Buffer-Free Heating System Using Fluid Volume and Valve Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating systems without buffer tanks lack a method for safe and trouble-free operation, as they rely on buffer tanks for regulating heat, and existing solutions do not adequately address how to maintain efficient heat distribution and energy management without a buffer tank.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a fluid as a buffer volume, regulated by valves, to manage heat flow between a heat generator and heat consumer, allowing for flexible control and optimization of heat distribution without the need for a buffer tank, utilizing a volume flow sensor to calculate required buffer volumes and adjust valve openings for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a buffer tank is removed from the heating system, then the device complexity and space requirements are reduced, but the reliability and safe operation of the system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the buffer tank from the traditional heating system, eliminating the need for separate heat storage infrastructure. The fluid circulating in the heating circuit itself serves as the buffer medium, directly absorbing and releasing heat without requiring a dedicated buffer tank, thus simplifying system structure while maintaining operational reliability through alternative control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating fluid performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the heat transfer medium circulating through the system and the buffer storage medium for thermal energy. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate buffer tank infrastructure while maintaining the system's ability to store and release heat as needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If individual room control is implemented without buffer storage, then the adaptability and energy efficiency are improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring required buffer volumes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the actual buffer volume through sensors that detect fluid temperature and flow characteristics. This feedback information is used by the control unit to calculate the actual buffer volume and adjust valve positions accordingly, enabling precise individual room control while automatically compensating for variations in system conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical buffer volume measurement methods with electronic sensing and calculation systems. Volume flow sensors and temperature sensors provide electrical signals that the control unit processes to determine buffer volume, substituting complex mechanical measurement infrastructure with more precise and easier-to-implement electronic detection and calculation methods.
3Reliability
If minimum volume flow is enforced, then the reliability of heat distribution is improved, but the device complexity for calculating and controlling valve openings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts valve openings based on real-time conditions rather than using fixed positions. The control unit continuously calculates the required valve opening degree to maintain minimum volume flow, adapting to changing heat demands, fluid temperatures, and system conditions. This dynamic control ensures reliable heat distribution while optimizing the valve control strategy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures safe, flexible, and energy-efficient operation of heating systems by allowing for precise control of heat distribution, optimizing comfort and reducing energy consumption, and enabling the use of heat pumps for defrosting without a buffer tank.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid serves as a buffer volume, the buffer volume being regulated and/or controlled by actuating the valve
Implementation Method 2
at least one heat generator, at least one heat consumer and at least one valve according to the preamble of claim 1
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a buffer-storage-free heating system with at least one heat generator, at least one heat consumer, and at least one valve, wherein the heat generator, the heat consumer, and the valve are hydraulically and/or electronically and/or control-wise connected and communicate with each other, wherein the valve is regulated and/or controlled, and wherein a fluid flows through the heat generator, the heat consumer, and the valve. It is proposed that the fluid serves as a buffer volume, wherein the buffer volume is regulated and/or controlled by actuating the valve.