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US 2011/0211612 A1Published application
Temperature sensor array and method of analyzing a condition of water in a tank of a water heating system
OwnerBrian T. Braneckyinventor
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Abstract
A system for determining a temperature of a medium, such as water, in a volume, such as a water heater tank. The system includes a temperature sensor array and a variable frequency voltage supply. A first temperature sensing unit of the temperature sensor array includes a temperature sensor in parallel with a capacitor. The capacitor is selected such that the impedance is low relative to the resistance of the temperature sensor at frequencies above a threshold and high at frequencies below a threshold. A second temperature sensing unit of the array includes a second temperature sensor. The temperatures sensed by the various temperature sensors in the array are determined by selectively varying the frequency of the voltage supply.
Claims18
A system for determining a temperature of a medium as measured by each of a plurality of temperature sensors in a temperature sensor array, the system comprising:
- a variable frequency voltage supply;
- a temperature sensor array including
- a first temperature sensing unit, the first temperature sensing unit including a first temperature sensor coupled in a parallel-type relationship with a first capacitor,
- the first capacitor having a low impedance relative to a resistance of the first temperature sensor when a variable frequency from the variable frequency voltage supply is greater than a first frequency threshold and a high impedance relative to the resistance of the first temperature sensor when the variable frequency is lower than the first frequency threshold, and
- a second temperature sensing unit coupled in series with the first temperature sensing unit relative to the variable frequency voltage supply, the second temperature sensing unit including a second temperature sensor;
- and
- a controller that selectively varies the variable frequency of the variable frequency voltage supply between a first frequency that is higher than the first frequency threshold and a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency threshold, and determines a temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor and a temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor based on a voltage drop of the temperature sensor array.
4 more elements
A water heating system, comprising:
- a tank;
- a variable frequency voltage supply;
- a temperature sensor array including a plurality of temperature sensing units coupled in series relative to the variable frequency voltage supply, the plurality of temperature sensing units including
- a first temperature sensing unit including a first temperature sensor, a first positive diode, and a first capacitor coupled in a parallel-type relationship, the first capacitor having a low impedance relative to a resistance of the first temperature sensor when a variable frequency from the variable frequency voltage supply is greater than a first frequency threshold and a high impedance relative to the resistance of the first temperature sensor when the variable frequency is lower than the first frequency threshold,
- a second temperature sensing unit including a second temperature sensor, a first negative diode, and a second capacitor coupled in a parallel-type relationship, the second capacitor having a low impedance relative to a resistance of the second temperature sensor when the variable frequency is greater than the first frequency threshold and a high impedance relative to the resistance of the second temperature sensor when the variable frequency is lower than the first frequency threshold,
- a third temperature sensing unit including a third temperature sensor, a second positive diode, and a third capacitor coupled in a parallel-type relationship, the third capacitor having a low impedance relative to a resistance of the third temperature sensor when the variable frequency is greater than a second frequency threshold and a high impedance relative to the resistance of the third temperature sensor when the variable frequency is lower than the second frequency threshold,
- a fourth temperature sensing unit including a fourth temperature sensor, a second negative diode, and a fourth capacitor coupled in a parallel-type relationship, the fourth capacitor having a low impedance relative to a resistance of the fourth temperature sensor when the variable frequency is greater than the second frequency threshold and a high impedance relative to the resistance of the fourth temperature sensor when the variable frequency is lower than the second frequency threshold,
- a fifth temperature sensing unit including a fifth temperature sensor coupled in a parallel-type relationship with a positive diode, and
- a sixth temperature sensing unit including a sixth temperature sensor coupled in a parallel-type relationship with a negative diode;
- and
- a controller that determines a temperature sensed by each of the plurality of temperature sensing units by
- setting the variable frequency of the variable frequency voltage supply to a first frequency that is higher than the first frequency threshold and higher than the second frequency threshold,
- determining the temperature sensed by the sixth temperature sensor by determining a first voltage drop of the temperature sensor array when the variable frequency is set to the first frequency and a voltage generated by the variable frequency voltage supply is negative,
- determining the temperature sensed by the fifth temperature sensor by determining a second voltage drop of the temperature sensor array when the variable frequency is set to the first frequency and the voltage generated by the variable frequency voltage supply is positive,
- setting the variable frequency of the variable frequency voltage supply to a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency threshold, and lower than the second frequency threshold,
- determining the temperature sensed by the fourth temperature sensor by determining a third voltage drop of the temperature sensor array when the variable frequency is set to the second frequency and the voltage generated by the variable frequency voltage supply is negative, and subtracting the first voltage drop from the third voltage drop,
- determining the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor by determining a fourth voltage drop of the temperature sensor array when the variable frequency is set to the second frequency and the voltage generated by the variable frequency voltage supply is positive, and subtracting the second voltage drop from the fourth voltage drop,
- setting the variable frequency of the variable frequency voltage supply to a third frequency that is lower than the first frequency threshold and lower than the second frequency threshold,
- determining the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor by determining a fifth voltage drop of the temperature sensor array when the variable frequency is set to the third frequency and the voltage generated by the variable frequency voltage supply is negative, and subtracting the first voltage drop and the third voltage drop from the fifth voltage drop, and
- determining the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor by determining a sixth voltage drop of the temperature sensor array when the variable frequency is set to the third frequency and the voltage generated by the variable frequency voltage supply is positive, and subtracting the second voltage drop and the fourth voltage drop from the sixth voltage drop.
17 more elements
A method of determining an amount of hot water in a water heater tank, comprising:
- determining a plurality of temperatures sensed by each temperature sensor of a temperature sensor array, the temperature sensor array including a plurality of temperature sensor units, each temperature sensor unit including a temperature sensor and a resonant circuit, wherein the temperature sensor of each temperature sensor unit can be bypassed by adjusting the frequency of a variable frequency source that provides power to the temperature sensor array;
- and
- calculating an amount of water in the water heater tank that is above a temperature threshold based on the plurality of sensed temperatures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.