JPH0599505A - Electric apparatus for heating water - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the title apparatus, which has a structure in which respective hot-water storage tanks are located at a plurality of hot-water storage places, and hot water is supplied from an electric heating tank to each of the hot-water storage tanks and is stored therein, and even if the hot water is simultaneously used at two or more of the hot-water storage places, such a trouble as the hot water is used up does not occur. CONSTITUTION:On the basis of outputs from level sensors LS1, LS2, LS3 placed on respective hot-water storage tanks 1, 2, 3, a control part for controlling the operation of a heating device 40 and pumps P1, P2 and for controlling the opening and closing of valves V11, V12, V13, V21, V22, V23, which are connected to pipe lines for supplying hot water to each of the hot-water storage tanks, stores the amount of hot water supplied to each of the hot-water storage tanks, during a definite period. The following function is provided, that is to say, when some waterlevels detected by a plurality of the level sensors are simultaneously lowered at a preset level or lower, a valve for the hot-water storage tank requiring the supply of a large amount of hot water is opened first of all and the hot water is preferentially replenished to this tank, on the basis of storage data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electric water heater used in a general house.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a hot water supply system using an electric water heater in a house or the like, one hot water storage type electric water heater is arranged and hot water is supplied from a hot water storage tank of the water heater to kitchens, washrooms, bathrooms and the like. In general, a method of guiding each to a place requiring a pipe is widely used. However, according to such a hot water supply system, when hot water is used, low-temperature water is often accumulated in the pipe from the electric water heater to each hot water supply place, and the hot water supply faucet is immediately opened. There was a problem that hot water did not come out.

Therefore, recently, only hot water storage tanks are arranged near hot water supply places such as kitchens, bathrooms, and washrooms, and hot water is supplied from each heating device to each hot water storage tank. An electric water heater with a structure has been proposed.

[0004]

By the way, according to the electric water heater having the structure in which the hot water storage tanks are dispersedly arranged, hot water is used at two or more hot water supply locations at the same time, and the hot water storage amount of each hot water storage tank is increased. When the water consumption decreases, hot water is supplied to the hot water storage tank by a microcomputer or the like in a preset order. For this reason, there is a risk that hot water will run out at hot water supply locations other than the top priority supply.

That is, the amount of hot water used at each hot water supply place in the kitchen, bathroom, and washroom is often different for each home, and the actual amount of hot water used at each hot water supply place at a given home is large. The order is, for example, the kitchen is the largest, then the bathroom, and the bathroom is the smallest. On the other hand, if the order of hot water supply by the setting of the microcomputer is the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bathroom, the bathroom is Hot water may run out at.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its object is to arrange hot water storage tanks at a plurality of hot water storage locations and to provide a heater for each hot water storage tank. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric water heater having a structure in which hot water is supplied from a hot water source and stored, and even when hot water is used at two or more hot water storage locations at the same time, the hot water will not run out.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems A structure for achieving the above object will be described with reference to FIG. 1 corresponding to an embodiment. According to the present invention, the liquid level arranged in each hot water storage tank 1, 2, 3 Drive control of the heater 4 and pump P1 and valves V11, V12, based on the output signals of the sensors TH1, TH2, TH3,
The control unit 6 that controls the opening and closing of V13 calculates the amount of hot water supplied to each hot water storage tank 1, 2, 3 from the time when each valve V11, V12, V13 is opened in a predetermined number of days. When the storage means for storing the calculated data and the detection levels by the liquid level sensors LS1 and LS2 of the hot water storage tanks at two or more places, for example, the hot water storage tanks 1 and 2 are simultaneously below the set capacity level of each hot water storage tank, Pump P1
Based on the above stored data, the priority of opening the valves V11 and V12 of the hot water storage tanks 1 and 2 is based on the above stored data, and the hot water storage tank having a large amount of hot water supplied, for example, the valve V12 of the hot water storage tank 2 is first. It is characterized by having a setting means for setting.

[0008]

[Operation] When hot water is used at two or more hot water supply locations at the same time, hot water is replenished to the hot water storage tanks of the hot water supply locations that have a large amount of usage, for example, according to the actual amount of hot water used at each hot water supply location in one week. Has priority. As a result, the hot water can be supplied to the hot water storage tank at each hot water supply place in a timely manner, and the intended purpose can be achieved.

[0009]

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in which a piping system diagram and a block diagram of a control system are shown together. First, the entire electric water heater is composed of three hot water storage tanks 1, 2, 3 and a heater 40. The three hot water storage tanks 1, 2 and 3 are open to the atmosphere, and the hot water storage tank 1 is arranged near the kitchen. The hot water storage tank 2 is arranged near the bathroom, and the hot water storage tank 3
Is located near the washroom. The hot water storage tank 1 has a hot water storage capacity of approximately 50 to 200 liters, and the hot water storage tank 2 has a hot water storage capacity of 200 to 200 liters.
About 300 liters, and the hot water storage tank 3 is about 20-100 liters.

The heater 40 is composed of a heating tank 4 and an electric heater 5 in which a heating element is arranged, and the heating tank 4 has a forward piping system 10 communicating with the bottom position of the heating tank 4 and a return pipe system. The piping system 20 and the water supply piping 30 are connected. Pumps P1 and P2 are connected to the forward piping system 10 and the return piping system 20, respectively, and an electric valve V30 is connected to the water supply piping 30. It should be noted that the pumps P1 and P2 are pumps having approximately the same discharge amount.

The forward piping system 10 is branched into three directions on the discharge side of the pump P1 via a header (not shown), and the branch pipe 11 is located at the bottom position in the hot water storage tank 1 and the branch pipe 12 is provided. Is connected to the bottom position in the hot water storage tank 2, and the branch pipe 13 is connected to the bottom position in the hot water storage tank 3. Electric valves V11, V12, and V13 are connected to the branch pipes 11, 12, and 13, respectively.

The return pipe system 2 is branched into three directions on the suction port side of the pump P2 via a header (not shown), and the branch pipe 21 is located at the bottom position in the hot water storage tank 1.
The branch pipe 22 communicates with the bottom position in the hot water storage tank 2, and the branch pipe 23 communicates with the bottom position in the hot water storage tank 3. Electric valves V21, V22, and V23 are connected to the branch pipes 21, 22, and 23, respectively.

A liquid level sensor LS for detecting the set volume level of the liquid level inside each of the hot water storage tanks 1, 2 and 3.
1, LS2, LS3, and TH1, TH2, which detect water temperature inside
TH3 is installed respectively. Further, in the heating tank 4, a liquid level sensor LS4 for detecting the minimum and maximum levels of the liquid level inside thereof and a temperature sensor TH4 for detecting the water temperature inside thereof are arranged. These sensors LS1 to LS4
The output signals of TH1 and TH4 are input to the control device 6.

The control device 6 is a microcomputer or the like, and based on input signals from sensors, drive control of electric heaters and pumps P1 and P2, and open / close control of electric valves V11 to V23 and V30, which will be described later. Is configured to do. Next, the operation of the controller 6 and the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the control device 6
When the detection level of the liquid level sensor LS4 of the heating tank 4 is below the maximum level, the electric valve V30 of the water supply pipe is opened, and when the liquid level reaches the maximum level, the valve V30
And the electric heater 5 is driven. By this heating, the water temperature in the heating tank 4 rises, and when the water temperature reaches the set temperature, the driving of the electric heater 4 is stopped. At this point, hot water is not supplied to the hot water storage tanks 1, 2, and 3, and the tanks are empty, and the detection levels by the liquid level sensors LS1, LS2, and LS3 are the set volumes. It is below the level.

In this way, when the detection levels of the liquid level sensors LS1, LS2, LS3 are all below the set capacity level,
First, the electric valve V11 is opened and the pump P1 of the forward piping system is driven. Thereby, the hot water boiled to the set temperature in the heating tank 4 is supplied into the hot water storage tank 1. Even when the level detected by the liquid level sensor LS4 of the heating tank becomes lower than the maximum level while the pump P1 is being driven, the electric valve V30 for water supply is kept closed. When the liquid level sensor LS4 detects the minimum level, the electric valve V11 is closed, the driving of the pump P1 is stopped, and the electric valve V30 is opened at the same time. Thereafter, by the same operation as above, hot water boiled up to the set temperature in the heating tank 4 is sequentially supplied into the hot water storage tank 1, and when the liquid level sensor LS1 of this tank 1 detects the set volume level. , The hot water supply of the hot water storage tank 1 is completed, and then the hot water storage tank 2 and the hot water storage tank 3 are operated by the same operation as above.
Hot water is sequentially supplied to.

After the hot water is supplied to and stored in each of the hot water storage tanks 1, 2 and 3 as described above, the control device 6 controls the temperature sensor TH1 of the hot water storage tank 1 when the detected temperature is below the set temperature. , The electric valves V11 and V21 are opened, and the two pumps P1 and P2 of the forward and return piping systems are simultaneously driven and the electric heater 5 is driven. By this operation, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 1 is circulated through the hot water storage tank 4, and is gradually heated by this circulation. Hot water storage tank 1 by this heating
When the temperature sensor TH1 detects that the water temperature inside has reached the set temperature, this control operation is stopped. Even when the temperature detected by the temperature sensors TH2 and TH3 of the hot water storage tanks 2 or 3 becomes lower than the set temperature, the temperature of the hot water stored in the tanks 2 and 3 is changed by the same circulation as before. Holds at set temperature.

Further, for example, when the level detected by the liquid level sensor LS1 of the hot water storage tank 1 falls below the set capacity, the control device 6 opens only the electric valve V11 and drives the pump P1 of the forward piping system, When the detection level of the sensor reaches the set capacity, the driving of the pump P1 is stopped. By this operation, the hot water from the heating tank 4 is replenished in the hot water storage tank 1, and a certain amount of hot water in the tank 1 is always secured. The hot water storage tanks 2 and 3
The same operation is performed to supply the hot water to the hot water storage tanks 2 and 3 with a fixed amount of hot water.

Here, the control unit 6 controls the electric valves V11 and V12 of the forward piping system for a predetermined period, for example, one week.
Alternatively, the time when only V13 is set to open has passed, and the amount of hot water replenished to each hot water storage tank 1, 2, 3 in several days based on each time elapsed value, that is, each hot water storage tank 1, 2, The amount of each hot water used in 3 is calculated, and the calculated data is stored. When the detection levels of the liquid level sensors of the hot water storage tanks at two or more hot water supply locations simultaneously become less than or equal to the set capacity level, the hot water supply locations that are used a lot based on the previously stored calculation data. Prioritize the supply of hot water.

For example, in the case where the hot water supply place with the maximum amount of hot water used in the above calculation is the bathroom, followed by the kitchen, and then the wash room, the detection level by the liquid level sensors TH1 and TH2 of the hot water storage tanks 1 and 2 But at the same time,
When it becomes less than the set capacity level of 2, the pump P1 is first driven, and the electric valve V12 is first controlled to open and close in a different order from the order when the hot water is supplied first, and the hot water to the hot water storage tank 2 is controlled. Replenishment is performed, and when this replenishment is completed, hot water is replenished to the hot water storage tank 1 by controlling the opening / closing of only the valve V11.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the hot water from the heater 40 is individually supplied and replenished to the hot water storage tanks 1, 2 and 3 arranged at the places where hot water supply is required. It is possible to set the water temperature of the hot water storage tank 1 to 85 ° C, set the temperature of the hot water storage tank 2 for the bathroom to 90 ° C, and set the temperature of the hot water storage tank 3 for the washroom to about 60 ° C.
As a result, a required amount of hot water having a temperature according to the purpose of use of the hot water supply place can be stored in the vicinity of the hot water supply place, and low-temperature hot water can be immediately discharged when desired. Further, since only the hot water storage tanks need to be arranged in the vicinity of the hot water supply place such as the kitchen, it is possible to arrange these hot water storage tanks in a dead space such as under the floor.

In the above embodiments of the present invention, the hot water storage tanks are arranged at the three hot water supply locations of the kitchen, bathroom, and washroom, respectively. In addition to these hot water storage locations, for example, a laundry room and the like. Of course, it can be applied to the case where the hot water storage tank is arranged in another place where hot water supply is required.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the drive control of the electric heater and the pump based on the output of the liquid level sensor of each hot water storage tank, and the valve connected to the outflow pipe to each hot water storage tank. The control unit that controls the opening and closing of the storage unit stores the amount of hot water supplied to each hot water storage tank during a predetermined period, and the detection levels by the liquid level sensors of the hot water storage tanks at two or more hot water supply locations simultaneously become the set volume level or less. In this case, based on the above stored value, the valve of the hot water storage tank that supplies a large amount of hot water is opened first to supply hot water preferentially to that tank. Even when the hot water is used, hot water is first replenished to the hot water storage tank in a place requiring a large amount of hot water among those hot water supply places. Therefore, the supply of hot water to each hot water storage tank becomes a timely supply according to the actual usage state of the hot water, and there is no risk of hot water running out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, showing a piping system diagram and a block diagram of a control system together.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 3 ・ ・ ・ ・ Hot water storage tank LS1, LS2, LS3 ・ ・ ・ ・ Liquid level sensor TH1, TH2, TH3 ・ ・ ・ ・ Temperature sensor 40 ・ ・ ・ ・ Heating device 4 ・ ・ ・ ・ Heating tank LS4 ・・ ・ ・ Liquid level sensor TH4 ・ ・ ・ Temperature sensor 5 ・ ・ ・ Electric heater 6 ・ ・ ・ ・ Control device 10 ・ ・ ・ ・ Outward piping system P1 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Pump V11, V12, V13 ・ ・ ・Electric valve 20 ··· Return pipe system P2 ··· Pump V21, V22, V23 ··· Electric valve 30 ··· Water supply pipe V30 ··· Electric valve

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hot water storage tank arranged near each of a plurality of places requiring hot water supply, an electric heater to which a water supply pipe is connected, an inside of the electric heater and an inside of each of the hot water storage tanks, respectively. A piping system that communicates, a pump that is connected to the piping system and has a suction port that communicates with the inside of the electric heater, a valve that is connected to each of the hot water storage tank pipes, and a liquid level in each hot water storage tank. The liquid level sensor for detecting the level of each, and a control unit for performing drive control of the electric heater and the pump and open / close control of the valves based on the output of each of the liquid level sensors, and by those controls, In the water heater configured to guide the hot water from the electric heater to each of the hot water storage tanks and store the set volume of hot water in each of the hot water storage tanks, Storage means for calculating the amount of hot water supplied to each of the hot water storage tanks during the period from the time when each valve is opened between them, and storing the calculated data,
When the level detected by the liquid level sensors of the hot water storage tanks at two or more locations simultaneously becomes less than or equal to the set capacity level of each hot water storage tank, the pump is driven and the priority of opening the valves of the hot water storage tanks is set. An electric water heater comprising: setting means for setting the valve of the hot water storage tank having a large amount of supplied hot water first based on the stored data.