Underfloor Heating and Cooling Control for Faster Set-Point Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydronic under surface heating systems are slow to adjust to temperature changes, requiring several hours to raise the temperature from lower levels to comfort levels, especially during transitions, which wastes energy and complicates compensation for outside temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves temporarily increasing the supply temperature of the liquid in heating mode and decreasing it in cooling mode in response to significant set-point changes, using a control unit to optimize flow and temperature adjustments, prioritizing zones with recent set-point changes and analyzing previous transitions to reduce overshoot and speed up heating/cooling times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the flow of liquid in the supply loop is increased to raise room temperature, then the heating speed is improved, but the system requires several hours to reach comfort temperature due to its slow response characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The system temporarily changes the supply temperature parameter to a higher value in response to set-point changes, enabling faster heating. The control unit detects when the set-point changes by more than a predetermined amount and activates a temporary temperature increase mode, which speeds up the heating process without requiring several hours to reach comfort temperature.
2Loss of time
If the supply temperature is temporarily increased in response to set-point changes, then the heat-up time is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the set-point temperature and detects when changes exceed a predetermined threshold. Based on this feedback, the system automatically activates temporary temperature increase, creating a closed-loop control that reduces heat-up time without requiring complex manual intervention or overly sophisticated control mechanisms.
3Speed
If the liquid flow is increased to decrease room temperature during cooling, then the cooling speed is improved, but energy loss increases due to larger temperature differences with outside environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system temporarily changes the supply temperature parameter to a lower value in response to set-point changes during cooling mode. This temporary temperature reduction enables faster cooling while the control unit manages the process to minimize energy loss by limiting the duration of the temporary state and considering the outside temperature conditions.
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 significantly reduces heat-up time, saves energy, and improves comfort by enabling faster temperature adjustments with reduced overshoot, while optimizing energy use based on outside temperatures and zone priorities.
Implementation Method 1
a room is heated using a supply loop in which liquid is circulated for heating the room
Implementation Method 2
in response to a set-point change greater than a pre-determined value, increasing temporarily the supply temperature of the liquid
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to controlling an under surface heating/cooling. During a heating mode, the room temperature is increased by increasing the flow of the liquid in a supply loop (3). If the set point has an increase that is greater than a pre-determined value, the supply temperature of the liquid is increased. During a cooling mode, the room temperature is decreased by increasing the flow of the liquid in the supply loop (3). Correspondingly, in response to a set-point change greater than a pre-determined value, the supply temperature of the liquid is temporarily decreased.