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US 11,788,769 B2Granted
On-demand heat pump water heater
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsJozef Boros, Christopher M. Hayden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed technology includes an on-demand water heater which uses a heat pump to heat the fluid. The on-demand heat pump water heater can have a low fluid capacity heating chamber which has an inlet and an outlet, a heat pump for heating the fluid, and a controller to control the heat pump and maintain the temperature of the fluid at a predetermined temperature. The on-demand heat pump water heater can include one or more temperature sensors, flow sensors, fluid mixing valves, or supplemental heat sources.
Claims16
A fluid heating device comprising:
- a fluid inlet;
- a fluid outlet;
- a heating chamber disposed in fluid communication between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the heating chamber configured to hold a fluid and having a fluid capacity of approximately ten gallons or less;
- a heat pump configured to heat the fluid in the heating chamber;
- a controller configured to control a temperature of the fluid based on a predetermined temperature setting by controlling an output of the heat pump;
- a supplemental heat source disposed in fluid communication with the fluid outlet and configured to heat the fluid, wherein the controller is configured to control the supplemental heat source;
- and
- a fluid mixing valve in fluid communication with the supplemental heat source and the fluid inlet and configured to reduce the temperature of a fluid heated by the supplemental heat source.
5 more elements
A method of controlling a fluid heating system, the method comprising:
- detecting, by a flow sensor, a flow of a fluid and outputting flow data;
- detecting, by a temperature sensor, a temperature of the fluid and outputting temperature data;
- in response to determining that the flow data indicates positive flow of the fluid, outputting, by a controller and to a heat pump, instructions to heat the fluid in a low fluid capacity heating chamber, the low fluid capacity heating chamber configured to hold a fluid and having a fluid capacity of approximately ten gallons or less;
- in response to determining that the temperature data indicates fluid temperature is less than a predetermined temperature setting, outputting, by the controller and to the heat pump, instructions to heat the fluid in the low fluid capacity heating chamber;
- outputting, by the controller and to a supplemental heat source disposed in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of the low fluid capacity heating chamber, instructions to heat fluid output from the low fluid capacity heating chamber;
- and
- outputting, by the controller and to a fluid mixing valve disposed in fluid communication with the supplemental heat source and a fluid inlet of the low fluid capacity heating chamber, instructions to reduce a temperature of a fluid heated by the supplemental heating source.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a low fluid capacity heating chamber configured to hold a fluid and having a fluid capacity of approximately ten gallons or less;
- a controller;
- and
- a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the controller, directs the controller to:
- receive, at the controller and from a flow sensor, flow data indicative of a detected flow rate associated with the fluid;
- receive, at the controller and from a temperature sensor, temperature data indicative of a detected temperature of the fluid;
- in response to determining that (i) the flow data indicates a positive flow of the fluid or (ii) the temperature data indicates a fluid temperature that is less than a predetermined temperature setting, output a heat pump control signal to heat the fluid in the low fluid capacity heating chamber;
- output, by the controller and to a supplemental heat source disposed in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of the low fluid capacity heating chamber, instructions to heat fluid output from the low fluid capacity heating chamber;
- and
- output, by the controller and to a fluid mixing valve disposed in fluid communication with the supplemental heat source and a fluid inlet of the low fluid capacity heating chamber, instructions to reduce a temperature of a fluid heated by the supplemental heating source.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.