Adaptive heating control system for a water heater

• US 9,063,551 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellihot Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intellihot Green Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Deivasigamani, Sridhar, Akasam, Sivaprasad
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US13/766,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0036 with combination of different kinds of heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0073 Arrangements for preventing the occurrence or proliferation of microorganisms in the water
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0078 Recirculation systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1051 for domestic hot water
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/04 Gas or oil fired boiler
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/08 Electric heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/042 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/104 Inspection; Diagnosis; Trial operation
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/12 Preventing or detecting fluid leakage
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/128 Preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/144 Measuring or calculating energy consumption
• 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 15/20 characterised by control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/215 before heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/219 after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/235 Temperature of exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/238 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/242 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/265 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 : Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/31 : of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/325 : of by-pass valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/34 : Control of the speed of pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/35 : Control of the speed of fans
• 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: G05B 23/0235 : based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 : variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0629 : characterised by the type of regulator means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 : Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 : Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies

Abstract

A water heating control system for automatically reducing delay in delivering a volume of water at a flowrate, the volume of water is heated from a first temperature to a target temperature during a time interval of a day, the water heating system includes a device for aiding in heating the volume of water from the first temperature to the target temperature, a historical flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day, a current flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day and a controller configured for calculating a new flow demand from the historical flow demand and the current flow demand. The new flow demand is set as the historical flow demand for the time interval of a day and if the new flow demand exceeds a threshold, the device is configured to be activated during the time interval of a day.

Claims

1. A water heating control system for automatically reducing delay in delivering a volume of water at a flowrate, the volume of water is heated from a first temperature to a target temperature during a time interval of a day, said water heating control system comprising:

(a) a device for aiding in heating the volume of water at said flowrate from said first temperature to said target temperature;

(b) a historical flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day;

(c) a current flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day; and

(d) a controller configured for calculating a new flow demand based on said historical flow demand and said current flow demand,

wherein if said new flow demand exceeds a threshold, said device is configured to be activated during the time interval of a day and said new flow demand is configured to be set as said historical flow demand for the time interval of a day.

2. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein said historical flow demand is selected from the group consisting of historical average flowrate, historical average flow volume, historical average frequency of flow request, historical frequency of user presence detection and any combinations thereof.

3. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein said current flow demand is sustained water flowrate of at or above about 0.5 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) for at least about 5 minutes.

4. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein said current flow demand is current flowrate.

5. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of an internal recirculating flow circuit, an external recirculating flow circuit, a burner, a burner and blower combination, a valve, a pump and any combinations thereof.

6. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein said new flow demand is configured to be calculated by applying a first weighting factor to said historical flow demand to result in a first intermediate result and a second weighting factor to said current flow demand to result in a second intermediate result, wherein said second weighting factor is a complementary percentage of said first weighting factor.

7. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein the time interval of a day covers a span of about 15 minutes.

8. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein said device is an external recirculating flow circuit adapted to recirculate the volume of water in a variable volume holding tank.

9. The water heating control system of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a burner and an external recirculating flow circuit adapted to recirculate the volume of water in a variable volume holding tank.

10. A water heating control system for automatically reducing delay in delivering a volume of water at a flowrate, the volume of water is heated from a first temperature to a target temperature during a time interval of a day, said water heating control system comprising:

(a) a device for aiding in heating the volume of water at said flowrate from said first temperature to said target temperature;

(b) a historical flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day;

(c) a current flow demand corresponding to the time interval of a day; and

(d) a controller configured for calculating a new flow demand based on said historical flow demand and said current flow demand, wherein said new flow demand is configured to be calculated by applying a first weighting factor to said historical flow demand to result in a first intermediate result and a second weighting factor to said current flow demand to result in a second intermediate result, wherein said second weighting factor is a complementary percentage of said first weighting factor,

wherein if said new flow demand exceeds a threshold, said device is configured to be activated during the time interval of a day and said new flow demand is configured to be set as said historical flow demand for the time interval of a day.

11. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein said historical flow demand is selected from the group consisting of historical average flowrate, historical average flow volume, historical average frequency of flow request, historical frequency of user presence detection and any combinations thereof.

12. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein said current flow demand is sustained water flowrate of at or above about 0.5 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) for at least about 5 minutes.

13. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein said current flow demand is current flowrate.

14. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of an internal recirculating flow circuit, an external recirculating flow circuit, a burner, a burner and blower combination, a valve, a pump and any combinations thereof.

15. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein the time interval of a day covers a span of about 15 minutes.

16. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein said device is an external recirculating flow circuit adapted to recirculate the volume of water in a variable volume holding tank.

17. The water heating control system of claim 10, wherein said device comprises a burner and an external recirculating flow circuit adapted to recirculate the volume of water in a variable volume holding tank.