Monitoring and controlling domestic hot water production and distribution

A method of at least one of monitoring and controlling at least one of domestic hot water production and distribution, the method comprising:

• using a controller including a processor to execute:
• detecting at least two real temperatures of a fluid stored in a heat storage tank at two different positions along a height of the heat storage tank at least at points in time, the fluid being sanitary hot water, and the heat storage tank being a pressurized tank;
• acquiring at least one of a temperature distribution pattern of heat stored in the heat storage tank or corresponding heat distribution pattern data by applying a temperature- distribution-pattern-algorithm to the at least two real temperatures detected at least at the points in time;
• and
• controlling the heat storage tank based on the at least one of the temperature distribution pattern and the corresponding heat distribution pattern data,
• the temperature distribution pattern being at least one of acquired and determined by using
• the at least two real temperature sensors, and
• a plurality of virtual temperature sensors used to acquire the plurality of virtual temperatures, the plurality of virtual temperature sensors including at least 5 virtual temperature sensors,
• the virtual temperature sensors being at least one of provided and simulated by a neural network.

A method of at least one of monitoring and controlling at least one of domestic hot water production and distribution, the method comprising:

• using a controller including a processor to execute:
• detecting at least two real temperatures of a fluid stored in a heat storage tank at two different positions along a height of the heat storage tank at least at points in time, the fluid being sanitary hot water, and the heat storage tank being a pressurized tank;
• acquiring an amount of fluid tapped from the heat storage tank by applying a fluid-tapping-estimation-algorithm to the at least two real temperatures detected at least at few points in time;
• acquiring an amount of heat or an amount of equivalent hot water tapped from the heat storage tank by applying a direct-tapping-estimation-algorithm to the acquired amount of fluid tapped from the heat storage tank and a topmost layer temperature of the heat storage tank;
• and
• controlling the heat storage tank based on the amount of heat or the amount of equivalent hot water.