Hot Water Control Using Temperature Change Without Flow Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot water systems require manual scheduling and often necessitate the use of multiple sensors, including flow sensors, to manage standby temperatures and detect water removal, which can be cumbersome and costly.
Innovation Solution
A control device with an interface and data memory that connects to temperature sensors and a circulation pump, allowing it to detect temperature changes and ignore comparisons if the pump is active, thereby eliminating the need for a flow sensor and simplifying user interaction by automating control parameters based on predefined thresholds and user presence detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors including flow sensors are used to detect water removal, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flow sensor from the system, eliminating the need for direct water removal detection. Instead, it uses indirect detection through temperature change monitoring and circulation pump status to infer water removal events.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor acts as an intermediary, indirectly detecting water removal through temperature changes in the heat accumulator rather than directly measuring water flow. The circulation pump status serves as another intermediary indicator.
2Productivity
If temperature monitoring is continuously performed, then hot water availability control is improved, but energy consumption worsens due to continuous heat source operation
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs periodic temperature monitoring and control parameter adjustments rather than continuous operation. It activates the heat source only when temperature changes indicate water removal and standby temperature thresholds are approached, creating an on-demand periodic control cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts heat source operation based on real-time temperature conditions and circulation pump status. It transitions from static continuous operation to dynamic on-demand operation, activating only when necessary to maintain standby temperature.
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
This solution reduces user input requirements, lowers system costs by eliminating the need for additional sensors, and enhances user comfort by providing efficient and automated hot water management without manual scheduling, while maintaining effective temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
The temperature sensor is connected to the interface of the control unit. The temperature sensor is designed to detect a temperature of the heat storage medium and to provide a temperature signal that corresponds to the detected temperature.
Implementation Method 2
The heat source is coupled to the heat accumulator and connected to the control unit interface. The control device is designed to control the heat source for heating the heat storage medium on the basis of the control parameter.
Implementation Method 3
The interface can be connected to a circulation pump. The control device is designed to detect operation of the circulation pump.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a control device (30), a hot water system (10) and a method, the control device having an interface (90), a control device (85) and a data memory (95), the control device being connected to the interface and the data memory is, wherein the interface can be connected to a temperature sensor (71) of the heat accumulator (15) and is designed to detect a temperature signal from the temperature sensor that correlates with a temperature of a heat accumulator medium that can be arranged in the heat accumulator and to make it available to the control device, wherein in the data memory a predefined threshold value is stored, the control device being designed to assign a detection time to the detected temperature, the control device being designed to determine a change in temperature over the detection time, the control device being designed to compare the determined change with the predefined threshold value to compare in a comparison, wherein the control device is designed to determine a control parameter (91) in the data memory for controlling a heat source (20) of the hot water system depending on a result of the comparison.