Priority-Based Heating Control for Multi-Room Energy Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heating systems fail to efficiently manage temperature variations across different living areas, prioritizing uniform temperature control over individual user needs and comfort, leading to energy inefficiencies and discomfort in well-insulated buildings.
Innovation Solution
The method focuses on priority heating surfaces that account for the majority of heat output, using fuzzy logic to select and control these surfaces, ensuring minimum room temperatures are maintained in high-occupancy areas like living rooms and bathrooms, with electronic heat cost allocators and additional sensors providing real-time data for optimized heating control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If uniform temperature control is applied to all living areas, then the entire living area meets the benchmark temperature requirement, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to excessive heating in low-occupancy areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating temperature control across different living areas based on their specific characteristics. Priority heating surfaces in high-occupancy areas are maintained at higher temperatures, while non-priority surfaces in low-occupancy areas are allowed to operate at lower temperatures. This spatial differentiation of thermal conditions resolves the contradiction by providing comfortable temperatures where needed while reducing energy waste in areas with lower occupancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system is segmented into priority and non-priority heating surfaces based on occupancy patterns and user needs. This segmentation allows the system to apply different control strategies to different parts of the building, maintaining high temperatures in critical areas while reducing temperatures in less important areas, thereby resolving the energy efficiency contradiction.
2Ease of operation
If heating surfaces in high-occupancy areas are maintained at high temperatures, then user comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes temperature parameters based on occupancy detection and user behavior patterns. In high-occupancy areas, temperatures are maintained at comfortable levels, while in low-occupancy areas, temperatures are reduced. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing high comfort where occupancy is high while reducing energy consumption in areas with low occupancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating control system transitions from static uniform temperature control to dynamic differentiated control. The system continuously monitors occupancy and adjusts heating output in real-time, maintaining high temperatures in high-occupancy areas for user comfort while dynamically reducing temperatures in low-occupancy areas to minimize energy consumption.
3Temperature
If the heating system operates with maximum volume throughput, then the required temperature is achieved throughout, but heat losses during generation and transfer increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by directing heating priority to specific areas with high occupancy and thermal demand. By identifying priority heating surfaces based on occupancy patterns, the system concentrates heating capacity where it is most needed, reducing the overall volume throughput required while maintaining required temperatures in critical areas and minimizing heat losses in less important areas.
4Reliability
If outdoor temperature sensors are used for heating control, then the system responds to external conditions, but the sensors are not representative enough for internal heat flows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces occupancy detection as an intermediary parameter that better represents internal heat flows than outdoor temperature alone. By using occupancy data to identify priority heating surfaces and adjust heating output accordingly, the system achieves more accurate control of internal thermal conditions, resolving the limitation of outdoor sensors in representing internal heat flow requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A method for controlling a heating system with a heating circuit, which has a plurality of heating surfaces arranged in different rooms of an apartment or property and through which a heating medium flows, comprises the following steps: selecting a group of priority heating surfaces from the plurality of heating surfaces; - repeated acquisition of representative values for at least the heating surface or heating medium temperature, the room temperature and the heat output for each of the priority heating surfaces; and - setting at least one of the following parameters of the heating system based on the detected representative values: flow temperature of the heating medium, flow volumes, boiler heating intervals. A heating control for carrying out this method comprises: - a control unit for setting at least one of the following parameters of the heating system: flow temperature, flow volume, boiler heating intervals; - temperature sensors for acquiring the values representative of the heating surface or heating medium temperatures; - temperature sensors for acquiring the values representative of room temperatures; - Devices, in particular electronic heat cost allocators, for recording the values representative of the heat output; and - means for transmitting the detected representative values to the control unit.