Method for operating a water circulation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11965660-B2
Application number	US-201817255965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A water circulation system having a feed line, a return line, a string that connects the feed line to the return line is disclosed. A temperature control unit connects the feed line to the return line, a consumer, a valve, at least one temperature sensor and a system control. A method is disclosed which includes the steps of determining a first temperature, a second temperature and a lowering time; detecting the water temperature; controlling the first temperature by controlling the valve; and controlling the second temperature by controlling the valve during the lowering time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a water circulation system, comprising the steps of:
providing the water circulation system, comprising:
at least one feed line ( 1 ),
at least one return line ( 2 ),
at least one strand ( 3 ), which connects the feed line ( 1 ) to the return line ( 2 ),
at least one temperature control unit ( 4 ), which connects the feed line ( 1 ) to the return line ( 2 ),

whereby water can circulate in a flow direction from said at least one feed line ( 1 ), through said at least one strand ( 3 ) and said at least one return line ( 2 ) back to said feed line ( 1 ),
at least one consumer ( 5 ), which is arranged along the at least one strand ( 3 ) and with which water can be taken from the circulation system,
at least one valve ( 6 ) with which the flow rate of the water in the circulation system can be changed,
at least one temperature sensor ( 60 , 61 , 62 ) with which the water temperature in a line section can be detected,
at least one system control with which the data of the at least one temperature sensor ( 60 , 61 , 62 ) can be processed and with which the at least one valve ( 6 ) can be actuated;

defining a first temperature (T 1 );
defining a second temperature (T 2 );
defining a lowering time (A);
detecting the water temperature with the at least one temperature sensor ( 60 , 61 , 62 );
setting the first temperature (T 1 ) in the line section by setting a first flow rate (D 1 ) with the at least one valve ( 6 );
setting the second temperature (T 2 ) in the line section by setting a second flow rate (D 2 ) with the at least one valve ( 6 ) during the lowering time (A);
defining a time window (Z F );
defining a minimum temperature difference;
calculating the absolute value of the difference between the detected water temperature and the first temperature (T 1 );
setting the second temperature (T 2 ) if the absolute value of the difference is less than or equal to the minimum temperature difference;
detecting the time during which the second temperature (T 2 ) is set;
setting the first temperature (T 1 ) if the absolute value of the difference is greater than the minimum temperature difference or if the total time during which the second temperature (T 2 ) is set is greater than the lowering time (A).

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
defining a threshold value (V 0 );
calculating the absolute value of the difference between the detected water temperature and the first temperature (T 1 );
integrating the difference during the time window (Z F );
setting the second temperature (T 2 ) if the integral is less than or equal to the threshold (V 0 );
detecting the time during which the second temperature (T 2 ) is set;
setting the first temperature (T 1 ) if the integral is greater than the threshold (V 0 ) or if the total time during which the second temperature (T 2 ) is set is greater than the lowering time (A).

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of:
defining a time period (Z R ), wherein the second temperature (T 2 ) is only set if the current time is within the time period (Z R ).

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the time window (Z F ) is larger in the boundary areas of the time period (Z R ) than in its central area.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein several time periods (Z R ) are provided distributed over one day, wherein the second temperature (T 2 ) is the same, partially different or different in all time periods (Z R ).

6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
recording a temperature curve of the detected water temperatures;
assigning a specific consumption (V 1,2,3 ) to the recorded temperature curve during a time interval (I 1,2,3 ).

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
defining at least one trigger temperature threshold;
detecting a time interval (I 1,2,3 ) during which the at least one trigger temperature threshold is exceeded;
assigning a specific consumption (V 1,2,3 ) to the recorded time interval (I 1,2,3 ).

8. The method according to claim 2 , comprising the steps of:
recording a temperature curve of the detected water temperatures;
adjusting the time window (Z F ), the threshold value (V 0 ), the second temperature (T 2 ), the lowering time (A) or the time period (Z R ) based on the recorded temperature curves.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve ( 6 ) is connected downstream of the at least one consumer ( 5 ) in the flow direction.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water circulation system comprises a hot-water circulation having the at least one temperature control unit ( 4 ) which can supply heat to the circulation system and/or wherein the water circulation system comprises a cold-water circulation having the at least one temperature control unit ( 4 ) which can extract heat from the circulation system.

Assignees

• Viega Tech Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Obrist Roland
• Knupfer Thomas
• Knupfer Daniel

Classifications

• F24D19/1051 Primary

  for domestic hot water · CPC title

• E03B7/07

  Arrangement of devices, e.g. filters, flow controls, measuring devices, siphons or valves, in the pipe systems · CPC title

• G05D23/1917

  using digital means · CPC title

• G05D23/1927

  using a plurality of sensors (G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24D17/0078

  Recirculation systems · CPC title