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US 10,684,023 B2Granted
Water heaters with real-time hot water supply determination
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsRaheel A. Chaudhry, Lydia Herge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A water heating system can include a water heater having a tank, an inlet line, and an outlet line, where the inlet line provides unheated water to the tank, and where the outlet line draws heated water from the tank. The water heating system can also include multiple sensing devices, where each sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices measures a parameter associated with the tank. The water heating system can further include a controller communicably coupled to the plurality of sensing devices, where the controller determines an amount of heated water in the tank based on measurements made by the plurality of sensing devices.
Claims19
A water heating system, comprising:
- a water heater comprising a tank, an inlet line, and an outlet line, wherein the inlet line provides unheated water to the tank, and wherein the outlet line draws heated water from the tank;
- a first temperature sensor disposed toward a top end of the tank, wherein the first temperature sensor measures a first temperature of water toward the top end of the tank;
- a second temperature sensor disposed toward a bottom end of the tank, wherein the second temperature sensor measures a second temperature of the water toward the bottom end of the tank;
- and
- a controller communicably coupled to the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, wherein the controller determines an amount of heated water in the tank based on a plurality of algorithms and measurements made by the first temperature sensor toward the top end of the tank and the second temperature sensor toward the bottom end of the tank,
- wherein the plurality of algorithms comprises a first algorithm, a second algorithm, and a third algorithm, wherein the first algorithm divides a difference between a first result of the second algorithm and a second result of the third algorithm by the first result of the second algorithm to determine a percentage of the tank that has the amount of heated water,
- wherein the second algorithm comprises a first formula for determining an amount of time to heat all of the fluid inside the tank of the water heater to a threshold temperature as an actual capacity of the tank times a difference between a temperature set point and a third temperature of unheated water introduced into the tank, all divided by an amount of power drawn by equipment of the water heater.
4 more elements
A controller, comprising:
- a control engine that is configured to:
- communicate with a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor to receive a plurality of measurements associated with heated water within a tank of a water heater, wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed toward a top end of the tank and measures a first temperature of water toward the top end of the tank, and wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed toward a bottom end of the tank and measures a second temperature of water toward the bottom end of the tank;
- and
- determine, using the plurality of measurements and at least one algorithm, how much heated water is currently available within the tank of the water heater,
- wherein the at least one algorithm comprises a formula for determining an amount of time to heat all of the fluid inside the tank of the water heater to a threshold temperature as a sum of a first product and a second product, wherein the sum is divided by a power draw of a heating system of the water heater, wherein the first product comprises a first difference times a first constant times a capacity of the tank of the water heater, wherein the first difference comprises a set point minus four minus the first temperature measured by the first temperature sensor, wherein the second product comprises a second difference times a second constant times the capacity of the tank of the water heater, wherein the second difference comprises the set point minus four minus the second temperature measured by the second temperature sensor.
2 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor, perform a method for determining a supply of heated water from a water heater in real-time, the method comprising:
- measuring, using a first temperature sensor disposed toward a top end of a tank of the water heater, at least one first temperature of a fluid toward the top end of the tank of the water heater, wherein the fluid comprises heated water;
- measuring, using a second temperature sensor disposed toward a bottom end of the tank of the water heater, at least one second temperature of the fluid toward the bottom end of the tank of the water heater;
- and
- determining, using at least one algorithm, the at least one first temperature toward the top end of the tank, and the at least one second temperature toward the bottom end of the tank, an amount of heated water available for immediate use from the water heater,
- wherein the at least one algorithm comprises a formula for determining an amount of time to heat all of the fluid inside the tank of the water heater to a threshold temperature as an actual capacity of the tank times a difference between a temperature set point and a third temperature of unheated water introduced into the tank, all divided by an amount of power drawn by equipment of the water heater.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.