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US 12,601,523 B2Granted
Water heater recovery time estimation
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsCraig Iung-Pei Tsai, Paul Goodjohn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a water heater appliance includes activating a heating element of the water heater, whereby a volume of water in a tank of the water heater is heated and measuring electrical power drawn by the heating element of the water heater appliance while the heating element is activated to heat the volume of water. The method also includes determining a tank depletion status of the tank based on the measured electrical power drawn by the heating element. The method further includes estimating a recovery time based on the determined tank depletion status.
Claims18
A method of operating a water heater appliance, the water heater appliance comprising a tank for storing a volume of water therein and a heating element configured to heat the volume of water in the tank, the method comprising:
- activating a heating element of the water heater, whereby a volume of water in a tank of the water heater is heated;
- measuring a first electrical power drawn by the heating element of the water heater appliance while the heating element is activated to heat the volume of water;
- determining a first tank depletion status of the tank based on the first measured electrical power drawn by the heating element;
- estimating a first recovery time based on the determined first tank depletion status, wherein estimating the first recovery time comprises determining a first operating mode factor based on a first current operating mode of the water heater appliance, and calculating the first recovery time based on the determined first tank depletion status and the first operating mode factor, wherein the first current operating mode of the water heater appliance corresponds to a first expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance;
- measuring a second electrical power drawn by the heating element of the water heater appliance while the heating element is activated to heat the volume of water;
- determining a second tank depletion status of the tank based on the second measured electrical power drawn by the heating element;
- and
- estimating a second recovery time based on the determined second tank depletion status, wherein estimating the second recovery time comprises determining a second operating mode factor based on a second current operating mode of the water heater appliance, and calculating the second recovery time based on the determined second tank depletion status and the second current operating mode factor, wherein the second current operating mode of the water heater appliance corresponds to a second expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance, and wherein the second expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance is different from the first expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance and the second operating mode factor is different from the first operating mode factor.
5 more elements
A water heater appliance, comprising:
- a tank for storing a volume of water therein;
- a heating element configured to heat the volume of water in the tank;
- and
- a controller, the controller configured for:
- activating the heating element, whereby the volume of water in the tank of the water heater is heated;
- measuring a first electrical power drawn by the heating element of the water heater appliance while the heating element is activated to heat the volume of water;
- determining a first tank depletion status of the tank based on the first measured electrical power drawn by the heating element;
- estimating a first recovery time based on the determined first tank depletion status, wherein the controller is configured for estimating the first recovery time by determining a first operating mode factor based on a first current operating mode of the water heater appliance, and calculating the first recovery time based on the determined first tank depletion status and the first current operating mode factor, wherein the first current operating mode of the water heater appliance corresponds to a first expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance;
- measuring a second electrical power drawn by the heating element of the water heater appliance while the heating element is activated to heat the volume of water;
- determining a second tank depletion status of the tank based on the second measured electrical power drawn by the heating element;
- and
- estimating a second recovery time based on the determined second tank depletion status, wherein the controller is configured for estimating the second recovery time by determining a second operating mode factor based on a second current operating mode of the water heater appliance, and calculating the second recovery time based on the determined second tank depletion status and the second current operating mode factor, wherein the second current operating mode of the water heater appliance corresponds to a second expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance, and wherein the second expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance is different from the first expected range of outflows from the water heater appliance and the second operating mode factor is different from the first operating mode factor.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.