IES86305B2 - A device and method for heating system control and monitoring - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a method of managing and monitoring boiler energy consumption comprising the following steps: (i) monitoring external weather temperature; (ii) monitoring room temperature; (iii) monitoring the duration of the most recent burner fires and storing the duration of each fire in memory; (iv) sending information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires, to a remote webserver; (v) streaming said information to one or more databases via the webserver; and (vi) delaying the boiler purge period by a time value, said time value based on said information so that the burner is fired at the most advantageous point in time.

Description

A DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HEATING SYSTEM CONTROL AND MONITORING The present invention relates to heating system devices. In particular to boiler/burner energy management and monitoring devices suitable for use with, inter alia, natural gas, liquefied petroleum (LP) gas, Class C oil and Class D oil for commercial applications, e.g. devices suitable for On/Off burners.

In order for a conventional boiler to supply heat to a building there is an interaction between a boiler and its burner. The time clock used with a boiler is set by the user and determines when this interaction can take place (On/Off). The boiler is manufactured by a boiler manufacturer and the burner is supplied by a burner manufacturer. The two items are not designed as a single unit. The boiler has a thermostat that operates within a bandwidth for the burner to supply heat to circulating water. The lower end of this bandwidth triggers the burner to fire and the upper end of the bandwidth terminates the burner fire.

Conventional boilers waste energy. One of the reasons for this is the inaccuracy of conventional boiler thermostats. A boiler thermostat is a simple, crude device that triggers a boiler to fire and terminates a fire solely based on the temperature level of circulating water passing through the flow outlet of the boiler. Conventional boiler thermostats have a margin of error of plus or minus 5% accuracy, i.e. an inaccuracy of up to 10% (from the plus extreme to the minus extreme). Such an inaccuracy is significant at 80 °C. It is especially significant in multi-boiler applications where multiple boilers magnify the inaccuracy. For example, multiple boilers could fire at the same time when there is not a heating load to indicate the necessity for more than one boiler to fire.

The bandwidth (hysteresis) of a conventional boiler thermostat can be as close as 1 °C and is seldom wider than 2 °C. This means that the water temperature has only to drop this small amount to trigger the boiler to fire, i.e. if a boiler thermostat is set at 80 °C, the calling water temperature is 78 °C. The outcome of this close bandwidth hysteresis results in numerous short burner fires and these are not an efficient use of fuel.

Most commercial boilers have burners with two stage firing. They have an electrical control box acting between the boiler and the burner. This control box has on average, depending on boiler output, five sequence events as follows: 1. Boiler thermostat electrical power; 2. Burner purge (a safety feature to push un-burnt fuel residue up the flue/stack out of harm's way before the combustion fire begins; this is a set period dependent on burner output); 3. Electrical power transferred to burner for first stage fire engagement; 4. Second stage burner fire engagement (after a set time delay); . Removal of electrical power from the electrical control box when the boiler thermostat is satisfied leading to termination of the burner’s second stage of fire. io When a boiler thermostat calls for heat caused by a drop in water temperature, the purge period starts within 1 second, i.e. each time a burner is called to fire, within 1 second its motor fan draws in air and pushes cool air through the combustion chamber and up through the flue. This air is at ambient weather temperature. First stage fire is a timed event after the end of the purge period. First stage fire usually counteracts the fall of water temperature due to the cool air intake by the fan. The second stage fire consumes more fuel and is a fixed, timed event from the start of the first stage fire.

All On/Off burners currently on the market have a mechanical action electrical control box to determine the time factor between: 1. The end of the purge period and the start of the first stage fire; and 2. The start of the first stage fire and the start of the second stage fire.

The control box controls all burner events from the purge, to the first stage fire, to the second stage fire. The mechanical action covering both points above is effected by a revolution of a plastic toothed wheel. This action has no intelligence whatsoever. At the end of the purge period, the burner will ignite and engage in its first stage of fire for a predefined period which depends on burner size and output. After a further period of a predefined time, a second stage fire will start. In conventional boilers, the pre-defined time period between the first and second stage fires never changes. That is, the mechanical action electrical control box will fire the burner on first and second stage fires at exactly the same time regardiess of external weather temperature or geographical location.

Weather is a significant factor in energy consumption. Heat loss through the fabric of a building is directly proportionat to the difference between external temperature and internal (i.e. room) temperature. The higher the external temperature, the slower the heat loss and the colder the external temperature, the greater the heat loss. Additionally, in cold frosty weather the purge period can typically reduce water temperature by 4-5 °C, in milder weather by 0.5-1 °C. In order to overcome heat loss, energy is consumed by a burner/boiler. Thus, the greater the heat loss (colder weather temperature), the more energy is used.

In the most severe winter months, (e.g. December to March) it can be much colder early in the morning, in particular before 10:00 am, and late in the afternoon, in particular after 3:00 pm, compared to midday (e.g. between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm). However, in conventional boilers the burner is fired at the exact same time it receives a signal from the boiler thermostat whether the weather temperature is at -7°C or at +8°C. This causes energy wastage.

The north of Scotland has different weather characteristics than the south of England but both are currently being treated the same. This was not a problem when energy was cheap but it is a major problem in terms of energy efficiency when energy is now an expensive overhead. To put this into very direct terms currently there are burners firing at exactly the same time when the weather temperature is +12°C as when it is -10°C.

Adding to this inefficiency of numerous firing is the burner safety factor (purge period). This purge period sucks in air by the burner motor fan at ambient (external) temperature which in winter time could be at freezing level or below. The cooling effect inside the boiler combustion area by this cold air intake lowers water circulating temperature and causes the burner to fire for longer periods to overcome the water temperature loss directly due to the purge period. This process, although necessary for safety reasons, can waste energy when burner firing engages for short periods leading to more fires than necessary.

Additionally, as part of design calculations, boilers are capacity over-sized to ensure a faster heat-up time. This again wastes energy. Specifically, building heat loss characteristics slow down as the external weather temperature starts to rise (even during heavy early morning frost) and temperature may rise well above freezing level and remain at that level typically for four or five hours. The burners fire when called by the boiler thermostat and make no provision to change the precise moment to fire for different external temperature or geographical location.

A need therefore exists for improved boiler and burner efficiency. The inventors have found that for absolute efficiency, boiler output should be matched to heat load demand as defined by weather temperature. As energy prices are expected to rise by 70%-80% over the next decade there is a need for an intelligent control which minimises the amount of energy used by a boiler whilst maintaining comfort space temperature and honouring hot water requirements.

The inventor has surprisingly found that by introducing a more intelligent control to the first and second stages of burner fire, by reducing the number of purge periods and by lengthening the duration of burner fires, the energy wastage currently occurring in conventional boilers can be significantly reduced.

Thus viewed from a first aspect, the invention provides a method of managing and monitoring boiler energy comprising the following steps: (i) monitoring external weather temperature; (ii) monitoring room temperature; (iii) monitoring the duration of the most recent burner fires and storing the duration of each fire in memory; (iv) sending information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires to a remote webserver; (v) streaming said information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires to one or more databases via the webserver; and (vi) altering the time at which a burner is fired by delaying the boiler purge period by a time value, said time value based on said information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires, so that the burner is fired at a time which is weather corrected and compensated, room temperature corrected and taking into account burner fire history. 4A Preferably, said information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and duration of the most recent burner fires is sent upon demand from a user, at any time or by sequence at a predetermined time (e.g. midnight every night or at another time every 24 hours).

Optionally, reports are generated from said databases and said time value is based on said reports.

The time value by which the purge period is delayed varies according to external weather 10 temperature. At external weather temperature of 2 °C or less or when the boiler has not fired for the last 90 minutes (indicating that the end of a time clock period has passed for the day and the next fire will be the start of a new time clock period the following morning), there is no delay to the purge period. At weather temperature of 20 °C, the delay can be up to 90 minutes, preferably up to 10 minutes, e.g. 5 minutes. Each degree of temperature from 3 °C to 20 °C has a specific delay time value. Preferably, the delay time value ranges from 1 to 5,400 seconds, particularly preferably from 1 to 600 seconds.

If there has been no change in weather temperature from the last burner fire compared to the current fire about to happen (boiler thermostat has “called”) and the room temperature is the same, the same delay time is used to delay the purge period for the boiler fire about to happen as the delay time value used to delay the purge for the previous fire.

At whatever level the external weather temperature is (so long as it is above 2°C), if the external weather temperature is the same as at the time of the last burner fire but the room temperature has increased by say 5%, then the delay time value will be increased by 5% with respect to the previous delay time value used. Similarly, if the room temperature has dropped by 5% then the delay time value will be reduced by 5% with respect to the previous delay time value used.

In other words, when the boiler is about to fire, the delay time value is held in memory and compared with the weather temperature reading taken nearest to when the boiler is called. If the room temperature has not changed and there has not been a hot water demand (significantly longer boiler fire), this delay time value will be used. If the room temperature is higher, then the delay time value will be increased by the percentage of room temperature increase (if the room temperature is increased by 5% then the same delay used at the last fire will be used plus the percentage difference). The same happens in reverse: if the room temperature is colder, the boiler firing delay time value (i.e. the delay of the purge period) is shortened by the same percentage as the percentage change of the room temperature The delay of the second stage varies using the duration of the last boiler fire in second stage fire as a reference, i.e. the duration of each fire is used as a benchmark for the next fire. The delay time value for the second stage of fire is not as crucial as the first stage delay and ranges from zero to 5 minutes, preferably from 1 second to 3 minutes. The duration of the last number of boiler fires in first stage and second stage fire is logged in order to look for patterns (building fabric heat loss increase or decrease or hot water demand). If the last fire was 5% longer in second stage than the average then the next delay time value for the second stage fire will be reduced by 5%.

Bringing all this together the device continually monitors weather temperature, room temperature, duration of first stage fire, duration of second stage fire and average duration of second stage fire to allocate the necessary delay time value for whatever the current conditions are. Whatever delay time value it uses for the current fire is updated for the next fire. The intelligence is therefore ongoing.

The method according to the invention results in the firing of a burner at the most advantageous point in time in respect of energy use, i.e, the burner is fired at a time which is weather corrected and compensated, room temperature corrected and taking into account burner firing history.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the step of monitoring external weather temperature is conducted prior to the step of monitoring room temperature, i.e. weather temperature is firstly analysed, then a reading from one or more room temperature sensors is taken and if necessary the time at which the burner is instructed to fire is altered by delaying the purge period and then the burner is fired.

In the method of the invention, all data are continually analysed before a decision is made when to fire the burner in both first and second stage fires. This process can take less than one second. Therefore, the weather temperature intelligence and the room temperature intelligence will be always between one second old if it has just missed the last reading or wait a maximum of 10 seconds to 15 minutes, e.g. two minutes, until the next temperature reading. This waiting time depends on whether there has been any change in external or interior temperature since the last readings. 15 minutes waiting time indicates there has been no change in external or interior temperature since the last reading. If the burner fired immediately after a weather temperature reading, the weather data would be just one second old. If a burner fire just missed the last weather temperature reading then its information would be exactly just one second short of the waiting time.

The method according to the invention may optionally include one or more of the following steps: (a) reading gas, oil and/or electricity consumption, (b) date and time-stamping the gas, oil and/or electricity consumption measurement(s); (c) analysing flue gas; (d) collecting water temperature readings, preferably at timed intervals.

Viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides an energy management and monitoring device for a boiler system, the boiler system comprising at least one burner, said device comprising: (i) at least one temperature sensor arranged to monitor external weather temperature; (ii) at least one further temperature sensor arranged to monitor room temperature; (iii) means for monitoring the duration of the most recent burner fires and for storing the duration of each fire in memory; (iv) means for sending information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and duration of the most recent burner fires (i.e. burner firing history) to a remote webserver; and (v) means for streaming said information to various databases accessible via the webserver, wherein said device is arranged to alter the time the at least one burner is called to fire by delaying the boiler purge period after the burner is called to fire depending on said information relating to external weather temperature, room temperature and duration of the most recent burner fires.

Preferably, the means for sending information sends information on demand, at any time or by sequence at a predetermined time (e.g. midnight every night or at another time every 24 hours).

The device is preferably installed between the boiler thermostat and the burner.

Optionally, the device further comprises: (a) means for reading gas, oil and/or electricity consumption; (b) means for date and time-stamping gas, oil and/or electricity consumption measurement(s); (c) means for analysing flue gas; (d) means for collecting water temperature readings, preferably collecting at timed intervals.

In a preferred feature of the invention, one device can operate more than one boiler in a multi-boiler site. Alternatively, each boiler in a multi-boiler system is equipped with its own device. In each case, the boilers in a multi-boiler site are preferably only connected by conventional water connections.

The device and method according to the invention widen the hysteresis of the boiler thermostat which results in fewer, but more efficient, burner fires. This has the further advantage that fewer purge periods are required, leading to less cooling of circulating water and further energy savings.

The method and device according to the invention introduces burner control flexibility directly related to weather (first level of intelligence). This effective and fast acting control of the precise time to fire the burner is determined by external air temperature and not by water temperature. Water temperature related control would be much slower to react.

Continuous monitoring of external temperature provides flexible weather related operation of the burner.

The device and method according to the invention have a second level of intelligence which is room temperature, i.e. interior temperature. Preferably, the device firstly analyses weather temperature, then takes a reading from room temperature sensors and if necessary alters the time at which the burner is instructed to fire by delaying the purge period as defined herein and then prepares to fire the burner.

As a final intelligence brief the device keeps in memory the most recent burner fires and measures these in time value (not temperature). Preferably, the last three burner fires are kept in memory. However, in some instances, it may be preferred to keep 1 to 15 burner fires in memory, particularly preferably 2 to 10, e.g. 5, That is, the device monitors the most recent burner fires storing the duration of each fire in memory as a benchmark for the next fire. This starts a sequence for the next burner fire. Weather and room temperature is monitored in preparation for the next burner so that the device fires the burner at the optimum time i.e. delays the purge period by a suitable time period, taking all relevant temperature information and burner fire history into account.

Successive external temperature readings may be exactly the same and respectively, successive room temperature readings may be exactly the same. However, a longer burner fire during the most recent fires would indicate a demand for hot water as a separate issue to heat. In this case the weather and room temperature readings would be disregarded and replaced with an override until the system returns from this temporary demand state.

In buildings (e.g. office buildings) where insulation properties of the building fabric materials is good, heat loss slows down and energy Is wasted by too early a heating start as each weekday progresses. The device according to the invention provides reports, preferably graphical reports, to allow setting of heating periods to be efficiently related for each individual day. Equally so the daily heating period end time can be efficiently set by the user upon analysing the room temperature graph.

The device according to the invention effectively reduces energy consumption by directly addressing the boiler burner efficiency. The information provided by the device by way of the means for sending information (the reporting facility) has the ability to additionally reduce energy consumption by fine tuning the environment of the actual building. In other words, the device provides all the information to set a building up to use the absolute minimum of energy for heating and hot water.

The device according to the invention is suitable for On/Off natural gas burners, On/Off LP gas burners, On/Off oil burners (e.g. 28 second oil (kerosene, Class C oil) burner or 32 second oil (Class D oil) burner), single or two stage burners and multi-boiler applications.

The device according to the invention intelligently controls burner firing for heating systems, preferably commercial heating systems, using self-learning crucial intelligence based on temperature and burner fire history.

Preferably, the device receives external temperature information every two minutes during burner rest periods and at each burner event (e.g. up to nine events stages in a burner fire) so that its weather temperature intelligence is always current. However, in some instances, it may be preferred that the device receives external temperature information at each burner event and 30 seconds to 15 minutes during burner rest periods, preferably every 90 seconds to 5 minutes during burner rest periods.

The time sequence (i.e. when the device receives information regarding external temperature, room temperature or burner fire history) can be changed. There is a different time interim value during non-boiler activity which could be up to 20 minutes between weather temperature and room temperature monitoring. If external temperature has not changed since the last temperature reading then the next reading would be deferred. External temperature will still be checked every two minutes, for example, but these temperature measurements will not be recorded in order to save memory. This pattern would continue until up to 20 minutes had passed from the last temperature reading at which time the reading would be recorded to memory. If the temperature has changed at any stage during the 20 minutes then the interim monitoring periods would be reduced, for example to 15 minute intervals (during non-boiler activity periods).

During the purge period (preparation to firing), during stages of fire (e.g. both first and second stages) and for the period after the burner has terminated its fire and before the burner is called again (during the residual heat gain period during which heat is transferred from the boiler's combustion chamber to circulating water after each burner fire), external weather temperature readings are taken every 10 seconds and held in memory. The preferred short 10 second duration helps accuracy in defining the duration of the purge period, the first stage fire, the second stage fire and the residual heat gain (heat transfer from the combustion area of the boiler to the circulating water) forming part of the intelligence of the device. However, other time periods for storing the readings in memory are contemplated by the invention. For example, readings may be taken every 2 seconds to 5 minutes during the purge period (preparation to firing), during stages of fire (e.g. both first and second stages) and for the extended period after the burner has terminated its fire mentioned above.

The device fires the burner in first stage fire only after checking data inputs (temperature readings, burner fire history) and fires the burner in second stage fire only after referencing effectiveness of the last few burner fires.

The device according to the invention effectively reduces the boiler over-capacity at milder weather temperature (e.g. 4-20 °C) and directly balances heat load demand to the required boiler output in direct relation to current weather temperature resulting in better efficiency.

A conventional On/Off commercial burner is more effective at high load demand. A high load demand would occur at temperatures less than 0-3 °C. Specifically, a conventional On/Off burner functions at 90 % efficiency (excluding flue efficiency losses) at high load demand but at weather temperatures of 4-20 °C, a conventional On/Off burner reduces in performance efficiency on a weather temperature increasing scale that has been recorded up to 50 % but in general terms could be typically nearer to 35 % averaged through this 420 °C weather temperature range.

In conventional multi-boiler applications, the inherent boiler thermostat inefficiencies can resuit in the situation being compounded regardless of weather conditions. Due to the inaccuracy of boiler thermostats in, for example, a conventional three boiler site all three boilers could fire due to the very fine difference in thermostat settings. This situation can and does happen regardless of weather. It is caused by improper setting of the thermostats. The device according to the invention, however, works extremely well in this situation. It delays two of the boilers giving the boiler that had fired time to raise water temperature and possibly reach its thermostat setting on its own power. By delaying the other boilers, the one fired boiler reaches the required temperature and cancels the thermostat call of the other boilers. The process in this situation is as follows, the device detects a shorter duration of burner firing time (much shorter than usual because the three boilers fired at the same time, assuming it was not the first time clock period of the day) and introduces a much longer delay for the purge period of the next fire (the boiler fire would probably be 40% shorter in this situation so the delay would be lengthened by 40% and this would put the boilers on a different pattern preventing all the boilers from firing at the same time).

The device according to the present invention is a boiler energy saving and monitoring device. It may also be used to diagnose boiler and boiler system problems which upon correction increase energy savings and/or provide improved comfort.

The problems which can be diagnosed with the invention are as follows: • Boiler thermostat fault; • Purge period did not take place preventing the burner from firing; • First stage fire was called for but did not engage; • Second stage fire was called for but did not engage; • Burner fire lasted too long for weather conditions based on history; • Poor boiler thermostat setting (resulting in wastage of energy).

If the load share firing percentage in a multi-boiler site was not balanced properly it would identify an incorrect boiier thermostat setting in one or more boilers.

Water temperature readings may also be collected at timed intervals throughout time 5 clock periods for diagnostic purposes. If a water temperature sensor is used, the device can: • identify if the water circulating pump is functioning correctly: • confirm that the water left the boiler at the expected temperature level; • identify a leak; and · identify a burner motor problem, e.g. if the motor fan failed to come on there would not be a drop in water temperature and this would indicate a burner motor problem.

Thus in a preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention further comprises: (d) means for collecting water temperature readings, preferably collecting at timed intervals.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the device has a General packet radio service (GPRS) (like a mobile phone SIM card) that sends information on demand at any time or by sequence at midnight every night to a webserver. The data sent is streamed to one or more databases via the webserver and from these databases reports may be generated with graphical and text based information which can be accessed by the end user via a website. Suitable graphical and text based information is listed herein below.

The multi-purpose report generation of the device is of benefit for development purposes to for example an energy supplier, a product distributor or a maintenance engineer.

The home screen of the website allows a user to log in with a secure password. Once logged in the screen displays general information about a boiler site, e.g. the user’s boiler site.

If there is no date selected by the user, then the display will default to the previous full day (yesterday) unless a forced report is required. A forced report may be required for example when an alarm message is sent from the device (e.g. to a mobile phone) identifying a problem. In such a case the latest information is sent to the website on demand. Normal daily upload to the website preferably takes place at midnight.

Events which have occurred in the past 24 hours (or another period determined by the user) may be displayed on the main action screen of the website once the user is logged in. These events are as follows: 1. The number of times the boiler thermostat called for heat; 2. The number of times the purge period occurred; 3. The number of times the burner fired in first stage; 4. The number of times the burner fired in second stage; . The number of times the burner terminated a fire; 6. The number of burner consumption run times for each boiler and the total number of burner consumption run times for all burners; 7. The average weather temperature; 8. The maximum weather temperature; 9. The time that the maximum weather temperature occurred; . The minimum weather temperature; 11. The time that the minimum weather temperature occurred.

In theory events 1 to 5 should have exactly the same numerical value. However, from a diagnostic point of view, if there was a problem and the burner failed to fire then an anomalous value for any of events 1 to 5 above would indicate where the fault was.

On another area on the screen, one or more of the following details may be displayed for the chosen date: • The time of the boiler initial fire of the day; • The time that the boiler fired at the end of the time clock period; • The maximum weather temperature of the day; • The minimum weather temperature of the day; • The average weather temperature of the day; • The maximum room temperature of the day; • The minimum room temperature of the day; • The average duration of first stage fire; • The average duration of second stage fire; • Gas and/or oil consumption and weather temperature values, e.g. from start of month.

Although the above details are listed as in relation to events on one day, a period between any two dates selected from a calendar profile could instead be chosen.

If the site was a 24 x 7 operation (i.e. continuous all day and all week) then both the time of the boiler initial fire of the day and the time that the boiler fired at the end of the time clock period would be displayed as 00:00.

The screen may also show one or more of the following charts and graphs: • A text based columnar detailed layout showing all boiler activity for a selected day or for a selection between two periods; • A bar chart showing consumption (in burner run time) measured against weather temperature on an axis of 24 hours; • A regression analysis graph illustrating weather unrelated consumption (general building heat loss regardless of weather conditions) and weather related consumption; • A bar chart showing boiler cycles against weather temperature based on a 24 hour axis; • A columnar format report detailing the exact time each burner fire took place in first stage of fire, in second stage of fire and rest periods giving a daily grand total for each day or for a user defined period of time; • A scattered line graph plotting energy consumption versus weather temperature which provides weather unrelated consumption (general building heat loss regardless of weather conditions) and energy consumption for each degree (°C) of weather change; • Energy consumption and average weather temperature for the same day of the previous year or for a user defined period of a week or month of the same period the previous year; • Prediction of energy consumption based on past history and 20 year and 30 year average of weather temperatures for a user defined future period; A line graph illustrating events 7 to 11 above (average weather temperature; maximum weather temperature; time that the maximum weather temperature occurred; minimum weather temperature; time that the minimum weather temperature occurred); • A comparison graph illustrating burner load share in multi-boiler sites versus weather temperature on an hourly or daily basis; · Pie charts illustrating any of the following: • Percentage ratios of first stage fire, second stage fire and rest time between fires of each boiler; • Load percentage share for each boiler; • Load share at selected times, for example to show the difference in load share at early morning and say noon; • The number of boiler cycles in a day compared to a line graph of weather and room temperature.

If the frost stat used with a boiler is set at a particular weather temperature, e.g. -1°C, it will trigger the boiler/bumer to fire outside of set (predetermined) time clock periods when the weather temperature is level with or below this limit (-1°C in this example). The frost stat will also cease the boiler/burner firing when the weather temperature has risen above the set threshold limit (-1°C in this example). If, when the average temperature was above freezing point, a boiler were to fire outside the time of the boiler initial fire of the day or the time that the boiler fired at the end of the time clock period, this would indicate a faulty frost stat, i.e. a frost stat that calls the boiler/burner to fire at weather temperatures higher (warmer) than the set level.

There are preferably five levels of access to the website: 1. Administration - access to all levels; 2. Owner (e.g. an energy supplier) - access only to its installers and customers; 3. Distributor - access only to its installers and customers; 4. Installer - access only to its customers; and . Customer.

The reports and their formats preferably differ appropriately according to the level of user.

Particularly preferably, the menu options also differ according to the level of user security permission. However, all site survey details about the site can be shown on the screen. The usual add, change, delete provisions are preferably provided.

An installation check list may be included with the device which will confirm one or more of: the temperature sensors being wired to the correct terminals, the temperature sensors reading the temperatures, the burner having fired in the proper sequence order. This process will commission the device and prove that it was fully functional when the engineer left the site. In order to do this the engineer can either carry a laptop with a bespoke programme to link to the PCB with its menus or can conduct the commission test and upload the information to the website.

In accordance with the invention, at least one of the following main advantages is 10 provided: • Reduction of energy consumption by increasing efficiency; • Monitoring of energy consumption; • Generation of energy efficiency reports displaying data in a variety of formats uploaded to a website; · Generation of gas or oil consumption reports at user defined set intervals displayed graphically; • Generation of boiler load share demand reports illustrating the load share demand of each boiler in multiple boiler applications; • Generation of regression analysis reports illustrating weather related and weather unrelated consumption rates; • Ability to generate reports on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and/or quarterly basis; • Ability to diagnose system problems remotely and check if a boiler fails to fire and at what stage of the five to nine sequence events the burner failed on; · Ability to send out alarm messages for excessive gas or oil consumption compared to normal consumption, e.g. indicating a gas or oil leak or a higher consumption rate for whatever reason according to a user set percentage level tolerance based on weather temperature normal consumption rates; • Ability to turn the heating appliance off remotely in a gas or oil leak situation; · Remote alteration of the system behaviour where there has been a change of operating circumstances, e.g. a change of use where considerably more hot water would be used altering the purpose balance between heating and hot water. This could apply due to a change of production technique that demands a high level of hot water at a guaranteed temperature for a production process.

A dial-in facility could be provided to user which will diagnose system problems remotely and, for example, check if a boiler fails to fire.

The device of the present invention is arranged to consider the different rates of heat loss caused by ever changing external temperature. Each 1 °C of weather temperature change for both the first stage and second stage of fire may result in a different arrangement. As noted above, the device receives external temperature information during burner rest periods and at each burner event. Therefore its weather temperature intelligence is always current.

The device according to the invention may be arranged to take into account the average of the last number of years of official recorded weather temperatures supplied by the local meteorological office, e.g. the last 20 and 30 years. As each year new official statistics become available, the 20 year and 30 year averages are updated dropping off the oldest and replacing it with the most recent. If there is a significant change, the device is updated accordingly. This means that even devices installed for years will be updated with latest weather trends. The devices may periodically be updated remotely.

The device according to the invention is arranged to take into account internal room temperature. Internal room temperature is monitored by a separate sensor to the sensor monitoring external temperature and this supplies additional intelligence for current heat load demand and expected heat load demand when building fabric heat loss increases or decreases. This illustrates if the start of a heating time clock period is efficient. For example, room temperature may be at the required level too early which would waste energy, if the time clock in an office building is incorrectly set, the internal room temperature may remain too high long after staff have left.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, numerous room temperature sensors can be daisy30 chained together but separately illustrated for graphical report analysis. This would be especially beneficial to a nursing home, hospital or care home, where staff could prove room temperature should a complaint be made. Generated room temperature graphical reports can be back dated. Staff could print off their own monthly reports illustrating room temperature profiles for all rooms over a month.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, the device captures gas consumption readings at the meter or oil consumption readings at the oil tank, e.g. by use of a module. This information can be printed hourly, daily, weekly or monthly. Such readings are preferably date and time stamped which makes checking energy bills a lot easier.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the device reads electricity meter consumption (e.g. by use of a module) and date and time stamps it which makes checking energy invoices a lot easier. No other device on the market is automatically reading both electric and gas, oil meters and combining these into a single report.

In addition, no other device on the market is able to separate heating and hot water gas usage from other gas appliances such as cookers or gas fires.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the device delays boiler firing on mornings which are milder than expected, e.g. by use of a module.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the device further comprises a module which acts as a remote time clock allowing remote changes of heating times or cancelling of heating programmes, e.g. for Bank Holidays. The device time clock allows a different setting for start of heating programmes based on the intelligence gathered and produced in the generated reports.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the device further comprises means for flue gas analysis, for example a sensor. Flue gas analysis indicates when a burner needs maintenance. The sensor is read by software and an alarm is sent out if the sensor shows a value below the benchmark set. Alternatively a flue gas sensor may be supplied that could be used from site to site. The maintenance engineer could open the device, connect the (e.g. three) wires, put the sensor in the flue for ten minutes or so with the readings being automatically sent to the website. The reading should then appear in the report, e.g. date and time stamped.

The structure and definition of the reporting features are unique in their own right. The customer is thus completely in charge of their energy consumption. The customer can access all their details from any computer anywhere in the world on the internet and their details are protected by a log in requirement and password.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the device further comprises a module which operates multi-boiler systems as if one boiler. For example, in a two boiler application, boiler 1 would be instructed to fire In first stage fire and if that could not satisfy the demand then boiler 2 would fire in its first stage fire and if the heating demand was not being met boiler 1 would fire in its second stage of fire and if the demand was greater, then boiler 2 would engage in its second stage of fire. If there are more than two boilers then the sequence as defined would be spread over the number of boilers. This provides a sequence of spreading the heating load demand over the boilers. To prolong boiler lifetime the selection of lead boiler can be changed at pre-set intervals such as weekly, fortnightly or monthly, preferably weekly. This is particularly suitable for large output boilers. This module can also override all the boiler thermostats and control sequence firing by just one boiler thermostat. This would be more applicable for installations of three or more boilers.

Brief description of the figures: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the prior art, i.e. normal boiler thermostat function. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of boiler thermostat function when using the device according to the invention.

Figures 4 and 5 are flow chart diagrams of the hardware of a preferred device according to the invention, with Figure 5 being more detailed.

Figures 6 and 7 show how preferred devices according to the invention are to be used. Figure 8 is a flow chart diagram showing when alarms may be raised using the method or device according to the invention.

Figure 9 is a flow diagram illustrating how a preferred device according to the invention communicates with a remote webserver.

Figure 10 is a flow diagram of the timer controlled interrupts of the preferred device. Figures 11 and 12 show flow diagrams of how input events to the preferred device are processed.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing how communication events between the preferred device and remote server may be handled.

Figure 14 is an overview diagram of the web service structure. 19a The invention is illustrated by the following examples: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a device 40 according to the invention and shows 5 GSM connection 10 by mobile phone and web upload, weather temperature sensor 20, gas/electrical consumption sensor 30 and room temperature sensor 50.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of art boiler thermostat function. Electrical power is “signalled” from the boiler thermostat to the burner 60 triggered by a slight drop in water temperature regardless of weather temperature.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of boiler thermostat function when using the device according to the invention and shows weather temperature sensor 20, gas consumption sensor 30, new device 40, room temperature sensor 50 and burner 60. With the new product the burner will only be allowed to fire using intelligent factors. The line XX shows the length of last three 1st stage fires. The line YY shows the length of last three 2nd stage burner fires.

Figure 5 is a flow chart diagram of the hardware of a preferred device according to the invention including inside temperature sensor 50 and outside temperature sensor 20.

Figure 6 shows that device 40 only fires burner 60 after successful processing all intelligent sources: external weather temperature 20, internal room temperature 50, length of last three burner fires. Figure 6 shows boiler thermostat 70 and boiler control box 80, existing electrical wiring, electrical wiring diversion, information flow and device intelligence to fire burner.

Example 1: A device monitors and sends information relating to external and internal temperature and burner fire duration. This device has a unique ID, a distributor has a unique ID, a customer has a unique ID, an installer has a unique ID, and each customer site in a multi group has a unique ID. Each sensor also has a unique ID.

All monitored information is uploaded into five SQL databases on a web server. Site survey forms with site specific details are entered into the database through a web interface. For security each statistic is attached to a unique identification number. The web interface provides a number of security levels all restricted to their own data with the exception of the administration which has permission to all ID’s.

For whatever report is required by a user, behind the scenes a query is generated based on specific ID's so that one customer does not have access to any other customer except a customer group having multiple buildings. The device has software features to set up database requirements. A query report can be generated for anything associated with the contents of a file. A report may list the time of each boiler cycle (at what time the boiler thermostat called for heat, at what time the purge started and finished, at what time the first stage fire started and finished, what time the second stage fire started and finished and how long the burner rested between fires). The report may provide this information for one fire, the last three fires from which a delay time value was calculated, or all the fires for one day or one week. The user sets the requirements by a calendar icon to select a day or number of days or weeks or months. To query a single day an option opens up to select the number of hours or minutes.

Reports can be extended by a character set to allow almost everything to be queried for report generation. The database query structure in the proposed device is the absolute diagnostic tool which can be remotely queried. There is a basic set of query reports and for those wishing to reach a higher level, training is available to specialise in energy efficiency reports.

With each increasing or decreasing degree (°C) of weather temperature a factor is introduced that delays the burner from firing in first stage or second stage fire at the precise moment it would have if the device according to the invention had not been installed. The factor is an algorithm which is based on monitoring air temperature. The algorithm changes with each increase or decrease of weather temperature.

Example 2: Software flow diagram/Loop structure START OF DAY(midnight) Main Loop Open GPRS connection Get real time from web server Get from previous file Duration of time of last 1st stage burner fire Weather temperature of last 1st stage burner fire Room temperature of last 1st stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses Duration of time of last 2nd stage burner fire Weather temperature of last 2nd stage burner fire Room temperature of last 2nd stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses Get from previous file Duration of time of second last 1st stage burner fire Weather temperature of second last 1st stage burner fire Room temperature of second last 1st stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses Duration of time of second last 2nd stage burner fire Weather temperature of second last 2nd stage burner fire Room temperature of second last 2nd stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses Get from previous file Duration of time of third last 1st stage burner fire Weather temperature of third last 1st stage burner fire Room temperature of third last 1st stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses Duration of time of third last 2nd stage burner fire Call Loop 1 Call Loop 2 Call Loop 3 Call Loop 4 Cal! loop 5 Call Loop 6 Weather temperature of third last 2nd stage burner fire Room temperature of third last 2nd stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses (Close last day file) Send closed file to web site Get weather temperature every ten minutes during burner idle condition Get time at each weather temperature reading Get room temperature every ten minutes during burner idle condition Get time at each room temperature reading Update status to memory addresses Get time at boiler thermostat call signal Get weather temperature at boiler thermostat call signal Get room temperature at boiler thermostat call signal Update status to memory addresses Get time at start of purge period Get weather temperature every ten seconds from start of purge period Get time at each weather temperature reading Get room temperature every ten seconds from start of purge period Get time at each room temperature reading Update status to memory addresses Get time at start of 1st stage burner fire Get weather temperature every ten seconds from start of 1 st stage fire Get time at each weather temperature reading Get room temperature every ten seconds from start of 1st stage fire Get time at each room temperature reading Update status to memory addresses Get time at start of 2nd stage burner fire Get weather temperature every ten seconds from start of 2nd stage fire Get time at each weather temperature reading Get room temperature every ten seconds from start of 2nd stage fire Get time at each room temperature reading Update status to memory addresses Get time at end of 2nd stage burner fire Get weather temperature at end of 2nd stage burner fire Get room temperature every ten seconds from start of 2nd stage fire Get room temperature at end of 2nd stage burner fire Update status to memory addresses Call Loop 7 Get weather temperature every ten seconds after end of 2nd stage fire Get room temperature every ten seconds after end of 2nd stage fire Get time of next boiler thermostat call signal Get room temperature at boiler thermostat call signal Update status to memory addresses Close daily file at midnight Send file to Web server through GPRS connection Example 3: Software flow diagram: Boiler sequence events data to processing centre NORMAL MODE - (device does not interfere with normal boiler events) Open file Date and time stamp Check GSM connection Retry until connection confirmed Get time from web server Set up time in open file Boiler thermostat ON (boiler cycle start) Log event time to file Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Purge period Log to file at time intervals End of purge period Log to file at time intervals Start of 1st stage burner fire Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Start of 2nd stage burner fire Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals End of 2nd stage burner fire Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading until next boiler thermostat call signal Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading until next boiler thermostat call signal (boiler cycle end) Log to file at time intervals Repeat process above to end of day Continue to midnight Close file Send file to web server ENERGY SAVING MODE Open file Date and time stamp Check GSM connection Retry until connection confirmed Get time from web server Set up time in open file Boiler thermostat ON (Boiler cycle start) (see Figure 6) Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Purge period Log to file at time intervals End of purge period Log to file at time intervals Start of 1st stage burner fire Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Start of 2nd stage burner fire Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals End of 2nd stage burner fire Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading Log to file at time intervals Get weather temperature reading until next boiler thermostat call signal Log to file at time intervals Get room temperature reading until next boiler thermostat call signal (Boiler cycle end) Log to file at time intervals Loop to repeat process above to end of day Continue to midnight Close file It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details as herein described, which are given by way of example only, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A method of managing and monitoring boiler energy consumption comprising the following steps: 5 (i) monitoring external weather temperature; (ii) monitoring room temperature; (iii) monitoring the duration of the most recent burner fires and storing the duration of each fire in memory; (iv) sending information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room 10 temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires, to a remote webserver; (v) streaming said information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires to one or more databases via the webserver; and (vi) altering the time at which a burner is fired by delaying the boiler purge period after 15 the burner is called to fire by a time value, said time value based on said information relating to monitored external weather temperature, room temperature and the duration of the most recent burner fires so that the burner is fired at a time which is weather corrected and compensated, room temperature corrected and taking into account burner fire history, 20 preferably wherein said method includes the step of generating reports from said databases and wherein said time value is based on information from said reports; and/or optionally wherein in step (iv) said information is sent to the remote webserver upon demand from a user; and/or optionally wherein the step of monitoring external weather temperature is conducted 25 prior to the step of monitoring internal temperature; and/or optionally wherein said method includes one or more of the following steps: (a) reading gas, oil and/or electricity consumption, (b) date and time-stamping the gas, oil and/or electricity consumption measurement(s); 30 (c) analysing flue gas; (d) collecting water temperature readings, preferably at timed intervals; and/or optionally wherein said external temperature is monitored every two minutes during burner rest periods and at each burner event; and/or optionally wherein during a burner purge period (preparation to firing), during stages of burner fire (e.g. both first and second stages) and for the period after the burner has terminated its fire and before the burner is called again (during the residual heat gain period during which heat is transferred from the boiler’s combustion chamber to circulating water 5 after each burner fire), external weather temperature readings are taken every 10 seconds and stored in memory.

2. An energy management and monitoring device for a boiler system, the boiler system comprising at least one burner, said device comprising: 10 (i) at least one temperature sensor arranged to monitor external weather temperature; (ii) at least one further temperature sensor arranged to monitor room temperature; (iii) means for monitoring the duration of the most recent burner fires and for storing the duration of each fire in memory; (iv) means for sending information relating to monitored external weather temperature, 15 room temperature and duration of the most recent burner fires to a remote webserver; (v) means for streaming said information to various databases accessible via the webserver; and optionally one or more of: (a) means for reading gas, oil and/or electricity consumption; 20 (b) means for date and time-stamping gas, oil and/or electricity consumption measurement(s); (c) means for analysing flue gas; (d) means for collecting water temperature readings, preferably collecting at timed intervals, 25 wherein said device is arranged to altering the time at which a burner is fired by delaying the boiler purge period after the burner is called to fire depending on said information relating to external weather temperature, room temperature and duration of the most recent burner fires, preferably wherein said device includes means for generating reports from said databases and is arranged to delay the boiler purge period after a burner is called to fire depending on 30 information from said reports; and/or optionally wherein said device is installed between a boiler thermostat and a burner, preferably wherein said burner is an On/Off natural gas burner, an On/Off LP gas burner, an On/Off oil burner (e.g. 28 second oil (kerosene, Class C oil) burner or 32 second oil (Class D oil) burner), single or two stage burner; and/or optionally further comprising: (d) means for collecting water temperature readings, preferably collecting at timed intervals.

3. Use of the boiler energy management and monitoring device according to claim 2 for diagnosing boiler and boiler system problems, preferably wherein the problem to be diagnosed is selected from among a boiler thermostat fault; a purge period not taking place and preventing the burner from firing; failed engagement of first stage fire after it was called; 10 failed engagement of second stage fire after it was called; burner fire of excessive duration for weather conditions based on history; and a poor boiler thermostat setting; or use of the boiler energy management and monitoring device according to claim 2 and further comprising: (d) means for collecting water temperature readings, preferably collecting at timed intervals, for diagnostic purposes, preferably wherein diagnosis is selected from 15 among identification of whether the water circulating pump is functioning correctly; confirmation that the water left the boiler at the expected temperature level; identification of a leak; and identification of a burner motor problem.

4. A method of managing and monitoring boiler energy consumption substantially in 20 accordance with any of the embodiments herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. An energy management and monitoring device for a boiler system, substantially in accordance with any of the embodiments herein described with reference to and as shown in 25 the accompanying drawings.