Load based hot water temperature control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11906174-B2
Application number	US-201916697012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A hot water delivery system includes a water heater, a mixing valve that is coupled to the output of the water heater, and a plurality of loads that are coupled to the output of the mixing valve. A load set point temperature of each load that is representative of a maximum temperature of the hot water that is to be delivered to the respective load is set by a user. Responsive to detecting the occurrence of an event associated with a load of the plurality of loads, a controller of the water heater controls the mixing valve to adjust the temperature of the hot water from the water heater to the load set point temperature associated with the load, provided the load set point temperature of the load is different from a water heater set point temperature at which the water heater maintains the hot water therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hot water delivery system comprising:
a load identification sensor installed in one of a hot water distribution pipe or a cold water distribution pipe of a water supply system, the hot water distribution pipe being configured to deliver hot water to a first load, and the cold water distribution pipe being configured to deliver cold water to the first load;
a mixing valve comprising a first inlet that is coupled to an outlet of a water heater, a second inlet that is coupled to the cold water distribution pipe, and a valve outlet that is coupled to the hot water distribution pipe;
a temperature sensor that is coupled to the hot water distribution pipe at the valve outlet of the mixing valve; and
a controller associated with the water heater and configured to:
determine, based on data received from the load identification sensor, that hot water is being directed to the first load;
determine a first load set point temperature associated with the first load, wherein the first load set point temperature is representative of a maximum temperature of the hot water that is to be delivered to the first load;
cause, based on first feedback from the temperature sensor, the mixing valve to adjust a maximum temperature of the hot water that is delivered from the water heater to the first load from a water heater set point temperature at which the hot water is maintained in the water heater to the first load set point temperature;
determine, while hot water is being directed to the first load, that a second load is switched on and hot water is to be directed to the second load at a second load set point temperature;
determine that the first load set point is different than the second load set point; and
cause, based on second feedback from the temperature sensor, the determination that the second load is switched on, and the determination that the first load set point is different than the second load set point, the mixing valve to modify the maximum temperature of the hot water that is delivered from the water heater to a value between the first load set point temperature and the second load set point temperature.

2. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the water heater set point temperature is greater than or equal to the first load set point temperature.

3. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine fingerprints associated with a hot water use event of the first load, the hot water use event comprising one of a switching on operation and a switching off operation of the first load;
store the fingerprints associated with each hot water use event of the first load; and
receive and store the first load set point temperature associated with the first load.

4. The hot water delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the first load is switched on based on the fingerprints associated with the hot water use event of the first load.

5. The hot water delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the fingerprints comprise one of a unique pressure variation pattern, a unique pressure wave pattern, a unique electric noise pattern, and a unique electrical pulse pattern that is associated with each hot water use event of the first load.

6. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, using the load identification sensor, that the first load is switched off; and
responsive to determining that the first load is switched off, stop the control of the mixing valve.

7. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the load identification sensor comprises a water pressure sensor that is configured to measure a pressure of water in the water supply system.

8. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the load identification sensor comprises an ultrasound sensor.

9. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the load identification sensor is an electrical power line sensor.

10. The hot water delivery system of claim 4 , wherein the fingerprints comprise a combination of unique pressure variations patterns and unique electrical noise pattern associated with each hot water use event of the first load.

11. The hot water delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the second load is coupled thereto via the hot water distribution pipe,
wherein the second load set point temperature is representative of a maximum temperature of the hot water that is to be delivered to the second load, the second load set point temperature being different from the water heater set point temperature at which the hot water is maintained at the water heater;
determine the second load set point temperature;
determine that the second load set point temperature is different from the first load set point temperature; and
cause the mixing valve to adjust the maximum temperature of the hot water that is being delivered from the water heater to the first load and the second load based on an exception handling rule.

12. The hot water delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the exception handling rule comprises instructions to adjust the maximum temperature of the hot water that is being delivered from the water heater to the first load and the second load to a lesser of the first load set point temperature and the second load set point temperature.

13. A method of a controller of a water heater disposed in a hot water delivery system that includes a load identification sensor, a mixing valve coupled to an output of the water heater, a temperature sensor disposed at an output of the mixing valve, and a first load that is coupled to the output of the mixing valve, the method comprising:
receiving monitoring data from the load identification sensor that is configured to detect an event associated with the first load, the event being associated with a demand for hot water;
determining an occurrence of the event associated with the first load based on identifying a fingerprint associated with the event in the monitoring data, wherein the fingerprint uniquely identifies the event associated with the first load;
determining a first load set point temperature associated with the first load, wherein the first load set point temperature is representative of a maximum temperature of the hot water to be delivered to the first load, wherein the first load set point temperature is set by an end user; and
controlling, based on first feedback from the temperature sensor, the mixing valve to adjust a maximum temperature of the hot water that is delivered from the water heater to the first load from a water heater set point temperature at which the hot water is maintained in the water heater to the first load set point temperature;
determining that a second load is switched on while hot water is being directed to the first load, wherein the hot water is directed to the second load at a second load set point temperature;
determining that the first load set point is different than the second load set point; and
controlling, based on second feedback from the temperature sensor, the determination that the second load is switched on, and the determination that the first load set point is different than the second load set point, the mixing valve to modify the maximum temperature of the hot water that is delivered from the water heater to a value between the first load set point temperature and the second load set point temperature.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving, from the load identification sensor, data comprising a unique p

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Oglesbee Robert Aaron
• Wasson Matthew S

Classifications

• F24D19/1051 Primary

  for domestic hot water · CPC title

• F24D17/0031

  with accumulation of the heated water · CPC title

• F24H9/2007

  for water heaters · CPC title

• F24H15/174

  Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature · CPC title

• F24H15/184

  Preventing harm to users from exposure to heated water, e.g. scalding · CPC title