KR20170061596A - Hot water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

A hot water supply system capable of suppressing the amount of electric power supplied from a commercial power supply as compared with a conventional one, and capable of efficiently storing heat by using surplus electric power.
When the first heat pump operation time S0 comes, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80, Thereby accumulating heat of a predetermined calorific value. When the surplus start time PV1 comes after that, the control device 90 controls the heat pump 10 using the surplus power generated by the solar generator 70, And accumulates heat in the tank 20. [ The predetermined calorie quantity is a calorie quantity used between the hot water supply start time (S1) and the surplus start time (PV1) within a past predetermined period (for example, seven days in the past).

Description

HOT WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a hot water supply system.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a heat pump that can operate using a solar generator, power supplied from a solar generator and power supplied from a commercial power source, heat-absorbs heat from outside air to heat the heating medium, There is disclosed a hot water supply system including a tank, a supply means for supplying hot water to hot water use points using heat accumulated in the tank, a tank circulation path for circulating the heat medium between the heat pump and the tank, and a control device. The controller in the hot water supply system operates the heat pump by the electric power supplied from the commercial power source in the nighttime charge time of the commercial power source to accumulate heat in the tank and generates electricity by the solar power generator in the weekly charge time zone of the commercial power source In the case where surplus power other than the used power exists in the generated power, the heat pump is operated by the surplus power to accumulate heat in the tank, thereby reducing the energy cost for hot water supply.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-194485

In such a hot water supply system, the control device stores time information indicating at least one of the time at which the supply of hot water is started within the past predetermined period and the time at which the supply of hot water ends, and based on the stored time information It is possible to specify the hot water supply start time at which the supply of the first hot water in the unit time in units of 24 hours is to be started and use the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply at the heat pump operation start time earlier than the hot water supply start time by a predetermined time And the heat pump is operated to accumulate the heat of the maximum amount of heat storage (heat storage amount) in the tank.

When the above control is executed, the heat of the maximum amount of axial heat is accumulated in the tank at the time of the hot water supply start time. However, in order to accumulate the heat of the maximum amount of axial heat in the tank at the time of the hot water supply start time, it is necessary to use a large amount of electric power supplied from the commercial power source. Also, there is a low possibility that all the heat in the tank will be used between the hot water supply start time and the surplus electric power, and there is a high possibility that a relatively large amount of heat remains in the tank even when the time when surplus electric power is present comes . Therefore, even when the surplus power is present, heat can not be accumulated in the tank by operating the heat pump by using the surplus power, so that surplus power may not be effectively used.

The present specification discloses a hot water supply system capable of suppressing a usage amount of electric power supplied from a commercial power supply as compared with a conventional one, and capable of efficiently storing heat (surplus heat) using surplus electric power.

The hot water supply system disclosed in this specification includes a heat pump that can operate using a solar power generator, electric power supplied from a solar generator, and electric power supplied from a commercial power source, and heat the heat medium by absorbing heat from outside air, A tank circulation path for circulating the heat medium between the heat pump and the tank, and a controller for controlling the temperature of the hot water, The control device stores the hot water performance information related to the time at which the supply of the hot water to the hot water usage location is started and the heat amount used at that time within the past predetermined period and based on the hot water performance information, The hot water supply start time at which the supply of the first hot water at the unit time is to be started, The first time of the time zone in which the surplus power excluding the used power is expected to exist in the generated power generated by the generator is specified and the amount of heat used during the period from the hot water supply start time to the first time within the past predetermined period When the heat pump operation start time, which is a time earlier than the hot water supply start time, is reached, the heat pump is operated using at least the power supplied from the commercial power supply, And accumulates heat in the tank by operating the heat pump by preferentially using the surplus electric power when the first time comes. "

In the hot water supply system described above, when the start time of the heat pump operation comes, the control device operates the heat pump using at least the power supplied from the commercial power source to accumulate the heat of the predetermined calorific value in the tank. Further, when the first time comes later, the heat pump is operated by preferentially using the surplus electric power to accumulate heat in the tank. The predetermined calorie amount is a calorie amount used between the hot water supply start time and the first time within the past predetermined period. That is, in the hot water supply system described above, the control device accumulates only the heat of the predetermined calorie quantity, which is the heat quantity used between the hot water supply start time and the first time, at the time of the heat pump operation start time, It is not necessary to accumulate the heat of heat. Therefore, according to the hot water supply system described above, when the start time of the heat pump comes, the power supplied from the commercial power supply is lower than that of the conventional configuration in which the heat of the maximum amount of heat is accumulated in the tank by using the power supplied from the commercial power supply The amount of usage of the memory card becomes smaller. Further, when the heat in the tank is used for approximately the predetermined calorie amount until the first time comes, after the heat of the predetermined calories is accumulated in the tank, the heat in the tank is sufficiently reduced at the time when the first time comes do. As a result, by operating the heat pump by preferentially using the surplus electric power, it becomes possible to store enough heat in the tank. That is, the amount of heat accumulated in the tank by using the surplus electric power becomes larger than that in the conventional structure. Therefore, according to the hot water supply system described above, the amount of power supplied from the commercial power supply can be suppressed as compared with the conventional one, and the heat storage can be efficiently performed using the surplus power.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a hot water supply system 2
2 is a diagram schematically showing the amount of hot water used for each time zone and the amount of power generated by the solar generator in a specific household using the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment
Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the heat accumulation process
4 is a flow chart showing a typical heat storage process
5 is a flowchart showing a surplus power storage /
6 is a flow chart showing the heat accumulation process before the hot water supply to the bathtub
7 is a flowchart showing a mode switching process

The main features of the embodiments described below will be described below. In addition, the technical elements described below are independent technical elements and exert their technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and the invention is not limited to the combination of claims described in the application.

(Feature 1)

In the first period from the first time to the second time, which is after the first time and before the sunset time, when the heat in the tank is decreased by the first heat amount, the control device preferentially When the heat in the tank is reduced by the amount of the second heat larger than the first heat amount in the second period which is a period other than the first period in the unit time, It is preferable to start the operation of the heat pump using electric power.

According to this configuration, in the first period, the heat pump can be operated earlier than in the second period. Therefore, the heat storage using the surplus power can be performed with a relatively high frequency, and the heat storage using the power supplied from the commercial power supply can be performed at a relatively low frequency. Therefore, the amount of power supplied from the commercial power supply can be suppressed, and the heat storage can be efficiently performed using the surplus power.

(Feature 2)

When the heat pump should be operated during the first period, the controller sets the temperature of the heating medium after the heating of the heat pump to the first temperature so that the heat of the first maximum accumulated heat amount is accumulated in the tank, and operates the heat pump When the heat pump is to be operated during the second period, the temperature of the heating medium after the heating of the heat pump is lowered to the second temperature below the first temperature so that the heat of the second maximum accumulated heat amount smaller than the first maximum heat accumulation amount is accumulated in the tank. It is preferable to set the temperature to operate the heat pump.

According to this configuration, in the first period, the temperature of the heating medium after the heating of the heat pump is set higher than in the second period, so that more heat can be accumulated in the tank. The amount of heat that can be stored in the tank is increased by preferentially using the surplus electric power, so that the heat storage can be performed efficiently using the surplus electric power.

(Feature 3)

When the power supply from the commercial power supply is stopped while the heat pump is operated in the operation mode for operating the heat pump without using the surplus electric power, the control device sets the operation mode to operate the heat pump using the surplus electric power It is preferable to switch.

According to this configuration, when the commercial power can not be used, the storage can be performed using the surplus power. Surplus electric power can be utilized efficiently.

(Example)

(System configuration; Fig. 1)

1, the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment includes a heat pump 10, a tank 20, a tank circulation path 30, a tap water introduction path 40, a supply path 50, 60, a photovoltaic generator 70, a commercial power supply path 80, and a control device 90.

The heat pump 10 is a heat source for heating water passing through the tank circulation path 30 by absorbing heat from outside air. The heat pump 10 can be operated using the power supplied from the solar generator 70 and also can be operated using the power supplied from the commercial power supply via the commercial power supply path 80. [ The heat pump 10 includes a refrigerant circulation path for circulating refrigerant (for example, natural refrigerant R290, refrigerant refrigerant R32 and the like), not shown, an evaporator for exchanging heat between the outside air and the refrigerant, A condenser for performing heat exchange between the water passing through the tank circulation path 30 and the refrigerant from the compressor, and an expansion valve for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant from the condenser to low temperature and low pressure have.

The tank 20 accumulates the hot water heated by the heat pump 10. The tank 20 is of a closed type and is covered on the outside by a heat insulating material. The tank 20 stores water up to full water. In this embodiment, the capacity of the tank 20 is 100L. Thermistors 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are mounted on the tank 20 at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the tank 20. Each of the thermistors 22a - Measure the temperature of the water at the mounting location. For example, each thermistor 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d measures the temperature of the water at the locations 70L, 50L, 30L, 5L from the top of the tank, respectively.

The tank circulation path 30 has an upstream end connected to the lower portion of the tank 20 and a downstream end connected to the upper portion of the tank 20. A circulation pump 36 is mounted on the tank circulation path 30. The circulation pump 36 sends water in the tank circulation path 30 from the upstream side to the downstream side. The tank circulation path 30 passes through a condenser (not shown) of the heat pump 10. Therefore, when the heat pump 10 is operated, the water in the tank circulation path 30 is heated by the condenser of the heat pump 10. Therefore, when the circulation pump 36 and the heat pump 10 are operated, the water in the lower part of the tank 20 is heated by the heat pump 10, and the heated water is returned to the upper part of the tank 20. That is, the tank circulation path (30) is a channel for storing heat in the tank (20). Thermistors 32 and 34 are mounted on the inlet side (i.e., the upstream side) and the outlet side (i.e., downstream side) of the heat pump 10 in the tank circulation path 30, respectively. The thermistor 32 measures the temperature of water before it is heated by the heat pump 10, which is derived from the bottom of the tank 20. The thermistor (34) measures the temperature of the hot water after being heated by the heat pump (10).

The tap introduction passage (40) has its upstream end connected to the water supply valve (42). The water supply valve 42 is connected to a tap water supply source (not shown). The water supply valve 42 is normally kept open. The downstream side of the tap water introduction path 40 is branched into the first introduction path 40a and the second introduction path 40b. The downstream end of the first introduction path 40a is connected to the lower portion of the tank 20. The downstream end of the second introduction path 40b is connected in the middle of the supply path 50 to be described later. A mixing valve 44 is attached to a connecting portion between the downstream end of the second introduction path 40b and the supply path 50. [ The mixing valve 44 adjusts the amount by which the water in the second introduction path 40b is mixed with the hot water flowing through the supply path 50.

The supply path 50 has its upstream end connected to the top of the tank 20. As described above, the second introduction path 40b of the tap water introduction path 40 is connected to the middle of the supply path 50, and the mixing valve 44 is attached to the connection portion. The burner heating device 60 is mounted on the supply path 50 on the downstream side of the connection portion with the second introduction path 40b. A thermistor 52 is mounted on the supply path 50 on the downstream side of the burner heating device 60. The thermistor 52 measures the temperature of the supplied hot water. The burner heating device 60 heats the water in the supply path 50 such that the temperature of the hot water measured by the thermistor 52 coincides with the set temperature of the hot water supply. The downstream end of the supply path 50 is connected to a hot water utilization site (e.g., a kitchen, a bathtub, etc.).

The solar power generator 70 is a device for generating electricity by receiving sunlight. The electric power generated by the solar power generator 70 is supplied to various devices including the respective components of the hot water supply system 2 through the control device 90. For example, the electric power generated by the solar power generator 70 is used for various purposes such as operation of the air conditioner (not shown) in addition to the operation of the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36.

The commercial power supply path 80 is a power cord connected to a commercial power supply to receive power from a commercial power supply. The power supplied from the commercial power supply via the commercial power supply path 80 is supplied to the various devices including the respective components of the hot water supply system 2 through the control device 90.

The control device 90 is electrically connected to the respective components of the hot water supply system 2 and controls the operation of each component. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the control device 90 is connected to a remote controller having an operation section for allowing the user to input various instructions and a display section for displaying various information. The control device 90 also includes a power source switching means for switching whether to supply power for operating each element of the hot water supply system 2 from the commercial power supply path 80 or from the solar power generator 70 Respectively. The control device 90 is also connected to a network (not shown), and weather information (for example, weather forecasts, past sunshine hours, etc.) stored in a server (not shown) .

Next, the operation of the hot water system 2 of the present embodiment will be described. The hot water supply system 2 can perform the heat accumulation operation and the hot water supply operation. Each operation will be described below.

(Heat storage operation)

The heat storage operation is an operation for heating the water in the tank 20 by the heat generated by the heat pump 10. When the heat accumulation operation is executed, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [ When the circulation pump 36 operates, water in the tank 20 circulates in the tank circulation path 30. That is, water present in the lower part of the tank 20 is introduced into the tank circulation path 30, and when the introduced water passes through the condenser in the heat pump 10, by the heat of the refrigerant up to the preset target outlet temperature Tb And heated. The heated water up to the target outlet temperature Tb is returned to the top of the tank 20. Thereby, the water of the target outlet temperature Tb is stored in the tank 20. As a result, a high-temperature water layer is formed on the upper portion of the tank 20, and a low-temperature water layer is formed on the lower portion. In this embodiment, the control device 90 can convert the temperature of the hot water after the heating (the target outlet temperature Tb) by converting the rotational speed of the compressor of the heat pump 10. [

(Hot water operation)

The hot water supply operation is an operation of supplying hot water in the tank 20 to hot water use sites. The hot water supply operation can be executed even during the above-described heat storage operation. The water supply valve 42 is kept open when the hot water supply valve of the hot water use portion is opened so that water is supplied from the tap water introduction path 40 (first introduction path 40a) 20). At the same time, the hot water in the upper part of the tank 20 is supplied to the hot water use place through the supply path 50.

The controller 90 controls the mixing valve 44 when the temperature of the hot water supplied from the tank 20 to the supply path 50 (i.e., the measured temperature of the thermistor 22d) is higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts, The tap water is introduced into the supply path 50 from the second introduction path 40b. In this case, the hot water supplied from the tank 20 and the tap water supplied from the second introduction path 40b are mixed in the supply path 50. The control device 90 adjusts the opening degree of the mixing valve 44 so that the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water use position (that is, the temperature of the hot water measured by the thermistor 52) do. On the other hand, the control device 90 operates the burner heating device 60 when the temperature of the hot water supplied from the tank 20 to the supply path 50 is lower than the hot water setting temperature Ts. In this case, the hot water passing through the supply path 50 is heated by the burner heating device 60. The control device 90 controls the output of the burner heating device 60 such that the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water use point coincides with the hot water setting temperature Ts.

(The trend of hot water supply in a certain household and the generation amount trend of the solar power generator 70; Fig. 2)

Next, referring to Fig. 2, a description will be given of a hot water supply tendency in a specific household when a life cycle of a specific household is viewed in units of 24 hours (one day). Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a time period during which hot water supply is performed in a certain household during a certain day, and schematically showing a change in the amount of power generation by the solar power generator 70. Fig. The trends of the hot water supply tendency and the power generation amount shown in Fig. 2 are specified based on the hot water supply history and the power generation history in the specific household for the past seven days. Further, in the present embodiment, the control device 90 sets the unit time to specify 24 hours as 2 days (2:00) as one day.

In a certain household, for example, hot water supply is firstly performed at 6:00 to 7:00 (at 6:00 in the example of FIG. 2). The first hot water supply is, for example, hot water for preparing breakfast or for washing. In the first hot water supply, hot water of about 5L to 20L is supplied. In a certain household, for example, the second hot water supply is executed from 11:00 to 12:00 (11:00 in the example of FIG. 2). The second hot water supply is hot water for the preparation of lunch, for example. Hot water of about 5L to 20L is also supplied from the second hot water supply. In a particular household, for example, a third hot water supply is executed at 20:00 (20:00 in the example of FIG. 2). The third hot water supply is the hot water supply operation for the bathtub. In this embodiment, the specific household is set in advance so as to start the hot water supply operation at 20:00 every day. In the bath hot water supply operation, hot water of about 150 L to 180 L is supplied. In a certain household, for example, a final hot water bath is performed between 23:00 and 0:00 (in the example of FIG. 2, about 23:00). The last hot water is, for example, hot water for feces. In the last hot water supply, about 5L to 10L of hot water is supplied. The last hot water supply ends at about 0:00.

In addition, in the hot water supply system 2 installed in a certain household, the solar power generator 70 starts to generate electricity at the same time of sunrise at 6:00. Power generation is increased to peak at about 12:00, and then decreases toward sunset around 19:00.

In the present embodiment, the control device 90 determines the time at which the hot water supply is started and the time at which the hot water supply ends, the supply amount information indicating the amount of the supplied hot water, And temperature information indicating the temperature of the hot water. The control device 90 stores the one-day time information, the supply amount information, and the temperature information as one-day operation history of a specific household. In the present embodiment, the control device 90 stores the past 7-day operation history of a specific generation. Likewise, the control device 90 stores the generation amount per time period by the solar generator 70 for the past seven days of the specific generation as the generation history.

(Processing of the control device 90)

Next, each process executed by the control device 90 will be described. Each process executed by the control device 90 includes a process in which the control device 90 executes every 24 hours (every time the time reaches 2:00) and a process that the control device 90 always executes . As described above, in the present embodiment, the control device 90 stores the past 7-day operation history of a specific generation. Therefore, the control device 90 erases the operation history of eight days before every 24 hours and newly stores the operation history of the previous day.

Subsequently, the control device 90 specifies the earliest time of the first hot water supply in the past seven days from the past seven days of operation history of the specific household. Hereinafter, this time is referred to as "hot water supply start time (S1) ". For example, the control device 90 specifies 6:00 as the hot water supply start time (S1) (see Fig. 2).

In addition, the control device 90 specifies the earliest time among the time at which the hot water supply operation for the bathtub was started for the past seven days, from the past seven days of operation history of the specific generation. Hereinafter, this time is referred to as "bath hot water supply start time (B1) ". As described above, in this embodiment, the specific household is set in advance so as to start the hot water supply operation at 20:00 every day. For example, the control device 90 specifies 20:00 as the bath hot water supply start time B1 (see Fig. 2).

Further, the control device 90 specifies the latest time of the last hot water supply in the past seven days from the past seven days of operation history of the specific generation. Hereinafter, this time is referred to as "hot water supply end time (G1) ". For example, the control device 90 specifies 0:00 as the hot water supply end time G1 (see Fig. 2).

In addition, the control device 90 specifies in advance the surplus start time PV1 (11:00 in Fig. 2), which is the time at which the trigger for starting the surplus power storage heat processing (refer to Fig. 5) described later is started. The surplus start time PV1 is later than the hot water supply start time S1 and earlier than the bath hot water supply start time B1 and is set by the solar generator 70 based on the past power generation history, (That is, it is highly probable that surplus electric power is generated) that the surplus electric power excluding the used electric power is generated in the generated generated electric power. In this example, the surplus start time PV1 is 11:00.

In addition, the control device 90 specifies in advance the surplus end time PV2 (17:30 in Fig. 2), which is the time at which the trigger for terminating the surplus power storage heat processing (see Fig. 5) described later. The surplus end time PV2 is specified at a time one hour and 30 minutes before the sunset time (about 19:00 in Fig. 2).

The control device 90 specifies the first predetermined time?, The second predetermined time? And the third predetermined time? Based on the water temperature of the tap water supplied to the tank 20. The control device 90 specifies the short time as the first predetermined time? And the second predetermined time? As the water temperature of the tap water becomes higher, and specifies the longer time as the third predetermined time?.

Subsequently, the control device 90 specifies the first heat pump operation time S0 which is the time before the first predetermined time? Specified from the hot water supply start time S1. In the present embodiment, when the first heat pump operation time S0 comes, the control device 90 starts the heat storage start heat storage process (see FIG. 3) described later. That is, the first heat pump operation time S0 is the time when the heat storage starts before the hot water storage heat storage process (see FIG. 3) to be described later.

The control device 90 specifies the second heat pump operation time B0 which is a time earlier by the second predetermined time? Specified from the bath water hot water supply start time Bl. In the present embodiment, when the second heat pump operation time B0 comes, the control device 90 starts the heat storage process (see FIG. 6) for preheating the hot water supply to be described later. That is, the second heat pump operation time B0 is a time at which the heat is to be triggered to start the heat storage process (see Fig.

Further, the control device 90 specifies the heat pump stop time (G0) which is the time earlier by the third predetermined time (?) Specified from the hot water supply end time (G1). In the present embodiment, when the heat pump stop time (G0) comes, the control device 90 starts the heat pump stop process to be described later. That is, the heat pump stop time (G0) is a time when the heat pump stop processing is started to be described later.

Further, the control device 90 always executes the normal heat storage process (see FIG. 4) and the mode switching process (see FIG. 7), which will be described later. Details of each processing will be described later. The user of the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment can select either one of the two operation modes of "normal thermal storage operation mode" and "redundant power storage and operation mode" by operating the operation unit of the remote controller in advance. The normal heat storage operation mode is a mode in which heat storage is performed using only the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply via the commercial power supply path 80 without using the surplus electric power of the photovoltaic generator 70. [ The surplus power storage and operation mode is a mode in which, in addition to the power supplied from the commercial power supply, the surplus power of the solar generator 70 is further used to store heat.

(Heat storage treatment before start of hot water supply; Fig. 3)

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the contents of the heat accumulation process before the start of the hot water supply executed by the control device 90. Fig. As described above, when the first heat pump operation time S0 comes, the control device 90 starts the process of Fig. First, in S10, the control device 90 calculates a scheduled calorific value to be required between the hot water supply start time S1 and the surplus start time PV1. The control device 90 calculates the scheduled calorie amount by using the stored operation history (time information, supply amount information, and temperature information) for the past seven days.

Subsequently, in S12, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to a temperature (Ts + 5 占 폚) which is 5 占 폚 higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts. For example, when the hot water supply set temperature Ts is 40 占 폚, the target outlet temperature Tb is set at 45 占 폚 in S12.

In step S14, the controller 90 determines whether or not the target outlet temperature Tb is equal to the target outlet temperature Tb, which is the amount of the hot water necessary for procuring the scheduled calorific value as the hot water of the target outlet temperature Tb, based on the estimated calorie amount calculated in step S10 and the target outlet temperature Tb set in step S12 Calculate the quantity of hot water.

Then, in S16, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80. [ At this time, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 so that the outlet temperature of the heat pump 10 (i.e., the detected temperature of the thermistor 34) becomes the target outlet temperature Tb set in S12. More specifically, the control device 90 adjusts the number of revolutions of the motor of the compressor so that the outlet temperature of the heat pump 10 becomes the target outlet temperature Tb set at S12. The water present in the lower portion of the tank 20 is introduced into the tank circulation path 30 and heated to the target outlet temperature Tb when passing through the heat pump 10 and returned to the upper portion of the tank 20 Loses. That is, the water of the target outlet temperature Tb is stored in the tank 20.

In another example, when there is surplus power at this time (i.e., when the first heat pump operation time S0 has arrived), the control device 90 supplies the power from the commercial power supply path 80 at S16 The heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 may be operated by using the surplus electric power together with the electric power to be supplied to the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [

After the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated in S16, the control device 90 determines in S18 whether or not the currently selected operation mode is the "surplus power storage and operation mode". If the currently selected operation mode is the " idle power storage and operation mode ", the control device 90 determines YES in S18 and proceeds to S20. On the other hand, if the currently selected operation mode is the "normal heat storage operation mode ", the control device 90 determines NO in S18 and proceeds to S22.

In S20, the control device 90 monitors that the hot water of the predetermined number of hot water calculated in S14 is stored in the tank 20. Specifically, at S20, the control device 90 continuously monitors the detection temperatures of the respective thermistors 22a to 22d, thereby monitoring that the hot water of a predetermined number of times is stored in the tank 20. [ As described above, each of the thermistors 22a to 22d detects the temperature of water at the positions of 70L, 50L, 30L and 5L from the upper portion of the tank 20, respectively. Therefore, the control device 90 can monitor the amount of hot water at the target outlet temperature Tb stored in the tank 20 by monitoring the change in the water temperature detected by each of the thermistors 22a to 22d. If the predetermined amount of hot water is stored in the tank 20, the control device 90 determines YES in S20 and proceeds to S24.

On the other hand, in S22, the control device 90 monitors that the detection temperature of the thermistor 32 becomes equal to or higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts. When the temperature of the thermistor 32 (that is, the temperature of the water led to the tank circulation path 30 from the lower portion of the tank 20) is equal to or higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts, Which means that it is filled with hot water of temperature (so-called full state). Therefore, when the detected temperature of the thermistor 32 is equal to or higher than the hot water set point temperature Ts, the control device 90 determines YES in S22 and proceeds to S24.

In S24, the control device 90 stops the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [ When S24 is finished, the heat accumulation process before the start of the hot water supply of Fig. 3 is completed.

(Normal heat storage processing: Fig. 4)

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of the normal heat storage process executed by the control device 90. Fig. The normal heat storage process of Fig. 4 is a process normally executed by the control device 90 during operation of the hot water supply system 2, except during the execution of the surplus power storage heat process which will be described later.

At S30, the control device 90 monitors whether or not the detection temperature of the thermistor 22c (that is, the temperature of the water at the position of 30 L (from the bottom to 70 L) from the top of the tank 20) do. When the detected temperature of the thermistor 22c is equal to or lower than the hot water set point temperature Ts, it means that the amount of hot water having a temperature equal to or higher than the hot water set temperature Ts stored in the tank 20 is 30 L or less. If the detected temperature of the thermistor 22c is equal to or lower than the hot water setting temperature Ts, the control device 90 determines YES in S30 and proceeds to S32.

In S32, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to a temperature (Ts + 5 占 폚) which is 5 占 폚 higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts.

Then, in S34, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80. [ The water present in the lower portion of the tank 20 is introduced into the tank circulation path 30 and heated to the target outlet temperature Tb when passing through the heat pump 10 and returned to the upper portion of the tank 20 Loses. That is, the water of the target outlet temperature Tb is stored in the tank 20.

In the other example, when there is surplus power at the time of S34, the control device 90 uses the surplus power together with the power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 at S34, The circulation pump 36 may be operated.

Then, in S36, the control device 90 monitors that the detection temperature of the thermistor 32 becomes equal to or higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts. When the detected temperature of the thermistor 32 is equal to or higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts (i.e., when the tank 20 is in a full state), the control device 90 determines YES in S36 and proceeds to S38.

In S38, the control device 90 stops the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [ When S38 is finished, the control device 90 returns to the monitoring of S30 again.

(Surplus power storage heat treatment: Fig. 5)

5 is a flowchart showing the contents of the surplus power storage heat process executed by the control device 90. Fig. When the surplus start time PV1 is reached as described above, the control device 90 starts the processing of Fig. First, in S50, the control device 90 determines whether or not the currently selected operation mode is the "surplus power storage and operation mode". If the currently selected operation mode is the " idle power storage and operation mode ", the control device 90 determines YES in S50 and proceeds to S52. On the other hand, when the currently selected operation mode is the "normal heat storage operation mode ", the control device 90 determines NO in S50 and ends the surplus power storage heat treatment process of FIG.

In S52, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to a temperature (Ts + 15 占 폚) which is 15 占 폚 higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts. For example, if the hot water setting temperature Ts is 40 占 폚, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to 55 占 폚 in S52.

In another example, the control device 90 may set the target outlet temperature Tb at an arbitrary temperature higher than the target outlet temperature for other processes such as normal heat storage processing (see Fig. 4) in S52.

Then, in S54, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 preferentially using the surplus electric power. That is, when the required power can be procured only by the surplus power, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 using only surplus power. On the other hand, when there is surplus power but the surplus power alone can not procure the required power, the control device 90 controls the heat pump 10 using the power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80, in addition to the surplus power. And the circulation pump 36 are operated. As described above, the surplus electric power is the electric power generated by the solar generator 70 excluding the used electric power. Here, 'used electric power' refers to electric power used for applications other than the operation of the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36, for example, operation of an air conditioner (not shown). In S54, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 so that the outlet temperature of the heat pump 10 becomes the target outlet temperature Tb (Ts + 15 deg. C) set in S52. The water present in the lower portion of the tank 20 is introduced into the tank circulation path 30 and heated to the target outlet temperature Tb when passing through the heat pump 10 and returned to the upper portion of the tank 20 Loses. That is, the water at the target outlet temperature Tb (Ts + 15 占 폚) is stored in the tank 20. In addition, when there is no surplus power at the time of S54 due to factors such as deterioration of weather conditions, the control device 90 ends the surplus power storage processing of Fig. 5 without executing the processing of S54.

In another example, the control device 90 may not operate the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 until surplus electric power is generated when surplus electric power is not present at the time of S54.

Subsequently, in S56, the control device 90 monitors that the detection temperature of the thermistor 32 becomes equal to or higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts. When the detected temperature of the thermistor 32 is equal to or higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts (i.e., when the tank 20 is in a full state), the control device 90 determines YES in S56 and proceeds to S58.

In S58, the control device 90 stops the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [ Upon completion of S58, the control device 90 advances to monitoring of S60 and S62.

The control device 90 monitors the arrival of the surplus end time PV2 (see Fig. 2) in S60 and S62 and detects the temperature of the thermistor 22a And the temperature of the water at the position of 30L from the bottom) is equal to or lower than the hot water set point temperature Ts. When the detected temperature of the thermistor 22a is equal to or lower than the hot water set point temperature Ts, it means that the amount of hot water having a temperature equal to or higher than the hot water set temperature Ts stored in the tank 20 is 70 L or less. If the detected temperature of the thermistor 22a becomes equal to or lower than the hot water set point temperature Ts before the surplus end time PV2 comes, the control device 90 determines YES in S62 and executes the processes of S52 to S56 again (I.e., boil the tank 20 again in a condensed state). On the other hand, when the surplus end time PV2 comes, the control device 90 determines YES in S60 and finishes the surplus power storage and processing of FIG.

(Heat storage treatment for hot water supply to the bathtub; Fig. 6)

6 is a flow chart showing the contents of the heat storage process for preheating the hot water supply to the bathtub to be executed by the control device 90. Fig. When the second heat pump operation time B0 is reached as described above, the control device 90 starts the processing of Fig. First, in S70, it is determined whether or not the detection temperature of the thermistor 32 (that is, the temperature of the water derived from the lower portion of the tank 20 and passing through the heat pump 10) is equal to or higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts 20) is in a full state or not). If the detected temperature of the thermistor 32 is equal to or higher than the hot water set point temperature Ts, the control device 90 determines YES at S70 and advances to S75. On the other hand, when the detected temperature of the thermistor 32 is lower than the hot water setting temperature Ts, the control device 90 proceeds to S72 even if it determines NO at S70.

In S72, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to a temperature (Ts + 5 占 폚) which is 5 占 폚 higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts.

Then, in S74, the control device 90 operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80. The water present in the lower portion of the tank 20 is introduced into the tank circulation path 30 and heated to the target outlet temperature Tb when passing through the heat pump 10 and returned to the upper portion of the tank 20 Loses. That is, the water of the target outlet temperature Tb is stored in the tank 20. When S74 is finished, the process proceeds to S76.

In addition, in another example, when there is surplus power at the time of S74, the control device 90 uses the surplus power together with the power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 in S74, And the circulation pump 36 may be operated.

On the other hand, in S75, the control device 90 stops the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [ As described above, when it is determined as YES in S70, the tank 20 is in a full-scale state, so that it is not necessary to operate the ideal heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36. [ When the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are already stopped at the time of S75, the control device 90 maintains the state in which the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are stopped . When S75 is completed, the process goes to S76.

In S76, the control device 90 determines whether or not the bath hot water supply start time B1 has arrived. When the bath hot water supply start time B1 has arrived, the control device 90 determines YES in S76 and proceeds to S78. On the other hand, if the bath water hot water supply start time B1 has not arrived yet, the control device 90 determines NO in S76 and returns to the judgment of S70.

In S78, the control device 90 starts the bath hot water supply process. That is, at S78, the control device 90 opens the hot water supply valve of the bathtub to start supplying hot water to the bathtub, and at the same time, the heat pump 10, the circulation pump 36 and the burner heating device 60 Is operated to supply a predetermined amount of hot water to the bathtub. When the bathtub hot water supply process of S78 is started, the control device 90 ends the heat storage process of the bathtub hot water supply of Fig.

(Mode switching processing; Fig. 7)

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the contents of the mode switching process executed by the control device 90. Fig. The mode switching process of Fig. 7 is a process that is normally executed by the control device 90 during the operation of the hot water supply system 2. Fig.

In S90, the control device 90 monitors that the power supply from the commercial power supply path 80 is stopped. For example, power supply from the commercial power supply path 80 may be stopped by a factor such as a power failure. In this case, the control device 90 determines YES in S90 and proceeds to S92.

In S92, the control device 90 forcibly switches the operation mode to the redundant power storage and operation mode. In S92, the control device 90 sets the operation mode to the surplus power storage and operation mode regardless of whether the currently selected operation mode is either the "normal thermal storage operation mode" or the "redundant power storage and operation mode". As a result, even when power supply from the commercial power supply path 80 is stopped, if surplus power exists, the surplus power can be used to store heat. When S92 is finished, the control device 90 returns to the monitoring of S90.

The configuration and operation of the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment have been described above. In the present embodiment, when the first heat pump operation time S0 comes, the control device 90 executes heat storage processing (see FIG. 3) before the start of hot water supply and uses the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 The heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated (S16) to accumulate the scheduled hot water quantity (i.e., the heat quantity of the predetermined calories) in the tank (YES in S20). The control device 90 executes the surplus power storage heat treatment (refer to FIG. 5) when the surplus start time PV1 arrives thereafter, and supplies the surplus power to the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump (S54), and accumulates the heat until the tank 20 becomes a full-scale state (YES in S56). The scheduled calorie quantity is a calorie quantity used between the hot water supply start time S1 (see FIG. 2) and the surplus start time PV1 within a predetermined period of time in the past (for example, seven days in the past). That is, in the present embodiment, the control device 90 determines whether or not the predetermined heat quantity (i.e., the amount of heat) that is used between the hot water supply start time S1 and the surplus start time PV1 at the time of the first heat pump operation time S0 It is not necessary to accumulate the heat until the tank 20 is brought into a state of being enlarged. Thus, according to the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment, when the first heat pump operation time S0 comes, power is supplied from the commercial power source to heat the tank 20 until the tank 20 becomes a full- The amount of electric power supplied from the commercial power source is smaller than that in the conventional configuration in which the electric power is accumulated. When the calorific value of the tank 20 is used for the predetermined calorie amount until the surplus start time PV1 arrives after the heat of the predetermined calorie amount is accumulated in the tank 20, The heat in the tank 20 becomes sufficiently small at the time when it arrives. That is, a large amount of heat can be accumulated in the tank 20. As a result, heat can be accumulated in the tank 20 sufficiently by operating the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 by preferentially using the surplus electric power. That is, the amount of heat that can be accumulated in the tank 20 by using the surplus electric power is larger than that in the conventional structure. Therefore, according to the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment, the amount of power supplied from the commercial power supply can be suppressed as compared with the conventional one, and the heat storage can be efficiently performed by using the surplus power.

In the present embodiment, in the period from the surplus start time PV1 to the surplus end time PV2 (that is, during the execution of the surplus power storage heat process of FIG. 5), the control device 90 detects the thermistor 22a When the temperature (i.e., the temperature of the water at the position of 70L (from the bottom to 30L) from the top of the tank 20) becomes equal to or lower than the hot water setting temperature Ts (YES at S62 in FIG. 5) And operates the heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 (S54). On the other hand, in the period other than the period during which the surplus power storage heat treatment is being executed, the control device 90 determines the temperature of the thermistor 22c (that is, the temperature of the water in the position 30L The heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated by using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 when the temperature reaches the set temperature Ts of the hot water supply (S34). That is, in the present embodiment, the heat pump 10 can be operated earlier than the other periods during the execution of the surplus power storage heat treatment. Therefore, the heat storage using the surplus electric power can be performed with a relatively high frequency, and the heat storage using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 can be performed at a relatively low frequency. Therefore, the amount of power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 can be suppressed, and the heat storage can be efficiently performed using the surplus power.

In the present embodiment, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to 15 ° C higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts during execution of the surplus power storage heat process (S52 in FIG. 5) 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated. On the other hand, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to a temperature 5 캜 higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts (S32 in Fig. 4 and the like) during a period other than during execution of the surplus power storage heat treatment 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated. That is, in the present embodiment, during execution of the surplus power storage heat treatment, the target outlet temperature Tb is set to be higher than other periods, so that more heat can be accumulated in the tank 20. The amount of heat that can be stored in the tank 20 is increased by using the surplus electric power, so that the heat storage can be performed efficiently using the surplus electric power.

In the present embodiment, when the power supply from the commercial power supply path 80 is stopped due to a power failure or the like, the control device 90 forcibly switches the operation mode to the redundant power storage and operation mode YES in S90 of Fig. 7, S92). Therefore, when the commercial power source can not be used, the storage power can be utilized by using the surplus power. Surplus electric power can be utilized efficiently.

The correspondence between the description of this embodiment and the description of the claims will be described. The operation history stored by the control device 90 is an example of "hot water achievement information ". The surplus start time PV1 and the surplus end time PV2 are examples of "first time" and "second time", respectively. The first heat pump operation time S0 is an example of the "heat pump operation start time ". The target outlet temperature Tb (i.e., the temperature 15 deg. C higher than the hot water setting temperature Ts) set in S52 of FIG. 5 is an example of the "first temperature ", and the target outlet temperature Tb ) (I.e., a temperature 5 占 폚 higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts) is an example of the "second temperature ".

The embodiments have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the concrete examples described above.

(Modified Example 1)

5, when the detected temperature of the thermistor 22a becomes equal to or lower than the hot water setting temperature Ts (YES in S62 of FIG. 5), the control device 90 determines that the surplus power storage heat- The heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated using surplus electric power (S54). On the other hand, when the temperature detected by the thermistor 22c becomes lower than the hot water setting temperature Ts (YES in S30 of Fig. 4) in a period other than the period during which the surplus power storage heat treatment is being executed The heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 are operated using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply path 80 (S34). The control device 90 is not limited to this and the control device 90 may be configured such that the detection temperature of the thermistor (for example, the thermistor 22c) at the predetermined position is equal to or lower than the hot water supply set temperature Ts regardless of whether or not the surplus power storage heat process is being executed The heat pump 10 and the circulation pump 36 may be operated.

(Modified example 2)

In the above embodiment, the surplus end time PV2 is set at a time one hour and thirty minutes before the sunset time. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the surplus end time PV2 may be set to an arbitrary time if it is later than the sunset time after the surplus start time PV1. For example, the surplus end time PV2 may be the same as the sunset time. The control device 90 specifies a time zone in which there is a high possibility that surplus power is likely to exist based on the stored operation history and power generation history and weather information acquired from the server, PV1), and the end of this time period may be set as the surplus end time PV2.

(Modification 3)

In the embodiment described above, the control device 90 sets the target outlet temperature Tb to 15 ° C higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts during execution of the surplus power storage heat treatment (S52 in FIG. 5) The target outlet temperature Tb is set to a temperature 5 [deg.] C higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts (S32 in Fig. 4, and the like). The control device 90 may control the target outlet temperature Tb to a predetermined temperature (for example, a temperature 5 ° C higher than the hot water supply set temperature Ts) regardless of whether the surplus power storage heat process is being executed or not May be set.

(Variation 4)

In the above-described embodiment, when the power supply from the commercial power supply path 80 is stopped due to a factor such as a power failure, the control device 90 forcibly switches the operation mode to the redundant power storage / YES in S90 of Fig. 7, S92). When the normal thermal storage operation mode is selected when the power supply from the commercial power supply path 80 is stopped, the control device 90 forcibly sets the operation mode to the redundant power storage / It is also possible to forcibly stop the heat storage operation without switching to the heating mode.

(Modified Example 5)

In the above-described embodiment, the "normal heat storage operation mode" is a mode in which heat storage is performed using only the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply through the commercial power supply path 80 without using the surplus electric power of the solar generator 70 , But it is not limited thereto. The "normal heat storage operation mode" is not limited to the power supplied from the commercial power supply, but may be a power supply (for example, another power generation apparatus (not shown) Or power supplied from the power source) to perform heat storage.

The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exert their technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and therefore the present invention is not limited to the combination of claim descriptions at the time of filing. In addition, since the techniques exemplified in this specification or the drawings can achieve a plurality of objectives at the same time, achieving one of them is technically useful.

2 - Hot water system 10 - Heat pump
20 - tanks 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d - thermistors
30 - Tank circulation path 32 - Thermistor
34 - Thermistor 36 - Circulation pump
40 - tap water introduction road 40a - first introduction road
40b - Second introduction line 42 - Water supply valve
44 - Mixing valve 50 - Supply path
52 - Thermistor 60 - Burner heating device
70 - Photovoltaic generator 80 - Commercial power supply
90 - Control device S0 - First heat pump operating time
S1 - Hot water supply start time B0 - Second heat pump operation time
B1 - Bath water hot water supply start time G0 - Heat pump stop time
G1 - Hot water supply end time PV1 - Surplus start time
PV2 - surplus end time α - first predetermined time
? - second predetermined time? - third predetermined time

Claims (4)

A solar generator; A heat pump capable of operating using power supplied from a solar generator and power supplied from a commercial power source and heating a heat medium by absorbing heat from outside air; A tank for accumulating heat; A supply means for supplying the hot water to the hot water utilization site using the heat accumulated in the tank; A tank circulation path for circulating the heat medium between the heat pump and the tank; And a controller,
The control device includes:
Storing the hot water performance information related to the time at which the supply of the hot water to the hot water usage location is started and the heat quantity used at that time within the past predetermined period,
The hot water supply start time at which the supply of the first hot water in the unit time in units of 24 hours is started and the generation power generated by the solar generator at the time after the hot water supply start time Specifies a first time out of a time zone in which surplus power other than the used power is expected to exist,
A predetermined calorie quantity which is a calorie used between the hot water supply start time and the first time is specified within the past predetermined period,
When the heat pump operation start time, which is a time earlier by a specific time than the hot water supply start time, arrives, at least the heat pump is operated using electric power supplied from the commercial power source to accumulate the heat of the predetermined calorific value in the tank,
Wherein when the first time arrives, the heat pump is operated by preferentially using the surplus electric power to accumulate heat in the tank.
The method according to claim 1,
The control device includes:
In the first period from the first time to the second time, which is after the first time and before the sunset time, when the heat in the tank is decreased by the first heat amount, the heat pump Start operation,
In the second period which is a period other than the first period in unit time, when the heat in the tank is decreased by the second heat amount larger than the first heat amount, the operation of the heat pump using at least power supplied from the commercial power source And the water supply system is started.
The method of claim 2,
The control device includes:
When the heat pump is to be operated during the first period, the heat pump is operated by setting the temperature of the heating medium after the heating of the heat pump to the first temperature so that the heat of the first maximum heat accumulation amount is accumulated in the tank,
When the heat pump is to be operated during the second period, the temperature of the heating medium after heating of the heat pump is set to a second temperature lower than the first temperature so that the heat of the second maximum accumulated heat amount smaller than the first maximum heat accumulation amount is accumulated in the tank To operate the heat pump.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the power supply from the commercial power supply is stopped while the heat pump is operated in the operation mode for operating the heat pump without using the surplus electric power, the control device sets the operation mode to operate the heat pump using the surplus electric power Wherein the hot water system is switched.

Images