Drinking water supply system with volume or pressure control function, method for controlling same, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085174-B2
Application number	US-201816753824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2018
Priority date	Oct 9, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A drinking water supply system with a drinking water line system includes multiple drinking water removal points connected to the drinking water line system, at least one sensor, which is designed to determine measurement values, and a central controller, which is designed to receive and evaluate the measurement values determined by the at least one sensor. The central controller is designed to control the control elements depending on the received measurement values. The drinking water line system has a drinking water line section for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water removal points. A volumetric flow rate sensor is provided in order to measure the volumetric flow rate of the water in the drinking water line section and/or a pressure sensor is provided in order to measure the water pressure in the drinking water line section. The controller is designed to carry out a measure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drinking water supply system comprising:
a drinking water piping system,
a plurality of drinking water tapping points connected to the drinking water piping system,
at least one sensor configured to determine measurement values,
a central control device configured to receive and evaluate the measurement values determined by the at least one sensor, and
a plurality of decentralised control elements which are configured to influence one or a plurality of properties of the water carried in the drinking water supply system at different points in the drinking water supply system,
wherein the central control device is configured to actuate the control elements to influence the one or plurality of properties of the water carried in the drinking water supply system,
the central control device is configured to control the control elements as a function of the received measurement values,
the drinking water piping system has a drinking water line for the supply of drinking water to a number of drinking water tapping points of the plurality of drinking water tapping points,
the at least one sensor is a pressure sensor provided in order to measure the water pressure in the drinking water line, and
the central control device is configured to initiate one of the following measures when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor falls below a predefined limit value (pmin):
end and/or prevent a draining of water initiated by the central control device from the drinking water line at a flushing unit, or
end and/or prevent a discharging of water initiated by the central control device from the drinking water line via a circulation line.

2. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of further sensors configured to determine measurement values for one or different properties of the water carried in the drinking water supply system at different points in the drinking water supply system,
wherein the central control device is configured to receive and evaluate the measurement values determined by the plurality of further sensors.

3. The drinking water supply system according to claim 2 , wherein one or a plurality of the further sensors are configured to determine measurement values for the water temperature, the water pressure, the water flow and/or the speed distribution of the water carried in the drinking water supply system.

4. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to initiate the output of a piece of user information dependent upon the received measurement values via a user interface.

5. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein one or a plurality of the decentralised control elements is/are configured to influence the water temperature, the water pressure, the water flow and/or the speed distribution of the water carried in the drinking water supply system, and the central control device is configured to actuate the one or plurality of the decentralised control elements to influence the water temperature, the water pressure, the water flow and/or the speed distribution of the water carried in the drinking water supply system.

6. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the flushing unit is actuatable by the central control device and is integrated in the drinking water line, through which water can be drained from the drinking water supply system.

7. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein a decentralised control unit that is actuatable by the central control device is provided which is configured to initiate a flushing operation at one of the plurality of drinking water tapping points in order to drain water from the drinking water supply system.

8. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to initiate one of the following measures when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor falls below a predefined limit value (pmin):
increase the water pressure in the drinking water line by activating or increasing the output of a water pump provided in the drinking water supply system, or
output of a user notification.

9. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to initiate one of the following measures when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor exceeds a predefined limit value (pmax):
reduce the water pressure in the drinking water line by deactivating or reducing the output of a water pump provided in the drinking water supply system,
draining the water from the drinking water line at the flushing unit, or
output of a user notification.

10. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to initiate control of the drinking water supply system.

11. A method of controlling a drinking water supply system according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
receiving measurement values for one or different properties of the water carried in the drinking water supply system, and
controlling the drinking water supply system as a function of the received measurement values,
wherein one of the following measures is initiated when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor falls below a predefined limit value (pmin):
end and/or prevent a draining of water initiated by the central control device from the drinking water line at a flushing unit, or
end and/or prevent a discharging of water initiated by the central control device from the drinking water line via a circulation line.

12. A computer program comprising commands, wherein execution of the commands on at least one processor of the central control device of the drinking water supply system initiates the performance of the method according to claim 11 .

Assignees

• Viega Tech Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Kramer Markus
• Schauer Christian
• Otto Christian
• Steger Patrick
• Löher David
• Winterholler Arthur

Classifications

• F24D17/0073

  Arrangements for preventing the occurrence or proliferation of microorganisms in the water · CPC title

• E03B7/08

  Arrangement of draining devices, {e.g. manual shut-off valves}(draining devices in general F16K, F16L) · CPC title

• E03C1/02

  Plumbing installations for fresh water · CPC title

• E03B7/045

  diverting initially cold water in warm water supply · CPC title

• E03B7/04

  Domestic or like local pipe systems (domestic plumbing E03C1/02) · CPC title