Water heating control and storage system

• US 8,498,527 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Roetker, John Joseph, Finch, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, THOR S
• Application Number:
  US12/623,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20110123179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 392/454
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0031 with accumulation of the heated water
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1063 counting of energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2240/26 Vertically distributed at fixed positions, e.g. multiple sensors distributed over the height of a tank, or a vertical inlet distribution pipe having a plurality of orifices
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/202 with resistances
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/164 where the price of the electric supply changes with time
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/225 at different heights of the tank
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/277 Price
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/486 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2021 Storage heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0039 with stratification of the heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time

Abstract

A water heating control and storage system, including an insulated tank for containing water to be heated. The tank has at least two heating elements, including an upper heating element and a lower heating element. An operation control device receives a demand response signal and enables each element to independently heat water for usage. A method for controlling a water heating storage system includes providing an insulated tank for containing water to be heated; providing an upper heating element with a thermostat and thermal limiting device and a lower heating element with a thermostat and thermal limiting device to heat upper and lower portions of water inside the tank; and providing a pair of switches for enabling each of the heating elements to independently heat upper and lower portions of the water for usage.

Claims

1. A water heating control and storage system, comprising:

an insulated tank for containing water to be heated;

at least two heating elements including an upper heating element and a lower heating element positioned within said tank;

wherein said upper heating element further comprises an upper thermostat and said lower heating element comprises a lower thermostat; and

an operation control device configured to (i) operate the system in multiple operating modes comprising a first operating mode where both of said upper heating element and said lower heating element are enabled, a second operating mode where both of said upper heating element and said lower heating element are disabled, and a third operating mode where one of said upper heating element and said lower heating element is enabled and the other of said upper heating element and said lower heating element is disabled to independently heat upper and lower portions of said tank, and (ii) receive and process a demand response signal and in response to said signal selectively operate said system in one of said operating modes or allow said upper thermostat and said lower thermostat to assume control of whether said upper heating element and said lower heating element are respectively enabled or disabled.

2. The water heating control and storage system of claim 1, wherein the water is stored at a temperature in the range of a minimum level or about 90 degrees F. to a maximum level or about 150 degrees F.

3. The water heating control and storage system of claim 1, wherein said upper heating element further comprises an upper thermal limiting device and said lower heating element comprises a lower thermal limiting device.

4. The water heating control and storage system of claim 1, wherein said operating control device is configured to be responsive to demand response signals signifying at least one of the following energy rate conditions:

normal or low rate operation, medium rate operation, high rate operation and critical rate operation.

5. The water heating control and storage system of claim 4, wherein said operating control device further comprises a user operable input device and said control device is responsive to said input device to selectively respond to at least one of said medium demand response signal or said high demand response signal or both, by disabling said lower element so that heat is not provided to the lower portion of said tank.

6. The water heating control and storage system of claim 5, wherein when said demand response signal is low, the lower element and upper elements are both enabled to be energized under the control of their respective thermostat.

7. The water heating control and storage system of claim 5, wherein a manual override is provided to override the demand response signal.

8. The water heating control and storage system of claim 4, wherein when said demand response signal is critical, said lower element is shut off and said upper element is shut off so that heat is not provided to the lower portion of said tank and the upper portion of said tank.

9. The water heating control and storage system of claim 5, wherein said user operable input device comprises at least two user operable bi-state switches.

10. The water heating control and storage system of claim 4, wherein said upper heating element and said lower heating element both comprise electrical heating elements.

11. The water heater control and storage system of claim 1, wherein said operating control device comprises a demand response control which is connected to a signal line in communication with a home energy manager device or an energy metering device in communication with an energy provider.

12. The water heater control and storage system of claim 1, wherein said upper element is set to a minimum level, and said lower element is set to a maximum level.

13. The water heater control and storage system of claim 12 wherein said upper minimum level is approximately 110 degrees F. and the maximum level is approximately 150 degrees F.

14. The water heating control and storage system of claim 1, wherein said operation control device is configured to receive and process a signal indicative of a current state of an associated utility.

15. The water heating control and storage system of claim 14, wherein the utility state has an associated energy cost and wherein the operation control device is configured to override the operating mode of the water heater based on a user selected targeted energy cost,

wherein if current energy cost exceeds the user selected cost, the operation control device operates the water heater in an energy savings mode, and

wherein if the current energy cost is less than the user selected cost, the operation control device operates the water heater in a normal operating mode.

16. A method for controlling a water heating storage system, comprising the following steps:

providing an insulated tank for containing water to be heated;

providing an upper heating element with an upper thermostat and a lower heating element with a lower thermostat to heat upper and lower portions of water inside said tank;

providing a controller configured to (i) operate the system in multiple operating modes comprising a first operating mode where both of said upper heating element and said lower heating element are enabled, a second operating mode where both of said upper heating element and said lower heating element are disabled, and a third operating mode where one of said upper heating element and said lower heating element is enabled and the other of said upper heating element and said lower heating element is disabled to independently heat the upper and lower portions of said tank, and (ii) receive and process a demand response signal and in response to said signal selectively operate said system in one of said operating modes or allow said upper thermostat and said lower thermostat to assume control of whether said upper heating element and said lower heating element are respectively enabled or disabled;

receiving and processing a demand response signal via the controller; and

based on a state of the response signal, selectively operating the system in one of the three operating modes or allowing the upper thermostat and the lower thermostat to assume control of whether the upper heating element and the lower heating element are respectively enabled or disabled.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the water is stored at a temperature in the range of a minimum level or about 90 degrees F. to a maximum level or about 150 degrees F.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the demand response signal comprises distinct signal levels, each level corresponding to one of the following parameters:

normal or low rate operation, medium rate operation, high rate operation, and critical rate operation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a manual override is provided to override the demand response signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein when said demand response signal is low, the lower heating element and upper heating element are both enabled to be energized under the control of their respective thermostats.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein when said demand response signal is medium, said lower heating element is shut off so that heat is not provided to the lower portion of said tank or both said upper element and said lower element are powered so that heat is provided to the upper and lower portions of said tank.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein when said demand response signal is high, said lower heating element is shut off so that heat is not provide to the lower portion of said tank or both said upper element and said lower element are powered so that heat is provided to the upper and lower portions of said tank.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein when said demand response signal is critical, said lower heating element is shut off and said upper heating element is shut off so that heat is not provided to the lower portion of said tank and the upper portion of said tank.