JP2021110520A - Control device, hot water system with control device, and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a control device for suppressing an occurrence of hot water shortage even if unpredicted hot water is used, a hot water system provided with a control device, and a control method.SOLUTION: A control device includes storage means for storing information of group organization in which a plurality of water heaters are divided into two or more groups, a first time zone being a determined time zone in one day, and a second time zone being a portion of a time other than the first time zone, first boiling means for sequentially executing partial boiling for boiling a predetermined partial hot water amount in the total hot water amount of one day in each group of the two or more groups in the first time zone, and second boiling means for sequentially executing residual boiling for boiling a residual hot water amount obtained by excluding the partial hot water amount from the total hot water amount in each group of the two or more groups in a time zone obtained by excluding a time when the partial boiling is executed from the first time zone and the second time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a control device for controlling a plurality of water heaters, a hot water supply system including the control device, and a control method.

Conventionally, in order to suppress the peak value of the total electric power of a plurality of water heaters, a management system for formulating an operation plan of a plurality of water heaters has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The management device disclosed in Patent Document 1 acquires the operation results of a plurality of water heaters, identifies index values related to the length of operation time of the plurality of water heaters, and supplies a plurality of hot waters corresponding to the index values. Classify the machines into multiple groups and determine when to operate the water heaters in each group. When formulating an operation plan, the management device of Patent Document 1 uses, in addition to the prediction result of the length of operation time of the water heater, the prediction of the presence or absence of hot water supply demand in a specific time zone such as 5 to 7 in the early morning. And group them. As a result, while suppressing the overall power consumption of the plurality of water heaters, the occurrence of running out of hot water is suppressed for consumers who use hot water at a specific time zone.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-198374

In the management system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a customer of a group that does not belong to a group that uses hot water at a specific time zone uses unexpected hot water such as a sudden early morning bath, the hot water runs out. There is a risk of doing so.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a control device that suppresses the occurrence of hot water running out even if there is unexpected use of hot water, a hot water supply system equipped with the control device, and control. Get the way.

The control device according to the present disclosure is a control device that controls a plurality of water heaters, and information on group formation in which the plurality of water heaters are classified into two or more groups and a fixed time in a day. A storage means for storing the first time zone, which is a band, and the second time zone, which is a part of the time excluding the first time zone, and the first time zone, the one day. A first boiling means for sequentially executing a partial boiling of a predetermined partial amount of hot water among the total amount of hot water boiled by the plurality of water dispensers for each of the two or more groups, and the first time. In the time zone excluding the time when the partial boiling is executed from the zone and the second time zone, the remaining boiling amount for boiling the remaining amount of hot water obtained by subtracting the partial boiling amount from the total hot water amount is 2 or more. It has a second boiling means, which is executed in order for each group of groups.

The hot water supply system according to the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned control device and the plurality of water heaters that are communicatively connected to the control device.

The control method according to the present disclosure is a control method for controlling a plurality of water heaters, and information on group formation in which the plurality of water heaters are classified into two or more groups and a fixed time in a day. A step of memorizing a first time zone, which is a band, and a second time zone, which is a part of the time excluding the first time zone of the day, and the first time zone, the first day A step of sequentially executing a partial boiling of a predetermined partial amount of hot water out of the total amount of hot water boiled by the plurality of water dispensers for each of the two or more groups, and the first time zone, the said. In the time zone excluding the time when the partial boiling is executed and the second time zone, the remaining boiling amount for boiling the remaining hot water amount obtained by removing the partial hot water amount from the total hot water amount is the group of the two or more groups. It has a step to be executed in order for each step.

According to the present disclosure, a first time zone and a second time zone are provided as a time zone for boiling water in a day, and a partial amount of hot water is boiled for each group in the first time zone among the total amount of hot water. The remaining amount of hot water is boiled for each group during the second time zone. Since the total amount of hot water is dispersed in a plurality of time zones and boiled for each group, the storage of the partial amount of hot water in each group is completed in the first time zone while suppressing the power consumption of the plurality of water heaters. As a result, after the partial amount of hot water is stored in each water heater, any group of users can use the hot water stored in the water heater, and the occurrence of running out of hot water can be suppressed.

It is a block diagram which shows one configuration example of the hot water supply system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows one configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. It is a hardware configuration diagram which shows one configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. It is a hardware configuration diagram which shows another configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows one configuration example of each water heater shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows one configuration example of the water heater control device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation procedure of the control device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the control of a plurality of water heaters in a comparative example. It is a figure which shows an example of the control by the control device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. In the case of the comparative example shown in FIG. 8, it is a graph which shows an example of the relationship between the power consumption of a building, and time. It is a graph which shows an example of the relationship between the power consumption of a building, and time in the case of control by the control device of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the control of the control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation procedure of the control device which concerns on Embodiment 2.

Embodiment 1.
The configuration of the hot water supply system of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a hot water supply system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply system 1 includes a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n and a control device 2 for controlling the timing of boiling water of the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n. n is an integer of 2 or more. A plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n are installed in an apartment building. A water heater 3-m (m is an arbitrary integer of 1 to n) is installed in each of a plurality of apartment houses.

FIG. 1 schematically shows that a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n are classified into three groups A to C by the control device 2. Water heaters 3-1 to 3-i belong to group A, water heaters 3- (i + 1) to 3-j belong to group B, and water heaters 3- (j + 1) to 3-n belong to group C. .. i and j are positive integers and satisfy, for example, the relationship 1 <i <j + 1, 2 <j <n-1.

The control device 2 and each water heater 3-m are communicated and connected via the signal line 20. The communication connection means between the control device 2 and each water heater 3-m is not limited to the wired case, and may be wireless. Each of the water heaters 3-m of the plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n is assigned a unique identifier different from each other in advance. Further, each water heater 3-m may store the identifier of the control device 2. When transmitting data, the control device 2 and each water heater 3-m attach the identifier of the own unit to the data and transmit the data to the other party. The control device 2 and each water heater 3-m may communicate with each other via a network (not shown in the figure). The network is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network).

In addition, each house in the building may be provided with a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) controller (not shown) that monitors and stores the operating status and power consumption of electric devices including the water heater 3-m. .. In this case, the control device 2 may be connected to the HEMS controller of each house by communication. The control device 2 may have the function of the HEMS controller.

Next, the configuration of the control device 2 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. The control device 2 includes a receiving means 21, a storage means 22, a sorting means 23, a schedule determining means 24, a boiling instruction means 25, and a timer 26. The boiling instruction means 25 includes a first boiling means 25a and a second boiling means 25b. Various functions of the control device 2 are realized by executing software by an arithmetic unit such as a microcomputer. Further, the control device 2 may be composed of hardware such as a circuit device that realizes various functions.

The storage means 22 stores the information received from the receiving means 21. The timer 26 measures the time and provides the time information to be measured to each of the storage means 22, the classification means 23, the schedule determination means 24, and the boiling instruction means 25. The timer 26 may also provide the time to be measured to a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n. The time measured by the timer 26 means the time when one day is 24 hours. The time is expressed, for example, at 17:30.

The receiving means 21 receives various data from a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n, and stores the received data in the storage means 22. The receiving means 21 receives, for example, information on the required amount of hot water to be boiled from a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n for each water heater 3-m in a time series. The required amount of hot water may be the predicted amount of hot water calculated by learning the history of the heat load generated in the past, or may be the actual amount of hot water which is the value of the amount of hot water actually used. When the required amount of hot water is the actual amount of hot water, the required amount of hot water is an average value of the actual amount of hot water for a certain period such as one week. The receiving means 21 stores the information on the required amount of hot water received from each water heater 3-m in the storage means 22. Further, the receiving means 21 may receive the power consumption of the electric equipment including the water heater 3-m installed in each house in the building from the HEMS controller in chronological order. The receiving means 21 stores the power consumption information received from each house in the storage means 22.

The schedule determination means 24 reads out the total amount of hot water boiled by a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n in a day from the storage means 22, and the time after the time zone in which the amount of hot water used is the maximum among the total amount of hot water. Determine the first time zone, which is the zone. The time of day when the amount of hot water used is maximum is the time when dinner is prepared, cleaned up, and bathed in each house from evening to night. For example, the time zone when the amount of hot water used is maximum is from 17:00 to 23:00. The first time zone is, for example, a night time zone in which the beginning is between 22:00 and 23:00 and the end is between 6:00 and 7:00 the next day. Some electric power companies set the unit price of electricity charges during this night time to be cheaper than those during other hours. In this case, if a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n perform a boiling operation during the night time, there is an advantage that the electricity charge for the boiling operation is calculated at a low charge.

In the first embodiment, the case where the schedule determining means 24 determines the first time zone based on the information of the total amount of hot water boiled by the plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n will be described. The means 22 may store the first time zone. For example, the first time zone may be determined by the administrator who operates the control device 2. This is because the time zone when the hot water supply load is maximized for the entire building differs depending on the location environment of the building where a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3 to m are installed and the lifestyle of the residents of each house. For example, if most of the residents who use a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-m are night shift workers who work at midnight, the time when the hot water supply load is maximized is in the morning. Therefore, the first time zone is not limited to the night time zone.

In addition, the schedule determination means 24 determines the second time zone, which is a part of the time excluding the first time zone, in the day. The schedule determining means 24 reads the information recorded in time series of the power consumption of the building from the storage means 22, and based on the read information, the power consumption Wb of the building is smaller than the average value Wav in one day. The time zone is determined as the second time zone. The second time zone is, for example, a time zone from 12:00 to 17:00. Such a time zone in which the power consumption is smaller than the average value is called an off-peak time in which the power peak at which the power is maximized does not occur in a day.

The classification means 23 classifies a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n into two or more groups. The classification means 23 stores the information of the group organization in which the plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n are classified into two or more groups in the storage means 22. In the first embodiment, the case where the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n are classified into three groups will be described. Let the three groups be groups A to C.

Further, the classification means 23 reorganizes a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n into three groups after the second time zone and before the start of the first time zone. For example, the classification means 23 rearranges a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n into three groups based on the information of the amount of hot water boiled in one day for every 3-m of the water heaters stored in the storage means 22. Organize.

The first boiling means 25a sequentially executes partial boiling to boil a predetermined partial amount of hot water out of the total amount of hot water in each of the three groups in the first time zone. The total amount of hot water is, for example, 500 liters in one house. The partial amount of hot water is the amount of hot water required for the heat load of the intensive heat load after the evening. The partial amount of hot water is, for example, the amount of hot water required for a family to take a bath at least once in one house. The amount of partial hot water is, for example, 300 liters, which is the sum of 200 liters stored in the bathtub and 100 liters used in the shower.

The second boiling means 25b boil the remaining amount of hot water obtained by subtracting the partial amount of hot water from the total amount of hot water in the time zone excluding the time when the partial boiling is executed and the second time zone in the first time zone. The remaining amount to be raised is boiled in order for each of the three groups. The first boiling means 25a and the second boiling means 25b boil the water heaters 3-m belonging to the group to be instructed to boil among the plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n. Sends an operation start signal to instruct the start of.

Here, an example of the hardware of the control device 2 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram showing a configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. When various functions of the control device 2 are executed by hardware, the functions of the receiving means 21, the storage means 22, the sorting means 23, the schedule determining means 24, the boiling instruction means 25, and the timer 26 shown in FIG. Is realized by the processing circuit 70 shown in FIG.

When each function is executed in hardware, the processing circuit 70 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate). It corresponds to Array) or a combination of these. The functions of the receiving means 21, the storage means 22, the sorting means 23, the schedule determining means 24, the boiling instruction means 25, and the timer 26 may be realized by individual processing circuits 70, and the functions of these means may be realized by 1 It may be realized by one processing circuit 70.

Further, another example of the hardware of the control device 2 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram showing another configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. When various functions of the control device 2 are executed by software, the control device 2 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a processor 71 and a memory 72 as shown in FIG. The functions of the receiving means 21, the storage means 22, the sorting means 23, the schedule determining means 24, the boiling instruction means 25, and the timer 26 are realized by the processor 71 and the memory 72. FIG. 4 shows that the processor 71 and the memory 72 are communicatively connected to each other. The storage means 22 corresponds to the memory 72.

When each function is executed by software, the function of each means of the control device 2 shown in FIG. 2 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as a program and stored in the memory 72. The processor 71 realizes the function of each means by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 72.

As the memory 72, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable and Programmable ROM) and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) is used. Further, as the memory 72, a volatile semiconductor memory of RAM (Random Access Memory) may be used. Further, as the memory 72, a removable recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (Mini Disc), and a DVD (Digital Versaille Disc) may be used.

Next, the configuration of the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n shown in FIG. 1 will be described. Since the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n have the same configuration, the configuration of an arbitrary water heater 3-m will be described here. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of each water heater shown in FIG.

The water heater 3-m is a hot water storage type water heater having a tank 10 for storing boiling water. The water heater 3-m includes a tank 10, a boiling means 30 for heating the hot water in the tank 10, a water heater control device 100 for controlling the boiling means 30, and hot water supply or reheating in the tank 10. It has a demand terminal (not shown) that supplies the heat load of. Further, a temperature sensor and a flow rate sensor are provided in the circuit leading to the demand terminal (not shown). The water heater control device 100 learns the heat load required by the user of each water heater 3-m based on the detected values of these sensors, and calculates the amount of heat storage to be maintained in the tank 10 according to the learning result. do. The heat load to be learned includes a total heat load, which is the total heat load in one day, and an intensive heat load such as bathing. The configuration of the water heater 3-m will be described in detail below.

In addition to the tank 10, the boiling means 30, and the water heater control device 100, the water heater 3-m includes a boiling pump 31, a reheating pump 32, a bathtub pump 33, a hot water tap temperature control valve 41, and a medium / high temperature mixing valve 42. It has a heat exchange circuit switching valve 43 and a reheating heat exchanger 5. Further, the water heater 3-m includes a boiling-up pipe 301a, a boiling-back pipe 301b, a water supply pipe 302, a high-temperature lead-out pipe 303a, an intermediate lead-out pipe 303b, a temperature control pipe 304, and a hot water tap pipe 305. Further, the water heater 3-m has a bathtub going pipe 306a, a bathtub returning pipe 306b, a reheating going pipe 307a, a reheating return pipe 307b, and an exhaust heat recovery pipe 307c.

The tank 10 is a vertically long tank in which hot water is stored. The boiling means 30 boils the water in the tank 10. The boiling means 30 is configured by using, for example, a heat pump. Further, the boiling means 30 is provided with, for example, an inverter compressor (not shown) whose capacity can be changed, and is configured so that the boiling capacity can be variably set. _{The refrigerant used in the heat pump may be CO 2} suitable for high-temperature hot water discharge, but in order to improve operating efficiency, a refrigerant that does not use the supercritical state of the refrigerant, for example, a general Freon-based refrigerant, propane, isobutane, or the like. Refrigerant may be used.

The hot water tap temperature control valve 41 mixes hot water in the tank 10 with cold water such as city water, and adjusts the temperature of hot water supplied to a hot water supply load directly discharged from a hot water tap such as a shower. The medium / high temperature mixing valve 42 sends water from one of the upper part and the middle part of the tank or water obtained by mixing hot water and cold water to the high temperature side port of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41. The reheating heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat between the high temperature water in the upper part of the tank and the hot water in the bathtub 6 at the time of reheating to heat the bathtub water in the bathtub 6. In the bathtub 6, hot water for bathing, for example, about 40 ° C. is stored. The heat exchange circuit switching valve 43 switches the outlet of the water sent from the tank 10 to the reheating heat exchanger 5 from the tank 10 to the upper part or the lower part of the tank 10.

The boiling back and forth pipe 301a guides the water in the lower part of the tank to the boiling means 30. The boiling return pipe 301b guides the hot water boiled by the boiling means 30 to the upper part of the tank. The boiling forward pipe 301a and the boiling return pipe 301b, together with the boiling means 30 and the boiling pump 31, form a boiling circuit 200 that heats water to a boiling temperature to make hot water and stores the hot water in the tank 10. do.

The water supply pipe 302 guides cold water such as city water to the lower part of the tank. The high temperature outlet pipe 303a draws out high temperature water from the upper part of the tank and guides it to the medium / high temperature mixing valve 42. The intermediate lead-out pipe 303b draws out hot water from the intermediate portion of the tank 10 and guides it to the medium-high temperature mixing valve 42. The temperature control pipe 304 branches from the water supply pipe 302 and guides the low temperature water to the hot water tap temperature control valve 41. The hot water tap pipe 305 guides the hot water whose temperature is controlled by the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 to the hot water tap to be used.

The bathtub return pipe 306b reheats the water in the bathtub 6 and guides it to the heat exchanger 5. The bathtub going pipe 306a guides the hot water heated by the reheating heat exchanger 5 to the bathtub 6. The reheating going pipe 307a guides the high temperature water in the upper part of the tank to the reheating heat exchanger 5. The reheating return pipe 307b guides the hot water cooled by exchanging heat with the water from the bathtub 6 by the reheating heat exchanger 5 to a position higher than the intermediate lead-out pipe 303b of the tank 10.

When the exhaust heat of the bathtub 6 is recovered to the tank 10, the waste heat recovery pipe 307c draws low-temperature water from the lower part of the tank and guides it to the heat exchange circuit switching valve 43. The exhaust heat recovery pipe 307c, together with the heat exchange circuit switching valve 43, constitutes an exhaust heat recovery circuit 300 that recovers the exhaust heat of the bathtub 6 into the tank 10. The boiling pump 31 is connected in the middle of the boiling pipe 301a through which relatively low temperature hot water flows. The reheating pump 32 is connected in the middle of the reheating return pipe 307b through which relatively low temperature hot water flows. The bathtub pump 33 is connected in the middle of the bathtub return pipe 306b through which relatively low temperature hot water flows.

The boiling means 30, the boiling pump 31, the reheating pump 32, the bathtub pump 33, the hot water tap temperature control valve 41, and the medium / high temperature mixing valve 42 are controlled by the water heater control device 100. Further, the tank 10 is provided with hot water storage temperature sensors 501a to hot water storage temperature sensors 501f at equal intervals in the height direction of the tank 10. The intervals between the hot water storage temperature sensor 501a and the hot water storage temperature sensor 501f do not have to be equal.

The boiling return pipe 301b is provided with a boiling temperature sensor 502 that detects the temperature of the water boiled by the boiling means 30. The water supply pipe 302 is provided with a water supply temperature sensor 504 that detects the water supply temperature. An upper lead-out temperature sensor 503a for detecting the temperature of high-temperature water led out from the upper part of the tank is provided on the upper part of the tank.

The intermediate lead-out unit for hot water supply is provided with an intermediate lead-out temperature sensor 503b that detects the temperature of hot water led out from the intermediate portion of the tank for hot water supply. The hot water tap pipe 305 is provided with a hot water tap temperature sensor 505 that detects the temperature of hot water supplied to the hot water tap. The bathtub going pipe 306a is provided with a bathtub going temperature sensor 506a that detects the bathtub going temperature flowing from the reheating heat exchanger 5 into the bathtub 6. The bathtub return pipe 306b is provided with a bathtub return temperature sensor 506b that detects the bathtub return temperature flowing from the bathtub 6 into the reheating heat exchanger 5.

The reheating return pipe 307b is provided with a reheating return temperature sensor 507 that detects the temperature of the hot water returning from the reheating heat exchanger 5 to the tank 10. The hot water tap pipe 305 is provided with a hot water tap flow rate sensor 601 that detects the amount of hot water used on the load side.

Although FIG. 5 shows the case where the number of hot water storage temperature sensors is 6, the number of hot water storage temperature sensors is not limited to 6. A sufficient number of temperature sensors may be provided to measure the temperature distribution inside the tank 10. Further, the bathtub return temperature sensor 506b may be used as a means for detecting the bathtub temperature by allowing the bathtub water in the bathtub 6 to pass through the bathtub return pipe 306b by operating the bathtub pump 33 periodically.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the water heater control device shown in FIG. The water heater control device 100 controls the entire water heater 3-m in an integrated manner. As shown in FIG. 6, the water heater control device 100 includes a target temperature setting means 101, a pump control means 102, a valve control means 103, a boiling control means 104, a heat storage amount calculation means 105, and a required heat amount prediction means 106.

Time information is input to the water heater control device 100 from the timer 26 shown in FIG. Further, the hot water supply device control device 100 passes through each sensor of the hot water storage temperature sensor 501a to the hot water storage temperature sensor 501f, the boiling temperature sensor 502, the upper lead-out temperature sensor 503a, and the intermediate lead-out temperature sensor 503b, and a signal line (not shown). Be connected. The water heater control device 100 is via each sensor of the water supply temperature sensor 504, the hot water tap temperature sensor 505, the bathtub return temperature sensor 506b, the reheating return temperature sensor 507, and the hot water tap flow sensor 601 and a signal line (not shown). Be connected.

Detected values are input to the water heater control device 100 from each of these sensors via a signal line (not shown). The water heater control device 100 has a boiling means 30, a boiling pump 31, a reheating pump 32, a bathtub pump 33, a hot water tap temperature control valve 41, and a medium / high temperature mixing valve 42 based on the detected values input from each sensor. And the heat exchange circuit switching valve 43 is controlled. The communication means between the water heater control device 100 and each sensor is not limited to the wired one, and may be wireless.

Various functions of the water heater control device 100 are realized by executing software by an arithmetic unit such as a microcomputer. The water heater control device 100 is configured to include, for example, a microprocessor unit. The configuration of the water heater control device 100 is not limited to a configuration having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes processing according to a program. The water heater control device 100 may have the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Further, various means of the water heater control device 100 may have a configuration such as firmware that can be updated. Further, the water heater control device 100 is a program module, and may be configured to execute various functions in accordance with commands of other control devices such as a CPU (not shown).

The target temperature setting means 101 heats the temperature of the hot water in the shower, the temperature of the hot water supplied to the bathtub 6, and the bathtub 6 by supplying hot water from the hot water tap, mainly corresponding to the set temperature input manually by the user. Set the target bathtub temperature when adjusting. The pump control means 102 controls the rotation speeds of the boiling pump 31, the reheating pump 32, and the bathtub pump 33, and adjusts the pump circulation amount. When the pump control means 102 receives the operation start signal from the control device 2, the pump control means 102 starts the boiling pump 31. Further, when the hot water accumulated in the tank 10 reaches the target amount of hot water according to the detected values of the hot water storage temperature sensors 501a to 501f, the pump control means 102 stops the boiling pump 31 and transmits an end signal to the control device 2. The target amount of hot water in the case of partial boiling is calculated by the required calorific value predicting means 106. The target amount of hot water in the case of partial boiling is, for example, about 60% of the total capacity of the tank 10. The target amount of hot water in the case of boiling the remaining amount is, for example, the total capacity of the tank 10.

The valve control means 103 controls the operation of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 so that the hot water flowing out of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 approaches the target temperature based on the target temperature set by the target temperature setting means 101. Further, the valve control means 103 controls the operation of the medium / high temperature mixing valve 42 so that the water temperature sent from the medium / high temperature mixing valve 42 to the high temperature side port of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 becomes equal to or higher than the target temperature for hot water supply. The boiling control means 104 controls the operation of the boiling means 30 so that the amount of heat stored in the tank 10 is not insufficient with respect to the predicted required amount of heat for reheating. The heat storage amount calculating means 105 calculates the heat storage amount effective for hot water supply and the heat storage amount effective for reheating. The calculation method of each value will be described below in order.

[Calculation of heat storage effective for hot water supply]
The heat storage amount calculating means 105 calculates an effective heat storage amount for hot water supply among the heat storage amounts of the hot water in the tank 10 based on the information of the hot water storage temperature sensors 501a to 501f. In hot water supply, the heat energy of the hot water in the tank 10 is given to the city water by mixing. Therefore, the zero point of heat energy effective for hot water supply is the water supply temperature of city water. Here, the zero point is the hot water supply energy reference temperature. Therefore, the amount of heat storage effective for hot water supply is calculated by integrating the tank volume with the water supply temperature as the zero point of thermal energy. Further, the amount of heat storage effective for hot water supply may be calculated by integrating only with respect to a predetermined temperature effective for hot water supply, for example, a region of hot water of 45 ° C. or higher. Further, when the hot water used for hot water supply is mainly led out from the region below the intermediate lead-out unit for hot water supply, the amount of heat storage effective for hot water supply may be calculated in the region below the intermediate lead-out unit for hot water supply.

[Calculation of heat storage effective for reheating]
The heat storage amount calculation means 105 is effective for reheating within the heat storage amount of the hot water in the tank 10 based on the information of the hot water storage temperature sensors 501a to 501f and the target temperature set by the target temperature setting means 101. Calculate the amount of heat storage. The high-temperature water sent to the reheating heat exchanger 5 in the reheating supplies heat to the bathtub system by the reheating heat exchanger 5, the temperature drops, and the hot water is returned to the tank 10 from the reheating return pipe 307b. Therefore, of the heat energy of the hot water in the tank 10, the heat energy effectively used in the reheating is the portion obtained by subtracting the reheating return temperature from the hot water storage temperature. That is, by integrating the reheating return temperature detected by the reheating return temperature sensor 507 with respect to the tank volume as the reference temperature of the thermal energy, an effective heat storage amount for the reheating can be obtained.

In addition, although it is assumed here that the integration is performed with respect to the tank volume, the integration may be performed with respect to the volume of the region above the intermediate lead-out unit for hot water supply. Further, the reheating return temperature is detected by the reheating return temperature sensor 507, but the lead-out temperature, the bathtub return temperature, the reheating pump rotation speed, or the bathtub pump rotation speed is not provided without providing the reheating return temperature sensor 507. It may be estimated from the above. For example, the reheating return temperature may be predicted based on the information from the target temperature setting means 101 and the information of the bathtub return temperature sensor 506b. Further, the bathtub temperature may be assumed to be constant at the target bathtub temperature, and the temperature obtained by adding a set value depending on the performance of the reheating heat exchanger 5 to the bathtub temperature may be used as the reheating return temperature. Further, the bathtub temperature is assumed to be constant at the average value of the current bathtub temperature and the target bathtub temperature, and the temperature obtained by adding the set value depending on the performance of the reheating heat exchanger 5 to the bathtub temperature is reheated. It may be the temperature.

The required heat amount predicting means 106 predicts the required heat amount for avoiding running out of hot water, which is the amount of heat stored to avoid running out of hot water with respect to the hot water supply load, and the amount of heat stored for reheating, which is the amount of heat required for reheating. Make predictions. Each prediction method will be described below in order.

[Prediction of the amount of heat required to avoid running out of hot water]
The required heat quantity predicting means 106 predicts (a-1) the required heat quantity for avoiding hot water running out based on the past record of the hot water supply load of the user, or (b-1) for avoiding running out of hot water to a predetermined design value. Set the required amount of heat.

(A-1) When predicting the required heat amount for avoiding running out of hot water from the past hot water supply load record of the user The required heat amount predicting means 106 is based on the information received from the timer 26, the hot water tap temperature sensor 505, and the hot water tap flow rate sensor 601. Based on this, the actual hot water supply load is learned daily at regular time intervals. The constant time interval is, for example, 6 minutes. The required calorific value predicting means 106 learns the load every 6 minutes for 240 sections, which is one day's worth. Then, the required heat quantity predicting means 106 predicts the required heat quantity for avoiding running out of hot water by using the learned hot water supply load record and considering the simultaneous operation described later due to the boiling capacity of the water heater 3-m. Simultaneous operation is a situation in which a user "heat load" such as hot water supply or reheating occurs during "boiling" by the boiling means 30.

Specifically, the required amount of heat for avoiding running out of hot water is boiled by the boiling means 30 between the "X section and the Y section" to the "total hot water supply load between the X section and the Y section of the 240 sections". It is obtained by subtracting the "possible amount of heat". For example, suppose that there is a learning result that the user intensively uses hot water, specifically, filling the water and showering twice in one hour from the first section to the tenth section. In this case, the required amount of heat for avoiding running out of hot water is a value Q3 obtained by subtracting "the amount of heat Q2 that the boiling means 30 can boil in one hour" from the amount of heat Q1 for "filling with hot water + two showers". That is, the amount of heat that needs to be stored in the tank 10 in order to avoid running out of hot water is the amount of heat Q3. By starting boiling with the boiling means 30 at the moment when the amount of heat in the tank 10 falls below Q3, it is possible to avoid running out of hot water.

Further, since the hot water running out can be avoided by storing the calorific value Q1 itself for "hot water filling + two showers" in the tank 10, the required calorific value predicting means 106 uses the calorific value Q1 itself as the necessary heat quantity for avoiding running out of hot water. May be obtained as. In addition, a highly reliable system can be constructed by specifying the section zone in which the calorific value Q1 is maximum among the 240 sections and predicting it as the required calorific value for avoiding running out of hot water in the specified section zone. ..

(B-1) When setting the required heat amount for avoiding running out of hot water based on a predetermined design value The required heat amount predicting means 106 has a time zone in which a large amount of hot water supply load is predicted for the required heat amount for avoiding running out of hot water, for example. It is designed to be large in the time zone from 17:00 to 23:00, and to be small in other time zones. The amount of heat required to avoid running out of hot water in the case of a large design is, for example, the amount of heat required to bring 300 liters to 42 ° C. The amount of heat required to avoid running out of hot water when designed to be small is, for example, the amount of heat required to bring 50 liters to 42 ° C.

The required calorific value predicting means 106 calculates the required hot water amount, which is the amount of hot water required by the user, based on the predicted calorific value of (a-1) and (b-1). The required heat quantity predicting means 106 transmits a hot water supply load learning value including information on the required hot water quantity to the control device 2.

[Prediction of required calorific value for reheating]
The required heat quantity predicting means 106 is based on (a-2) one or both of the current temperature and the amount of hot water of the bathtub 6 and (b-2) the user's past reheating performance. Predict.

(A-2) When Predicting the Required Heat Amount for Reheating Based on Information on One or Both of the Current Temperature and Hot Water Amount of the Bathtub 6 The required heat quantity predicting means 106 is of the current temperature and hot water amount of the bathtub 6. The reheating load is calculated based on one or both pieces of information, and the reheating load itself is used as the required heat amount for reheating. The reheating load is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of the bathtub 6 from the current temperature to the target bathtub temperature. Therefore, the reheating load is calculated by integrating the difference between the target bathtub temperature and the current bathtub temperature, the density, and the specific heat into the amount of hot water in the bathtub 6. For example, if the target bathtub temperature is 40 ° C., the bathtub temperature is 30 ° C., the density is 1 kg / L, and the specific heat is 1 kcal / g ° C., the reheating load is calculated.

The amount of hot water in the bathtub 6 when calculating the reheating load may be a predetermined value such as 200 liters, or a value set by the user via a remote controller (not shown). May be good. Further, a flow meter may be installed in the hot water tap pipe 305, and the integrated value of the flow rate may be used as the amount of hot water in the bathtub 6. Further, in the water heater 3-m, for example, a water level detecting means such as a pressure sensor may be provided in the bathtub return pipe 306b, and the amount of hot water in the bathtub 6 may be obtained from the water level. That is, the required calorific value predicting means 106 may initially learn the correlation between the integrated flow rate from the tank 10 to the bathtub 6 and the water level, and obtain the amount of hot water in the bathtub 6 from the water level detected by the water level detecting means and the learning result. ..

(B-2) When predicting the required heat quantity for reheating from the past reheating record of the user The required heat quantity predicting means 106 learns the reheating load record every day. The required calorific value predicting means 106 predicts the reheating load predicted on the day using the maximum value or the average value of the reheating load within a certain period in the past of the learning result, and uses the predicted reheating load itself for reheating. The required amount of heat. In the learning of the reheating load, the required heat quantity predicting means 106 specifically learns the amount of hot water in the bathtub 6 and the temperature difference between the start and the end of the reheating. Further, the required heat quantity predicting means 106 may learn the flow rate circulating in the bathtub return pipe 306b or the bathtub going pipe 306a and the temperature difference between the entrance and exit of the system on the bathtub 6 side of the reheating heat exchanger 5. The required heat quantity predicting means 106 may directly calculate the flow rate circulating in the bathtub return pipe 306b or the bathtub going pipe 306a with a flow meter, or indirectly calculate it from a control signal to the reheating pump 32. good. Further, the required heat quantity predicting means 106 may use a value obtained by subtracting the heat quantity that can be boiled by the boiling means 30 during the reheating from the predicted reheating load as the reheating required heat quantity.

Next, the operation of the water heater 3-m will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Here, the three operations of boiling operation, hot water filling operation, and reheating operation will be described separately.
[Boiling operation]
Cold water is injected into the tank 10 from the lower part of the tank through the water supply pipe 302, and the cold water is stored. The water in the lower part of the tank is boiled by the boiling pump 31 and sent to the boiling means 30 through the boiling pipe 301a. The boiling means 30 boils water to generate hot water. The hot water is returned to the upper part of the tank through the boiling return pipe 301b.

[Hot water supply operation]
The hot water stored in the tank 10 flows out from the high temperature outlet pipe 303a and the intermediate outlet pipe 303b and is sent to the high temperature side port of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 in response to the request on the load side where the hot water is used. The hot water tap temperature control valve 41 guides water through the temperature control pipe 304 branched from the water supply pipe 302, mixes it with the hot water led from the tank 10, and adjusts the temperature to an appropriate level. Supply to the load side of. In the first embodiment, since the hot water is preferentially supplied from the middle part of the tank at the time of hot water supply, the hot water in the middle part of the tank is preferentially sent to the high temperature side port of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41. This is to preferentially leave hot water for reheating in the upper area of the tank. Here, the tank upper region refers to a region above the intermediate lead-out pipe 303b of the tank 10.

[Hot water filling operation]
The hot water filling operation of filling the bathtub 6 with hot water is basically the same as the hot water tapping operation. When a hot water filling instruction is input to the water heater control device 100 from the user, the hot water stored in the tank 10 flows out from the high temperature outlet pipe 303a and the intermediate outlet pipe 303b, and the hot water side port of the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 Will be sent to. The hot water tap temperature control valve 41 mixes water guided from the temperature control pipe 304 and hot water guided from the tank 10 so that the temperature detected by the bathtub going temperature sensor 506a becomes the target bathtub temperature set by the user. Let me. The hot water whose temperature has been adjusted by the hot water tap temperature control valve 41 is supplied to the bathtub 6 through the hot water tap pipe 305. Then, when the amount of hot water accumulated in the bathtub 6 reaches the amount of hot water filled by the user, the solenoid valve for hot water supply to the bathtub (not shown) is closed and the hot water filling operation is completed.

[Reheating operation]
In the reheating, the bathtub water remaining in the bathtub 6 is raised to the target bathtub temperature. Reheating is forcibly or automatically started by the user's operation. The case of automatically starting reheating corresponds to, for example, when the bathtub temperature periodically detected by the bathtub return temperature sensor 506b becomes lower than the target bathtub temperature by a predetermined amount or more.

When the reheating is started, the hot water stored in the tank 10 is sent to the reheating heat exchanger 5 through the reheating pipe 307a. Here, in the first embodiment, the high temperature water in the upper part of the tank is preferentially used at the time of reheating. Therefore, the heat exchange circuit switching valve 43 is switched to the upper part side of the tank, and the high temperature water in the upper part of the tank is sent to the reheating heat exchanger 5. Further, substantially at the same time as this timing, the hot water stored in the bathtub 6 is guided to the reheating heat exchanger 5 through the bathtub return pipe 306b.

The hot water in the tank system whose temperature has dropped by applying heat to the bathtub system by the reheating heat exchanger 5 returns to the tank 10 through the reheating return pipe 307b. Further, the hot water of the bathtub system, which receives heat in the reheating heat exchanger 5 and whose temperature has risen, returns to the bathtub 6 through the bathtub going pipe 306a. The end of reheating is forcibly or automatically performed by the user's operation. The case of automatically ending the reheating corresponds to the case where the bathtub temperature detected by the bathtub return temperature sensor 506b becomes higher than the target bathtub temperature by a predetermined amount or more.

Next, the operation of the control device 2 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the control device according to the first embodiment. The control device 2 executes the flow shown in FIG. 7 at regular intervals. Here, the first time zone will be described in the case of a night time zone from 23:00 to 7:00 the next day. The second time zone will be described in the case of the off-peak time zone from 12:00 to 17:00.

The classification means 23 determines whether or not the current time t is the time for group reorganization (step S101). When it is time for group reorganization, the classification means 23 reorganizes a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n into three groups (step S102). For example, in the classification means 23, based on the hot water supply load learning value based on the learning result of the intensive heat load generated in the evening or later, the boiling required for the intensive heat load is generated in all the houses at night time. To complete, the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n are classified into three groups A to C. In this case, no matter which group has a user who suddenly takes a bath in the morning, the boiling water required for the intensive heat load is performed in the three groups during the night time, so that the hot water does not run out.

In step S102, the classification means 23 determines, for example, a power limit value that can be used for boiling in consideration of the power consumption used by other electric devices at night. Subsequently, the classification means 23 determines the limited number of water heaters belonging to one group so as not to exceed the power limit value. Then, the classification means 23 preferentially classifies the water heaters having an approximate time required for partial boiling into the same group, and sets the order so that the partial boiling is executed in order from the group having the longest time required for partial boiling. do. In this way, by determining the number of water heaters in the group that executes partial boiling and the order of the groups, the boiling time assigned to each group is roughly determined, and the boiling start time of each group is also determined.

The classification means 23 stores the information on the formation of the three reorganized groups in the storage means 22. Subsequently, the schedule determination means 24 determines the start time of partial boiling for each group in the night time zone (step S103). The schedule determination means 24 stores the information of the partial boiling start time of each group in the storage means 22. For example, the schedule determination means 24 determines the partial boiling start time of the group A, determines the partial boiling start time of the group B to the partial boiling end time of the group A, and sets the partial boiling start time of the group C. It is determined at the end time of partial boiling of group B. Here, with respect to each operation of partial boiling and remaining boiling, the storage means 22 stores the order of group A, group B, and group C as the order of boiling. The order of boiling may be updated.

At this stage, the schedule determination means 24 cannot know the exact time of the partial boiling end time of each of the groups A and B. Therefore, the schedule determination means 24 predicts the respective partial boiling end times of the groups A and B based on the past historical data, and stores the predicted time in the storage means 22.

On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S101, if the current time t is not the time for group reorganization, the control device 2 proceeds to the process in step S104. The first boiling means 25a refers to the information stored in the storage means 22 and determines whether or not the current time t is after the start time of the partial boiling of any group (step S104). When the current time t is after the start time of partial boiling of any group, the first boiling means 25a determines whether or not the partial boiling of all groups A to C has been completed. Is determined (step S105). If the partial boiling of all the groups of groups A to C has not been completed and the current time t has reached the disclosure time of the partial boiling of group A, the first boiling means 25a is set to group A. An operation start signal is transmitted to the water heater belonging to the above to instruct the partial boiling. In this way, the water heater belonging to Group A is made to perform partial boiling (step S106).

The water heater belonging to Group A executes partial boiling, and the partial boiling is completed. When each water heater belonging to Group A finishes partial boiling, it transmits a finish signal indicating the end of boiling to the control device 2. When the control device 2 receives the end signal from the water heater belonging to group A, the first boiling means 25a returns to the determination in step S105, and the water heaters belonging to each group are partially heated in order for each group of group B and group C. Raise is executed (step S106).

As a result of the determination in step S105, when the partial boiling of all the groups A to C has been completed, the second boiling means 25b determines whether or not the current time t belongs to the night time zone. (Step S107). When the current time t belongs to the night time zone, the second boiling means 25b causes the remaining amount to be boiled for each group in a predetermined order (step S108). For example, when none of the groups A to C has boiled the remaining amount, the second boiling means 25b transmits an operation start signal instructing the group A to boil the remaining amount.

As a result of the determination in step S107, when the current time t does not belong to the night time zone, the second boiling means 25b determines whether or not the current time t belongs to the off-peak time zone (step S109). .. When the current time t belongs to the off-peak time zone, the second boiling means 25b causes the remaining amount to be boiled for each group in a predetermined order (step S110). On the other hand, in step S109, if the current time t does not belong to the off-peak time zone, the control device 2 ends the process.

For example, in the process of step S108, when the remaining amount boiling of the group A is completed only halfway, the second boiling means 25b transmits an operation start signal instructing the group A to restart the remaining amount boiling. .. Further, in the process of step S108, when the remaining amount boiling of the group A is completed, the second boiling means 25b transmits an operation start signal instructing the group B to boil the remaining amount in step S110. .. In this way, the water heaters belonging to each of the groups A to C perform the remaining amount boiling by the end of the off-peak time zone. Even if hot water is used after the partial boiling during the night time and before the hot water is used due to the intensive heat load after the evening, the remaining amount of hot water is supplemented by the remaining boiling water. ..

As a result of the determination in step S104, in the first boiling means 25a, if the current time t is not after the start time of the partial boiling of any group, the current time t is the partial boiling start time. Is determined not to be reached, and the process is terminated.

Further, with reference to FIG. 7, the case where the night time zone is the time zone from 23:00 to 7:00 the next day has been described, but the schedule determination means 24 is the water heater 3-1 to 3 stored in the storage means 22. The start and end of the first time zone may be determined based on the hot water supply load learning value of −n. Further, the schedule determining means 24 may determine the start and end of the second time zone based on the hot water supply load learning value of the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n stored in the storage means 22. In this case, the first time zone and the second time zone are determined to be the times corresponding to the usage status of the hot water of the user of each water heater of the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n.

In addition, the reorganization of the group is after the end of the off-peak hours during the day, when it can be judged that most of the boiling on the day has ended in all households, and before the night boiling on the next day starts. Is desirable.

The control by the control device 2 of the first embodiment will be described in comparison with a comparative example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of control of a plurality of water heaters in a comparative example. The comparative example shown in FIG. 8 is a case where hot water for supplying most of the heat load for an average day is boiled in the night time zone from 23:00 to 7:00 the next day. This is because, for example, the unit price of electric power set by the electric power company at night is low, or the power consumption of other electric appliances is low. Even if hot water is used for the heat load generated during the daytime from morning to daytime, including bathing in the morning after the night time, if the expected total amount of hot water is boiled during the night time. , There is no shortage of hot water for the intensive hot water supply load during the evening bathing hours.

However, in the comparative example shown in FIG. 8, when the daytime hot water supply load is larger than expected, when an intensive hot water supply load occurs during the evening bathing time, the hot water boiled during the nighttime becomes insufficient, and additional hot water is added. It is necessary to boil.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of control by the control device according to the first embodiment. Each of GA to GC shown in FIG. 9 corresponds to each of groups A to C. As shown in FIG. 9, the partial boiling required for the intensive heat load is completed in the night time zone in all the water heaters. Therefore, no matter which group of users suddenly takes a bath in the morning, the hot water will not run out.

After the partial boiling of groups A to C is completed, the control device 2 performs the remaining boiling of any of the groups during the night time when the power consumption of other electric devices is expected to be small. .. FIG. 9 shows a case where the control device 2 causes the water heater of Group A to boil the remaining amount during the remaining time of the night time zone. When the night time zone ends, the control device 2 interrupts the remaining boiling operation.

When the daytime off-peak time zone starts after the time zone when the power peak of the other electric device becomes large, the control device 2 restarts the remaining boiling of the groups A to C. FIG. 9 shows a case where the control device 2 sequentially performs the remaining amount boiling to the water heaters of the groups B and C when the off-peak time zone starts. In this case, even if the bath is taken in the morning or the hot water is used more than expected in the daytime, the reduced amount of hot water is supplemented by boiling the remaining amount. When the off-peak time zone ends, the control device 2 ends the remaining amount boiling operation.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the power consumption of a building and time in the case of the comparative example shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the power consumption of a building and time in the case of control by the control device of the first embodiment. The vertical axis of FIGS. 10 and 11 is the electric energy consumption Wb [kWh] of the entire building, and the horizontal axis is the time [/ 24]. The power consumption Wb is an integrated value obtained by measuring the time-series change of the power consumption [kW] that occurs in the entire building and converting it into a value for one hour.

10 and 11 show the change in power consumption from 12:00 on the s day to 23:00 on the (s + 1) day as a bar graph. The threshold value Wth on the horizontal axis of FIGS. 10 and 11 means that if the power consumption Wb exceeds the threshold value Wth even once in the power contract with the electric power company, the annual cost of the contract will increase. .. The average value Wav on the horizontal axis of FIGS. 10 and 11 is the average value Wav [kWh / d] of the daily power consumption in the building. The arrows shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 indicate that hot water was used during the daytime hours, including bathing in the morning.

In the case of the comparative example shown in FIG. 10, in all the water heaters during the night time, the predicted total amount of hot water required for one day is stored in the tank 10, so that even if there is an unexpected bath in the morning, hot water is stored. Does not break. However, if there is an unexpected bath, if the amount of hot water used in the daytime is larger than the predicted amount, the hot water stored in the tank 10 during the time when the load is intensively increased due to bathing at night, etc. Will run out. In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the water heater 3-m additionally performs a boiling operation. When this additional boiling operation overlaps with the time zone in which the power consumption Wb is the largest, the power consumption Wb becomes large. As a result, the power consumption Wb temporarily exceeds the threshold value Wth.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, the control device 2 of the first embodiment causes partial boiling to be executed for each group of groups A to C during the night time zone. Therefore, even if the user of the water heater 3-m to which any of the groups A to C belongs takes a bath in the morning, the water heater 3-m can supply hot water by partial boiling. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, even if the remaining amount is boiled in the groups B and C during the off-peak time zone, it is suppressed that the power consumption Wb exceeds the threshold value Wth.

The control device 2 of the first embodiment has a storage means 22 and a boiling instruction means 25. The storage means 22 includes information on group formation in which a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n are classified into two or more groups, a first time zone which is a fixed time zone in a day, and a first time zone. The second time zone, which is a part of the time excluding the one time zone, is memorized. The boiling instruction means 25 includes a first boiling means 25a and a second boiling means 25b. The first boiling means 25a sequentially executes partial boiling to boil a predetermined partial amount of hot water in the first time zone for each group of two or more groups. The second boiling means 25b is the remaining amount of boiling water obtained by subtracting the partial amount of hot water from the total amount of hot water in the time zone excluding the time when the partial boiling is executed from the first time zone and the second time zone. The boiling is executed in order for each group of two or more groups.

According to the first embodiment, the first time zone and the second time zone are provided as the boiling time zone of the hot water in the day, and the partial hot water amount of the total hot water amount is set for each group in the first time zone. The remaining amount of hot water is boiled for each group during the second time zone. Since the total amount of hot water is dispersed in a plurality of time zones and boiled for each group, the storage of the partial amount of hot water in each group is completed in the first time zone while suppressing the power consumption of the plurality of water heaters. As a result, after the partial amount of hot water is stored in each water heater, any group of users can use the hot water stored in the water heater, and the occurrence of running out of hot water can be suppressed.

Further, in the first embodiment, the first time zone may be a time zone after the time zone in which the usage amount is the maximum among the total hot water amount in one day. In this case, the partial amount of hot water is boiled for each group in the first time zone after the time zone in which the amount of hot water used is maximum. Therefore, after the time when the amount of hot water used is maximum, the storage of the partial amount of hot water in each group is completed early while suppressing the power consumption of the plurality of water heaters. The first time zone is, for example, a night time zone.

Further, in the first embodiment, the storage means 22 may store the power consumption in the building in chronological order. In this case, the schedule determination means 24 has the power consumption Wb of the building smaller than the average value Wav of the total power consumption in one day based on the time-series power consumption information stored in the storage means 22. The time zone may be determined as the first time zone. Further, the schedule determining means 24 may determine the time zone before the time zone in which the power consumption Wb of the building is larger than the average value Wav in the second time zone in the day.

By performing partial boiling in the first time zone and remaining amount boiling in the second time zone, it is possible to suppress the total power peak of the electrical equipment of the entire building. Further, the time zone in which the power peak occurs after 17:00 is called the lighting peak, and the lighting peak means the time zone in which the user returns home with a high probability. Therefore, it means that an intensive heat load such as bathing after returning home occurs during the peak time of lighting. By completing the remaining boiling before the peak when lit, it is possible to avoid both running out of hot water and increasing the total power peak of the building.

Further, in the first embodiment, the classification means 23 groups a plurality of water heaters 3-1 to 3-n into two or more groups after the second time zone and before the start of the first time zone. It may be reorganized. If group reorganization is performed at an inappropriate timing, hot water will run out or boiling will occur during peak lighting. For example, consider that the group reorganization is performed before the water heaters of the group scheduled to boil the remaining amount at the end of the second time zone perform the remaining amount boiling. In this case, the water heaters assigned to the group that first boil the remaining amount in the second time zone do not boil the remaining amount until the next day, so that the water runs out or when the water is lit. It will be boiled during the peak. Therefore, after the second time zone, which is expected to be after all the water heaters 3-1 to 3-n have accumulated the total amount of hot water required for the daily hot water supply load, and the start of the first time zone. By reorganizing the group before, it is possible to avoid both running out of hot water and increasing the total power peak of the building.

Embodiment 2.
In the second embodiment, in the control described in the first embodiment, the order of the groups for executing the remaining amount boiling is reversed from the order of the groups for executing the partial boiling. Regarding the second embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the control device 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The schedule determining means 24 determines the order opposite to the order in which the first boiling means 25a executes partial boiling for the three groups A to C in the order of remaining boiling. The second boiling means 25b causes three groups to perform the remaining boiling for each group according to the remaining boiling order determined by the schedule determining means 24.

The operation of the control device 2 of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of control of the control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the control device according to the second embodiment. Since steps S201 to S203 shown in FIG. 13 are the same processes as steps S101 to S103 described with reference to FIG. 7, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Further, since steps S205 to S211 shown in FIG. 13 are the same processes as steps S104 to S110 described with reference to FIG. 7, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

After step S203, the schedule determining means 24 determines the second boiling means 25b in the order of remaining boiling in the order opposite to the order in which the first boiling means 25a executes partial boiling (step S204). ). The schedule determining means 24 stores the information of the remaining amount boiling order in the storage means 22. In steps S209 and S211 the second boiling means 25b causes three groups to perform the remaining amount boiling for each group according to the remaining amount boiling order stored in the storage means 22.

According to the second embodiment, when the partial boiling in the night time zone is performed in the order of, for example, group A, group B and group C, the heat radiation of groups A and B performed before the group C is dissipated. Large, energy saving and electricity cost are disadvantageous. Therefore, by reversing the order of partial boiling in the order of remaining boiling performed during the off-peak hours during the day, the energy saving of the entire building is improved. In addition, the difference in electricity costs between groups can be reduced, and the feeling of unfairness between groups is reduced.

1 Hot water supply system, 2 Control device, 3-1 to 3-n hot water supply machine, 5 Reheating heat exchanger, 6 Bathtub, 10 tank, 20 Signal line, 21 Receiving means, 22 Storage means, 23 Classification means, 24 Schedule determination Means, 25 boiling instruction means, 25a first boiling means, 25b second boiling means, 26 timer, 30 boiling means, 31 boiling pump, 32 reheating pump, 33 bath pump, 41 hot water tap temperature control valve , 42 Medium / high temperature mixing valve, 43 Heat exchange circuit switching valve, 70 processing circuit, 71 processor, 72 memory, 100 water heater control device, 101 target temperature setting means, 102 pump control means, 103 valve control means, 104 boiling control Means, 105 Heat storage amount calculation means, 106 Required heat amount prediction means, 200 Boiling circuit, 300 Exhaust heat recovery circuit, 301a Boiling back and forth piping, 301b Boiling back piping, 302 Water supply piping, 303a High temperature lead-out piping, 303b Intermediate lead-out piping , 304 temperature control pipe, 305 hot water tap pipe, 306a bathtub going pipe, 306b bathtub return pipe, 307a reheating back pipe, 307b reheating return pipe, 307c exhaust heat recovery pipe, 501a to 501f hot water storage temperature sensor, 502 boiling Temperature sensor, 503a Upper lead-out temperature sensor, 503b Intermediate lead-out temperature sensor, 504 Water supply temperature sensor, 505 Hot water tap temperature sensor, 506a Bathtub return temperature sensor, 506b Bathtub return temperature sensor, 507 Reheating return temperature sensor, 601 Hot water tap flow sensor ..

Claims (10)

A control device that controls multiple water heaters
Information on group formation in which the plurality of water heaters are classified into two or more groups, the first time zone which is a fixed time zone in the day, and the first time zone in the day. A storage means for storing the second time zone, which is a part of the time to be excluded,
In the first time zone, partial boiling of a predetermined partial amount of hot water out of the total amount of hot water boiled by the plurality of water heaters on the same day is sequentially executed for each group of the two or more groups. 1 Boiling means and
In the time zone excluding the time when the partial boiling is executed from the first time zone and the second time zone, the remaining boiling amount for boiling the remaining hot water amount obtained by subtracting the partial hot water amount from the total hot water amount is performed. The second boiling means to be executed in order for each group of the two or more groups, and
Control device with. The second boiling means is
The remaining amount boiling is executed for each group of the two or more groups in the order opposite to the order in which the first boiling means executes the partial boiling for the two or more groups.
The control device according to claim 1. The storage means stores the power consumption in the building in which the plurality of water heaters are installed in chronological order.
Based on the time-series power consumption information stored by the storage means, the first time zone is the time zone in which the power consumption of the building is smaller than the average value of the total power consumption in the day. Further has a schedule determination means for determining the time zone before the time zone in which the power consumption of the building is larger than the average value in the second time zone in the day.
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The schedule determination means
Based on the power consumption information in the time series stored by the storage means, the start and end of each time zone of the first time zone and the second time zone are determined.
The control device according to claim 3. The first time zone is a time zone after the time zone in which the amount of hot water used is maximum in the total amount of hot water in the day.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The first time zone is a night time zone in which the beginning is between 22:00 and 23:00 and the end is between 6:00 and 7:00.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The storage means stores information on the required amount of hot water to be boiled in the day for each of the plurality of water heaters in chronological order.
Further having a classification means for reorganizing the plurality of water heaters into the two or more groups based on the information on the required amount of hot water for each of the plurality of water heaters stored by the storage means.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The classification means
After the second time zone and before the start of the first time zone, the plurality of water heaters are reorganized into the two or more groups.
The control device according to claim 7. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The plurality of water heaters that are communicatively connected to the control device,
Hot water supply system with. It is a control method that controls multiple water heaters.
Information on group formation in which the plurality of water heaters are classified into two or more groups, the first time zone which is a fixed time zone in the day, and the first time zone in the day. A step to memorize the second time zone, which is a part of the time to be excluded,
In the first time zone, a step of sequentially executing partial boiling for boiling a predetermined partial amount of hot water out of the total amount of hot water boiled by the plurality of water heaters on the same day for each group of the two or more groups. When,
In the first time zone, in the time zone excluding the time when the partial boiling is executed and in the second time zone, the remaining amount of boiling water obtained by removing the partial amount of hot water from the total amount of hot water is boiled. A step of sequentially executing the raising for each group of the two or more groups, and
Control method having.

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