JP3291104B2 - Combustion device and combustion capacity updating operation method thereof - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a combustion apparatus such as a water heater and a method for updating the combustion capacity of the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 shows a system configuration of a general water heater as a combustion device. In the figure, a water supply pipe 3 for water as a fluid to be heated is connected to the inlet side of the heat exchanger 2. The water supply pipe 3 is provided with an input water thermistor 10 as input temperature detection means for detecting the input water temperature. And a flow rate sensor 9 of a flow rate detecting means for detecting the amount of incoming water.
A hot water supply pipe 4 is connected to an outlet side of the heat exchanger 2, and a hot water tap 1 is provided at an outlet side of the hot water supply pipe 4. further,
The hot water supply pipe 4 is provided with a water flow control valve 16 as flow control means whose valve opening is controlled by a gear motor, and a tapping thermistor 11 as tapping temperature detecting means for detecting tapping temperature.

A burner 7 serving as combustion heating means, an igniter electrode 18 for igniting the burner 7,
A flame rod electrode 19 for detecting ignition and a combustion fan 5 for supplying / exhausting gas are provided. A gas nozzle 6 is disposed opposite to a gas inlet of a burner 7, and a gas pipe 8 connected to the gas nozzle 6 is provided with a gas. A gas proportional valve 13 as a fuel supply control means for controlling the supply amount based on the valve opening amount, and a gas solenoid valve 12 for opening and closing a pipe are provided.

A water heater of this type is provided with a control device 14, and a remote controller 15 is connected to the control device 14. The remote controller 15 has a temperature setting section such as a button for setting a hot water temperature and a hot water setting. A temperature display is provided. The control device 14 controls the hot water supply operation of the water heater, and when the hot water tap 1 is opened, the flow sensor 9 detects the amount of incoming water, and when the amount of incoming water becomes a certain value or more (the minimum operating flow or more). The controller 14 rotates the combustion fan 5 in response to the signal from the flow sensor 9. Then, when the rotation of the combustion fan 5 enters a predetermined rotation region, the gas solenoid valve 12 and the gas proportional valve 13 are opened to supply gas to the burner 7, and the igniter electrode 18 performs an ignition operation. Frame rod electrode 19
When the controller detects gas ignition, the control device 14 performs feedforward control so that the tap water temperature is set to the set temperature, changes the valve opening amount of the gas proportional valve 13, and adjusts the hot water temperature exiting the heat exchanger 2 to the set temperature. After the hot water temperature is stabilized, the combustion control is performed by the combined control of the feedforward control and the feedback control.

[0005] As is well known, a hot water supply device is provided with a hot water supply combustion capability, and the hot water supply device performs combustion control so as to set a tapping temperature to a set temperature within the range of the combustion capability. The combustion capacity given to a water heater is given by the number,
The symbol refers to the combustion capacity required to raise one liter of water per minute by 25 ° C.

[0006] That is, the number of water = water input (liter / minute) x
It is represented by the formula of { outlet water temperature (° C)-incoming water temperature (° C)} 25. For example, when the incoming water volume is 24 liters / minute, the outlet water temperature is 40 ° C., and the incoming water temperature is 15 ° C., the combustion capacity of the water heater is given as No. 24 by the above equation. Thus, when the number of the combustion capacity is given, an appropriate flow rate suitable for the number is given by the following equation. Appropriate flow rate (liter /
Min) = scale number × 25 / {Setting Temperature (° C.) - incoming water temperature (° C.)}. In the combustion operation of the water heater, the combustion control is performed so that the appropriate flow rate is supplied with the given maximum combustion capacity to discharge hot water at a set temperature.

When the combustion capacity is given as a specification value, the control device 14 sets the vertical axis as the gas amount (gas pressure) controlled by the gas proportional valve 13 and the horizontal axis as the operation amount as shown in FIG. Given performance characteristic data is provided. This capacity characteristic data is a data in which the gas supply amount (gas pressure) of the maximum capacity is supplied at the operation amount of 100%, and the gas amount of the minimum combustion capacity is supplied at the operation amount of 0%. The opening of the gas proportional valve 13 is adjusted so that the valve is opened and closed proportionally within the range of the minimum combustion capacity and the maximum combustion capacity.

The adjustment of the opening of the gas proportional valve 13 is usually adjusted by operating a volume (variable resistor). The magnitude of the valve opening amount of the gas proportional valve 13 is proportional to the magnitude of the valve opening drive current applied to the gas proportional valve 13.For example, the operation switch is set to the capacity adjustment side, and the capacity adjustment switch is set to the maximum combustion capacity side. Then, adjust the maximum-capacity adjusting volume to set the valve opening amount to supply the gas amount (gas pressure) at the maximum capacity combustion, set the valve-opening drive current at the maximum capacity, and then set the capacity adjustment switch. To the minimum combustion capacity side, and set the valve opening drive current so that the minimum capacity adjustment volume becomes the valve opening amount of the gas proportional valve 13 that supplies the gas capacity (gas pressure) of the minimum capacity. By switching the operation switch from the capacity adjustment side to the normal combustion mode side, the water heater operates with the given capacity within the range from the maximum combustion capacity (0% operation amount) to the maximum combustion capacity (100% operation amount). Opening freely by changing the amount The combustion amount can be controlled by varying the valve drive current.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the combustion control in the steady operation state of the water heater after the hot water temperature is stabilized in more detail. In this operation, when the power is turned on, the hot water tap 1 is opened, and the ON signal of the flow sensor (flow rate sensor) 9 is applied, the rotation of the combustion fan 5 and the spot ignition operation are performed as described above. After the temperature is stabilized, the stabilization control of the tap water temperature is performed by the combined control of feed forward and feedback. In step 102, tapping temperature T _out
It is determined whether the temperature falls within a temperature range of 0.5 ° C. above and below the set temperature T _SP.
In step 3, it is determined whether the manipulated variable LV is 98% or more. Operation amount L
When V is 98% or more, the combustion operation is continued as it is.

When the operation amount has not reached 98%, there is still room for the capacity of the water heater, so that the amount of water is controlled to increase. First, in step 104, it is determined whether or not the water amount control valve 16 is fully opened based on the operating position of the gear motor GM. When the water amount control valve 16 is fully opened, the amount of water cannot be increased any more, so that the combustion operation is continued. When the water amount control valve 16 is not fully opened, the gear motor is driven to open the water amount control valve 16 by 0.1 liter.
Then, after waiting for a time t seconds when the amount of water flowing into the water heater becomes stable, the temperature of the hot water is detected and the operation amount is varied, and the operations of steps 102 to 106 are repeated to continue the combustion operation. By this combustion operation, the water amount is controlled to increase by 0.1 liter by the water amount control valve 16 until the operation amount becomes 98% or more. Hot water in the range of ° C

If the tapping temperature does not fall within the allowable range of 0.5 ° C. above and below the set temperature at step 102, it is determined at step 109 whether the tapping temperature deviates above or below the allowable range. When the tapping temperature is outside the upper limit of the allowable range, the amount of combustion heat is too large.
In step 3, the combustion amount is reduced, and the combustion operation is continued.

If the tapping temperature is below the allowable range, it is determined in step 110 whether the operation amount is 98% or more. If the operation amount is lower than 98%, step 11 is executed.
After increasing the amount of combustion in step 2, the combustion operation from step 102 is performed.

When it is determined in step 110 that the operation amount is 98% or more, there is no room for increasing the operation amount. In step 111, the water flow control valve 16 is reduced by, for example, 0.1 liter by driving the gear motor. Then, the combustion operation after step 102 is performed after waiting for t seconds when the flow rate becomes stable.

As described above, in the conventional water heater, the operation amount and the water flow amount are adjusted while performing the combustion operation, and the maximum flow rate is set to 98% or more of the finally provided water heater capacity. Is controlled to be able to output.

[0015]

In the conventional water heater, for example, when the capacity is given in advance, for example, No. 24, the performance characteristic data as shown in FIG. In order to control the amount of combustion, the opening of the gas proportional valve 13 is adjusted at the shipping stage of the water heater. When the opening is adjusted, for example, the operation amount of the maximum capacity is adjusted.
If the valve-opening drive current of the gas proportional valve 13 is erroneously set at the 100% position in the small direction, even if the combustion control is attempted with the maximum capacity of 100% of the operation amount, the gas supply amount of the maximum capacity is obtained. Therefore, the amount of heat is insufficient, and only lukewarm water can be supplied from the set temperature.To prevent this, the amount of hot water must be reduced, and the flow rate must be adjusted so that the temperature of the supplied hot water reaches the set temperature. It takes a long time to perform,
For example, in a case where hot water from a water heater is dropped into a bath tub and filled with hot water to a set temperature, there is a problem that it takes too much time until the hot water is completely filled.

In addition, the input water thermistor and the flow sensor (flow rate sensor) used in general water heaters have variations in the characteristics of detection accuracy. For example, if the input water temperature is read higher due to this variation, The appropriate flow rate determined by the combustion capacity increases, and when the hot water flows through the appropriate flow rate, the tap water temperature becomes lower than the set temperature. However, there is a problem that it takes a long time to adjust the temperature of the tap water to the set temperature, and the tap water has a slow rising start-up characteristic.

Similarly, there is a problem that a similar problem occurs when the reading is made smaller than the actual flow rate due to the variation of the flow sensor (flow rate sensor) 9.

Further, in the conventional water heater, it takes a long time to adjust the operation amount at which the hot water of the set temperature can be discharged according to the deviation of the opening degree of the gas proportional valve 13 or the variation of the water input thermistor. Even if the water flow rate is adjusted, if the hot water supply combustion stops, all the adjustment information will be lost, and the next time the hot water is discharged, the operation of adjusting the appropriate operation amount and the appropriate water amount must be performed from the beginning. There were drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flow sensor and a water-input thermistor that have irregularities even when the opening of a gas proportional valve is misaligned. Even if it is, it can learn and memorize its own burning ability according to those situations, and with the ability that suits your situation, it is possible to accurately discharge the appropriate flow rate and obtain a stable hot water temperature with a quick rise. It is an object of the present invention to provide a combustion apparatus and a combustion capacity updating operation method thereof.

[0020]

The present invention is configured as follows to achieve the above object. That is, the present invention provides a means for burning and heating a fluid to be heated passing through a heat exchanger,
The fuel supply control means controls the amount of fuel supplied to the combustion heating means, and the flow control means controls the flow rate of the fluid to be heated. In a combustion apparatus for controlling the amount of combustion of the combustion heating means so that the temperature of the fluid to be heated exiting the heat exchanger reaches a set temperature, the temperature of the fluid to be heated entering the heat exchanger during the combustion operation and exiting from the heat exchanger The output temperature of the heated fluid and the flow rate of the heated fluid passing through the heat exchanger are detected, and the output temperature and the flow rate of the heated fluid fall within the given stable ranges, and the state exceeds the given duration. Sometimes, the actual operating combustion capacity is obtained by calculation based on the detected values of the input temperature, the output temperature, and the flow rate of the fluid to be heated, and the previous data is updated as data paired with the set temperature to perform the setting. Update of actual combustion capacity corresponding to temperature Given data, then when performing combustion operation is configured to initiate a combustion operation using the updated data of the combustion capacity corresponding to the set temperature as a feature.

Further, the update data of the combustion capacity in the actual operation is given as a set of the set temperature and the input temperature of the fluid to be heated, and the next time the combustion operation is performed, the combustion corresponding to the set temperature and the input temperature is performed. Starting the combustion operation using the capacity update data, the duration of the output temperature and flow rate of the heated fluid in the stable range, which is one of the conditions for performing the update calculation of the combustion capacity of the actual operation, is as follows. Variably set in accordance with the flow rate and the set temperature of the combustion apparatus, respectively.

Further, the combustion apparatus according to the present invention comprises an input temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the fluid to be heated guided to the heat exchanger, a means for burning and heating the fluid to be heated passing through the heat exchanger, and a heat exchanger. Outlet temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heated fluid to be heated, flow rate detection means for detecting the flow rate of the fluid to be heated guided to the heat exchanger, and fuel for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to the combustion heating means A supply control unit for controlling a flow rate of the fluid to be heated; a flow control unit for controlling a flow rate of the fluid to be heated; a combustion supply amount of the combustion heating unit is varied within a range of a combustion capacity, and the temperature of the fluid to be heated coming out of the heat exchanger is set to a set temperature In the combustion apparatus that controls the combustion amount of the combustion heating means, the input temperature of the heated fluid entering the heat exchanger during the combustion operation, the output temperature of the heated fluid exiting the heat exchanger, and the heat passing through the heat exchanger. Detects the flow rate of the fluid and discharges the heated fluid A capacity update determination command section that issues a command to update the combustion capacity when the state exceeds a given duration after the output temperature has entered the stable range and the output temperature has entered the stable range, and A capacity update calculator for calculating an actual operating combustion capacity based on the detected values of the input temperature, the output temperature, and the flow rate of the fluid to be heated in response to an update command from the update determination command unit; An update data storage unit for updating and storing the determined combustion capacity update value in place of the previous data as data corresponding to the set temperature, and wherein the update data storage unit has a combustion capacity A feature of the present invention is that the update value is updated and stored as data in which the set temperature and the input temperature of the fluid to be heated are combined.

[0023]

In the present invention having the above construction, when the combustion operation of the combustion device is performed, the input temperature of the heated fluid entering the heat exchanger, the output temperature of the heated fluid exiting the heat exchanger, The flow rate of the fluid to be heated through the exchanger is detected. On the other hand, when at least the output temperature and the flow rate of the fluid to be heated enter the given stable region, and the state continues beyond the duration, an instruction to update the combustion capacity is issued.

In the operation for updating the combustion capacity, condition detection information of the input temperature of the heated fluid entering the heat exchanger, the output temperature of the heated fluid exiting the heat exchanger, and the flow rate passing through the heat exchanger is taken in. , The actual operating combustion capacity is calculated and updated and stored as data in pairs with the set temperature or as data of a set of the set temperature and the input temperature of the fluid to be heated, instead of the previous data. Next, when the combustion device is operated, the combustion operation is started with an optimum combustion capacity corresponding to the set temperature (or the set temperature and the input temperature).

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The combustion device of the present embodiment is directed to a water heater having the system configuration shown in FIG. 7, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those shown in FIG. 7, and the duplicate description thereof will be omitted. . FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit for performing a combustion capacity updating operation method of a combustion apparatus according to the present invention. The control circuit of this embodiment includes a combustion capacity calculation unit 20;
Proportional valve operation amount calculating section 21, proportional valve driving section 22, temperature deviation detecting section 23, set flow rate calculating section 24, flow rate detecting section 25
And a capacity update condition monitoring unit 26 functioning as a capacity update determination command unit, a timer 27, a corrected flow rate integrating unit 28, a corrected flow rate storage unit 29, a capacity update calculation unit 30, and a water amount control valve operation amount calculation unit. 31, a water amount control valve drive direction determination unit 32, a water amount control valve drive unit 33, a water amount control valve fully open / closed detection unit 34, an initial data storage unit 35, an update data storage unit 36, a data selection unit
17 are provided.

In the initial data storage section 35, the hot water supply combustion capacity determined at the design stage according to the specification of the water heater is stored as, for example, No. 24. Further, the operation amount as shown in FIG. Performance characteristic data indicating the relationship of the gas amount (gas pressure) that varies within the range of 0% to 100% of the amount is stored.

Combustion capacity calculator 20 and proportional valve operation amount calculator
21, a proportional valve drive unit 22, and a temperature deviation detection unit 23 are circuits for performing a normal combustion control.Briefly explaining this, first, the combustion capacity calculation unit 20 firstly includes a temperature setting unit such as the remote controller 15. , The water temperature detected by the water thermistor 10, and the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor (flow sensor) 9, and further detected by the temperature deviation detection unit 23. Based on the detection information of the deviation between the discharged tap water temperature and the set temperature, the amount of combustion heat (combustion capacity) required to raise the incoming water temperature to the set temperature is calculated, and the calculation result is sent to the proportional valve operation amount calculation unit 21. Add. The proportional valve operation amount calculation unit 21 obtains the operation amount for obtaining the combustion capacity calculated by the combustion capacity calculation unit 20 by calculation, and adds this value to the proportional valve drive unit 22. The proportional valve drive unit 22 applies a valve opening drive current corresponding to the operation amount calculated by the proportional valve operation amount calculation unit 21 to the gas proportional valve 13, and controls the valve opening amount of the gas proportional valve 13, that is, the gas supply amount. Then, stabilization control of the hot water temperature is performed.

The set flow rate calculator 24 calculates an appropriate flow rate corresponding to the combustion capacity of the water heater. The appropriate flow rate is determined by the following equation as described above.

Appropriate flow rate (liter / min) = number × 25 /
(Set temperature (° C)-Inlet water temperature (° C))

For example, if the set temperature is 48 ° C. and the incoming water temperature is 13
Calculating the appropriate flow rate when the combustion capacity is 24 ° C
It is determined as liters / minute.

The flow rate deviation detecting section 25 compares the detected flow rate obtained from the flow rate sensor 9 with the appropriate flow rate obtained by the set flow rate calculating section 24, detects the flow rate deviation, and reports the detection result as a capacity update condition. Monitoring unit 26 and water amount control valve operation amount calculation unit
Add to 31.

A condition for judging whether or not to perform the capacity update is set in advance in the capacity update condition monitoring unit 26, and the capacity update is commanded when the condition is satisfied. The temperature deviation range between the set temperature and the tapping temperature, the flow deviation range between the detected flow rate and the appropriate flow rate, the value of the operation amount, and the operation amount range are given in advance. For example, as the deviation temperature range, a value of ± 0.5 ° C with respect to the set temperature,
As the flow deviation range, a value of ± 0.1 liter for the appropriate flow rate is given, and the value of the manipulated variable is 100%,
Appropriate values such as 98% or more and 95% or more are given as the manipulated variable ranges, respectively.

The capacity update condition monitoring unit 26 determines whether the tapping temperature falls within the temperature deviation range, the detected flow rate falls within the flow deviation range, and the operation amount calculated by the proportional valve operation amount calculation unit 21 is given as the update condition. The amount (or operation range), and the timer 27 is operated, the tapping water temperature is in the temperature deviation range, and the flow rate is in the flow deviation range,
When it is confirmed that the operation amount is the given operation amount or the state in which the operation amount is within the operation amount range continues for a predetermined period of time, the capability update command is issued. Add to part 30.

The duration may be given as a fixed time. In this embodiment, the duration is given according to the flow rate of the water flowing through the heat exchanger 2 and the magnitude of the set temperature. That is, when the flow rate of water flowing through the heat exchanger 2 increases, it takes time for the hot water temperature to stabilize, and similarly, as the set temperature increases, the hot water temperature becomes more difficult to stabilize. In consideration of this, in the present embodiment, the optimum duration determined by the set temperature and the flow rate of water is determined by experiments or the like and given as table data or graph data, or the set temperature and the flow rate are used as variables. Is given, and during the combustion operation of the water heater,
On the basis of the detection information of the set temperature and the incoming water temperature, the duration is obtained by the table data, the arithmetic expression or the like and given. If the flow rate does not fall within the flow rate deviation range, information to that effect is added to the corrected flow rate integrating unit 28.

The water amount control valve fully open / fully closed detection unit 34 detects when the water amount control valve 16 is in a fully open state and when it is in a fully closed state, and uses the detection results as a capacity update condition monitoring unit 26 and a water amount control valve operation. It is added to the quantity calculation unit 31.

The water amount control valve operation amount calculating section 31 receives the detection result from the flow rate deviation detecting section 25, and when the detected flow rate is out of the flow rate deviation, the detected flow rate approaches the appropriate flow rate by a predetermined amount, for example, , The operation amount of the variable water amount for 0.1 liter is calculated, and the calculation result is
Add to When the water amount control valve 16 is in the fully open or fully closed state and the water amount cannot be increased or decreased by the signal of the water amount control valve fully open / fully closed detection unit 34, the operation amount calculation is not performed.

The water flow control valve drive direction judging section 32 receives the information from the water flow control valve operation amount calculation section 31 and determines the opening / closing drive direction of the water flow control valve for setting the flow rate of the water through the heat exchanger 2 to an appropriate flow rate. The determination is made, and the opening / closing drive direction of the water amount control valve and the value of the operation amount calculated by the water amount control valve operation amount calculation unit 31 are added to the water amount control valve drive unit 33. The water amount control valve drive unit 33 opens and closes the water amount control valve 16 in the opening direction or the closing direction by the amount of operation based on the information added from the water amount control valve driving direction determination unit 32.

The corrected flow rate accumulating section 28 accumulates the corrected amount of the water amount which is controlled momentarily during the combustion operation of the water heater, and stores the integrated result in the corrected flow rate storing section 29.

The capacity update calculating section 30 is a capacity update condition monitoring section.
When the capacity update command is received from 26, the appropriate flow rate FW _SP calculated by the set flow rate calculating unit 24 as the appropriate flow rate of the incoming water temperature, the hot water temperature, and the combustion capacity is added to the integrated value ΔFW of the corrected flow rate. Using the new appropriate flow rate FW _SP value, the combustion capacity is obtained by using the above formula for calculating the number, and the combustion capacity value previously given is calculated by the calculation of the combustion capacity value obtained previously. And the update data is updated and stored in the update data storage unit 36.

Tables 1 and 2 show an example of a storage form of capability update data characteristic of the present embodiment.

[0041]

[Table 1]

[0042]

[Table 2]

Table 1 shows an example of a configuration in which the update data of the combustion capacity GO is stored in a pair with the set temperature. When the water heater is shipped, the hot water supply determined by the design specifications is written in the burning capacity writing position at each set temperature. In this example, the value of No. 24 is written. In this state, after the installation of the water heater, the combustion operation is performed to update the capacity, and the data of the capacity corresponding to the set temperature is rewritten as update data. For example, when the combustion operation is performed at the set temperature of 40 ° C. and the combustion capacity is calculated as 25 by the capacity update calculation, the capacity value for the set temperature of 40 ° C. Is to be rewritten.

The storage format shown in Table 2 is a configuration in which the capacity update data is stored in a memory as a set of the set temperature and the incoming water temperature. Also in this case, at the writing position of the capacity data determined by the set temperature and the incoming water temperature, the combustion capacity of the design specification at the shipping stage of the water heater, in this example the value of No. 24 is written, and after the installation of the water heater, Each time the combustion operation is performed, an update calculation of the combustion capacity is performed, and the capacity data at the writing position corresponding to the set temperature and the incoming water temperature is updated.

With the storage configuration of the memory as described above, in the case of Table 1, the hot water supply operation is performed at different set temperatures, so that the combustion capacity GO corresponding to each set temperature becomes the actual operation capacity update data. Will be filled. Also in the case of the memory configuration shown in Table 2, the combustion operation at the different set temperature and the incoming water temperature is performed, so that the combustion capacity GO corresponding to each set temperature and the incoming water temperature is updated by the actual operation capacity update calculation data. Buried.

The data selection unit 17 receives the detection information of the incoming water temperature from the incoming water thermistor 10, receives the information of the set temperature from the temperature setting unit, and in the case of the data storage form shown in Table 1, updates the capability corresponding to the set temperature. The data is selected and read, and the read capacity update data is added to the combustion capacity calculation unit 20.
In addition, in the case of the data storage form of Table 2, the capacity update data corresponding to the set temperature and the incoming water temperature is selected and read,
The read capacity update data is added to the combustion capacity calculation unit 20. As described above, the data corresponding to the set temperature and the data corresponding to the set temperature and the incoming water temperature are selected by the data selection unit 17, so that during the next combustion control, the amount of combustion heat is calculated using the selected combustion capacity. Is calculated and the combustion control is performed.

The control circuit for performing the combustion capacity updating operation method of the present embodiment is configured as described above. Next, each operation of the combustion capacity updating operation using this control circuit will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. It will be described based on. Note that these flowcharts show a case where the combustion operation is started first after the hot water heater is installed and constructed. FIG. 2 shows a first operation example of the combustion capacity update operation method. First, after the power is turned on, in step 201, the initial value GO of the combustion capacity stored in the initial data storage unit 35 is, for example, The correction flow rate ΔFW stored as No. 24 and stored in the correction flow rate storage unit 29 is set. When the operation is performed for the first time after the water heater is installed and installed, since the calculation for obtaining the corrected flow rate is not performed, the value of the corrected flow rate ΔFW is set to 0.

Next, whether the flow sensor is ON is judged, when the ON signal is applied from the flow sensor (flow sensor) 9, and starts the combustion operation, a set point temperature T _SP at step 204, the incoming water temperature Reading of T _MIN and the detected flow rate FW detected by the flow rate sensor 9 are performed.

Next, at step 205, the initially set combustion capacity GO
Suitability flow FW _SP corresponding to is calculated by the following equation.

FW _SP = GO × 25 / (T _SP −T _MIN )

Next, at step 206, the appropriate flow rate after the flow rate correction by adding the correction flow rate ΔFW to the appropriate flow rate FW _SP is determined. In this example, since the initial value ΔFW is 0, the value of the appropriate flow rate FW _SP calculated in step 205 is used as it is as the corrected value.

At step 207, the flow rate is detected by the flow sensor 9.
Detected flow rate FW is appropriate flow rate FW _SP± 0.1
Judgment is made as to whether or not
It is. When the detected flow rate is not within the flow rate deviation range
Indicates that the detected flow rate is outside or below the flow rate deviation range.
Is determined in step 218. Detected flow rate
If the flow deviation is out of the lower range, increase the flow rate
The operation in the direction to be performed is performed in steps 219 and 220. S
At step 219, it is determined whether or not the water amount control valve 16 is fully opened.
Judgment based on the detection result of the water flow control valve fully open / fully closed detector 34
When not fully opened, the gear motor of the water flow control valve 16
Control in the opening direction so that the flow rate falls within the deviation range.
You.

When the detected flow rate exceeds the flow deviation range, it is similarly determined whether or not the water amount control valve 16 is fully closed.
Is driven in the closing direction, and in step 222, control is performed so that the flow rate falls within the flow rate deviation range.

When the detected flow rate falls within the flow rate deviation range in step 207, it is determined in step 208 whether or not the tapping temperature falls within a deviation temperature range of ± 0.5 ° C. with respect to the set temperature. The fact that the tapping temperature is not within the deviation temperature range means that the tapping temperature does not enter the temperature deviation despite the fact that the appropriate flow rate is calculated in step 205 and the detected flow rate is within the flow rate deviation range. It is determined that the water amount setting is incorrect, and the flow proceeds to the water amount correction operation of step 223 and subsequent steps.

First, at step 223, it is determined whether or not the tapping temperature deviates from the set temperature to the upper side or the lower side of the temperature deviation range. When the temperature deviation range is out of the lower side, the operation shifts to the operation of reducing the flow rate. First, at step 224, it is determined whether or not the gear motor of the water amount control valve 16 is fully closed. If not, the gear motor performs a predetermined β liter, for example, 0.1 liter, throttle operation, and performs a correction flow rate storage. The value obtained by subtracting β from the corrected flow rate ΔFW stored in 29 is updated as a new corrected flow rate ΔFW value, and the updated value is stored in the corrected flow rate storage unit 29.

When the tapping temperature is out of the range of the temperature deviation upward, a correction operation in the direction of increasing the flow rate is performed. First, at step 227, it is confirmed that the water amount control valve 16 is not fully opened, and the gear motor of the water amount control valve 16 is driven in the direction of opening β liters.At step 229, the gear motor is stored in the corrected flow rate storage unit 29. The value obtained by adding β to the corrected flow rate ΔFW is updated as a new corrected flow rate ΔFW value, and this updated value is stored in the corrected flow rate storage unit 29.

If the detected flow rate falls within the flow rate deviation range and the tapping temperature falls within the temperature deviation range, the manipulated variable calculated by the combustion capacity calculation section 20 at step 209 is sent to the capacity update condition monitoring section 26. It is determined whether the operation amount is within a range of 95% or more given in advance. When the calculated manipulated variable does not reach 95% or more, the capacity is not updated.
Since there is a margin before the operation amount reaches 95% or more, the operation in and after step 227 is corrected in the direction of increasing the flow rate of water, and the corrected flow rate ΔFW is updated.

When it is determined in step 209 that the calculated manipulated variable has reached 95% or more of the manipulated variable of the capacity update condition, the timer 27 is started, and the combustion capacity is calculated during the predetermined timer operation time (duration). The state in which the manipulated variable calculated by the unit 20 is stable at 95% or more of the update condition, and the state in which the flow rate is within the flow rate deviation range and the tapping temperature is within the deviation range continue. Is confirmed, and in step 212, the combustion capacity is updated (number is updated). The update of the combustion capacity is performed by the tap water temperature TOUT and the incoming water temperature TMI.
This is performed by taking N and the detected flow rate FW, and calculating the number GO using the above-described equation for calculating the number. Then, the number corresponding to the operation amount 100% determined by this calculation is determined as the original combustion capacity of the water heater, and the number given as the initial data is updated to the number determined by this calculation. At 212A, this is stored in the update data storage unit 36 as data of a set temperature and a pair as shown in Table 1. Then, the timer 27 is cleared, and the corrected flow rate Δ
FW is cleared to 0, and the first ability update is completed.

Next, at step 215, it is determined whether or not an off signal has been output from the flow sensor. If an on signal has been applied from the flow sensor, the operation after step 204 is repeated to update the combustion capacity one after another. Go to

According to this capacity updating operation, it is assumed that the water inflow thermistor 10 and the flow sensor (flow rate sensor) 9 have variations in characteristics, and an error occurs in the appropriate flow rate calculated in step 205 due to the reading error. However, these errors are compensated for by the water amount correction operation after step 223, and at the time of the next capacity update operation, the appropriate water amount corrected at step 206 is used to repeatedly perform the capacity update. By repeating the capacity updating operation, the capacity corresponding to the actual condition of the water heater is automatically updated and set.

In this embodiment, since the calculation data of the capacity update is stored as a pair with the set temperature, each set used during the combustion operation is repeated with the change of the set temperature. The optimum combustion capacity value corresponding to the temperature is stored, and even when the set temperature is changed during the combustion operation and the combustion operation is performed, the hot water supply combustion is performed using the combustion capacity corresponding to the changed set temperature. Since the operation can be performed, an efficient combustion operation is performed.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a problem that occurs when only the combustion capacity value is updated as it is without using the actual combustion capacity update data as a pair with the set temperature data. . For example, if the set temperature is changed to a higher temperature at point A during the combustion operation, there is a problem that it takes time to reach point B at which the hot water temperature stabilizes at the changed set temperature. This is caused when the characteristics of the flow rate sensor 9 and the water input thermistor 10 are not linear, or the reading accuracy of the sensor varies and varies depending on the magnitude of the flow rate or the temperature. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the read flow rate is deviated from the actual flow rate shown by the solid line as shown by the broken line, Q _A −ΔQ
Actual flow rate of _A have been read as Q _A, low setting temperature and then pouring the hot water of large flow rate, updates the combustion capability of the production when it remained stable at the set temperature is carried out, actually Since the flowing flow rate is Q _A −ΔQ _A , the actual combustion capacity GO is

GO = (T _OUT −T _IN ) × (Q _A −ΔQ _A ) / 25

On the other hand, since the flow rate is read as Q _A , the calculated combustion capacity GO ′ becomes

GO '= (T _OUT -T _IN ) × Q _A / 25

GO '> GO, and the calculated capacity GO' is larger than the actual capacity GO by (ΔQ _A ×
25) It will be slightly larger. T _OUT is the tap water temperature,
T _IN indicates the incoming water temperature.

In this state, if the set temperature T _SP is changed to a higher temperature, in step 205, the appropriate flow rate FW _SP becomes

FW _SP = GO '× 25 / (T _SP -T _IN )

Is determined and controlled as
Capacity calculation value GO 'is as above, since (ΔQ _A × 25) by heat amount calculated in equivalent generous suitability flow FW _SP is calculated multipurpose, as shown in the setting temperature changing portion of FIG. 5 In addition, the tapping temperature is lower than the set temperature. In such a case, when the combustion capacity is to be updated, the stability condition of the tapping temperature determined in step 208, that is, the tapping temperature deviates from the temperature deviation range of ± 0.5 ° C of the set temperature in a lower direction, so that the steps after step 224 are performed. Water amount decrease correction is performed, and there is a problem that it takes time until the tapping temperature finally enters the temperature deviation range of the set temperature.

The water amount reduction correction is performed until the actual appropriate flow rate is reached, and finally, the actual combustion capacity GO and the actual operation calculation combustion capacity GO 'are equal, and GO' = GO. When the set temperature is changed from a high temperature to a low temperature, this time follows the reverse path, and GO '<
The relationship becomes GO and G is corrected by increasing the flow rate.
There is a problem that it takes time until the relationship of O '= GO is satisfied. This phenomenon, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), for the characteristics of the incoming water thermistor 10 is not linear, it is also caused that the actual temperature T _A -.DELTA.T _A when would read as T _A, set Every time the temperature is changed, the temperature of the hot water and the flow rate fluctuate and become unstable.

On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, when the actual combustion capacity update data is given as data paired with the set temperature, when the set temperature is changed during the combustion operation, the change is made. The combustion capacity data corresponding to the set temperature can be read and appropriate combustion operation can be performed immediately based on the combustion capacity data.Thus, even if the set temperature is changed, the hot water temperature and flow rate will fluctuate and become unstable. It is possible to obtain an excellent effect that the hot water of the set temperature after the change can be stably discharged immediately without becoming hot.

Further, since the combustion capacity obtained by repeatedly learning is updated and stored in the update data storage unit 36, the next time the combustion operation is performed, the combustion temperature corresponding to the set temperature is obtained.
In addition, since the hot water supply operation is performed from the beginning using the combustion capacity suitable for the actual condition of the water heater, an appropriate amount of water of the capacity can be accurately obtained without being affected by the characteristic performance of the flow rate sensor 9 and the water input thermistor 10. Therefore, it is not necessary to take a long time to adjust the water flow control valve to adjust the flow rate to the appropriate flow rate, and it is not necessary to take a long time to perform the water flow adjustment operation. Shortly after opening the faucet, the user can quickly obtain the appropriate amount of hot water and the hot water temperature at the maximum capacity of the water heater.

Further, even when the heat efficiency of the heat exchanger 2 is reduced due to the aging of the water heater, the actual combustion capacity is properly set by the capacity updating operation, and the heat efficiency is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to control the combustion operation optimally at a reasonable thermal efficiency.

FIG. 3 shows a second performance updating operation. The operation of this flowchart is performed in step 212.
After performing the update calculation of the combustion capacity in actual operation, the calculated data is shown in Table 2 as shown in Table 2 for the set temperature T _SP and the input water temperature T _MIN.
The other operation is the same as the first operation shown in FIG. 2 described above. When the incoming water temperature changes, as shown in FIG. 6B, if the linearity of the incoming water thermistor 10 or the detection accuracy for each temperature varies, a difference occurs between the actual temperature and the reading temperature. Instability may occur due to fluctuations in the set temperature or the appropriate flow rate based on the temperature. , The combustion capacity GO corresponding to the changed incoming water temperature is read from the update data storage unit 36,
Since accurate combustion control can be performed, fluctuations in the tap water temperature and flow rate due to fluctuations in the incoming water temperature are eliminated, and a more stable hot water supply combustion operation can be performed.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the third capacity updating operation. The operation of this flow chart is as follows. In step 207, it is confirmed that the flowing water flow rate has entered the flow rate deviation range with respect to the appropriate flow rate, and in step 208, it is confirmed that the tap water temperature has entered the temperature deviation range.
After confirming in step 209 that the manipulated variable is 95% or more, when these states continue beyond the duration time t, a command is issued to update the actual combustion capacity. The time t is set in step 209A by a value corresponding to the flow rate of water through the heat exchanger 2 and the set temperature, and the other operations are performed in the first and second steps. The operation is the same as that described above.

When the hot water temperature fluctuates, the time it takes to stabilize is longer as the flow rate is larger. Also, when the set temperature is higher than when it is low, it takes longer to stabilize the hot water temperature. Takes a long time. For this reason, if the duration t is set to a short fixed time, when the flow rate is large, the capacity may be updated in an unstable state, and the safety is expected. If the duration t is set to a long time, there is a problem that it takes a long time to update the capability. In the third operation, in order to solve these problems, an appropriate duration that is neither short nor long is provided depending on the set temperature and the magnitude of the flow rate. The specific setting of the duration is determined in advance by experimentation or the like to obtain an appropriate time until the hot water temperature becomes stable in various combinations of the set temperature and the flow rate, and is given as graph data or table data, or And a formula using the set temperature as a variable is given in advance, and the duration is set using data or a formula given in advance based on the values of the set temperature and the detected flow rate. In this way, by giving the duration in accordance with the magnitude of the flow rate and the set temperature, an efficient operation of updating the combustion capacity without wasting time can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can take various embodiments. For example, in each of the above embodiments, a description has been given of a water heater as a combustion device. However, the present invention is also applicable to other combustion devices such as an air conditioner that performs heating and cooling using gas or oil as a fuel, and a bath kettle. Is what is done.

[0078]

According to the present invention, during combustion operation, the temperature of the heated fluid entering the heat exchanger, the temperature of the heated fluid exiting the heat exchanger, and the flow rate of the heated fluid passing through the heat exchanger are detected. Based on these condition detection information, when the update condition of the combustion capacity is satisfied, the actual combustion capacity is obtained, and the combustion capacity is sequentially calculated and updated and stored during the combustion operation. The learning effect of the successive update of the combustion capacity enables accurate determination of the combustion capacity that matches the actual condition of the combustion device.By performing the combustion operation control based on this accurate combustion capacity, the accuracy of the combustion control is significantly improved. Can be enhanced.

Further, since the updated calculation value of the combustion capacity obtained by the learning effect is stored, the next time the combustion operation is performed, the combustion operation is performed with the stored correct combustion capacity. The heating fluid can be quickly heated to the set temperature, the startup speed of the combustion operation can be increased, and the combustion efficiency can be improved.

Further, in the configuration in which the updated calculated value of the combustion capacity is stored as data paired with the set temperature, when the set temperature is changed during the combustion operation, the set temperature after the change is changed to the set temperature. Accurate combustion operation can be performed immediately using the corresponding combustion capacity data, which prevents fluctuations in the output temperature of the fluid to be heated due to changes in the set temperature. The heating and burning operation of the fluid to be heated can be stably performed without fluctuation.

Further, in a configuration in which the update calculation value of the combustion capacity is stored as data of a set of the set temperature and the input temperature of the fluid to be heated guided to the heat exchanger, the change of the set temperature is performed. In addition to preventing fluctuations in the outlet temperature of the heated fluid, fluctuations in the outlet temperature of the heated fluid due to changes in the input temperature of the heated fluid can be prevented, and more stable heating and combustion of the heated fluid can be prevented. Driving becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a control circuit for performing a combustion capacity updating operation method of a combustion apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a first operation of a combustion capacity updating operation method using the control circuit of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a second operation of the combustion capacity updating operation method using the control circuit of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a third operation of the combustion capacity updating operation method using the control circuit of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of fluctuations in the temperature of the tap water generated when the set temperature is changed.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the influence of a reading error of a flow sensor and a water input thermistor.

FIG. 7 is a system configuration diagram of a water heater generally known as a combustion device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a performance characteristic diagram of a general water heater.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a combustion operation of a general water heater.

[Explanation of symbols]

 16 Water flow control valve 17 Data selection unit 20 Combustion capacity calculation unit 24 Set flow rate calculation unit 26 Capacity update condition monitoring unit 28 Corrected flow integration unit 30 Capacity update calculation unit 31 Water flow control valve operation amount calculation unit 36 Update data storage unit

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-31651 (JP, A) JP-A-5-340533 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F23N 1/08 101 F23N 5/14 370 F24H 1/10 302

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. Heating means for heating a fluid to be heated passing through a heat exchanger, fuel supply control means for controlling an amount of fuel supplied to the combustion heating means, and flow rate control means for controlling a flow rate of the fluid to be heated. A combustion device that varies the amount of combustion supplied to the combustion heating means within the range of combustion capacity and controls the amount of combustion of the combustion heating means so that the fluid to be heated coming out of the heat exchanger reaches a set temperature. Detects the incoming temperature of the heated fluid entering the heat exchanger, the outgoing temperature of the heated fluid exiting the heat exchanger, and the flow rate of the heated fluid passing through the heat exchanger. When the temperature falls within the given stable range, and the state exceeds the given duration, the actual operating combustion capacity is obtained by calculation based on the detected values of the input temperature, the output temperature, and the flow rate of the fluid to be heated. Update previous data as data paired with temperature Then, update data of the actual operating combustion capacity corresponding to each set temperature is given, and when the next combustion operation is performed, the combustion operation is started using the update data of the combustion capacity corresponding to the set temperature. The operation method for updating the combustion capacity of the combustion device. 2. The update data of the actual operating combustion capacity is given as a set of the set temperature and the input temperature of the fluid to be heated, and the next time the combustion operation is performed, the combustion capacity corresponding to the set temperature and the input temperature is obtained. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combustion operation is started using the updated data. 3. A condition for performing the update operation of the combustion capacity in the actual operation, the duration of the temperature of the fluid to be heated and the duration in the stable range of the flow rate according to the flow rate of the fluid to be heated and the magnitude of the set temperature. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the value is variably set.
A combustion capacity updating operation method of the combustion device according to the above. 4. An inlet temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of a fluid to be heated guided to a heat exchanger, a means for burning and heating a fluid to be heated passing through the heat exchanger, and a means for heating and heating the fluid to be heated by the heat exchanger. Output temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature, flow rate detecting means for detecting a flow rate of a fluid to be heated guided to a heat exchanger, fuel supply controlling means for controlling an amount of fuel supplied to the combustion heating means, Flow rate control means for controlling the flow rate of the fluid, wherein the combustion supply amount of the combustion heating means is varied within the range of the combustion capacity, and the combustion heating means In the combustion device that controls the amount, the input temperature of the heated fluid that enters the heat exchanger during the combustion operation, the output temperature of the heated fluid that exits the heat exchanger, and the flow rate of the heated fluid that passes through the heat exchanger are detected. The output temperature and flow rate of the fluid to be heated are within the stable range given Incoming and outgoing temperature enters a stable range, and after the state exceeds a given time, a capacity update determination command section that issues a combustion capacity update command, and an update command from this capacity update determination command section. A capacity update calculator for calculating the actual operating combustion capacity based on the detected values of the input temperature, the output temperature, and the flow rate of the fluid to be heated, and a combustion capacity update value determined by the capacity update calculator; A combustion apparatus having an update data storage unit for updating and storing the data as a pair with the temperature instead of the previous data. 5. The combustion apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the update data storage unit is configured to update and store the combustion capacity update value as data obtained by combining the set temperature and the input temperature of the fluid to be heated.