Water heater appliance and methods for model identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025244051-A1
Application number	US-202418427299-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2024
Priority date	Jan 30, 2024
Publication date	Jul 31, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water heater appliance may include a housing, a tank, a heating element, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The tank may be attached to the housing. The tank may define an interior volume. The heating element may be configured to heat water in the tank. The one or more temperature sensors may be attached to the housing. The controller may be mounted to the housing in operable communication with the heating element and the one or more temperature sensors. The controller may be configured to direct a water heating operation. The water heating operation may include directing a programmed diagnostic heating cycle, detecting an appliance temperature during the programmed diagnostic heating cycle, selecting an appliance model based on the detected appliance temperature, applying a predetermined model setting based on the selected appliance model, and directing a functional heating cycle according to the predetermined model setting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water heater appliance, comprising:
a housing; a tank attached to the housing, the tank defining an interior volume for storage of water for heating; a heating element configured to heat water in the tank; one or more temperature sensors attached to the housing; and a controller mounted to the housing in operable communication with the heating element and the one or more temperature sensors, the controller being configured to direct a water heating operation comprising
directing a programmed diagnostic heating cycle,
detecting an appliance temperature during the programmed diagnostic heating cycle,
selecting an appliance model based on the detected appliance temperature,
applying a predetermined model setting based on the selected appliance model, and
directing a functional heating cycle according to the predetermined model setting.

2 . The water heater appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a gas valve, wherein the heating element comprises a gas burner positioned adjacent to the tank in fluid communication with the gas valve to receive fuel therefrom,
wherein directing the programmed diagnostic heating cycle comprises directing the gas valve to a predetermined operational position.

3 . The water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein directing the programmed diagnostic heating cycle comprises heating the interior volume until a set endpoint condition is met.

4 . The water heater appliance of claim 3 , wherein the set endpoint condition is a temperature change value.

5 . The water heater appliance of claim 4 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a tank temperature sensor attached to the tank, the tank temperature sensor being configured to detect temperature within the interior volume, wherein directing the programmed diagnostic heating cycle comprises determining an initial interior volume temperature (IVT), and wherein the appliance temperature comprises a subsequent IVT value detected at the tank temperature sensor following the initial IVT value.

6 . The water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a tank temperature sensor attached to the tank, the tank temperature sensor being configured to detect temperature within the interior volume, and wherein the appliance temperature comprises an interior volume temperature (IVT) value detected at the tank temperature sensor.

7 . The water heater appliance of claim 6 , further comprising:
a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber; and a chamber sensor attached to the chamber wall, the chamber sensor being configured to detect temperature within the combustion chamber, wherein the heating element comprises a gas burner positioned adjacent to the tank and within the combustion chamber to heat water in the tank, wherein the water heating operation further comprises detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor during the programmed diagnostic heating cycle, and wherein selecting the appliance model is further based on detected CCT value.

8 . The water heater appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber, wherein the heating element comprises a gas burner positioned adjacent to the tank and within the combustion chamber to heat water in the tank, wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a chamber sensor attached to the chamber wall, the chamber sensor being configured to detect temperature within the combustion chamber, and wherein the appliance temperature comprises a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor.

9 . The water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined model setting comprises parameter values corresponding to the heating element.

10 . A method of operating a gas fueled water heater appliance comprising a housing, a tank defining an interior volume, a heating element, and one or more temperature sensors, the method comprising:
directing a programmed diagnostic heating cycle; detecting an appliance temperature during the programmed diagnostic heating cycle; selecting an appliance model based on the detected appliance temperature; applying a predetermined model setting based on the selected appliance model; and directing a functional heating cycle according to the predetermined model setting.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein directing the programmed diagnostic heating cycle comprises directing a gas valve to a predetermined operational position.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein directing the programmed diagnostic heating cycle comprises heating the interior volume until a set endpoint condition is met.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the set endpoint condition is a temperature change value.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a tank temperature sensor attached to the tank, wherein directing the programmed diagnostic heating cycle comprises determining an initial interior volume temperature (IVT), and wherein the appliance temperature comprises a subsequent IVT value detected at the tank temperature sensor following the initial IVT value.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a tank temperature sensor attached to the tank, and wherein the appliance temperature comprises an interior volume temperature (IVT) value detected at the tank temperature sensor.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the water heater appliance further comprises a chamber sensor attached to a chamber wall of a combustion chamber, wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor during the programmed diagnostic heating cycle, wherein selecting the appliance model is further based on detected CCT value.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a chamber sensor attached to a chamber wall of a combustion chamber, and wherein the appliance temperature comprises a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined model setting comprises parameter values corresponding to the heating element.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Thenappan Subbu
• Sweatt Corey
• Strader Jacob

Classifications

• F24H15/223 Primary

  in the water storage tank · CPC title

• F24H15/25

  Temperature of the heat-generating means in the heater · CPC title

• F24H9/2035 Primary

  using fluid fuel · CPC title