System and method for balancing temperature within a building
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management systems in buildings often result in suboptimal temperature regulation due to the configuration of heat emitters and thermostats, leading to inefficient heating distribution and energy wastage, as the system may shut down heating in one room even if other rooms have not reached their temperature setpoints.
Innovation Solution
A thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) system with communication links to a processing unit, allowing for dynamic aperture settings based on temperature configuration models, enabling each room to maintain its setpoint temperature while optimizing energy use by adjusting the flow of heating fluid across multiple rooms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermostat controls the thermal energy generator based on a single room's temperature, then the control system is simple, but the temperature setpoints in other rooms cannot be reached
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the building into multiple thermal zones, each with its own temperature setpoint requirements. The processing unit divides the control task by receiving temperature setpoints from multiple thermostats located in different rooms, allowing independent temperature control for each zone while coordinating through centralized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing unit acts as an intermediary between multiple thermostats and the thermal energy generator. It receives temperature setpoints from various room thermostats, processes this information through a temperature configuration model, and determines the appropriate control signals for the thermal energy generator, thereby coordinating multiple temperature requirements without direct complex interconnections.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the thermal energy generator shuts down when one room reaches its temperature setpoint, then energy consumption is reduced, but other rooms may not reach their temperature setpoints
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements comprehensive feedback by continuously monitoring temperature setpoints from multiple thermostats and room temperature conditions. The processing unit uses this feedback information to determine when the thermal energy generator should shut down, ensuring that shutdown decisions are based on the thermal status of all rooms, not just one, thereby preventing premature shutdown while optimizing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature configuration model performs preliminary analysis of the thermal requirements for all rooms before controlling the thermal energy generator. By pre-processing the temperature setpoints and thermal relationships, the system can predict when shutdown is safe to occur, ensuring all rooms will reach their setpoints before the generator stops operating.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional thermostatic valves are used without communication links, then the system is simple to implement, but suboptimal thermal regulation occurs due to lack of coordination between rooms
Solution Approach 1:
The processing unit serves multiple functions: it acts as a communication hub for thermostat data, a processor for temperature configuration modeling, and a control signal generator for the thermal energy generator. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems, maintaining implementation simplicity while achieving coordinated thermal regulation across multiple rooms.
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 ensures that each room reaches its desired temperature setpoint while minimizing energy consumption by dynamically adjusting the heating fluid flow, reducing the frequency of motor startups, and extending the lifespan of components.
Implementation Method 1
adjust a flow of heating fluid from a thermal energy generator entering a heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention concerns a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV, 21), comprising an aperture to adjust a flow of heating fluid from a heat generator (10) entering a heat emitter (11) in a first room (101) based on a first TRV-defined temperature setpoint, the TRV (21) comprising: - a communication link (31) to a processing unit connected to a thermostat (60) controlling the heat generator (10); - an input interface configured to one or more of: o allow a user to enter or o acquire the first TRV-defined temperature setpoint; wherein the TRV (21) is further configured to receive from the processing unit a first aperture setting, the first aperture setting being defined as a function of a temperature configuration model available at the processing unit.