# US 9,040,878 B2 · Control system and method for a thermal circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,040,878 B2 - Document ID: US9040878B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/580,824 - Filed: 2011-02-17 - Published: 2012-12-27 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-26 - Assignees: Gestion Energetica Navarra, S.L. - Applicants: Jesús Carlos Castellano Aldave; Francisco Javier Tornaria Iguelz - Inventors: Jesús Carlos Castellano Aldave; Francisco Javier Tornaria Iguelz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040878B2 ## CPC - F24D 19/1015: {using a valve or valves} - F24D 18/00: Small-scale combined heat and power [CHP] generation systems specially adapted for domestic heating, space heating or domestic hot-water supply - F24D 2101/60: Thermoelectric generators, e.g. Peltier or Seebeck elements - F24D: DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR (using steam or condensate extracted or exhausted from steam engine plants for heating purposes F01K17/02) ## Abstract A control system and method for a thermal circuit that includes a control unit (1) and a valvular device which regulate the passage of a heat transfer fluid (6) through the inside of a thermal circuit, and a thermoelectric element (3) powering the control unit (1) from the heat of the heat transfer fluid (6). The control unit (1) and/or the valvular device are configured to regulate the circulation of the heat transfer fluid (6) through the inside of the thermal circuit, in order to always maintain a sufficient minimum flow to assure, at all times, the electric power supply of the control unit (1). The method includes using a control system to carry out regulation of the circulation of the heat transfer fluid which assures the electric power supply of part or the entire control system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control system for a thermal circuit, comprising: a valvular device in connection with said thermal circuit, such that said valvular device and at least one hollow radiating body of the thermal circuit are in fluidic communication with each other, said valvular device and said thermal circuit cooperate in the regulation of the passage of a heat transfer fluid through the inside of said at least one hollow radiating body, at least one control unit arranged for controlling the opening/closing of said valvular device through corresponding electric command signals, at least one thermoelectric element arranged in thermal contact with the heat transfer fluid to generate electricity from the heat of said heat transfer fluid, and electrically connected with said control unit to electrically power supply at least part of said control unit from the generated electricity, wherein said control unit and said valvular device are configured to regulate the circulation of said heat transfer fluid through the inside of said at least one hollow radiating body, by making the valvular device adopt a partially closed position which allows only a sufficient minimum flow of the heat transfer fluid to pass therethrough and through the at least one hollow radiating body, in order to always maintain the sufficient minimum flow of heat transfer fluid for said thermoelectric element to always generate electricity, from which the electric power supply of at least said part of the control unit electrically power supplied by the at least one thermoelectric element is assured at all times. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control system according to claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric element comprises at least one Seebeck cell with a first face arranged to reach or come close to the temperature of the heat transfer fluid and a second face arranged to reach or come close to the ambient temperature in order to generate an electric current proportional to the temperature difference between the faces thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control system according to claim 2, wherein said first face of said at least one Seebeck cell is in contact with an area of the outer face of an inlet pipe for heat transfer fluid, of said hollow radiating body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control system according to claim 3, wherein said area of the outer face of said inlet pipe is adjacent to an inlet valve of said hollow radiating body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The control system according to claim 2, wherein said first face of said at least one Seebeck cell is in contact with the body of at least one valve comprised by said valvular device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a drive servomotor in electrical connection with said control unit and in mechanical connection with a servovalve comprised by said valvular device, to operate said servovalve under the command of said control unit through the sending, by said control unit, of an electric command signal to said drive servomotor which makes said servovalve adopt said partially closed position which allows only said minimum flow of heat transfer fluid (6) to pass therethrough. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The control system according to claim 6, wherein said servovalve is configured to adopt a partially closed position which only allows said minimum flow of heat transfer fluid to pass therethrough, when said drive servomotor receives a partial closing signal by said control unit, wherein said control unit is configured to send a corresponding partial closing signal to said drive servomotor to make said servovalve adopt and remain in said partially closed position which allows only said minimum flow of heat transfer fluid to pass therethrough. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The control system according to claim 6, wherein said servovalve is configured to adopt a partially closed position which only allows said minimum flow of heat transfer fluid to pass therethrough, when said drive servomotor receives a complete closing signal by said control unit, wherein said control unit is configured to send said complete closing signal to said drive servomotor to make said servovalve adopt said partially closed position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control system according to claim 8, wherein said servovalve comprises a stop element which prevents it from closing beyond said partially closed position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage boosting circuit with its input in connection with the output of said at least one thermoelectric element, to raise the voltage with which to power the control unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The control system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one electric energy storage element arranged to store the electric energy generated by said at least one thermoelectric element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The control system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal circuit includes heating circuits, said hollow radiating body being a heating radiator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The control system according to claim 12, wherein the heating circuits are part of a central heating system, the control unit controlling the circulation of the heat transfer fluid circulating through several heating radiators of said central heating system, maintaining said minimum flow of heat transfer fluid to pass through each of said heating radiators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The control system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is electrically and bidirectionally connected with the drive servomotor through: an input for receiving information about the actual opening position of the servovalve, acquired by means of corresponding detection means associated with the servomotor, and an output for sending to the servomotor the corresponding electric control signals for regulating the opening/closing of the servovalve. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The control system according to claim 1, comprising said thermal circuit. ### Claim 16 A control method for a thermal circuit, comprising: electrically power supplying, at least partly, at least part of a control unit by means of electric energy thermoelectrically generated from heat energy of a heat transfer fluid circulating through the inside of at least one hollow radiating body of said thermal circuit, regulating circulation of said heat transfer fluid through the inside of said thermal circuit, in order to always maintain a sufficient minimum flow of said heat transfer fluid through the inside of said hollow radiating body of said thermal circuit, for thermoelectrically generating sufficient electric energy to assure, at all times, the electric power supply of said at least part of the control unit, wherein said regulating is performed by controlling, by means of said control unit, a valvular device in fluidic communication with said at least one hollow radiating body to make the valvular device adopt a partially closed position which allows only said sufficient minimum flow of the heat transfer fluid to pass therethrough and through the at least one hollow radiating body, in order to always maintain said sufficient minimum flow of heat transfer fluid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising controlling heating circuits of said thermal circuit, which are formed by at least one heating radiator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising controlling heating circuits of a central heating system, and controlling circulation of the heat transfer fluid circulating through several heating radiators of said central heating system, always maintaining said minimum flow through the inside of all of them to assure, at all times, the electric power supply of at least part of said at least one control unit.