Intelligent circulating hot water system for residence large flat layer and villa building

Abstract

The utility model relates to an intelligent circulating hot water system for residence large flat floors and villa buildings, and aims to solve the problem of how to improve water use experience of users and reduce unnecessary energy consumption of a hot water circulating system at the same time. The scheme of the utility model mainly comprises: a heat supply unit, which is used for heating entering hot water and comprises a circulating pump; the water supply pipeline comprises a cold water pipeline and a hot water circulating pipeline, the hot water circulating pipeline comprises a hot water pipeline, a hot water return pipeline and a plurality of unit branch pipes, the circulating pump is arranged on the hot water return pipeline, and the two ends of each unit branch pipe are connected with the hot water pipeline and the hot water return pipeline respectively. The unit branch pipes correspond to the water consumption units; for at least part of the water consumption units, the water supply system further comprises a photoelectric sensor arranged in the water consumption unit space; the cut-off valves are arranged on the unit branch pipes; and the temperature sensors are arranged on the unit branch pipes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of indoor water technology, specifically relating to an intelligent circulating hot water system for residential single-level apartments and villas. Background Technology

[0002] As cities develop, people's demand for improving their quality of life is increasing, especially for residential facilities such as water supply systems, where the experience is becoming more and more demanding.

[0003] In large apartments and multi-story buildings, such as large villas, to shorten hot water delivery time and improve the hot water experience, current designs often use a large-scale hot water circulation system where all hot water pipes and water appliances are connected in series. However, this commonly used system has several problems: 1) The hot water system is a large, integrated system. If the homeowner wants to shut off the cold and hot water valves in a few bathrooms due to fewer residents, this is not possible. 2) The hot water system must fill all hot water pipes to ensure timely hot water supply. 3) Buried (wall-embedded) pipes cannot be insulated, causing them to continuously release heat into the environment. The water heater must replenish this lost heat, increasing the system's energy consumption. 4) Long hot water pipes result in significant resistance loss. The length of the cold water pipe at each appliance is already uneven with the length of the hot water pipe. Fluctuations in hot water volume (and cold water volume) can lead to pressure imbalances and unstable water temperatures.

[0004] In summary, the existing technology struggles to balance the contradiction between poor user experience and high system energy consumption. The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent circulating hot water system for large-scale residential apartments and villas to improve the user experience while reducing unnecessary energy consumption in the hot water circulation system. Utility Model Content

[0005] Based on the above analysis, this utility model embodiment aims to solve the problem of how to improve the user's water experience while reducing unnecessary energy consumption of the hot water circulation system.

[0006] A smart circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas is provided, comprising multiple water-using units, each water-using unit having at least one water-using appliance, including:

[0007] Heating unit, used to heat incoming hot water, includes a circulation pump;

[0008] Water supply pipelines, including cold water pipelines and hot water circulation pipelines;

[0009] The cold water pipeline includes a main cold water pipe and multiple branch cold water pipes. The main cold water pipe is connected to the water appliances in the corresponding water-using unit through each of the branch cold water pipes.

[0010] The hot water circulation pipeline includes a hot water pipeline, a hot water return pipeline, and multiple unit branch pipes. The hot water pipeline is connected from the outlet of the heating unit to each of the water-using units. The hot water return pipeline is connected from the inlet of the heating unit to each of the water-using units. The circulation pump is installed on the hot water return pipeline. The two ends of the unit branch pipe are respectively connected to the hot water pipeline and the hot water return pipeline. The unit branch pipe corresponds to the water-using unit.

[0011] For at least a portion of the water-using units, it further includes:

[0012] A photoelectric sensor is installed in the water-using unit space, and the photoelectric sensor is used to determine whether there is a person in the water-using unit.

[0013] A shut-off valve is installed on the branch pipe of the unit to control the on / off state of the pipeline;

[0014] A temperature sensor is installed on the branch pipe of the unit.

[0015] In some embodiments, the heating unit includes a heating device and a heat storage device. The inlet of the heating device is connected to the hot water return pipe. The cold water pipe is connected to the inlet of the heating device through the hot water return pipe. The outlet of the heating device is connected to the inlet of the heat storage device. The outlet of the heat storage device is connected to the hot water pipe.

[0016] The thermal storage device is equipped with a temperature sensor.

[0017] In some embodiments, a check valve and a flow switch are provided on the pipeline between the cold water pipeline and the hot water return pipeline. The flow switch is used to feed back an electrical signal based on the water flow to the controller.

[0018] In some embodiments, the unit branch pipe is provided with a plurality of hot water branch pipes, and the unit branch pipe is connected to the water appliances in the corresponding water-using unit through each hot water branch pipe.

[0019] In some embodiments, a first shut-off valve is provided at one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water pipe, and a second shut-off valve is provided at one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water return pipe. The connection point between the hot water branch pipe and the unit branch pipe is located between the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve.

[0020] In some embodiments, the hot water pipeline is connected to each of the water-using units in a first sequence starting from the heating unit, and the hot water return pipeline is connected to each of the water-using units in a second sequence starting from the heating unit, wherein the second sequence is the reverse of the first sequence.

[0021] The above embodiments of this utility model have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0022] This utility model embodiment can obtain information about whether there is a person in the water-using unit through a photoelectric sensor, and obtain hot water temperature information through the temperature sensor. Based on the information about whether there is a person in the water-using unit and / or the hot water temperature information, the circulation pump and the shut-off valve are controlled to open and close. This allows for precise and targeted circulation heating control of each water-using unit. On the one hand, it can quickly meet the user's hot water needs, and on the other hand, it can avoid unnecessary pipeline circulation and reduce energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of this specification. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an intelligent circulating hot water system for residential single-level apartments and villas, provided as an embodiment of the present utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. It should be noted that, without conflict, the implementation methods and features in the implementation methods of this disclosure can be combined, separated, interchanged, and / or rearranged. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0026] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well. Furthermore, when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” and variations thereof are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or groups thereof, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or groups thereof. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than as terms of degree, thus explaining the inherent biases in measurements, calculated values, and / or provided values ​​that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0027] The present disclosure will be described below through several specific embodiments. To keep the following description of the embodiments of the present invention clear and concise, detailed descriptions of known functions and components are omitted. Please refer to... Figure 1 This utility model provides an intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas, which has multiple water-using units, such as... Figure 1 Water-using units 1 to n in the [context], each water-using unit having at least one water-using appliance, including:

[0028] The heating unit 100 is used to heat the incoming hot water and includes a circulation pump 105.

[0029] Water supply pipeline 200 includes cold water pipeline 201 and hot water circulation pipeline.

[0030] The cold water pipeline 201 includes a main cold water pipe and multiple branch cold water pipes. The main cold water pipe is connected to the water appliances in the corresponding water-using unit through each of the branch cold water pipes. Preferably, the branch cold water pipes may also have multiple levels of branch pipes.

[0031] The hot water circulation pipeline includes a hot water pipeline 202, a hot water return pipeline 203, and multiple unit branch pipes. The hot water pipeline 202 connects to each of the water-using units from the outlet of the heating unit 100, and the hot water return pipeline 203 connects to each of the water-using units from the inlet of the heating unit 100. The circulation pump 105 is installed on the hot water return pipeline 203. The two ends of each unit branch pipe are connected to the hot water pipeline 202 and the hot water return pipeline 203, respectively, and each unit branch pipe corresponds to a water-using unit. The circulation pump 105 is only installed on the hot water return pipeline 203 to avoid hot water being added to the cold water pipeline due to improper installation with the cold water pipe, which would contaminate the cold water temperature.

[0032] Furthermore, this invention allows for individual control of each water-using unit. For example, a bathroom can be a unit capable of independent circulating heating, with valves controlling both the hot water supply and return.

[0033] For at least a portion of the water-using units, it further includes:

[0034] A photoelectric sensor is installed within the water-using unit space, such as... Figure 1 G-1~n in;

[0035] A shut-off valve 204 is installed on the unit branch pipe;

[0036] A temperature sensor is installed on the branch pipe of the unit, such as... Figure 1 In the T-1~n configuration, preferably, the temperature sensor is installed on one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water return pipe 203. This installation point is a temperature weak point further away from the water supply end for the water-using unit.

[0037] The intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas also includes a control unit 300, which includes a controller 301. The controller 301 is communicatively connected to the circulating pump 105, the photoelectric sensor, the shut-off valve 204, and the temperature sensor. The controller 301 is configured to control the opening and closing of the circulating pump 105 and the shut-off valve 204 based on a set mode or information about whether the water-using unit is occupied and / or hot water temperature information. The information about whether the water-using unit is occupied is determined by the photoelectric sensor, and the hot water temperature information is obtained by the temperature sensor.

[0038] It should be understood that water-using units include, for example, multiple rooms, bathrooms, and washrooms in a large apartment, and water-using appliances include, for example, shower heads, toilets, and kitchen faucets in each room.

[0039] In some embodiments, controlling the switching of the circulation pump 105 and the shut-off valve 204 based on information about whether the water-using unit is occupied and / or hot water temperature information includes:

[0040] If someone is detected in the first water-using unit, the water temperature of the unit branch pipe of the first water-using unit is obtained through the temperature sensor.

[0041] If the water temperature is lower than the set temperature T℃, the circulation pump 105 is started until the water temperature reaches T+2℃.

[0042] For example, when someone enters the detection range of the photoelectric sensor in the bathroom, the sensor outputs an electrical signal to the controller 301. The controller 301 then checks whether the temperature probe of this bathroom has reached T℃. If it is lower than the set temperature T℃, the circulation pump 1050 is started. When the temperature probe of this bathroom reaches the design temperature T+2℃, the circulation pump 1050 is stopped.

[0043] In some embodiments, during the startup of the circulation pump 105, if it is detected that no one is in other water-using units, the shut-off valve 204 in the other water-using units is controlled to close so that the water temperature of the first water-using unit is circulated and heated separately.

[0044] At this point, after the temperature probe detects the temperature at the most unfavorable point of this unit, and the temperature probes of other units are at suitable temperatures, the solenoid valve on the hot water supply pipe of this unit is opened only, allowing hot water circulation only in the hot water pipe of this unit. This achieves more precise control. On the one hand, it can heat the current water-using unit more quickly, improving the user experience; on the other hand, it can prevent other units that do not need heating from participating in the circulation, thus avoiding heat waste.

[0045] In some embodiments, controlling the switching of the circulation pump 105 and the shut-off valve 204 based on information about whether the water-using unit is occupied and / or hot water temperature information includes:

[0046] The water temperature in the branch pipes of all water-using units is obtained through each temperature sensor;

[0047] If the water temperature of only some of the second water-using units is lower than the set temperature, the circulation pump 105 is turned on, and the shut-off valve 204 of other water-using units is closed by the controller 301, so that only the water belonging to the second water-using units is circulated and heated.

[0048] In some embodiments, the heating unit 100 includes a heating device 101 and a heat storage device 102. The inlet of the heating device is connected to the hot water return pipe 203. The cold water pipe 201 is connected to the inlet of the heating device through the hot water return pipe 203. The outlet of the heating device is connected to the inlet of the heat storage device 102. The outlet of the heat storage device 102 is connected to the hot water pipe 202.

[0049] The thermal storage device 102 is equipped with a temperature sensor.

[0050] In some embodiments, a check valve 104 and a flow switch 103 are provided on the pipeline between the cold water pipeline 201 and the hot water return pipeline 203. The flow switch 103 is used to feed back an electrical signal based on the water flow to the controller 301.

[0051] This flow switch 103 can accurately monitor the water replenishment status of the hot water system. The hot water system is a closed system; if a water outlet activates the hot water valve, cold water must be supplied to the hot water system, thus enabling more accurate monitoring of the hot water usage.

[0052] In some embodiments, the unit branch pipe is provided with a plurality of hot water branch pipes, and the unit branch pipe is connected to the water appliance in the corresponding water unit through each hot water branch pipe. Preferably, both the hot water branch pipe and the cold water branch pipe are connected to the mixing valve before the water appliance.

[0053] In some embodiments, a first shut-off valve 204 is provided at one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water pipe 202, and a second shut-off valve 204 is provided at one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water return pipe 203. The connection point between the hot water branch pipe and the unit branch pipe is located between the first shut-off valve 204 and the second shut-off valve 204. By setting the two shut-off valves 204, the water supply unit can be completely shut off.

[0054] In some embodiments, the hot water pipe 202 is connected to each of the water-using units in a first-order sequence starting from the heating unit 100, and the hot water return pipe 203 is connected to each of the water-using units in a second-order sequence starting from the heating unit 100, where the second-order sequence is the reverse of the first-order sequence. This arrangement achieves a parallel arrangement of the hot water circulation pipes for each water-using unit, which is beneficial for temperature balance among the units. Furthermore, for this water-using unit, the ratio of cold water pipes to hot water pipes is closer than in a large-circulation mode, avoiding uneven hot and cold water pressure in some water-using units.

[0055] In some embodiments, the setting mode includes one of a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, a fourth mode, and a fifth mode;

[0056] The first mode includes: starting the circulation pump 105, and after a first set time period, switching to the mode before entering the first mode; the first set time period is, for example, five minutes.

[0057] The second mode includes: setting multiple time periods; within each time period, setting a first cycle of a specific duration; if the temperature sensor determines that the water temperature of any water-using unit is lower than the set temperature T℃ in each first cycle, then the circulation pump 105 is started until the temperature sensor return values ​​of all water-using units are T+2℃; multiple time periods include, for example, 7:05-8:10, 11:30-12:35, 17:10-18:40, 20:30-21:05, 22:55-23:50, etc. Initially, 10 (hypothetically) time periods can be set, with each period being 5 minutes as the first cycle. Within each set time period, if the temperature probe temperature of one unit is lower than T℃, then the circulation pump 105 is started. When the temperature probe temperatures of all units reach T+2℃, the circulation pump 105 stops working.

[0058] The third mode includes: setting a second cycle of a second specific duration; based on the trigger time period of the flow switch 103 in the previous second cycle, the controller 301 starts the circulation pump 105 in the corresponding time period of the current second cycle based on the trigger time period; the second specific duration is, for example, one week. For example: in the first week, the start signal of the flow switch 103 and the corresponding time are recorded, which can be used as the user's hot water usage time. If the user uses water between 7:00-9:00 and 20:00-22:00, this is recorded as the working period of the circulation pump 105. In the second week, based on the working period learned in the first week, the circulation pump 105 is started, ensuring that the temperature probe of each unit reaches the design temperature. At the same time, the water flow signal and start time of the flow switch 103 in the second week are recorded. In the third week, the working period of the circulation pump 105 in the third week is determined based on the start time recorded in the previous week. This mode has a reset signal to clear the recorded data.

[0059] The fourth mode includes: constantly monitoring the water temperature of each water-using unit; if the water temperature of any water-using unit is lower than the set temperature T℃, then start the circulation pump 105 until the temperature sensor return values ​​of all water-using units are T+2℃.

[0060] The fifth mode includes: if the water temperature in the thermal storage device 102 is lower than T℃, then the circulation pump 105 is started until the water temperature in the thermal storage device 102 reaches T+5℃.

[0061] This utility model embodiment can obtain information about whether there is a person in the water-using unit through a photoelectric sensor, and obtain hot water temperature information through the temperature sensor. Based on the information about whether there is a person in the water-using unit and / or the hot water temperature information, the circulation pump and the shut-off valve are controlled to open and close. This allows for precise and targeted circulation heating control of each water-using unit. On the one hand, it can quickly meet the user's hot water needs, and on the other hand, it can avoid unnecessary pipeline circulation and reduce energy consumption.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will further recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0063] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module can be located in random access memory (RAM), main memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

[0064] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of this utility model. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A smart circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas, comprising multiple water-using units, each water-using unit having at least one water-using appliance, characterized in that, include: Heating unit, used to heat incoming hot water, includes a circulation pump; Water supply pipelines, including cold water pipelines and hot water circulation pipelines; The cold water pipeline includes a main cold water pipe and multiple branch cold water pipes. The main cold water pipe is connected to the water appliances in the corresponding water-using unit through each of the branch cold water pipes. The hot water circulation pipeline includes a hot water pipeline, a hot water return pipeline, and multiple unit branch pipes. The hot water pipeline is connected from the outlet of the heating unit to each of the water-using units. The hot water return pipeline is connected from the inlet of the heating unit to each of the water-using units. The circulation pump is installed on the hot water return pipeline. The two ends of the unit branch pipe are respectively connected to the hot water pipeline and the hot water return pipeline. The unit branch pipe corresponds to the water-using unit. For at least a portion of the water-using units, it further includes: A photoelectric sensor is installed in the water-using unit space, and the photoelectric sensor is used to determine whether there is a person in the water-using unit. A shut-off valve is installed on the branch pipe of the unit to control the on / off state of the pipeline; A temperature sensor is installed on the unit branch pipe; The controller controls the opening and closing of the shut-off valve based on the input information.

2. The intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating unit includes a heating device and a heat storage device. The inlet of the heating device is connected to the hot water return pipe. The cold water pipe is connected to the inlet of the heating device through the hot water return pipe. The outlet of the heating device is connected to the inlet of the heat storage device. The outlet of the heat storage device is connected to the hot water pipe. The thermal storage device is equipped with a temperature sensor.

3. The intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas according to claim 2, characterized in that: A check valve and a flow switch are installed on the pipeline between the cold water pipeline and the hot water return pipeline. The flow switch is used to feed back an electrical signal based on the water flow to the controller.

4. The intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unit branch pipe is equipped with several hot water branch pipes, and the unit branch pipe is connected to the water appliances in the corresponding water unit through each hot water branch pipe.

5. The intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas according to claim 4, characterized in that: A first shut-off valve is provided at one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water pipe, and a second shut-off valve is provided at one end of the unit branch pipe near the hot water return pipe. The connection point between the hot water branch pipe and the unit branch pipe is located between the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve.

6. The intelligent circulating hot water system for residential apartments and villas according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hot water pipeline is connected to each of the water-using units in a first sequence starting from the heating unit, and the hot water return pipeline is connected to each of the water-using units in a second sequence starting from the heating unit, wherein the second sequence is the reverse of the first sequence.

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