Compact water heating and treatment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305885-B2
Application number	US-202217865891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2022
Priority date	Nov 20, 2018
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A water heating and treatment system includes a water heater operatively coupled to a water heater controller, a hot water outflow line from the water heater, and a cold water supply line to supply water to the water heater. The cold water supply line includes at least one of an anti-scale device operatively coupled to an anti-scale device controller, and at least one sanitation device operatively coupled to a sanitation device controller. The mixing station is operatively coupled to a mixing station controller. The mixing station supplies heated water to at least a first temperature zone at a first hot water temperature. Controllers of the water heater controller, the anti-scale device controller, the sanitation device controller and the mixing station controller are co-located at a front of a single enclosure behind an openable door, the controllers operatively coupled to a supervisory controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water heating and treatment system comprising:
a water heater operatively coupled to a water heater controller;
a hot water outflow line from said water heater;
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising at least one of an anti-scale device operatively coupled to an anti-scale device controller, and at least one sanitation device operatively coupled to a sanitation device controller; and
a mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to the hot water outflow line from said water heater, said mixing station operatively coupled to a mixing station controller, said mixing station to supply the temperature regulated heated water to at least a first temperature zone at a first hot water temperature,
wherein said water heater controller, said anti-scale device controller, said sanitation device controller and said mixing station controller are co-located at a front of a single enclosure behind an openable door, said water heater controller, said anti-scale device controller, said sanitation device controller and said mixing station controller are operatively coupled to a supervisory controller.

2. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein said supervisory controller is disposed in said openable door.

3. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein a display screen of said supervisory controller is viewable when said openable door is closed.

4. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein a display screen of said supervisory controller displays at least one graphical user interface showing a symbol representative of a plurality of components of said water heating and treatment system selected from: said water heater, said anti-scale device, said at least one sanitation device and said mixing station.

5. The water heating and treatment system of claim 4 , wherein said at least one graphical user interface shows an operating parameter of each of said plurality of components, said operating parameter displayed adjacent to said symbol representative of said plurality of components of said water heating and treatment system selected from: said water heater, said anti-scale device, said at least one sanitation device and said mixing station.

6. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one sanitation device comprises an ultraviolet (UV) sanitation lamp.

7. A water heating and treatment system comprising:
a water heater;
a hot water outflow line from said water heater;
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising at least one of an anti-scale device, and a sanitation device;
a mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to the hot water outflow line from said water heater, said mixing station to supply the temperature regulated heated water to at least a first temperature zone at a first hot water temperature; and
a three-way return water diverter valve comprising a proportional three-way return water diverter valve fluidly coupled to said mixing station via one or more sanitation components, and wherein an operation of said three-way return water diverter valve is based on a differential temperature between a first temperature sensor located in said one or multiple temperature zones and a hot water recirculation temperature sensor.

8. The water heating and treatment system of claim 7 , wherein said proportional three-way return water diverter valve is fluidly coupled to a drain or to another use, via a drain line or a diverted water line, said three-way return water diverter valve to provide a portion of a re-circulated hot water from a hot water recirculation line comprising the hot water recirculation temperature sensor to said mixing station and a remaining portion of the re-circulated hot water to said drain.

9. The water heating and treatment system of claim 7 , wherein said sanitation device comprises an ultraviolet (UV) sanitation lamp.

10. A water heating and treatment system comprising:
a water heater;
a hot water outflow line from said water heater;
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising at least one of an anti-scale device, and a sanitation device; and
a mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to the hot water outflow line from said water heater, said mixing station to supply the temperature regulated heated water to at least a first temperature zone at a first hot water temperature,
wherein a pressure sensor is disposed across each sediment filter to measure a differential pressure, and wherein a media replacement alert is generated if a differential pressure drop exceeds a set point.

11. The water heating and treatment system of claim 10 , wherein said sanitation device comprises an ultraviolet (UV) sanitation lamp.

12. The water heating and treatment system of claim 10 , wherein said media replacement alert is sent to a water heater controller.

13. The water heating and treatment system of claim 12 , wherein said water heater controller is operatively coupled to a supervisory controller and said media replacement alert is displayed on a display of said supervisory controller.

14. A water heating and treatment system comprising:
a water heater;
a hot water outflow line from said water heater;
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising at least one of an anti-scale device, and a sanitation device; and
a mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to the hot water outflow line from said water heater, said mixing station to supply the temperature regulated heated water to at least a first temperature zone at a first hot water temperature,
wherein water temperatures within said water heating and treatment system are measured by any combination of a plurality of temperature sensors comprising:
a temperature sensor at a cold-water inlet,
a temperature sensor at a recirculation water line,
a temperature sensor near an inlet of said water heater,
a temperature sensor at a hot water outlet, and
a temperature sensor at a heated water outlet of said at least first temperature zone.

15. The water heating and treatment system of claim 14 , wherein a sanitation pump process is based on temperature readings of said any combination of the plurality of temperature sensors.

16. The water heating and treatment system of claim 14 , wherein a thermal disinfection process is based on temperature readings of said any combination of the plurality of temperature sensors.

17. The water heating and treatment system of claim 14 , wherein a scald protection process is based on temperature readings of said any combination of the plurality of temperature sensors.

18. The water heating and treatment system of claim 14 , wherein said sanitation device comprises an ultraviolet (UV) sanitation lamp.

Assignees

• Damore Theresa
• Damore Vincent
• Mccabe Rita
• Fridman Polina
• Morgan Kyle T
• Stannis Gordon J
• Beukema Brent A
• Pilcher Kent D
• Watts Regulator Co

Inventors

• D'Amore Theresa
• D'Amore Vincent
• Mccabe Rita
• Fridman Polina
• Morgan Kyle T
• Stannis Gordon J
• Beukema Brent A
• Pilcher Kent D

Classifications

• G05D23/134

  measuring the temperature of mixed fluid · CPC title

• C02F2303/22

  Eliminating or preventing deposits, scale removal, scale prevention (C02F1/042, C02F1/4602, C02F5/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• C02F2303/04

  Disinfection · CPC title

• C02F2209/03

  Pressure · CPC title

• C02F2209/02

  Temperature · CPC title