Controller interface and system for controlling a heating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of a heat pump with a traditional hot water tank system poses interoperability challenges, often requiring the replacement of existing hot water tanks due to incompatibility, which is costly and disruptive, especially when the system needs to accommodate both gas boiler and electric heater arrangements and potential future heat pump retrofits.
Innovation Solution
A controller interface is introduced to facilitate communication between the hot water tank controller and the heat pump controller, utilizing a response module that receives temperature signals, provides response signals based on temperature characteristics, and includes an auxiliary heater control module to ensure compatibility and efficient operation, allowing for the use of legacy hot water tanks with heat pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a heat pump is retrofitted to an existing hot water tank, then decarbonisation of heating is achieved, but interoperability challenges arise between the heat pump controller and legacy tank controller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controller interface as an intermediary device that bridges the heat pump controller and the legacy hot water tank controller. This interface translates control signals between the two different control systems, enabling communication and coordination without requiring replacement of the existing tank controller. The intermediary resolves the interoperability challenge by mediating between incompatible control protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller interface is designed to work with multiple types of hot water tank controllers and heat pump models, providing universal compatibility. It can interpret various control signal formats and translate them into appropriate commands for the connected devices, making the retrofit solution applicable to a wide range of existing systems without requiring custom integration for each combination.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a new hot water tank with larger heat exchanger is installed to accommodate heat pump, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but system cost increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary assessment of the existing hot water tank's suitability for heat pump retrofit by analyzing the control signal characteristics and heat exchanger capacity. The controller interface can simulate different operating conditions to predict performance, allowing users to determine whether the existing tank can be successfully retrofitted before committing to expensive replacement or modification projects.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller interface creates a virtual model of the heat transfer process that mimics the behavior of a larger heat exchanger. By optimizing control strategies and simulating enhanced heat transfer characteristics through software, the system can achieve improved thermal efficiency without the physical cost of installing a larger heat exchanger.
3Adaptability or versatility
If temperature sensor signals are mimicked for interoperability, then compatibility with heat pump controller is achieved, but measurement accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The controller interface implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the actual temperature readings from the legacy tank controller and compare them with expected values. When discrepancies are detected, the system adjusts the mimicked signals to compensate for inaccuracies, ensuring that the heat pump controller receives corrected temperature information that maintains both interoperability and measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller interface (B12) between a hot water tank controller (B13) and a heat pump controller (B2) in a heating system is provided. The controller interface (B12) comprises a response module configured to receive, from the hot water tank controller (B13), a first signal indicative of a temperature. The response module provides a response signal based on the first signal and a temperature response characteristic and communicates the response signal to the heat pump controller (B2). The controller interface (B12) enables interoperability of a heat pump controller (B2) and a legacy hot water tank system and hot water tank controller (B13).