ADAPTIVE HEAT PUMP RESISTANCE HEAT CONTROLLER

• US 20120027388A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Original Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Inventors: Fehr, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US12/846,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20120027388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/349
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1087 system using a heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1096 for electric heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/08 Electric heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/12 Heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 5/12 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0275 Heating of spaces, e.g. rooms, wardrobes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/13 Hot air central heating systems using heat pumps

Abstract

An electrical heating apparatus includes a primary heating stage heat pump, a secondary heating stage resistance heating circuit having a plurality of heating elements, an adaptive resistance heat controller and a two-stage thermostat. The adaptive resistance heat controller is connected to the two-stage thermostat heat pump and resistance heating circuit. The adaptive resistance heat controller includes a duty cycle monitor that monitors the duty cycles of the thermostat primary and secondary stages. The controller selectively energizes one or more of the plurality of heating elements in response to changes in the duty cycles so as to provide adaptive heating control to meet actual heating demand while reducing overall peak energy consumption.

Claims

1. An electrical heating apparatus, comprising:

a primary heating stage heat pump;

a secondary heating stage resistance heating circuit having a plurality of heating elements;

an adaptive resistance heat controller connected to said resistance heating circuit, said adaptive resistant heat controller including a duty cycle monitor that monitors a duty cycle of said electrical heating apparatus, said controller selectively energizing one or more of said plurality of heating elements in response to changes in said duty cycle so as to provide adaptive heating control to meet actual heating demand while reducing overall peak energy consumption; and

a two-stage thermostat connected to said controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller divides said resistance heating circuit into a plurality of adaptive secondary heating stages.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said controller energizes a first stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a first predetermined duty cycle level for said heat pump.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said controller further energized a second stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a second predetermined duty cycle level for the thermostat secondary stage in combination with said first stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said controller further energized a third stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a third predetermined duty cycle level for the thermostat secondary stage in combination with said first and second stages of said adaptive secondary heating stages.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said controller further energizes a fourth stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a fourth predetermined duty cycle level for the thermostat secondary stage in combination with said first, second and third stages of said four adaptive secondary heating stages.

7. A method of heating an area with an electrical heating apparatus including a controller, a primary heating stage heat pump and a secondary heating stage resistance heating circuit having a plurality of heating elements, said method comprising:

monitoring changes in a duty cycle of said electrical heating apparatus; and

selectively energizing one or more of said plurality of heating elements of said resistance heating circuit in response to changes in said duty cycle so as to provide adaptive heating control to meet actual heating demand while reducing overall peak energy consumption.

8. The method of claim 7, including dividing said resistance heating circuit into a plurality of adaptive secondary heating stages.

9. The method of claim 8, including energizing a first stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a first predetermined change in said duty cycle for said heat pump.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said first predetermined change in said duty cycle is selected from a group of changes consisting of (1) detecting a predetermined duty cycle level and (2) detecting a predetermined increase in change of said duty cycle level from a first duty cycle to a second duty cycle.

11. The method of claim 9, including energizing a second stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a second predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage in combination with said first stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages.

12. The method of claim 11, including energizing a third stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a third predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage in combination with said first and second stages of said adaptive secondary heating stages.

13. The method of claim 12, including energizing a fourth stage of said adaptive secondary heating stages in response to a fourth predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage in combination with said first, second and third adaptive secondary heating stages.

14. The method of claim 9, including de-energizing said first adaptive secondary heating stage in response to detecting a fifth predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage.

15. The method of claim 11, including de-energizing said first and second adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting a sixth predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage.

16. The method of claim 12, including de-energizing said first, second and third adaptive secondary heating stage in response to detecting a seventh predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage.

17. The method of claim 13, including de-energizing said first, second, third and fourth adaptive secondary heating stages in response to detecting an eighth predetermined duty cycle level of the thermostat secondary stage.