A smart, low-power gas water heater

Abstract

This utility model discloses an intelligent low-power gas water heater, including a gas pipe, a burner, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, a heat exchanger, and a control component. The gas pipe is equipped with a solenoid valve assembly, the inlet pipe has a water flow sensor and an inlet water temperature sensor, the outlet pipe has an outlet water temperature sensor, and the burner has an ignition component. The control component includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the solenoid valve assembly, the water flow sensor, the inlet water temperature sensor, the outlet water temperature sensor, and the ignition component. The controller is configured to: receive the inlet water temperature signal from the inlet water temperature sensor and compare the inlet water temperature with a preset temperature threshold; when the inlet water temperature is not lower than the preset temperature threshold, control the solenoid valve assembly to remain closed; when the inlet water temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold and the water flow sensor detects water flow, control the solenoid valve assembly to open and instruct the ignition component to ignite. This utility model has the advantage of low power consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of gas water heater technology, and in particular to an intelligent low-power gas water heater. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional gas water heaters rely on a single energy utilization model and cannot be efficiently integrated with renewable energy sources such as solar power. When used in series with solar water heaters, the control system of traditional gas water heaters typically lacks the ability to intelligently identify the inlet water temperature. When preheated hot water flows into the gas water heater, regardless of whether the inlet water temperature has reached or exceeded the user's set temperature, the traditional gas water heater will still initiate its standard ignition and combustion process. This not only results in unnecessary gas consumption, contradicting the original intention of using solar energy for energy saving, but may also lead to excessively high water temperatures in some cases, affecting user comfort and safety.

[0003] Traditional gas water heaters have inefficient power consumption control, resulting in unnecessary "standby power consumption." To improve user experience, modern gas water heaters are generally equipped with displays showing water temperature, operating status, fault codes, and other information. In traditional designs, the power management strategy of this display is usually directly linked to the water heater's main power supply. That is, as long as the water heater is in standby mode, regardless of whether it is heating gas, the display and its backlight module will continue to operate to respond to user input. This "24 / 7 online" design leads to continuous and unnecessary power consumption. Although the power consumption of a single display is low, over time, especially when the water heater is mostly inactive, this "standby power consumption" or "parasitic power consumption" becomes considerable, contradicting the modern home appliance design philosophy of pursuing ultimate energy efficiency.

[0004] Furthermore, many existing gas water heaters still use more traditional four-wire flow sensors (e.g., those with mechanical baffles or floats in conjunction with reed switches). These sensors consume more power, cause "dry burning," and are more expensive.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to further improve and perfect the existing technology to overcome these shortcomings, and this utility model is made based on this situation. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a smart gas water heater with low power consumption.

[0007] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides an intelligent low-power gas water heater, including a gas pipe, a burner connected to the gas pipe, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, a heat exchanger disposed between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe for heating the flowing water, and a control component. The gas pipe is equipped with a solenoid valve assembly, the inlet pipe is sequentially equipped with a water flow sensor and an inlet water temperature sensor, the outlet pipe is equipped with an outlet water temperature sensor, the burner is equipped with an ignition assembly, and the control component includes a controller. The controller is electrically connected to the solenoid valve assembly, the water flow sensor, the inlet water temperature sensor, the outlet water temperature sensor, and the ignition assembly.

[0009] The controller is configured to: receive the inlet water temperature signal detected by the inlet water temperature sensor and compare the inlet water temperature with a preset temperature threshold; when the inlet water temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature threshold, control the solenoid valve assembly to remain closed to prevent gas from entering the burner; when the inlet water temperature is less than the preset temperature threshold and the water flow sensor detects water flow, control the solenoid valve assembly to open and instruct the ignition assembly to ignite.

[0010] To further address the technical problems addressed by this invention, the present invention provides an intelligent low-power gas water heater in which the control component further includes a display, which is electrically connected to the controller; and the controller is further configured to: turn on the power to the display when controlling the solenoid valve assembly to open to supply gas; and turn off the power to the display when controlling the solenoid valve assembly to close to stop supplying gas.

[0011] To further address the technical problems to be solved by this utility model, this utility model provides an intelligent low-power gas water heater in which the solenoid valve assembly includes at least two solenoid valves connected in series on the gas pipe.

[0012] To further address the technical problems to be solved by this utility model, this utility model provides an intelligent low-power gas water heater in which an inlet control valve is provided on the inlet pipe, an outlet control valve is provided on the outlet pipe, and a gas control valve is provided on the gas pipe; the inlet control valve, outlet control valve, and gas control valve are all manual control valves.

[0013] To further address the technical problems to be solved by this utility model, the present utility model provides an intelligent low-power gas water heater in which the water flow sensor is a three-wire Hall effect water flow sensor.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0015] This utility model features an intelligent energy-saving control structure with the following core advantages: 1. Intelligent linkage energy saving: By detecting the inlet water temperature and comparing it with a preset threshold, intelligent linkage with the solar water heater is achieved. Gas heating is only activated when the solar water supply temperature is insufficient, thereby maximizing the utilization of solar energy and significantly saving gas. 2. Ultra-low power consumption standby: The power supply of the display is linked to the opening and closing status of the gas valve. The display power is automatically cut off when the water heater is not working, effectively reducing standby power consumption. 3. Enhanced safety: The design of dual solenoid valves in series provides redundant safety protection. Even if a single valve fails, the gas supply can be reliably cut off, greatly improving the safety of use. 4. High cost-effectiveness and reliability: A low-cost, high-reliability three-wire Hall effect water flow sensor is selected, which further optimizes the power consumption and manufacturing cost of the product while ensuring accurate detection. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is the control block diagram of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides an intelligent low-power gas water heater, which aims to solve the problem in the prior art where, when a gas water heater is linked with a solar water heater, the gas water heater will still start heating even if the solar energy has provided hot water at a sufficient temperature, thus causing gas waste.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, this intelligent low-power gas water heater includes a gas pipe 1, a burner 2, an inlet pipe 3, an outlet pipe 4, a heat exchanger 5, and a control component. The gas pipe 1 is used to transport gas, and it is equipped with a solenoid valve assembly 11 for controlling the gas flow. The burner 2 is connected to the gas pipe 1 and is used to burn the gas supplied from the gas pipe 1 to produce a high-temperature flame.

[0022] The inlet pipe 3 is the cold water inlet of the water heater, and the outlet pipe 4 is the hot water outlet. The heat exchanger 5 is located between the inlet pipe 3 and the outlet pipe 4, and its structure can be a coil type or a plate type, among other common structures. The flame generated by the burner 2 heats the heat exchanger 5. When cold water flows through the heat exchanger 5, it absorbs heat and is heated into hot water, which then flows out from the outlet pipe 4.

[0023] To achieve intelligent control, this water heater is equipped with a control component. This control component includes a core controller 7, such as a microprocessor (MCU) or a programmable logic controller (PLC).

[0024] A water flow sensor 31 and an inlet water temperature sensor 32 are installed sequentially along the water flow direction on the inlet pipe 3. The water flow sensor 31 is used to detect whether the user has started using water (i.e., whether there is water flowing in the pipe). The inlet water temperature sensor 32 is used to detect the water temperature before it flows into the heat exchanger 5. An outlet water temperature sensor 41 is installed on the outlet pipe 4 to monitor the water temperature after it has been heated by the heat exchanger 5.

[0025] An ignition assembly 6 is also provided at a suitable location in the burner 2 for igniting the gas when needed. The ignition assembly 6 can be a conventional device such as a high-pressure pulse igniter.

[0026] The controller 7, as the control center, is electrically connected to all the aforementioned electronic components. Specifically, the controller 7 is electrically connected to the solenoid valve assembly 11, the water flow sensor 31, the inlet water temperature sensor 32, the outlet water temperature sensor 41, and the ignition assembly 6, respectively. It can receive signals from each sensor and issue control commands to the solenoid valve assembly 11 and the ignition assembly 6 according to preset logic.

[0027] The gas water heater in this embodiment can be used efficiently in conjunction with a solar water heater system. Typically, the outlet pipe of the solar water heater is connected to the inlet pipe 3 of this gas water heater. In this way, the water heated by solar energy will enter as the "cold water" of this water heater.

[0028] Controller 7 is configured to execute the following linkage control logic:

[0029] The controller 7 continuously receives the real-time inlet water temperature signal detected by the inlet water temperature sensor 32.

[0030] The controller 7 has a preset temperature threshold, such as 40 degrees Celsius (this threshold can be adjusted according to user needs or seasonal changes).

[0031] The controller 7 compares the received inlet water temperature with the preset temperature threshold.

[0032] When the incoming water temperature is determined to be greater than or equal to the preset temperature threshold, it means that the water temperature from the solar water heater is high enough and does not need to be reheated. At this time, even if the water flow sensor 31 detects that the user has turned on the tap (there is a water flow signal), the controller 7 will force the solenoid valve assembly 11 to remain closed, preventing gas from entering the burner 2. At this time, the water heater only acts as a "water passage" pipe, and the hot water generated by solar energy flows directly to the user, thus avoiding the waste of gas.

[0033] When the inlet water temperature is determined to be lower than the preset temperature threshold, it indicates that the water temperature of the solar water heater is insufficient or the solar water heater is not turned on, requiring secondary heating. At this time, once the water flow sensor 31 detects water flow, the controller 7 will immediately perform the following actions: First, it controls the solenoid valve assembly 11 to open, allowing gas to flow to the burner 2; then (or simultaneously), it sends an ignition command to the ignition assembly 6 to ignite the gas and begin heating the water flow in the heat exchanger 5 to ensure that the outlet water temperature meets the user's comfort requirements.

[0034] Through the above-mentioned intelligent judgment and control, the gas water heater of this utility model achieves perfect synergy with the solar water heater, making full use of solar energy while effectively reducing unnecessary gas consumption and achieving the goal of energy saving.

[0035] To further reduce the power consumption of the water heater in standby mode.

[0036] Please continue reading. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the control components, in addition to the controller 7, also include a display 8. The display 8 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a digital tube, etc., used to display the operating status of the water heater to the user, such as the outlet water temperature, set temperature, fault codes, and other information. The display 8 is electrically connected to the controller 7.

[0037] To achieve extremely low power consumption, controller 7 is also configured with power management logic for display 8:

[0038] In standby mode: When the water flow sensor 31 does not detect water flow, the water heater is in standby mode. At this time, the controller 7 not only controls the solenoid valve assembly 11 to be in the closed state, but also actively cuts off the power supply to the display 8. Since the display is one of the main sources of standby power consumption of the water heater, cutting off its power supply can significantly reduce standby energy consumption.

[0039] In operation: When the controller 7 determines that gas heating needs to be activated based on the above logic (i.e., the inlet water temperature is below the threshold and there is water flow), it will simultaneously turn on the power to the display 8 while controlling the solenoid valve assembly 11 to supply gas. At this time, the display 8 will light up and begin to display various parameters normally, making it convenient for users to view and operate.

[0040] When the water heater stops working: When the user turns off the tap and the water flow sensor 31 detects no water flow, the controller 7 will control the solenoid valve assembly 11 to close to stop the gas supply. Similarly, the controller 7 will simultaneously cut off the power to the display 8, turning it off, so that the water heater returns to the ultra-low power standby state.

[0041] This control structure, which links the power supply of the display to the status of the gas valve, prevents the display from consuming power continuously during long standby times, making this gas water heater more energy-efficient and in line with the green and environmentally friendly design concept.

[0042] To further enhance product safety, the solenoid valve assembly 11 in this embodiment employs a more reliable design. Specifically, it includes at least two (e.g., two) solenoid valves 111 connected in series on the gas pipe 1. These two solenoid valves 111 are synchronously controlled by the controller 7, opening and closing simultaneously. This dual-valve series structure provides redundant protection. Even if one solenoid valve malfunctions (e.g., fails to close properly), the other intact solenoid valve can still reliably cut off the gas passage, thereby greatly reducing the risk of gas leakage due to valve failure and protecting the personal and property safety of users.

[0043] To facilitate installation, maintenance, and emergency response, several manual valves are installed on the piping of this water heater. Specifically, an inlet control valve 33 is installed on the inlet pipe 3, an outlet control valve 42 is installed on the outlet pipe 4, and a gas control valve 12 is installed on the gas pipe 1, either upstream or downstream of the solenoid valve assembly 11. These three valves are all ball valves or plug valves that can be manually operated by the user or maintenance personnel. During installation or maintenance of the water heater, the water and gas circuits can be easily cut off by closing these manual valves.

[0044] Regarding the selection of the core sensor component, the water flow sensor 31 in this embodiment is preferably a three-wire Hall effect water flow sensor. Compared to the traditional four-wire water flow sensor (which typically contains a reed switch and a permanent magnet), the three-wire Hall effect sensor has significant advantages:

[0045] Lower power consumption: The Hall element itself has a very small operating current. Compared with some sensors that require continuous power supply to detect changes in magnetic field, its overall power consumption is lower, which is in line with the low power consumption design theme of this utility model.

[0046] High reliability and avoidance of dry burning: Traditional reed switch sensors may misjudge or fail under certain abnormal water flow conditions, while Hall effect sensors perform non-contact detection based on the Hall effect, which is more sensitive, has a longer lifespan, and can more reliably avoid the "dry burning" phenomenon that may be caused by water flow detection failure.

[0047] Simple structure and low cost: The internal structure of the three-wire Hall flow sensor is relatively simple and highly integrated, requiring only three leads (power positive, ground, and signal output). This not only simplifies the electrical connection with the controller 7, but also effectively reduces the procurement cost of components and the manufacturing cost of the whole machine.

[0048] In summary, this utility model features a function that links with a solar water heater, a function that intelligently manages the power supply of the display, a safety design with dual solenoid valves, and optimized sensor selection. It integrates energy saving, safety, low power consumption, and high cost performance, and has high market promotion value.

Claims

1. A smart low power consumption gas water heater, characterized in that: The system includes a gas pipe (1), a burner (2) connected to the gas pipe (1), a water inlet pipe (3), a water outlet pipe (4), a heat exchanger (5) located between the water inlet pipe (3) and the water outlet pipe (4) for heating the flowing water, and a control assembly. The gas pipe (1) is equipped with a solenoid valve assembly (11), the water inlet pipe (3) is equipped with a water flow sensor (31) and a water inlet temperature sensor (32) in sequence, the water outlet pipe (4) is equipped with a water outlet temperature sensor (41), and an ignition assembly (6) is located at the burner (2). The control assembly includes a controller (7), and the controller (7) is electrically connected to the solenoid valve assembly (11), the water flow sensor (31), the water inlet temperature sensor (32), the water outlet temperature sensor (41), and the ignition assembly (6). The controller (7) is configured to: receive the inlet water temperature signal detected by the inlet water temperature sensor (32) and compare the inlet water temperature with a preset temperature threshold; when the inlet water temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature threshold, control the solenoid valve assembly (11) to remain closed to prevent gas from entering the burner (2); When the inlet water temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold and the water flow sensor (31) detects water flow, it controls the solenoid valve assembly (11) to open and instructs the ignition assembly (6) to ignite.

2. The intelligent low-power-consumption gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control component also includes a display (8) electrically connected to the controller (7); and the controller (7) is further configured to: turn on the power to the display (8) when controlling the solenoid valve assembly (11) to open to supply gas; and turn off the power to the display (8) when controlling the solenoid valve assembly (11) to close to stop supplying gas.

3. The intelligent low-power-consumption gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solenoid valve assembly (11) includes at least two solenoid valves (111) connected in series on the gas pipe (1).

4. The intelligent low-power-consumption gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet pipe (3) is also equipped with an inlet control valve (33), the outlet pipe (4) is also equipped with an outlet control valve (42), and the gas pipe (1) is also equipped with a gas control valve (12); the inlet control valve (33), the outlet control valve (42) and the gas control valve (12) are all manual control valves.

5. The intelligent low-power-consumption gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water flow sensor (31) is a three-wire Hall effect water flow sensor.

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