System and method for controlling temperature of a liquid residing within a tank

• US 20040225414A1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
• Original Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
• Inventors: Patterson, Wade C., Phillips, Terry G.
• Application Number:
  US10/852,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0031 with accumulation of the heated water
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/14 Cleaning; Sterilising; Preventing contamination by bacteria or microorganisms, e.g. by replacing fluid in tanks or conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/172 Scheduling based on user demand, e.g. determining starting point of heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/174 Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/223 in the water storage tank
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/269 Time, e.g. hour or date
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/45 remotely accessible
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/486 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2021 Storage heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/28 characterised by the graphical user interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device

Abstract

A system for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank comprises at least one temperature sensor, at least one temperature control element, and logic. The at least one temperature sensor is configured to detect temperatures of the liquid, and the at least one temperature control element is configured to alter a temperature of the liquid. The logic is configured to automatically establish different temperature thresholds for different time periods. Each of the different temperature thresholds is associated with a different one of the time periods. The logic is further configured to perform, for each of the time periods, a comparison between a temperature detected by the at least one temperature sensor and the associated temperature threshold and to control the temperature control element based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank, comprising:

at least one temperature sensor configured to detect temperatures of the liquid;

at least one temperature control element configured to alter a temperature of the liquid; and

logic configured to automatically establish different temperature thresholds for different time periods based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor, each of the different temperature thresholds associated with a different one of the time periods, the logic further configured to perform, for each of the time periods, a comparison between a temperature detected by the at least one temperature sensor and the associated temperature threshold and to control the temperature control element based on the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to monitor the at least one temperature control element and to establish the temperature thresholds based on the monitoring of the at least one temperature control element by the logic.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to assign each of the time periods a classification based on a value indicative of an amount of liquid drawn from the tank during a correlated time period, the logic further configured to establish the temperature thresholds based on the classifications assigned to the time periods by the logic.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the value is based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the logic is configured to monitor the at least one temperature control element, and wherein the value is based on the monitoring of the at least on temperature control element by the logic.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to define a usage history of the tank based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor, the logic further configured to establish the temperature thresholds based on the usage history.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to determine a rate of temperature change for the liquid based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor, the logic further configured to define the usage history based on the determined rate of temperature change.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to identify an idle time period within the usage history based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to monitor the at least one temperature control element and to identify an idle time period within the usage history based on the monitoring of the at least one temperature control element by the logic.

10. A system for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank, comprising:

at least one temperature sensor configured to detect temperatures of the liquid;

at least one temperature control element configured to alter a temperature of the liquid; and

logic configured to monitor the temperature control element and to automatically establish different temperature thresholds for different time periods based on the monitoring of the at least one temperature control element by the logic, each of the different temperature thresholds associated with a different one of the time periods, the logic further configured to perform, for each of the time periods, a comparison between a temperature detected by the at least one temperature sensor and the associated temperature threshold and to control the at least one temperature control element based on the comparison.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic is configured to assign each of the time periods a classification based on a value indicative of an amount of liquid drawn from the tank during a correlated time period, the logic further configured to establish the temperature thresholds based on the classifications assigned to the time periods by the logic.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the value is based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the value is based on the monitoring of the at least one temperature control element by the logic.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic is configured to define a usage history of the tank based on the monitoring of the at least one temperature control element by the logic, the logic further configured to establish the temperature thresholds based on the usage history.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the logic is further configured to identify an idle time period within the usage history based on temperatures detected by the at least one temperature sensor.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the logic is further configured to identify an idle time period within the usage history based on the monitoring of the at least one temperature control element by the logic.

17. A system for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank, comprising:

means for determining a usage history of the tank;

means for establishing different temperature thresholds for different time periods based on the usage history;

means for comparing, for each of the time periods, the associated temperature threshold and a detected temperature of the liquid;

means for altering a temperature of the liquid; and

means for controlling the altering means based on the comparing means.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the establishing means comprises a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the liquid.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the establishing means comprises a means for monitoring the altering means.

20. A method for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank, comprising the steps of:

detecting temperatures of the liquid;

establishing different temperature thresholds for different time periods based on temperatures detected in the detecting step, each of the different temperature thresholds associated with a different one of the time periods;

comparing, for each of the time periods, the associated temperature threshold and a temperature detected in the detecting step; and

altering a temperature of the liquid based on the comparing step.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the altering step comprises the step of activating at least one temperature control element, wherein the method further comprises the step of monitoring the at least one temperature control element, and wherein the establishing step is based on the monitoring step.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of assigning each of the time periods a classification based on a value indicative of an amount of liquid drawn from the tank during a correlated time period, wherein the establishing step is based on the assigned classifications.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the value is based the detecting step.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the altering step comprises the step of activating at least one temperature control element, wherein the method further comprises the step of monitoring the at least one temperature control element, and wherein the value is based on the monitoring step.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of defining a usage history of the tank based on the detecting step, wherein the establishing step is based on the usage history.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of determining a rate of temperature change of the liquid based on the detecting step, wherein the defining step is based on the determined rate of temperature change.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of identifying an idle time period within the usage history based on the detecting step.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the altering step comprises the step of activating at least one temperature control element, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

monitoring the at least one temperature control element; and

identifying an idle time period within the usage history based on the monitoring step.

29. A method for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank, comprising the steps of:

detecting temperatures of the liquid;

altering, via a temperature control element, a temperature of the liquid;

monitoring the temperature control element;

establishing different temperature thresholds for different time periods based on the monitoring step, each of the different temperature thresholds associated with a different one of the time periods;

comparing, for each of the time periods, the associated temperature threshold and a temperature detected in the detecting step; and

controlling the temperature control element based on the comparing step.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of assigning each of the time periods a classification based on a value indicative of an amount of liquid drawn from the tank during a correlated time period, wherein the establishing step is based on the assigned classifications.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the value is based the detecting step.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the value is based on the monitoring step.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of defining a usage history of the tank based on the monitoring step, wherein the establishing step is based on the usage history.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of identifying an idle time period within the usage history based on the detecting step.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of identifying an idle time period within the usage history based on the monitoring step.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the controlling step is performed such that the temperature control element heats the liquid.