Demand side management of water heater systems

• US 6,861,621 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ghent, Bobby A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, THOR S
• Application Number:
  US10/279,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20030178408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 392/441, 392/463, 392/464, 219/481, 219/482, 219/487, 219/490, 219/491, 219/494
• US Class Current: 219/492
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1051 for domestic hot water
• 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 15/184 Preventing harm to users from exposure to heated water, e.g. scalding
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/219 after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/223 in the water storage tank
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/25 Temperature of the heat-generating means in the heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/315 of mixing valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/355 Control of heat-generating means in heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• 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]

Abstract

The invention provides a water heater system having a water heater, a mixer valve, and a controller. The water heater includes a thermostat connected to a heating element. The water heater is connected to a cold in pipe and a hot out pipe. The mixer valve is positioned between the cold in pipe and the hot out pipe and provided an output of mixed hot and cold water. The controller is coupled to the thermostat.

Claims

1. A home water heater system, comprising:

a water heater having a thermostat connected to a heating element, where the water heater is connected to a cold in pipe and a hot out pipe;

a mixer valve coupled between the cold in pipe and the hot out pipe;

a controller coupled to the thermostat, where the controller is configure to restrict a supply of energy to the heating element as a function of at least one of a time-varying cost for the energy and a public demand for the energy;

a thermoelectric device configured to determine water temperature and positioned in communication with the hot out pipe and the controller;

wherein the thermoelectric device is a temperature sensor that further is configured to determine water purity.

2. A home water heater system, comprising:

a water heater having a thermostat connected to a heating element, where the water heater is connected to a cold in pipe and a hot out pipe;

a mixer valve coupled between the cold in pipe and the hot out pipe;

a controller coupled to the thermostat, where the controller is configure to restrict a supply of energy to the heating element as a function of at least one of a time-varying cost for the energy and a public demand for the energy;

a service pipe connected to an output of the mixing valve; and

a cutoff valve connected to the service pipe.

3. The water heater system of claim 2, further comprising a thermoelectric device configured to determine water temperature and positioned in communication with the hot out pipe and the controller.

9. The water heater system of claim 2, where the mixer valve is a bimetal mixer valve that is configured to mix cold water from the cold in pipe and hot water from the hot out pipe to produce a distribution water having a temperature in a range of approximately 120.0 degrees F. to approximately 140.0 degrees F.

4. A home water heater system, comprising:

a water heater having a thermostat connected to a heating element, where the water heater is connected to a cold in pipe and a hot out pipe;

a mixer valve coupled between the cold in pipe and the hot out pipe;

a controller coupled to the thermostat, where the controller is configured to restrict a supply of energy to the heating element as a function of at least one of a time-varying cost for the energy and a public demand for the energy; and

a thermoelectric device configured to determine water temperature and positioned in communication with the hot out pipe and the controller, where the controller includes a manual override switch to manually override the temperature signal from the thermoelectric device.

5. The water heater system of claim 4, where the controller includes a programmable timer.

6. The water heater system of claim 5, where the programmable timer is a seven-day programmable timer configured to receive a plurality of on-peak an off-peak settings for each day, and where the programmable timer includes at least one variable-state output to indicate whether a current time is on-peak or off-peak.

8. The water heater system of claim 4, where the mixer valve is a bimetal mixer valve that is configured to mix cold water from the cold in pipe and hot water from the hot out pipe to produce a distribution water having a temperature in a range of approximately 120.0 degrees F. to approximately 140.0 degrees F.

7. The water heater system of claim 7, where the controller includes an automatic override switch to automatically override the temperature signal from the thermoelectric device, where the automatic override switch is connected in parallel with the manual override switch.

10. A kit to retrofit a home water heater, the water heater having a thermostat and a heating element, where the water heater is connected to a cold in pipe and a hot out pipe, the kit comprising:

a mixer valve configured to be coupled between the cold in pipe and the hot out pipe; and

a controller configured to be coupled to the thermostat, where the controller is configured to restrict a supply of energy to the heating element as a function of at least one of a time-varying cost for the energy and a public demand for the energy.

11. The kit of claim 10, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to be positioned in communication with the hot out pipe and the controller.

12. The kit of claim 10, further comprising a cutoff valve.

13. The kit of claim 10, where the controller includes a programmable timer and a manual user interface.

14. The kit of claim 13, where the programmable timer is a seven day programmable timer.

15. The kit of claim 10, further comprising a thermoelectric device configured to determine water temperature and positioned in communication with the hot out pipe and the controller, where the controller includes a manual override switch to manually override the temperature signal from the thermoelectric device and includes an automatic override switch to automatically override the temperature signal from the thermoelectric device, where the automatic override switch is connected in parallel with the manual override switch.

16. The kit of claim 10, where the mixer valve is a bimetal mixer valve.

17. A water heater system, comprising:

a water heater having a thermostat connected to a heating element, where the water heater is connected to a cold in pipe and a hot out pipe;

a mixer valve coupled between the cold in pipe and the hot out pipe;

a controller coupled to the heating element, where the controller is configured to restrict a supply of energy to the heating element as a function of at least one of a time-varying cost for the energy and a public demand for the energy; and

a thermoelectric device configured to determine water temperature an positioned in thermal communication with water in the water heater and in signal communication with the controller, where the controller includes an override switch to override at leas a portion of the restriction of the supply of energy to the heating element in response to a signal received from said thermoelectric device.

18. A water heater system according to claim 17, wherein said thermoelectric device is located in said hot out pipe.

19. A water heater system according to claim 17, wherein the controller further includes a manual override switch.

20. A water heater system according to claim 17, further including a service pipe connected to an output of the mixing valve and a cutoff valve connected to the service pipe.

21. A water heater system according to claim 17, where the controller includes a programmable timer.

22. A water heater system of claim 21, where the programmable timer is a seven-day programmable timer configured to receive a plurality of on-peak an off-peak settings for each day, and where the programmable timer includes at least one variable-state output to indicate whether a current time is on-peak or off-peak.

23. A water heater system of claim 17, where the mixer valve is a bimetal mixer valve that is configured to mix cold water from the cold in pipe and ho water from the hot out pipe to produce a distribution water having a temperature in a range of approximately

120.0 degrees F. to approximately 140.0 degrees F.