Radiator Flow Prioritization for Low Return Temperature Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Heating systems face inefficiencies due to under- or over-dimensioning of room heat exchangers and user-controlled temperature settings, leading to unfavorable return temperatures and energy wastage, especially in non-optimally designed systems.
Innovation Solution
The method involves defining room heat exchangers with high and low priorities, adjusting their flow rates to achieve a system-specific target spread, allowing for mixing of return media to optimize the return temperature, using servomotors and central processing units to control valve limitations and prioritize heat exchanger operations based on sizing and user demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If hydraulic balancing is performed to achieve identical spread for all room heat exchangers, then the heating system operates with uniform temperature distribution, but the return temperature becomes unfavorably high and energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different spread values for different room heat exchangers based on their priority classification. High-priority heat exchangers maintain the target spread for comfort, while low-priority heat exchangers operate with larger spreads to cool the return medium, thereby improving overall energy efficiency without compromising uniform temperature distribution in occupied spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by dynamically adjusting the spread of individual room heat exchangers based on their priority status and system conditions. The control system continuously monitors and adjusts flow rates to maintain target spreads for high-priority heat exchangers while allowing low-priority ones to vary their spreads to optimize return temperature and energy efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If room heat exchangers are under- or over-dimensioned due to non-energy-related installation factors, then installation flexibility and availability are improved, but the heating system cannot achieve optimal energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the spread parameter of individual room heat exchangers based on their dimensioning characteristics. Instead of requiring perfectly dimensioned heat exchangers, the system adjusts the spread parameter dynamically - maintaining target spreads for properly dimensioned units while allowing larger spreads for under- or over-dimensioned units to optimize overall system energy efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If users control room heat exchanger valves based on subjective cold sensation rather than energy efficiency, then user comfort perception is improved, but return temperature increases and system energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the actual spread of each room heat exchanger and comparing it with the target spread. The control system uses this feedback to automatically adjust valve positions and flow rates, ensuring that high-priority heat exchangers maintain their target spreads for user comfort while low-priority heat exchangers adjust to optimize return temperature and energy efficiency, thereby reconciling user comfort with energy efficiency.
4Speed
If the flow rate through room heat exchangers is increased to provide rapid heating, then heating response time is improved, but the spread decreases and return temperature becomes unfavorably high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing room heat exchangers into high-priority and low-priority groups. High-priority heat exchangers can operate with higher flow rates and smaller spreads to provide rapid heating response in occupied spaces, while low-priority heat exchangers operate with larger spreads to cool the return medium, thereby achieving rapid heating where needed without compromising overall return temperature and energy efficiency.
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 approach enables efficient operation of heating systems by maintaining a favorable return temperature, reducing energy wastage, and improving energy efficiency even in systems not optimally designed, by dynamically adjusting the spread and flow rates of room heat exchangers.
Implementation Method 1
the difference between the flow and return temperature of the heating medium, which occurs when the heating medium flows through the room heat exchanger and gives off heat to the room to be heated or cooled
Implementation Method 2
the hydraulic resistances from the pump through the pipes to the individual room heat exchangers vary relatively greatly
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
In a method for setting the volumetric flow of heating and/or cooling medium through space heat exchangers of a heating and/or cooling system, in which the target spread of the feed and return temperatures of the individual space heat exchangers is respectively set by restricting the particular space heat exchanger valve in a manner which can be adjusted and/or fixed, space heat exchangers with different priorities are defined, wherein, starting from a system-specific target spread, a lower target spread is allowed with high-priority space heat exchangers and a higher target spread is ensured with low-priority space heat exchangers. During operation of a high-priority space heat exchanger with a lower spread, the volumetric flow through at least one low-priority space heat exchanger with a higher spread is changed in such a manner that a return temperature which is optimized for the heating device of the heating system is set by mixing the return medium from all space heat exchangers of the heating system.