JP3499010B2 - Combustion equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a burner combustion type combustion device such as a water heater and a bath kettle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows a schematic structure of a general water heater as a combustion device. In the figure, the instrument body 2 is housed in the instrument case 1. A burner 4 is installed below the combustion chamber 3 of the instrument body 2, and a combustion fan 5 for supply and exhaust is installed below the burner 4. A nozzle 6 is arranged opposite to the gas inlet of the burner 4, and fuel gas is supplied to the nozzle 6 via a gas supply passage 7. An electromagnetic valve 8 for opening and closing the passage and a proportional valve 10 for controlling the gas supply amount to the burner 4 by the opening amount are incorporated in the gas supply passage 7.

A hot water supply heat exchanger 11 is installed above the combustion chamber 3, and a water supply pipe 12 is provided at the inlet side of the hot water supply heat exchanger 11.
Is connected, and the hot water supply pipe 13 is provided on the outlet side of the hot water heat exchanger 11.
Are connected. The water supply pipe 12 is provided with a water inlet temperature sensor 14 for detecting the water supply temperature and a flow rate sensor 15 for detecting the water inlet flow rate, and a hot water outlet temperature sensor 16 for detecting the hot water supply temperature is provided on the hot water supply pipe 13 side. .

The combustion operation of this kind of equipment is carried out by a control device 17, which normally has a remote controller (not shown) for setting the hot water supply temperature and displaying the set temperature. ) Is connected.

In the figure, 18 is an igniter electrode for igniting fuel gas, 20 is a frame rod electrode for detecting the flame of the burner 4, and 21 is a fan rotation detection sensor such as a Hall IC for detecting the rotation of the combustion fan 5. Reference numeral 22 is a louver that functions as an intake port provided on the wall surface of the instrument case 1, and 19 is punching metal (provided as necessary) that equalizes the wind pressure toward the burner 4.

In this type of equipment, when a hot water tap (not shown) provided on the tip side of the hot water supply pipe 13 is opened, the water supply pipe 12
When the water flows in from the inside and the flow of the water is detected by the flow rate sensor 15, the controller 17 rotates the combustion fan 5, opens the solenoid valve 8 and the proportional valve 10, drives the igniter electrode 18, and ignites. I do. Then, after confirming that the flame rod electrode 20 has detected the flame, the valve opening drive current of the proportional valve 10 is controlled, and the gas supply amount (the opening amount of the proportional valve 10) is controlled so that the tapping temperature becomes the set temperature. And the rotation control of the combustion fan 5 is performed in order to supply the air corresponding to this gas supply amount.

When hot water is used up and the hot water tap is closed, the passage of water to the hot water supply heat exchanger 11 is stopped, and when the stop of the flow of water is detected by the signal from the flow rate sensor 15, the solenoid valve is activated. 8 is closed, and after that, when the post-purge period in which the exhaust gas in the combustion chamber 3 is almost finished has elapsed,
The rotation of the combustion fan 5 is stopped and the next hot water is prepared.

[0008]

Generally, when a water heater is used for a long period of time, soot and the like adhere to the water heater heat exchanger 11 to deteriorate the air flow and deteriorate the combustion performance. Is
The life of the equipment is reached.

Conventionally, the number of burnings and the burning time of the appliance are obtained by cumulative calculation, and when the number of burnings and the burning time reach a preset set value, it is judged to be the end of life, and it is discarded. Had been taken.

However, it is difficult to judge the accurate life of the equipment by the method of judging the life of the equipment by the number of combustions and the time of combustion, and the equipment still maintains sufficient combustion performance, and the good combustion operation is continued. Although it can be done, it is judged as a life and discarded, or because the combustion performance has already deteriorated and the life has been reached, the number of combustions and the combustion time do not reach the set value. Moreover, there is a risk that the product will not be judged to have reached the end of its life and will continue to be used in a state where combustion has deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to accurately judge the situation of deterioration of combustion performance due to clogging of ventilation passages of an appliance to judge the life of the appliance. It is to provide a combustion device that can be accurately performed.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is constructed as follows. That is, the present invention is a combustion device that includes a combustion fan for supply and exhaust, and an air supply amount detection sensor that directly or indirectly detects the flow rate of air supplied to the burner by the combustion fan. When multiple pieces of detection data from the air supply amount detection sensor are taken in during combustion, the situation judgment unit that judges that there is no wind stable situation when the fluctuation range of these detection data is within the set allowable fluctuation range, and the combustion fan in the non-combustion state of the burner Is rotated under the set reference condition, and when the situation determination unit determines that there is no wind stable situation based on the detection data of the air supply amount detection sensor at this time, the initial value of ventilation deterioration determination is determined by the captured data of the sensor output. The initial value fixing unit and the burner non-operation at each predetermined periodic interval time after the initial value is fixed by the initial value fixing unit. Judgment that the combustion fan is rotated under the above-mentioned set reference condition in the burning state and the sensor output of the air supply amount detection sensor in a windless stable situation is taken in as inspection data, and the variation amount of the inspection data with respect to the initial value is given in advance. And a ventilation deterioration determining unit that outputs a warning signal notifying deterioration of ventilation clogging when the reference value is exceeded.

Further, the ventilation deterioration determining section obtains a variation amount between the inspection data fetched at the current interval time and the inspection data fetched at the previous interval time, and the variation amount is given in advance. The configuration is such that a warning signal for notifying deterioration of ventilation clogging is output when the judgment reference value is exceeded, and combustion of the burner by rotating the combustion fan after the warning signal is output from the ventilation deterioration determination unit. A ventilation clogging life determination unit is provided that detects the drive control condition of the combustion fan during operation and outputs a danger warning signal when the detected drive control condition exceeds the upper limit of the control range. In the initial value determination section, the intake detection from the air supply amount detection sensor when the rotation of the combustion fan is zero when the burner is not combusting is detected when the wind is stable. A function to determine the initial value of the sensor no-air output based on the data is added, and air is supplied when the burner is not burning at regular intervals and when the combustion fan is at zero rotation A sensor failure in which a fluctuation amount of the sensor output value of the quantity detection sensor with respect to the initial value of the sensor windless output is obtained, and when this fluctuation amount exceeds a predetermined sensor judgment reference value, it is judged as a sensor failure and the judgment signal is output. The determination unit is provided, and the fuel supply to the burner at the time of burner combustion after the ratio of the value of the inspection data taken at each regular interval time to the initial value becomes smaller than a predetermined determination ratio It is also a feature of the present invention that an input down control unit for reducing the amount is provided.

[0014]

In the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, a plurality of detection data of the air supply amount detection sensor when the rotation of the combustion fan is zero when the burner is not burned at the time of shipment of the combustion equipment or after installation is taken, and these detections are performed. It is judged whether or not the fluctuation range of the data is within the set allowable fluctuation range, and when it is within the range, the situation judging section judges that there is no wind stable situation.

At this time, the initial value determination unit determines the sensor no-wind output initial value according to the determination standard given in advance, based on the detection data taken in by the air supply amount detection sensor in the windless stable situation, and stores it in the memory or the like. Memorized in.

Next, the combustion fan is rotated under the set reference condition in a state where the burner is not burned, and the sensor output of the air supply amount detection sensor is fetched when the condition judging unit judges that the wind is stable. Based on this detection data, an initial value that serves as a criterion for determining ventilation deterioration of the sensor output is determined according to a predetermined determination criterion, and this is stored in a memory or the like.

After the initial value of the sensor windless output and the initial value are determined, the burner is not burned at every predetermined periodic interval time, and the air supply amount is detected when the combustion fan is at zero rotation. The sensor signal is used to judge whether or not there is a stable windless condition, and when it is determined to be a stable windless condition, the amount of fluctuation of the sensor output value at that time with respect to the initial value of the sensorless output is determined. When the sensor determination reference value given in advance is exceeded, it is determined that the sensor has failed, and the determination signal is output.

When the sensor is not in failure, the burner is not burned and the combustion fan is rotated under the same set reference condition as when the initial value is fixed. At this time, the sensor of the air supply amount detection sensor in the windless stable situation. The output is taken in as inspection data, and the fluctuation amount of the inspection data with respect to the initial value or the mutual fluctuation amount between the inspection data taken at the current interval time and the inspection data taken at the previous interval time is calculated, and these fluctuations are calculated. When the amount exceeds a predetermined judgment reference value, a warning signal is output to notify deterioration of clogging of ventilation.

After the warning signal is output, the drive control condition of the combustion fan is detected during the normal combustion operation by burning the burner, and the detected drive control condition is the upper limit of the control range. , The danger warning signal for the life of the device is output, and the danger warning is displayed on an appropriate display means, while the combustion operation is forcibly stopped.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the present embodiment, the same names as those in the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description thereof will be omitted. The combustion equipment of the present embodiment is intended for the water heater similar to the conventional example shown in FIG. 6, and in this embodiment, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. Is provided with a differential pressure sensor 23. That is,
The differential pressure sensor 23 is connected to a pressure introducing pipe 24a for introducing the pressure of the air chamber on the lower side of the burner 4 and a pressure introducing pipe 24b for introducing the pressure of the combustion chamber 3 on the upper side of the burner 4, The pressure sensor 23 applies the pressure difference between the pressures introduced by the pressure introducing pipes 24a and 24b to the control device 17 as a detection signal of the air flow rate.
In the present embodiment, the rotation control of the combustion fan 5 is performed using the detection signal of the air flow rate of the differential pressure sensor 23, and the differential pressure sensor 23 for controlling the combustion fan 5 is controlled.
Using the above, the control device 17 is configured with a characteristic means for determining the clogging of the ventilation of the instrument characteristic of this embodiment and the life determination of the instrument due to the clogging (of course, the clogging of the ventilation of the differential pressure sensor 23). It may be used as a dedicated sensor only for determining deterioration and tool life).

FIG. 1 shows a characteristic configuration of this embodiment, which includes a sampling unit 25, a situation determination unit 26, an initial value determination unit 27, a memory 28, a fan drive unit 29, and a sensor failure. Judgment unit 30, life judgment unit 31, ventilation deterioration judgment unit 32,
Input down control unit 33, display means 34, clock mechanism
35 and.

The sampling unit 25 uses, for example, when the power of the instrument is turned on as a reference, and when the power is turned on and the power is turned on as a starting point, a predetermined periodic interval time, for example, is given. One day later,
After a lapse of one week, after a lapse of one month, etc., the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 is taken in by using a clock mechanism 35 such as a timer whenever a predetermined interval time comes, and the taken sensor output value is appropriately set. Situation determination unit 26 and initial value determination unit
27, an input down control unit 33, and a ventilation deterioration stabilizing unit 32
Add to and.

As shown in FIG.
A setting allowable fluctuation range e in the windless state of variations in the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 is given. As is well known, when the water heater is installed outdoors, etc., when there is a windy condition, wind enters the appliance even though the combustion fan 5 is stopped, and the effect of this wind causes a difference. The sensor output of the pressure sensor 23 changes. In this embodiment, when the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 due to such a wind does not fluctuate, that is, the windless state is detected and determined, and in this windless state, the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 is effectively detected. I am trying to use it as data.

That is, the situation judging unit 26 is a sampling unit.
A plurality of sensor outputs of the differential pressure sensor 23 are fetched at a predetermined timing via 25 (for example, 10 pieces of data are fetched at intervals of 0.1 seconds), fluctuation variation of the plurality of data, and the maximum of the fetched data in this embodiment. The difference between the value and the minimum value is
When it is within the set allowable fluctuation range e, it is determined that there is no wind and in a stable situation, and when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the captured data is out of the set allowable fluctuation range, it is determined that there is wind. The initial value determination part is used to determine the results of these circumstances.
27 and the ventilation deterioration determination unit 32. In this case, the initial value determination unit 27 and the ventilation deterioration determination unit 32 may be configured to add only the determination result of the windless stable situation.

The initial value determining unit 27 takes in the burner 4 in the non-combustion state and the combustion fan 5 in the zero rotation state at the first time after the installation of the appliance, that is, when the ventilation blockage is not deteriorated. When the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 is determined to be a windless stable situation by the situation determination unit 26, a sensor windless output initial value is determined based on the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 determined to be the windless stable situation. Based on the confirmation standard (for example, the determination standard that the minimum value or the average value of the plurality of fetched data is set as the initial value) is stored in the nonvolatile memory 28. Data is not collected when the situation determination unit 26 determines that the situation is windy.

On the other hand, after the initial value determination unit 27 determines the sensor no-wind output initial value, the burner 4 is not burned and the combustion fan 5 is set as a reference condition. In this embodiment, the rotation control range of the combustion fan 5 is set. It rotates at the upper limit value, that is, the maximum fan rotation speed within the rotation control range, and takes in one or more sensor outputs of the differential pressure sensor 23 according to a predetermined sampling timing given in advance via the sampling unit 25, in this embodiment, a plurality of them. . Then, based on the taken-in data, it is confirmed by the situation judging section 26 that the wind-less stable situation is judged, and these detected data of the differential pressure sensor 23 (the detected data is not taken in the windy situation) Based on this, the initial value of the sensor output when the combustion fan 5 is in the maximum rotation condition is determined as a reference value for determining the deterioration due to ventilation, and the determined initial value is stored in the memory 28.

When the fan drive unit 29 receives an instruction to rotate the combustion fan 5 at the maximum rotation speed from the initial value determination unit 27 when the initial value determination unit 27 determines the initial value, the fan drive unit 29 follows the instruction. 5 is rotationally driven. Further, the fan drive unit 29 receives the fan drive command from the ventilation deterioration stabilizing unit 32 and rotates the combustion fan 5 at the maximum rotation speed within the control range, as in the case of the command from the initial value fixing unit 27.

The ventilation deterioration determining section 32 is provided with the initial value determining section 27.
By this, the sensor no-air output initial value when the combustion fan 5 is not rotating and the initial value when the combustion fan 5 is rotating at the maximum rotation speed are determined, and thereafter, at predetermined regular interval times. Based on the sensor output value of the differential pressure sensor 23 taken in through the sampling unit 25, when the situation determination unit 26 determines that there is no wind stable condition, the combustion fan 5 is set in the fan drive unit 29 as the maximum rotation of the reference condition. A command to rotate the combustion fan 5 is added by a number.

Then, the ventilation deterioration determination unit 32 is provided for the combustion fan 5
Is rotating at the maximum rotation speed, under the condition that the burner 4 is not burning, and by the situation judging section 26, it is confirmed that the situation is calm and stable. The sensor output value of the applied differential pressure sensor 23 is taken in at a predetermined sampling timing,
Variation amount of this inspection data with respect to the initial value of the ventilation deterioration determination confirmed by the initial value determination unit 27, in this embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the initial value and the value of the inspection data is obtained, and this variation amount,
Compared with the judgment reference value given in advance, and when the amount of fluctuation exceeds the judgment reference value, it is judged that clogging deterioration of ventilation in the equipment has occurred, and a warning signal is output to inform the clogging deterioration. To do. In addition, the clogging of ventilation in the equipment deteriorates
The hot water supply heat exchanger 11 is clogged with soot or the air supply system louver
This is also caused by dust and the like adhering and depositing on the curved portion of the propeller of the combustion fan 5, the hole of the punching metal 19, and the like.

After the ventilation deterioration determining unit 32 receives the warning signal of ventilation clogging deterioration, the life determining unit 31 detects the burner 4
During the combustion operation by burning, the drive control condition of the combustion fan 5, in this embodiment, the rotation speed of the combustion fan is detected, and the detected rotation speed of the combustion fan 5 exceeds the maximum rotation speed which is the upper limit of the control range. Determine whether or not If the upper limit of the control range is exceeded, the ventilation in the equipment is severely clogged, and it is judged that it is a life state in which the amount of air required for combustion cannot be supplied, and a danger warning signal is output and hot water is supplied. The burner combustion of the vessel is immediately stopped, and after that, a function such as not accepting the combustion command is added to disable the subsequent combustion operation of the appliance.

The input down control unit 33 obtains the ratio of the value of the inspection data taken in at each regular interval time to the initial value, and when the obtained ratio becomes smaller than a predetermined determination ratio. In addition, it is judged that the deterioration of ventilation due to soot clogging etc. has not reached the end of its life, but has progressed considerably. Then, even if the ventilation is blocked, the valve opening drive amount of the proportional valve 10 is controlled by controlling the valve opening drive current to the proportional valve 10 so that the amount of air required for combustion can be secured, and the proportional valve 10 is supplied to the burner 4. The fuel supply amount is controlled to be reduced.

The sensor failure determination unit 30 is the initial value determination unit.
After the initial value of the ventilation deterioration determination and the initial value of the sensor no-air output are both determined by 27, the sampling unit is performed at regular intervals when the burner 4 is not in combustion and the combustion fan 5 is not rotating. The variation amount of the sensor output value of the differential pressure sensor 23 (sensor output value when the situation determining unit 26 determines that the situation is stable without wind) that is taken in through 25 is calculated with respect to the initial value of the sensor windless output. When a given sensor determination reference value is exceeded, it is determined that a sensor has failed, and a sensor failure determination signal is output.

The display means 34 includes a ventilation deterioration warning signal added from the ventilation deterioration judgment section 32, a danger warning signal added from the life judgment section 31 indicating the life of the appliance, and a sensor failure judgment signal added from the sensor failure judgment section 30. Upon receiving the determination signal, each of these signals is displayed separately on a desired display unit such as a remote controller. Examples of the display method for distinguishing the display unit 34 include, for example, distinguishing display by a symbol or the like according to each mode on the liquid crystal screen, or visually distinguishing by changing lighting or blinking conditions of a lamp, or A buzzer or the like may be used to adopt various distinguishing display configuration modes, such as displaying by distinguishing according to the volume of the buzzer, continuous sound, intermittent sound, length of the intermittent time, and the like. In the above configuration, whether the combustion fan 5 is at zero rotation or maximum rotation is determined by a signal from the fan rotation detection sensor 21, and whether the burner 4 is in a combustion state or a non-combustion state is determined by the frame rod electrode.
Judged by 20 signals.

This embodiment is constructed as described above,
Next, the operation will be specifically described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. FIG. 2 shows an operation in which the initial value determination unit 27 determines the sensor no-air output initial value and the ventilation deterioration determination initial value. This operation is provided when there is a command button etc. in the initial value confirmation mode when the power of the equipment is turned on at the time of inspection after manufacturing the equipment, when the power is turned on after installation and construction of the equipment, and the operation command is issued by this button. It is held at an appropriate time, such as when In this operation, first, step 10
At 0, set m = 0. At step 101, it is judged if the burner 4 is in the non-combustion state. This judgment is made by detecting the signal of the frame rod electrode 20.
When it is determined that the combustion is not in progress, it is confirmed in step 102 that the rotation of the combustion fan 5 is stopped.

Next, in step 103, the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 is read. In step 104, it is determined whether the reading of the sensor output is completed, that is, whether T minutes have elapsed. Reading the sensor output is, for example,
It is done at a rate of 1 per 0.1 seconds, for example 5 or
In step 104, it is determined whether or not a time T has elapsed to finish reading a predetermined number such as 10. When it is determined that T minutes have elapsed, the difference between the maximum value (MAX) and the minimum value (MIN) of the plural sensor output values read in step 105 is obtained, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value is obtained. It is judged whether or not the difference, that is, the fluctuation range of the sensor output taken in is within the set allowable fluctuation range e ₁ (e = e _{1 in} FIG. 4). When not in this range,
It is judged to be in a windy state, and even if data is collected, it will not be valid data due to the influence of wind, so do not take data,
After waiting for 24 hours, the operation from step 101 onward is performed again.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 105 that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value is within the range of e ₁ , the minimum value or the average value of the read data is calculated. In the example, the average value is stored in the memory as V _MIN (m) (in this case, m = 0, so V _MIN (0)). Next, in step 107, without burning the burner 4, the combustion fan 5 is rotated at the maximum speed (3000 rpm in this example) of the control range which is the set reference condition, and then the step 10
At 8, the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 is read.

Also in this case, a plurality of data of sensor output values are read, and it is judged in step 109 whether or not this reading time has elapsed. When the reading time has elapsed, it is also read in step 110. Of the multiple sensor output values, find the variation variation between the maximum and minimum values,
It is determined whether or not this variation is within the set allowable variation range e ₂ (e = e _{2 in} FIG. 4). When it does not fall within this range e ₂ , it is determined that the data fluctuates and fluctuates due to the wind, the data is not sampled, the operation is waited for 24 hours, and the operations after step 101 are repeated. When the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value is within the set allowable fluctuation range e ₂ in step 110, it is determined that the situation is calm and stable.
Of the read data, the maximum value or the average value, which is the average value in this example, is stored in the memory as V _MAX (m) (since m is 0 in this case, V _MAX (0)). store.

Then, in step 112, it is judged whether or not m is 3, and when m has not reached 3, m is incremented by 1 in step 114 (in this case, m is incremented from 0 to 1). Wait for one week in step 115. Then, the operations after step 101 are performed again. In this way, by performing the operations after step 101, m
4 values of V _MIN (0) to V _MIN (3) and 4 values of V _MAX (0) to V _MAX (3) are stored until.

When it is judged in step 112 that m = 3, in step 113, the four values V _MIN (0) to V _MIN (3) are averaged to determine the sensor silent output initial value V _MIN. Similarly, the average value of the four values of V _MAX (0) to V _MAX (3) is calculated to determine the initial value V _MAX of the ventilation deterioration determination when the combustion fan is rotating at the maximum rotation speed, The determined values V _MIN and V _MAX are stored in the memory 28. By the above steps 100 to 113, the initial value of the sensor no-air output when the fan is at zero rotation and V _MIN when there is no blockage of ventilation immediately after the water heater is installed and installed, and the blockage of ventilation at the maximum rotation of the combustion fan The initial value V _MAX, which serves as a criterion for determining the deterioration due to ventilation, is definitely stored.

In FIG. 3, after the initial value V _MAX and the sensor no-air output initial value V _MIN are definitely stored, it is carried out at regular intervals, for example, every L combustion cycles or every M months. In the operation of determining deterioration of ventilation and life of equipment, first, in step 200, P = 0 and N = 0 are set. Next, at step 201, the same operation as the operation from steps 101 to 111 in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is performed, and the value of the sensor output V _MIN (N) when the combustion fan is at zero rotation in a windless stable condition is set. Similarly, when the combustion fan 5 is rotated at the maximum rotation in the control range, the sensor output V _MAX (N) in the same windless stable condition is obtained and stored.

Next, in step 202, the sensor no-air output initial value V _MIN , which has been fixed and stored in advance, and the above step
The absolute value of the difference from V _MIN (N) obtained in 201 is obtained as a variation amount, and this variation amount is compared with a predetermined sensor determination reference value, which is the tolerance range of the differential pressure sensor 23 in this embodiment, to obtain the variation. Determine whether the quantity is within the tolerance range. When the variation is out of the tolerance range, it is determined in step 209 that the differential pressure sensor has failed, the sensor failure determination unit 30 outputs a sensor failure determination signal, and a display to that effect is displayed on the display means 34. Be seen. When the fluctuation amount is within the tolerance range, the differential pressure sensor 23 is determined to be normal, and the operation proceeds to the next step 203.

In step 203, the previously determined initial value V _MAX and the value V _MAX (N) of the inspection data at the time of non-combustion determined in step 201 and at the maximum rotation of the combustion fan 5 are obtained. ), V _MAX (N)
The ratio (the ratio of V _MAX (N) and V _MAX ) to the initial value V _MAX is calculated by the input down control unit 33, and it is determined whether or not this value is smaller than a predetermined determination ratio. Although an appropriate setting value can be given as this determination ratio, in this embodiment, it is set using the graph data as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, V _A1 is a differential pressure sensor when the fan speed of the combustion fan 5 is changed during non-combustion.
The sensor output of 23 is shown, and the data of V _{A1 is} the data when the passage area of the wind in the device is A ₁ which is not blocked at all. Similarly, for example, the blocking rate is 90%, 60.
The relationship data between the fan rotation speed and the sensor output when the blocking rate is changed in multiple stages such as%, 50%, and 30% is separately obtained. This V _A1 data is obtained immediately after the device is manufactured and in a state where no clogging of ventilation has occurred yet.

V _A2 of the graph data is the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 when the burner 4 is burned and the fan rotation speed is varied in a state where there is no deterioration due to airflow clogging, such as immediately after manufacturing the device. It is a graph shown. In general,
Since the ventilation resistance is higher during combustion than during non-combustion, the fan rotation speed during non-combustion in the state of the passage area A ₂ in which the passage area is Y% blocked with respect to the normal output V _A1 during non-combustion The data of the sensor output is equivalent to the data of V _A2 . Since the value of the blocking rate Y% corresponding to the increase of the ventilation resistance at the time of combustion compared to the time of non-combustion is obtained as a known value, the passage area A ₂ at that time is also obtained as a known value. In this way, since the non-combustion blockage rate Y% at the time of combustion with respect to the non-combustion is a known value,
Actually, the graph data of V _A2 is calculated from the graph data of V _A1 . Of course, the data of V _A2 may be obtained by actually burning.

V _A4 of the graph data is the data showing the output of the differential pressure sensor 23 at the time of abnormal combustion, and the blockage rate becomes W% from the state of the output V _A2 at the time of normal combustion due to the deterioration of clogging of ventilation. Assuming that, it is calculated from the data of V _A1 or V _A2 .

V _A3 shows the sensor output data at the time of non-combustion and at the time of abnormality in which the clogging of the ventilation is deteriorated. This V _A3 is obtained by the following equation. V _A3
= V _A1 × A ₄ / A ₂ When the passage area for ventilation in the graph data of V _A1 is A ₁ , the blockage rate is V _A2 , V _A3 , and V _A4 for this passage area A ₁ , respectively. In the graph data of V _A2 , the passage area of ventilation is A ₂ , the passage area of graph data V _A3 is A ₃ , and the passage area of graph data V _A4 is A ₄ . .

In this embodiment, the ratio of the sensor output V _A3 corresponding to an abnormality during non-combustion to the normal sensor output V _A1 during non-combustion, that is, the abnormality equivalent during non-combustion to the normal sensor output V _A1 during non-combustion Ratio of sensor output V _A3 V _A3 / V _A1
Is set as a determination ratio. V
_When the ratio of V _MAX (N) to _MAX is equal to or higher than the determination ratio, there is a favorable combustion situation in which clogging of ventilation is not a problem. In this case, the combustion operation of the water heater is performed under normal combustion control operation conditions. .

[0048] When the ratio of V _MAX (N) with respect to V _MAX is smaller than the determination ratio is determined in a state in which the influence of the deterioration of ventilation blockage has occurred, at this time, the rotational speed of the combustion fan 5 in the next step 204 Determines whether the maximum speed is within the control range. When the combustion fan has not reached the maximum rotation speed, there is a margin to increase the air volume even if there is an influence of deterioration of airflow blockage, so in this case, normal combustion operation control is performed.

On the other hand, when the fan speed of the combustion fan 5 has reached the maximum speed of the control range (3000 rpm in this embodiment), 1 is added to P, and then step 205
Then, it is judged whether or not P = 2. In this case, since P = 1, P does not become 2. In this case, in step 206, the input down control unit 33 controls the gas supply amount to the burner 4 in the X% reduction direction to perform combustion. Driving is performed. In step 207, it is judged by the sampling unit 25 using the timepiece mechanism 35 whether or not the next predetermined interval time, for example, the number of combustions L times or M months has passed, and when the interval time comes, the step At 208, advance 1 to N.

When it is determined in step 205 that P = 2, it is determined in step 211 whether or not the ventilation block is completely deteriorated. That is, the initial value V _MAX of the ventilation deterioration determination determined in step 113 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 and the detection data (inspection data) V _MAX (N) fetched in step 201 at each interval time. The fluctuation amount is V _MAX and V
The absolute value of the difference between _MAX (N) is obtained, and it is determined whether or not this variation amount is larger than a determination reference value D given in advance. Here, D is, in this embodiment given as a value of _{D = (V A1 -V A3)} / 2. When the variation between the initial value and the inspection data is not larger than D, it is determined that the deterioration of ventilation block has not occurred and the warning signal is not output. On the other hand, the fluctuation amount between the initial value and the inspection data is the judgment reference value D.
When the temperature exceeds the value, dust and the like are accumulated and adhered to the curved surface of the louver 22 and the propeller of the combustion fan 5, or soot is clogged in the hot water supply heat exchanger 11, so that the deterioration of ventilation is surely caused. Then, in step 212, a warning signal is output and the fact is displayed on the display means 34.

Next, at step 213, during the operation of burning the burner 4 of the water heater after this warning signal is output, the fan rotation speed of the combustion fan 5 is the maximum rotation speed (upper limit value) of the control range. Is determined. When the fan speed has not reached the upper limit, the combustion fan 5 is still running.
Since there is a margin in the direction of increasing the rotation speed, the combustion operation is continued, but when the fan speed exceeds the upper limit value, the deterioration of the ventilation block becomes considerably severe and the rotation of the combustion fan is set to the maximum speed. Is also determined to be a life state in which the combustion air amount is insufficient, and in this case, the life determination unit 31 outputs a danger warning signal indicating the life, and the danger warning is displayed on the display means 34. , The combustion operation of the burner 4 is forcibly stopped, and the subsequent burner combustion is disabled to avoid the risk of poor combustion.

According to the present embodiment, the sensor output of the differential pressure sensor 23 for detecting the air supply amount from the combustion fan 5 is utilized to determine the clogging deterioration condition of the ventilation, so As described above, it is possible to accurately detect and determine the clogging deterioration situation of ventilation, as compared with the method of determining based on the number of combustions and the combustion time. This makes it possible to reliably take safety measures due to poor combustion in the hot water heater's combustion operation, and to accurately determine the service life of the appliance, so that the appliance can be used even though it has already reached the end of its life. It is possible to prevent the danger of being used continuously, and to prevent the waste that the device is judged to have reached the end of its life and is discarded even though the device has not reached the end of its life.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various embodiments can be adopted. For example, in the above embodiment, the differential pressure sensor 23 detects the air flow rate by the differential pressure between the air chamber below the burner 4 and the combustion chamber 3 above the burner 4. Pressure sensor 23
The differential pressure detected by does not necessarily detect the differential pressure between the air chamber on the lower side of the burner and the combustion chamber 3, and the differential pressure between the upstream side and the downstream side of the air passage from the combustion fan 5 to the exhaust port 36. May be detected. For example, the differential pressure between the air chamber below the burner 4 and the exhaust port 36 is detected, or the differential pressure between the blower passage side of the combustion fan 5 and the combustion chamber 3 is obtained. For example, the air supply amount can be detected by determining the pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the air blowing path at arbitrary positions.

Further, the air supply amount detection sensor indirectly detects the air amount by the differential pressure like the differential pressure sensor 23,
For example, the air supply amount may be indirectly detected by a heat ray heater type or Karman vortex type wind speed sensor,
Furthermore, the air flow rate may be directly detected by an air flow meter.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a single-function water heater (a water heater having only a hot water supply function) has been described as an example of the combustion equipment, but the combustion equipment of the present invention uses hot water and additional heating or hot water and hot water heating. The present invention is applied to various types of combustion equipment such as a combined hot water heater having both functions such as a burner combustion type, a bath cooker, a heater, an air conditioner, an air conditioner, and an air conditioner.

Further, in the above embodiment, the setting reference condition of the combustion fan is set to the maximum rotation speed of the rotation control range of the combustion fan 5, but it may be set to a rotation speed slightly lower than the maximum rotation speed. May be set based on the driving current of the combustion fan 5 or the work amount instead of the rotation speed.

Further, in the above embodiment, the judgment reference value D given in step 211 of the flow chart of FIG. 3 may be obtained in advance and given as external input data.
The appliance itself may rotate the combustion fan 5 to obtain the data of V _A1 in FIG. 5, perform the calculation processing by itself, and obtain and set the determination reference value D. Of course, D is D = (V _A1 −V
_It may be given as a value other than _A3 ) / 2.

Further, in the above embodiment, when determining the deterioration due to airflow clogging, step 211 in the flow chart of FIG.
As shown in (4), the ventilation deterioration determining unit 32 calculates the variation amount by the absolute value of the difference between the initial value V _MAX of the ventilation deterioration determination and the inspection data V _MAX (N). Inspection data V _MAX (N
Ventilation deterioration due to the absolute value of the difference between +1) and the inspection data V _MAX (N) taken in at the previous interval time, that is, the absolute value of the amount of change in the interval taken-in inspection data before and after (corresponding to the slope change of the data). Alternatively, the variation amount may be determined by comparing the variation amount with the determination reference value D, and the determination may be made by the ventilation degradation determination unit 32 in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

Further, the situation determining section of the above embodiment makes a distinction between the non-wind stable situation and the windy situation based on the degree of variation in the detection data of the air supply amount detection sensor (differential pressure sensor 23). The rotation speed of the combustion fan 5 is controlled so that the sensor output of the detection sensor becomes constant. At this time, when the fluctuation range of the fan rotation speed detected by the fan rotation detection sensor is within the set allowable fluctuation range, it is considered as a windless stable situation. It may be determined that when it is out of the set allowable fluctuation range, it is determined that it is a windy situation. Also in this case,
Instead of the fan speed, the fan drive current and work load are detected, and whether the fluctuation fluctuation range of these detection data is within the set allowable fluctuation range or not is used to distinguish between the stable and windless conditions. Good.

As described above, when judging the situation of wind and no wind based on the fluctuation variation of the driving condition such as the fan rotation speed, the deterioration of the ventilation block is also judged and the variation fluctuation amount of the driving condition such as the fan rotation speed. It can be determined by the size of. In this case, for example, drive conditions such as the fan rotation speed when the sensor output of the air supply amount detection sensor becomes a set value and ventilation deterioration does not occur are set as initial values, and the air is supplied at predetermined intervals. The drive conditions such as the fan rotation speed for which the sensor output of the supply amount detection sensor has the same set value are obtained, and the variation between the fan drive condition and the initial value at each interval time, or the fan obtained at the current interval time The amount of fluctuation between the drive condition and the fan drive condition obtained in the previous interval time is
When the judgment reference value is exceeded, it is judged that ventilation clogging has deteriorated.

[0061]

According to the present invention, an air supply amount detection sensor is provided so that the initial value of the sensor no-air output and the combustion fan when the combustion fan is at zero rotation when there is no deterioration due to clogging of ventilation are set under standard conditions. Both the initial value of the ventilation deterioration judgment when rotating is previously fixed and stored as data in the non-combustion state, and the amount of ventilation is determined by the fluctuation amount of the inspection data taken at each predetermined periodic interval time with respect to the initial value. Since it is designed to detect clogging deterioration,
Compared to the method that detects clogging deterioration of ventilation due to the number of combustions and burning time as in the conventional example, it is possible to detect the situation of clogging deterioration of ventilation more accurately, thereby accurately determining the life due to deterioration of ventilation clogging. It becomes possible to do.

Further, in the present invention, before the end of the life of the appliance, when the variation amount of the inspection data with respect to the initial value of the ventilation deterioration determination exceeds the determination reference value, a warning signal for notifying deterioration of ventilation clogging is output. Therefore, the warning signal can inform the user that the ventilation deterioration has progressed considerably, and thus can prompt the user to clean the louver 22 and the propeller of the combustion fan, for example. .

Further, since the taken-in data of the air supply amount detecting sensor is taken in a state where it is not affected by wind, that is, when the situation judging section judges that there is no wind stable condition, It is possible to capture accurate air volume detection data that is not affected, and it is possible to accurately determine the clogging and deterioration of ventilation.

Further, in the present invention, the detection data of the air supply amount detection sensor when the rotation of the combustion fan is zero is fetched at every regular interval time, and the fluctuation amount with respect to the initial value of the sensor no-air output is obtained to cause the sensor failure. Since the presence or absence of the sensor is determined, it is not necessary to use the value of the sensor output as an effective value even if the sensor is faulty. You can Further, in the appliance configured to control the air flow rate of the combustion fan based on the sensor output of the air supply amount detection sensor, the reliability of the air flow rate control of the combustion fan can be sufficiently enhanced.

Further, according to the present invention, an input down control unit is provided, and when the ratio of the inspection data fetched at each regular interval time to the initial value becomes smaller than a predetermined determination ratio, that is, clogging of ventilation. When it is determined that the deterioration is progressing, the combustion supply amount supplied to the burner is controlled to be reduced, so that the shortage of the air amount supplied from the combustion fan is resolved, and
It becomes possible to continue the combustion operation while keeping the combustion control in a good state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of an embodiment of a combustion device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of determining an initial value and the like of the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an operation of determining the situation of clogging deterioration of ventilation and the life due to the clogging deterioration by the device of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a setting permissible fluctuation range for determining a windless stable situation by using data captured by a differential pressure sensor.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of graph data for obtaining a determination ratio that serves as a reference for determining the magnitude of the variation amount with respect to the initial value of the inspection data captured at regular intervals.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a general water heater as a combustion device.

[Explanation of symbols]

5 combustion fan 23 Differential pressure sensor 26 Situation Judgment Department 27 Initial value fixer 30 Sensor failure determination unit 31 Life judgment part 32 Ventilation deterioration determination unit 33 Input down control section 34 means of display

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Tatsuo Fujimoto 3-4, Fukamidai, Yamato-shi, Kanagawa Inside Gaster Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-8-68533 (JP, A) JP-A-5-157228 (JP) , A) JP-A-7-110126 (JP, A) JP-A-8-14545 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F23N 5/18 101 F23N 5/24 104 F23N 5/24 106

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A combustion device comprising a supply / exhaust combustion fan and an air supply amount detection sensor for directly or indirectly detecting the flow rate of air supplied to the burner by the combustion fan. Occasionally, multiple detection data of the air supply amount detection sensor are taken in, and when the fluctuation range of these detection data is within the set allowable fluctuation range, the situation judgment part that judges the windless stable condition and the combustion fan in the non-burning state of the burner It rotates under the set reference condition, and when the situation determination unit determines that there is no wind stable situation based on the detection data of the air supply amount detection sensor at this time, the initial value of ventilation deterioration determination is determined by the intake data of the sensor output. The initial value fixing unit and the burner non-combustion state at regular intervals given in advance after the initial value is fixed by the initial value fixing unit. Occasionally, the combustion fan is rotated under the above-mentioned set reference condition, and the sensor output of the air supply amount detection sensor in the windless stable situation is taken in as inspection data, and the variation amount of the inspection data with respect to the initial value is given in advance as a judgment reference value. Combustion equipment having a ventilation deterioration determination unit that outputs a warning signal notifying deterioration of ventilation due to clogging of ventilation. 2. The ventilation deterioration determining unit obtains a variation amount between the inspection data captured at the current interval time and the inspection data captured at the previous interval time, and the variation amount is given in advance. The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein a warning signal for notifying deterioration of clogging of ventilation is output when the judgment reference value is exceeded. 3. The drive control condition of the combustion fan is detected when combustion of the burner is performed by rotating the combustion fan after the warning signal is output from the ventilation deterioration determination unit, and the detection drive control is performed. The combustion device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a ventilation clogging life determination section that outputs a danger warning signal when a condition exceeds an upper limit of a control range. 4. The initial value determination section sets the sensor no-air output initial value based on the intake detection data in the no-air stable condition from the air supply amount detection sensor when the rotation of the combustion fan is zero when the burner is not burning. The sensor of the sensor output value of the air supply amount detection sensor when a function for confirming is added and the burner is not burning at regular intervals A sensor failure determination unit is provided, which determines a variation amount with respect to the initial value of the windless output, and determines a sensor failure when the variation amount exceeds a predetermined sensor determination reference value and outputs a determination signal thereof. The combustion device according to claim 2 or claim 3. 5. The fuel supply amount supplied to the burner at the time of burner combustion after the ratio of the value of the inspection data taken in at regular intervals to the initial value becomes smaller than a predetermined determination ratio. The combustion device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 or 4, wherein an input down control section for reducing the number is provided.