JP2024030632A - Connected hot water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of setting the number of operating units while stand-by to the number suitable for a situation, in a connected hot water supply system.SOLUTION: A connected hot water supply system includes: a plurality of hot water supply devices provided in parallel with a hot water supply circuit; and a control device for controlling the number of operating units of the plurality of hot water supply devices. The control device can executes stand-by unit number setting processing for acquiring a predicted hot water supply use amount for each time zone, and setting the number of operating units while stand-by of the plurality of hot water supply devices, according to the acquired predicted hot water supply use amount. In the stand-by unit number setting processing, in the case where the predicted hot water supply use amount becomes below a first predetermined amount, the control device sets the number of operating units while standing-by to a first unit number, and in the case where the predicted hot water supply use amount is equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount, the control device sets the number of operating units while standing-by to a second unit number which is larger than the first unit number.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The technology disclosed herein relates to a connected hot water system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a connected hot water supply system that includes a plurality of water heaters that are provided in parallel in a hot water supply circuit, and a control device that controls the number of the plurality of water heaters in operation. The control device sets the number of the plurality of water heaters operating on standby to a predetermined number of two or more.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-158138

In the connected hot water supply system of Patent Document 1, the number of units operating during standby is set to a predetermined number, so the number of units operating during standby cannot be changed depending on the situation. That is, it is not possible to set the number of machines operating during standby to a number suitable for the situation. This specification provides a technology that allows the number of units in standby operation to be set to a number suitable for the situation in a connected hot water supply system.

In a first aspect of the present technology, a connected hot water supply system includes a plurality of water heaters that are provided in parallel in a hot water supply circuit, and a control device that controls the number of the plurality of water heaters in operation. The control device is capable of executing a standby number setting process of acquiring a predicted hot water usage amount for each time period and setting the number of units in standby operation of the plurality of water heaters according to the acquired predicted hot water usage amount. be. In the standby number setting process, if the predicted hot water consumption is less than a first predetermined amount, the control device sets the number of units operating during standby to a first number, and the predicted hot water consumption is set to the first predetermined amount. If this is the case, the number of machines operating during standby is set to a second number that is larger than the first number.

In an operating water heater, heating of hot water is started when the amount of water flowing exceeds a predetermined minimum operating flow rate. For this reason, when hot water is on standby, heating of hot water can be started early by concentrating the flow of water on a small number of water heaters and causing the flow of water in those water heaters to quickly exceed the minimum operating flow rate. can. Therefore, in the connected hot water supply system, it is preferable to set the number of units operating during standby to the smallest possible number. However, in a situation where a large amount of hot water is expected to be used in a short period of time, if the number of units in standby operation is small, there is a risk that the heating capacity immediately after hot water supply starts will be insufficient. In this case, the time required for hot water at the set temperature to be supplied (temperature ramp-up time) becomes long. Therefore, in a situation where a large amount of hot water is expected to be used in a short period of time, it is preferable to set the number of units in standby operation to a large number. According to the above configuration, in situations where a large amount of hot water consumption is expected in a short period of time, the number of standby operating units is set to a large number; The number of operating vehicles can be set to a small number. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the number of machines operating during standby can be set to a number suitable for the situation.

In a second aspect of the present technology, in the first aspect, the control device obtains the predicted hot water usage amount based on the actual hot water usage amount for each time period of each day in a predetermined period in the past. It's okay.

For example, as a configuration for acquiring the predicted amount of hot water supply, a configuration may be considered in which the user inputs the predicted amount of hot water supply via a remote control or the like. However, this configuration requires the user to input the predicted amount of hot water supply, which is less convenient for the user. According to the above configuration, the control device obtains the predicted hot water usage amount based on the past results of the hot water usage amount. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to input the predicted amount of hot water supply, so the user's convenience can be improved.

In a third aspect of the present technology, in the first or second aspect, the control device is triggered by a change in the flow rate from the hot water supply circuit to the hot water supply location from below to above the first threshold; It may be possible to execute a process for increasing the number of hot water supply devices that increases the number of the plurality of hot water supply devices in operation at the time of hot water supply by a specific amount of increase in the number of hot water supply devices. The control device may specify a predicted increase in hot water supply amount based on the predicted hot water consumption amount. In the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units, when the predicted increase in hot water supply is less than a second predetermined amount, the control device sets the specific increase in the number of units as a first increase in the number of units, and the control device sets the predicted increase in the number of hot water supply units to the first increase in the number of units. If the amount is greater than or equal to 2 predetermined amounts, the specific amount of increase in the number of devices may be set to a second amount of increase in the number of devices that is larger than the first amount of increase in the number of devices.

The actual amount of hot water used does not necessarily match the predicted amount of hot water used. For example, in situations where the actual amount of hot water used can greatly exceed the predicted amount of hot water used, such as when the amount of hot water used is expected to increase rapidly, the number of units operating during standby set in the number of standby units setting process may differ from the actual number of units operating during standby. The number can be significantly lower than is appropriate for the situation. That is, the number of units in operation during hot water supply immediately after the start of hot water supply may be significantly smaller than the number suitable for the actual situation. In this situation, it is preferable to rapidly realize the number of operating units suitable for the situation by significantly increasing the number of operating units during hot water supply in the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units. According to the above configuration, in a situation where the amount of hot water used is expected to increase rapidly, the amount of increase in the number of hot water supply units in the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units can be set to a large number of units. That is, in the process of increasing the number of hot water supply machines, by significantly increasing the number of machines in operation during hot water supply, it is possible to quickly realize the number of machines in operation that is suitable for the situation.

In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in any one of the first or third aspects, the control device controls the control device such that the flow rate from the hot water supply circuit to the hot water supply location changes from above the second threshold to below the second threshold. may be used as a trigger to execute a process for reducing the number of water heaters that reduces the number of the plurality of water heaters in operation during hot water supply by a specific number reduction amount. The control device may specify a predicted decrease in hot water supply amount based on the predicted hot water consumption amount. In the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, when the predicted decrease amount of hot water supplies is less than a third predetermined amount, the control device sets the specific decrease amount of the number of hot water supply units as a first decrease amount of hot water supply units, and sets the predicted decrease amount of hot water supply units to the third predetermined amount. If the amount is greater than or equal to 3 predetermined amounts, the specific number reduction amount may be set to a second number reduction amount that is greater than the first number reduction amount.

The actual amount of hot water used does not necessarily match the predicted amount of hot water used. For example, in a situation where the actual amount of hot water used can be significantly lower than the predicted amount of hot water used, such as when the amount of hot water used is expected to decrease rapidly, the number of standby operating units set in the number of standby units setting process may be The number can be significantly higher than is appropriate for the situation. That is, the number of units in operation during hot water supply immediately after the start of hot water supply may be significantly larger than the number suitable for the actual situation. In this situation, in the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, it is preferable to significantly reduce the number of units in operation during hot water supply to quickly realize the number of units in operation that is suitable for the situation. According to the above configuration, in a situation where the amount of hot water used is expected to decrease rapidly, it is possible to set the number reduction amount in the hot water supply number reduction process to a large number. That is, in the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, by significantly reducing the number of units in operation during hot water supply, it is possible to quickly realize the number of units in operation suitable for the situation.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a connected hot water supply system 100 according to an example. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a water heater 1 according to an example. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of predicted hot water usage amount WU for each time period acquired by the connection unit 2 in the connected hot water supply system 100 according to the embodiment. 2 is a flowchart showing main processing executed by the connection unit 2 in the connection hot water supply system 100 according to the embodiment. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process for determining the number of units on standby that is executed by the connection unit 2 in the connection hot water supply system 100 according to the embodiment. 2 is a flowchart showing a process for increasing the number of hot water supply units executed by the connection unit 2 in the connected hot water supply system 100 according to the embodiment. 2 is a flowchart showing a process for reducing the number of hot water supply units executed by the connection unit 2 in the connected hot water supply system 100 according to the embodiment.

(Example)
As shown in FIG. 1, the connected hot water supply system 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of water heaters 1, a connection unit 2, a water supply pipe 3a, a hot water supply pipe 3b, a plurality of faucets 5, and a remote control 20.

The plurality of water heaters 1 are connected in parallel to the water supply pipe 3a and the hot water supply pipe 3b so that hot water is supplied from the water supply pipe 3a and hot water is sent to the hot water supply pipe 3b. A plurality of faucets 5 are connected to the hot water supply pipe 3b, and the plurality of faucets 5 are configured to send hot water supplied from the hot water supply pipe 3b to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of water heaters 1 includes a water pipe 3c, a flow rate sensor 6, a switching valve 7, a temperature sensor 8, an electrical unit 9, a heat exchanger 10, and a gas burner 11. Be prepared.

The water pipe 3c has an upstream end connected to the water supply pipe 3a, and a downstream end connected to the hot water supply pipe 3b. The water pipe 3c is provided with a flow rate sensor 6, a switching valve 7, a heat exchanger 10, and a temperature sensor 8 in this order from the upstream side. The flow rate sensor 6 detects the flow rate of hot water flowing through the water pipe 3c. The switching valve 7 can be switched between an open state that allows hot water to flow from the water supply pipe 3a to the water pipe 3c, and a closed state that blocks the flow of hot water from the water supply pipe 3a to the water pipe 3c. There is. In the heat exchanger 10, hot water in the water pipe 3c is heated by the gas burner 11. The temperature sensor 8 detects the temperature of hot water after passing through the heat exchanger 10. Further, the gas burner 11 heats hot water by burning fuel gas (for example, city gas) supplied from a fuel supply source (not shown).

The electrical unit 9 is composed of a CPU, memory, and the like. The electrical unit 9 is configured to be able to communicate with the connection unit 2. The electrical unit 9 switches the switching valve 7 between an open state and a closed state in response to an instruction from the connection unit 2. Thereby, the electrical unit 9 starts or stops the operation of the water heater 1. In this embodiment, when the switching valve 7 is in the open state, it is called "in operation", and when the switching valve 7 is in the closed state, it is called "in operation".

When the water heater 1 is in operation and the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 6 exceeds a predetermined minimum operating flow rate, the electrical unit 9 ignites the gas burner 11 . In this case, the water heater 1 heats the hot water. On the other hand, even if the water heater 1 is in operation, if the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 6 is below the minimum operating flow rate, the electrical unit 9 does not ignite the gas burner 11. In this case, the water heater 1 does not heat the hot water. Further, when the water heater 1 is not operating, the electrical unit 9 does not ignite the gas burner 11. In this case as well, the water heater 1 does not heat the hot water.

In this embodiment, the operation of the water heater 1 when the gas burner 11 is ignited is called "combustion operation." The operation of the water heater 1 when the gas burner 11 is extinguished is called "non-combustion operation."

The electrical unit 9 transmits "operating information" indicating the operating state of the water heater 1 and "flow rate information" indicating the flow rate of hot water flowing through the water pipe 3c detected by the flow rate sensor 6 to the connection unit 2. Note that the operation information includes information indicating whether the water heater 1 is in operation or stopped. When the water heater 1 is in operation, the operation information further includes information indicating whether the water heater 1 is in a combustion operation or a non-combustion operation.

The connection unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a CPU, memory, and the like. The connection unit 2 is connected to a remote control 20. The user can input various settings for the connected hot water supply system 100 (for example, hot water supply target temperature) into the remote control 20. Various settings input to the remote controller 20 are transmitted to the connection unit 2.

The connection unit 2 is capable of communicating with the electrical units 9 of a plurality of water heaters 1 . The connection unit 2 controls the number of water heaters 1 in operation by executing various processes described below. Note that the connection unit 2 controls the number of water heaters 1 in operation so that all the water heaters 1 do not go out of operation. Further, the connection unit 2 is capable of determining whether the connection hot water supply system 100 is on standby for hot water supply or is in the process of hot water supply. "Waiting for hot water supply" here means a state in which all the plurality of faucets 5 are closed and hot water is not being supplied from the plurality of faucets 5. "Hot water supply in progress" means a state in which at least one of the plurality of faucets 5 is opened and hot water is being supplied from the plurality of faucets 5. For example, when the connection unit 2 receives operation information indicating that the combustion operation is in progress from one of the water heaters 1, the connection unit 2 determines that the connection hot water system 100 is in the process of supplying hot water. If the connection unit 2 has not received operation information indicating that the combustion operation is in progress from any of the water heaters 1, the connection unit 2 determines that the connection hot water system 100 is on standby for hot water supply. Furthermore, the connection unit 2 transmits the target water supply temperature to the plurality of water heaters 1 . In the water heater 1 during combustion operation, the thermal power of the gas burner 11 is adjusted according to the received hot water supply target temperature. As a result, hot water heated to the hot water supply target temperature is supplied from the plurality of faucets 5 during hot water supply.

(How to obtain predicted hot water consumption WU)
The connection unit 2 obtains the sum of the flow rates of hot water in the plurality of water heaters 1 (total flow rate TF) based on the flow rate information transmitted from the electrical units 9 of the plurality of water heaters 1 . The total flow rate TF is equal to the flow rate of hot water flowing through the water supply pipe 3a and the hot water supply pipe 3b. Furthermore, the connection unit 2 obtains the amount of hot water used for each time period by integrating the total flow rate TF for each time period. The connection unit 2 stores in its memory the amount of hot water used for each time period of each day during a predetermined period in the past (for example, the past seven days). The connection unit 2 averages the amount of hot water used each day for each time period, and obtains the predicted amount of hot water used WU for each time period. A visualization of the predicted hot water usage amount WU for each time period is shown in FIG.

(Method for identifying predicted hot water supply increase amount UAF and UAR)
The connection unit 2 identifies predicted hot water supply increase amounts UAF and UAR for each time period based on the predicted hot water supply usage amount WU. The predicted increase in hot water supply UAF in a specific time period is defined as UAF = WUS, where WUS is the predicted hot water consumption amount WU in the relevant time period, and WUF is the predicted hot water consumption amount WU in the adjacent time period before the relevant time period. - Identified as WUF. In addition, the predicted increase in hot water supply UAR in a specific time period is calculated by setting the predicted hot water consumption amount WU of the relevant time period to WUS, and setting the predicted hot water consumption amount WU of the adjacent time period after the relevant time period to WUR, then UAR= Identified as WUR-WUS. In FIG. 3, WUS, WUF, and WUR related to the 7:00 to 8:00 time period are illustrated as an example. The predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and UAR for the 7:00 to 8:00 time period are specified based on WUS, WUF, and WUR shown in FIG. 3.

(Method for identifying predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAF and LAR)
The connection unit 2 identifies the predicted decrease in hot water supply amount LAF and LAR for each time period based on the predicted hot water supply consumption amount WU. The predicted decrease in hot water supply LAF in a specific time period is specified as LAF=WUF−WUS using the above-mentioned WUS and WUF. Further, the predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAR is specified as LAR=WUS−WUR using the above-mentioned WUS and WUR.

In the example of FIG. 3, the 0-1 o'clock time slot and the 23-24 o'clock time slot are treated as being adjacent to each other. Therefore, the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the 23-24 o'clock time slot is used as the WUF for the 0-1 o'clock time slot. The predicted hot water usage amount WU for the 0-1:00 time slot is used for the WUR for the 23:00-24:00 time slot.

(main processing)
The main processing executed by the connection unit 2 will be explained using FIG. 4.

In S2, the connection unit 2 determines whether the connection hot water supply system 100 is on standby for hot water supply. If the connected hot water supply system 100 is on standby for hot water supply (in the case of YES), the process advances to S4.

In S4, the connection unit 2 executes the standby number setting process shown in FIG. In the standby number setting process, the number of operating water heaters 1 during standby (that is, the number of operating water heaters 1 when the connected hot water supply system 100 is on standby for hot water supply) is set. After S4, the process returns to S2.

If it is determined in S2 that the connected hot water supply system 100 is not on standby for hot water supply (that is, hot water supply is in progress) (in the case of NO), the process proceeds to S6. In S6, the connection unit 2 executes the process of increasing the number of hot water heaters shown in FIG. In the process of increasing the number of water heaters, the number of water heaters 1 in operation at the time of hot water supply (i.e., the number of water heaters 1 in operation when the connected hot water supply system 100 is performing hot water supply) is increased when the condition for increasing the number of hot water heaters is satisfied. After S6, the process proceeds to S8.

In S8, the connection unit 2 executes the process of reducing the number of hot water heaters shown in FIG. In the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, the number of units operating at the time of hot water supply is reduced using the satisfaction of the condition for reducing the number of hot water supply units as a trigger. After S8, the process returns to S2.

The process in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed while the connected hot water supply system 100 is powered on. When the connected hot water supply system 100 is powered off, the process in FIG. 4 ends.

(Setting process for number of standby machines)
The standby number setting process executed by the connection unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

In S22, the connection unit 2 determines whether the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the current time period is less than a predetermined first determination index n1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, YES is determined in the 0-6 o'clock and 21-24 o'clock time zones, and NO is determined in the 6-21 o'clock time zones. If the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the current time period is less than the first determination index n1 (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to S24.

In S24, the connection unit 2 sets the number of units operating during standby to one.

If it is determined in S22 that the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the current time period is greater than or equal to the first determination index n1 (in the case of NO), the process proceeds to S26. In S26, the connection unit 2 determines whether the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the current time period is within the range of the first determination index n1 or more and less than the second determination index n2. Note that the second determination index n2 is larger than the first determination index n1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, YES is determined in the time zone from 10:00 to 16:00, and NO is determined in the time zones from 0:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 24:00. If the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the current time period is within the range of the first determination index n1 or more and less than the second determination index n2 (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to S28.

In S28, the connection unit 2 sets the number of units operating during standby to two.

If it is determined in S26 that the predicted hot water usage amount WU for the current time period is not within the range of the first determination index n1 or more and less than the second determination index n2 (in the case of NO), the process proceeds to S30. In S30, the connection unit 2 sets the number of units in operation during standby to three.

After S24, S28, or S30, the process proceeds to S32. In S32, the connection unit 2 operates the water heaters 1 corresponding to the set number of water heaters 1 operating during standby, and stops the other water heaters 1. After S32, the process of FIG. 5 ends.

(Increase in number of hot water supply units)
The process of increasing the number of hot water heaters executed by the connection unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

In S42, the connection unit 2 determines whether a condition for increasing the number of hot water supply units, which is a trigger for increasing the number of units in operation during hot water supply, is satisfied. The condition for increasing the number of water heaters in this embodiment is that the total flow rate TF changes from below the first flow rate threshold t1 to above. The first flow rate threshold t1 here is a threshold for determining that the hot water heating ability of the water heater 1 in operation alone is insufficient for the total flow rate TF. Therefore, the first flow rate threshold t1 is a value that changes depending on the hot water supply target temperature and the current number of units in operation during hot water supply. If the condition for increasing the number of water heaters is not satisfied (in the case of NO), the process in FIG. 6 ends. If the condition for increasing the number of water heaters is satisfied (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to S44.

In S44, the connection unit 2 determines whether both the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and UAR in the current time period are less than the third determination index n3. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the third determination index n3 is set as n3=(n2-n1)/2. In this case, YES is determined in the time zones of 0-5 o'clock, 7-15 o'clock, and 17-24 o'clock, and NO is determined in the time zones of 5-7 o'clock and 15-17 o'clock. If both the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and UAR in the current time period are less than the third determination index n3 (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to S46.

In S46, the connection unit 2 sets the amount of increase in the number of units to one.

If it is determined in S44 that either the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF or UAR in the current time period is equal to or greater than the third determination index n3 (in the case of NO), the process proceeds to S48. In S48, the connection unit 2 sets the amount of increase in the number of units to two.

After S46 or S48, the process proceeds to S50. In S50, the connection unit 2 selects the water heaters 1 corresponding to the increased number of water heaters 1 from among the water heaters 1 that are not operating, and starts operating the selected water heaters 1. After S50, the process of FIG. 6 ends.

(Processing to reduce the number of water heaters)
The process of reducing the number of hot water heaters executed by the connection unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

In S62, the connection unit 2 determines whether a condition for reducing the number of hot water supply units, which is a trigger for reducing the number of units in operation during hot water supply, is satisfied. The condition for reducing the number of water heaters in this embodiment is that the total flow rate TF changes from above to below the second flow rate threshold t2. The second flow rate threshold t2 here is a threshold for determining that the hot water heating capacity of the water heater 1 in operation is excessive with respect to the total flow rate TF. Therefore, the second flow rate threshold t2 is a value that changes depending on the hot water supply target temperature and the current number of units in operation during hot water supply. If the condition for reducing the number of water heaters is not satisfied (in the case of NO), the process in FIG. 7 ends. If the condition for reducing the number of water heaters is satisfied (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to S64.

In S64, the connection unit 2 determines whether both the predicted decrease in hot water supply LAF and LAR in the current time period are less than the fourth determination index n4. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the fourth determination index n4 is set as n4=(n2-n1)/2. In this case, YES is determined for the time zones of 0-9:00, 11-20:00, and 22-24:00, and NO is determined for the time zones of 9-11:00 and 20-22:00. If both the predicted hot water supply reduction amounts LAF and LAR in the current time period are less than the fourth determination index n4 (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to S66.

In S66, the connection unit 2 sets the amount of decrease in the number of units to one unit.

If it is determined in S64 that either the predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAF or LAR in the current time period is equal to or greater than the fourth determination index n4 (in the case of NO), the process proceeds to S68. In S68, the connection unit 2 sets the amount of decrease in the number of units to two.

After S66 or S68, the process proceeds to S70. In S70, the connection unit 2 selects the water heaters 1 corresponding to the decrease in number from among the water heaters 1 in operation, and stops the operation of the selected water heaters 1. After S70, the process of FIG. 7 ends.

(Modified example)
In the above embodiment (the example shown in FIG. 1), a configuration in which the number of water heaters 1 is six has been described. In another embodiment, the number of water heaters 1 may be five or less, or may be seven or more. The number of water heaters 1 may be 20, for example.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the connection unit 2 acquires the predicted hot water usage amount WU based on the hot water usage amount for each time period of each day in the past seven days. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may obtain the predicted hot water usage amount WU based on the hot water usage amount for each time period of each day in the past month. In yet another example, the connection unit 2 may obtain the predicted hot water usage amount WU for a specific day of the week based on the hot water usage amount for each time period of each day for the past seven weeks regarding the specific day of the week. good.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the connection unit 2 acquires the predicted hot water usage amount WU based on the actual hot water usage amount for each time period of each day in a predetermined period in the past. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may obtain the predicted hot water usage WU in a different manner. For example, the predicted hot water usage amount WU may be input to the remote controller 20, and the connection unit 2 may acquire the predicted hot water usage amount WU based on the input to the remote controller 20.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the connection unit 2 specifies the predicted hot water supply increase amount UAF, UAR, and the predicted hot water supply decrease amount LAF, LAR based on the acquired predicted hot water supply usage amount WU. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may specify the predicted hot water supply increase amounts UAF, UAR and the predicted hot water supply decrease amounts LAF, LAR without being based on the predicted hot water supply usage amount WU. For example, it may be possible to input the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF, UAR, the predicted decrease in hot water supply LAF, LAR into the remote control 20, and the connection unit 2 can input the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF, UAR, The predicted hot water supply reduction amounts LAF and LAR may be specified.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the connection unit 2 determines whether the connection hot water system 100 is on standby for hot water supply or is in the process of hot water supply, based on the operation information from the plurality of water heaters 1. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may make these determinations based on flow rate information from a plurality of water heaters 1. For example, the connection unit 2 determines that the connected hot water supply system 100 is on standby for hot water supply when the total flow rate TF exceeds a predetermined amount, and determines that the connected hot water supply system 100 is in the process of supplying hot water when the total flow rate TF is less than or equal to the predetermined amount. It may be determined that

In the embodiment described above, the electrical unit 9 of the plurality of water heaters 1 determines whether the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 6 exceeds a predetermined minimum operating flow rate, and depending on the determination result, the electrical equipment unit 9 of the plurality of water heaters 1 determines whether or not the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 6 exceeds a predetermined minimum operating flow rate. The configuration for controlling fire extinguishing has been explained. That is, the configuration has been described in which switching between the combustion operation and the non-combustion operation in the water heater 1 during operation is performed by each electrical unit 9. In another embodiment, the electrical units 9 of the plurality of water heaters 1 may control ignition and extinguishing of the gas burners 11 in accordance with instructions from the connection unit 2. That is, switching between combustion operation and non-combustion operation in the water heater 1 during operation may be performed by the connection unit 2. In this case, the connection unit 2 may switch the running water heater 1 between combustion operation and non-combustion operation based on flow rate information from the plurality of water heaters 1 . For example, when the total flow rate TF exceeds a predetermined amount, the connection unit 2 switches the operation of the water heaters 1 all at once to combustion operation, and when the total flow rate TF is less than a predetermined amount, the operation of the water heaters 1 is turned off all at once. It is also possible to switch to combustion operation.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the connection unit 2 sets the number of standby operating units in three stages (1 unit, 2 units, or 3 units) according to the predicted hot water supply usage amount WU. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may set the number of standby operating units in two stages, or may set it in four or more stages, depending on the predicted hot water usage amount WU.

In the above embodiment, the connection unit 2 adjusts the increase in the number of units (or the decrease in the number of units) to two levels (1 or 2 units) according to the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF, UAR (or predicted decrease in hot water supply LAF, LAR). ) explained the configuration to be set. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may set the amount of increase in number of units (or amount of decrease in number of units) to three or more levels according to the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF, UAR (or predicted decrease in hot water supply amount LAF, LAR). good.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which both the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units (processing of S6) and the process of decreasing the number of hot water supply units (processing of S8) are executed in the process of FIG. In another embodiment, in the process of FIG. 4, at least one of the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units and the process of decreasing the number of hot water supply units may not be executed.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which, in S44 of FIG. 6, the connection unit 2 determines whether both the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and UAR in the current time period are less than the third determination index n3. In another embodiment, in S44 of FIG. 6, the connection unit 2 may determine whether one of the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and UAR in the current time period is less than the third determination index n3. good.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which, in S64 of FIG. 7, the connection unit 2 determines whether or not both of the predicted hot water supply reduction amounts LAF and LAR in the current time period are less than the fourth determination index n4. In another embodiment, in S64 of FIG. 7, the connection unit 2 may determine whether one of the predicted decrease in hot water supply LAF and LAR in the current time period is less than the fourth determination index n4. good.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the third determination index n3 is set as n3=(n2-n1)/2, and the fourth determination index n4 is set as n4=(n2-n1)/2. In another embodiment, the third determination index n3 may be set as n3=(n2-n1)/α (here, α≧1), and the fourth determination index n4 may be set as n4=(n2-n1)/α. It may be set as β (here, β≧1). In yet another embodiment, each of the third determination index n3 and the fourth determination index n4 may be set to a value that does not depend on the first determination index n1 or the second determination index n2.

In the above example, the connection unit 2 specifies the predicted hot water supply increase amounts UAF, UAR as UAF=WUS-WUF, UAR=WUR-WUS, and specifies the predicted hot water supply decrease amounts LAF, LAR as LAF=WUF-WUS, The configuration in which LAR=WUS-WUR is specified has been described. In another embodiment, the connection unit 2 may specify the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF, UAR as UAF=UAR=γWUS (where γ>0), and the predicted decrease in hot water supply LAF, LAR, as LAF=UAR=γWUS (where γ>0). It may also be specified as LAR=δWUS (where δ>0). In this case, during the time period when the predicted hot water consumption amount WU is large, the amount of increase in the number of devices and the amount of decrease in the number of devices is set to 2 units, and during the time period when the predicted amount of hot water consumption WU is small, the amount of increase in the number of devices and the amount of decrease in the number of devices is set to 1 device. Set.

(correspondence)
As described above, in one or more embodiments, the connected hot water system 100 includes a plurality of water heaters 1 (a plurality of water heaters example) and a connection unit 2 (an example of a control device) that controls the number of water heaters 1 in operation. The connection unit 2 is capable of executing a standby number setting process of acquiring the predicted hot water consumption amount WU for each time period and setting the number of units in standby operation of the plurality of water heaters 1 according to the acquired predicted hot water consumption amount WU. It is. In the process of setting the number of units on standby, if the predicted hot water usage amount WU is less than the first determination index n1 (or second determination index n2) (an example of the first predetermined amount), the connection unit 2 sets the number of units operating during standby to one unit. (or 2 units) (example of the first number), and if the predicted hot water consumption WU is greater than or equal to the first determination index n1 (or second determination index n2), the number of units operating during standby is set to 1 unit (or 2 units) (example of the first number). Alternatively, the second number of devices is set to two (or three) (an example of the second number).

In the water heater 1 in operation, heating of hot water is started when the amount of water flowing exceeds a predetermined minimum operating flow rate as a trigger. Therefore, while on standby for hot water supply, the amount of water flowing through a small number of water heaters 1 is concentrated, and the amount of water flowing through the water heaters 1 is made to quickly exceed the minimum operating flow rate, so that heating of hot water is started early. be able to. Therefore, in the connected hot water supply system 100, it is preferable to set the number of units operating during standby to the smallest possible number. However, in a situation where a large amount of hot water is expected to be used in a short period of time, if the number of units in standby operation is small, there is a risk that the heating capacity immediately after hot water supply starts will be insufficient. In this case, the temperature rise time becomes long. Therefore, in a situation where a large amount of hot water is expected to be used in a short period of time, it is preferable to set the number of units in standby operation to a large number. According to the above configuration, in situations where a large amount of hot water consumption is expected in a short period of time, the number of standby operating units is set to a large number; The number of operating vehicles can be set to a small number. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the number of machines operating during standby can be set to a number suitable for the situation.

In one or more embodiments, the connection unit 2 obtains the predicted hot water usage WU based on the actual hot water usage for each time period of each day during a predetermined period in the past.

For example, as a configuration for acquiring the predicted hot water usage amount WU, a configuration can be considered in which the user inputs the predicted hot water usage amount WU via the remote controller 20 or the like. However, this configuration requires the user to input the predicted hot water consumption amount WU, which is less convenient for the user. According to the above configuration, the connection unit 2 obtains the predicted hot water usage amount WU based on the past results of the hot water usage amount. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to input the predicted hot water consumption amount WU, so that the user's convenience can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, the connection unit 2 is arranged such that the flow rate (total flow rate TF) from the water supply pipe 3a and the hot water supply pipe 3b to the plurality of faucets 5 (an example of a hot water supply point) is a first flow rate threshold t1 (a first Using a change from the lower side to the upper side of the threshold value (example) as a trigger, it is possible to execute a process for increasing the number of water heaters 1 that increases the number of water heaters 1 in operation during hot water supply by a specific number increase amount. The connection unit 2 specifies the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF (and/or UAR) based on the predicted hot water supply usage amount WU. In the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units, if the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF (and/or UAR) is less than the third determination index n3 (an example of the second predetermined amount), the connection unit 2 increases the specific increase in the number of units by one unit ( example of increase in the number of units), and the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF (and/or UAR) is equal to or higher than the third judgment index n3, the specific increase in the number of units is set to (Example of increase in number of units).

The actual amount of hot water used does not necessarily match the predicted amount of hot water used WU. For example, in a situation where the actual amount of hot water used can greatly exceed the predicted amount of hot water used, such as a situation where the amount of hot water used is expected to increase rapidly (i.e., a situation where the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and/or UAR is large), The number of standby operating machines set in the standby number setting process may be significantly smaller than the number suitable for the actual situation. That is, the number of units in operation during hot water supply immediately after the start of hot water supply may be significantly smaller than the number suitable for the actual situation. In this situation, it is preferable to rapidly realize the number of operating units suitable for the situation by significantly increasing the number of operating units during hot water supply in the process of increasing the number of hot water supply units. According to the above configuration, in a situation where the amount of hot water used is expected to increase rapidly (that is, a situation where the predicted increase in hot water supply UAF and/or UAR is large), the amount of increase in the number of hot water heaters in the process of increasing the number of hot water heaters is set to a large number of hot water heaters. Can be set. That is, in the process of increasing the number of hot water supply machines, by significantly increasing the number of machines in operation during hot water supply, it is possible to quickly realize the number of machines in operation that is suitable for the situation.

In one or more embodiments, the connection unit 2 is configured such that the flow rate (total flow rate TF) from the water supply pipe 3a and the hot water supply pipe 3b to the plurality of faucets 5 is above a second flow rate threshold t2 (an example of a second threshold value). It is possible to execute a process for reducing the number of water heaters 1 in which the number of water heaters 1 in operation during hot water supply is reduced by a specific number reduction amount by using the change from 1 to 10 as a trigger. The connection unit 2 identifies the predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAF (and/or LAR) based on the predicted hot water supply usage amount WU. In the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, if the predicted decrease amount LAF (and/or LAR) is less than the fourth determination index n4 (an example of the third predetermined amount), the connection unit 2 reduces the specific decrease amount to 1 unit ( If the predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAF (and/or LAR) is greater than or equal to the fourth judgment index n4, the specific number reduction amount is set to (Example of decrease in number of units).

The actual amount of hot water used does not necessarily match the predicted amount of hot water used WU. For example, in a situation where the actual hot water consumption can be significantly lower than the predicted hot water consumption WU, such as a situation where the hot water consumption is expected to decrease rapidly (i.e., a situation where the predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAF and/or LAR is large), The number of standby operating machines set in the standby number setting process can be significantly larger than the number suitable for the actual situation. That is, the number of units in operation during hot water supply immediately after the start of hot water supply may be significantly larger than the number suitable for the actual situation. In this situation, in the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, it is preferable to significantly reduce the number of units in operation during hot water supply to quickly realize the number of units in operation that is suitable for the situation. According to the above configuration, in a situation where hot water usage is expected to decrease rapidly (i.e., a situation where the predicted hot water supply reduction amount LAF and/or LAR is large), the amount of decrease in the number of hot water heaters in the process of reducing the number of hot water heaters is reduced to a large number of hot water heaters. Can be set. That is, in the process of reducing the number of hot water supply units, by significantly reducing the number of units in operation during hot water supply, it is possible to quickly realize the number of units in operation suitable for the situation.

The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims as filed. Furthermore, the techniques illustrated in this specification or the drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of the objectives has technical utility in itself.

1: Water heater 2: Connection unit 3a: Water supply pipe 3b: Hot water supply pipe 3c: Water pipe 5: Faucet 6: Flow rate sensor 7: Selector valve 8: Temperature sensor 9: Electrical unit 10: Heat exchanger 11: Gas burner 20: Remote control 100: Connected hot water system

Claims (4)

A connected hot water supply system comprising a plurality of water heating devices installed in parallel in a hot water supply circuit, and a control device that controls the number of operating units of the plurality of water heating devices,
The control device is capable of executing a standby number setting process of acquiring a predicted hot water usage amount for each time period and setting the number of units in standby operation of the plurality of water heaters according to the acquired predicted hot water usage amount. can be,
In the process of setting the number of standby machines, the control device includes:
If the predicted hot water consumption is less than a first predetermined amount, setting the number of units operating during standby to a first number;
If the predicted hot water usage is equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount, the connected hot water system sets the number of units in standby operation to a second number that is larger than the first number. 2. The connected hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein the control device obtains the predicted hot water usage amount based on the actual hot water usage amount for each time period of each day during a predetermined period in the past. The control device increases the number of operating units of the plurality of water heaters during hot water supply by a specific number increase amount, using a change in the flow rate from the hot water supply circuit to the hot water supply point from below to above the first threshold as a trigger. It is possible to increase the number of hot water heaters.
The control device specifies a predicted increase in hot water supply amount based on the predicted hot water consumption amount,
In the process of increasing the number of hot water heaters, the control device includes:
If the predicted increase in the number of hot water supplies is less than a second predetermined amount, setting the specific increase in the number of units as the first increase in the number of units,
2. The connected hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein when the predicted increase in hot water supply is equal to or greater than the second predetermined amount, the specific increase in the number of units is set to a second increase in the number of units that is greater than the first increase in the number of units. The control device is configured to reduce the number of the plurality of water heaters in operation during hot water supply by a specific number reduction amount, using a change in the flow rate from the hot water supply circuit to the hot water supply point from above to below the second threshold as a trigger. It is possible to perform a process to reduce the number of hot water heaters,
The control device specifies a predicted decrease in hot water supply amount based on the predicted hot water consumption amount,
In the process of reducing the number of hot water heaters, the control device includes:
If the predicted amount of decrease in hot water supply is less than a third predetermined amount, setting the specific amount of decrease in number of units as a first amount of decrease in number of units,
2. The connected hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein when the predicted amount of decrease in number of hot water supplies is equal to or greater than the third predetermined amount, the specific amount of decrease in number of units is set to a second amount of decrease in number of units that is larger than the first amount of decrease in number of units.

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