JP2020029989A - Hot water storage type water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a hot water storage type water heater which prevents a maximum value of power consumption of a household being pushed up by the boiling of water.SOLUTION: A hot water storage type water heater 10 which completes boiling of water in a hot water storage tank 12 by night time finish time when a night time zone finishes includes: input parts 40, 41 in which an activity start input which shows the activity start of a person is performed; and control means 39 for detecting that the activity start input has been performed with respect to the input parts 40, 41, and for deriving activity start estimated time when the activity start input of a predetermined date in future is performed, from the past record of the time when the activity start input was performed. When the activity start estimated time is earlier than the night time finish time and it is estimated that the boiling of the water in the hot water storage tank 12 can be completed by the activity start estimated time, the control means 39 sets the activity start estimated time as target time when the boiling of water in the hot water storage tank 12 on the predetermined date is completed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a hot water supply type hot water supply device having a hot water storage tank.

A hot water storage type water heater that heats hot water by an electric device such as a heat pump heats a predetermined amount of hot water into a hot water storage tank during a night time period when the electricity rate is relatively low (for example, 23:00 to 7:00). Is reduced, and a specific example thereof is described in Patent Document 1, for example. The hot water storage type hot water supply device of Patent Literature 1 determines the amount of hot water to be boiled during the night time based on the results of the calorific value of the hot water discharged from the hot water storage tank over the past several days.

JP 2011-237149 A

By the way, in recent years, some electric power companies have introduced a real-time system that determines a basic electricity charge based on a time zone in which the amount of power used for 30 minutes is the largest in the past year. In order to reduce the basic rate of electricity in ordinary households adopting such an actual system, it is important to avoid concentration of use of electric appliances. Therefore, in a home where activities involving the use of electric appliances are started before the end of the night time period, the power consumption for boiling water and the use of other electric appliances overlap, and the power consumption for 30 minutes is consumed. Sometimes the amount was maximal.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hot water storage type water heater that prevents a maximum value of home power consumption from being raised by boiling water.

According to the hot water storage type water heater according to the present invention that meets the above-mentioned object, in the hot water storage type water heater that completes boiling in the hot water storage tank by the night end time when the night time zone ends, an activity start input signifying the start of human activity And an activity in which the activity start input is performed on the input target portion and the activity start input is performed on a predetermined day in the future based on the result of the time when the activity start input is performed. Control means for deriving an expected start time, wherein the control means expects that the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time and that the boiling in the hot water storage tank can be completed by the expected activity start time. In this case, the expected activity start time is a target time for completing the heating of the hot water storage tank on the predetermined day.

In the hot water supply type water heater according to the present invention, the control means is expected that the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time and that the boiling in the hot water storage tank cannot be completed by the expected activity start time. In this case, it is preferable that the boiling in the hot water storage tank be started from a start time of the night time zone.

In the hot water supply type water heater according to the present invention, the activity start input is preferably by voice input.

In the hot water storage type water heater according to the present invention, the reheating circuit in which the hot water in the hot water storage tank circulates, a bathtub-side circulation circuit in which the hot water in the bathtub circulates, and the hot water circulating in the reheating circuit by heat exchange. A heat exchanger for heating the hot water circulating in the side circulation circuit to reheat the hot water in the bathtub, wherein the control means is configured to input an activity end input to the input unit to end the human activity. It is preferable to stop the reheating of the hot water in the bathtub, which is being performed, by detecting that the heating has been performed.

In the hot water storage type water heater according to the present invention, the heat recovery circuit in which water in the hot water storage tank circulates, the bathtub-side circulation circuit in which hot water in the bathtub circulates, and the hot water that circulates in the bathtub-side circulation circuit through heat exchange. A heat exchanger that heats water circulating in the heat recovery circuit to recover heat of the hot water in the bathtub, wherein the control unit controls the input unit to end an activity of a person, which indicates an end of human activity. It is preferable that the recovery of the hot water in the bathtub be started upon detecting that the input has been made.

The hot water storage type water heater according to the present invention detects an input portion to which an activity start input is made, and detects that an activity start input has been made to the input portion, and determines a future predetermined time based on the result of the time when the activity start input was made. Control means for deriving an expected activity start time at which a daily activity start input is made, wherein the control means is configured such that the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time, and that the boiling in the hot water storage tank is performed by the expected activity start time. When the activity is expected to be completed, the expected activity start time is set as the target time for completing the boiling in the hot water storage tank on the predetermined day. Boiling in the hot water storage tank can be stably completed before the amount increases, and it is possible to prevent the maximum value of power consumption from being boosted by the boiling in the hot water storage tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is explanatory drawing of the hot-water storage type water heater concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows connection of the control means of the hot water storage type water heater.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, hot water supply type water heater 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention completes boiling water in hot water storage tank 12 by the night end time when the night time period when the electricity rate is cheaper ends. . The details will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply type water heater 10 includes a hot water storage tank 12 that stores hot water and a heat pump 11 that is an example of an electric device that heats the hot water in the hot water storage tank 12.
Hot water storage tank 12 has an upper portion connected to tapping pipe 13 and a lower portion connected to water supply pipe 14 connected by a water heater circuit 15 connected to heat pump 11. The heat pump 11 has a compressor 17, a heat exchanger 18, an expansion valve 19, and a heat exchanger 20 connected to a circulation circuit 16 through which a fluid circulates, and a water heater circuit 15 is connected to the heat exchanger 18.

When the pump 21 provided in the hot water storage circuit 15 is operated, the water stored in the lower part of the hot water storage tank 12 advances through the hot water storage circuit 15 toward the upper part of the hot water storage tank 12. The fluid circulating in the circulation circuit 16 takes in the heat of the outside air when passing through the heat exchanger 20, is compressed by the compressor 17, and then passes through the water heater circuit 15 when passing through the heat exchanger 18. Heat is given to the water flowing toward the upper part of the water to make it hot water, the pressure is reduced by the expansion valve 19, and the water returns to the heat exchanger 20.

A three-way valve 22 is provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger 18 of the water heater circuit 15, and the three-way valve 22 and a lower part of the hot water storage tank 12 are connected by a bypass pipe 23. The three-way valve 22 supplies the water (or hot water) that has passed through the heat exchanger 18 to the hot water storage tank via the bypass pipe 23 until the heat pump 11 can heat the water flowing through the hot water circuit 15 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 60 ° C.) or more. 12 to prevent water (or hot water) lower than a predetermined temperature from flowing into the upper part of the hot water storage tank 12.

Further, a hot water filling pipe 25 for sending hot water to a bathtub 24 is connected to the tapping pipe 13. The hot water pipe 25 has a mixing valve 26 that mixes the water from the water supply pipe 14 with hot water coming out of the upper part of the hot water storage tank 12 and sent through the hot water pipe 13, and an opening / closing valve 27 that is opened when hot water is filled in the bathtub 24. A check valve 28 for preventing backflow of hot water in the bathtub 24 is provided.
The bathtub 24 is connected to a bathtub-side circulation circuit 30 through which hot water in the bathtub 24 circulates.

A part of the bathtub-side circulation circuit 30 and a part of the hot water pipe 25 are also used, and the bathtub-side circulation circuit 30 includes a circulation pump 31 for circulating the hot water in the bathtub 24 in the bathtub-side circulation circuit 30, A temperature sensor 32 that measures the temperature of the hot water and a water flow sensor 33 that detects the circulation of the hot water in the bathtub-side circulation circuit 30 are provided. A reheating circuit 35 in which the hot water in the hot water storage tank 12 circulates is connected to the heat exchanger 34 to which the bathtub-side circulation circuit 30 is connected.

Hot water discharged from the upper portion of the hot water storage tank 12 by the operation of the circulation pump 36 provided in the reheating circuit 35 travels through the reheating circuit 35 toward the heat exchanger 34 and passes through the heat exchanger 34 when the hot water is discharged from the bathtub. After heating the hot water in the bathtub 24 circulating in the circulation circuit 30, the hot water flows into the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 12. Therefore, the heat exchanger 34 heats the hot water circulating in the bathtub-side circulation circuit 30 with the hot water circulating in the reheating circuit 35 to reheat the inside of the bathtub 24 by heat exchange.

In the present embodiment, a part of the reheating circuit 35 is used as a part of the heat recovery circuit 37 in which the water in the hot water storage tank 12 circulates, and the reheating circuit 35 and the heat recovery circuit 37 are used. Each has a shared area and an independent area. The heat exchanger 34 and the circulation pump 36 are provided in a shared area of the heat recovery circuit 37 and the additional heating circuit 35. At one end of the common area, a three-way valve 38 is provided for switching between a source of hot water or water for the heat exchanger 34, which is the upper portion of the hot water storage tank 12 and the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control means 39 for controlling the operations of the heat pump 11, the pump 21, the three-way valve 22, the mixing valve 26, the on-off valve 27, and the circulation pumps 31 and 36 is connected to the three-way valve 38. The control means 39 can be mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer. When performing additional heating in the bathtub 24, the three-way valve 38 is set to a state in which the control unit 39 sends hot water above the hot water storage tank 12 to the heat exchanger 34 via an independent area of the additional heating circuit 35.

When the three-way valve 38 is set to send water from the lower part of the hot water storage tank 12 to the heat exchanger 34 by the control means 39, the lower part of the water in the hot water storage tank 12 is operated by the operation of the circulation pump 36. Is sent to the heat exchanger 34 via the independent area of the heat recovery circuit 37. The heat exchanger 34 heats the lower water (water circulating through the heat recovery circuit 37) in the hot water storage tank 12 sent to the heat exchanger 34 with the hot water in the bath tub 24 circulating through the bath tub circulation circuit 30 by heat exchange. Then, heat recovery of the hot water in the bathtub 24 is performed.

The control unit 39 is connected to a microphone section (an example of an input section) 40 to which a human performs voice input and an operation panel (an example of an input section) 41 to which an input operation is performed by a human hand. When the word uttered to the microphone unit 40 is a specific character string, the control unit 39 can detect the utterance (that is, voice input) of the word as a specific meaning. For example, when a person utters “reheating” to the microphone unit 40 in a state where hot water is put in the bathtub 24, the control unit 39 causes the upper hot water in the hot water storage tank 12 to operate the reheating circuit 35. The three-way valve 38 is switched to a state of being sent to the heat exchanger 34 and the circulation pumps 31 and 36 are operated to perform reheating of the bathtub 24. Even when a predetermined input operation is performed on the operation panel 41, the control means 39 controls the three-way valve 38 and the circulation pumps 31 and 36 to perform reheating of the bathtub 24.

Further, in the present embodiment, when a person utters “good morning” toward the microphone unit 40, the control unit 39 detects that the activity start input indicating the start of the activity of the person has been made to the microphone unit 40. Then, when the person utters “good night” toward the microphone unit 40, the control unit 39 detects that the activity end input indicating the end of the activity of the person has been made to the microphone unit 40. It goes without saying that words other than "good morning" and "good night" can be adopted as voice inputs for the activity start input and the activity end input.

When a specific input operation is performed on the operation panel 41, the control unit 39 detects that an activity start input or an activity end input is performed on the operation panel 41. That is, the control unit 39 can detect the activity start input and the activity end input by either a specific voice input to the microphone unit 40 or a specific input operation to the operation panel 41. The activity start input and the activity end input are not limited to those by voice input or input operation.For example, using a sensor for detecting opening and closing of a curtain or a thermography installed in a bedroom, a person's rising and sleeping are detected, and the activity is detected. A start input or an activity end input may be detected.

The control unit 39 stores the time when the activity start input is made on each day, the start time (night start time) and the end time (night end time) of the night time zone, and the microphone unit 40 or the operation When it is detected that the activity start input is made on the board 41, the time when the activity start input is made today and the time when the activity start input is made in each of a plurality of days (for example, six days) until yesterday (the activity is made) An activity start expected time at which an activity start input on the next day (an example of a predetermined day in the future (after the next day)) is derived from an example of the result of the time at which the start input was made.

When the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time and it is expected that the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 can be completed by the expected activity start time, the control means 39 determines the expected activity start time in the hot water storage tank 12 on the next day. As the target time to complete the boiling, the boiling in the hot water tank 12 is performed during the night time zone, and the boiling in the hot water tank 12 is completed by the expected activity start time. As a result, in a home that starts activities on that day from a time earlier than the night end time, the power consumption for boiling the hot water storage tank 12 and the power consumption of other electric products overlap, and the total power consumption increases. To suppress. Further, by setting the expected activity start time as the target time of the completion of boiling, for example, compared with a case where the target time of the completion of boiling is set one hour before the expected activity start time, the hot water is stored in the hot water storage tank 12 after the boiling. The amount of heat lost from the inside of the hot water storage tank 12 due to heat radiation can be suppressed before the heat is used.

Here, the control means 39 derives the expected activity start time at which the activity start input of the specific day is made from the result of the time at which the activity start input of the specific day was made (for example, for the past five days of Monday). When the expected activity start time on Monday is derived from the result of the above) and the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time, and it is expected that the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 can be completed by the expected activity start time, The expected activity start time may be set as the target time for completing the heating of the hot water storage tank 12 on the next specific day.

Then, when the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time and it is expected that the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 cannot be completed by the expected activity start time (for example, the expected activity start time is 2 am In the case of time), the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 is started from the night start time (substantially the night start time), and by the night end time (usually at a time later than the expected activity start time). To complete the boiling. Accordingly, priority is given to performing boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 during the night time zone rather than completing boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 by the expected activity start time. When the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time and it is expected that the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 cannot be completed by the expected activity start time, the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 is started before the night start time. You may make it start.

The boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 when the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time and the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 is not expected to be completed by the expected activity start time is the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12. In order to reduce the power consumption per unit time (for example, 30 minutes) required (for example, by suppressing the operation level of the compressor 17), the water in the hot water storage tank 12 is heated during the night time.

On the other hand, when the expected activity start time is equal to or later than the night end time, the control means 39 sets the night end time as the target time for completing the boiling in the hot water storage tank 12 on the next day, and sets the time in the hot water storage tank 12 in the night time zone. Boil.

Further, the control unit 39 detects that the microphone unit 40 or the operation panel 41 has received an activity end input in a state where the hot water in the bathtub 24 is being reheated. Stop reheating the hot water inside. Thereby, unnecessary reheating can be prevented.
Then, when detecting that the activity end input has been made to the microphone unit 40 or the operation panel 41, the control unit 39 starts the heat recovery of the hot water in the bathtub 24. Thereby, the thermal energy of the hot water in the bathtub 24 can be stably collected in the hot water storage tank 12. In addition, when there is no hot water in the bathtub 24, or when the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 24 is lower than a predetermined temperature, even if the activity end input is made to the microphone unit 40 or the operation panel 41, the activity in the bathtub 24 is not affected. It goes without saying that hot water is not recovered.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all changes in conditions that do not depart from the gist are within the scope of the present invention.
For example, only the microphone unit may be provided as the input unit, or only the operation panel may be provided.
Further, the function of detecting the input of the activity end and stopping the reheating of the hot water in the bathtub or starting the heat recovery of the hot water in the bathtub can be deleted.
The electric device that heats the inside of the hot water storage tank by consuming power is not limited to a heat pump, and may be, for example, an electric heater.

10: Hot water storage type water heater, 11: Heat pump, 12: Hot water storage tank, 13: Hot water pipe, 14: Water supply pipe, 15: Hot water circuit, 16: Circulation circuit, 17: Compressor, 18: Heat exchanger, 19: Expansion Valve, 20: heat exchanger, 21: pump, 22: three-way valve, 23: bypass pipe, 24: bathtub, 25: hot water pipe, 26: mixing valve, 27: open / close valve, 28: check valve, 30: Bathtub side circulation circuit, 31: circulation pump, 32: temperature sensor, 33: water flow sensor, 34: heat exchanger, 35: reheating circuit, 36: circulation pump, 37: heat recovery circuit, 38: three-way valve, 39: Control means, 40: microphone section, 41: operation panel

Claims (5)

In the hot water storage type water heater that completes boiling in the hot water storage tank by the night end time when the night time zone ends,
An input part to which an activity start input indicating the start of a human activity is made;
Control means for detecting that the activity start input has been made to the input unit, and deriving an activity start expected time at which the activity start input will be made on a predetermined day in the future from a result of a time at which the activity start input was made. With
The control means sets the expected activity start time to the predetermined time when the expected activity start time is earlier than the nighttime end time and the boiling in the hot water storage tank can be completed by the expected activity start time. A hot water supply type hot water supply apparatus characterized in that a target time for completing boiling of the hot water storage tank on a day is set as a target time. 2. The hot water supply type hot water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit estimates that the expected activity start time is earlier than the night end time, and that the boiling in the hot water storage tank cannot be completed by the expected activity start time. In some cases, the boiling in the hot water storage tank is started from a start time of the night time zone. 3. The hot water supply type hot water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the activity start input is made by voice input. 4. The hot water supply type hot water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hot water in the hot water storage tank is circulated, a hot tub circuit is circulated, and the hot tub is circulated. A heat exchanger for heating hot water circulating in the bathtub-side circulation circuit with hot water circulating in the heating circuit to reheat the hot water in the bathtub; Detecting that an activity end input indicating the end of the activity has been made, and stopping the reheating of the hot water in the bathtub being performed. The hot water supply type hot water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat recovery circuit in which water in the hot water storage tank circulates, the bathtub side circulation circuit in which hot water in the bathtub circulates, and the bathtub by heat exchange. A heat exchanger that heats water circulating in the heat recovery circuit with hot water circulating in the side circulation circuit, and recovers heat of the hot water in the bathtub; A hot-water storage type hot-water supply device characterized by detecting that an activity end input indicating the end of human activity has been made, and starting heat recovery of hot water in the bathtub.

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