Methods, systems, and devices for assisting in reducing energy and water usage

Abstract

A method of controlling a supply of heated water from a source including a heating appliance (301) to a number of water outlets (302, 303) remote from the heating appliance, comprising the steps of: detecting a demand for water from a first water outlet (302), identifying a demand likely to be associated with the first water outlet (302), and setting a first target water temperature value associated with the first water outlet to a target water temperature for the temperature at which the water is supplied; detecting a demand for water from a second water outlet (303), identifying a demand likely to be associated with the second water outlet, and resetting a second target water temperature value associated with the second water outlet to the target water temperature for the temperature at which the water is supplied, wherein the demand is associated with the outlet based on the detected flow characteristics. There is also provided a hot water supply facility having a plurality of controllable outlets, the facility including a hot water source with an outlet having a controllable outlet temperature, a flow measurement device providing data regarding water flow between the source and the plurality of controllable outlets, a temperature sensor detecting the outlet temperature, a memory storing parameters linking the flow data to an outlet identifier and associating each of the plurality of controllable outlets with a respective target temperature, and a processor operably connected to the memory, the flow measurement device, and the first temperature sensor, the processor being configured to: when one of the plurality of controllable outlets is opened, determine which of the plurality of controllable outlets is opened based on the detected flow characteristics, and then control the outlet temperature of the source in accordance with the parameters stored for the determined one of the controllable outlets based on the determination, and when another of the plurality of controllable outlets is opened, determine which other of the plurality of controllable outlets is opened, and then control the outlet temperature of the source in accordance with the parameters stored for the determined other of the controllable outlets based on the determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for facilities including a building hot water supply system that assist in reducing energy and water usage.

[0002] Background

[0003] There is a global shortage of drinking water. Currently, water shortages are commonly reported worldwide, and such problems may have been thought to affect only "hot" countries and continents, but that is no longer the case. The European Environment Agency reports that water shortages and water stress are problems that affect millions of people around the world, including over 100 million in Europe. Since approximately 88.2% of freshwater use in Europe (for drinking and other uses) is derived from rivers and groundwater, and the rest from reservoirs (10.3%) and lakes (1.5%), these water sources are extremely vulnerable to threats posed by overdevelopment, pollution, and climate change.

[0004] Therefore, it has become an urgent task to reduce domestic water usage. In Europe, on average, 144 liters of fresh water are supplied per person per day for household use, but much of this water is "wasted" through carelessness and inappropriate choices of faucets and shower fixtures.

[0005] Considering that (at least in Europe) approximately 75% of heating and cooling is still generated from fossil fuels, while only 22% is generated from renewable energy, there is a need to reduce domestic energy consumption alongside the need to reduce water consumption.

[0006] According to Directive 2012 / 27 / EU, buildings account for 40% of the final energy consumption and 36% of the CO2 emissions in the European Union. The 2016 European Commission report "Mapping and Analysis of the Deployment of Heating / Cooling Fuels (Fossil Fuels / Renewable Energies) Present and Future (2020 - 2030)" concluded that in EU households, heating and hot water alone account for 79% of the final energy use (192.5 Mtoe). The European Commission also stated that "According to Eurostat 2019 figures, around 75% of heating and cooling still comes from fossil fuels, while only 22% comes from renewable energies. To achieve the EU's climate and energy targets, the heating and cooling sector must significantly reduce energy consumption and cut the use of fossil fuels. Heat pumps (which draw energy from air, ground or water) have been identified as potentially important contributors in addressing this issue.

[0007] In many countries, there are policies and pressures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For example, in the UK, in 2020 the UK government published a white paper on "Future Homes Standards", proposing to reduce carbon emissions from new-built homes by 75 - 80% compared to existing levels by 2025. Furthermore, at the beginning of 2019, it was announced that the installation of gas boilers in new homes would be prohibited from 2025. At the time of filing, it was reported that in the UK, 78% of the total energy used for building heating comes from gas and 12% comes from electricity.

[0008] There are many small-scale gas-fired central heating properties in the UK with two or fewer bedrooms, and most of these properties use what is called a combination boiler, which acts as an instantaneous water heater and as a boiler for central heating. Combination boilers are popular because they combine a small footprint and provide a more or less "unlimited" immediate source of hot water (output 20 - 35 kW) without the need for a hot water storage unit. Such boilers can be purchased relatively inexpensively from reliable manufacturers. The ability to operate without a small footprint and a hot water storage tank generally means that it is possible to accommodate such a boiler in a small apartment or house often mounted on a wall in the kitchen, and it is possible to install a new boiler in a day's work for one person. Therefore, a new combination gas boiler can be installed inexpensively. Since new gas boilers will soon be prohibited, it is necessary to provide an alternative heat source instead of the gas combination boiler. Furthermore, previously compliant combination boilers will ultimately need to be replaced with some alternatives.

[0009] Heat pumps have been proposed as a potential solution to the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions, but at present they are not suitable for replacing gas combustion boilers in small domestic (and small commercial) premises for a number of technical, commercial and practical reasons. They are usually very large and require a substantial unit outside the building. Thus, they cannot be easily retrofitted to buildings with typical combination boilers. Units that can provide the same output as a typical gas boiler are currently expensive and may require a significant amount of electricity. Not only is the cost of the unit a multiple of the equivalent gas combustion, but their size and complexity mean that the installation is technically complex and thus expensive. A storage tank for hot water is also required, which is a further factor preventing the use of heat pumps in small domestic premises. As a further technical problem, heat pumps tend to require a significant amount of time to start generating heat in response to demand, perhaps 30 seconds for self-check and then some time to heat up, so that there is a delay of over a minute between the demand for hot water and its delivery. For this reason, tried renewable solutions using heat pumps and / or solar power are typically applicable to large buildings that have space for a hot water storage tank (with space requirements, heat loss and risk of Legionella bacteria).

[0010] An important component of domestic energy consumption derives from the use of domestic hot water, both in terms of the amount of hot water used and the energy wasted through overheating of domestic hot water. Waste of hot water is also, of course, an important contributing factor to the more general problem of water waste, which also needs to be addressed if humanity is to have a sustainable future. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and installations that can help reduce the use of hot water and thus contribute to reducing the use of both energy and water.

[0011] Summary

[0012] According to a first aspect, a method for controlling the supply of heated water from a source including a heating appliance to a plurality of water outlets remote from the heating appliance, the method comprising detecting a demand for water from a first water outlet, identifying a likely demand associated with the first water outlet, setting a target water temperature for the temperature at which water is supplied to a first target water temperature value associated with the first water outlet; detecting a demand for water from a second water outlet, identifying a likely demand associated with the second water outlet, and resetting the target water temperature for the temperature at which water is supplied to a second target water temperature value associated with the second water outlet, wherein the demand is associated with the outlet based on flow characteristics. The flow characteristics can be detected based on measured pressure changes and / or measured flow.

[0013] The method can further comprise controlling the mixing of the heated water from the heating appliance with water at a different temperature to provide a supply of water at the first or second target water temperature value.

[0014] The method may further comprise controlling the heating appliance to adjust the temperature at which the heated water is supplied from the heating appliance.

[0015] The flow characteristics may include at least one of a maximum flow rate and / or a rate of change of flow to a predetermined flow rate.

[0016] Optionally, the step of identifying the demand may include obtaining additional information associated with the outlet, such as, for example, an electrical demand or occupancy signal associated with the outlet, and / or a sensor or transducer associated with the location of the outlet.

[0017] The method may further comprise detecting a demand that may be associated with two or more outlets, and setting the target water temperature to a third target water temperature value. The third target water temperature value may be the lowest target water temperature value associated with the identified possible water outlets. The third target water temperature value may be a temperature intermediate the target water temperature values of the identified possible water outlets.

[0018] The heating appliance can be part of a domestic hot water supply system, and the heating appliance can include an energy storage facility including a large amount of phase change material for storing energy in the form of latent heat, a heat exchanger coupled between the hot water system and the heat pump, and a system controller. The system controller is configured to receive information from a flow measurement device and information regarding the state of the energy storage facility, and the system controller is configured to sense the opening of any of a plurality of controllable hot water outlets and determine whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump based on the sensed hot water flow rate and the state of the energy storage facility. The system controller can be configured to use the state information of the heat pump when receiving state information from the heat pump and determining whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump.

[0019] According to a second aspect, a domestic hot water supply facility having a plurality of controllable hot water outlets is provided, the facility including a hot water source having an outlet with a controllable outlet temperature, a flow measurement device providing data regarding the water flow between the hot water source and the plurality of controllable hot water outlets, a first temperature sensor detecting the outlet temperature, a memory storing parameters linking the flow data to outlet identifiers and associating each of the plurality of controllable hot water outlets with respective target temperatures, and a processor operably connected to the memory, the flow measurement device, and the first temperature sensor, the processor configured to determine, based on the detected flow characteristics, which of the plurality of controllable hot water outlets has been opened when one of the plurality of controllable hot water outlets is opened, and then, based on this determination, control the outlet temperature of the hot water source according to the parameters stored for the determined one of the controllable hot water outlets, and when another of the plurality of controllable hot water outlets is opened, determine which of the plurality of controllable hot water outlets has been opened and, based on this determination, control the outlet temperature of the hot water source according to the parameters stored for the determined another of the controllable hot water outlets. The flow characteristics may be detected based on the measured pressure and / or the measured flow.

[0020] The hot water supply facility can include an energy storage facility including a large amount of phase change material and a heat exchanger coupled between the hot water system and the heat pump, and a system controller. The processor receives information from the flow measurement device and information regarding the state of the energy storage facility, senses the opening of any of a plurality of controllable hot water outlets, and is configured to determine whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump based on the sensed hot water flow rate and the state of the energy storage facility. The processor is configured to use the state information of the heat pump when receiving the state information from the heat pump and determining whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump.

[0021] The hot water supply facility may further include an instantaneous water heater in the flow path between the energy storage facility and the outlet of the hot water source, and the instantaneous water heater is controlled by the processor. The processor can be configured to operate the instantaneous water heater only when the energy storage facility and the heat pump cannot provide sufficient hot water. The processor can be configured to control the instantaneous water heater based on information regarding the state of the phase change material and the heat pump. The processor can include a logic circuit for managing the use of energy from the phase change material to reduce the use of the instantaneous water heater, the heat pump, and energy consumption. The processor may also be configured to preferentially rely on the energy storage facility and then the heat pump to supply sufficient hot water.

[0022] According to a third aspect, a domestic water supply facility is provided. The domestic water supply facility includes an instantaneous water heater, a plurality of controllable water outlets remote from the appliance, a water supply line configured to supply heated water from the appliance to the plurality of controllable water outlets, at least one sensor for sensing the characteristics or state of the water supply line, and a processor coupled to the at least one sensor. The processor uses the at least one sensor to monitor the water supply line supplying water to the controllable water outlets, detect the water demand from the first water outlet, identify a demand that may be associated with the first water outlet based on the detected flow characteristics, set a target water temperature for the water supplied to the first target water temperature associated with the first water outlet, detect the water demand from the second water outlet among the plurality of outlets, identify a demand that may be associated with the second water outlet based on the detected flow characteristics, and set a target water temperature for the temperature at which water is supplied to the second target water temperature associated with the second outlet. The flow characteristics may be detected based on the measured pressure and / or the measured flow. The one or more sensors may preferably include a pressure sensor that senses the pressure in the water supply line, which is placed between the appliance and the plurality of controllable water outlets. The one or more sensors may preferably include a flow sensor for measuring the flow in the water supply line, which is placed between the appliance and the plurality of controllable water outlets. The heating appliance includes a valve for mixing the supplied cold water and the heated water, and the valve is controlled by the processor. The heating appliance may include an energy storage facility containing a phase change material, and the energy storage facility is configured to store energy using the latent heat of the phase change material. The heating appliance may include a renewable heat source, preferably a heat pump, coupled to the processor. The renewable heat source may be configured to supply energy to the energy storage facility. The heating appliance may include an instantaneous water heater under the control of the processor, and the instantaneous water heater is arranged to receive energy from a networked energy supply unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] With reference to the drawings of the present disclosure, embodiments of various aspects of the present disclosure will be described only as examples.

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[0024] To address domestic energy consumption, it is important to consider the energy used for hot water provision, which means taking into account not only the temperature of the water supplied or stored but also the volume of hot water used. In many countries and regions where fresh water is considered abundant, it has been largely reflected in the configuration of the water supply system and the flow rate of water outlets that little attention has been paid to the amount of water used by households. It was not uncommon for bathtub faucets to flow at over 15 liters per minute, kitchen faucets at over 12 liters per minute, and even bathroom sink faucets at over 10 liters per minute. Shower outlets could flow at over 15 liters per minute, and approximately two-thirds of that was usually supplied from the heat supply section.

[0025] With the recognition of water shortages and the privatization of former public water suppliers, resulting in the introduction of household water meters and volume-based billing, attitudes have changed somewhat over the past 20 years. As a result, new residential buildings tend to have faucet and shower outlets with maximum flow rates that are about half to two-thirds of those in historical houses. Nevertheless, it is common not only for older residences to still have high-flow faucets and showers but also for even more modern outlets to make it easier to use more water than strictly necessary for washing hands, taking a bath, or showering. Consider a shower with a flow rate of 15 liters per minute.

[0026] A 12-minute shower uses 180 liters of water, of which approximately 100 to 110 liters are supplied from the heat supply section. The hot water supply temperature is often heated in the range from below 10°C to 50 - 60°C, which is often obtained from a fairly low temperature. Thus, it will be understood that not only is a large amount of water used, but also a large amount of energy is used to heat that water.

[0027] Furthermore, a hot water supply at a high temperature of 50 - 60°C has the advantage of reducing the risk of Legionella infection, but there is a significant risk of burns at this temperature range.

[0028] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method and a facility that enable a system controller to set the temperature of water supplied to the outlets of a hot water system, and as a result, to set a target water supply temperature for each of a plurality of outlets of the hot water system. The target water supply temperature is the temperature at which hot water is supplied from a hot water source. Further, according to the method and apparatus of the present invention, when the second outlet is opened while hot water is being supplied from a different outlet where the target water supply temperature is different from that of the second outlet, the temperature at which hot water is supplied from the hot water source can be adjusted. Aspects of the present disclosure also address how a hot water supply system can be mapped and how a target water supply temperature can be set for each of a plurality of outlets.

[0029] FIG. 1 schematically shows a hot water supply facility 100 within a building (in this case, within a residence), which has a plurality of controllable water outlets (various faucets and showers, which will be described in more detail later), a hot water supply section 105 having at least one outlet 107 with a controllable outflow temperature, at least one first temperature sensor 109 for detecting the outflow temperature, at least one flow measurement device 110, and at least one flow regulator 115 within the water flow path between the hot water supply section 105 and the plurality of controllable water outlets. A processor 140 is operably connected to at least one flow measurement device 110 and at least one flow regulator 115. The illustrated hot water supply facility represents a residence having a master bathroom 121, a first ensuite shower room 122, a second ensuite shower room 123, a cloakroom 124, and a kitchen 125. The master bathroom and the first ensuite shower room are on the first floor of the residence, and the cloakroom, the second ensuite shower room, and the kitchen can be on another floor of the residence. In such a situation, as shown in the figure, it is convenient to have two separate circulation paths 130 and 131 for supplying water to the various outlets. The two circulation paths 130 and 131 are shown as being supplied from a single outlet 107 from the hot water supply section, but together with a single temperature sensor 109, the two circulation paths 130 and 131 may each be supplied from different outlets 107, and the temperatures of the two outlets 107 are separately adjustable, and it will be understood that each outlet 107 has its own associated temperature sensor 109. The temperature of the water at the outlet 107 may be adjusted by mixing cold water with hot water from a fixed or variable temperature source, or by controlling the energy input to a heat source such as an electric heating element or a gas combustion heater. Typically, even when a plurality of hot water circulation paths are provided between the supply section of the hot water 105 and the outlets of the hot water supply facility, each circulation path typically includes a plurality of hot water outlets supplied via a common pipe or conduit, such as a pipe with an outer diameter of, for example, 22 mm or 28 mm. Embodiments of the present invention preferably monitor one or more flow characteristics to identify (determine) the outlet causing the detected flow.

[0030] Subsequently, a hot water system including a PCM energy storage facility that generally stores energy as latent heat in combination with a heat pump will be described. In such a system, generally, the hot water supply temperature can be adjusted by mixing cold water from the cold water supply at different ratios. Sometimes, such a system can include an instantaneous heat source (e.g., an electric heating element) downstream of the PCM energy storage facility that is controlled by the system's processor. In such a facility, controlling the hot water supply temperature includes controlling the amount of energy supplied to the instantaneous water heater and, similarly, is also possible by mixing cold water from the cold water supply at different ratios.

[0031] The master bathroom 121 is shown as including a shower outlet 135, a bath faucet or water tap 136, and a sink faucet 137. Also, the ensuite shower rooms 122 and 123 include a shower outlet 135 and a sink faucet 137. Conversely, the cloakroom includes a WC (not shown) and a washbasin with a faucet 138. Finally, the kitchen has a sink with a faucet 139.

[0032] The processor or system controller 140 is coupled to at least one flow measurement device 110 and at least one flow regulator 115, together with an associated memory 141. It will be understood that each of the two circulation paths 130 and 131 is provided with its respective flow measurement device 110 and flow regulator 115. The processor is also optionally connected to one or more temperature sensors 143, one for each of the circulation paths 130 and 131. This processor can be associated with the energy bank as described above.

[0033] The processor may also be coupled to an RF transceiver 142 including at least one RF transmitter and at least one RF receiver for two-way communication via, for example, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc., and preferably may also be coupled to the Internet 144 for connection to a server or central office 145, and optionally may also be coupled to a cellular wireless network (such as LTE, UMTS, 4G, 5G, etc.). By the connection to the RF transceiver 142 and / or the Internet, the processor 140 can communicate with a mobile device 150 which may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet, and can be used by a facility engineer when configuring (and optionally mapping) the in-building water supply facility. The mobile device 150 includes software such as a specific application that cooperates with corresponding software in the system controller 140 and potentially in the server 145 to facilitate the method of configuring (and optionally mapping) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and in particular to synchronize actions taken by an engineer with the clock of the system controller 140 / server 145. The memory 141 includes code that enables the processor to execute a method of configuring (and optionally mapping) the in-building water supply facility processor, for example, during the process of commissioning a new facility.

[0034] During the commissioning process, to configure the hot water supply facility 100, an engineer may set up a temperature sensor directly below a specific hot water outlet, such as a specific faucet or shower outlet, and be required to fully open the outlet at a specific moment. The system processor is configured to measure the flow, the difference between the outflow temperature and the supply temperature, the time delay, and preferably the outside air temperature (data supplied from an external temperature sensor). Thereby, an algorithm (e.g., MLA) can calculate the heat loss through the distribution system, the distance between the outlet (faucet or shower outlet) and the hot water source, and finally, accurately adjust the outflow temperature to 107 to achieve the correct water temperature at the associated controllable outlet (e.g., faucet). For example, if there are children in the household, the maximum hot water temperature for all outlets except the kitchen sink can be limited to 40°C or 41°C, while if there are infants in the household, the maximum temperature can be limited to 37°C. Even when there are no children, the maximum temperature for all outlets except the kitchen sink can be set to 43°C, and the maximum temperature for the shower outlet may be set to 41°C in some cases.

[0035] The system may also be set to restrict the flow of hot water to several classes of water outlets (e.g., sinks and faucets, and possibly showers), with different maximum flow rates set for each class of outlet, and / or a maximum specific flow rate set for a particular outlet, for example, a lower flow rate may be set for bathrooms and cloakrooms used by children. The determination of the maximum temperature and flow rate may be based on rules defined by the system provider. Later, a hot water supply system using a heat pump and a PCM-based energy storage facility will be considered. Such a system benefits greatly from the imposition of temperature and flow control. This is because a heat pump sized to meet the heating needs of a moderately sized 1-3 bedroom dwelling generally does not have the heating capacity to meet the instantaneous hot water demand of a household without a large hot water storage tank. By managing the flow and temperature of hot water, it is possible to eliminate the need for hot water storage while minimizing the magnitude of energy shortages that can be addressed by other means. If the facility includes a PCM energy storage facility and a heat pump, the system provider will typically pre-program the processor with appropriate values of temperature and flow rate based on the type of outlet and the makeup of the household.

[0036] Based on the type of outlet and the makeup of the household, a database of temperature and optionally flow rate can be made available to the system controller via the Internet and updated as needed. The user interface for the system controller can provide means for the occupant and / or service engineer to adjust various settings in accordance with changes in the household composition, for example, to allow the user to set a lower maximum temperature and / or flow rate upon the arrival of guests such as infants, children, or the elderly or infirm.

[0037] Figure 2 schematically illustrates such a method that constitutes a hot water supply facility having a plurality of controllable hot water outlets (e.g., a plurality of faucets and one or more shower outlets). To improve the efficiency of energy use in the facility, the system's processor is used with portable temperature sensors 800 that are sequentially installed under each outlet (although clearly a plurality of sensors may be used and the same sensor is not used for each outlet).

[0038] The installer can, for example, have an application on a smartphone, e.g., on some other wireless transmit - receive unit (WTRU), and the application can receive from the processor instructions that direct the installer to open the associated faucet and preferably open it to its maximum opening as quickly as possible.

[0039] Thus, as shown in the plot of flow versus time in Figure 2, there is an initial delay (time T0 - T1), which is due to the installer's reaction time, and (since only one outlet is opened at a time) the flow through the outlet and the flow through the hot water system reach a maximum value (the maximum value may be different and unique for each outlet of the hot water system) from 0 at T1. Alternatively, the installer can use the WTRU, or more typically, an application on the WTRU, to notify the processor that the identified faucet is currently open.

[0040] In either case, the processor also receives information from a temperature sensor 109 at an outlet 107 of a warm water source 105 having a controllable outlet temperature. The portable temperature sensor 800 preferably also includes an internal clock and RF (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or IMS) capabilities for communicating time and temperature information to a remote processor 140 (preferably synchronized to the system time of the processor). The temperature plot versus time in FIG. 2 shows that the temperature sensed by the portable sensor 800 initially remains low and then rises to reach a stable maximum value at a time T2 which is some time after time T1. Also, it can be seen that the maximum detected temperature (from time T1 to T3) sensed by the portable sensor 800 is lower by ΔT than the temperature at the outlet 107 of the warm water source having a controllable outlet temperature.

[0041] The temperature sensor 800 may be configured such that the data it collects (time versus temperature) is provided to the system processor 140 only after an event, i.e., either by a wired download process or using NFC, which is generally less satisfactory than providing direct RF communication as already explained.

[0042] As described above, the possibility of adjusting both the flow rate and the temperature for each of the plurality of outlets of the hot water supply system has been explained. However, it will be understood that the system may be configured not to limit the flow rate but only to set the target water supply temperature. Here, a configuration will be described in which the target water supply temperature is set for a plurality of outlets, but the flow rate is not necessarily adjusted by the system. In particular, this system, which will be described with reference to FIG. 3, is used to illustrate a method according to an aspect of the present invention. This method includes detecting the demand for water from a first water outlet, identifying a demand that may be associated with the first water outlet, setting a first target water temperature value associated with the first outlet, a target water temperature for the temperature at which water is supplied, detecting the demand for water from a second water outlet, identifying a demand that may be associated with the second water outlet, and resetting the target water temperature at which water is supplied to a second target water temperature value associated with the second outlet.

[0043] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in a simplified form, a facility according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The facility includes an instantaneous water heater 301 and at least two controllable water outlets 302 and 303 remote from the appliance 301. The two outlets 302 and 303 may be in different rooms, as indicated by the surroundings 350 and 351, and the instantaneous water heater 301 may be placed in yet another room.

[0044] The instantaneous water heater 301 will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG. 4. However, for the sake of facilitating the explanation of the principle behind the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the appliance is simply regarded as a source of hot water.

[0045] The water supply section 307, which may be the main cold water supply section, is coupled to the heating appliance 301. The heated water coming out of the heating appliance 301 passes through a thermostat mixing valve 309 to reach a hot water supply facility exemplified by the pipes 360 and the controllable outlets 302 and 303 (actually, as shown in FIG. 1, there are usually a plurality of controllable water outlets including a bathtub faucet, a shower faucet, a washbasin faucet, and a kitchen sink faucet in a plurality of rooms, but these are omitted here for ease of explanation). The mixing valve 309 also receives the supply of cold water from the supply section 307, but is coupled to and electronically controlled by a controller or processor 311 of the instant water heater 301.

[0046] The processor 311 is also coupled to a first temperature sensor 312 in the flow path from the heating appliance 301 to the mixing valve 309 and to another 315 at the outlet of the mixing valve 309, and the other 315 may be provided to sense the temperature of the water from the water supply section 307. Also coupled to the processor 311 are a flow converter or pressure sensor 314 and a flow controller (valve) 316, both of which are in the flow path from the heating appliance 301 to the mixing valve 309. A further flow rate sensor or pressure sensor 317 coupled to the processor 311 may be provided, for example, in the hot water supply section to the outlets 302 and 303, in the vicinity of each of the outlets 302 and 303 (e.g., faucets).

[0047] Also, FIG. 3 shows a light control or switch 362 for manipulating the indoor light indicated by label 351. The processor 311 is configured to be supplied with information regarding the state of the switch 362 wirelessly as shown, or using a wired data feed, and in either case, a CAN bus configuration can be used. In this way, the processor 311 is provided with additional information that can be used to determine the location of the discharge outlet when the discharge outlet is opened, and thus helps the processor to identify the specific discharge outlet where water demand occurs. FIG. 3 shows only one such switch 362, but each room having one or more hot water discharge outlets may have one or more such switches, and for each switch, the processor 311 is preferably provided with activity / state information. For example, in a bathroom, there may be one or more lights on the bathroom, other lights in the shower enclosure, and other lights on the over-sink mirror, each of which may be controlled by a different switch. Switch state information from such facilities can assist the processor in determining which of the various discharge outlets it is when the discharge outlet is opened, and of course, in distinguishing similar discharge outlets in different rooms. In addition to switches, other presence detectors such as motion sensors or proximity sensors (e.g., PIR sensors, other optical sensors or capacitive sensors), or door activation sensors (e.g., in facilities where light is automatically activated) can be used to provide the processor with data for improving the accuracy of output determination.

[0048] The connection between the processor 311 and the various sensors and actuators may be wired, or wireless using a transceiver 310 (e.g., using an assigned frequency within the ISM radio band), or both, and a CAN bus configuration may also be used.

[0049] Although shown as a separate item, the valve 309, which is controlled by a processor to mix cold water with heated water by means of the appliance 301, may alternatively be integrated internally or externally with the appliance 301 and, while the device preferably uses a renewable heat source which is generally a separate entity, forms mostly an independent device and can provide heated water which is temperature-controlled over a wide range of temperatures.

[0050] Since a hot water supply facility according to one aspect of the present invention has been described, a method of controlling the hot water supply facility will now be described, in particular a method of controlling the supply of heated water. This basically involves detecting, by means of a processor 311 of the facility, the demand for water from the first water outlet 302, identifying that demand as potentially being related to the first water outlet 302, and setting a target water temperature to a first target water temperature related to the first outlet 302. This can include the step of the processor 311 adjusting the setting of the valve 309 and / or adjusting the setting of the heating appliance to change its output temperature. The method then includes detecting the demand for water from the second water outlet 303, identifying that demand as potentially being related to the second water outlet 303, and setting the target water temperature to a second target water temperature which is higher or lower than the first target water temperature related to the second outlet 303. Again, this can include the step of the processor 311 adjusting the setting of the valve 309 and / or adjusting the setting of the heating appliance to change its output temperature so that water at the second target water temperature is supplied from the valve 309. It will be appreciated that the target supply temperature may be selected for convenience and efficiency and that suitable temperature sensors may be installed at relevant locations. In the installation illustrated in Figure 3, the temperature sensor 315 provided downstream of the valve 309 is a convenient location for setting the target supply temperature as it enables the processor to quickly feedback the result of changes made to the setting of the valve 309.

[0051] If the system is configured such that the flow rate is adjusted for one or more outlets, the method may also include, for example, controlling the flow rate by a flow regulator according to the settings stored for an outlet identified as an outlet where water demand may be relevant.

[0052] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, an exemplary configuration of a heating appliance suitable for use with aspects of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 will be described.

[0053] FIG. 4 closely corresponds to FIG. 3, which is the main difference regarding the installation of the instantaneous water heater appliance. The same reference numerals indicate the same parts unless a difference is mentioned. FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a facility 400 according to a first aspect of the present disclosure. The facility 400 includes an instantaneous water heater appliance 301 and at least one controllable water outlet 302 remote from the appliance 301, for example, within a room 350 other than the room in which the instantaneous water heater appliance 301 is located.

[0054] The instantaneous water heater appliance 301 preferably includes an energy storage unit 304 containing a phase change material for storing energy as latent heat, and a heat pump, which may be an air or ground source heat pump, but alternatively may be a solar heating facility, a renewable heat source 305. The energy storage unit 304 typically includes a heat exchanger coupled to the renewable heat source such that energy from the renewable heat source 305 can be transferred to the material within the energy storage unit 304. Thus, the heat transfer fluid may be heated by the renewable heat source 305, circulated through the heat exchanger circuit within the energy storage unit 304, and returned to the renewable heat source 305 for reheating. The appliance 301 also includes an instantaneous water heater 306.

[0055] The water supply unit 307, which may be the main cold water supply unit, is coupled to the energy storage unit 304. The energy storage unit 201 passes through another circulation path of the heat exchanger to extract energy from the energy storage material. Also, as shown in the figure, the water supply unit 307 is preferably coupled to the instantaneous water heater 306, whereby hot water can be generated without having to pass through the energy storage unit 304. The heated water coming out of the energy storage unit passes through 308 to the instantaneous water heater 306 and then through the thermostat mixing valve 309 towards the hot water supply facilities exemplified by the pipe 310 and the controllable discharge port 302. (In practice, typically there are a plurality of controllable water discharge ports, which include the faucet of the bath, the faucet of the shower, the faucet of the washbasin, and the faucet of the kitchen, but these are omitted here for the sake of simplicity of explanation.) The mixing valve 309 also receives the supply of cold water from the supply unit 307, but is coupled to the controller or processor 311 of the instantaneous water heater appliance 301 and is electronically controlled thereby.

[0056] The figure shows the water supply from the supply unit 307 towards the renewable heat source 305, and the water supply from the renewable heat source to the instantaneous water heater 106 is shown by a dashed line, but this facility is optional. Generally, when the heat source 305 is a heat pump, the energy from the heat pump may be supplied only to the energy storage unit 304, and there is no hot water supply directly from the energy source 305 to the instantaneous heater 306.

[0057] The processor 311 is also coupled to a first temperature sensor 312 in the flow path from the water heater 306 to the mixing valve 309, another 313 at the outlet of the mixing valve 309, and another 315 that senses the temperature of the water from the water supply section 307. Also, a flow rate or pressure sensor 314 and a flow controller (valve) 316 are coupled to the processor 311, and both are in the flow path from the instant water heater 306 to the mixing valve 309. A further flow sensor or pressure sensor 317 coupled to the processor 311 may be provided, for example, close to the outlet 302, in the hot water supply section to the outlet (e.g., faucet) 302. Also, another flow controller (valve) 318 controlled by the processor 311 may be provided in the cold water supply section to the energy storage section.

[0058] Also shown is a sensing facility 319 that provides the processor with information regarding the state of the energy storage section, particularly information that enables the processor to determine the energy storage state of the energy storage section. The sensing facility 319 can also measure the temperature of the energy storage medium to enable the processor 311 to determine the amount of energy stored as sensible heat. Various suitable sensing facilities are described later in this application. The connections between the processor 311 and the various sensors and actuators may be wired, for example, using a CAMBUS facility, wireless using the transceiver 310 (e.g., using an assigned frequency within the ISM radio band), or both.

[0059] The renewable heat source is preferably a heat pump such as an air source heat pump, and thus is generally placed mostly or entirely outside the building in which the hot water supply system is installed. Typically, the heat pump includes a heat exchanger through which a fluid flows between the heat pump and the appliance 301, heat is taken into the heat pump by the fluid, exchanged with the energy storage section 304, and the cooled fluid returns to the heat exchanger in the heat pump to extract more energy.

[0060] Although shown as a separate item, the valve 309, which is controlled by the processor to mix cold water with the water heated by the appliance 301, can alternatively be integrated with the appliance 301, either internally or externally, to provide heated water that is temperature-controlled over a wide range of heat (although the renewable heat source 305 is shown as part of the appliance 301, it is generally understood to be a separate entity).

[0061] Next, a hot water supply facility including a PCM energy storage facility (i.e., a PCM energy bank) and a heat pump will be described. The foregoing descriptions of how to configure the hot water supply system and how to control the temperature of the water sent from the hot water supply facility were intentionally simplified for ease of application, but it should be understood that these methods are equally applicable to facilities including a PCM energy storage facility and a heat pump.

[0062] One of the many constraints on the applicability of heat pumps is that, at least when compared to instantaneous gas and electric water heaters such as combi boilers, their ability to meet the demand for hot water is relatively limited compared to their strength as a heat source for heating. As mentioned earlier, for a typically sized home in the UK, the heating demand is generally as low as 6 kW. On the other hand, a gas combi boiler can typically provide 20 kW to 30 kW for instantaneous water heating, even in a moderately sized one- or two-bedroom apartment. A heating demand of 6 kW can be easily achieved even by an air-source heat pump in Europe, but units that can supply 20 - 30 kW are prohibitively large and expensive. Heat pumps are subject to further limitations with respect to their application to domestic hot water supply, which is the long delay between the heat pump receiving a start signal and the hot water actually being supplied by the heat pump. Generally, this delay easily exceeds one minute and can sometimes take more than two minutes. At first glance, this may not seem like a big deal, but when one realizes that for something like handwashing - one of the most common uses of hot water in the home - the average time the hot tap runs is between 30 seconds and one minute, it becomes clear that there is a significant obstacle for the heat pump to overcome. Usually, this problem is addressed by storing hot water in a storage tank so that it can be used on demand. However, this solution is not attractive for small-scale homes that are almost universally installed without an external hot water storage tank, such as one-, two-, and three-story houses in the UK that currently use gas combi boilers.

[0063] One technology that has the potential to improve the demand for heat pumps, particularly their applicability to domestic heat demand, is thermal energy storage, which is different from hot water storage.

[0064] Such an alternative form of thermal energy storage is the use of phase change materials (PCMs). As the name indicates, phase change materials are materials that exhibit a heat-induced phase change. When the PCM is heated up to its phase transition temperature, energy is stored as latent heat rather than sensible heat. Many different PCMs are known, and the selection for any given application is determined, among other things, by the required operating temperature, cost constraints, health and safety limitations (taking into account, for example, the toxicity, reactivity, flammability, stability of the PCM, and the constraints imposed on materials required for the containment of these PCMs). By appropriate selection of the PCM, it is possible to design a thermal energy storage facility such that energy from a heat pump can be utilized for the instantaneous heating of water for a (domestic) hot water system, thereby helping to address the slow start-up problems inherent in the use of heat pumps without the need for an obtrusive hot water tank.

[0065] Here, an energy storage facility suitable for use, in particular, in a facility for heating water in a hot water supply section using a heat pump, based on the use of PCMs, will be introduced and described. Such an energy storage facility includes a heat exchanger including an enclosure, and can include the following within the enclosure.

[0066] An input-side circulation path for connecting to an energy source such as a heat pump, an output-side circulation path for connecting to an energy sink such as a hot water supply facility, and a phase change material for storing energy. The input-side circulation path receives a liquid heated by a heat source (here, a heat pump), and if the liquid is hotter than the material in the heat exchanger, energy is transferred from the liquid to the material in the heat exchanger. Similarly, if the liquid is colder than the material in the heat exchanger, energy from the material in the heat exchanger is transferred to the liquid in the output-side circulation path. Of course, without flow through the output-side circulation path, the amount of energy transferred from the heat exchanger to the outside is limited, and most of the input energy remains in the heat exchanger. In this case, the heat exchanger includes a phase change material, such as paraffin wax or a salt-hydrate (examples of suitable materials will be described later), so that most of the input energy is transferred to the PCM. By appropriate selection of the phase change material and the heat pump operating temperature, it becomes possible to "charge" the energy "bank" represented by the PCM using the energy from the heat pump. Optionally, the energy supply from the heat pump may be supplemented by including one or more electric heating elements in the heat exchanger, and the heating elements are controlled by the system's processor, for example, when a low-cost tariff applies to the power supply, or for example, when local or in-home power production such as wind power, hydropower, or solar power generation can provide "inexpensive" energy when there is an expected or future need for hot water.

[0067] One property of phase change materials that must be accommodated when designing systems that use phase change materials is the volume change that occurs during the transition between phases, such as the expansion during the phase change between liquid and solid, and the contraction during the phase change between solid and liquid. Typically, the volume change is on the order of 10%. This volume change is considered a drawback that must be addressed by carefully designing the enclosure used to contain the phase change material, but the volume change can also be used positively. By including one or more sensors to provide measurements of the pressure within the PCM enclosure, it is possible to provide the processor with data by which the processor can determine the state of the phase change material. For example, the processor can determine the energy storage value of the phase change material.

[0068] In addition to, or as an alternative to, measuring the pressure within the enclosure as a means of determining the energy storage amount of the phase change material, it is possible to use changes in the optical or acoustic properties that occur in the PCM based on the change in phase. Examples of these alternative approaches will be described later, but first, the use of pressure sensing as a means of collecting information regarding the energy storage state of the PCM will be considered.

[0069] FIG. 5 schematically shows an energy bank 10 including a heat exchanger, and the energy bank includes an enclosure 12. Inside the enclosure 12, there is an input side circulation path 14 of the heat exchanger (shown here as a heat pump 16) for connecting to an energy source, and an output side circulation path 18 of the heat exchanger (connected here to a chilled water supply section 20 and shown as a hot water supply system including one or more outlets 22) for connecting to an energy sink. Inside the enclosure 12, there is a phase change material for storing energy. Also, the energy bank 10 includes one or more state sensors 24 for providing measured values indicating the state of the PCM. For example, the one or more state sensors 24 may be pressure sensors that measure the pressure inside the enclosure. The enclosure preferably also includes one or more temperature sensors 26 for measuring the temperature inside the phase change material (PCM). Preferably, when a plurality of temperature sensors are provided inside the PCM, these temperature sensors are preferably spaced apart from the structures of the input and output circulation paths of the heat exchanger and are appropriately spaced apart inside the PCM to obtain a good “image” of the state of the PCM.

[0070] The energy bank 10 has an associated system controller 28 that includes a processor 30. The controller may be integrated into the energy bank 10, but more typically is separately mounted. Also, the controller 28 may include a user interface module 31 as an integrated unit or a separate unit, or as a unit removably attachable to the body including the controller 28. The user interface module 31 typically includes a display panel and a keypad in the form of, for example, a touch-sensitive display. If the user interface module 31 is separable or detachable from the controller 28, it preferably includes a wireless communication capability that enables the processor 30 of the controller 28 and the user interface module to communicate with each other. The user interface module 31 is used to display system status information, messages, advice, and warnings to the user, and is also used to receive user inputs and user commands such as start and stop commands, temperature settings, system overrides, etc.

[0071] The status sensor is coupled to the processor 30, and if the temperature sensor 26 is present, it is also coupled. The processor 30 is also coupled to the processor / controller 32 within the heat pump 16 via a wired connection, or wirelessly using associated transceivers 34 and 36, or both a wired and a wireless connection. In this way, the system controller 28 can send commands such as start and stop commands to the controller 32 of the heat pump 16. Similarly, the processor 30 can also receive information such as status updates and temperature information from the controller 32 of the heat pump 16.

[0072] The hot water supply facility also includes one or more flow sensors 38 that measure the flow within the hot water supply system. As shown in the figure, such flow sensors may be provided on the cold water supply section 20 to the system and / or between the output sections of the output side circulation path 18 of the heat exchanger. Optionally, one or more pressure sensors may be included in the hot water supply system, and the pressure sensors may be provided upstream and / or downstream of the heat exchanger / energy bank, for example, alongside one or more of the one or more flow sensors 38. Alternatively, each flow sensor, or each temperature sensor, and / or each pressure sensor may be coupled to the processor 30 of the system controller 28 by either or both a wired connection or a wireless connection, for example, using one or more wireless transmitters or transceivers 40. Depending on the nature of the various sensors 24, 26, and 38, they may be interrogatable by the processor 30 of the system controller 28.

[0073] The electrically controlled thermostat mixing valve 160 is preferably coupled between the outlet of the energy bank and one or more outlets of the hot water supply system, and includes a temperature sensor 162 at its outlet. An additional instantaneous water heater 170, for example, an (inductive or resistive) electric heater controlled by the controller 28, is preferably located within the water flow path between the outlet of the energy bank and the mixing valve 160. An additional temperature sensor may be provided to measure the temperature of the water output by the instantaneous water heater 170 and provide the measured value to the controller 28. The thermostat mixing valve 160 is also coupled to the cold water supply section 180 and is controllable by the controller 28 to mix hot water and cold water to achieve a desired supply temperature.

[0074] Optionally, as shown in the figure, the energy bank 10 may be included within the enclosure 12 and include an electric heating element 42 that is controlled by the processor 30 of the system controller 28 and may sometimes be used as an alternative to the heat pump 16 to recharge the energy bank.

[0075] FIG. 5 is merely a schematic view showing only the connection of the heat pump to the hot water supply facility. It will be appreciated that in many regions of the world, not only hot water but also heating is required. Therefore, typically, the heat pump 16 is also used to provide heating. An exemplary configuration in which the heat pump provides heating and cooperates with the energy bank for hot water heating will be described later in this application. For ease of explanation, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the following description of the method of operating the energy bank according to one aspect of the present invention is equally applicable to the energy bank facility regardless of whether the associated heat pump provides heating or not.

[0076] Next, referring to FIG. 6, a method of controlling a facility according to one aspect of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a simplified flowchart illustrating various operations executed by a processor associated with the facility according to any modification of the third or fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0077] This method begins at step 120 with generating a determination of the amount of energy stored as latent heat of the phase change material based on information from one or more state sensors 24.

[0078] Next, at step 130, the processor determines whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump based at least in part on that determination. Various factors that the processor can take into account in addition to the state of the PCM will be introduced and considered later in this specification.

[0079] FIG. 7 is another simplified flowchart illustrating various operations executed by a processor associated with the facility according to any modification of the third or fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0080] This method begins at step 300, where the processor receives a signal indicating the opening of the outlet of the hot water supply system. This signal may come, for example, from a flow sensor 38 within the hot water supply system or from a flow sensor 38 within the cold water supply section to the hot water system. At step 302, the processor estimates the demand for hot water from the hot water supply system, for example, based on the identification or type of the opened outlet or based on the instantaneous flow rate. The processor compares the estimated demand with a first threshold demand level. If the estimated demand exceeds the first threshold demand level, the processor generates a heat pump start message at step 304. If the estimated demand is below the first threshold demand level, the processor compares the estimated demand with a second threshold demand level that is lower than the first threshold demand level. If the estimated demand is below the second threshold demand level, the processor determines at step 306 not to generate a heat pump start message.

[0081] If the estimated demand is between the first and second threshold demand levels, the processor takes into account the energy storage level of the energy bank. This may include the processor newly establishing the energy storage level of the energy bank or the processor using recently generated information regarding the energy storage level of the energy bank.

[0082] If the determination of the energy storage level for the energy bank is greater than a first energy storage level threshold, the processor determines at step 304 not to generate a heat pump start message. Conversely, if the determination of the energy storage level for the energy bank is less than the first energy storage level threshold, the processor determines at step 304 to generate a heat pump start message.

[0083] Next, referring to FIG. 8, a method for controlling a facility according to an aspect of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a simplified flowchart illustrating various operations executed by a processor associated with an energy bank as illustrated in FIG. 5. This method begins at step 200 when the processor 30 detects the flow of water within the hot water supply system. The detection is preferably based on data from a flow sensor such as the flow sensor 38 of FIG. 5, but alternatively may be based on data from a pressure sensor within the hot water supply system. The associated sensor may be configured to continuously supply measurement data to the processor 30, may be configured to only report changes in the measurement data, or the processor may read the associated sensor continuously or periodically (e.g., at least once per second).

[0084] In step 202, the processor 30 determines whether the flow rate indicated by the data from the sensor indicates a high flow rate or a low flow rate, for example, above or below a specific threshold. The processor can use multiple thresholds to classify the flow rate as high, medium, or low, or the categories can include very high, high, medium, low. There is also a category that the flow is very low or not minimal. The processor 30 may also be provided with information (e.g., in the form of a database, model, or MLA) regarding the flow rate and flow rate signature of each outlet 22 or each outlet type of the hot water supply system (e.g., using techniques as described later in this patent application), and the processor characterizes the detected flow rate as being associated with a specific one or a specific type of outlet 22 (e.g., shower outlet, bath outlet, kitchen sink outlet, washbasin outlet, handwashing outlet).

[0085] If the determination indicates that the demand for hot water is low (203), the processor, in step 204, considers the state of the power bank 10 based at least on the information from the state sensor 24. The processor 30 may query the state sensor 24 (e.g., a pressure sensor) at this stage, or may check the state of the energy bank that was recently updated. In either case, it is determined whether the energy bank is in a high energy state 205 (a state in which most of the potential latent heat capacity of the energy bank is available) or a low energy state 206 (a state in which a small portion of the potential latent heat capacity of the energy bank is available). The processor may also consider the information from the temperature sensor 26, for example, consider the sensible heat energy stored in the energy bank 10. If the processor 30 determines that it is in a high energy state, the processor determines not to send a start command to the heat pump, and the process ends at step 207. If the processor 30 determines that it is in a low energy state, the processor may determine to send a start command to the heat pump in 206 (step 222).

[0086] If this determination indicates that the demand for hot water is high (208), the processor, in step 209, may consider the state of the power bank 10 based at least on the information from the state sensor 24. The processor 30 may query the state sensor 24 at this stage, or may check the state of the energy bank that was recently updated, but in either case, it is determined whether the energy bank is in a high energy state 210 (a state in which most of the potential latent heat capacity of the energy bank is available) or a low energy state 212 (a state in which a small portion of the potential latent heat capacity of the energy bank is available).

[0087] The processor may also consider the information from the temperature sensor 26, for example, the sensible heat energy stored in the energy bank 10. When the processor 30 determines the high energy state 210, the processor determines the predicted hot water demand optionally in step 214. However, the processor may be configured to issue a command to start the heat pump in step 222 without predicting the hot water demand (as indicated by the dashed arrow 211) based solely on the magnitude of the flow rate.

[0088] In step 214, the processor 30 can predict the hot water demand taking into account the determined identification (i.e., a specific outlet) or the type of the water outlet. For example, if the outlet is identified as the kitchen sink outlet, the faucet will not flow for more than 30 seconds to 1 minute. In contrast, if the outlet is a bathroom faucet, the faucet will remain open for several minutes and probably require 120 - 150 liters of hot water.

[0089] In the first situation, the processor 30 determines in 216 not to send a start signal to the heat pump, but instead, ends the process or, more preferably, continues to monitor the flow rate in step 218 to see how long the flow continues. If the flow stops within the predicted time, the process ends in step 220, but if the water flow continues longer than predicted, the processor moves to 219 and returns to step 209. In the second situation, the processor 30 determines in 221 to send a start signal to the heat pump (step 222) (the arrow 211 indicates a decision to start the heat pump based solely on the instantaneous flow rate or the identification of the outlet (or outlet type)), which is related to the recovery of a significant volume of hot water from the hot water supply system.

[0090] After starting the heat pump in step 222 (from either the determination in 206 or 221), the processor 30 continues in step 224 to monitor (either periodically or continuously) the state of the power bank, and when the state reaches a charged threshold level (225), the processor sends a signal 226 to cut off the power of the heat pump (step 226).

[0091] FIG. 9 is another simplified flowchart illustrating various operations performed by a processor associated with an energy bank, such as the processor 30 of FIG. 5. Different from the method described with reference to FIG. 8, the method of FIG. 9 does not depend on the detection of a hot water call, i.e., does not depend on the opening of the outlet of the hot water system. Generally, FIG. 9 shows a method of controlling a facility, the method including steps of generating a determination of the amount of energy stored as latent heat in a phase change material, and based on this determination, deciding whether to provide a start signal to a heat pump. However, as will be described later, optional but preferred steps can be performed between the step of generating a determination of the amount of energy stored as latent heat in a phase change material and the step of deciding whether to provide a start signal to a heat pump based on this determination.

[0092] This method begins in step 500 where the processor 30 estimates the amount of energy stored as latent heat in the phase change material of the energy bank 10. The amount of heat may be an absolute amount in kJoules or may be a measure of the proportion of the currently available potential latent heat capacity. In other words, the processor can effectively determine the proportion of the phase change material that still has a higher energy state phase. Thus, for example, if the phase change material is paraffin wax and involves a phase change from liquid to solid, the liquid phase is the high energy phase that has taken in the latent heat of fusion, the solid phase is the low energy phase, and the latent heat of fusion has been lost by solidification.

[0093] If the processor determines that the amount of energy stored as latent heat is sufficient (502), i.e., above a certain threshold, the method proceeds to step 504 where the process stops and the processor waits for the next inspection (step 500).

[0094] If the processor determines that the amount of energy stored as latent heat is insufficient (506), i.e., below a certain threshold, the method proceeds to step 508. At step 508, the processor determines the likelihood of significant hot water demand within a coming period (e.g., within the next 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, or 4 hours). The period considered is a function of the heat capacity of the energy bank, the magnitude of the determined energy deficit, and the capacity of the heat pump to recharge the energy bank under these circumstances. The demand period considered should be large enough for the heat pump to be able to fully recharge the energy bank within that period, such that the energy bank is optimally (and perhaps fully) charged to be able to handle the predicted or anticipated demand. Conversely, the heat pump should not be used to recharge the energy bank prior to the predicted / anticipated energy demand to such an extent that the energy bank loses a significant amount of energy through radiation, conduction, or convection.

[0095] The processor can rely on a database, model, calendar, or schedule, any and all of which can include learned behaviors and patterns of behavior, and scheduled events (such as scheduled unemployment or other events scheduled elsewhere). The processor can also access local weather reports provided (pushed or received), for example, via the Internet, or in wireless transmissions, and / or at an external thermometer.

[0096] If the processor determines that there is a low likelihood of significant hot water demand during a period (510), the method proceeds to step 504 where the process stops and the processor waits for the next inspection 500.

[0097] If the processor determines that there is a high likelihood of significant hot water demand during a period (512), the method proceeds to step 514 where the heat pump is powered on. For example, the processor 30 sends a command to the heat pump 16 causing the heat pump's processor 32 to initiate the heat pump startup procedure. Thereafter, the heat pump begins supplying heat to the input side of the heat exchanger, thereby putting energy into the phase change material. Next, in step 516, the processor repeatedly determines whether sufficient energy is stored as latent heat of the phase change material in the energy bank. If the processor determines that sufficient energy is stored as latent heat of the phase change material in the energy bank (518), the method moves to step 520 where the power to the heat pump is turned off, for example, by the processor 30 sending an appropriate command. The method continues as long as the processor determines that insufficient energy is stored (522).

[0098] Referring again to FIG. 5, instead of or in addition to providing one or more state sensors 24 to measure the pressure within the enclosure, other types of sensors can be provided to measure optical properties of the PCM such as transparency, absorption, refraction, refractive index, etc., because these various ones change with the phase transition of the PCM. Further, various ones of these properties may exhibit wavelength dependence that changes with the change in phase.

[0099] Accordingly, the energy bank may further include one or more light sources for emitting light onto the phase change material, and the one or more state sensors 24 may include light detection facilities for detecting the light emitted from the light source after the light has passed through the phase change material. The change in the phase between the phases of the phase change material causes a reversible change in the optical properties of the phase change material, and thus the observation of the optical properties of the PCM can be used to collect information regarding the state of the PCM. Preferably, the optical properties of the PCM are observed in several regions of the PCM, preferably in different directions within the material. For example, the light source and the sensor may be arranged such that the light from the light source passes longitudinally through the PCM at one or more positions, and other light sources and sensors may be arranged such that the light from the light source passes transversely through the PCM at one or more positions and passes in one or more directions (transverse and / or thickness directions).

[0100] The light source may be controllable to generate light of different colors, and the light sensing facilities may be configured to detect at least a portion of the different colors. By selecting the appropriate color of light based on the particular PCM selected for any application, it is possible to more accurately determine the extent to which the phase of the PCM has changed.

[0101] Preferably, the light source comprises a plurality of separately activatable devices.

[0102] Coupling the light sensing facilities to a processor configured to estimate the amount of energy stored in the phase change material based on the information received from the light sensing facilities provides a means for determining the amount of energy stored as latent heat within the PCM, and this information can be used when controlling the heat pump. In particular, such information can enable more efficient and appropriate use of the heat pump when charging the PCM energy bank.

[0103] As a further option, one or more state sensors 24 for providing measurement data indicative of the amount of energy stored as latent heat within the phase change material can include an acoustic source configured to emit sound into the phase change material and an acoustic sensing facility for detecting the sound emitted from the acoustic source after the sound has passed through the phase change material. A change between phases of the phase change material results in a reversible change in the sound absorption characteristics of the phase change material, and thus, observation of the acoustic properties of the PCM can be used to gather information regarding the state of the PCM. The acoustic source may be configured to produce ultrasonic waves.

[0104] During the commissioning process described with reference to FIG. 1, the engineer may also be requested by the processor / system controller 140 to define all hot water outlets (e.g., faucets, showers, bathtubs, sinks, etc.), or put another way, to map the system. In this process, the system controller requests the technician to fully open each outlet (faucet, shower outlet, etc.) in turn and close each outlet before opening the next outlet, and monitors the resulting water flow by means of the associated flow measurement device 110. During this process, the associated flow measurement device 110 measures the water flow, the processor receives these data, and adds the results to the database. Based on this information, the system can provide the most efficient flow to each individual faucet by controlling the associated flow control device 115 when any outlet is opened.

[0105] A method of mapping a building water supply installation according to a first aspect of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 1.

[0106] This method includes opening a first outlet among a plurality of controllable water outlets and processing, by a processor 140, signals from at least one flow measurement device 110 until at least a first flow characteristic is determined, and then closing the first outlet among the plurality of controllable water outlets. The opening of the first outlet among the plurality of controllable water outlets is preferably directed by a processor or system controller 140 and sends a message to a mobile device 150 carried by a relevant engineer. For example, the instruction can be sent via Wi-Fi to tell the engineer to open the hot bath tap 136 in the master bathroom 121. The engineer carries the mobile device 150, then goes to the master bathroom and fully opens the hot bath tap 136. The mobile device can provide a prompt, preferably an audible sound and a countdown, to inform the engineer of the exact timing to open the faucet. Alternatively, an application on the mobile device may be configured to receive an input (e.g., pressing or releasing a button) from the engineer at the moment the faucet 136 is opened. In either case, the application can capture the prompt or the instant local time and then send this local time, along with the identification information of the relevant controllable outlet, to the system controller 140 or the server 145. In this way, the delay of the prompt reaching the mobile device 150 or the timing delay of the instruction reaching the controller 140 or the server 145 can be considered (the mobile device 150 and the system controller 140 preferably go through some handshake procedures before or after the mapping process, as a result, the wither offset between the clocks of the two devices can be eliminated, or they can also be considered).

[0107] Engineers can then work around the premises by selecting the outlet identifier from a list or menu on the application or entering an explicit identifier to open each outlet in turn. Alternatively, the system controller may already have provided a list of all faucets etc. (generally "controllable outlets") and can prompt the engineer to go to the relevant outlet by sending another message to the mobile device 150. The application preferably includes an option for the engineer to send a message to the system controller 140 / server 145, because the engineer is in a predetermined position and ready to receive an instruction to open the next controllable outlet. The process is then repeated for each other hot water outlet until all outlets and their flow characteristics, i.e., the delay before flow is detected, the rate of increase of flow, the maximum flow rate, and any other distinguishable characteristics are captured and stored in a database. The processor 140 can then identify the opening of a particular one of the plurality of controllable water outlets based on the similarity between the detected flow characteristics and each respective flow characteristic by using the characteristics stored in the database.

[0108] The processor also provides some rules regarding the preferred flow rate and optionally the flow rate duration based on the type of outlet (bath faucet, kitchen faucet, washbasin faucet, cloakroom faucet) and its location (e.g., main bathroom, toilet, children's room, en-suite, cloakroom, kitchen), and uses these rules together with the outlet identifier recognized from the detected flow characteristics to determine the target flow rate. The target flow rate is then imposed by the system controller 140 by controlling the relevant flow controller 115 and is preferably monitored by the corresponding flow measurement device 110. In this way, by controlling at least one flow regulator based on the identification of the relevant outlet, the processor 140 can control the supply of water to the identified controllable water outlet.

[0109] Each of the respective flow characteristics can include respective stable flow rates. The method can then further include configuring processor 140 to control at least one flow regulator 115 to impose a reduction of at least 10% of the flow rate on each of a plurality of controllable water outlets based on the respective stable flow rates. Optionally, the method can further include configuring processor 140 to control at least one flow regulator 115 to impose a reduction of at least 10% of the flow rate on any of a plurality of controllable water outlets having respective stable flow rates greater than 7 liters per minute based on the respective stable flow rates. This is particularly applicable to faucets that serve sinks in bathrooms, ensuites, and particularly cloakrooms, where faucets are often primarily used to provide water for handwashing and can be effectively achieved with very conservative flow rates.

[0110] Using the above-described techniques for mapping the hot water supply facility, a database or training logic such as a neural network or machine learning algorithm (MLA) can be placed, which may be used by a processor associated with the energy bank as described above, such that the processor can identify a particular outlet or type of outlet from the detected flow behavior and thus more easily estimate the demand for hot water from the hot water supply unit. This can improve the efficiency of the control of the heat pump and the use of the energy bank.

[0111] Having described the energy bank and the installation and operation of the energy bank in the hot water supply facility, next, consider a method of integrating the energy bank and the heat pump into both a hot water supply system and a space heating facility.

[0112] FIG. 10 schematically shows a possible installation of components of the interface unit 10 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The interface unit interfaces between a heat pump (not shown in this figure) and a building interior hot water system. The interface unit includes a heat exchanger 12 with an (unnumbered) enclosure having an input side circulation path (shown in a very simplified form as 14) for connecting to the heat pump and an output side circulation path (shown in a very simplified form as 16) for connecting to the building interior hot water system (not shown in this figure). The heat exchanger 12 also includes a heat storage medium for storing energy, which is not shown in the figure. In the embodiment described below with reference to FIG. 10, the heat storage medium is a phase change material. The interface unit is recognized to correspond to the energy bank described above. Throughout this specification, including the claims, references to energy banks, heat storage media, energy storage media, and phase change materials should be considered interchangeable unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

[0113] Typically, the phase change material in the heat exchanger has an energy storage capacity of 2 - 5 mJules (with respect to the amount of energy stored by the latent heat of fusion), although more energy storage is possible and useful. Of course, less energy storage is also possible, but generally, it is desired to maximize the potential for energy storage in the phase change material of the interface unit 10 (subject to practical constraints based on physical dimensions, weight, cost, and safety). Later in this specification, suitable phase change materials and their properties, as well as dimensions, etc., will be further described.

[0114] The input-side circulation path 14 is connected to a pipe or conduit 18 that is fed water from a pipe 22 having a junction 24 connected from the heat pump to the water supply section, in order from node 20. Node 20 also feeds the fluid from the heat pump into pipe 26, and pipe 26 terminates at junction 28, which is intended to be connected to the heating network of a house or apartment for piping, for example, to a floor heating or radiator network or both. Thus, when the interface unit 10 is fully installed and operable, the fluid heated by the heat pump (placed outside the house or apartment) passes through junction 24, travels along pipe 22 to node 20, from where, depending on the setting of the three-port valve 32, the fluid flow goes along pipe 18 to the input-side circulation path 14 of the heat exchanger, or along pipe 26 through junction 28 to the in-building heating infrastructure.

[0115] The heated fluid from the heat pump passes through the input-side circulation path 14 of the heat exchanger and flows out of the heat exchanger 12 along pipe 30. In use, in certain situations, the heat carried by the heated fluid from the heat pump gives part of its energy to the phase change material in the heat exchanger and part to the water in the output-side circulation path 16. In other situations, as will be described later, the fluid flowing through the input-side circulation path 14 of the heat exchanger actually obtains heat from the phase change material.

[0116] Pipe 30 feeds the fluid emerging from the input-side circulation path 14 to an electric three-port valve 32, which then sends it along pipe 34 to a pump 36, depending on the state of the valve. The pump 36 serves to push the flow into an external heat pump via a junction 38.

[0117] The automated three-port valve 32 also receives fluid from pipe 40, which receives the fluid returning from the heating infrastructure (e.g., radiator) of a house or apartment via a junction 42.

[0118] Between the electric three-port valve 32 and the pump 36, three sets of transducers are provided, namely, a temperature transducer 44, a flow rate transducer 46, and a pressure transducer 48. In addition, a temperature transducer 49 that takes in fluid from the output of the heat pump is provided in the pipe 22. These transducers, like all other transducers in the interface unit 10, are typically provided as part of the interface unit, but can be operably connected to a processor (not shown) provided as a separate module or can be addressable by the processor.

[0119] Although not shown in FIG. 10, an additional electric heating element may be provided in the flow path between the couplers 24, and the coupler 24 receives fluid from the output of the heat pump. This additional electric heating element may be an induction heating element or a resistance heating element, and is provided not only as a means to compensate for potential failures of the heat pump, but also for possible use when adding energy to the heat storage unit (for example, based on current energy costs and predicted energy for heating and / or hot water). The additional electric heating element can of course also be controlled by the processor of the system.

[0120] Also, an expansion vessel 50 is coupled to the pipe 34, a valve 52 is connected to the expansion vessel 50, and the valve 52 can connect the filling loop to the fluid in the heating circuit. Also shown as part of the heating circuit of the interface unit are a pressure relief valve 54, an intermediate between the node 20 and the input side circulation path 14, and an optional strainer 56 (for capturing particulate contaminants), an intermediate coupling portion 42, and a three-port valve 32.

[0121] The heat exchanger 12 also comprises several transducers including at least one temperature transducer 58, although as shown it is preferably provided with more (e.g. up to four or more), and also comprises a pressure transducer 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchanger includes four temperature transducers uniformly distributed within the phase change material so that the temperature change can be determined (and thus knowledge can be obtained about the state of the phase change material throughout its bulk). Such a facility is particularly beneficial in the design / implementation phase as a means of optimizing the design of the heat exchanger, including optimizing additional heat transfer facilities. However, having multiple sensors is also beneficial in the deployed system since it can provide useful information to the machine learning algorithms used by the processor and the processor (either simply the interface unit and / or the processor of the system including the interface unit).

[0122] Next, the facilities of the cold water supply section and the hot water circulation path of the interface unit 10 will be described. The connection part 62 is provided for connecting to the cold water supply section from the main water pipe. Typically, before the water from the main water pipe reaches the interface unit 10, the water can pass through an anti-siphon check valve and its pressure can be reduced. From the connection part 62, the cold water flows along the pipe to the output side circulation path 16 of the heat exchanger 12. Considering providing a processor that monitors a number of sensors within the interface unit, another task can optionally be given to the same processor. This is for monitoring the pressure at which the cold water is sent from the main water supply section. For this purpose, an additional pressure sensor can be introduced into the cold water supply line upstream of the connection part 62, particularly upstream of any pressure reducing facilities within the premises. The processor can then continuously or periodically monitor the supplied water pressure, and furthermore, if the main water pipe supplies water at a pressure below the legal minimum pressure, it can even prompt the owner / user to claim compensation from the water supply company.

[0123] From the output-side circulation path 16, the water heated by passing through the heat exchanger is sent to the electric heating unit 68 along the pipe 66. The electric heating unit 68, which is under the control of the processor described above, is equipped with resistance or induction heating facilities, and its heat output can be modulated according to commands from the processor.

[0124] The processor is configured to control the electric heater based on information regarding the state of the phase change material and the heat pump.

[0125] Typically, the electric heating unit 68 has a power rating of 10 kW or less, but in some situations, a more powerful heater, such as 12 kW, can also be provided.

[0126] From the electric heater 68, the hot water passes along the pipe 70 to the junction 74, and a hot water circulation path including controllable outlets such as faucets and showers in a home or apartment is connected to the junction 74.

[0127] A temperature transducer 76 is provided after the electric heater 68, for example at the outlet of the electric heater 68, to provide information regarding the water temperature at the outlet of the hot water system. A pressure relief valve 77 is also provided within the hot water supply, and although it is shown to be placed between the electric heater 68 and the outlet temperature transducer 76, its exact position is not important as is actually the case for many of the components shown in FIG. 10.

[0128] Also, somewhere in the hot water supply line, there is a pressure transducer 79 and / or a flow transducer 81, and either or both of these can be used by the processor to detect a call for hot water, that is, to detect the opening of a controllable outlet such as a faucet or shower. The flow transducer preferably has no moving parts based on, for example, sonic flow detection or magnetic flow detection. The processor can then use the information from one or both of these transducers, along with its stored logic, to determine whether to send a signal to the heat pump to start.

[0129] The processor can request the heat pump to start based on the demand for space heating (e.g., based on a program stored either in the processor or an external controller), and / or based on signals from one or more thermostats (e.g., room statistics, external statistics, underfloor heating statistics), or based on the demand for hot water. It will be understood that the control of the heat pump may be in the form of a simple on / off command or in the form of modulation (e.g., using ModBus).

[0130] Similar to the case of the heating circuit of the interface unit, another temperature transducer 84 is also provided in the pipe 66 intermediate the outlet of the output side circuit 16 of the heat exchanger 12 where a set of three transducers, namely a temperature transducer 78, a flow transducer 80 and a pressure transducer 82, are provided along the cold and hot water supply pipe 64. All of these transducers are operably connected to or addressable by the aforementioned processor.

[0131] Also shown on the cold water supply line 64 are a magnetic or electric water regulator 86, an electric and modifiable valve 88 (which, like all electric valves, may be controlled by the aforementioned processor), a check valve 90, and an expansion vessel 92. The modifiable valve 88 can be controlled to regulate the flow of cold water to maintain the desired temperature of the hot water (e.g., measured by the temperature transducer 76).

[0132] Valves 94 and 96 are also provided to connect to external storage tanks for storing cold water and heated water respectively. Finally, a double check valve 98 connects the low temperature water supply pipe 64 to another valve 100 which can be used with a filling loop connected to the aforementioned valve 52 to charge the heating circuit with more water or a mixture of water and corrosion inhibitor.

[0133] FIG. 10 shows various intersecting pipes, but it should be noted that the two pipes shown intersecting do not communicate with each other unless these intersections are shown as nodes such as node 20.

[0134] Although not shown in FIG. 10, the heat exchanger 12 may include one or more additional electric heating elements configured to put heat into the heat storage medium. This may seem counterintuitive, but as will be explained below, it enables the use of electrical energy to pre-charge the heat storage medium when it makes economic sense.

[0135] It has long been the practice of energy supply companies to impose tariffs that vary by time of day, taking into account fluctuations in demand and shaping customer behavior to improve the balance between demand and supply capacity. Historically, tariff plans have been rather crude, reflecting both the technology of generation and consumption. However, the increasing introduction of renewable energy sources of electricity, such as solar power generation (e.g., from solar cells, panels, farms) and wind power generation, into the power generation fabric of countries is driving the development of more dynamic pricing of energy. This approach reflects the variability inherent in such weather-dependent power generation. Initially, such dynamic pricing was mostly limited to large users, but increasingly dynamic pricing is being offered to domestic consumers.

[0136] The degree of dynamism in price setting varies by country and also among different producers within a given country. To give an extreme example, "dynamic" price setting may simply involve offering different tariffs at different times of the day, and such tariffs may be applied over a non - varying week, month, or season. However, among dynamic price systems, there are those that allow suppliers to change prices with within - day notice. For example, it can be possible to present prices to customers for a 30 - minute period today or tomorrow. In some countries, a short time frame of six minutes is offered, and perhaps by including "intelligence" in energy - consuming devices, the lead time for notifying consumers of upcoming tariffs can be further reduced.

[0137] Using short - term and medium - term weather forecasts, it is possible to predict both the amount of energy that could be produced by solar and wind power facilities and the likely scale of electricity demand for heating and cooling, enabling the prediction of extreme demand periods. Among power - generating companies with significant natural - energy - generation capacity, there are even those known to offer negative charges for electricity - literally paying customers to use excess power. More often, electricity is presented at only a small fraction of the normal rate.

[0138] By incorporating an electric heater into an energy - storage unit such as the heat exchanger of the system according to the present disclosure, consumers can take advantage of periods of low - cost supply and reduce their dependence on electricity when energy prices are high. This is not only beneficial to individual consumers but also more generally, as it can reduce demand when demand for fossil fuels has to be met by fossil - fuel combustion.

[0139] The processor of the interface unit has a wired and / or wireless connection (or both) to a data network such as the Internet, enabling the processor to receive dynamic price information from an energy provider. The processor preferably also has a data link connection (such as ModBus) to the heat pump to send commands to the heat pump and receive information (such as status information and temperature information) from the heat pump. The processor has logic that enables it to learn the behavior of the household, and together with this dynamic price information, the processor can determine whether and when to use inexpensive electricity to pre-charge the heating system. This can be done by using an electrical element inside the heat exchanger to heat an energy storage medium, or alternatively, by driving the heat pump to a higher temperature than normal, for example 60°C instead of 40 - 48°C. The efficiency of the heat pump decreases when operating at a high temperature, but this can be taken into account when the processor determines the optimal timing and method of using inexpensive electricity.

[0140] Since the system processor can be connected to a data network such as the Internet and / or the provider's intranet, the local system processor can benefit from external computing power. Thus, for example, the manufacturer of the interface unit may have, for example, predicted; occupancy; activity; tariffs (short-term / long-term); weather forecasts (which may be more preferable than generally available weather forecasts. This is because they can be pre-processed for easy use by the local processor, and they can also be very specifically adjusted to the situation, location, and exposure of the characteristics where the interface unit is installed); a cloud presence (or intranet) that provides computing power for the calculation of false positive and / or false negative identification.

[0141] To protect the user from the risk of burns from overheated water from the hot water supply system, it is advisable to provide a burn protection function. This can take the form of providing an electrically controllable (modulatable) valve for mixing with the hot water when it exits from the output circulation path of the heat exchanger. (The additional valve can be installed between the nodes of the existing valves 94 and 96 described above.)

[0142] Figure 10 schematically shows what can be considered the "operating parts" of the interface unit, but does not show the containers for these "operating parts". An important use of the interface unit according to the present disclosure is as a means to enable a heat pump to be used as a practical contribution to the heating and hot water requirements of a dwelling that previously had (or might otherwise have had) a gas-fired combination boiler installed. It will be understood that, as in the case of a conventional combination boiler, it is often convenient to provide a container for both aesthetic and safety reasons. Further, any such container is preferably dimensioned to fit within a form factor that allows for the direct replacement of the combination boiler, which is typically wall-mounted and often located in a kitchen that coexists with kitchen cabinets. Based on a generally rectangular cubic shape having a height, width, and depth (curved surfaces may of course be used on any or all of the surfaces of the container for aesthetic, ergonomic, or safety reasons), appropriate sizes (height from 650 mm to 800 mm; width from 350 mm to 550 mm; depth from 260 mm to 420 mm) can be found within a general range, for example, a height of 800 mm, a width of 500 mm, and a depth of 400 mm, although larger and particularly taller units may be provided for use in applications that can accommodate them.

[0143] One significant distinction of the interface unit according to the disclosure regarding the gas composite boiler is that the latter's container generally has to be made of a non-combustible material such as steel. However, due to the presence of the high-temperature combustion chamber, the internal temperature of the interface unit is generally considerably lower than 100 °C, typically lower than 70 °C, and often lower than 60 °C. Therefore, it becomes practical to use combustible materials such as wood, bamboo, and even paper when manufacturing the container for the interface unit.

[0144] The absence of combustion also opens up the possibility of installing the interface unit in locations that would generally not be considered suitable for the installation of a gas composite boiler. And of course, unlike a gas composite boiler, the interface unit according to the disclosure does not require a flue for the exhaust gas. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to configure an interface unit for installation under a kitchen worktop, and it also becomes possible to utilize the notoriously dead spots typified by under-counter corners. For installation in such locations, the interface unit can preferably be actually integrated into an auxiliary pantry through cooperation with the manufacturer of the kitchen cabinet. However, the maximum flexibility for deployment is maintained by having an interface unit effectively positioned behind a certain form of cabinet, and the cabinet is configured to allow access to the interface unit. The interface unit is preferably configured such that the circulation pump 36 can slide out and away from the heat exchanger 12 before the circulation pump 36 is separated from the flow path of the input-side circulation path.

[0145] It is also possible to consider using other spaces that are often wasted in a fitted kitchen, namely the space under the kitchen cabinets under the countertop. There is often a space with a height exceeding 150 mm, a depth of about 600 mm, and a width of 300, 400, 500, 600 mm or more (however, it is necessary to leave some margin for the legs supporting the cabinet). Especially in the case of a new facility, or when a combined boiler is replaced along with a kitchen renovation, it makes sense to use these spaces at least to accommodate the heat exchanger of the interface unit, or to use two or more heat exchanger units for a given interface unit.

[0146] In particular, for an interface unit designed for wall mounting, it is potentially beneficial regardless of the use of the interface unit, but it is often desirable to design the interface unit as a plurality of modules. In such a design, due to the presence of the phase change material, a weight of more than 25 kg may occur with only the heat exchanger, so it is convenient to have the heat exchanger as one of the modules. For health and safety reasons, and to facilitate installation by one person, it is desirable to ensure that the interface unit is shipped as a set of modules with a weight not exceeding about 25 kg.

[0147] Such weight constraints can be supported by making one of the modules a chassis for mounting the interface unit to the structure. For example, when mounting the interface unit to a wall instead of an existing gas combination boiler, it can be convenient if a chassis for supporting the other modules can first be fixed to the wall. Preferably, the chassis is designed to cooperate with the positions of the existing fixing points used to support the replacement combination boiler. This can potentially be achieved by providing a "universal" chassis with pre-formed fixing holes according to the spacing and positions of common gas combination boilers. Alternatively, it can be cost-effective to produce a range of chassis with hole positions / sizes / spacings that each match the position / size / spacing of a particular manufacturer's boiler. Then, it is simply a matter of specifying the correct chassis and replacing the corresponding manufacturer's boiler. This approach has several advantages. It avoids the need to drill further holes in the plug to take the fixing bolts, which not only eliminates the time required to mark, drill and clean up, but also avoids the need to further weaken the structure of the dwelling in which the installation is being carried out. This can be an important consideration when taking into account the low-cost construction techniques and materials often used in "starter homes" and other low-cost dwellings.

[0148] Preferably, the heat exchanger module and the chassis module are configured to couple to each other. In this way, it is possible to avoid the need for separable fixtures, which also saves installation time.

[0149] Preferably, the additional module includes first interconnections, such as 62 and 74, to couple the output side circuit 16 of the heat exchanger 12 to the building domestic hot water system. Preferably, the additional module also includes second interconnections, such as 38 and 24, for coupling the input side circuit 14 of the heat exchanger 12 to the heat pump. Preferably, the additional module also includes third interconnections, such as 42 and 28, for coupling to the in-building heat circuit in which the interface unit is used. By mounting the heat exchanger on a chassis where the heat exchanger itself is directly connected to the wall, rather than first mounting the connections to the chassis, the weight of the heat exchanger is maintained closer to the wall, reducing the cantilever loading effect on the wall fixtures that secure the interface unit to the wall.

[0150] Phase change material

[0151] One suitable class of phase change materials is paraffin waxes that have solid-liquid phase changes at temperatures of interest for domestic hot water supply and, further, for use in combination with a heat pump. Of particular interest are paraffin waxes that melt in the temperature range of 40 - 60 °C, within which waxes that melt at different temperatures can be found to suit particular applications. Typical latent heat capacities are about 180 kJ / kg - 230 kJ / kg, and the specific heat is probably 2.27 Jg -1 K -1 , in the liquid phase and 2.1 Jg -1 K -1 in the solid phase. It can be seen that a significant amount of energy can be stored by utilizing the latent heat of fusion. More energy can also be stored by heating the phase change liquid above its melting point. For example, when the electricity cost is relatively low and hot water is expected to be needed soon (when the electricity cost is likely to increase or is known to increase), it makes sense to operate the heat pump at a higher temperature than normal to "overheat" the thermal energy storage unit.

[0152] A suitable selection of wax is n-tricosane C 23or paraffin C 20 -C 33 may have a melting point of about 48 °C. Applying a standard 3 K temperature difference across the heat exchanger (between the liquid supplied by the heat pump and the phase change material in the heat exchanger) gives a heat pump liquid temperature of about 51 °C. Similarly, on the output side, allowing a 3 K temperature drop results in a water temperature of 45 °C, which is satisfactory for typical domestic hot water, although this is hot enough for kitchen faucets but may be a bit high for shower / bathroom faucets. Clearly, cold water can be added to the flow to lower the temperature. Of course, if households are trained to accept lower hot water temperatures or if they are acceptable for some other reason, potentially, phase change materials with lower melting points may be considered, but generally, phase transition temperatures in the range of 45 - 50 are likely to be a good choice. Clearly, one would want to take into account the risk of Legionella bacteria by storing water at such temperatures.

[0153] Heat pumps (e.g., ground source or air source heat pumps) have an operating temperature of up to 60 °C (although an operating temperature of up to 72 °C is possible by using propane as the refrigerant), but their efficiency tends to be much higher when operating in the temperature range of 45 - 50 °C. Therefore, our 51 °C from a 48 °C phase transition temperature is likely to be satisfactory.

[0154] The temperature performance of the heat pump also needs to be considered. Generally, the maximum T (the difference between the input and output temperatures of the fluid heated by the heat pump) is preferably maintained in the range of 5 - 7 °C, but can be increased to about 10 °C.

[0155] Paraffin wax is a preferred material for use as an energy storage medium, but they are not the only suitable materials. Hydrates are also suitable for latent heat storage systems. Hydrates in this context are mixtures of inorganic salts and water, and their phase changes involve the loss of all or most of their water. During the phase transition, the hydrate crystals are separated into anhydrous (or less hydrated) salts and water. The advantages of hydrates are that they have a much higher thermal conductivity (2 - 5 times) than paraffin wax and a much smaller volume change associated with the phase transition. A hydrate suitable for this application is Na2S2O3·5H2O, which has a melting point of about 48 - 49 °C and a latent heat of 200 / 220 kJ / kg.

[0156] Regarding simply energy storage, it is also considered to use PCMs having a phase transition temperature significantly exceeding the range of 40 - 50 °C. For example, paraffin waxes, waxes with a wide range of melting points are available: n - Heneicosane C with a melting point of about 40 °C 24 ; n - Docosane C with a melting point of about 44.5 °C 21 ; n - Tetracosane C with a melting point of about 52 °C 23 ; n - Pentacosane C with a melting point of about 54 °C 25 ; n - Hexacosane C with a melting point of about 56.5 °C 26 ; n - Heptacosane C with a melting point of about 59 °C 27 ; n - Octacosane C with a melting point of about 64.5 °C 28 ; n - Nonacosane C with a melting point of about 65 °C 29 ; n - (triacosane) Triacosane C with a melting point of about 66 °C 30 ; n - Hentriacosane C with a melting point of about 67 °C 31 ; n - Dotriacosane C with a melting point of about 69 °C 32 ; n-Triatriacosane C with a melting point of about 71 °C 33 ; Paraffin C with a melting point of 58 - 60 °C 22 -C 45 ; Paraffin C with a melting point of 66 - 68 °C 21 -C 50 ; RT70HC with a melting point of about 69 - 71 °C.

[0157] Alternatively, a salt hydrate such as CH3COONa·3H2O with a melting point of about 58 °C and a latent heat of 226 / 265 kJ / kg may be used.

[0158] So far, the thermal energy storage unit has been mainly described as having a single mass of phase change material within a heat exchanger each having an input circulation path and an output circulation path in the form of one or more coils or loops. However, encapsulating the phase change material within a plurality of sealed bodies, such as metal (e.g., copper or copper alloy) cylinders (or other elongated forms), surrounded by a heat transfer fluid in the output circulation path (preferably used to provide hot water to a domestic hot water system), is beneficial in terms of heat transfer rate.

[0159] In such a configuration, the heat transfer liquid may be sealed within the heat exchanger, or more preferably, the heat transfer liquid may flow through the energy storage unit and may also be a heat transfer liquid that transfers heat from a green energy source (e.g., a heat pump) without using the input heat transfer coil of the energy storage unit. In this way, the input circulation path may simply be provided by one (or more generally, a plurality) of inlets and one or more outlets, and as a result, the heat transfer liquid freely passes through the heat exchanger without being confined by a coil or other normal conduit, and the heat transfer liquid transfers heat to or from the encapsulated PCM and then transfers heat to the output circulation path (and thus to the water in the discharge circulation path). In this way, the input circulation path is defined by one or more inlets and one or more outlets for the heat transfer liquid, and a free-form path through the encapsulated PCM and through the energy storage unit.

[0160] Preferably, the PCM is encapsulated within a plurality of elongated closed-end pipes arranged at one or more intervals (e.g., a staggered array of pipes, each array including pipes arranged at one or more intervals), and the heat transfer fluid is arranged to flow transversely across the pipes (or transversely to the length of the pipes or other encapsulating enclosure) so as to be directed by one or more impellers provided within the energy storage unit if the input coil is used or along the path from the inlet to the outlet.

[0161] Optionally, the output circulation path may be configured to be disposed at the top of the energy storage unit and located above the encapsulated PCM, the container being horizontally disposed and arranged above the input loop or coil (such that convection supports upward energy transfer through the energy storage unit), or having an inlet direction of the heat transfer liquid with respect to the encapsulated PCM and optionally being arranged towards the upper output circulation path. When one or more impellers are used, preferably, the integrity of the enclosure of the energy storage is not compromised or each impeller is magnetically coupled to an externally mounted motor.

[0162] Optionally, the PCM can be encapsulated in an elongated tube, typically of circular cross-section, having a nominal outer diameter in the range of 20 to 67 mm, such as 22 mm, 28 mm, 35 mm, 42 mm, 54 mm, or 67 mm, and typically these tubes are formed of copper suitable for piping. Preferably, the pipe has an outer diameter from 22 mm to 54 mm, such as from 28 mm to 42 mm.

[0163] The heat transfer fluid is preferably a water-based liquid such as water or a fluid additive, corrosion inhibitor, antifreeze, water mixed with one or more of biocides, and can include, for example, inhibitors of the type designed for use in central heating systems such as Sentinel X100 or Fernox F1 (both RTM) diluted appropriately with water.

[0164] Accordingly, throughout the specification and claims of the present application, the expression input circulation path, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, is to be construed as including an installation that, as described above, does not have the path of liquid flow from the input to the output of the input circulation path defined by regular conduits, but rather includes a liquid that flows substantially freely within the enclosure of the energy storage unit.

[0165] The PCM can be encapsulated within a plurality of elongated cylinders having a circular or substantially circular cross-section, and these cylinders are preferably spaced apart in one or more rows. Preferably, the cylinders of adjacent rows are offset from each other to facilitate heat transfer from the heat transfer fluid. Optionally, one or more input ports, which can be in the form of a plurality of input nozzles, introduce the heat transfer liquid into the space around the enclosure, and input facilities are provided that direct the input heat transfer liquid towards and upwards into the enclosure that is fed by an input manifold. The bore of the nozzles at their outputs may generally have a circular cross-section, or may be elongated to produce an injection or flow of liquid that more effectively transfers heat to the encapsulated PCM. The manifold may be fed from a single end or from opposite ends for the purpose of increasing the flow rate and reducing the pressure loss.

[0166] As a result of the action of a green energy source pump (e.g., a heat pump or a solar hot water system), or another system pump, the heat transfer liquid can be pumped to the energy storage unit 12, or the heat energy storage unit can include its own pump. After exiting the energy storage unit at one or more outlets of the input circuit, the heat transfer liquid can return directly to the energy source (e.g., a heat pump), or using one or more valves, it may be switchable to first move to a heating facility (e.g., underfloor heating, radiator, or other form of heating) and then return to the green energy source.

[0167] The enclosures may be arranged horizontally such that the coils of the output circuit are positioned above and covering the enclosures. It will be understood that this is only one of many possible arrangements and orientations. A similar configuration can be equally well arranged for vertically arranged enclosures.

[0168] Alternatively, an energy storage unit using PCM encapsulation can reuse a cylindrical elongated enclosure such as those described above, but in this case, for example, a conduit-shaped input circulation path such as a coil form is used. The enclosures may be arranged such that their long axes are vertically aligned and the input coil 14 and output coil 18 are arranged on either side of the energy storage unit 12. However, this facility can also be used in other orientations such as a bottom input circulation path and a top output circulation path, and enclosures with horizontally aligned long axes. Preferably, one or more impellers are arranged within the energy storage unit 12 to propel the energy transfer liquid from around the input coil 14 towards the enclosures. The impeller or each impeller is preferably coupled to an externally mounted drive unit (e.g., an electric motor) via a magnetic drive system, such that the enclosure of the energy storage unit 12 need not be perforated to receive a drive shaft, thereby reducing the risk of leakage in the event such a shaft enters the enclosure.

[0169] The fact that the PCM is encapsulated makes it readily possible to construct an energy storage unit that uses two or more phase change materials for energy storage, in particular, PCMs with different transition (e.g., melting) temperatures can be combined, thereby creating an energy storage unit capable of expanding the operating temperature of the energy storage unit.

[0170] In embodiments of the type described above, it will be understood that the energy storage unit 12 includes one or more phase change materials for storing energy as latent heat in combination with a heat transfer fluid (e.g., water or a water / inhibitor solution).

[0171] A plurality of elastic bodies configured to decrease in volume in response to an increase in pressure caused by a phase change of a phase change material and to expand again in response to a decrease in pressure caused by the reverse phase change of the phase change material preferably comprise a phase change material within an enclosure (these may also be used in an energy bank using a "bulk" PCM as described elsewhere in this specification).

[0172] According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of configuring a hot water supply facility having a plurality of controllable hot water outlets, the facility comprising a hot water source having an outlet with a controllable outlet temperature, a hot water flow path between the outlet of the hot water source and the plurality of controllable hot water outlets, a flow rate measurement device and at least one flow regulator, a first temperature sensor for detecting the outlet temperature, and a processor operably connected to the flow rate measurement device, the first temperature sensor, and the at least one flow regulator, the method comprising installing an outlet temperature sensor in the outlet flow path of a first controllable hot water outlet, opening the first controllable hot water outlet such that water from the first controllable hot water outlet impinges on the outlet temperature sensor, generating data by monitoring, using the outlet temperature sensor, the temporal variation of the temperature of the water from the first controllable hot water outlet, supplying the data to the processor, and processing, using the processor, the timing information, the data, and the information from the first temperature sensor regarding the opening time of the first controllable hot water outlet to determine a first parameter for controlling the outlet temperature of the hot water source and optionally controlling at least one flow regulator for use when the processor subsequently detects an operation of the first controllable hot water outlet.

[0173] This method further includes generating corresponding data for a plurality of controllable second hot water outlets by installing an outlet temperature sensor in the flow path of a second controllable hot water outlet; opening the controllable second hot water outlet so that water from the controllable second hot water outlet falls onto the outlet temperature sensor; generating second data by monitoring, using the outlet temperature sensor, the variation over time of the temperature of the water from the second outlet of the controllable hot water outlet; supplying the second data to a processor; and processing, using the processor, timing information regarding the opening time of the controllable second hot water outlet, the second data, and information from the first temperature sensor, to determine a second parameter for controlling the outlet temperature of the heat source used when the processor subsequently detects the operation of the controllable second hot water outlet.

[0174] This application includes many aspects and embodiments that are generally commonly related based on a common set of problems, even when many aspects have broader applicability. In particular, the logical and control methods are not necessarily limited to operating with the disclosed hardware, and may be more broadly applicable, but all are particularly suitable for working with hardware of various hardware aspects and their preferred variations. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain aspects are related to specific examples of other features, and that the preferred features described or claimed in a particular aspect may be applicable elsewhere. The disclosure would become unmanageably long if explicit mention were made in all points of interoperability, but those skilled in the art are expected to understand, and are hereby explicitly instructed to understand, that the preferred features of any aspect may be applied to any other, unless explicitly described otherwise or clearly inappropriate from the context. To avoid repetition, many aspects and concepts may be described only in method form or hardware form, but the corresponding apparatus or computer program or logic should be construed as in the case of a method as disclosed or as in the case of a method of operating hardware as disclosed in the case of consideration of the apparatus. As an example of what is meant by the above, there are many features of both hardware and software related to the combination of a fluid-based (typically an air source) heat pump and a phase change material, as well as control by an electric auxiliary heating element and a processor (within the unit or remotely or both). This is a preferred application, but most methods and hardware are more generally applicable to other heat pumps (thermoelectric and ground source) and other renewable energy sources (e.g., pumps for solar arrays) and alternative auxiliary heating (less preferred installations such as combustion heaters like gas boilers, or less efficient high-temperature low-COP heat pumps) and alternative thermal storage (including multi-temperature thermal storage arrays). Further, aspects that give a particular installation to any of the components, or their interactions, can be freely used with aspects that focus on alternative elements of the system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the supply of heated water in a domestic hot water supply facility having a plurality of controllable hot water outlets, said facility comprising: A hot water source including a heating appliance having an outlet with a controllable outlet temperature; A flow measurement device providing flow characteristics of the water flow between said hot water source and said plurality of controllable hot water outlets; A first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature at the outlet of the hot water source; A memory storing parameters linking flow characteristics to the identifier of each of said controllable hot water outlets, and an association between each of said plurality of controllable hot water outlets and the respective target temperature of the hot water supplied at each of said controllable hot water outlets; Said memory, said flow measurement device, and a processor operatively connected to said first temperature sensor; Said method being executed by said processor, said method comprising: Detecting a demand for water from said controllable hot water outlet, and identifying said controllable hot water outlet as the first controllable hot water outlet based on said flow characteristics and additional information related to said first controllable hot water outlet derived from an electrical signal indicating the electrical demand or occupancy of the location where the first controllable hot water outlet is located, and setting a target water temperature for the temperature at which hot water is supplied to said first controllable hot water outlet to a first target water temperature value related to said first controllable hot water outlet stored in said memory; Detecting a demand for water from another controllable hot water outlet, and identifying said another controllable hot water outlet as the second controllable hot water outlet based on said flow characteristics and additional information related to said second controllable hot water outlet derived from an electrical signal indicating the electrical demand or occupancy of the location where the second controllable hot water outlet is located, and resetting the target water temperature when hot water is supplied to said second controllable hot water outlet to a second target water temperature value related to said second controllable hot water outlet stored in said memory; Using said processor to control the mixing of heated water from said heating appliance with water at a different temperature, and providing water at said first target water temperature value or said second target water temperature value to said first controllable hot water outlet or said second controllable hot water outlet respectively; Detecting demands from more than two controllable hot water outlets including the first controllable hot water outlet and the second controllable hot water outlet; Identifying each of the more than two controllable hot water outlets where hot water is demanded, based on the flow characteristics and additional information associated with each of the more than two controllable hot water outlets, wherein the additional information is derived from an electrical signal indicating the electrical demand or occupancy of the location where each of the more than two controllable hot water outlets is located; Resetting the target water temperature to a third target water temperature value, wherein the third target water temperature value is either the lowest target water temperature value among the target water temperature values associated with the identified more than two controllable hot water outlets, or a temperature intermediate the target water temperature values of the identified more than two controllable hot water outlets; A method comprising.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling the heating appliance to adjust the temperature at which the heated water is supplied from the heating appliance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flow characteristics include at least one of a maximum flow rate and a rate of change of flow to a predetermined flow rate.

4. The heating appliance includes an energy storage facility containing a large amount of phase change material for storing energy in the form of latent heat, and a heat exchanger coupled between a domestic hot water supply facility and a heat pump, and the method includes: Receiving information regarding flow characteristics and the state of the energy storage facility from a flow measurement device; Determining whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump based on detection of water demand from any controllable hot water outlet, the flow characteristics, and the state of the energy storage facility; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising.

5. Receiving heat pump state information from the heat pump, Determining whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump based on the heat pump state information, the method according to claim 4.

6. A domestic hot water supply facility having a plurality of controllable hot water outlets, the facility comprising: A heating appliance and a hot water source having an outlet with a controllable outflow temperature; A flow measurement device providing flow characteristics of the water flow between the hot water source and the plurality of controllable hot water outlets; A first temperature sensor detecting the temperature at the outflow of the hot water source; parameters linking the flow characteristics to respective identifiers of the controllable hot water outlets, and a memory storing an association between each of the plurality of controllable hot water outlets and a respective target temperature, a processor operably connected to the memory, the flow rate measurement device, and the first temperature sensor, comprising, the processor is configured to detect a demand for water from the controllable hot water outlet, identify the controllable hot water outlet as the first controllable hot water outlet based on the flow characteristics and additional information related to the first controllable hot water outlet derived from an electrical signal indicating the electrical demand or occupancy at the location where the first controllable hot water outlet is located, and set a target water temperature for the temperature at which hot water is supplied to the first controllable hot water outlet to a first target water temperature value associated with the first controllable hot water outlet stored in the memory, detect a demand for water from another controllable hot water outlet, identify the another controllable hot water outlet as the second controllable hot water outlet based on the flow characteristics and additional information related to the second controllable hot water outlet derived from an electrical signal indicating the electrical demand or occupancy at the location where the second controllable hot water outlet is located, and reset a target water temperature when hot water is supplied to the second controllable hot water outlet to a second target water temperature value associated with the second controllable hot water outlet stored in the memory, detect demands from more than two controllable hot water outlets including the first controllable hot water outlet and the second controllable hot water outlet, identify each of the more than two controllable hot water outlets for which hot water is demanded based on the flow characteristics and the additional information associated with each of the more than two controllable hot water outlets, the additional information being derived from an electrical signal indicating the electrical demand or occupancy at the location where each of the more than two controllable hot water outlets is located, reset the target water temperature to a third target water temperature value, the third target water temperature value being configured to be either the lowest target water temperature value among the target water temperature values associated with the identified more than two controllable hot water outlets, or a temperature intermediate the target water temperature values of the identified more than two controllable hot water outlets, The processor is configured to control the temperature of the hot water supplied at each identified controllable hot water outlet by mixing the hot water from the heating appliance with water at a different temperature and supplying water at each of the first or second target water temperatures. A domestic hot water supply facility.

7. The heating appliance includes an energy storage facility including a large amount of phase change material and a heat exchanger coupled between the domestic hot water supply facility and the heat pump. The processor is configured to receive information regarding the flow characteristics from the flow measurement device and the state of the energy storage facility. The domestic hot water supply facility according to claim 6, configured to determine whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump based on the opening of any one of a plurality of controllable hot water outlets, the flow characteristics, and the state of the energy storage facility.

8. The processor is further configured to use the heat pump state information when receiving the heat pump state information from the heat pump and determining whether to provide a start signal to the heat pump. The domestic hot water supply facility according to claim 7.

9. The domestic hot water supply facility according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising an instantaneous water heater in a flow path between the energy storage facility and the outlet of the hot water source, the instantaneous water heater being controlled by the processor.

10. The domestic hot water supply facility according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to operate the instantaneous water heater only when the energy storage facility and the heat pump are unable to provide sufficient hot water.

11. The domestic hot water supply facility according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control the instantaneous water heater based on information regarding the state of the phase change material and the heat pump.

12. The domestic hot water supply facility according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the processor includes a logic unit that manages the use of energy from the instantaneous water heater, the heat pump, and the phase change material to reduce energy consumption.

13. The domestic hot water supply facility according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the processor is configured to supply sufficient hot water to the energy storage facility and then depend on the heat pump. ​

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