US 6,627,858 B2Granted

Hot-water supply system

AssigneesDenso Corporation, The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry

InventorsSatoshi Nomura, Hisayoshi Sakakibara, Eiji Takahashi, Tomohisa Yoshimi, Tomoaki Kobayakawa, Kazutoshi Kusakari, Michiyuki Saikawa

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Abstract

In a control unit of a hot-water supply system, a boiling time period is estimated based on a hot-water amount stored in a tank at a time of 23:00, a boiling start time is adjusted so that boiling operation is finished at a time immediately before 7:00. For example, when the hot water amount stored in the tank is smaller at the time of 23:00, the boiling time period is made longer and the boiling start time is made earlier. On the other hand, when the hot water amount stored in the tank is larger at the time of 23:00, the boiling time period is made shorter and the boiling start time is made later.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A hot-water supply system comprising:

a tank having a water inlet side to which water from a water supply source is supplied, and a hot-water storing side for storing heated hot water for a supply;
a water-heating unit for heating water introduced from the water inlet side of the tank, and for sending heated hot water to the hot-water storing side of the tank, the water-heating unit being disposed to be electrically operated;
and
a control unit for controlling operation of the water-heating unit, wherein,
the control unit includes
use heat-quantity calculating means for calculating a heat quantity used in a predetermined time period based on a hot-water supply amount from the tank in the predetermined time period, and for learning the heat quantity used in the predetermined time period,
target heat-quantity calculating means for calculating a target heat quantity for boiling, based on the learned heat quantity in the use heat-quantity calculating means,
target temperature calculating means for calculating a target boiling temperature of water, based on the target heat quantity calculated by the target heat-quantity calculating means, and
boiling means for performing boiling operation of the water-heating unit by a necessary boiling amount, based on the target boiling temperature calculated from the target temperature calculating means.

6 more elements

A hot-water supply system comprising:

a tank having a water inlet side to which water from a water supply source is supplied, and a hot-water storing side for storing heated hot water for a supply;
a water-heating unit for heating water introduced from the water inlet side of the tank, and for sending heated hot water to the hot-water storing side of the tank, the water-heating unit being disposed to be electrically operated;
and
a control unit for controlling operation of the water-heating unit, wherein,
the control unit includes
use heat-quantity calculating means for calculating a heat quantity used in a predetermined time period based on a hot-water supply amount from the tank in the predetermined time period, and for learning the heat quantity used in the predetermined time period,
target heat-quantity calculating means for calculating a target heat quantity for boiling, based on the learned heat quantity in the use heat-quantity calculating means,
first boiling means for performing boiling operation of the water-heating unit based on the target heat quality for boiling, in a midnight time zone which is cheapest in power rate,
first boiling time calculating means for calculating a first boiling time period for which the boiling operation is performed and the tank is filled with hot water in the midnight time zone, and
boiling-start time calculating means for calculating a boiling-start time in the midnight time zone based on the first boiling time period in such a manner that the boiling operation is finished at a time immediately before a finish time of the midnight time zone.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.