Heating system control method and heating system

• US 9,851,110 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashida, Gaku, Takasaki, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tompkins, Alissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Decker, Phillip E
• Application Number:
  US13/817,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20130284818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• 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 is installed in a building and operates using power supplied from a power supply source, the heating system including:

a heat pump that generates heat using the power supplied from the power supply source, heats water flowing in the heat pump with the generated heat, and outputs the heated water;

a radiator that is installed in a room, and radiates the heat generated by the heat pump; and

a memory that stores a temperature settings table including first associated information sets, each set including an outside temperature and an outlet temperature in association with each other, the first associated information sets being determined to prevent a temperature of the room from dropping below a predetermined minimum temperature during an output modulation period, the outside temperature being a temperature outside the building in which the heating system is installed, the output modulation period being a period during which power consumption by the heat pump is to be reduced,

the method of controlling the heating system comprising;

detecting a current outside temperature;

obtaining, from the power supply source, information specifying the output modulation period;

controlling an amount of the heat generated by the heat pump and a temperature of the heated water output from the heat pump, based on the information specifying the output modulation period obtained from the power supply source, and the detected current outside temperature; and

detecting an inlet water temperature and an outlet heated water temperature on a per unit time basis, the inlet water temperature being a temperature of the water flowing into the heat pump, the outlet heated water temperature being a temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump,

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

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

generate a second amount of heat per unit time and output heated water of a second temperature during the output modulation period, the second amount of heat being less than the first amount of heat, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature,

in the controlling, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump is reduced from the first temperature to the second temperature, by determining whether a difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds a threshold and reducing, in accordance with the difference between the inlet water temperature and the outlet heated water temperature, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump each time the difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds the threshold, and

the method of controlling further comprises;

selecting an outlet temperature from the first associated information sets, as the second temperature, the selected outlet temperature being associated with the outside temperature corresponding to the detected current outside temperature.

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

wherein the memory further stores a second temperature settings table including second associated information sets, each set including the outside temperature, a length of the output modulation period, a thermal insulation efficiency of the building, and the outlet temperature in association with each other, the second associated information sets being determined to keep a decrease in the temperature of the room, in which the radiator is installed, within a predetermined range during the output modulation period, and

in the controlling, one of the outlet temperatures is selected from the second associated information sets, as the second temperature, the selected outlet temperature being associated with the outside temperature which corresponds to the detected current outside temperature, the length of the output modulation period obtained from the power supply source, and the thermal insulation efficiency of the building being set in advance.

3. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, from the power supply source, a degree of reduction in power consumption during the output modulation period,

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

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

wherein, in the controlling,

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

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

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

wherein the memory further stores information, in which combinations of the outlet temperature and the power consumption are associated with each outside temperature, and

in the controlling,

a comfort rating and a power consumption rating are calculated for each of the combinations of the outlet temperature and the power consumption associated with the outside temperature corresponding to the detected current outside temperature, the comfort rating increasing with an increase in the outlet temperature and the power consumption rating increasing with a decrease in the power consumption,

an overall rating is calculated for each of the combinations of the outlet temperature and the power consumption, by adding the comfort rating and the power consumption rating, and

the selected outlet temperature, as the second temperature, is selected from the information stored in the memory, the selected outlet temperature being based upon a combination having a highest overall rating of the calculated overall rating for each of the combinations.

6. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

in the controlling,

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

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

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

wherein the heating system further includes a water pump which adjusts an amount of the water flowing in the heat pump, and

the inlet water temperature is detected before the water pump flows the water into the heat pump.

11. The method of controlling the heating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the detecting of the inlet water temperature and the outlet heated water temperature each unit time,

wherein, in the controlling, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump is gradually reduced from the first temperature to the second temperature during the repeating.

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

wherein the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump is reduced by a fixed amount each time the difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds the threshold.

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

wherein the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump is reduced by a set amount of degrees each time the difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds the threshold.

14. A heating system that is installed in a building and operates using power supplied from a power supply source, the heating system comprising:

a heat pump configured to generate heat using power supplied from the power supply source, heat water flowing in the heat pump with the generated heat, and output the heated water;

a radiator installed in a room, the radiator configured to radiate the heat generated by the heat pump;

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

a memory that stores a temperature settings table including first associated information sets, each set including an outside temperature and an outlet temperature in association with each other, the first associated information sets being determined to prevent a temperature of the room from dropping below a predetermined minimum temperature during the output modulation period, the outside temperature being a temperature outside the building in which the heating system is installed;

a detector configured to detect a current outside temperature;

an operation controller configured to control the amount of the heat generated by the heat pump and a temperature of the heated water output from the heat pump, based on the information specifying the output modulation period obtained from the power supply source, and the detected current outside temperature;

an inlet water temperature detector 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; and

an outlet heated water temperature detector 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,

wherein the operation controller is configured to cause the heat pump to;

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

generate a second amount of heat per unit time and output heated water of a second temperature during the output modulation period, the second amount of heat being less than the first amount of heat, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature; and

reduce the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump from the first temperature to the second temperature by determining whether a difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds a threshold and reducing, in accordance with the difference between the inlet water temperature and the outlet heated water temperature, the temperature of the heated water exiting the heat pump each time the difference between the outlet heated water temperature and the inlet water temperature exceeds the threshold, and

the operation controller selects, as the second temperature, an outlet temperature from the first associated information sets, the selected outlet temperature being associated with the outside temperature corresponding to the detected current outside temperature.

15. The heating system according to claim 14, wherein

the memory further stores a second temperature settings table including second associated information sets, each set including the outside temperature, a length of the output modulation period, a thermal insulation efficiency of the building and the outlet temperature in association with each other, the second associated information sets being determined to keep a decrease in the temperature of the room, in which the radiator is installed, within a predetermined range during the output modulation period, and

the operation controller is configured to select, from the second associated information sets stored in the memory, one of the outlet temperatures as the second temperature, the selected outlet temperature being associated with the outside temperature which corresponds to the current outside temperature detected by the detector, the length of the output modulation period obtained by the communicator from the power supply source, and the thermal insulation efficiency of the building being set in advance.

16. The heating system according to claim 14, wherein

the memory further stores information, in which combinations of the outlet temperature and the power consumption are associated with each outside temperature, and

the operation controller is configured to:

calculate a comfort rating and a power consumption rating for each of the combinations of the outlet temperature and the power consumption associated with the outside temperature corresponding to the current outside temperature detected by the detector, the comfort rating increasing with an increase in the outlet temperature and the power consumption rating increasing with a decrease in the power consumption;

calculate an overall rating for each of the combinations of the outlet temperature and the power consumption, by adding the comfort rating and the power consumption rating; and

select, as the second temperature, an outlet temperature from the information stored in the memory, the selected outlet temperature being based upon a combination having a highest overall rating of the calculated overall ratings for each of the combinations.

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

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

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

18. The heating system according to claim 17,

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

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

a heating device including the heat pump, the radiator, and a heat pump controller that is configured to control the heat pump according to an operation condition transmitted from the operation controller; and

a heating system controller, which is structurally separate from the heating device and includes the communicator and the operation controller.