Water heating apparatus and method for controlling the apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water heating apparatuses malfunction due to incorrect operation mode settings when the connection or disconnection between the water heating apparatus and the water storage tank is not considered, leading to user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A water heating apparatus equipped with a sensor to detect inflow water amount and a controller to determine connection or disconnection based on inflow water patterns, calculating average, maximum, and minimum inflow water amounts to automatically set the operation mode as either instantaneous or storage mode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the user manually sets the operation mode based on connection or disconnection between the water heating apparatus and the water storage tank, then the operation mode can be configured, but the system malfunctions when the connection state is not considered, causing user inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects the connection state between the water heating apparatus and the water storage tank by monitoring inflow water amount patterns, and autonomously determines the operation mode without requiring manual user input. The controller analyzes whether the apparatus is connected to the tank based on water flow characteristics and automatically configures the appropriate heating mode, eliminating the need for users to manually set modes and preventing malfunctions from incorrect settings
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the inflow water amount and uses this feedback information to determine the connection state. By analyzing the water flow patterns in real-time, the controller receives feedback about whether the water storage tank is connected, and adjusts the operation mode accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the system operates in the correct mode based on actual connection conditions
2Productivity
If the inflow water amount is determined according to a lift of a pump, then the inflow water amount is almost constant, but the system cannot distinguish between instantaneous mode and storage mode operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically analyzes the inflow water amount patterns over time to distinguish between instantaneous and storage modes. Even though the pump maintains constant water flow, the controller examines temporal variations and patterns in the water amount data to determine the operational mode. By monitoring how the water flow characteristics change over different time periods, the system can accurately identify whether it is operating in instantaneous or storage mode despite the constant pump output
Data Source
AI summary
A water heating apparatus includes a sensor to detect an inflow water amount flowing into the water heating apparatus, and a controller to determine connection or disconnection between the water heating apparatus and a water storage tank, based on the inflow water amount flowing into the water heating apparatus for a preset time duration. Thus, the water heating apparatus determines whether or not the water storage tank is connected thereto based on the amount of inflow water introduced into the water heating apparatus. Then, the water heating apparatus determines the operation mode of the water heating apparatus based on the determination result. Thus, even when the user incorrectly sets the operation mode of the water heating apparatus, the water heating apparatus may actively and correctly operate.