Method for controlling a heating and/or cooling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating and cooling systems face challenges in providing uniform energy supply to individual rooms due to system-related limitations, leading to temperature oscillations and potential undersupply or oversupply, especially during load changes, as they often adjust flow temperatures and water volumes en masse rather than room-specifically.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the ideal and actual opening times for valves in heating circuits based on temperature response times and load conditions, using pulse width modulation to optimize energy distribution and account for the mutual hydraulic influence of circuits, ensuring more precise and efficient room temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If flow temperature is set individually for each room/consumer, then room-specific energy supply precision is improved, but system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the heating network into multiple independent heating circuits, each serving a specific room or consumer. Each circuit has its own flow regulator that can be independently controlled, allowing room-specific energy supply without requiring complex centralized control for each individual room.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic flow regulation where flow regulators automatically adjust water flow rates based on real-time temperature measurements and system conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to respond to changing room requirements without manual intervention or complex control algorithms.
2Reliability
If dynamically regulating mass flows through individual heating circuits is implemented, then flow rate stability under pressure fluctuations is improved, but auxiliary energy consumption and pump output requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow regulators are designed to automatically compensate for pressure fluctuations without requiring external control energy. The regulators use the system's own hydraulic conditions and temperature measurements to self-adjust flow rates, eliminating the need for additional auxiliary energy consumption or high pump output.
3Reliability
If stationary setting of throttle valves is adjusted, then flow rate constancy under constant differential pressure is improved, but adaptability to pressure fluctuations and load changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces stationary throttle valve settings with dynamic flow regulators that continuously adapt to changing pressure conditions and load requirements. The regulators measure actual flow rates and temperatures, then automatically adjust opening positions to maintain optimal performance under varying system conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Temperature sensors and flow measurements provide continuous feedback to the control system, which automatically adjusts regulator positions to compensate for pressure fluctuations and load changes. This closed-loop control ensures both flow rate stability and adaptability to changing conditions.
4Reliability
If automatic flow regulators are used to compensate for pressure fluctuations, then flow rate stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow regulators are designed as self-regulating devices that automatically compensate for pressure fluctuations using inherent hydraulic principles and local temperature measurements. This self-service capability provides flow rate stability without requiring complex external control systems or additional devices.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a heating and/or cooling system (1), in which a temperature control medium is heated or cooled in a temperature control element (10) via a flow line (2) with a flow temperature sensor (3). to a flow heating circuit distributor (4), through the flow heating circuit distributor (4) to heating circuits (5, 5', 5", 5"'), each of which has a valve (6, 6', 6", 6" ') with an actuator assigned to it, comprising a flow, a consumer and a return with a return temperature sensor (7, 7', 7", 7"'), the heating circuits (5, 5', 5", 5"') and is routed via a return heating circuit distributor (8) into a return line (9) and via the return line (9) to the temperature control element (10), the method comprising the following stages: (i) determining the ideal throughput times T(circuit response, n), which is the time interval between the occurrence of a temperature change at the prel Open temperature sensor (3) after an opening signal has been sent to the actuator of the valve (6) of a heating circuit (5) until a temperature change occurs on the return temperature sensor caused by the temperature control medium flowing into the heating circuit (5) after the valve (6) has been opened (7) of this heating circuit (5) in the closed state of the valves (6', 6", 6"') of the other heating circuits (5', 5", 5"'), for each of the n heating circuits (5, 5' , 5", 5"'), the ideal throughput times T(circuit response, n) thus determined thus corresponding to the respective throughput time of the tempering medium through the heating circuit (5, 5', 5", 5"') in this operating state; (ii) Determining the maximum throughput times T (circuit response max, n), which is the time interval between the occurrence of a temperature change at the flow temperature sensor (3) after the simultaneous delivery of an opening signal to the actuators of all valves (6, 6', 6" , 6"') of the heating circuits (5, 5', 5", 5"') until a through after opening the valves (6, 6', 6", 6"') of the heating circuits (5, 5') , 5", 5"') flowing into the heating circuits (5, 5', 5", 5"') caused a temperature change at the respective return temperature sensor (7, 7', 7", 7"') of the heating circuit ( 5, 5', 5", 5"'), the maximum throughput times T(circuit response max, n) determined in this way corresponding to the respective throughput time of the tempering medium through the heating circuit (5, 5', 5", 5''') in this operating state; (iii) determining an ideal opening time T(open ideal, n) of the respective valve (6, 6', 6", 6"') for each of the n heating circuits (5, 5', 5", 5"'), the is required for the respective heating circuit (5, 5', 5", 5"') to reach or maintain a target room temperature, by a control unit (11); (iv) Correcting the ideal opening time T(open ideal, n) determined in step (iii) of the respective valve (6, 6', 6", 6) depending on the deviation of the maximum throughput time T(circuit response max, n) from the ideal throughput time T(circuit response, n) of the respective heating circuit (5, 5', 5", 5"') for each of the n heating circuits (5, 5", 5", 5"') while determining an actual opening time T(open act, n) of the respective valve (6, 6', 6", 6"') for each of the n heating circuits (5, 5', 5", 5"'); and (v) opening the valves (6, 6', 6", '6"') for a period of time which corresponds to the actual opening time T(open act, n) of the respective valve (6, 6') determined in step (iv) , 6", 6"'). In addition, the present invention relates to a corresponding heating and/or cooling system (1) and a computer program product, which are set up to carry out the method according to the invention.