Method and system for buffering thermal energy and thermal energy buffer system

A method for buffering thermal energy in a thermal buffering medium wherein contained within a thermal energy buffer wherein having a controller wherein, wherein

• at least one signal representing thermal energy values related to the thermal energy buffer is provided to the controller wherein, the thermal energy values comprising a maximal amount of heating energy, a predetermined minimum amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer and an amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer, wherein the controller wherein controls a heater wherein of the thermal buffer wherein, and wherein the controller wherein calculates a value representing the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer, wherein the thermal energy values comprise a minimal amount of heating energy representing the amount of energy required to, using the heater wherein, heat all the thermal buffering medium wherein to a predetermined minimum temperature starting from the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer wherein, and the thermal energy values also comprise a maximal amount of heating energy representing the amount of
• energy required to heat all the thermal buffering medium wherein to the predetermined maximum temperature, using the heater wherein, starting from the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer wherein, wherein the volume of the thermal buffering medium wherein is subdivided in one or more different parts wherein such that the different parts wherein of the volume of the thermal buffering medium wherein together form the total thermal buffering medium wherein present in the thermal energy buffer wherein;
• and the thermal energy buffer wherein comprises a respective temperature sensor wherein for each part wherein for sensing a temperature of the thermal buffering medium wherein contained in the part wherein, the controller wherein calculates a value representing the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer by multiplying the temperature measured by the one or more sensors wherein sensing the temperature of the one or more different parts wherein of the thermal buffering medium wherein with the volume of the part of thermal buffering medium wherein such as to obtain at least one value representing the partial thermal energy contained in the at least one part by the thermal buffering medium wherein and adding the resulting at least one partial thermal energy value to each other, wherein the controller wherein calculates the minimal amount of heating energy by multiplying the difference of the predetermined minimum temperature and the temperature measured by the one or more temperature sensors of the one or more parts wherein containing thermal buffering medium having a temperature measured by their respective sensors wherein which is lower than the predetermined minimum temperature with the respective volumes of the parts wherein containing thermal buffering medium wherein and adding the resulting values to each other, and wherein the controller wherein calculates the maximal amount of heating energy by at least multiplying the difference of the predetermined maximum temperature and the temperature measured by the one or more temperature sensors wherein with the respective volume of the part wherein corresponding to the temperature sensor wherein and adding the resulting values to each other.

A thermal energy buffering system having a thermal buffering medium wherein contained within a thermal energy buffer wherein having a controller wherein, comprising

• Means for providing at least one signal representing thermal energy values related to the thermal energy buffer to the controller wherein, the thermal energy values comprising a maximal amount of heating energy, a predetermined minimum amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer and an amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer, wherein the controller wherein is adapted to control a heater wherein of the thermal buffer wherein, and
• wherein the controller wherein is adapted to calculate a value representing the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer, wherein the controller wherein is adapted to calculate the thermal energy values including:
• a minimal amount of heating energy representing the amount of energy required to, using the heater wherein, heat all the thermal buffering medium wherein to a predetermined minimum temperature starting from the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer wherein, and
• a maximal amount of heating energy representing the amount of energy required to heat all the thermal buffering medium wherein to a predetermined maximum temperature, using the heater wherein, starting from the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer wherein, wherein the volume of the thermal buffering medium wherein is subdivided in one or more different parts wherein such that the different parts wherein of the volume of the thermal buffering medium wherein together form the total thermal buffering medium wherein present in the thermal energy buffer wherein;
• and
• he thermal energy buffer wherein comprises a respective temperature sensor wherein for each part wherein for sensing a temperature of the thermal buffering medium wherein contained in the part wherein, the controller wherein is adapted to calculate a value representing the amount of thermal energy present in the thermal energy buffer by multiplying the temperature measured by the one or more sensors wherein sensing the temperature of the one or more different parts wherein of the thermal buffering medium wherein with the volume of the part of thermal buffering medium wherein such as to obtain at least one value representing the partial thermal energy contained in the at least one part by the thermal buffering medium wherein and adding the resulting at least one partial thermal energy value to each other, wherein the controller wherein is adapted to calculate the minimal amount of heating energy by multiplying the difference of the predetermined minimum temperature and the temperature measured by the one or more temperature sensors of the one or more parts wherein containing thermal buffering medium having a temperature measured by their respective sensors wherein which is lower than the predetermined minimum temperature with the respective volumes of the parts wherein containing thermal buffering medium wherein having a temperature measured by their respective sensors wherein which is lower than the predetermined minimum temperature and adding the resulting values to each other, and the controller wherein is adapted to calculate the maximal amount of heating energy by at least multiplying the difference of the predetermined maximum temperature and the temperature measured by the one or more temperature sensors wherein with the respective volume of the part wherein corresponding to the temperature sensor wherein and adding the resulting values to each other.