The control unit can be wired via a data bus such as RS-485. The control unit can be wirelessly connected via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and / or cellular communications, etc. It should be understood that any communication means and / or protocol that can interconnect the control units to allow information to be sent and received between them is suitable for this task. Therefore, in this case, the manner in which the communication channel is implemented should not be interpreted as being restrictive.

[0029] As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, each heat pump module is configured to transmit its heat pump module configuration information on a communication channel through its control unit. In addition, each heat pump module is configured to receive and store all transmitted heat pump module configuration information through its control unit. Therefore, each heat pump module is preferably configured to store the same number of heat pump module configuration information. In addition, each heat pump module is configured to determine a main control unit.

[0030] The term "master control unit" refers here to a control unit configured to transmit operational control information to a slave control unit. This means that the master control unit will have the right to decide how to operate the heat pump arrangement. However, each heat pump module is individually controlled by its control unit according to the command received from the master control unit. Therefore, the master control unit does not directly control every aspect of the individual heat pump modules. In other words, based on the operational control information, the slave control unit knows how to control its associated heat pump module. The master control unit can be configured to obtain a control law or control rule, and based on these control laws or control rules, the operational control information is transmitted to the corresponding slave control unit. Thus, the master control unit is configured to instruct the slave control unit so that the arrangement is controlled in a desired manner. The control law can be stored on the corresponding control unit or received from a remote server connected to a communication channel. In other words, as already described, the master control unit is configured to transmit the operational control information to the corresponding slave control unit, but the corresponding slave control unit is configured to control the associated heat pump module. The master control unit is also configured to control its associated heat pump module based on the operational control information. Therefore, for the purpose of controlling its own heat pump module, the master control unit does not have to receive any operational control information, as it already has access to the operational control information.

[0031] The master control unit may be determined by using pre-configured rules. The pre-configured rules may include information and / or rules that determine how the heat transfer arrangement configuration information should be processed and how the master control unit should be determined based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information.

[0032] This is advantageous because it allows simplified control of each of the plurality of heat pump modules. This is further advantageous because it allows simplified control of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement. By determining the master control unit, the master control unit is allowed to receive and / or determine operational control information and transmit the operational control information to the slave control units, so that the respective slave control units can control their associated heat pump modules based on the operational control information.

[0033] The operational control information may include control laws configured to be transmitted to the slave control units such that the slave control units may be configured to control operation of the associated heat pump module to operate in an operational mode. The operational mode may be common to all heat pump modules of the plurality of heat pump modules.

[0034] The operating mode may be defined by an input power (ie compressor capacity) which is common to all heat pump modules of the plurality of heat pump modules. This means that each heat pump module always operates with the same input power.

[0035] The method may further include individually controlling the operation of each heat pump module of the plurality of heat pump modules to allow each heat pump module to be operated in a corresponding operating mode.

[0036] The corresponding operation mode of each heat pump module may be based on a predetermined proportion of the maximum input power of the heat pump module, wherein the predetermined proportion is common to all heat pump modules. When the corresponding operation mode is based on a predetermined proportion, the operation control information may be the proportion, and each slave control unit must control the associated heat pump module based on the proportion.

[0037] The predetermined ratio may be based on the arrangement output power P required for the arrangement out And the total maximum input power of all heat pump modules in the heat transfer arrangement is determined. If the required arrangement output power is evenly distributed to the maximum input power of all heat pump modules, a predetermined ratio will be achieved. As described above, for this exemplary embodiment, the predetermined ratio is shared by all heat pump modules. Therefore, if the predetermined ratio is 50% of the maximum arrangement output power, each heat pump module should operate with 50% of the corresponding maximum input power of the heat pump module. For example, if the maximum input power of a heat pump module is 3kW and the maximum input power of another heat pump module is 6kW, then the one heat pump module should operate with 1.5kW and the other heat pump module should operate with 3kW.

[0038] The respective predefined operating mode of each heat pump module may be based on a predetermined time sequence of alternating between a first state in which the heat pump module is not operating and a second state in which the heat pump module is operating at a predetermined input power.

[0039] The term "slave control unit" refers herein to a control unit which, as already mentioned, is configured to control its associated heat pump module based on the received operational control information transmitted by the master control unit. The slave control unit may be configured to monitor the communication channel to obtain instructions from the master control unit. The method may further comprise receiving, by the slave control unit of each heat pump module, the operational control information from the master control unit and controlling the operation of the heat pump module based on the operational control information.

[0040] This is further advantageous as it allows for an efficient method for controlling a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement. This is yet further advantageous as it allows for controlling a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement in a simple and flexible manner.

[0041] This is still further advantageous because it allows a so-called "plug and play" configuration protocol to be provided. The term "plug and play" should be interpreted as a set of networking or communication protocols that allow networked or connected devices (such as control units of respective heat pump modules) to seamlessly discover each other's presence in an arrangement and establish functional network services (e.g., determining a master control unit as discussed above). The term "communication protocol" herein refers to a system of rules that allow a control unit to transmit information over, for example, a communication channel. The protocol may define the rules, syntax, semantics and synchronization of the communication and possible error recovery methods.

[0042] The step a) of transmitting the associated heat pump module configuration information on the communication channel by the control unit of each heat pump module may be performed based on a communication protocol.

[0043] The communication protocol conforms to the communication protocol as discussed above. The communication protocol can be Aloha or can be based on a listen before conversation (LBT) protocol. If the communication protocol is Aloha, the method may include starting a first timer and transmitting the heat pump module configuration information when the first timer expires. Therefore, the communication protocol may determine the time period when the communication channel is "open" so that the heat pump configuration information can be transmitted. The length of this time period is typically 1 to 60 seconds. If the communication protocol is the LBT protocol, the listener before conversation may declare when the communication channel is idle so that the heat pump module configuration information can be transmitted. However, it should be noted that other random access protocols may also be used.

[0044] As mentioned previously, a so-called "plug and play" configuration protocol may be provided. Such a "plug and play" protocol may be advantageous because it allows the arrangement to be controlled in a simple, efficient and precise manner when modules are replaced, added or removed from the arrangement. This is further advantageous because it allows the arrangement to be controlled in a flexible manner.

[0045] This is further advantageous as it allows reducing interference on the communication channel in a robust manner.

[0046] The method may further include determining a number of heat pump modules connected via the communication channel, and wherein the operational control information may be based on the number of heat pump modules.

[0047] This is advantageous because it allows accurate and efficient control laws to determine the operation control information to be transmitted to the slave control unit. Once the control law is accurate and efficient, the operation control information can also be accurate and efficient, thereby providing accurate and efficient control of the arrangement. This is particularly advantageous when controlling each heat pump module to operate with the same input power. The operation control information of each heat pump module can be determined based on the number N of heat pump modules operated in the arrangement and the total input power P of all heat pump modules of the arrangement. Assume that the heat transfer arrangement includes N heat pump modules. In order to achieve the required outlet temperature on the hot fluid side, the total input power P of the heat transfer arrangement is required. The main control unit can transmit the operation control information to the corresponding slave control unit to indicate that the slave control unit controls the operation of the associated heat pump module so that each heat pump module operates in an operation mode shared by all heat pump modules. Preferably, each heat pump module is supplied with the same input power. Therefore, if the total input power P is evenly distributed to the N heat pump modules operating in the heat transfer arrangement, each heat pump module will operate in an operation mode so that each heat pump module uses a common input power equal to P / N.

[0048] It should be noted that the number of heat pump modules included in the arrangement is dynamic, for example, if one or more heat pump modules are added to or removed from the arrangement, the number of heat pump modules may change. In addition, a heat pump module included in the arrangement may be replaced by another heat pump module, so that the number of heat pump modules is the same, but the heat transfer arrangement configuration information may be different.

[0049] If a new heat pump module is added to the arrangement, the number of heat pump modules increases by one, i.e., N=N+1. The added heat pump module may have to perform steps a) to c) as discussed above, so that the added heat pump module can have the same heat transfer arrangement configuration information stored in its memory as other heat pump modules previously included in the arrangement. In addition, the heat pump module previously included in the arrangement may have to update its stored heat transfer arrangement configuration information to include heat pump module configuration information related to the added heat pump module. Therefore, the previously existing heat pump module may have to perform steps a) to c). Thereafter, the arrangement may have to determine whether a new master controller should be designated based on the updated heat transfer arrangement configuration information.

[0050] If replacement of a heat pump module has occurred, steps a) to c) may have to be provided for both the added heat pump module and the pre-existing heat pump module so that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information can be updated as discussed above.

[0051] If a heat pump module has been removed from the arrangement, the number of heat pump modules may be reduced by one, i.e. N = N - 1. In this case, steps a) to c) may have to be provided by previously existing heat pump modules, which may still be included in the arrangement so that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information may be updated as discussed above.

[0052] In all the above cases, a new master control unit may be determined based on the updated heat transfer arrangement configuration information.

[0053] Prior to step d) of determining the master control unit, the method may further comprise repeating steps a) to c).

[0054] This is advantageous because it allows verification that the stored heat pump module configuration information has been stored in a correct manner. This is further advantageous because it allows an improved and accurate method to be provided. However, it should be noted that if steps a) to c) are repeated, the arrangement and control unit can be aware of the repetition. Each control unit can know the number of times that the heat pump module configuration information has been received from other control units in a plurality of control units. By way of example, if the repetition of steps a) to c) has been performed a predetermined number of times (e.g., 3 times, 4 times, or 5 times), each control unit has known the predetermined number of times that the heat pump module configuration information has been received from each of the other control units in a plurality of control units. Based on the received heat pump module configuration information, a majority decision can be performed so that the heat pump module configuration information associated with each heat pump module can be determined. By way of example, if the repetition of steps a) to c) has been performed five times, and the heat pump module configuration information is different in one of them, a decision can be made to designate the heat pump module configuration information received in the other 4 times as the "correct" heat pump module configuration information, on which basis it is decided which heat pump module should be the main control unit. Preferably, although the heat pump module configuration information has been received multiple times, one piece of heat pump module configuration information associated with each control unit is stored in the corresponding memory.

[0055] The repetition of steps a) to c) may be performed a random number of times, preferably an equal number of times for each heat pump module.

[0056] The repetition of steps a) to c) may be performed a predefined number of times or repeatedly performed during a predefined time period.

[0057] This is advantageous because it allows control of the number of repetitions or timer periods that should be performed. For example, the repetitions of steps a) to c) may be performed 5 to 10 times. However, it should be noted that the repetitions of steps a) to c) may also be performed other times.

[0058] If the repetition of steps a) to c) is performed during a predefined time period, the method may further comprise starting a second timer, preferably when step a) is performed for the first time, wherein the repetition of steps a) to c) is performed until the second timer expires. Thus, the second timer may be set to expire after ten minutes etc. The second timer may be set to expire after any predefined time period. Preferably, the second timer is set to expire after 1 to 60 minutes.

[0059] The repetition of steps a) to c) may be performed in response to the heat transfer arrangement configuration information retrieved from at least two heat pump modules being verified to be different.

[0060] This is advantageous as it allows detecting if there is a problem with the arrangement or one or more of the heat pump modules.

[0061] The repetition of steps a) to c) may be performed in response to two or more control units being determined as the master control unit. This may occur when the output in step d) differs between the two or more control units. If this situation occurs, the method may therefore be adapted to resolve the situation by performing steps a) to c) again. This may be performed until only one control unit is determined as the master control unit.

[0062] Verification can be performed by following these steps:

[0063] f) transmitting, by the control unit of each heat pump module, heat transfer arrangement configuration information stored in a corresponding memory on a communication channel;

[0064] g) receiving, by a control unit of each heat pump module, heat transfer arrangement configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules; and

[0065] h) Comparing the received heat transfer arrangement configuration information to verify that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of all heat pump modules is the same.

[0066] This may be referred to as a validation procedure, which is configured to validate that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of all heat pump modules is identical. This is advantageous because it allows verification whether there is a problem with the arrangement or one or more of the heat pump modules.

[0067] If it is determined that the heat transfer module configuration information is different between at least two heat pump modules, verification can be performed by following the steps below:

[0068] The control units of at least two heat pump modules transmit heat transfer arrangement configuration information stored in corresponding memories on a communication channel;

[0069] receiving, by the control units of at least two heat pump modules, the heat transfer arrangement configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules; and

[0070] The received heat transfer arrangement configuration information is compared to verify that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of at least two heat pump modules is the same.

[0071] In other words, only heat pump modules for which the heat transfer arrangement configuration information is determined to be different participate in the validation procedure. This is advantageous because it allows for a simplified and efficient validation procedure.

[0072] The step f) of transmitting the heat transfer arrangement configuration information on the communication channel by the control unit of each heat pump module may be performed based on another communication protocol. The other communication protocol may be the same as the communication protocol used for step a), but may alternatively be different. This is advantageous because it allows reducing interference on the communication channel in a robust manner, thereby also making the confirmation procedure fast.

[0073] Steps f) to h) may be performed in response to the heat pump module receiving a trigger signal.

[0074] The trigger signal can be output from the main control unit or at least initiated by the main control unit. The trigger signal can be output in response to the expiration of the third timer. The third timer can be set to start after step e) has been performed, so that the time period in which the arrangement is running can be determined. Preferably, when the third timer expires, all heat pump modules can be configured to report their operation and their heat pump module configuration information and / or their heat transfer arrangement configuration information, so as to verify that the arrangement is still running as required. The third timer can be set to expire in a few hours or days (such as 1 to 24 hours or 1 to 5 days). The trigger signal can be output in response to an error event detected in one of the heat pump modules. The trigger signal can be output in response to a request from a remote server, so that the confirmation program to be executed can be triggered in this way.

[0075] This is advantageous because it allows detecting that the arrangement is always operating in the desired manner. This is further advantageous because it allows detecting if there is a problem with the arrangement or one or more heat pump modules comprised in the arrangement.

[0076] This is further advantageous as it allows for simplified addition or removal of heat pump modules to or from the arrangement as discussed above. This also simplifies maintenance and updating of the heat transfer arrangement.

[0077] The identification data may include an identification number, a serial number, a media access control (MAC) address, and / or a universally unique identifier (UUID). The identification number may be one or more numbers, one or more letters, or a combination thereof. This is advantageous because it allows each heat pump module to have unique identification data associated with a particular heat pump module.

[0078] Step d) of determining the master control unit may be based on associated identification data of a plurality of heat pump modules.

[0079] The master control unit may be determined by using a pre-defined rule. The pre-defined rule may receive as input data respective identification data of a plurality of heat pump modules and based on the received identification data the pre-configured rule may output which control unit should be the master control unit.

[0080] The method may further include heat pump module operation specific data that may be associated with the associated heat pump module. Heat pump module operation specific data may include the maximum input power, minimum input power, cooling medium required for the associated heat pump module, capacity, etc., associated with the associated heat pump module. As described above, the identification data is also specific to the corresponding heat pump module, but not specific to the operation. By way of example, the maximum input power may be 3 to 12 kW. However, it may also be other maximum input powers. By way of example, the minimum input power may be 1 to 3 kW. However, it may also be other minimum input powers.

[0081] Step d) of determining the master control unit may be based on said heat pump operation specific data.

[0082] By way of example, the predetermined rule may receive as input data respective heat pump operation specific data of a plurality of heat pump modules, and based on the received heat pump operation specific data, the preconfigured rule may output which control unit should be the master control unit. This is advantageous because it allows determining the control unit associated with the heat pump module having, for example, the highest maximum input power. Thus, it may be controlled which control unit is the master control unit based on the operation specific data.

[0083] By way of example, the predetermined rule may receive as input data the heat pump module configuration information of the respective heat pump module, and based on the received heat pump module configuration information, the preconfigured rule may output which control unit should be the master control unit. Thus, the predetermined rule may be formulated such that it combines identification data with heat pump operation specific data in order to determine that the control unit is the master control unit. This may be advantageous if, for example, all heat pump modules have the same maximum input power and the heat pump modules need to be distinguished from each other such that one control unit is determined to be the master control unit.

[0084] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, these and other objects are also achieved in whole or at least in part by a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement, the modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement comprising a plurality of heat pump modules, each heat pump module comprising a control unit and a memory in which heat pump module configuration information related to an associated heat pump module is stored, the heat pump module configuration information comprising at least identification data unique to the associated heat pump module, and wherein the control unit of each heat pump module is connected to each control unit of other heat pump modules via a communication channel,

[0085] The control unit of each heat pump module is configured as follows:

[0086] transmitting associated heat pump module configuration information over a communication channel;

[0087] receiving associated heat pump module configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules;

[0088] storing said received heat pump module configuration information on a memory of an associated heat pump module so as to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information in said memory, the heat transfer arrangement configuration information comprising heat pump module configuration information for each heat pump module of the arrangement; and

[0089] determining a master control unit selected from the control units of the plurality of heat pump modules based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information, wherein one or more control units different from the master control unit are defined as slave control units;

[0090] The determined master control unit is configured to transmit the operation control information to the slave control unit.

[0091] The slave control unit of each heat pump module may be further configured to control the operation of the associated heat pump module based on the operation control information received from the master control unit.

[0092] The control unit of each heat pump module may be connected to the control units of other heat pump modules via a communication channel by wire or wirelessly.

[0093] The effects and features of this second aspect are generally similar to those described above in conjunction with the first aspect. The embodiments mentioned about the first aspect are generally compatible with the second aspect. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the inventive concept relates to all possible combinations of features. According to the detailed description given below, the further scope of application of the present invention will become clear. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, although indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are only given in an illustrative manner, because those of ordinary skill in the art will be aware of various changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention based on the detailed description.

[0094] Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific parts of the described equipment or the steps of the described method, because such equipment and methods can be changed. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. It must be noted that, unless the context clearly stipulates otherwise, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the articles "one", "an", "the" and "said" are intended to mean the presence of one or more elements. Thus, for example, a reference to a "unit" or "the unit" may include several devices, etc. In addition, the words "comprise", "include", "contain" and similar expressions do not exclude other elements or steps.

[0095] In short, the present invention may also relate to a method for controlling the operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement, the modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement comprising a plurality of heat pump modules, the plurality of heat pump modules comprising a control unit and a memory, the control unit being connected to each control unit of other heat pump modules via a communication channel, the memory storing heat pump module configuration information associated with the associated heat pump module, the method comprising: a) transmitting the associated heat pump module configuration information on the communication channel; b) receiving the associated heat pump module configuration information; c) storing the received heat pump module configuration information to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information; d) determining a master control unit selected from the control units based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information, control units different from the master control unit being defined as slave control units; and e) transmitting operation control information from the master control unit to the slave control unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] The present disclosure will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which show currently preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0097] Figure 1 A modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement is demonstrated.

[0098] Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0099] The present invention will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to the technical recipient. Throughout this application, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0100] refer to Figure 1, a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100 is shown by way of example. The modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100 is preferably used for providing heating and / or cooling and / or providing tap water, etc. to a building. In the following, the modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100 is also referred to as "heat transfer arrangement 100" or "arrangement 100".

[0101] The heat transfer arrangement 100 comprises a cold side and a hot side. The cold side comprises a first inlet coupling pipe 111 and a first outlet coupling pipe 112. The cold side is connected to the cold fluid side 101 via the first inlet coupling pipe 111 and the first outlet coupling pipe 112, thereby forming a cold side fluid recirculation path 103. The hot side comprises a second inlet coupling pipe 122 and a second outlet coupling pipe 121. The hot side is connected to the hot fluid side 102 via the second inlet coupling pipe 122 and the second outlet coupling pipe 121, thereby forming a hot side fluid recirculation path 104.

[0102] The first inlet coupling pipe 111 is configured to supply a cold side first fluid from the cold fluid side 101 to the heat transfer arrangement 100. The first outlet coupling pipe 112 is configured to supply a cold side second fluid from the heat transfer arrangement 100 to the cold fluid side 101. Thereby, a cold side fluid recirculation path 103 is formed. The cold side first fluid is preferably warmer than the cold side second fluid.

[0103] The second outlet connecting pipe 121 is configured to supply the hot side first fluid from the heat transfer arrangement 100 to the hot fluid side 102. The second inlet connecting pipe 122 is configured to supply the hot side second fluid from the hot fluid side 102 to the heat transfer arrangement 100. Thereby, a hot side recirculation path 104 is formed. The hot side first fluid is preferably warmer than the hot side second fluid.

[0104] The fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100 may be a fluid-fluid heat pump arrangement configured to provide heat to a hot side fluid to heat the hot side fluid. The fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100 may be a fluid-fluid cooling pump arrangement configured to remove heat from a cold side fluid to cool the cold side fluid.

[0105] For a typical heating application of the arrangement 100, the cold fluid side 101 can be an evolution of a district heating system and a district cooling system, wherein a combined district heating and district cooling system, by means of using a heat pump for heating and cooling, can simultaneously provide cooling, heating and water preparation for a building. The cold fluid side 101 can be connected to a downhole heat exchanger or a borehole heat exchanger. For a typical heating application of the arrangement 100, the hot fluid side 102 can be a heating system in a building, such as a radiator or a water system.

[0106] For a typical cooling application of the arrangement 100, the cold fluid side 101 may be a cooling system in a building. For a typical cooling application of the arrangement 100, the hot fluid side 102 may be an evolution of a district heating system and a district cooling system, wherein a combined district heating and district cooling system, by using a heat pump for heating and cooling, can simultaneously provide cooling, heating and water preparation for a building. The hot fluid side 102 may be connected to a downhole heat exchanger or a borehole heat exchanger.

[0107] The heat transfer arrangement 100 further includes two heat pump modules 130a, 130b. However, it should be noted that, although not shown, the heat transfer arrangement 100 may include more than two heat pump modules 130a, 130b. Each heat pump module 130a, 130b includes a first inlet port 131a and a first outlet port 131b and a second inlet port 132b and a second outlet port 132a. The first inlet port 131a and the first outlet port 131b are connected to the first inlet coupling pipe 111 and the first outlet coupling pipe 112, respectively. The second inlet port 132b and the second outlet port 132a are connected to the second inlet coupling pipe 122 and the second outlet coupling pipe 121, respectively.

[0108] When using the heat transfer arrangement 100, the two heat pump modules 130a, 130b are connected in parallel to each other. This is achieved by the respective first inlet ports 131a and first outlet ports 131b of the two heat pump modules connected to the first inlet coupling pipe 111 and the first outlet coupling pipe 112, respectively, and the respective second inlet ports 132b and second outlet ports 132a of the two heat pump modules connected to the second inlet coupling pipe 122 and the second outlet coupling pipe 121, respectively.

[0109] Each heat pump module 130a, 130b further includes a refrigerant recirculation circuit 134. The refrigerant recirculation circuit 134 includes a first heat exchanger unit 135 and a second heat exchanger unit 137 as well as a compressor 136 and an expander 138. The first heat exchanger unit 135 is fluidly connected to the first inlet port 131a and the first outlet port 131b. Therefore, the first heat exchanger 135 is connected to the first inlet coupling pipe 111 and the first outlet coupling pipe 112 via the first inlet port 131a and the first outlet port 131b, respectively. The second heat exchanger unit 137 is fluidly connected to the second inlet port 132b and the second outlet port 132a. Therefore, the second heat exchanger unit 137 is connected to the second inlet coupling pipe 122 and the second outlet coupling pipe 121 via the second inlet port 132b and the second outlet port 132a, respectively.

[0110] The refrigerant circulation loop 134 preferably circulates the refrigerant through the first heat exchanger unit 135, the compressor 136, the second heat exchanger unit 137 and the expander 138. In the first heat exchanger unit 135, the refrigerant and the cold-side first fluid are configured to exchange thermal energy between each other, so that the temperature of the refrigerant increases and the temperature of the cold-side first fluid decreases, thereby forming the cold-side second fluid. Therefore, the cold-side first fluid and the cold-side second fluid are typically the same fluid that has been supplied by the first heat exchanger unit 135 of the heat transfer arrangement 100, in which the heat energy exchange occurs between the cold-side first fluid and the refrigerant.

[0111] The cold side second fluid circulates to the cold fluid side 101 in the cold side recirculation path 103. From the first heat exchanger unit 135, the refrigerant circulates to a compressor 136, which is configured to increase the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant even further before supplying the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger unit 137. In the second heat exchanger unit 137, the refrigerant and the hot side first fluid are configured to exchange thermal energy between each other, so that the temperature of the refrigerant decreases and the temperature of the hot side first fluid increases, thereby forming the hot side second fluid. Therefore, the hot side first fluid and the hot side second fluid are typically the same fluid that has been supplied by the second heat exchanger unit 137 of the heat transfer arrangement 100, in which the exchange of thermal energy between the hot side fluid and the refrigerant occurs.

[0112] The hot side first fluid circulates in the hot side recirculation path 104 to the hot fluid side 102. From the second heat exchanger unit 137, the refrigerant circulates to the expander 138, which is configured to control the amount of refrigerant released into the first heat exchanger unit 135.

[0113] Each heat pump module 130a, 130b further includes a control unit 133 and a memory 139. The control unit 133 is configured to control the operation of the associated heat pump module 130a, 130b. Figure 1 As depicted by the dashed lines in FIG. 1 , the control units 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b are connected to each other. The dashed lines represent the communication channel 140, that is, the control units 133 are connected to each other through the communication channel 140. The control units 133 may be connected by wire or wirelessly through the communication channel 140.

[0114] The memory 139 is configured to store heat pump module configuration information. The heat pump module configuration information may include identification data unique to the associated heat pump modules 130a, 130b. The heat pump module configuration information may include heat pump module operation specific data associated with the associated heat pump modules 130a, 130b. The identification data may include an identification number, a serial number, a media access control (MAC) address, and / or a universal unique identifier (UUID). The heat pump module operation specific data may include the maximum input power and / or the minimum input power and / or the required cooling medium associated with the associated heat pump modules 130a, 130b. The memory 139 may be included in the associated control unit 133, or may be arranged separately from the associated control unit 133 as shown, but connected thereto.

[0115] refer to Figure 2 , by way of example, shows a flow chart of a method 200 for controlling the operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100. The modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100 corresponds to the method 200 of controlling the operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement 100. Figure 1 The arrangement presented.

[0116] The method 200 includes a) transmitting the associated heat pump module configuration information on the communication channel 140 by the control unit 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b. Thereafter, the method 200 includes b) receiving the associated heat pump module configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules 130a, 130b in the plurality of heat pump modules 130a, 130b by the control unit 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b. Thereafter, the method 200 includes c) storing the received heat pump module configuration information on the memory 139 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b. By storing the associated heat pump module configuration information on the corresponding memory, each control unit 133 is configured to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information, which includes the heat pump module configuration information of each heat pump module 130a, 130b. In step d), a master control unit is determined based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information. The master control unit is selected from the control units 133 of the plurality of heat pump modules 130a, 130b. One or more control units 133 different from the master control unit (ie, one or more control units 133 that are not the master control unit) are defined as slave control units. In step e), the master control unit is configured to transmit operation control information to the slave control units.

[0117] The step d) of determining the master control unit may be based on a combination of Figure 1 The step d) of determining the master control unit may be based on the associated identification data of the plurality of heat pump modules 130a, 130b in question. Figure 1 Data specific to the operation of the heat pump in question.

[0118] Optionally, although not shown, before step d), the method 200 may include determining the number of heat pump modules 130a, 130b connected via the communication channel 140. The operation control information to be transmitted by the main control unit may be based on the number of heat pump modules 130a, 130b connected via the communication channel 140.

[0119] Optionally, before step a), the method 200 may include connecting the control units 133 to each other through the communication channel 140 (S206).

[0120] Optionally, before step a), method 200 may include starting a second timer (S207). The second timer may be set to expire after a predetermined time period (e.g., five to ten minutes or any other suitable time period). The second timer is preferably set to expire after 1 to 60 minutes.

[0121] Optionally, before step d), the method 200 may include repeating steps a) to c). Repeating steps a) to c) may be performed a predefined number of times. Repeating steps a) to c) may be performed during a predefined time period. If a second timer is started (S207), repeating steps a) to c) may be performed until the second timer has expired (S208). The repetition of steps a) to c) may be performed in response to the heat transfer arrangement configuration information retrieved from the at least two heat pump modules 130a, 130b being verified to be different.

[0122] Optionally, before step d), the method 200 may include performing a confirmation procedure in three steps f) to h) to verify whether the heat transfer arrangement configuration information retrieved from at least two heat pump modules 130a, 130b is different. In step f), the control unit 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b is configured to transmit the heat transfer arrangement configuration information stored on the corresponding memory 139 on the communication channel 140. Thereafter, in step g), the control unit 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b is configured to receive the heat transfer arrangement configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules 130a, 130b. In step h), the received heat transfer arrangement configuration information is compared to verify that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of all heat pump modules 130a, 130b is the same. Steps f) to h) may be performed in response to the heat pump module 130a, 130b receiving a trigger signal.

[0123] If the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of all heat pump modules 130a, 130b is verified to be the same, step d) may be provided.

[0124] If the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of all heat pump modules 130a, 130b is verified to be different, the timer (if any) may be reset and restarted, and the repetition of steps a) to c) may be performed again as discussed above.

[0125] The step a) of transmitting the associated heat pump module configuration information on the communication channel 140 by the control unit 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b is preferably performed based on a communication protocol. The step f) of transmitting the heat transfer arrangement configuration information on the communication channel 140 by the control unit 133 of each heat pump module 130a, 130b is preferably performed based on another communication protocol. The other communication protocol may be the same as the communication protocol used in step a), but may alternatively be different.

[0126] Even if shown and described in a particular order, other orders may be used.

[0127] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, when practicing the claimed invention based on a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A method (200) for controlling the operation of a modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100), wherein: The fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100) comprises a plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b), each heat pump module (130a, 130b) comprising a control unit (133) and a memory (139), in which heat pump module configuration information related to the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b) is stored, the heat pump module configuration information comprising at least identification data unique to the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b), and wherein the control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) is connected to each control unit (133) of other heat pump modules (130a, 130b) in the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b) via a communication channel (140), The method (200) comprises: a) transmitting, by the control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b), associated heat pump module configuration information on the communication channel (140); b) receiving, by a control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b), the associated heat pump module configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules (130a, 130b) in the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b); c) storing the received heat pump module configuration information in a memory (139) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) so as to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information in the memory (139), the heat transfer arrangement configuration information comprising the heat pump module configuration information of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) of the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b); d) determining a master control unit selected from the control units (133) of the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b) based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information, wherein one or more control units (133) different from the master control unit are defined as slave control units; and e) Transmitting operational control information from the master control unit to the slave control units.

2. The method (200) according to claim 1, wherein: The step a) of transmitting the associated heat pump module configuration information on the communication channel (140) by the control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) is performed based on a communication protocol.

3. The method (200) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising determining the number of heat pump modules (130a, 130b) connected via the communication channel (140), and wherein, The operation control information is based on the number of the heat pump modules (130a, 130b).

4. The method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Before step d) of determining the master control unit, the method further comprises repeating steps a) to c).

5. The method (200) according to claim 4, wherein: Steps a) to c) are repeated a predefined number of times or during a predefined time period.

6. The method (200) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: Repetition of steps a) to c) is performed in response to heat transfer arrangement configuration information retrieved from at least two heat pump modules (130a, 130b) being verified to be different.

7. The method (200) of claim 6, wherein: This verification is performed by the following steps: f) transmitting, by the control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b), the heat transfer arrangement configuration information stored in the corresponding memory (139) on the communication channel (140); g) receiving, by a control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b), the heat transfer arrangement configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules (130a, 130b); as well as h) comparing the received heat transfer arrangement configuration information to verify that the heat transfer arrangement configuration information of all heat pump modules (130a, 130b) is the same.

8. The method (200) of claim 7, wherein: The steps according to claim 7 are performed in response to the heat pump modules (130a, 130b) receiving a trigger signal.

9. The method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The identification data includes an identification number, a serial number, a media access control MAC address and / or a universally unique identifier UUID.

10. The method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The step d) of determining the master control unit is based on associated identification data of the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b).

11. The method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The heat pump module configuration information further includes heat pump module operation specific data related to the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b).

12. The method (200) of claim 11, wherein: The step d) of determining the master control unit is based on said heat pump operation specific data.

13. A modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100), the modular fluid-fluid heat transfer arrangement comprising a plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b), each heat pump module (130a, 130b) comprising a control unit (133) and a memory (139), in which heat pump module configuration information related to the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b) is stored, the heat pump module configuration information comprising at least identification data unique to the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b), and wherein: The control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) is connected to each control unit (133) of other heat pump modules (130a, 130b) via a communication channel (140), The control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) is configured to: transmitting associated heat pump module configuration information over the communication channel (140); receiving the associated heat pump module configuration information transmitted from each of the other heat pump modules (130a, 130b); storing the received heat pump module configuration information on a memory (139) of the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b) so as to provide heat transfer arrangement configuration information in the memory (139), the heat transfer arrangement configuration information comprising heat pump module configuration information for each heat pump module (130a, 130b) of the arrangement (100); and Determining a master control unit selected from the control units (133) of the plurality of heat pump modules (130a, 130b) based on the heat transfer arrangement configuration information, wherein one or more control units (133) different from the master control unit are defined as slave control units; The determined master control unit is configured to transmit operation control information to the slave control units.

14. The modular fluid-to-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100) of claim 13, wherein: The slave control unit of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) is further configured to control the operation of the associated heat pump module (130a, 130b) based on the operation control information received from the master control unit.

15. A modular fluid-to-fluid heat transfer arrangement (100) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: The control unit (133) of each heat pump module (130a, 130b) is connected to the control units (133) of the other heat pump modules (130a, 130b) via the communication channel (140) by wire or wirelessly.

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