CN117063017A - Adjusting energy usage based on current rates in a water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

A heater arrangement system usable with a water supply system, usable to control a water supply provided to a water outlet arranged to provide hot water to a user, the heater arrangement system comprising: a water heating device arranged far away from the water outlet; and a control unit communicatively coupled with the water heating device, the control unit configured to: receiving a request from a user to enable a reduced temperature water supply mode that provides for supplying hot water to the water outlet at a first temperature for a fixed time and then reducing the temperature to a second temperature after the fixed time has elapsed; for a user who has received a request, upon detecting that the user has opened the water outlet, hot water is provided at a first temperature for a first period of time, and then the temperature of the hot water is reduced from the first temperature to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature, after the first time has elapsed.

Description

Adjusting energy usage based on current rates in a water supply system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to water/energy flow utility management in water supply systems, such as heater arrangement systems for water supply systems for supplying hot water to multiple water outlets (faucets, radiators) in a building. In particular, the present disclosure relates to implementing a reduced temperature water supply mode (or budget) in a water supply system to reduce water and/or energy flow waste from a water outlet to conserve water and/or energy.

Background

Traditionally, during high energy (e.g., natural gas or electricity) demand, utility providers typically raise the unit cost of energy to peak rates, in part because to pay the additional expense of having to purchase more energy for supply to customers, while during low energy demand, utility providers typically lower the unit cost of energy to off-peak rates to encourage customers to change energy during off-peak rather than peak periods to achieve overall more balanced energy consumption over time. However, this strategy is only effective when customers are always aware of the rate change and consciously strive to change their consumption habits.

All-day hot water is required throughout the year, both in a commercial and a domestic environment. It goes without saying that providing hot water requires both clean water and a heat source. To provide hot water, a heating system is provided to a generally centralized water supply system to heat the water to a predetermined temperature, such as a temperature set by a user, and the heat source used is typically one or more electrical heating elements or burning natural gas.

Cleaning water is currently receiving widespread attention as a utility. As cleaning water becomes more scarce, efforts have been made to educate the public about saving cleaning water and to develop systems and devices for reducing water consumption, such as aerated showers and faucets for reducing water flow, showers and faucets equipped with motion sensors, stopping water flow when no motion is detected, and the like. However, these systems and devices are limited to a single specific use and have limited impact on problematic water usage habits.

With increasing attention to the environmental impact of energy consumption, there has recently been an increasing interest in using heat pump technology as a way to provide domestic hot water. A heat pump is a device that transfers thermal energy from a heat source to a hot storage tank. While a heat pump requires electricity to accomplish the transfer of thermal energy from a heat source to a thermal reservoir, it is generally more efficient than a resistive heater (electrical heating element) because it generally has a coefficient of performance of at least 3 or 4. This means that at an equivalent power usage, the heat pump can provide 3 or 4 times the heat to the user compared to the resistance heater.

The heat transfer medium carrying thermal energy is called a refrigerant. Thermal energy from air (e.g., outside air or air from a hot room in a house) or ground source (e.g., ground loop or water-filled borehole) is extracted by a receiving heat exchanger and transferred to the enclosed refrigerant. The now more energetic refrigerant is compressed, resulting in a significant increase in its temperature, and this now hot refrigerant exchanges thermal energy through a heat exchanger to the heated water circuit. In the case of hot water supply, the heat extracted by the heat pump can be transferred to the water in the insulated tank, which serves as thermal energy storage, and the heated water can be used later when needed. The hot water may be diverted to one or more outlets, such as a faucet, shower, radiator, as desired. However, heat pumps typically require more time to raise the water to a desired temperature than resistive heaters.

With the growing concern of clean water consumption and energy production and environmental impact of consumption, it is becoming more urgent to not only educate utility consumers about ways to reduce water and energy consumption, but also to actively regulate their consumption and/or help them change their consumption habits. However, because different households, workplaces, and business spaces have different utility requirements and preferences, adjusting utility consumption cannot simply place a general upper limit on usage.

Thus, it is appropriate to provide regulation of utility consumption in a water supply system.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a heater arrangement system for use in a water supply system for controlling the water supply provided to a water outlet, as defined in claim 1.

The invention also provides a method of controlling a water supply provided to a water outlet as indicated in claim 17.

The invention also provides a corresponding computer program product and control module as indicated in claims 23 and 24.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a system schematic diagram of an exemplary water supply system;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing steps involved in temporarily reducing energy and/or water flow in an exemplary water supply;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing steps involved in implementing a reduced temperature water supply mode; and

fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the steps involved in implementing energy usage adjustments in a water supply system based on current rates.

Detailed Description

In view of the above, the present disclosure provides various methods to control utility usage, including water and energy in a home environment. According to one embodiment, when it is determined that there is no object below the water outlet, the flow rate and/or temperature of the hot water flowing from the water outlet is reduced, so that the water (due to the lower flow rate of the water) and/or the energy (due to the lower temperature of the water) can be reduced when not needed. According to a complementary embodiment, when it is determined that the water outlet is continuously providing hot water for a first period of time, a warning such as a sound or a flashing light is issued, and when it is determined that the water outlet is continuously providing hot water for a second longer period of time, the supply of hot water is stopped, so that the use of water and/or energy sources is reduced and flooding is further prevented when it is deemed unnecessary. According to another complementary embodiment, a report may be generated based on collected hot water usage data, for example prompting the user to modify his usage habits. According to another embodiment, different usage strategies may be provided based on the current unit cost of the energy source (e.g., peak or off-peak rates) so that hot water may be provided in a more cost-effective manner as needed. According to a further embodiment, the hot water usage may be regulated based on a predetermined budget (or low temperature water supply mode) so as to be able to improve the control of the energy expenditure.

In the following embodiments, hot water is provided to a plurality of outlets in a building through a centralized water heating system, including faucets, showers, radiators, etc., such as a private home or commercial space. The water heating system may include one or more electrical heating elements for directly heating the cold water to a temperature controlled by an amount of energy provided to the one or more electrical heating elements. The water heating system may also comprise a less direct, slower acting but cost-effective and environmentally friendly heat source for heating the water, e.g. in the form of a heat pump for extracting thermal energy from the surrounding environment and/or from the thermal energy storage, e.g. comprising a phase change material for storing thermal energy, to be extracted later for heating the cold water to a temperature determined by the thermal energy in the thermal energy storage. The water heating system is controlled by a control module communicatively coupled with the water heating system, the control module configured, for example, to regulate power provided to one or more electrical heating elements to activate or otherwise control and regulate power supplied to the heat pump.

Water supply system

In embodiments of the present technology, cold and hot water is provided to a plurality of outlets by a centralized water supply, including faucets, showers, radiators, etc., for buildings in a home or business environment. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary water supply system according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, the water supply 100 includes a control module 110, and the control module 110 may include a machine learning algorithm 120. The control module 110 is communicatively coupled to and configured to control various elements of the water supply system, including a flow control 130, for example in the form of one or more valves arranged to control the flow of water inside and outside the system, a (ground source or air source) heat pump 140 configured to extract heat from the surroundings and deposit the extracted heat in a thermal energy store 150 for heating the water, and one or more electrical heating elements 160 configured to directly heat the cold water to a desired temperature by controlling the amount of energy supplied to the electrical heating elements 160. Whether heated by the thermal energy store 150 or by the electrical heating element 160, the heated water is then directed to one or more water outlets as needed. In an embodiment, the heat pump 140 extracts heat from the ambient environment into a thermal energy storage medium within the thermal energy storage 150. The thermal energy storage medium may also be heated by other sources. The thermal energy storage medium is heated until the desired operating temperature is reached, and then cold water, for example from a water pipe, can be heated by the thermal energy storage medium to the desired temperature. The heated water may then be supplied to individual water outlets in the system.

In this embodiment, the control module 110 is configured to receive input from a plurality of sensors 170-1, 170-2, 170-3, 170-n. The plurality of sensors 170-1, 170-2, 170-3, &..170-n may, for example, include one or more air temperature sensors, one or more water pressure sensors, one or more timers, one or more motion sensors disposed indoors and/or outdoors, and may include other sensors not directly connected to the water supply 100, such as a GPS signal receiver, a calendar, a weather forecast application on, for example, a smart phone carried by an occupant and in communication with the control module via a communication channel. In this embodiment, the control module 110 is configured to use the received inputs to perform various control functions, such as controlling water flow through the control 130 to the thermal energy storage 150 or the electrical heating element 160 to heat the water.

Although heat pumps generally heat water more energy-efficient than resistive heaters, heat pumps require time to transfer enough thermal energy into a thermal energy storage medium to reach the desired operating temperature before being used to heat water; therefore, the heat pump requires a longer time to heat the same amount of water to the same temperature than the resistance heater. Further, in some embodiments, the heat pump 140 may use, for example, a Phase Change Material (PCM) as the thermal energy storage medium that changes from a solid to a liquid upon heating. Thus, the heat pump may require additional time to first transfer enough heat to change the PCM from solid to liquid (if it is allowed to solidify) before the temperature of the liquefied heat storage medium can be further increased. Although this method of heating water is slower, it heats the water less energy than an electrical heating element, so overall, the energy source is energy efficient and reduces the cost of providing hot water.

Phase change material

In this embodiment, the phase change material may be used as a heat storage medium for a heat pump. One suitable class of phase change materials is paraffin waxes, which have a solid-liquid phase change at the temperatures required for the service of a hot water supply and in combination with a heat pump. Of particular interest are paraffin waxes which melt at temperatures of 40 to 60 degrees celsius (°c), within this range,waxes that melt at different temperatures can be found to suit a particular application. A typical latent heat capacity (latent heat capacity) is between about 180kJ/kg and 230kJ/kg, and a specific heat capacity (specific heat capacity) in the liquid phase is about 2.27Jg ^-1 K ^-1 And the specific heat capacity in the solid phase is about 2.1Jg ^-1 K ^-1 . It can be seen that very considerable energy can be stored using fusion latent heat. More energy can also be stored by heating the phase-change liquid above its melting point. For example, when the cost of electricity during off-peak hours is relatively low, the heat pump may be operated to "charge" the thermal energy store above normal temperature to "superheat" the thermal energy store.

Suitable waxes are chosen from waxes having a melting point of about 48 ℃, such as n-trioxane C ₂₃ Or paraffin C ₂₀ -C ₃₃ It requires that the heat pump operates at a temperature of around 51 ℃ and is capable of heating water to a satisfactory temperature of around 45 ℃ of normal domestic hot water, sufficient for e.g. kitchen water taps, shower/bath water taps. If desired, cold water may be added to the water stream to reduce the water temperature. The temperature performance of the heat pump is taken into account. Typically, the maximum difference between the input and output temperatures of the fluid heated by the heat pump is preferably maintained in the range 5 ℃ to 7 ℃, although it may be as high as 10 ℃.

While paraffin is the material of choice for use as the thermal energy storage medium, other suitable materials may be used. For example, salt hydrates are also suitable for use in latent heat storage systems, such as current systems. In this case, the salt hydrate is a mixture of inorganic salt and water, and the phase change involves loss of all or most of the water. At the phase transition, the hydrate crystals are separated into anhydrous (or less aqueous) salts and water. Salt hydrates have the advantage that they have a higher thermal conductivity (2 to 5 times higher) than paraffin waxes and a much smaller volume change with phase change. Suitable salt hydrates for the present application are Na ₂ S ₂ O ₃ ·5H ₂ O, the melting point of which is about 48 ℃ to 49 ℃, and the latent heat of which is 200-220kJ/kg.

MLAs overview

Many different types of MLAs (machine learning algorithms) are known in the art. In a broad sense, there are three types of MLA: MLA based on supervised learning, MLA based on unsupervised learning, and MLA based on reinforcement learning.

The supervised learning MLA process is based on target-result variables (or strain amounts) that are to be predicted from a given set of predictors (independent variables). Using these variable sets, the MLA (during training) generates a function that maps the input to the desired output. The training process will continue until the MLA reaches the required level of accuracy in verifying the data. Examples of supervised learning based MLAs include: decrementing, decision trees, random forests, logic decrementing, etc.

Unsupervised learning MLA itself does not involve prediction targets or outcome variables. Such MLAs are used to aggregate a group of values into different groups, which is widely used to subdivide customers into different groups for specific interventions. Examples of unsupervised learning MLAs include: apriori algorithm, K-means.

Reinforcement learning MLAs are trained to make specific decisions. During training, the MLA is exposed to a training environment, which continuously trains itself by trial and error. The MLA learns from past experience and attempts to acquire the best knowledge to make an accurate decision. One example of a reinforcement learning MLA is a markov decision process.

It should be appreciated that different types of MLAs having different structures or topologies may be used for various tasks. One particular type of MLA includes Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), also known as Neural Networks (NNs).

Neural Networks (NN)

In general, a given neural network consists of a set of interconnected artificial "neurons" that process information using a connection-oriented computational method. NN is used to model complex relationships between inputs and outputs (no relationships are actually known) or to find patterns in data. NN are first adjusted during a training phase in which they are provided with a set of known "inputs" and information for adjusting the NN to generate the appropriate output (for a given situation in which modeling is being attempted). During this training phase, the given NN adapts to the situation being learned and changes its structure so that the given NN can provide reasonable predicted output (based on what is learned) for the given input in the new situation. Thus, a given neural network is not intended to determine a complex statistical arrangement or mathematical algorithm for a given situation, but rather is intended to provide an "intuitive" answer based on the "feel" of the situation. Thus, a given NN is considered a trained "black box" that can be used to determine a reasonable answer to a given input set when something happening in the "box" is not important.

NN is typically used in many such situations where it is important to know only the output based on a given input, but exactly how to derive that output is less important or unimportant. For example, NNs are commonly used to optimize Web traffic distribution among servers and in data processing, including filtering, aggregation, signal separation, compression, vector generation, and the like.

Deep neural network

In some non-limiting embodiments of the technology, NN may be implemented as a deep neural network. It should be appreciated that NNs may be divided into various categories of NNs, and that one of the categories includes Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs).

Circulating neural network (RNN)

RNNs are adapted to process input sequences using their "internal state" (storage memory). This makes RNNs well suited for tasks such as non-segmented handwriting recognition and speech recognition. These internal states of the RNN may be controlled and are referred to as "gating" states or "gating" memories.

It should also be noted that RNNs themselves may also be divided into sub-categories of RNNs. For example, RNNs include long term memory (LSTM) networks, gated loop units (GRUs), bi-directional RNNs (BRNNs), and the like.

LSTM networks are deep learning systems that can learn tasks that in a sense require "remembering" events that occur in very short and discrete time steps. The topology of LSTM networks may vary depending on the particular task they "learn" to perform. For example, LSTM networks may learn to perform tasks in which relatively long delays occur between events or in which events occur at both low and high frequencies. RNNs with specific gating mechanisms are called GRUs. Unlike LSTM networks, gres lack "output gates" and therefore have fewer parameters than LSTM networks. BRNN may have a "hidden layer" of neurons that are connected in opposite directions, which may allow information from past and future states to be used.

Residual neural network (ResNet)

Another example of a neural network that may be used to implement non-limiting embodiments of the present technology is the residual neural network (res net).

Depth networks naturally integrate low/medium/high-level features and classifiers in an end-to-end multi-layer fashion, and the "hierarchy" of features can be enriched by the number of stacked layers (depth).

In summary, in the context of the present technology, the implementation of at least a portion of one or more MLAs can be roughly divided into two phases-a training phase and a use phase. First, a given MLA is trained during a training phase using one or more appropriate training data sets. Then, once a given MLA knows which data can be provided as inputs and which data can be provided as outputs, the data in use will be used to run the given MLA during the use phase.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a method for controlling utility usage, for example in a home environment. The method begins at S2001 when a water outlet (e.g., a bathroom sink faucet) is activated or opened by a user to receive hot water provided by a water heating system remote from the water outlet, the water heating system being controlled by the control module 110 of fig. 1, disposed remote from the water outlet and in communication with a sensor (e.g., one of the sensors 170-n, as shown in fig. 1) disposed at or near the water outlet for sensing the presence of an object (e.g., a hand of a person washing hands) beneath the water outlet. At S2002, the control module 110 receives the signal from the sensor and determines at S2003 whether an object is present below the nozzle. If the control module determines that an object is present, the method will return to S2002 and the control module continues to monitor signals from the sensors. If the control module determines that there is no object under the water outlet, the control module controls the water heating system to reduce the temperature of the hot water supplied to the water outlet and/or to reduce the flow rate of the hot water supplied to the water outlet at S2004. The method then returns to S2002 and the control module continues to monitor the signal from the sensor. In this way, hot water may continue to be supplied to the water outlet, but energy and/or water usage may be reduced. For example, when a user washes his hand with hot water under the faucet, when the user removes his hand from under the faucet, for example, to reach his hand to take soap, the control module may reduce the temperature and flow of hot water to conserve energy and water, and then the temperature and flow of hot water may return to the original level once the user has placed his hand back into the faucet.

In some cases, the user may forget to turn off the faucet. Thus, in an alternative embodiment or in addition to the previous embodiment, a timer in communication with the control module is activated to record the elapsed time when the water outlet is activated to supply hot water. At S2005, the control module receives a signal from the timer to determine a time T of consumption of the continuous supply of the hot water from the water outlet. If the control module determines at S2006 that the elapsed time T does not exceed the predetermined first threshold T1, the method returns to S2005 and the control module continues to monitor for a signal from the timer. If the control module determines at S2006 that the elapsed time T exceeds a first threshold T1, the control module initiates a warning sequence at S2007, which may include sounding or activating a light signal at or near the water outlet to alert the user that the water outlet has been continuously open for a time T1 to alert the user to the need to close the water outlet when no more water is being heated. At S2008, the control module determines whether the elapsed time T exceeds a predetermined second threshold T2 that is higher than the first threshold T1. If it is determined that the elapsed time T does not exceed the second threshold T2, the method returns to S2005 and the control module continues to monitor for a signal from a timer. If the control module determines at S2008 that the elapsed time T exceeds the second threshold T2, the control module controls the water heating system to stop supplying the hot water to the water outlet at S2009. In this way, energy and water are not wasted when hot water is no longer needed. For example, if a user forgets to turn off the faucet after washing his hands, or if a child turns the faucet on for play, the supply of hot water may be automatically stopped to save energy and water. In addition to being a predetermined value, the values of the two thresholds T1 and T2 may also be determined by deriving predicted values based on artificial intelligence algorithms (e.g., deep learning or other MLA) that have been trained based on past water flow usage in a particular building so that no warning is generated and water is not shut down in situations where such water usage is normal for a particular home or business building.

In an embodiment, hot water usage data collected over time (S2010) may be used to generate usage reports (S2011) as a tool to prompt the user to review and possibly modify their usage habits to reduce energy and water usage.

Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a method of regulating the temperature of hot water based on a predetermined reduced temperature water supply mode or budget. The method starts at S2201 by setting an energy mode and/or a hot water usage mode. The mode may be set by a user through a user interface or by a software function or Artificial Intelligence (AI) method that determines a cost-benefit mode based on, for example, average usage. When the user activates or opens the water outlet to receive hot water at S2202, the control module at S2203 determines the elapsed time T, e.g., as described above. At S2204, if the control module determines that the elapsed time T exceeds the predetermined third threshold T3, the control module controls the water heating system to decrease the temperature of the hot water supplied to the water outlet S2206 from the first temperature set by the user when the water outlet is opened to a predetermined second lower temperature. Preferably, this decrease in temperature is a gradual decrease in temperature, rather than a sudden decrease, so as to, for example, not provide an impact to a user who has been adapted to a higher temperature, for example, while showering. For example, the gradually decreasing speed may be 1 degree celsius every 5 seconds.

At S2204, if the control module determines that the elapsed time T does not exceed the third threshold T3, the control module determines at S2205 whether the water outlet is still supplying hot water, e.g., based on the water flow of the water heating system. If it is determined that the water gap is still supplying hot water, the method returns to S2203 and the control module continues to monitor the elapsed time T. If it is determined that the water outlet is no longer supplying hot water, the method ends. In this embodiment, the third threshold T3 and the second temperature are set by the control module based on the energy budget and/or the hot water usage budget. Thus, in so doing, the use of hot water may be controlled and regulated to keep the energy expenditure within a budget.

The AI method or algorithm (e.g., 120 of the MLA of fig. 1) preferably predicts the values of the first and second temperatures and the values of the time period after training by training data based on past usage of the water supply by the user.

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a method of adjusting energy and water consumption of a water outlet (e.g., faucet) based on a current energy rate. When the control module 110 determines the current energy rate, the method begins at S2101, for example, based on data received from the energy provider and/or based on data obtained from the public domain (e.g., the energy provider may provide announcements of dates and times applicable to peak energy rates, and announcements of dates and times applicable to off-peak energy rates). At S2102, if the control module determines that the current energy rate is a peak rate, i.e., the energy unit cost is high, the control module controls the hot water system to enter a reduced consumption setting. The control module may be programmed to execute a plurality of different rush hour strategies in the reduced consumption setting. A non-exhaustive list of examples is given herein.

At S2103, the control module may control the water heating system to provide hot water at a lower flow rate and/or a lower temperature. Specifically, the control module 110 may control the flow control 130 to decrease the flow of water to the water outlet from a first flow rate to a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is lower than the first flow rate, when a peak rate is detected at S2102. The control module 110 may also (or alternatively) control the temperature of the hot water heating to reduce the temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature to reach a lower temperature, where the second temperature is lower than the first temperature when a peak rate is detected at S2102. The values of the first and second flow rates and/or first and second temperatures may be set by the user, the utility company, or may be predicted by using an artificial intelligence algorithm or MLA that has been trained in advance using training data based on past use of the utility by the building.

At S2104, the control module 110 may control the water heating system to reduce the amount and/or temperature of hot water provided to the central heating system, e.g., according to a heating target. For example, the temperature may be reduced by 1 or 2 degrees celsius.

At S2105, the control module 110 may control the water heating system to switch to a low cost heat source to provide hot water, for example by extracting thermal energy from thermal energy storage.

At S2102, if the control module determines that the current energy rate is an off-peak rate, i.e., the energy unit cost is low, the control module controls the water heating system to enter an energy storage setting. The control module may be programmed to perform a plurality of different off-peak time strategies in the energy storage setting. A non-exhaustive list of examples is given herein.

At S2106, when the unit energy cost is low, the thermal energy storage may be preheated to a desired or suitable temperature, such that at a later time, for example when the unit energy cost is high, the stored thermal energy may be extracted to heat the water (as described above with respect to step S2105). The desired or appropriate temperature may be determined by predictions of an artificial intelligence algorithm (e.g., MLA) that is trained based on past data using the utility.

At S2107, the water heating system may be controlled to increase the amount and/or temperature of hot water provided to the central heating system to increase the heating output so that additional thermal energy may be stored by the building structure itself and later extracted.

The control module 110 is programmed in software to perform the functions described above and shown in the steps of fig. 2, 3 and 4. Optionally, the control module is hardwired in hardware logic to perform the functions described above.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present technology may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, the present technology may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects.

Furthermore, the present technology may take the form of a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present technology may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language and conventional procedural programming languages.

For example, program code for performing operations of the present technology may include source code, object or executable code in a conventional programming language (interpreted or compiled) such as C, or assembly code, code for setting or controlling an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or FPGA (field programmable gate array), or code for a hardware description language such as Verilog (TM) or VHDL (very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language).

Code components may be embodied as processes, methods, and the like, and may include subcomponents, which may take the form of instructions or sequences of instructions at any level of abstraction, from direct machine instructions of a native instruction set to a high-level compilation or interpretation language structure.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that all or part of the logic methods according to the preferred embodiments of the present technology may be suitably embodied in a logic device comprising logic elements to perform the steps of the method, and that such logic elements may be comprised of components such as logic gates in, for example, a programmable logic array or an application-specific integrated circuit. Such a logic arrangement may further be embodied using, for example, virtual hardware descriptor language to enable elements to temporarily or permanently establish a logic structure in such an array or circuit that may be stored and transmitted using fixed or transmittable carrier media.

The examples and conditional language recited herein are intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the present technology and are not intended to limit the scope thereof to such specifically recited examples and conditions. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art may devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the technology and are thus included within its scope as defined by the following claims.

Furthermore, the foregoing description may describe a relatively simplified implementation of the present technology as an aid to understanding. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various implementations of the present technology may have greater complexity.

In some cases, useful examples, which are considered to be modifications to the prior art, may also be presented. This is done merely to aid understanding and is not intended to limit the scope or the setting of limits of the current technology. Such modifications are not an exhaustive list and other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art while still remaining within the scope of the present technology. Moreover, if no example of a change is presented, it should not be construed that a change is not possible and/or the only way to implement the elements of the present technology is noted.

Furthermore, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and implementations of the technology, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof, whether currently known or later developed. Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the technology. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor or control module, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Furthermore, explicit use of the term "processor" or "controller" should not be construed to refer to hardware only capable of executing software, and may include, without limitation, digital Signal Processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), read Only Memory (ROM) for storing software, random Access Memory (RAM), and non-volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.

A software module, or a module that is simply implied as software, may be represented herein as any combination of flowchart elements or other elements that indicate process step performance and/or textual description. Such modules may be executed by hardware, either explicitly or implicitly shown.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and adaptations to the foregoing exemplary embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present technology.

Claims (24)

1. A heater arrangement system usable with a water supply system for controlling a water supply provided to a water outlet arranged to provide hot water to a user, the heater arrangement device comprising:

a water heating device, the water heating device being disposed away from the water outlet; and

a control unit communicatively coupled with the water heating apparatus, the control unit configured to:

a) Determining whether the current energy rate is a peak rate; and is also provided with

Setting the heater arrangement system to a reduced consumption mode when it is determined that the current energy rate is a peak rate; wherein the reduced consumption mode includes reducing a flow rate of the hot water supplied to the water outlet from a first flow rate to a second flow rate, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate.

2. The heater arrangement system of claim 1, wherein the determining step further determines whether the energy rate is an off-peak rate.

3. The heater arrangement system of claim 2, wherein the heater arrangement system is set to the energy storage mode when the current energy rate is determined to be an off-peak rate.

4. A heater arrangement system according to any preceding claim, wherein the reduced consumption mode comprises reducing the temperature of hot water supplied to the water outlet from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature.

5. A heater arrangement system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second temperatures, or the first and second flow rates, are set by an artificial intelligence algorithm executed by the control unit.

6. The heater arrangement system of claim 5, wherein the artificial intelligence algorithm predicts values of the first and second temperatures or the first and second flow rates, wherein the algorithm has been previously trained based on data relating to past use cases of a water supply.

7. A heater arrangement system according to any preceding claim, wherein the reduced consumption mode comprises reducing the amount or temperature of water provided by the heater arrangement system in accordance with a heating target.

8. A heater arrangement system according to any preceding claim, wherein the reduced consumption mode comprises switching to an alternative heat source to provide hot water.

9. The heater arrangement system of claim 8, wherein the alternative heat source is thermal energy storage.

10. A heater arrangement system as claimed in claim 3 or any of claims 4 to 9 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the storage mode comprises preheating thermal energy storage to a first temperature.

11. A heater arrangement system as claimed in claim 3 or any of claims 4 to 10 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the energy storage mode comprises increasing the amount and/or temperature of hot water provided to the water supply to increase the heating output so that additional thermal energy can be stored by the structure of the building in which the heater arrangement system is housed.

12. A heater arrangement system according to any preceding claim, wherein the water heating means comprises a heat pump and a thermal energy storage device.

13. The heater arrangement system of claim 12, wherein the thermal energy storage device is a phase change material device.

14. The heater arrangement system of claim 13, wherein the phase change material is paraffin.

15. The heater arrangement system of claim 14, wherein the paraffin melts at a temperature of 40 ℃ to 60 ℃.

16. A heater arrangement system according to claim 13, 14 or 15, wherein the latent heat capacity of the phase change material is between about 180kJ/kg and 230kJ/kg and the specific heat capacity in the liquid phase may be 2.27Jg ^-1 K ^-1 And a specific heat capacity in a solid phase of 2.1Jg ^-1 K ^-1 。

17. A method of controlling a water supply provided to a water outlet in a water supply system, the water outlet being arranged to provide hot water from a water heating device to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

a) Determining whether the current energy rate is the highest rate; and

b) Setting the heater arrangement system to a reduced consumption mode when it is determined that the current energy rate is a peak rate; wherein the reduced consumption mode comprises reducing the flow of hot water supplied to the water outlet from a first flow rate to a second flow rate, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining step further determines whether the energy rate is an off-peak rate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the heater arrangement system is set to a storage mode when the current energy rate is determined to be an off-peak rate.

20. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the reduced consumption mode comprises reducing the flow of hot water supplied to the water outlet from a first flow rate to a second flow rate, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate.

21. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the reduced consumption mode comprises reducing the temperature of the hot water supplied to the water outlet from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature.

22. The method of claim 20 or 21, wherein the first and second temperatures, or the first and second flow rates, are set by an artificial intelligence algorithm executed by a control unit.

23. A computer readable medium containing machine readable code which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of any preceding method claim.

24. A control module configured for controlling operation of a water supply system via a communication channel, the water supply system comprising a heating system configured to heat water from a mains and controlled by the control module, the water supply system configured to provide water heated by the heating system to a user at one or more water outlets, the control module comprising a processor with software executing thereon, or having preconfigured hardware logic components configured for performing a method according to any of the preceding method claims.