On-Demand Heat Pump Water Heater
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsJozef Boros, Christopher M. Hayden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed technology includes an on-demand water heater which uses a heat pump to heat the fluid. The on-demand heat pump water heater can have a low fluid capacity heating chamber which has an inlet and an outlet, a heat pump for heating the fluid, and a controller to control the heat pump and maintain the temperature of the fluid at a predetermined temperature. The on-demand heat pump water heater can include one or more temperature sensors, flow sensors, fluid mixing valves, or supplemental heat sources.
Claims20
A water heater comprising:
- a heating chamber configured to hold a fluid;
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fluid;
- a heat pump configured to heat the fluid;
- a first supplemental heat source also configured to heat the fluid, wherein the first supplemental heat source is a resistive heating element;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- initially control operation of the heat pump to control the temperature of the fluid based on a predetermined temperature without using the first supplemental heat source;
- determine that the temperature of the fluid is below the predetermined temperature during operation of the heat pump;
- and
- enable, based on determining that the temperature of the fluid is below the predetermined temperature during operation of the heat pump, the first supplemental heat source to supplement the heat pump to heat the fluid.
A method of controlling a fluid heating system, the method comprising:
- detecting, by a temperature sensor, first temperature data of fluid in a heating chamber of the fluid heating system;
- in response to determining that the first temperature data indicates fluid temperature is less than a predetermined temperature, outputting, by the controller and to a heat pump, instructions to heat the fluid in the heating chamber;
- detecting, by a temperature sensor, second temperature data of the fluid;
- and
- in response to determining the second temperature data indicates the fluid temperature is less than the predetermined temperature, outputting, by the controller and to a supplemental heat source, instructions to heat the fluid in the heating chamber with the supplemental heat source along with the heat pump, wherein the supplemental heat source is a resistive heating element, and wherein the supplemental heat source is configured to heat the fluid.
A system for heating a fluid, the system comprising:
- a heating chamber;
- a heat pump configured to heat the fluid within the heating chamber;
- a first supplemental heating source provided at the heating chamber, wherein the first supplemental heat source is a resistive heating element;
- a controller;
- and
- a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the controller, directs the controller to:
- receive, at a controller and from a flow sensor, flow data indicative of a detected flow rate associated with a first fluid;
- receive, at the controller and from a temperature sensor, temperature data indicative of a detected temperature of a second fluid;
- and
- output a heat pump control signal by the controller in response to determining that (i) the flow data indicates a positive flow or (ii) the temperature data indicates a fluid temperature that is less than a predetermined temperature;
- receive, from the temperature sensor, second temperature data;
- and
- output a supplemental heat source control signal in response to determining that the second temperature data indicates the fluid temperature that is still less than the predetermined temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.