Multi-Water Heater Priority Switching for Continuous Hot Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hot water supply systems with multiple water heaters require a control device to manage and link operations, increasing costs and complexity, and are limited in scalability and reliability due to the need for a master-slave configuration.
Innovation Solution
A hot water supply system where one water heater is designated as a priority device, controlling the operation of the others through a communication network, allowing for efficient management and operation without a centralized control device, and enabling seamless switching of priority devices to maintain continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a connecting unit is provided to control multiple water heaters, then hot water supply capability is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions into the existing water heater units themselves. Each water heater is equipped with control means that enable it to function both as a slave unit (being controlled) and as a master unit (controlling others). This eliminates the need for a separate connecting unit while maintaining the ability to coordinate multiple water heaters for enhanced hot water supply capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control means in each water heater is designed with multi-functionality, allowing any water heater to potentially serve as a master unit. The control means can perform both slave operations (receiving and executing control signals) and master operations (issuing control signals and managing the network), thereby universalizing the control capability across all units without requiring dedicated control hardware.
2Device complexity
If water heaters are connected directly without a connecting unit, then system cost is reduced, but control capability and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Each water heater unit is equipped with autonomous control means that enable it to independently determine its role (master or slave), manage its own operational state, and participate in network control decisions. This self-service capability allows direct connection without external control hardware while maintaining reliability through distributed intelligence where each unit can autonomously handle control tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic role assignment where water heaters can switch between master and slave roles based on operational needs. The control means enables flexible reconfiguration of the network topology and control relationships, allowing the system to adapt to various operational scenarios and maintain reliability through dynamic role distribution rather than fixed master-slave assignments.
3Device complexity
If a master-slave configuration is used without priority device switching, then control is simplified, but system reliability against anomalies decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control means enables dynamic role switching where the master role is not fixed but can be transferred between water heater units based on operational conditions and anomaly detection. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to maintain control simplicity through a single active master while improving anomaly resistance by able to switch masters when failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The control means includes anomaly detection and priority device switching capabilities that prepare the system in advance for potential failures. By monitoring the operational state of all units and maintaining the ability to switch master roles, the system cushions against anomalies before they cause service interruption, ensuring continuous reliable operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A hot water supply system includes a plurality of water heaters, one of which is designated as a master, and the rest(s) of which is/are designated as (a) slave(s). A control unit that is provided for each of the water heaters operates a water heater, for which the control unit is provided, as the master or the slave, the master controls the slave(s), and the master and the slave(s) control hot water supply.