HEATING SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD AND HEATING SYSTEM

• US 20130284818A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashida, Gaku, Takasaki, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,851,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/56
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 15/04 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1048 Counting of energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/08 Electric heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/12 Heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/042 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 3/18 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/156 Reducing the quantity of energy consumed; Increasing efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/174 Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/215 before heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/219 after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/254 Room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/258 Outdoor temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/269 Time, e.g. hour or date
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/375 Control of heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/12 Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 : the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

A method of controlling a heating system includes: obtaining, from a power supply source, information specifying an output modulation period during which power consumption by a heat pump unit is to be reduced; and controlling, based on the information obtained in the obtaining, an amount of heat generated by the heat pump unit. In the controlling, the heat pump unit is caused to generate a first amount of heat per unit time in a period other than the output modulation period, and generate a second amount of heat per unit time during the output modulation period, the second amount of heat being less than the first amount of heat.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a heating system that operates using power supplied from a power supply source, the heating system including:

a heat pump unit that generates heat using the power supplied from the power supply source; and

a radiator unit that radiates the heat generated by the heat pump unit,

the method of controlling the heating system comprising;

obtaining, from the power supply source, information specifying an output modulation period during which power consumption by the heat pump unit is to be reduced; and

controlling, based on the information obtained in the obtaining, an amount of the heat generated by the heat pump unit,

wherein in the controlling, the heat pump unit is caused to;

generate a first amount of heat per unit time in a period other than the output modulation period; and

generate a second amount of heat per unit time during the output modulation period, the second amount of heat being less than the first amount of heat.

2. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 1,

wherein the heat pump unit heats water flowing therein with the generated heat, and outputs the heated water, and

in the controlling, the heat pump unit is caused to:

output heated water of a first temperature in a period other than the output modulation period; and

output heated water of a second temperature during the output modulation period, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature.

3. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 2,

wherein the heating system further includes association information in which an outside temperature and the second temperature are associated to prevent a temperature of a room in which the radiator unit is installed from dropping below a predetermined minimum temperature during the output modulation period,

an outside temperature is obtained in the obtaining, and

in the controlling, one of the second temperatures which corresponds to the outside temperature obtained in the obtaining is selected from the association information.

4. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 2,

wherein the heating system further includes association information in which an outside temperature, a length of the output modulation period, a thermal insulation efficiency of a building in which the heating system is installed, and the second temperature are associated to keep a decrease in temperature of a room in which the radiator unit is installed to within a predetermined range during the output modulation period,

an outside temperature is obtained in the obtaining, and

in the controlling, one of the second temperatures which corresponds to the outside temperature obtained in the obtaining, the length of the output modulation period obtained in the obtaining, and the theimal insulation efficiency of the building in which the heating system is installed is selected from the association information, the thermal insulation efficiency being set in advance.

5. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 3,

wherein further in the obtaining, a degree of reduction is obtained from the power supply source, the degree of reduction indicating a degree of reduction in power consumption during the output modulation period, and

in the controlling, the selected second temperature is corrected based on the degree of reduction obtained in the obtaining.

6. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 5,

wherein in the controlling,

the selected second temperature is corrected to a lower value when the degree of reduction obtained in the obtaining is greater than a predetermined criterion, and

the selected second temperature is corrected to a higher value when the degree of reduction obtained in the obtaining is less than a predetermined criterion.

7. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 2,

wherein the heating system further includes information associating combinations of the second temperature and the power consumption with an outside temperature, and holds the information,

an outside temperature is obtained in the obtaining, and

in the controlling,

a comfort rating and a power consumption rating are calculated for each of the combinations of the second temperature and the power consumption associated with the outside temperature obtained in the obtaining, the comfort rating increasing with the second temperature and the power consumption rating increasing with a decrease in the power consumption, and

the second temperature having a highest overall rating is selected, the highest overall rating being a sum of the comfort rating and the power consumption rating.

8. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 2,

wherein further in the obtaining, an inlet water temperature and an outlet heated water temperature are detected on a per unit time basis, the inlet water temperature being a temperature of the water flowing into the heat pump unit and the outlet heated water temperature being a temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit, and

in the controlling, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit is reduced from the first temperature to the second temperature by causing the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit to reduce by a given amount of variation each time a difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds a threshold.

9. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 2,

wherein further in the obtaining, a room temperature of a room in which the radiator unit is installed is detected on a per unit time basis, and

in the controlling, a temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit is reduced by a first amount of variation when a unit time decrease in the room temperature obtained in the obtaining is less than or equal to a first threshold.

10. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 9,

wherein further in the controlling, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit is increased by a second amount of variation when the unit time decrease in the room temperature obtained in the obtaining exceeds a second threshold, the second amount of variation being less than the first amount of variation and the second threshold being greater than or equal to the first threshold.

11. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 10,

wherein further in the controlling, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit is maintained when the unit time decrease in the room temperature obtained in the obtaining exceeds the first threshold and is less than or equal to the second threshold.

12. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 1,

wherein the heating system further includes a heater that, when a temperature of heated water exiting the heat pump unit drops below a first temperature, heats the heated water to the first temperature, and

in the controlling,

operation of the heater is permitted in a period other than the output modulation period, and

operation of the heater is restricted during the output modulation period.

13. A heating system that operates using power supplied from a power supply source, the heating system comprising:

a heat pump unit configured to generate heat using power supplied from the power supply source;

a radiator unit configured to radiate the heat generated by the heat pump unit;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the power supply source, information specifying an output modulation period during which power consumption by the heat pump unit is to be reduced; and

an operation control unit configured to control, based on the information obtained by the obtaining unit, the amount of the heat generated by the heat pump unit,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to cause the heat pump unit to;

generate a first amount of heat per unit time in a period other than the output modulation period; and

generate a second amount of heat per unit time during the output modulation period, the second amount of heat being less than the first amount of heat.

14. The heating system according to claim 13,

wherein the heat pump unit is configured to heat water flowing therein with the generated heat, and output the heated water, and

the operation control unit is configured to cause the heat pump unit to:

output heated water of a first temperature in a period other than the output modulation period; and

output heated water of a second temperature during the output modulation period, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature.

15. The heating system according to claim 14, further comprising:

an outside temperature detecting unit configured to detect an outside temperature; and

a memory unit configured to hold association information in which the outside temperature and the second temperature are associated to prevent a temperature of a room in which the radiator unit is installed from dropping below a predetermined minimum temperature during the output modulation period,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to select, from the association information held in the memory unit, one of the second temperatures which corresponds to the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature detecting unit.

16. The heating system according to claim 14, further comprising:

an outside temperature detecting unit configured to detect an outside temperature; and

a memory unit configured to hold association information in which the outside temperature, a length of the output modulation period, a thermal insulation efficiency of a building in which the heating system is installed, and the second temperature are associated to keep a decrease in temperature of a room in which the radiator unit is installed to within a predetermined range during the output modulation period,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to select, from the association information held in the memory unit, one of the second temperatures which corresponds to (i) the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature detecting unit, (ii) the length of the output modulation period obtained by the obtaining unit, and (iii) the thermal insulation efficiency of the building in which the heating system is installed, the thermal insulation efficiency being set in advance.

17. The heating system according to claim 14, further comprising:

an outside temperature detecting unit configured to detect an outside temperature; and

a memory unit configured to hold information associating combinations of the second temperature and the power consumption with an outside temperature,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to;

calculate a comfort rating and a power consumption rating for each of the combinations of the second temperature and the power consumption associated with the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature detecting unit, the comfort rating increasing with the second temperature and the power consumption rating increasing with a decrease in the power consumption; and

select the second temperature having a highest overall rating, the highest overall rating being a sum of the comfort rating and the power consumption rating.

18. The heating system according to claim 14, comprising:

an inlet water temperature detecting unit configured to detect an inlet water temperature on a per unit time basis, the inlet water temperature being a temperature of the water flowing into the heat pump unit; and

an outlet heated water temperature detecting unit configured to detect an outlet heated water temperature on a per unit time basis, the outlet heated water temperature being a temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to reduce the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit from the first temperature to the second temperature by causing the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit to reduce by a given amount of variation each time a difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds a threshold.

19. The heating system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a room temperature detecting unit configured to detect a room temperature of a room in which the radiator unit is installed on a per unit time basis,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to reduce a temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit by a first amount of variation when a unit time decrease in the room temperature detected by the room temperature detecting unit is less than or equal to a first threshold.

20. The heating system according to claim 19,

wherein the operation control unit is further configured to increase the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump unit by a second amount of variation when the unit time decrease in the room temperature detected by the room temperature detecting unit exceeds a second threshold, the second amount of variation being less than the first amount of variation and the second threshold being greater than or equal to the first threshold.

21. The heating system according to claim 13, comprising:

a heating device including the heat pump unit, the radiator unit, and a heat pump (HP) control unit that is configured to control the heat pump unit according to a control of the operation control unit; and

the heating system control unit which is structurally separate from the heating device and includes the obtaining unit and the operation control unit.