Pump device, industrial water system, method for operating an industrial water system, and self-teaching method for a delivery pump in an industrial water system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221149-B2
Application number	US-201615776560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A pump device is proposed for arrangement on a recirculation line of an industrial water system including a feed pump, a check valve and a bypass line for the check valve. The bypass line is arranged in parallel to the check valve and wherein a combination of the check valve and bypass line is arranged in series to the feed pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pump device for arrangement on a recirculation line of an industrial water system, said pump device comprising a feed pump, a check valve and a bypass line for the check valve, wherein the bypass line is parallel to the check valve and wherein a combination of the check valve and bypass line is arranged in series with the feed pump, wherein:
a first connection is fluidly connected to the combination of the check valve and the bypass line, and the first connection connects the pump device through the combination of the check valve and the bypass line directly to a hot water provision device; and
a second connection is fluidly connected to the feed pump, wherein the pump device is configured to cause a pumping medium to flow from the second connection to the first connection through the feed pump when the feed pump of the pump device is operated.

2. The pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the check valve is arranged and configured to close in the event of water tapping on a hot water line on which the recirculation line is arranged.

3. The pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the bypass line is arranged and configured such that a throughput of pumping medium occurs through the bypass line corresponding to a maximum of 15% of the throughput of pumping medium through the pumping device when the check valve is open and the feed pump is in operation.

4. The pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the bypass line has a hydraulic cross-sectional area which is in a range of 5% to 15% of a hydraulic cross-sectional area of the recirculation line on which the pump device is arranged.

5. The pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the pump device further comprises a sensor device and a microcontroller comprising an evaluation device connected to and configured to receive a signal from the sensor device, wherein the sensor device and the evaluation device are configured to detect when water is tapped out of a hot water line to which the recirculation line is connected.

6. The pump device according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor device is integrated into the feed pump and is arranged within a housing of the feed pump.

7. The pump device according to claim 5 , wherein the evaluation device is integrated into the feed pump and is arranged inside a housing of the feed pump and the evaluation device is either arranged on or connected to a support for a motor circuit of an electric motor of the feed pump.

8. The pump device according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor device is arranged and configured and the evaluation device is configured to detect water tapping both when the feed pump is running and when the feed pump is not running.

9. The pump device according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor device is arranged and configured and the evaluation device is configured such that when the feed pump is running, a change in a throughflow quantity (ΔQ) of pumping medium through the feed pump or an absolute value of the throughflow quantity (Q) can be used to detect water tapping.

10. The pump device according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor device comprises a sensor to determine a number of rotations (n) of a rotor of an electric motor of the feed pump or a sensor to determine a power consumption (P) of the electric motor, and wherein the evaluation device determines the absolute value of the throughflow quantity (Q) from the number of rotations (n) and a power consumption (P) of the electric motor.

11. The pump device according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor device has at least one temperature sensor which is arranged inside the feed pump.

12. The pump device according to claim 11 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to monitor temperature signals provided by the at least one temperature sensor and, in the event of a temperature change, the evaluation device is configured to generate a detection signal, which detection signal indicates the flow of water back from the hot water provision device through the bypass line and into the feed pump when the feed pump is not in operation.

13. The pump device according to claim 12 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to generate a switching signal for the feed pump when the evaluation device generates the detection signal.

14. The pump device according to claim 12 , wherein the microcontroller further comprises a self-learning device coupled to the evaluation device, the self-learning device configured to provide control signals to the feed pump for operation of the feed pump; on the basis of a user pattern determined using the sensor device and the evaluation device.

15. The pump device according to claim 14 , wherein the self-learning device includes a timing element which is configured to determine one or more occurrence times of water tapping and the self-learning device is configured to save the one or more occurrence times accordingly, wherein control or setting or adjustment of the operation of the feed pump occurs based on the occurrence times saved.

16. The pump device according to claim 15 , wherein activation of the feed pump occurs at a specific time interval before the saved occurrence times or the end of the operation of the feed pump occurs at a specific time interval after the saved occurrence times.

17. The pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the feed pump has a thermally insulated housing.

18. An industrial water system comprising:
a hot water provision device,
a hot water line connected to the hot water provision device and on which at least one tapping point is arranged,
a recirculation line connected to the hot water line and which leads to the hot water provision device, and
a pump device arranged on the recirculation line, said pump device comprising a feed pump, a check valve and a bypass line for the check valve, wherein the bypass line is parallel to the check valve and wherein a combination of the check valve and bypass line is arranged in series with the feed pump, wherein:
a first connection is fluidly connected to the combination of the check valve and the bypass line, and the first connection connects the pump device through the combination of the check valve and the bypass line directly to the hot water provision device; and
a second connection is fluidly connected to the feed pump, wherein the pump device is configured to cause a pumping medium to flow from the second connection to the first connection through the feed pump when the feed pump of the pump device is operated.

Assignees

• Xylem Ip Man Sarl

Inventors

• Laing Oliver

Classifications

• F04D15/0005

  by using valves · CPC title

• F04D15/0209

  responsive to a condition of the working fluid (F04D15/029 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24D17/0078

  Recirculation systems · CPC title

• F04D15/0083

  Protection against sudden pressure change, e.g. check valves · CPC title

• F04D13/06

  the pump being electrically driven · CPC title