JPH03211323A - Control device for discharge water temperature in hot water supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce influence on a user as low as possible by a method wherein when hot water in hot water plumbing is low, it is gradually supplied from hot water of which temperature is lower than the requested hot water temperature, and an electrically operated mixing valve is controlled so that the initially discharged hot water temperature may not exceed the requested hot water temperature. CONSTITUTION:A water temperature T1 of a water supply pipe 6 is obtained by a temperature sensor S1, and hot water temperatures T2 and T3 at the inlet side and outlet side of a hot water supply pipe 7 are obtained by temperature sensors S2 and S3, and a hot water temperature T4 of a discharge hot water pipe 10 is obtained by a temperature sensor S4, and the temperature information and discharge hot water flow rate information for a requested hot water temperature are obtained by a remote control device 13 respectively. Then, the detected hot water temperatures T2 and T3 at the temperature sensors S2 and S3 are compared, and it is judged that both temperatures approximately agree or not. If they approximately agree, the discharge hot water temperature and control hot water temperature are operated, and a driving motor 9 for an electrically operated mixing valve 8 is rotation-controlled. By this method, influence on a user can be reduced as low as possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a control device for the temperature of hot water discharged from a water heater.

(Prior art) - When supplying hot water to bathtubs, showers, etc., the user uses the water supply valve to supply tap water through the water supply piping, and the hot water supplied through the hot water supply piping to the hot water supply valve. The temperature was adjusted accordingly to maintain the appropriate temperature.

In contrast, the valve body that opens and closes the water supply port connected to the water supply pipe and the hot water supply port connected to the hot water supply pipe is controlled by a heat-sensitive element and a drive motor, and the rotation angle of this drive motor, specifically the opening degree of the valve body, is controlled by a potentiometer. The drive motor is controlled to rotate based on the opening characteristics of the valve body using the operation switch provided on the remote control device to set the desired water temperature, and the output from the operation switch and the potentiometer are used to control the rotation of the drive motor. The electric mixing valve is configured to stop the rotation control of the drive motor when the outputs of the two match, and control the desired valve body opening degree, that is, the temperature of the mixed hot water from the hot water outlet communicating with the water supply port and the hot water supply port. are beginning to be adopted in some cases.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) Incidentally, in a water heater equipped with such an electric mixing valve, the hot water supply piping that connects the hot water storage tank of an electric water heater or the like to the installation position of the electric mixing valve becomes long. Accordingly, as time passes, heat is gradually radiated from the hot water in the pipe, and the hot water temperature at the hot water supply port of the electric mixing valve becomes lower than the hot water temperature at the hot water supply port of the hot water storage tank. As a result, due to the influence of the heat-sensitive element of the electric mixing valve, the initial hot water temperature will be slightly higher than the desired temperature. That is, when the electric mixing valve is opened appropriately, the hot water in the hot water supply piping whose temperature has decreased is first supplied, and then high-temperature water is supplied from the hot water storage tank.
Due to the offset of the heat sensitive element, a certain amount of time is required to follow the temperature change, during which time hot water is supplied at a higher temperature than the desired temperature (see Figure 4). As a result, there is a problem that greatly affects the user.

The present invention was made in view of these problems, and when the hot water in the hot water supply piping is low, it gradually supplies hot water from a lower temperature than the desired hot water temperature to the user as much as possible. An object of the present invention is to provide a control device for the outlet temperature of hot water in a hot water supply device, which can reduce the influence of hot water.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has a water supply port connected to a water supply pipe, a hot water supply port connected to the hot water supply pipe, and a hot water outlet communicating with these water supply ports and the hot water supply port, and includes a heat-sensitive element and a drive motor. An electric mixing valve equipped with a valve body that controls the opening and closing of the water supply inlet and hot water supply inlet, and an electric opening/closing valve equipped with a valve body that is installed in the tap water piping connected to the hot water outlet of this electric mixing valve and that controls the flow rate by a drive motor. A water heater having a valve, a temperature sensor that detects the water temperature of the water supply pipe, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of hot water on the inlet side and the outlet side of the hot water supply pipe, and a temperature sensor that detects the water temperature of the hot water outlet pipe; A remote control device equipped with an operation switch for setting the desired hot water temperature, a detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the drive motor that controls the opening and closing of the valve bodies of the electric mixing valve and the electric on-off valve, and rotation from these detection means. A control device that receives angle information, temperature information from each temperature sensor, and operation information from a remote control device, performs arithmetic processing based on this information, and outputs it to the drive motor of the electric mixing valve and the drive motor of the electric on-off valve. Therefore, when a temperature difference of more than a certain level occurs between the inlet and outlet sides of the hot water supply piping, an electric mixing valve is activated to prevent the initial hot water temperature from exceeding the desired hot water temperature, which is determined by the hot water temperature and the water supply water temperature. The present invention is characterized in that it is configured to control an electric on-off valve.

(Function) The temperature of tap water supplied via the water supply pipe is detected by a temperature sensor. On the other hand, the temperature of hot water supplied from an electric water heater or the like and the temperature of hot water supplied to an electric mixing valve are detected by temperature sensors provided at the inlet and outlet sides of the hot water supply piping, respectively. Here, if there is a difference of more than a certain level between the hot water temperatures on the inlet and outlet sides of the hot water supply piping based on the detection results from these temperature sensors, the electric mixing valve will adjust the temperature so that the hot water supply port has the minimum opening area. The opening degree of the valve body is controlled via the drive motor, and the valve body is controlled so that the hot water gradually increases from this valve body opening degree, and then, if the hot water temperature matches the desired hot water temperature, that opening degree is maintained. control to do so.

In addition, if the detected temperatures on the inlet and outlet sides of the hot water supply piping are almost the same, the system will control the hot water supply based on the characteristics of the electric mixing valve and the operation information from the operation switch of the remote control device that sets the desired hot water temperature. Calculate the temperature, that is, the required opening degree of the valve body,
The valve body of the electric mixing valve is controlled to open and close by the drive motor so as to match the controlled hot water temperature.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a water heater, and this water heater 1
consists of a cylindrical closed hot water storage tank 2 and an electric heater 3 disposed below this hot water storage tank 2.Tap water supplied to this hot water storage tank 2 is normally heated to a set temperature using nighttime electricity. It can be heated up to approximately 80°C. A water supply port 4 is provided on the lower mirror plate of the hot water storage tank 2.
However, a hot water supply port 5 is formed in each of the upper mirror plates, and a water supply pipe 6 for supplying tap water is connected to the water supply port 4, while a hot water supply pipe 7 for supplying hot water at a set temperature is connected to the hot water supply port 5.
is connected.

Furthermore, the aforementioned water supply pipe 6 is provided with a temperature sensor SI for detecting the temperature of tap water, and the branch water supply pipe 6
The branch water supply pipe 6a and the above-mentioned hot water supply pipe 7 are connected to the water supply port 8a and the hot water supply port 8b of the electric mixing valve 8, respectively. The electric mixing valve 8 mixes the tap water supplied from the water supply port 8a and the hot water supplied from the hot water supply port 8b, and supplies the mixed hot water to the hot water outlet 8c.
Although not shown in detail, the valve body controls the opening and closing of the hot water supply port 8a and the water supply port 8b using a heat-sensitive element filled with wax and a drive motor 9;
It is equipped with Note that the structure of this electric mixing valve 8 is conventionally known, and detailed explanation regarding the structure will be omitted.

On the other hand, in the hot water supply pipe 7, near the hot water supply port 5 of the hot water storage tank 2 and near the hot water supply port 8b of the electric mixing valve 8, there are temperature sensors Sz and Si that detect the hot water temperature at the inlet side and the outlet side of the hot water supply pipe 7, respectively. is installed.

Further, a hot water tapping pipe 10 is connected to the hot water tap 8c of the electric mixing valve 8, and an electric opening/closing valve 11 is disposed on the hot water tapping pipe 10 to control the flow rate thereof. This electric on-off valve 11 opens and closes the valve body that controls the flow rate.
A drive motor 12 is provided.

Furthermore, this hot water supply device 1 is provided with a remote control device 13, and this remote control device 13 includes operation switches 13a and 13a for setting the desired temperature of hot water to be dispensed, its flow rate, etc.
... is installed. Operation information from the operation switches 13a set by the user is output to a control device 14 such as a microcomputer, which will be described later.

This control device 14 includes the aforementioned temperature sensor SI+...
It controls the rotation of the drive motor 9 of the electric mixing valve 8 and the drive motor 12 of the electric on-off valve 11 based on the temperature information from S4, the operation information from the remote control device 113, etc.
These drive motors9. The rotation angle information of J2 is fed back to the control device 14 via detection means such as potentiometers 9a and 12a. These temperature sensors SI,...S4, remote control device 13, drive motors 9, 12, and potentiometer 9a
.

The relationship between 12a and control device 14 is shown in FIG.

Next, the mixed hot water temperature characteristics of the electric mixing valve 8 will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows how the temperature of the outlet hot water changes as the hot water temperature changes, using the tap water temperature as a parameter. It is shown.

From this characteristic curve, if the water supply temperature and the hot water supply temperature are known, the hot water temperature can be determined. By the way, when the user sets the desired hot water temperature to a certain value, it is necessary to control the outlet hot water temperature so that it becomes the desired hot water temperature. Specifically, once the temperature of the outlet water is determined from the characteristics of the electric mixing valve 8, the opening degree of the valve body at the temperature of the outlet water can be detected by the potentiometer 9a. Therefore, when the hot water temperature is determined, it is calculated how many times the hot water temperature should be increased or decreased relative to the desired hot water temperature. The calculation result becomes the control hot water temperature, and the drive motor is rotationally controlled so that the valve body opening degree corresponds to the control hot water temperature. If the rotation angle of the drive motor 9 matches the rotation angle corresponding to the valve body opening degree of the controlled hot water temperature, that is, if the output value of the potentiometer 9a matches the output value corresponding to the controlled hot water temperature, the desired hot water temperature is Warm water will be dispensed.

In this way, when the desired hot water temperature operation switch 13a is operated from the remote control device 13 and inputted to the control device 14, the control device 14 calculates the control hot water temperature, and uses this calculation result and the outlet hot water temperature, that is, the valve body temperature. The rotation angle of the drive motor 9 corresponding to the opening degree is obtained from the potentiometer 9a and compared, and the rotation of the drive monitor 9 is controlled so that the valve body opening degree corresponds to the controlled hot water temperature.

To explain such control according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, first, in step (2), the water temperature T1 of the water supply pipe 6 is measured from the temperature sensor S1, and the hot water temperatures T2 and T3 of the water supply pipe 7 on the population side and the outlet side are measured. The hot water temperature T4 of the hot water outlet pipe 10 is taken in from the sensors S2 and S3, the hot water temperature T4 of the hot water outlet piping 10 is taken in from the temperature sensor S4, and further, the temperature information of the desired hot water temperature and the hot water outlet flow rate information are respectively taken in from the remote control device 13. Next, in step (2), the hot water temperatures T2 and T detected by the temperature sensors S2 and S3 are compared, and it is determined whether the two substantially match. As a result, if they match, in step 2, calculate the outlet hot water temperature and the control hot water temperature,
Based on the calculation result, in step (2), the rotation of the drive motor 9 of the electric mixing valve 8 is controlled. Specifically, the rotation of the drive motor 9 is controlled based on the outlet hot water temperature and the control hot water temperature determined in step (2) so that the valve opening corresponds to the control hot water temperature, and the rotation angle is determined using the potentiometer 9a. and compare
When the opening degree of the valve body corresponds to the control water temperature, the drive motor 9
Stop rotation control.

Next, in step (2), the drive motor 12 is controlled to rotate so that the valve body of the electric on-off valve 11 has an opening corresponding to the desired flow rate, and if the valve body opening corresponds to the desired flow rate, then in step (2) It is determined whether the actual hot water temperature T4 detected by the temperature sensor S4 matches the desired hot water temperature, and if they match, the program ends. In addition, in step ■, if the two do not match,
Return to step ■ and restart in the same manner.

On the other hand, in step (2), the detected hot water temperature T2 of the hot water supply pipe 7
If and T do not substantially match, in step (3), the hot water supply port 8b of the electric mixing valve 8 is set to the minimum opening area,
The electric mixing valve 8 is adjusted by controlling the opening and closing of the valve body via a drive motor so that the opening degree of the valve body is such that hot water of the lowest temperature is discharged. Next, in step (3), the electric on-off valve 11
The rotation of the drive motor 12 is controlled so that the opening degree of the valve body corresponds to the desired flow rate. Then, the process returns to step (2) again and is restarted in the same manner.

In this example, the water heater is exemplified as an electric water heater, but it is not limited to an electric water heater (it is not limited to an electric water heater). There may be.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the hot water outlet temperature control device in the water heater of the present invention, when the hot water in the hot water supply pipe is decreasing, the hot water is gradually supplied from a temperature lower than the desired hot water temperature. Since the control is performed based on the characteristics of the electric mixing valve so that the initial hot water temperature does not exceed the desired hot water temperature, the influence on the user can be reduced as much as possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the hot water temperature control device in the water heater of the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire water heater, and Figure 2 shows the control device, electric mixing valve, remote control device, etc. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the control device, Fig. 4 is a line diagram showing changes in the temperature of hot water discharged from a conventional electric mixing valve, and Fig. 5 shows hot water discharged from the electric mixing valve. Hot water temperature characteristic diagram, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing changes in the temperature of hot water discharged from the electric mixing valve of the present invention. 1... Hot water supply device 6... Water supply piping 8... Electric mixing valve 10... Hot water tap piping 12... Drive motor 14... Control device S,, S2. S. 2...Hot water storage tank 7...Hot water supply piping 9...Drive motor 11...Electric on-off valve 13...Remote control device S...Temperature sensor 6 1st-"/a 20th b+, b2. b3. ko 4 Figure 4 Time - Figure 6 Time → 51st 1 Hot water supply temperature →

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A valve that has a water supply port connected to the water supply pipe, a hot water supply port connected to the hot water supply pipe, and a hot water outlet that communicates with these water supply ports and the hot water supply port, and which controls the opening and closing of the water supply port and the hot water supply port using a heat-sensitive element and a drive motor. In a water heater, the water supply system includes an electric mixing valve with a body, and an electric on-off valve with a valve body disposed in a hot water outlet pipe connected to a hot water outlet of the electric mixing valve and controlling the flow rate by a drive motor. Equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the water temperature, a temperature sensor that detects the water temperature on the inlet and outlet sides of the hot water supply piping, a temperature sensor that detects the hot water temperature of the hot water outlet piping, and an operation switch that sets the desired hot water temperature. a remote control device, a detection means for detecting the rotation angle of a drive motor that controls opening and closing of the valve bodies of the electric mixing valve and the electric on-off valve, and rotation angle information from these detection means;
The control device receives temperature information from each temperature sensor and operation information from the remote control device, performs arithmetic processing based on this information, and outputs the result to the drive motor of the electric mixing valve and the drive motor of the electric on-off valve. , when a temperature difference of more than a certain level occurs between the inlet and outlet sides of the hot water supply piping,
A control device for hot water temperature in a water heater, characterized in that the electric mixing valve and the electric opening/closing valve are controlled so that the initial hot water temperature determined by the hot water temperature and the hot water temperature does not exceed the desired hot water temperature. .