Low-Power Residential Heating System

• US 20130168459A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission
• Inventors: Paulus, Cedric, Lefrancois, Florent
• Application Number:
  US13/822,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168459A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/2.A
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2237/06 two predeterming temperatures, e.g. day-night
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 15/04 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1009 for central heating
• 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 19/1087 system using a heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/12 Heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Method of thermal management of a building, on the basis of a thermal system equipped with a low-power generator, characterized in that it comprises a step (E3) of turning on the generator ahead of time in the absence of any occupant in the building so as to comply with a future comfort setpoint at a future instant (H), by taking account of the energy available (E_{generator—H}) at the generator up until this future instant (H) and of the energy necessary (E_heating—H) to reach the future comfort setpoint within the building at this future instant (H).

Claims

1. Method of thermal management of a building, on the basis of a thermal system equipped with a low-power generator, wherein it comprises a step (E3) of turning on the generator ahead of time in the absence of any occupant in the building so as to comply with a future comfort setpoint at a future instant (H), by taking account of the energy available (E_generator—

_H) at the generator up until this future instant (H) and of the energy necessary (E<sub>heating—

H</sub>) to reach the future comfort setpoint within the building at this future instant (H).

2. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein the future comfort setpoint is a temperature setpoint and in that it comprises the following steps:

(E1)—

Calculation of the energy available (E<sub>generator—

H</sub>) at the generator up until the future instant (H);

(E2)—

Calculation of the energy necessary (E<sub>heating—

H</sub>) to reach the setpoint temperature within the building at this instant (H);

(E3′

)—

Comparison of the above two values and turning on of the generator if E<sub>generator—

H</sub><

E<sub>heating—

H</sub>.

3. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein the future comfort setpoint is a maximum duration (tmax) permitted so as to reach a comfort temperature in case of necessity at the future instant (H).

4. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 3, wherein it comprises the following steps:

(E1)—

Calculation of the energy available (E<sub>generator—

H</sub>) at the generator up until the future instant (H);

(E2)—

Calculation of the energy necessary (E<sub>heating—

H</sub>) to reach the setpoint temperature within the building at this instant (H);

(E3″

)—

Comparison of the above two values and turning on of the generator if H>

tmax.

5. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 4, wherein it comprises a step of calculating a low setpoint temperature to regulate the operation of the generator in the absence of any occupant in the building, this low setpoint being variable over time.

6. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of inputting at least one of the following data:

Inputting of at least one temperature setpoint in the case of occupancy of the building and/or in the case of non-occupancy; and

/or

Inputting of the periods of occupancy and/or of non-occupancy of the building; and

/or

Inputting of a permitted maximum duration (tmax) of operation of the generator so as to reach a certain comfort temperature in the building.

7. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of evaluating the future exterior temperature over several instants (H) of a future period (P).

8. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of auto-learning of the thermal characteristics of the building.

9. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein it comprises the calculation of the energy available (E_generator—

_H) at the generator up until the future instant (H) through the following equation;

10. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein it comprises the calculation of the energy necessary (E_heating—

_H) to reach an interior setpoint temperature of the building at the instant (H) through the following equation;

11. Method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1, wherein it comprises the repetition for several instants (H) of a future period (P) of a step of estimating the need to turn on the generator ahead of time in the absence of any occupant in the building so as to comply with a future comfort setpoint at a future instant (H), by taking account of the energy available (E_generator—

_H) at the generator up until this future instant (H) and of the energy necessary (E<sub>heating—

H</sub>) to reach the future comfort setpoint within the building at this future instant (H).

12. Computer medium comprising a computer program implementing the steps of the method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1.

13. System for thermal management of a building comprising a low-power generator, wherein it comprises a control unit which implements the method of thermal management of a building according to claim 1.

14. System for thermal management of a building according to claim 13, wherein the control unit comprises a first module for estimating the exterior temperature over a future period, a second module for estimating the energy available in the generator for the period considered, a third module for learning the thermal characteristics of the building so as to model its thermal behaviour, a fourth module for determining the energy necessary for the building and a fifth module for thermal driving of the generator.

15. Building wherein it comprises a thermal management system implementing the thermal management method claim 1.