CH627258A5 - - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for automatically selecting heating programs.

There are many ways to save the fuel needed to heat premises that are permanently or intermittently occupied. A commonly used method at present is the adaptation of a regulator provided with a clock which, during the night, either lowers the temperature of the premises, or stops the heating installation. This stop is never scheduled for reasons that we will explain later.

This method has many advantages of comfort, but is not as efficient as it seems.

In theory, the regulator, thanks to its clock, can reduce heating by 2 to 3 ° C during the night in the case of permanent occupation of the premises.

In practice, we note that this reduction is only effective during the period of extreme cold (5% of the season) when the outside temperatures are negative.

During 95% of the season, the reduction is insufficient because the losses are negligible. The level of comfort therefore remains high and consumption is significant.

The regulator also allows the heating to be stopped in the event of intermittent occupancy of the premises. However, this shutdown is never scheduled because it remains dependent on restarting the installation, which must be done at a variable time depending on the outside and inside temperatures.

However, the regulator clock can only be programmed for a restart at a fixed time. This heating shutdown is therefore replaced by a greater reduction than in the case of premises with

permanent occupation, but always dependent on the relaunch of the installation.

This reduction is therefore very average and effective during 5% of the heating season (negative temperature). For 95%, it is insufficient and consumption remains high.

It could, of course, be envisaged to program the clock so that it causes much larger cuts, so that the reduction in heating is effective for a greater part of the heating season. It is obvious that such a solution would make it possible to save more energy than in the previous case, but that would result in a decrease in comfort during certain periods of the heating season.

During periods of extreme cold, stopping the heating can generate, in certain cases, a permanent risk of freezing the water pipes of the room and the heating installation; discomfort during these periods of occupation of the premises; a significant internal heat loss requiring premature and accelerated heating, which results in greater energy consumption than the saving made during the stopping of heating.

There is also a device enabling the heating to be switched off during the days and hours when the premises are not occupied, which includes a clock with daily and weekly programs, an external thermostat and a relay, in which the clock causes programmed interruptions of heating provided that the outside temperature is higher than a predetermined minimum temperature, the outside temperature being continuously measured by the thermostat.

But there again, the fuel savings are not rational, since this device, if it does not cut or reduce the heating when the outside temperatures are relatively low, does not absolutely increase the importance of the cuts of the heating when the outside temperatures are relatively high, nor to completely cut the latter when the outside temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature.

In other words, when the heating is switched on at the start of the heating season, it is not possible, with the device known at present, to switch off the heating automatically if the outside temperature rises sharply and reaches, for example, 19 ° C, and also to reset it automatically when the temperature drops again.

There is also another device enabling the heating to be switched off during the hours and days when the premises are not occupied, which includes a daily and weekly clock and an external probe and an internal thermostat (placed in the room to be heated).

The purpose of this device is to stop the installation when the premises are unoccupied and to restart the heating at variable time as a function of the internal losses and the outside temperatures, in order to optimize the restarting of the heating.

But here again, the process used has major drawbacks because:

- the settings must be extremely precise,

- the thermostat placed inside must reflect the average temperature of all the premises; however, it is always difficult to find the ideal location which is suitable for a measurement of the average ambient temperature,

- the optimization of the recovery time in relation to the outside and inside temperatures is done by means of a computer which integrates several variable parameters and which allows heating at the optimal time,

- the price of this set is extremely high and this process can only be depreciated in large heating installations (relatively small market),

- this device can only be adapted on premises with intermittent occupancy.

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The object of the present invention is therefore to remedy these drawbacks and, to do this, it relates to an automatic selection process for heating programs, which is essentially characterized in that it consists in measuring the outside temperature, at activate, when the measured outside temperature is between a first low temperature threshold and a second average temperature threshold, a first clock programmed so as to control reduced sequences of heating interruptions, to be activated when the temperature measured outdoor temperature is higher than said second average temperature threshold but lower than a high temperature threshold, a second clock programmed so as to control significant sequences of heating cuts, to automatically cut the heating when the outside temperature is higher than the latter and to deactivate said first and second clocks controlling sequences s heating cuts when the measured outside temperature is lower than said first low temperature threshold.

It is easy to see that, thanks to this arrangement, by only intervening when the external conditions allow it, significant energy savings are achieved without hampering comfort and without significant heat losses which would cause accelerated heating and overconsumption of energy. 'energy.

Indeed, the programmed cut-off sequences are more or less important and take into account, in addition to the outside temperatures, the time of day, the day of the week, the season of the year, the thermal quality of the building and facilities, occupancy of premises, actual needs, etc.

A device for implementing the method according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least three temperature probes defining at least three external temperature thresholds, namely a first low temperature threshold, a second temperature threshold medium and a third high temperature threshold, and at least two clocks programmed so as to control sequences of corresponding heating cuts when the outside temperature is between the first and the second temperature threshold, and respectively between the second and the third outside temperature threshold, means being provided to cut the heating according to the programmed sequences of the corresponding clock.

Advantageously, said means for switching off the heating are electromechanical means such as the contacts of a relay, but it is obvious that electronic means can be used, such as transistors or logic circuits, or any other appropriate means.

An embodiment of the present invention is described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Figs. 1 to 4 are diagrams representing the operation of a device according to the invention as a function of the different outside temperatures.

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams similar to those of FIGS. 1 to 4, representing the operation of the device in the weekend program.

Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrams similar to those of FIGS. 1 to 6, representing the operation of the device in the leave program.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the mounting of a device according to the invention on a conventional heating installation.

The device for automatic selection of heating programs, shown in the diagrams, includes three thermostats A, B and C which are installed on the north facade of the building. The set points of these thermostats are set, in the example shown here, to + 3 ° C, + 10 ° C and 4 - 16 ° C respectively. Of course, the set points of the thermostats can be varied depending on the building and its exposure.

Thermostats A, B and C are connected to a device comprising three clocks, namely a first Pi called mid-season, a second clock P2 called winter and a third clock P3 called weekly.

627258

Clock P2 is programmed to cause reduced sequences of heat cuts, clock P j is programmed to cause larger sequences of heat cuts, while clock P3 is programmed to cut heating during weekends, in the case of a building occupied only during the week.

The clocks Pt, P2 and P3 act on the coil of a control relay R which closes its contacts 1,2 or 3 depending on whether the information is sent by the clock Pj, P2 or P3 respectively. It should be noted that, for safety reasons, the logic at the relay level is negative, that is to say that in the event of a failure of the coil of relay R, or lack of voltage, its contacts drop out and the installation works without any heating cut-off.

An anti-freeze manual switch 4, the role of which will appear more clearly later, is connected in parallel with the contacts 1, 2 and 3.

The device for automatic selection of heating programs according to the invention can be adapted to all boiler rooms in addition to all the regulation models. In FIG. 9, for example, such a device is adapted to a regulation subject to the outside temperature, the principle of which we recall.

Two temperature probes, such as thermistors Thj and Th2, one placed outside the building, to the north, the other on the heating fluid pipe, at the outlet of the generator (hot water pipe to boiler output) communicate the values of the temperatures to which they are subject at all times to the regulator Re.

The regulator compares these temperatures to the standard curve for which it is set, a curve established according to the losses of the building. It then controls, by means of a motor M, either the opening or closing of the three-part valve V of the hot water circuit, or the starting or stopping of the circulation pumps P hot water or hot air fans, either starting or stopping the burner.

In general, the regulator is set for two typical curves, one called normal for daytime comfort and the other called nighttime operating at a reduced temperature of 3 to 5 ° C.

The slide according to the invention, designated by D in FIG. 9, is placed, electrically, in bypass on the circuit connecting the regulator Re to the motor M of the pump, burner or valve. Device D intervenes by cutting off, according to its own program, the electrical supply to the pump, burner or valve motor.

The automatic heating programming selection device according to the invention acts under the influence of the three temperature probes A, B and C as follows:

When the outside temperature is below 3 ° C, thermostat A is open (fig. 1), device D (fig. 9) is switched off. The heating installation has its autonomy. It is therefore not possible to save energy during these periods.

When the outside temperature is between 3 and 10 ° C, thermostat A is closed since the temperature is above its 3 ° C threshold, while thermostat B is open - temperature below 10 ° C. The information from the so-called winter clock P2 is then available to the relay R which actuates its corresponding contact 2 according to a predetermined cycle (fig. 2). The device D (fig. 9) therefore introduces into the heating operation a certain number of cuts, at instants and for judiciously chosen durations.

When the outside temperature is between 10 and 16 ° C (fig. 3), thermostat A is closed (temperature above 3 ° C), thermostat B is closed (temperature> 10 ° C). The information from the P clock! said mid-season are then available at the relay R which actuates the corresponding contact 1. The device D introduces into the heating operation a greater number of cuts or longer durations, always at judiciously chosen times.

When the outside temperature is above 16 ° C (fig. 4), thermostat A is closed (temperature> 3 ° C), thermostat B is closed (temperature> 10 ° C), thermostat C is closed (temperature

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627258

4

> 16 ° C), relay R is energized and establishes a continuous cut in heating, the outside temperature indicating that heating is superfluous.

Clock P3 programs savings during weekly cycles when the premises are unoccupied. Contact 3 is closed and thermostat A (+ 3 ° C) is then the pilot of the installation. Thus, when the outside temperature is above 3 ° C (fig. 5), the relay is energized and causes predetermined heating cuts. On the other hand, when the outside temperature is below 3 ° C (fig. 6), the thermostat A is open, the relay R is no longer energized and the device for automatic selection of the heating programs is switched off, and the The heating system operates normally without cuts.

The manual antifreeze switch 4 allows protection against frost, or the minimum temperature not to be exceeded, as in the case of the clock P3 during periods of non-occupation, not provided on the latter.

Thus, during school holidays or the like, switch 4 is closed manually and thermostat A (+ 3 ° C) is the pilot of the installation, as in the previous case (fig. 7 and 8).

We give below an example of programmed heating cuts made with the device according to the invention, without any discomfort in comfort.

1. In the case of a building occupied from Monday to Saturday 12 noon, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Winter program for scheduled outages

Mid-season program for scheduled outages

Week program for scheduled outages from

9 a.m.

at

10 a.m.

of

11:30 a.m. to

1 p.m.

of

3 p.m.

at

4 p.m.

of

5 p.m.

at

4h

of

9 a.m.

at

10:30 a.m.

of

11 a.m.

at

1:30 p.m.

of

3 p.m.

at

4.30 p.m.

of

5 p.m.

at

5:50 a.m.

either 2:30 p.m.

from Saturday 11 a.m. to Sunday 24 a.m. either 6 p.m. or 37 p.m.

2. Case of a building for residential use - Programmed winter shutdown program

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9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 1 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. 2:30 a.m. to 4 a.m., 7:30 a.m.

- Mid-season program scheduled cuts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. from 2:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.

either 12 p.m.

The energy savings achieved with a device according to the invention are of the order of 10 to 20%, in the case of a residential building, and 15 to 50% in the case of a building with intermittent use.

It should be noted that the operation of the device according to the invention has been described for simplicity using an electromechanical system, but it is obvious that the latter can be replaced by an electronic system or by n ' any other suitable system.

It is the same with regard to the three external thermostats which can be replaced by a single probe or thermocouple, or any other sensor whose information is transmitted to an amplifier which attacks in differential with voltages coming from potentiometers, points of setpoint (+ 3 ° C, + 10 ° C, + 16 ° C) three triggers which actuate three relays which can be compared to the three external thermostats.

It should also be noted that, in the example described here, three external probes were used defining three predetermined temperature thresholds, but it goes without saying that a different number of external probes can be used, respectively external temperature thresholds .

Finally, the clocks used are, for example, clocks with clockwork movement with power reserve. Their programming is carried out either on a turn / 24 h, by the positioning of mobile pins, retractable stops, cams, etc., or on a turn / 7 d programmable as before.

Programming can be done step by step, on a diode matrix by counting and preselection or any other suitable device.

4 sheets of drawings

Claims (3)

627258 1. Method for automatic selection of heating programs, characterized in that it consists in measuring the outside temperature, to be put into service, when the outside temperature measured is between a first low temperature threshold and a second average temperature threshold , a first clock programmed so as to control reduced sequences of heating cuts, to be put into service, when the outside temperature measured is greater than said second average temperature threshold but less than a high temperature threshold, a second clock programmed so to control important sequences of heating cuts, to automatically cut the heating when the outside temperature is higher than the latter, and to deactivate said first and second clocks controlling sequences of heating cuts, when the measured outside temperature is lower said first low temperature threshold. 2. Device for automatically selecting heating programs for implementing the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least three temperature probes defining at least three external temperature thresholds, namely a first threshold of low temperature, a second average temperature threshold and a third high temperature threshold, and at least two clocks programmed so as to control corresponding heating cut-off sequences when the outside temperature is between the first and second temperature threshold and respectively between the second and the third external temperature threshold, means being provided to cut the heating according to the programmed sequences of the corresponding clock. 2 3. Device for automatic selection of heating programs according to claim 2, characterized in that said means for switching off the heating are electromechanical means such as the contacts of a relay.