# US 12,760,949 B2 · Method, computer program product and system for monitoring a heat pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,760,949 B2 - Document ID: US12760949B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/262,757 - Filed: 2022-02-28 - Published: 2024-12-12 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-10 - Assignees: Viessmann Climate Solutions SE - Applicants: Viessmann Climate Solutions SE - Inventors: Marie Michel; Bernd Wenzel; Bernd Hafner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760949B2 ## CPC - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract A method, system, and computer program product for monitoring a heat pump. The method comprises the steps of providing reference data; detecting a running time of the heat pump; comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data; and determining a monitoring result depending on the comparison result of the running time of the heat pump with the reference data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for monitoring a heat pump, comprising the steps of: providing reference data by providing, with a reference data providing unit, a minimum length of a heat pump operating interval and a minimum length of a heat pump operation stoppage; detecting a running time of the heat pump by detecting, with a detection unit, a duration of an operating interval of the heat pump as an operating interval length and a duration of an operation stoppage of the heat pump as a stoppage interval length; comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data by comparing, with a comparison unit, the minimum length of the heat pump operating interval with the operating interval length and the minimum length of the heat pump operation stoppage with the stoppage interval length; determining, with a monitoring result determination unit, a monitoring result depending on the comparison result of the running time of the heat pump with the reference data; outputting, with an output unit, an error message depending on the monitoring result; and outputting, with an output unit, a signal for performing a control intervention in a control method of the heat pump depending on the monitoring result. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein providing reference data comprises providing at least one of an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value of a ratio between the operating interval length and the stoppage interval length, wherein the method further comprises the step of: determining a ratio between the operating interval length and the stoppage interval length as a running time ratio, wherein comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data comprises comparing the running time ratio with the upper threshold value and/or the lower threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference data is provided depending on one or more, particularly on all, from among a group including: a device type of the heat pump, in particular air/water heat pump, ground source heat pump and water/water heat pump; a control method of the heat pump, in particular a power control of the heat pump or a constant power of the heat pump; a performance class to which the heat pump is assigned; an operating mode, in particular demand-response operation, normal operation, water heating operation, heating operation and cooling operation; a climate zone in which the heat pump is installed; and an age of the heat pump; an outdoor temperature; an air humidity; a time, in particular a season, a time of day, a day of the week; a wind force. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference data is provided depending on a plurality of operating data of heat pumps and depending on a simulation of a heat pump system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting a running time of the heat pump comprises detecting the duration of a plurality of operating intervals; and the method further comprises the step of: determining an operating interval length depending on the duration of the plurality of operating intervals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting a running time of the heat pump comprises detecting the duration of a plurality of operation stoppages; and the method further comprises the step of determining a stoppage interval length depending on the duration of the plurality of operation stoppages. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting a running time of the heat pump comprises detecting the duration of a plurality of operating intervals as a plurality of operating interval lengths, comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data comprises comparing the minimum length of the operating interval with the plurality of operating interval lengths, and determining a monitoring result comprises determining a monitoring result depending on the results of the comparisons of the minimum length of the operating interval with the plurality of operating interval lengths. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting a running time of the heat pump comprises detecting the duration of a plurality of operation stoppages as the plurality of stoppage interval lengths; wherein comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data comprises comparing the minimum length of the operation stoppage to the plurality of stoppage interval lengths; and determining a monitoring result comprises determining a monitoring result depending on the results of the comparisons of the minimum length of the operation stoppage with the plurality of stoppage interval lengths. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting a running time of the heat pump comprises detecting a plurality of operating data each including a duration of an operating interval of the heat pump as an operating interval length and a duration of an operation stoppage of the heat pump as a stoppage interval length, wherein the method further comprises the step of: determining a ratio between the operating interval length and the stoppage interval length as a running time ratio for each of the plurality of operating data, wherein comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data comprises comparing the running time ratios to the upper threshold value and/or the lower threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: determining stochastic operating data from the plurality of operating interval lengths, from the plurality of stoppage interval lengths, and/or from the plurality of running time ratios; determining stochastic reference data depending on the reference data when the reference data does not comprise stochastic reference data; wherein comparing the running time of the heat pump with the reference data comprises comparing the stochastic operating data to the stochastic reference data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: providing one or more reference powers of the heat pump, in particular a maximum and/or minimum power of the heat pump; acquiring an electrical power during the duration of the operating interval of the heat pump; comparing the detected electrical power with the one or more reference powers of the heat pump, wherein determining the monitoring result is additionally carried out depending on the comparison result of the detected electrical power with the one or more reference powers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: outputting an error message depending on one or more comparison results. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein outputting an error message is additionally carried out depending on a result of one or more of the following comparisons: a predetermined return liquid temperature with a detected return liquid temperature of the heat pump; a predetermined supply temperature with a detected supply temperature of the heat pump; a first predetermined reference value with a difference between the detected return liquid temperature and the detected supply temperature; a second predetermined reference value with a detected primary volume flow; a third predetermined reference value with a detected pressure in the heat pump system; a fourth predetermined reference value with a detected primary temperature; a fifth predetermined reference value with a difference between the detected inlet and outlet temperature of the primary side. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A computer program product, comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1. ### Claim 15 A system for monitoring a heat pump comprising: a reference data providing unit configured to provide reference data that includes a minimum length of a heat pump operating interval and a minimum length of a heat pump operation stoppage; a detection unit configured to detect a heat pump running time that includes a duration of an operating interval of the heat pump as an operating interval length and a duration of an operation stoppage of the heat pump as a stoppage interval length; a comparison unit configured to compare the heat pump running time with the reference data by comparing the minimum length of the heat pump operating interval with the operating interval length and comparing the minimum length of the heat pump operation stoppage with the stoppage interval length; a monitoring result determination unit configured to determine a monitoring result depending on the comparison result of the heat pump running time with the reference data; and an output unit configured to output an error message depending on the monitoring result and optionally depending on one or more comparison results, and to output a signal for performing a control intervention in a control method of the heat pump depending on the monitoring result.