System and method for controlling temperature of a liquid residing within a tank

• US 7,065,431 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
• Original Assignee: Synapse Retail Ventures
• Inventors: Patterson, Wade C., Phillips, Terry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): CABRERA, ZOILA E
• Application Number:
  US10/772,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 700/299, 700/300, 219/497, 219/483, 219/490, 219/509, 432/36, 432/44, 236/91
• US Class Current: 700/299
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0031 with accumulation of the heated water
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/14 Cleaning; Sterilising; Preventing contamination by bacteria or microorganisms, e.g. by replacing fluid in tanks or conduits
• 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 15/223 in the water storage tank
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/269 Time, e.g. hour or date
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device

Abstract

A system for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank comprises a temperature sensor, a temperature control element, memory, and logic. The temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the liquid residing within the tank, and the temperature control element is coupled to the tank. The memory stores data indicative of a usage history of the tank, and the logic is configured to automatically control the temperature control element based on the data.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within a tank, comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the liquid;

a temperature control element configured to alter the temperature of the liquid;

a clock; and

logic configured to track usage of the temperature control element by monitoring an activation state of the temperature control element during a first time period while the temperature control element is being controlled based on a first temperature threshold, the logic further configured to automatically select, based on a time value indicated by the clock and the usage of the temperature control element during the first time period, a second temperature threshold for controlling the temperature control element during a second time period, the logic further configured to perform a comparison between the selected temperature threshold and a value indicative of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the second time period and to control the temperature control element during the second time period based on the comparison,

wherein the logic is configured to activate the temperature control element during the first time period based on a comparison between a value indicative of a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the first temperature threshold, the logic further configured to automatically make a determination, prior to the second time period, indicating that a high usage of the liquid residing within the tank is expected based on the tracked usage of the temperature control element and to select the second temperature threshold based on the determination, wherein the logic is further configured to activate the temperature control element based on the comparison between the selected temperature threshold and the value indicative of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the second time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control element comprises a heating element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control element comprises a cooling element.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to select said first temperature threshold based on a plurality of temperatures detected by a plurality of temperature sensors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to automatically generate data indicative of a usage history of the temperature control element.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the logic is configured to activate and deactivate the temperature control element during the second time period based on the second temperature threshold and another temperature threshold, thereby providing an activation hysteresis for the temperature control element, the logic further configured to change the activation hysteresis based on the data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to determine a total amount of time that the temperature control element is activated during the first time period and to select the second temperature threshold based on the total amount of time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first time period and the second time period are during the same time of day on different days, respectively.

9. A system, comprising:

a tank;

a temperature sensor configured to detect temperatures of a liquid residing within the tank;

a temperature control element coupled to the tank;

memory for storing data indicative of a usage history of the temperature control element; and

logic configured to activate the temperature control element during a first time period based on a comparison between a value indicative of a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and a first temperature threshold, the logic further configured to automatically make a determination, after the first time period and prior to a second time period, indicating whether a high usage of the liquid residing within the tank is expected during the second time period based on the data indicative of the usage history of the temperature control element, the logic further configured to automatically select, based on the determination, a second temperature threshold to be used for controlling the temperature control element during the second time period, the logic further configured to control the temperature control element, during the second time period, based on a comparison of the second temperature threshold to a value indicative of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to monitor the temperature control element in order to define the data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to ensure that the temperature control element is periodically controlled such that an amount of bacteria within the tank remains within a desired range.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to control the temperature control element such that the temperature control element has an activation hysteresis, the logic configured to change the activation hysteresis based on the data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic is configured to decrease the hysteresis in response to a prediction that a high usage event associated with the tank is imminent.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the the temperature control element comprises a heating element.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to automatically track usage of the temperature control element to define the data.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the usage history defines a schedule of classified time slots, each of the time slots classified based on an amount of time that the temperature control element is activated during a time period corresponding to the respective time slot.

17. A system, comprising:

a tank;

a temperature sensor coupled to the tank;

a temperature control element for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within the tank; and

logic configured to activate the temperature control element during a first time period based on a comparison between a value indicative of a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and a first temperature threshold, the logic further configured to determine a value indicative of a total amount of time that the temperature control element is activated during the first time period and to make a determination, based on the value indicative of the total amount of time, indicating whether a high usage of the liquid residing within the tank is expected during a second time period, the logic further configured to automatically establish a second temperature threshold for a second time period based on the value indicative of the total amount of time, the logic configured to perform a comparison between the second temperature threshold and a value indicative of a temperature of the liquid detected by the temperature sensor during the second time period, the logic further configured to control the temperature control element based on the comparison between the second temperature threshold and the value indicative of the temperature of the liquid detected by the temperature sensor during the second time period.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the logic is further configured to change an activation hysteresis for the temperature control element based on the value indicative of the total amount of time.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the logic is further configured to ensure that the temperature control element is periodically controlled such that the temperature of the liquid remains at a sufficiently high level for a sufficient amount of time for preventing an amount of bacteria within tank from exceeding a desired level.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the logic is configured to determine the value indicative of the total amount of time by summing a plurality of activation times of the temperature control element.

21. A system, comprising:

a tank;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a liquid residing within the tank;

a temperature control element coupled to the tank;

memory for storing data indicative of a usage history of the tank;

logic configured to automatically control the temperature control element based on the data; and

a second temperature control element, wherein the logic is configured to control the second temperature control element and to perform a verification that the second temperature control element is actually activated when the logic attempts to activate the second temperature control element, and wherein the logic is configured to automatically define the usage history based on the verification.

22. A system, comprising:

a tank;

a temperature sensor coupled to the tank;

a temperature control element for controlling a temperature of a liquid residing within the tank;

logic configured to determine a value indicative of an amount of the liquid drawn from the tank during a first time period and to establish a temperature threshold for a second time period based on the value, the logic configured to perform a comparison between the temperature threshold and a temperature of the liquid detected by the temperature sensor during the second time period, the logic further configured to control the temperature control element based on the comparison; and

a second temperature control element, wherein the logic is configured to control the second temperature control element and to perform a verification that the second temperature control element is actually activated when the logic attempts to activate the second temperature control element, and wherein value is based on the verification.