FR3075322A1 - HEATING APPARATUS PROVIDING CONTINUOUS MODULATION OF POWER SUPPLY POWER OF ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE - Google Patents

Abstract

 A heater (11) of the electric radiator type comprises a housing enclosing a heater (21) capable of being supplied with electric current by a source of electrical energy (31), and electronic interface components (41) electrically connecting the heating element (21) and the energy source (31), the electronic interface components (41) being housed in the housing and ensuring continuous modulation of the power supply of the heating element heating (21) by the electrical energy source (31). An electrical installation is also described.

Description

® HEATING APPARATUS PROVIDING ELECTRIC RESISTANCE SUPPLY.

@) A heating appliance (11) of the electric radiator type comprises a housing containing a heating member (21) capable of being supplied with electric current by a source of electric energy (31), and electronic interface components ( 41) electrically connecting the heating element (21) and the energy source (31), the electronic interface components (41) being housed in the housing and ensuring continuous modulation of the power supply of the heating element (21) by the electrical energy source (31). An electrical installation is also described.

CONTINUOUS POWER MODULATION

Heater ensuring continuous modulation of the power supply of the electrical resistance

The present invention relates to a heating device of the electric radiator type having a housing containing a heating member able to be supplied with electric current by a source of electric energy.

The invention also relates to an electrical installation comprising a source of electrical energy and at least one such heater.

In known manner, the electrical power source to which the heating device is connected delivers an alternating electrical voltage. This is typically the local power grid.

The main function of the electrical energy source is to deliver an electrical current to at least one electrical resistance of a heating member of the heating appliance, intended to produce heat under the effect of this electrical current.

A controlled switch makes it possible to control the supply of the electrical resistance by the electrical network. This switch makes it possible to regulate the average value of the voltage applied across the electrical resistance by applying a pulse width modulation to the switch and by taking advantage of the inertia effect of the heat diffusion. The average value of the voltage supplied to the electrical resistance typically depends on the voltage supplied by the network and the closing and opening times of the switch over each period.

However, these solutions are not entirely satisfactory.

Indeed, this operating principle implies the presence of a very high instantaneous power and requires the installation of a high power electrical panel at the building level.

In some heating devices, it is also known to integrate a battery. This makes it possible to store the energy used by the heating element, in order to space the consumption of electricity over time. This organization requires the presence of an electrical resistance supplied by the battery which is distinct from the electrical resistance supplied by the electrical network, which makes the solution complex and expensive.

In addition, another controlled switch makes it possible to control the supply of the electrical resistance by the battery, this switch being controlled once again by pulse width modulation. But this induces the presence of an additional component which further increases the complexity and the costs.

Furthermore, in the current state of knowledge, electrical heating devices cannot actively participate in the management of the electrical network: the control and storage capacity of heating devices are limited (wired management, thermal inertia storage) to quickly meet energy storage and supply needs.

Conventionally, the energy management system of a room or a building using electric heaters cannot participate in the integration of renewable energies on the electrical network. Indeed, the use of the inertia of electric heaters does not allow a fine enough control to use the heaters as an intermittent storage system for renewable energies or to make consumption erasure.

In general, the integration of electric heating devices and battery-type electrochemical storage is only envisaged for emergency needs or to make the heating autonomous.

The object of the present invention is to solve all or part of the drawbacks mentioned above.

In this context, an objective is to provide a heater that meets at least one of the following objectives:

be simple to manufacture and design and be economical; reduce the instantaneous power associated with the operation of the device; and present a low need in terms of electrical panel power.

This objective can be achieved by providing a heating device of the electric radiator type having a housing containing a heating member capable of being supplied with electric current by a source of electric energy, and electronic components connecting the interface. electrically the heating element and the energy source, the electronic interface components being housed in the housing and ensuring a continuous modulation of the power supply of the heating element by the electric energy source.

The heater can also meet the technical characteristics presented below, taken individually or in combination.

The electric power source comprises an alternative electrical network and the electronic interface components include a voltage rectifier step-down interposed between the alternative electrical network and the heating element.

The electrical energy source comprises an electrical energy storage device and the electronic interface components include a bidirectional step-up step-down device interposed between the electrical energy storage device and the heating element.

The heating element includes a single electrical resistance selectively supplied by the alternating electrical network via the voltage rectifier-step-down or by the electrical energy storage device via the bidirectional step-up step-down.

The electronic interface components impose a direct voltage across the terminals of the heating element having a value ranging from 0V to 300V.

The heater comprises a management unit housed in the housing and controlling the electrical interface components so as to place the heater selectively in one of the following operating modes: a first operating mode in which the the heating element is supplied with electrical energy by the alternating electrical network by means of the voltage step-down rectifier; a second operating mode in which the heating member is supplied with electrical energy by the electrical energy storage device by means of the bidirectional step-up step-down; a third operating mode in which the electrical energy storage device is supplied with electrical energy by the alternating electrical network via the rectifier-step-down then the step-down step-up; a fourth operating mode in which a quantity of electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage device is sent to the alternating electrical network via the bidirectional step-up step-up and then the step-up rectifier .

The heating appliance comprises at least one determining element chosen from an element for characterizing the state of charge and / or the state of health of the storage device, a sensor for measuring the temperature outside the heating appliance, a sensor for measuring the temperature of the storage device and the management unit chooses the operating mode in which it places the heating appliance among the first, second, third and fourth operating modes, as a function of at least one parameter determined by said determination element.

The heater comprises wireless communication elements integrated in the housing and allowing the heater management unit to communicate wirelessly with a remote control unit of an energy management system of a building.

The bidirectional step-up step-down is a DC voltage converter.

The bidirectional step-up step-up consists of the step-up rectifier.

It is also proposed an electrical installation comprising a source of electrical energy and at least one such heating device whose electronic interface components electrically connect the heating element and the energy source, electrical installation comprising on the one hand means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heating appliance chosen from means for determining and monitoring the energy consumption, means for determining and monitoring the presence of people, means for determining and monitoring the relative humidity and / or carbon dioxide, on the other hand means for determining and monitoring external information linked to an electrical network of the energy source, to the internet, or to a weather server.

According to a particular embodiment, the management unit chooses the operating mode in which it places the heater among the first, second, third and fourth operating modes, as a function of at least one parameter determined by the means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heater and / or by means for determining and monitoring external information.

The invention will be understood more clearly with the aid of the detailed description which is set out below with reference to the single FIG. 1 which schematically represents an example of a heating appliance in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 represents the main constituent elements of an example of a heating appliance 11 according to the invention, which is of the electric radiator type. The heating device 11 comprises a housing (not shown) delimiting an internal volume for housing these constituent elements. This housing is for example formed from a metallic material, typically intended to be hung on a wall or to rest on the ground.

The housing contains at least one heating member 21 able to be supplied with electricity by an electrical energy source 31 internal and / or external to the heating device 11. The heating member 21 produces a flow of calories when it is supplied with electricity. It can in particular be a direct or alternating electric supply current. The heating member 21 may for example comprise at least one radiating body and / or at least one device for heating by heat transfer fluid. Such a radiating body can comprise at least one electrical resistance 22 intended to be supplied by a direct or alternating electrical voltage. Calories can for example be released by radiation and / or by convection.

The heating appliance 11 also comprises electronic interface components 41 electrically connecting the heating member 21 with the source of electrical energy 31, typically said at least one electrical resistance 22 to the source of electrical energy 31.

Advantageously, the electronic interface components 41 are housed in the housing and ensure a continuous modulation of the power supply of the heating member 21 by the electrical energy source 31, typically a continuous modulation of the power of supplying said at least one electrical resistance 22.

Advantageously, such a continuous modulation of the power supply of the heating member 21 by the electric power source 31 allows the presence of a substantially lower instantaneous power, which in particular allows to subscribe an additional electric subscription weak power.

According to a nonlimiting embodiment, the electrical energy source 31 of the heating device 11 comprises an alternative electrical network 33 outside the heating device 11. Typically, this alternative electrical network 33 corresponds to the local electrical network distributed into the building by the local energy supplier.

The electronic interface components 41 can, in this particular embodiment, for example comprise electrical connection elements making it possible to connect the electronic interface components 41, reversibly, to the AC electrical network 33.

According to a particular embodiment, the electronic interface components 41 advantageously comprise a voltage step-down rectifier 43 interposed between the AC electrical network 33 and the heating element 21, for example interposed between the AC electrical network 33 and said au at least one electrical resistance 22 in the case where the heating member 21 comprises at least one such electrical resistance 22. The voltage step-down rectifier 43 is housed in the housing of the heating device 11 for its protection. The voltage step-down rectifier 43 can be reversibly connected to the alternating electrical network 33 by means of the electrical connection elements mentioned above.

These technical provisions have the advantage of being able to transform the alternating electric current coming from the alternating electric network 33 into a direct electric current, directly exploitable by all the electronic components internal to the heating apparatus 11 operating under direct current also by the heater 11, which further avoids redundancy between the DC supplies of the various electronic systems incorporated in the heater 11 (business card, sensors, display).

Alternatively or in combination with the possible presence of the alternative electrical network 33, it is advantageous to provide that the electrical energy source 31 comprises an electrical energy storage device 32, in particular housed in the housing of the heating appliance. 11.

If the alternative electrical network 33 constitutes a part of the electrical power source 31 external to the heating appliance 11, the electrical energy storage device 32 constitutes a part of the electrical power source 31 internal to the heater 11.

By way of example, the electrical energy storage device 32 comprises a battery based on an assembly of electrochemical cells and / or a supercapacitor and / or a fuel cell.

The electrical energy storage device 32 has the advantage of being able to store electrical energy in the heating appliance 11. This electrical energy thus stored then makes it possible to supply the heating member 21 at the time of heating. This ultimately makes it possible to space the frequency of electricity consumption over time from outside the heating appliance 11, for example from the AC electrical network 33 or from any other external power source ( not shown) which would be for example in direct voltage, typically based on renewable energy. Such DC voltage sources based on alternative energy are for example photovoltaic panels, fuel cells, supercapacitors, batteries based on electrochemical cells.

In particular, provision may be made for storage in the electrical energy storage device 32 from the alternative electrical network 33 at times when the cost of electricity is lower and for storage from dc-based direct voltage sources. renewable energy at the time they are being produced.

It should be specified, and as will be detailed below, that at least part of the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage device 32 can possibly be injected into the alternative electrical network 33.

The electronic interface components 41 interposed between the electrical energy storage device 32 and the heating member 21 advantageously comprise, in the particular embodiment where the heating appliance 11 comprises such an energy storage device electric 32, a bidirectional step-up step-down 42. In particular, the bidirectional step-down step 42 is interposed between the electric energy storage device 32 and the electric resistance 22 in the case where the heating member 21 comprises at minus such an electrical resistance 22.

The term “bidirectional voltage step-down” means a voltage converter whose function is to adjust the DC voltage delivered by the storage device 32 upwards and deliver, on the side of the heating member 21, a higher voltage. high; conversely, it can be used to adjust the voltage delivered by the voltage rectifier-step-down 43 on the side of the heating member 21 and to deliver a lower voltage on the side of the storage device 32.

When the electrical energy storage device 32 is recharged from the alternative electrical network 33, this energy passes through the step-down rectifier 43 and then into the bidirectional step-down step-down 42.

Advantageously, the combined use of such a voltage rectifier-step-down 43 and of a bidirectional step-up step-down 42 allows the use of a single electrical resistance 22 selectively supplied by the alternating electrical network 33 or by the device for storing electrical energy 32. This allows great simplicity of design and manufacture, as well as a limitation of costs without reducing the general efficiency of the heater 11.

This is why, according to a particular but nonlimiting embodiment, the heating member 21 of the heating appliance 11 comprises a single electrical resistance 22 selectively supplied by the AC electrical network 33 via the voltage rectifier-step-down 43 or by the electrical energy storage device 32 via the bidirectional step-down 42.

According to an additional advantage, the use of a single electrical resistance 22 makes it possible to obtain a heater 11 which is compact, simple in design and manufacture, and economical.

According to a particular embodiment, the electronic interface components 41 impose a direct voltage across the terminals of this single electrical resistance 22 having a value comprised in a range going from 0V to 300V, whether the energy comes from the alternating electrical network 33 or of the electrical energy storage device 32. This results in the advantageous presence of a possibly lower instantaneous power.

This does not however exclude considering a variant not shown in which, within the heating member 21, provision would be made for the presence of a first electrical resistance intended to be supplied only from the alternative electrical network 33 via the voltage rectifier-step-down 43 and a second electrical resistance intended to be supplied only from the electrical energy storage device 32 via the bidirectional step-up step-down 42.

Advantageously, the electronic interface components 41 produce heat during their use, which contributes to improving the efficiency of the heating device 11. For a better efficiency of this principle, the voltage step-down rectifier 43 and l the bi-directional step-up 42 includes heat sinks producing a second calorie flow with the calories generated by the step-up rectifier 43 and the two-way step-up 42 during operation. The second flow is mixed with the first calorie flow generated by the heating element 21. This makes it possible to avoid heat losses and to optimize the general efficiency of the heating device 11.

The heater 11 includes a management unit, housed in the housing, which via a dedicated intelligence, controls the electrical interface components 41 so as to place the heater 11 selectively in one of the four modes of operation described below.

In a first mode of operation, the electrical supply of the at least one electrical resistance 22 is produced by the alternating electrical network 33 by means of the voltage rectifier-step-down 43.

In a second operating mode, the electrical resistance 22 is supplied with electrical energy by the electrical energy storage device 32 by means of the bidirectional step-down step-down 42.

A third operating mode corresponds to the electrical supply of the electrical energy storage device 32 by the alternating electrical network 33 by means of the voltage rectifier-step-down 43 then of the bidirectional step-down step-up 42.

In a fourth mode of operation, a quantity of electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage device 32 is injected towards the alternating electrical network 33 by means of the bidirectional step-up step-down 42 and then of the rectifier- step-down 43.

The management unit can combine two or more of these four modes at any time, if necessary.

In other words, the intelligence previously mentioned therefore makes it possible to choose the best conditions for choosing between heating by the heating member 21 by supply from the AC electrical network 33 via the voltage step-down rectifier 43, heating by the heating member 21 by supplying from the electrical energy storage device 32 via the bidirectional step-up step-down 42, direct charging of the electrical energy storage device 12 from the alternative electrical network 33, discharging the storage device d electrical energy 12 to the alternative electrical network 33.

To achieve this, the heating device 11 comprises, according to a particular embodiment, at least one determining element chosen from an element for characterizing the state of charge and / or the state of health of the storage device. 32, a sensor for measuring the temperature outside the heater 11, and a sensor for measuring the temperature of the storage device 32.

In general, the management unit chooses the operating mode in which it places the heater 11 among the first, second, third and fourth operating modes described above, as a function of at least one determined parameter. by said element of determination.

For example, when the electrical energy storage device 22 is not capable of supplying the at least one electrical resistance 22 and / or that the electrical energy coming from the alternative electrical network 33 has an advantage then the heater is placed in the first mode of operation.

On the other hand, it may for example be provided to address a current at the input of the heating member 21 as soon as the temperature, recorded by the dedicated measurement sensor, is lower than a setpoint temperature known to the unit. Management.

Thanks to the bidirectional step-up step-down 42 and the step-up rectifier 43, the voltage and therefore the current in the heating element 21 can vary according to the heating power required for the part.

The current in the heating member 21 can for example be interrupted as soon as the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature is greater than a predetermined value, for example of the order of 0.3 ° C, or according to a management algorithm.

The charging of the storage device 32 can be started when inexpensive energy is available or when the state of charge of the storage device 32 becomes less than a predetermined low threshold, for example of the order of 15%.

The charge of the storage device 32 can be interrupted when the charge state of the storage device 32 is sufficiently high, in particular by being above a high threshold, for example of the order of 95%.

The discharge of the storage device 32 can be controlled when the storage device 32 is sufficiently charged, in particular when its state of charge is above an intermediate threshold, for example of the order of 50%, and when no source of inexpensive energy is available.

In addition, the heater 11 includes wireless communication elements integrated into the housing which allow the management unit of the heater 11 to communicate wirelessly with a remote control unit of a communication system. energy management of a building in which the heater 11 is installed. This allows the intelligence previously mentioned to integrate directly and easily into the energy management system, or EMS for "Energy Management System" in English terminology, of the building.

In a first embodiment, the bidirectional step-down 42 is a DC voltage converter. It then has for a first function consisting in adjusting upward the DC voltage delivered by the storage device 32 and delivering, on the side of the heating member 21, a higher voltage and a second function consisting in adjusting downward the voltage delivered by the voltage step-down rectifier 43 on the side of the heating member 21 and in delivering a lower voltage on the side of the storage device 32.

In a second embodiment having the advantage of its simplicity and of the lower number of components, ultimately making it possible to reduce the costs and the risks of failure, the bidirectional step-up step-down 42 is constituted by the rectifier- step-down 43.

The presence of sensors and intelligence makes it possible to manage energy consumption precisely and to know the needs of the building.

Thanks to the use of the storage device 32 and the electronic interface components 41, the electrical energy can be stored in the heating device 11 and then destocked according to the needs of the building.

The invention also relates to an electrical installation comprising the electrical energy source 31 and at least one such heating appliance 11, the electronic interface components 41 of which electrically connect the heating member 21 and the energy source 31.

Such an electrical installation, in which the source of electrical energy 31 may include the storage device 32 internal to the apparatus 11 and the network 33 and / or at least one external source of DC voltage supply, for example of the based on renewable energies, may preferably comprise means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heating device 11. The means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heating device 11 are chosen from means for determining and monitor energy consumption, means for determining and monitoring the presence of people, means for determining and monitoring the relative humidity and / or carbon dioxide.

It can also include means for determining and monitoring external information linked to the electrical network 33, to the internet, or to a weather server.

Generally, the management unit chooses the operating mode in which it places the heater 11 among the first, second, third and fourth operating modes, as a function of at least one parameter determined by the means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heating appliance 11 and / or by the means for determining and monitoring the external information.

For example, on the basis of the state of charge, the state of health or the temperature of the storage device 32, said external information and information related to the environment of the heater 11, the heater 11 can participate directly in energy storage according to its condition, the network and the needs of users. Thus, the heater 11 can participate in the integration of renewable energies on the network without degrading the service vis-à-vis the user.

Combined with energy production sources such as solar or wind, the heater 11 can increase the rate of coverage of energy needs by renewable sources and at the same time guarantee a rate of self-consumption of up to 100 %.

The communication elements, typically based on low consumption protocols, allow information to be shared with a centralized intelligence of the energy management system.

The dedicated intelligence of the heating appliance 11 can be equipped with machine learning type algorithms making it possible to maximize savings over the entire building by relying on the presence and temperature sensors present throughout the building.

This intelligence makes it possible to produce or improve a thermal model of the building representing the main characteristics of this building with an accuracy corresponding to the level of installation of the heating devices.

10.

Compared with the model produced or improved, the presence of the sensors also makes it possible to detect thermal losses or unusual deviations in order to participate in security mechanisms, improve user habits and anticipate preventive maintenance on the building.

The integration of the inertia information of the heating member 21 and the point heat effect in the energy management of the building makes it possible to improve the self-consumption of the building without reducing the thermal comfort of the users.

Advantageously, this type of energy management system can be integrated within intelligent networks known as "smarts grids" in Anglo-Saxon terminology to allow storage in optimal conditions of renewable and continuous energies on the electrical network.

Advantageously, the management unit of the heating appliance 11 can be controlled subsequently to events on the home network or the national network to compensate for the following cases encountered in “smart grids”: production in excess of demand, demand in surplus compared to production and withdrawal of reactive power.

In the event of production exceeding demand, the storage device 32 can consume energy on the domestic or national network for local storage.

In the event of demand greater than production, the storage device 32 can supply energy to the domestic or national network.

In the event of withdrawal of reactive power, the storage device 32 can be used, with the appropriate voltage and phase parameters, to increase the power factor and / or reduce the harmonic pollution of the network.

Sources of solar energy, fuel cells, supercapacitors and electrochemical batteries are sources of direct voltage which can be partially integrated into the source of electrical power which supplies the heater 11.

Lighting, air conditioning and domestic hot water can be integrated into central intelligence to allow the other elements of the building to participate in energy management.

The use in the housing of a cogeneration boiler can advantageously provide an additional source of electricity for recharging the batteries. This ensures that all of the electricity produced by the boiler is actually self-consumed.

Claims (12)

1. A heater (11) of the electric radiator type having a housing containing a heating member (21) capable of being supplied with electric current by a source of electrical energy (31), and electronic interface components (41 ) electrically connecting the heating member (21) and the power source (31), the electronic interface components (41) being housed in the housing and ensuring continuous modulation of the power supply of the member heating (21) by the electrical energy source (31). 2. A heating device (11) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric power source (31) comprises an alternating electrical network (33) and in that the electronic interface components (41) comprise a rectifier - voltage step-down (43) interposed between the AC electrical network (33) and the heating element (21). 3. A heating appliance (11) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the electric energy source (31) comprises an electrical energy storage device (32) and in that the components Interface electronics (41) include a bidirectional step-up step-down (42) interposed between the electrical energy storage device (32) and the heater (21). 4. Heating appliance (11) according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the heating member (21) comprises a single electrical resistance (22) selectively supplied by the alternating electrical network (33) via the voltage rectifier step-down (43) or by the electrical energy storage device (32) via the bidirectional step-up step-down (42). 5. A heating appliance (11) according to claim 4, characterized in that the electronic interface components (41) impose a direct voltage across the terminals of the heating member (21) having a value included in a range from 0V to 300V. 6. Heating device (11) according to claims 2 and 3 or one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the heating device (11) comprises a management unit housed in the housing and controlling the electrical components interface (41) so as to selectively place the heater (11) in one of the following operating modes: a first operating mode in which the heating element (21) is supplied with electrical energy by the alternating electrical network (33) via the voltage step-down rectifier (43), a second operating mode in which the heating element (21) is supplied with electrical energy by the electrical energy storage device (32) by means of the bidirectional step-up step-down (42), a third mode of operation in which the device of electrical energy storage (32) is supplied with electrical energy by the alternating electrical network (33) via the voltage rectifier-step-down (43) then the bidirectional step-up step-down (42), a fourth operating mode in which a quantity of electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage device (32) is sent to the alternative electrical network (33) via e of the bidirectional step-up step-down (42) and then of the step-up rectifier-step down (43). 7. A heating appliance (11) according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one determining element chosen from an element for characterizing the state of charge and / or the state of health of the device for storage (32), a temperature measurement sensor outside the heater (11), a temperature measurement sensor of the storage device (32) and in that the management unit chooses the operating mode in which it places the heating appliance (11) among the first, second, third and fourth operating modes, as a function of at least one parameter determined by said determining element. 8. Heater (11) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises wireless communication elements integrated in the housing and allowing the management unit of the heater to communicate wirelessly with a remote control unit of a building energy management system. 9. A heating appliance (11) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the bidirectional step-up step-down (42) is a direct current voltage converter. 10. Heating device (11) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the bidirectional step-down step-up (42) is constituted by the rectifier-step-down (43). 11. Electrical installation comprising a source of electrical energy (31) and at least one heating device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the electronic interface components (41) of which electrically connect the heater (21) and the energy source (31), electrical installation comprising on the one hand means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heating appliance (11) chosen from means for determining and monitoring the energy consumption , means for determining and monitoring the presence of people, means for determining and monitoring the relative humidity and / or carbon dioxide, on the other hand means for determining and monitoring external information linked to an electrical network (33 ) from the power source (31), the internet, or a weather server. 12. Electrical installation according to claim 11, in which the heating appliance (11) is according to any one of claims 6 or 7 and in which the management unit chooses the operating mode in which it places the appliance. among the first, second, third and fourth operating modes, as a function of at least one parameter determined by the means for determining and monitoring the environment of the heating appliance (11) and / or by the means to determine and monitor external information.