Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H1/00—Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters
  • F24H1/18—Water-storage heaters
  • F24H1/20—Water-storage heaters with immersed heating elements, e.g. electric elements or furnace tubes
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D17/00—Domestic hot-water supply systems
  • F24D17/0026—Domestic hot-water supply systems with conventional heating means
  • F24D17/0031—Domestic hot-water supply systems with conventional heating means with accumulation of the heated water
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D17/00—Domestic hot-water supply systems
  • F24D17/0036—Domestic hot-water supply systems with combination of different kinds of heating means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D19/00—Details
  • F24D19/10—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
  • F24D19/1006—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heating systems
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H9/00—Details
  • F24H9/20—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
  • F24H9/2007—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D20/00—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
  • F28D20/0034—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 using liquid heat storage material
  • F28D20/0039—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 using liquid heat storage material with stratification of the heat storage material
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
  • Y02B10/20—Solar thermal
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
  • Y02B10/70—Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/14—Thermal energy storage

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to water heating and storage systems, in particular to a controllable variable inertia multiple volume or segmented sub-volume system for water heating and storage.
• the disclosure comprises a controllable variable inertia water storage system for heating and/or cooling, comprising: a plurality of water storage volumes for storing and heating water, these being either a vessel comprising sub-volumes or independent multiple vessels, said volumes being interconnected in series;
• said independent water heater and/or cooler for a volume is a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with a fluid fed by a heat or cool source.
• two or more of said volumes comprise, as said independent water heater and/or cooler, heat exchangers for exchanging heat with fluid fed by the same source of heat or cool.
• said source of heat or cool is a boiler, thermal solar panel, electric heater, combined heat and power cogeneration unit.
• Some embodiments comprise further volumes which are not interconnected with said interconnected volumes, said further volumes comprising independent water inlet and outlet connections.
• said further volumes each comprises a water heater and/or cooler that is independent from the water heaters and/or coolers of said interconnected volumes.
• said volumes are thermally insulated, in particular between said volumes.
• the volumes are arranged linearly or radially, in particular concentrically.
• serial interconnections between volumes are arranged such that water stratification by temperature is promoted.
• the serial interconnections between volumes comprise flow deflectors such that the disruption of water stratification by temperature is minimized.
• a method for operating the system as any one of the above and below described comprises the steps of: defining target sub-temperatures for each volume, wherein said target sub- temperatures are sequentially higher for each volume, in the direction of the water flow from inlet to outlet; and wherein the target sub-temperature of the volume connected to the outlet is the target temperature of the water to be supplied;
• Some embodiments comprise limiting the water temperature of each volume by controlling the heating with user-defined minimum and maximum temperature limits for each volume.
• the step of heating the volumes comprises first heating up to a predefined number of volumes that are closest to the water outlet; and sequentially heating up to a predefined number of other volumes that are next closest to the outlet, until all volumes reach the target sub-temperatures.
• the step of heating the volumes comprises first heating the volume that is closest to the water outlet; and sequentially heating the other volumes, one by one, that are next closest to the outlet, until all volumes reach the target sub-temperatures.
• the step of heating the volumes comprises first heating a predefined number of volumes that have the larger differences between current temperature and target sub-temperature; and sequentially heating predefined number of volumes that then have the larger differences between current temperature and target sub-temperatures, until all volumes reach the target sub-temperatures.
• the target sub-temperatures are increased or decreased according to the heat availability of the heat source.
• the system comprises a control module configured to operate any of the above or below described methods of operation.
• control module comprises data connections, local or remote, for providing information on the system status and for receiving user configurations.
• FIG. 1 Schematic representation of systems and sub-systems of the vessel of embodiments hereby described.
• Fig. 2a Schematic representation of integration of the mechanical and control system of embodiments hereby described with linear layout with a domestic generic water heating system.
• FIG. 2b Schematic representation of integration of the mechanical and control system of embodiments hereby described with linear layout with a domestic generic water heating system using a natural gas boiler and electric photo-voltaic cells.
• FIG. 2c Schematic representation of integration of the mechanical and control system of embodiments hereby described with linear layout with a domestic generic water heating system using solar panels and electric photo-voltaic cells.
• FIG. 2d Schematic representation of integration of the mechanical and control system of embodiments with linear layout with a domestic generic water heating system using a micro combined heat and power cogeneration unit (micro CHP).
• microwave CHP micro combined heat and power cogeneration unit
• FIG. 3a Schematic representation of an alternative embodiment wherein one of the sub-vessels is not interconnected.
• FIG. 3b Schematic representation of an alternative embodiment wherein one of the sub-vessels is not interconnected and is heated/cooled independently.
• FIG. 4 Schematic representation of layouts of the vessel with sub-volumes.
• FIG. 5 Schematic representation of decision tree of the control system, highlighting the capability to handle dynamic loads on the energy availability and demands based in instantaneous or provisional data as well as the possibility of choosing the energy source.
• FIG. 6 Schematic representation of the operative control module.
• FIG. 7 Schematic representation of the decision tree of the operative control module.
• the necessity to efficiently store and manage energy is a fundamental challenge to modern human life.
• the technology described in this document addresses this challenge allowing a more effective way to manage this energy not only in a transient load/unload state of the system but also in a stationary regime of usage.
• the new construction technology is enhanced by using advanced control systems, that will also be described in this document, and that allows to integrate different energy sources to collaboratively heat, or cool, the contents of a vessel in a cooperative way.
• These energy sources can be, for example, electricity, natural gas, biomass, pellets, among others.
• the vessel control system has a two-way communication mechanism such that it allows the exchange of information between the machine and an external agent.
• Vessel or tank may be used interchangeably in the present disclosure, considering that the disclosure is straightforward to apply to both pressurized and unpressurized vessels.
• This system comprises a primary fluid circuit that transports thermal energy from, for example, the solar panels to the hot water vessel.
• This technology can be applied to any other system where the user wishes to store thermal energy.
• the vessel is connected to one or more energy sources that heat the water in the vessel in a collaborative way, in the case considered, thermal energy and electric energy.
• This setup can be materialized for example by connecting the vessel to solar panels and photo-voltaic cells, or a micro combined heat and power boiler, or directly to the main power grid, among others.
• the technology described can be used wherever one wishes to store thermal energy. To do so, and in the example taken for illustration purposes, the vessel is composed by smaller sub-volumes whose heating is done independently using both electric resistances and thermodynamic-hydraulic heat exchanger coils.
• the vessel can be a strategical energy buffer, increasingly storing energy from intermittent energy sources, like wind turbines and combined heat and power co-generation units.
• the vessel hereby proposed according to some embodiments shares the same volume and shell common to other existing products in the market.
• the most differentiating aspects are:
• thermodynamic energy transferr coils and electric resistances which are installed each in one or more vessel sub-volumes;
• Vessel volume division creating one or more independent sub-volumes that are connected between each other. This is done by associating smaller volume vessels in a single equipment or by placing internal divisions, which might be thermally isolated, inside a single larger vessel.
• the connections may be controllable, i.e., switchable between open and closed states.
• Other non- interconnected volumes may also be associated with the system.
• Integrated and intelligent vessel control system that chooses the heat source based in information that can be from within or outside of the vessel. This control actuates valves and electrical switches so that the chosen heat source is used.
• the embodiments hereby described comprise of a vessel to store a fluid. Applied to solar hot-water systems it addresses several problems that exist in the standard arrangement of such systems. The main characteristics of this new vessel technology are:
• heating the overall volume of a water vessel is very time-consuming. This is dependent on the volume of the vessel. A smaller vessel heats faster. However, has a lower hot-water "availability" since when hot water is removed from the vessel it is replenished with cold water from the main line, lowering the water temperature in the overall vessel. This way, the volume of available hot water to the user is different than the real volume of the vessel. This depends on several variables like water flow-rate as well as inlet and outlet water temperature.
• the new vessel under development addresses these issues by a system comprising a hot water storage vessel divided in an array of sub-volumes of smaller dimensions. By selectively, and according to methods of the disclosure, heating each of these sub-volumes, it is possible to control the quantity of water being heated and so, change the inertia mass of fluid being heated in each instant.
• the technology described comprises a water storage vessel composed by an array of smaller volumes arranged in a compact size or by subdividing a larger volume into smaller fractions by placing thermal insulated walls inside the vessel.
• Each sub- volume has independent heating elements (heating coils and electric resistances) that are holistically and independently controlled.
• heating elements heating coils and electric resistances
• By actuating in valves and the electronic circuits that control the heating coils and electric resistances of each sub-volume it is possible to control the quantity of water being heated in each instant and so, vary the inertia of the system being heated.
• the machine comprises the integration of two different systems: a mechanical system and a control system that controls and interfaces the machine with the external environment (cf. Figure 1).
• the mechanical system comprises a sub-system of inertial liquid storage and another sub-system for energy transfer.
• the first consists of several water storing vessels integrated, or not , see as mentioned above, in a single compact equipment.
• the second sub-system consists of several actuators and energy transfer equipments (e.g. valves, heat exchangers, electric resistances, ...) to enable the energy transfer into the vessel and each sub-volume of the first sub-system.
• These energy transfer equipments can be located inside or outside of each sub-vessel.
• the choice of the sub-volume to heat and the energy transfer mechanism to use is decided by a control system that actuates valves and/or electronic circuits.
• the control system consists of electronic control devices that, based on external and internal inputs, control the way the mechanical system operates.
• the control system chooses in each instant which sub-volume to heat and with which energy source using information from local sensors placed in the vessel and information acquired from communication networks with external entities (sensors, operators, servers, machines, ...) that can interact with the vessel and influence its operation.
• the control system can interact with services facilitated by other entities, namely "cloud based services” or other proprietary services and networks.
• the capability to communicate in small or large scale networks enable new advanced features.
• the vessel When integrated in a domotics system, the vessel can communicate with other equipments such as outside meteorological devices as well as work together with other house heating devices and other appliances.
• the system When connected to the Internet, the system can take advantage of "cloud- based" M2M (Machine-to-Machine) services. Examples of possible features are usage data collection for service providers and end-users, firmware upgrades, integration with intelligent grid management systems, etc...
• control system can be developed as integrated part of the vessel or as an external add-on to the vessel allowing it to have the functions described.
• the vessel of the embodiments hereby described stores thermal energy dynamically, adapting the quantity of fluid to heat, or cool, to the heating, or cooling, power being delivered to the machine by the heat exchanging circuits, the user energy demands as well as external inputs.
• the heat exchangers on the corresponding smaller sub-volume are triggered.
• the instantaneous temperature change rate is increased in that sub-volume leading to a faster heating of the water that is available to the user.
• control module In terms of the control system, the operation of the control module is shown in figure 6.
• the main purpose of this module is to determine which sub-volume to heat, or cool, and with which energy source. In order to do so, it relies on instantaneous as well as provisional computed data based on the history of energy consumption, energy availability and other data pertinent for its operation (for example, meteorological forecasts, user or external agents needs and preferences, etc.).
• control system is designed to answer three simple questions: 1. How to heat, or cool, the vessel?
• Figure 7 shows how the decision tree is arranged in order to answer the previous questions.
• control system interacts with the sensor groups (13) and (27) to acquire information regarding the instantaneous system status, including controls via a user interface.
• the communication procedures (30) that follow manages the dialog between the vessel control system and other external agents (1), (19) and (20). This is done using a general communication network (10), (21) and (22). This interaction allows the control system to communicate its current status as well as other computed and sensed quantities, and also to receive information affecting its operation. Such information can include, among other things, meteorological actual readings and forecasts, overriding commands, maintenance instructions and firmware updates or upgrades, .
• the question of how to energize the vessel (34) defines set-point temperatures in each sub-volume. These are the target temperatures to reach in each sub-vessel. By increasing the target temperatures each sub-vessel is capable of increasing its energy storage capacity. This is particularly important in the sub-volume closer to the outlet and in a situation when hot water is being consumed from the vessel. [0071] On the other hand, a lower target temperature lowers the energy storage capacity which is particularly important to reduce the thermal losses from the vessel.
• the target temperatures are defined based on historical and provisional data pertaining to energy demanded from and energy supplied to the vessel. When no energy demands are forecast in a near future, the vessel operates with lower target temperatures.
• This target temperature increases gradually each time the vessel becomes fully energized up to the maximum operational temperature of the vessel.
• the vessel energizes increasing its target temperatures.
• the sub- volumes closer to the outlet will experience a bigger increase in target temperature, and in such a way that before the estimated demand time starts, there is enough energy in the sub-volumes closer to the outlet to supply it.
• This mode of operation is herewith called ECO MODE.
• the user, or agent, ((1), (19), (20)) is free to opt-out of this procedure (ECO MODE) or to limit the automatic calculation of target temperatures by defining minimum and maximum limits for the target temperatures and for each sub-volume.
• ECO MODE This new mode of operation is herewith called POWER MODE.
• the decision of which energy source to use (35) is based on availability, demand and user, or agent ((1), (19), (20)), preferences.
• the availability and demand are accessed by the sensor groups (13) and (27).
• the user, or agent, preferences are known from the user interface as well as from the communication connection described (10), (21) and (22).
• control system has an interface that permits several levels of interaction:
• Domotics network integration - by interacting with other devices inside the house allows extending the reach of the vessel energy monitoring and control, optimizing its operation. It is also possible to control and monitor the vessel by using other domotics integrated components from the house.
• domotics network integration it is possible to collect data such as inside and outside house temperature, occupancy, and other occupants habits, ... and adjust the behavior of the vessel accordingly, i.e. adjusting to weather, occupancy, etc.. as described in the operation of the ECO MODE of operation and the "How to energize the vessel?"question.
• the integration with a communication network allows to access a global level of information, exterior to the vessel and the house where it is installed in like actual and provisional meteorology as well as other data relevant to its operation.
• a communication network for example the internet e.g. world wide web (WWW)
• WWW world wide web
• the integration with an external communication network allows the vessel to interact with a centralized system that can retrieve history energy consumption patterns, diagnose malfunctions and perform maintenance procedures remotely as well as interact and condition the operating procedure of the vessel by interacting in the decision of the energy to use and when to use it, etc..
• the vessel is composed of several sub-volumes. By integrating each smaller sub-volume in a single vessel the system is more compact. Each sub-volume has independent heat exchangers that promote the energy exchange between the primary circuit and the fluid that is inside the vessel.
• the sub-volumes can be, in a preferred embodiment, radially or linearly arranged, as shown in figure 4.
• the radial topology is thermodynamically more efficient since the surface between each sub-volume and the outside is minimized.
• This topology is characterized by large heat transfer surfaces between each sub-vessel level. These levels are arranged with a decreasing temperature with the radial distance to the center. Since the most external sub-volume is at a lower temperature, the heat losses are minimized.
• the connections between each sub-volume are more complex to design and the overall vessel is more complex to build.
• the radial construction does not require 360 ⁇ - embodiments may be fully concentrical or only partially so, arranged as radial 'sectors'.
• the linear arrangement is not as thermal efficient as the radial arrangement. However, it allows a faster, simpler and more economical construction and maintenance.
• Each sub-volume has one or more energy transfer systems which can be located inside or outside each sub-volume. These energy transfer systems can be connected to other equipments that supply energy to the vessel. For example, boilers, solar panels, photo-voltaic cells, co-generation or micro co-generation boilers, ... [0082] Embodiments may comprise one or more interconnected sub-volumes, or optionally some additional not interconnected sub-volumes, of small dimensions with independent energy exchanger mechanisms and integrated control.
• each sub-vessel is insulated from the other sub-vessels.
• Embodiments may comprise integrated connection of sub-volumes of reduced capacity with the purpose of storing energy for domestic or industrial applications.
• each sub-volume may have one or more system for energy transfer independently and holistically controlled.
• the energy exchanger mechanisms can be hydraulic, electric or using other technology.
• Embodiments may comprise integrated radial or linear sub-vessels
• Embodiments may comprise radial volume system layout as a way to promote efficiency, simplicity, more economic construction and maintenance, and system compactness.
• Embodiments may comprise intelligent system control with forecast of the energy supply as well as user energy demands;
• Embodiments may comprise connection of the vessel to information networks, as domotics domestic, industrial or others;
• Embodiments may comprise connection of the vessel to communication networks as a way to access generic and relevant decision support information for the optimization of the operation of the vessel;
• Embodiments may comprise connection of the vessel to communication networks as a way to interact with other services such as monitoring, control, diagnostic and maintenance services.
• Embodiments may comprise choosing in each moment the energy source to heat, or cool, the vessel contents by an appropriate control and communication strategy. [0094] Embodiments may comprise communication between the vessel and different thermal and electric energy producing equipments (such as boilers, solar panels, photo-voltaic cells, electric resistances, co-generation and co-generation boilers, .
• thermal and electric energy producing equipments such as boilers, solar panels, photo-voltaic cells, electric resistances, co-generation and co-generation boilers, .
• Embodiments may comprise control system as an integrated module or an external add-on module to the vessel.
• the disclosure is reversible in terms of cold or hot operation.
• the volume closest to the outlet will be the volume with the lowest target sub-temperature.
• Water is disclosed as an exemplary fluid, but other liquid fluids may be used for heating/cooling in the system.
• the volumes being interconnected in series means that the volumes are connected in a 'daisy-chain' or where the output of a precedent volume is connected to the output of a subsequent volume.

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• 2013
  • 2013-02-13 WO PCT/IB2013/051174 patent/WO2013121361A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2013-02-13 EP EP13716838.1A patent/EP2820357A2/de not_active Withdrawn

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