HEATING SYSTEM AND HEATING SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD

• US 20120152514A1
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takasaki, Shinichi, Hochi, Akira, Kakimoto, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,919,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/241
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1024 a multiple way valve
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1039 the system uses a heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1048 Counting of energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/12 Heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/172 Scheduling based on user demand, e.g. determining starting point of heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/238 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/254 Room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/258 Outdoor temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/375 Control of heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/047 Water-cooled condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/112 of evaporator fans
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2507 Flow-diverting valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21161 of the fluid heated by the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/02 of the compression type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 7/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit F25B9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/963 : Off-grid food refrigeration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A heating system includes: a heat generation unit which generates heat using electricity supplied through a second power system of a lower electricity rate; a heat storage unit which stores heat generated by the heat generation unit; a heat radiation unit which radiates heat stored in the heat storage unit; and a control unit which causes, when receiving a signal from a power supplier indicating that a supply of electricity through the second power system is to be stopped after an elapse of a predetermined period of time, the heat generation unit generates additional heat that is required while the supply of electricity through the second power system being suspended, during a period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped.

Claims

1. A heating system which receives a supply of electricity from a power supplier through a first power system and a second power system of which an electricity rate is lower than an electricity rate of the first power system, and maintains a temperature of a target within a predetermined range, said heating system comprising:

a heat generation unit configured to generate heat, using the electricity supplied through the second power system;

a heat storage unit configured to store the heat generated by said heat generation unit;

a heat radiation unit configured to radiate the heat stored in said heat storage unit; and

a control unit configured to control, upon receiving the supply of electricity through the first power system, a radiation amount of the heat radiated from said heat radiation unit so as to maintain the temperature of the target within the predetermined range, and the amount of the heat generated by said heat generation unit,

wherein when a signal is received from the power supplier, said control unit is configured to cause said heat generation unit to generate additional heat during a period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped, the signal indicating that the supply of electricity through the second power system is to be stopped after an elapse of a predetermined period of time, and the additional heat being required while the supply of electricity through the second power system is being suspended.

2. The heating system according to claim 1, further comprising

a prediction unit configured to predict the radiation amount of the heat to be radiated from said heat radiation unit while the supply of electricity through the second power system is being suspended,

wherein said control unit is configured to control said heat generation unit such that said heat storage unit stores an amount of heat during the period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped, the amount of heat being equivalent to the radiation amount predicted by said prediction unit.

3. The heating system according to claim 2,

wherein the signal includes information that specifies a shutoff hour that is a period of time during which the supply of electricity through the second power system is suspended,

said heating system further comprises a detection unit configured to detect the temperature of the target and an outside air temperature, and

said prediction unit is configured to predict the radiation amount of the heat to be radiated from said heat radiation unit during the shutoff hour, based on the temperature of the target and the outside air temperature that have been detected by said detection unit.

4. The heating system according to claim 1,

wherein said heat generation unit includes a heat pump cycle which includes:

an evaporator which causes a liquid refrigerant to absorb heat from outside air so as to generate a vapor refrigerant;

a compressor which compresses the vapor refrigerant generated by said evaporator;

a condenser which causes heat exchange between the vapor refrigerant compressed by said compressor and a heat storage material held by said heat storage unit, and stores heat in the heat storage material; and

an expansion valve which generates the liquid refrigerant by decreasing pressure of the vapor refrigerant, and

at least said compressor is supplied with electricity through the second power system.

5. The heating system according to claim 4,

wherein said heat generation unit further includes:

a plurality of heat pump cycles each of which is said heat pump cycle; and

a switching unit configured to switch between a first state and a second state, the first state being a state in which heat is generated using only one of said heat pump cycles, and the second state being a state in which heat is generated using said heat pump cycles that are cascade-connected, and

said control unit is configured to control the amount of heat generated by said heat generation unit, using said switching unit.

6. The heating system according to claim 4,

wherein said heat radiation unit includes:

a mixing valve which mixes, at a mixture ratio that is predetermined, portions having different amounts of heat storage, of the heat storage material held by said heat storage unit;

a radiator which is provided near the target and radiates the heat stored in the heat storage material; and

a pump which supplies, to said radiator, the heat storage material mixed by said mixing valve,

wherein said control unit is configured to control the amount of the heat radiated from said heat radiation unit, by changing the mixture ratio of the portions of the heat storage material in said mixing valve.

7. The heating system according to claim 2, comprising:

a heating apparatus which includes said heat generation unit, said heat storage unit, said heat radiation unit, and said control unit; and

a heating system control unit which is configured as a separate body from said heating apparatus and includes;

said prediction unit; and

an operation planning unit configured to generate an operation plan for causing said heat generation unit to generate the amount of heat equivalent to the radiation amount predicted by said prediction unit, and notify said control unit of the operation plan,

wherein said control unit, when receiving the operation plan from said operation planning unit, is configured to control said heat generation unit in accordance with the operation plan.

8. A heating system control method for controlling a heating system which receives a supply of electricity from a power supplier through a first power system and a second power system of which an electricity rate is lower than an electricity rate of the first power system, and maintains a temperature of a target within a predetermined range, the heating system including:

a heat generation unit which generates heat using the electricity supplied through the second power system;

a heat storage unit which stores the heat generated by the heat generation unit; and

a heat radiation unit which radiates the heat stored in the heat storage unit, said heating system control method comprising

controlling, upon receiving the supply of electricity through the first power system, a radiation amount of the heat radiated from the heat radiation unit so as to maintain the temperature of the target within the predetermined range, and the amount of the heat generated by the heat generation unit,

wherein when a signal is received from the power supplier, in said controlling, the heat generation unit is caused to generate additional heat during a period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped, the signal indicating that the supply of electricity through the second power system is to be stopped after an elapse of a predetermined period of time, and the additional heat being required while the supply of electricity through the second power system is being suspended.

9. The heating system control method according to claim 8, further comprising

predicting a radiation amount of the heat to be radiated from the heat radiation unit while the supply of the electricity through the second power system is suspended,

wherein in said controlling, the heat generation unit is controlled such that the heat storage unit stores an amount of heat equivalent to the radiation amount predicted in said predicting during the period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of the electricity through the second power system is stopped.

10. The heating system control method according to claim 9,

wherein the heating system further includes a detection unit which detects the temperature of the target and an outside air temperature,

said heating system control method further comprises receiving, from the power supplier, the signal including information that specifies a shutoff hour that is an hour during which the supply of the electricity through the second power system is suspended, and

in said predicting, when the signal is detected in said obtaining, a radiation amount of the heat to be radiated from the heat radiation unit during the shutoff hour is predicted, based on the temperature of the target and the outside air temperature that have been detected by the detection unit.

11. The heating system control method according to claim 9, further comprising

generating an operation plan for generating, in the heat generation unit, the amount of heat during the period, of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped, the amount of heat being equivalent to the radiation amount predicted by the prediction unit,

wherein in said controlling, the heat generation unit is controlled in accordance with the operation plan generated in said generating.

12. The heating system control method according to claim 8,

wherein in said controlling, the heat generation unit is controlled such that the heat storage unit stores an amount of heat equivalent to a predetermined amount of heat storage, when the signal is not received from the power supplier, the signal indicating that the supply of electricity through the second power system is to be stopped after an elapse of a predetermined period of time.

13. The heating system control method according to claim 8,

wherein in said controlling, the heat generation unit is caused to generate additional heat during the period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped and after the shutoff hour, the additional heat being required while the supply of electricity through the second power system is being suspended, and

an amount of heat generated before the shutoff hour is larger than an amount of heat generated after the shutoff hour.

14. A heating system control method for controlling a heating system which receives a supply of electricity from a power supplier through a first power system and a second power system of which an electricity rate is lower than an electricity rate of the first power system, and maintains a temperature of a target within a predetermined range,

wherein the heating system includes a heat generation unit which generates heat using the electricity supplied through the second power system,

said heating system control method comprises

causing, when a signal is received from the power supplier, the heat generation unit to generate additional heat during a period of time from when the signal is received to when the supply of electricity through the second power system is stopped, the signal indicating that the supply of electricity through the second power system is to be stopped after an elapse of a predetermined period of time, and the additional heat being required while the supply of electricity through the second power system is being suspended.

15. The heating system control method according to claim 14,

wherein the heating system further includes:

a heat storage unit which stores the heat generated by the heat generation unit; and

a heat radiation unit which radiates the heat stored in the heat storage unit.