Storage Water Heater Control for Predictive Temperature Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water storage heaters face inefficiencies due to high thermal dispersions and the need for maintaining high storage temperatures, which are often unnecessary for uneven and repetitive drawing profiles, leading to energy wastage and difficulty in accurately programming temperature settings.
Innovation Solution
A method using sensors to learn and adjust the water heater's temperature settings based on actual usage patterns, minimizing thermal dispersions by maintaining the lowest necessary temperature for fulfilling expected drawings, without manual settings or flow detectors, and adapting to changes in utility behavior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the storage temperature is maintained at high values to ensure service fulfillment, then the reliability of hot water supply is improved, but the energy consumption increases due to unnecessary thermal dispersions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the storage temperature variable rather than constant. The control system dynamically adjusts the storage temperature based on the actual drawing profile learned from usage patterns. The temperature is raised only when drawings are expected and maintained at minimum necessary levels during periods without drawings, thus reducing thermal dispersions while ensuring service fulfillment when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter dynamically based on learned usage patterns. Instead of maintaining a fixed high storage temperature, the system varies the temperature parameter according to the timing and magnitude of expected drawings, optimizing the balance between service reliability and energy consumption by applying heating only when necessary.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the storage temperature is reduced to minimize thermal dispersions, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the ability to fulfill unexpected drawings is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using sensors to learn and predict the drawing profile in advance. The control system anticipates when drawings will occur and pre-heats the water storage to the necessary temperature before the drawing occurs, rather than maintaining high temperature continuously. This ensures service fulfillment when needed while minimizing energy consumption during periods without expected drawings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using sensors to monitor actual usage patterns and continuously learning the drawing profile. This feedback information is used to adjust the storage temperature dynamically, ensuring that the temperature is sufficient to fulfill expected drawings while avoiding unnecessary heating, thus balancing energy consumption with service reliability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If manual programming of temperature settings is implemented, then the energy consumption can be optimized, but the device complexity and ease of operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the water heater to automatically learn and determine its own optimal temperature profile through sensor-based monitoring of usage patterns. The system performs the programming function autonomously without requiring manual intervention from the user, thus achieving energy optimization while maintaining ease of operation. The microprocessor learns the drawing profile and automatically adjusts temperatures accordingly.
4Device complexity
If the storage volume is reduced to minimize equipment cost and space, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to fulfill largest expected drawings is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by varying the storage temperature according to the expected drawing profile rather than maintaining a constant high temperature. This dynamic temperature management allows the system to fulfill large drawings when they occur by having sufficient thermal energy available at the right time, while using a smaller storage volume overall, thus reducing equipment complexity and space requirements without compromising service fulfillment capability.
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 optimizes water temperature management, reducing energy consumption by maintaining temperatures only as needed, ensuring service fulfillment while minimizing thermal losses and adapting to changing usage patterns.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element (3) in charge of water heating
Implementation Method 2
The advantage of water storage heaters is to be able to dispense very high water flow rates while limiting the thermal power installed. The amount of water that can be dispensed at the usage temperature Tu during a single drawing may be larger than the volume of the storage tank as this is especially kept at a temperature higher than said usage temperature Tu
Implementation Method 3
the main cause of inefficiency is due to the thermal dispersions that can be even very high and often useless during the whole day, even far-off the drawing time
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~3.c
Figure 4.a~4.b
AI summary
Method for managing a storage water heater (1) aimed at reducing thermal dispersions, characterised in that at short time intervals (δw), all the w drawings (P1,..., Pi,..., Pw) are taken into account, the drawing start time (ti) whereof falls within a predetermined time window (Δtw) immediately following the current time; at said drawing start times (ti) comprised in said time window (Δtw), as many fictitious drawings (P' 1,..., P'i,..., P'w) are constructed, each having a fictitious drawing start temperature (T'set.i); for each of said fictitious drawings (P'1,..., P'i,..., P'w), the fictitious heating start time (t'ONi) is calculated; upon reaching the earliest of said heating start times (t'ONi), the target temperature (Ttarget) is set to the fictitious drawing start temperature value (T'set.i) of the corresponding fictitious drawing (P'i) provided that it is not higher than the maximum setup temperature (Tset.max) whereas before said earliest heating start time (t'ONi) is reached, the target temperature (Ttarget) is kept equal to the maintenance temperature (Tstand-by). The method keeps the temperature to the minimum values required to ensure the drawings.