JP6944850B2 - Hot water supply system - Google Patents

Description

The techniques disclosed herein relate to hot water supply systems.

Patent Document 1 describes a heater that absorbs heat from the outside air to heat water, a tank that stores hot water heated by the heater, a supply path that supplies hot water in the tank to a hot water utilization location, and combustion of fuel. A hot water supply system including a combustor that heats water using the heat generated in the above is disclosed. This makes it possible to operate the combustor to supplement the heat when the heat in the tank stored by using the heater is insufficient.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-343152

This type of hot water supply system may consist of a combination of two units, a heat pump including a heater and a heat source machine including a tank, a combustor and a supply path. In that case, the heat pump and the heat source machine each have a power supply unit for supplying electric power from the power source. However, if the power supply unit of the heat pump and the power supply unit of the heat source unit are connected to a common power supply connection port (for example, a power outlet) to supply power, the power supply connection port is used when the heater and the combustor operate at the same time. There is a risk of exceeding the rated current of.

Therefore, conventionally, in such a hot water supply system, in order not to exceed the rated current of the power supply connection port during operation, the power supply unit of the heat pump and the power supply unit of the heat source machine are connected to different power supply connection ports. Power is supplied to each unit. However, it is rare that multiple different power supply connection ports are prepared outdoors where heat pumps and heat source machines are mainly installed, and additional work must be done to secure the power supply connection ports at the time of installation. In some cases, the construction load was heavy.

The present specification provides a technique capable of reducing the construction load as compared with the conventional hot water supply system.

The present specification discloses a hot water supply system that operates by being connected to a power supply connection port branched from a power supply that supplies electric power. The hot water supply system includes a heat pump and a heat source machine. The heat pump has a heater that absorbs heat from the outside air to heat water, and a first power supply unit that is connected to the power supply connection port. The heat source machine has a combustor that heats water using heat generated by burning fuel, and a second power supply unit connected to the power supply connection port. The second power supply unit has a switching element and a power factor improving circuit provided between the power supply connection port and the load.

According to this configuration, the second power supply unit has a switching element and a power factor improving circuit provided between the power supply connection port and the load. By driving the power factor improving circuit (that is, driving the switching element of the power factor improving circuit), the current value flowing from the power supply connection port to the heat source machine can be suppressed low. Therefore, according to the above configuration, when the first power supply unit of the heat pump and the second power supply unit of the heat source machine are connected to the same power supply connection port and power is supplied to each unit from the same power supply connection port, Even if the heater and the combustor operate at the same time, it is possible to prevent the current flowing through the hot water supply system from exceeding the rated current of the power supply connection port. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is not necessary to connect the first power supply unit of the heat pump and the second power supply unit of the heat source machine to different power supply connection ports, so that the power supply connection port is secured at the time of installation. There is no need to carry out any construction work. Therefore, the construction load can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the power supply unit of the heat pump and the power supply unit of the heat source machine need to be connected to different power supply connection ports.

The second power supply unit further includes the first state in which the power factor improving circuit is electrically connected between the power supply connection port and the load, and the power supply connection port and the load. It may have a switch for switching between a second state in which the power factor improving circuit is not electrically connected. The heat pump may further have a first control unit that transmits a state signal indicating an operating state of the heater to the heat source machine. The heat source machine further receives the state signal from the heat pump, and based on the received state signal, the power factor improving state by the power factor improving circuit is determined, and (a) the state of the switch is described as the first. In addition to switching to the first state and driving the power factor improving circuit to enable the power factor improvement by the power factor improving circuit, (b) switching the state of the switch to the second state, It may have a second control unit that switches between an off state in which the power factor improving circuit is not driven and the power factor is not improved by the power factor improving circuit.

While the hot water supply system is in operation, if the power factor improvement circuit is always connected between the power supply connection port and the load and the power factor improvement circuit is driven, the entire hot water supply system is driven as the switching element is driven. Power consumption will increase. However, there may be cases where the current flowing through the hot water supply system cannot exceed the rated current of the power supply connection port, for example, when only one of the heater and the combustor is operated. In this regard, according to the above configuration, the second control unit switches the power factor improving state by the power factor improving circuit between the on state and the off state based on the state signal received from the heat pump. That is, according to the above configuration, it is possible to switch whether or not to enable the power factor improvement by the power factor improvement circuit according to the operating state of the heat source machine and the heat pump. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a wasteful increase in power consumption.

The status signal may include a scheduled operation signal indicating that the heater is making the necessary preparations to start operation. When the second control unit receives the operation schedule signal from the heat pump, the power factor improving state is before the simultaneous operation state in which both the heater and the combustor operate at the same time is started. May be switched to the on state.

According to this configuration, the power factor improvement by the power factor improvement circuit can be enabled at the time when the simultaneous operation state in which both the heater and the combustor operate at the same time is started. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the simultaneous operation state from being started in a state where the power factor improvement is not enabled. As a result, even when both the heater and the combustor operate at the same time, it is possible to prevent the current flowing through the hot water supply system from exceeding the rated current of the power supply connection port.

When the simultaneous operation state is started after the power factor improvement state is switched to the on state and then the simultaneous operation state ends, the second control unit sets the power factor improvement state. You may switch from the on state to the off state.

According to this configuration, when the simultaneous operation state ends after the simultaneous operation state in which both the heater and the combustor operate at the same time is started (that is, when at least one of the heater and the combustor stops). ), It is possible to prevent the power factor improvement by the power factor improvement circuit. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to suppress a useless increase in power consumption when the simultaneous operation state in which both the heater and the combustor operate at the same time ends.

The heat pump may further have a first control unit capable of communicating with the heat source machine. The heat source machine may further have a second control unit capable of communicating with the heat pump. The second power supply unit may further include a monitoring circuit for detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the power factor improving circuit. The second control unit suppresses the operation of the heater when the combustor should operate after the monitoring circuit detects that an abnormality has occurred in the power factor improving circuit. A stop signal for this purpose may be transmitted to the heat pump.

If an abnormality occurs in the power factor improvement circuit, it is highly possible that the power factor improvement circuit does not function effectively and the current value flowing from the power connection port to the heat source machine cannot be suppressed low. In that case, when the heater and the combustor are operated at the same time, the flowing current may exceed the rated current of the power supply connection port. In this regard, according to the above configuration, the second control unit should operate the combustor after the monitoring circuit detects that an abnormality has occurred in the power factor improving circuit (that is, the combustor). Sends a stop signal to the heat pump to suppress the operation of the heater (including both when the operation should be newly started and when the operating combustor should continue the operation). As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the power factor improvement circuit, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the combustor and the heater are operated at the same time and the rated current of the power supply connection port is exceeded. Can be done. Further, by operating the combustor without operating the heater, it is possible to sufficiently supply the heat required for preparing the hot water required at the hot water utilization location.

The figure which shows typically the structure of the hot water supply system 2. A table explaining the behavior of each component while no abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28. The flowchart which shows the heat pump control process. The flowchart which shows the heat source machine control process.

(Example)
As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply system 2 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a system used to supply hot water to hot water utilization points inside and outside a house or the like. The hot water supply system 2 includes a heat pump 4, a heat source machine 6, and a tank unit 8. Both the heat pump 4 and the heat source machine 6 are connected to one power outlet 200 branched from the distribution board 300, and receive power from the same power outlet 200. The tank unit 8 is connected to a power outlet 36 provided in the heat source machine 6, and is supplied with electric power via the heat source machine 6.

(Structure of heat pump 4)
The heat pump 4 includes a heater 80, a tank water circulation path 82, a circulation pump 84, a heat pump power supply unit (hereinafter referred to as "HP power supply unit") 90, and a heat pump control unit (hereinafter referred to as "HP control unit"). ) 100 and.

The heater 80 is a heat source that absorbs heat from the outside air and heats the water in the tank water circulation path 82. The heater 80 blows outside air to the heat medium circulation path 101 that circulates a heat medium (alternative freon, for example, R410A), the evaporator 102 that exchanges heat between the outside air and the heat medium, and the evaporator 102. The fan 103, the compressor 104 that compresses the heat medium to make it high temperature and high pressure, the condenser 105 that exchanges heat between the water in the tank water circulation path 82 and the high temperature and high pressure heat medium, and the heat exchange are completed. It includes an expansion valve 106 that reduces the pressure of the heat medium afterwards to a low temperature and a low pressure, a bypass path 107 that bypasses the evaporator 102, and an on-off valve 108 that opens and closes the bypass path 107.

The upstream end of the tank water circulation path 82 is connected to the lower part of the tank 10 in the tank unit 8, and the downstream end is connected to the upper part of the tank 10. A circulation pump 84 is interposed in the tank water circulation path 82. The circulation pump 84 sends out the water in the tank water circulation path 82 from the upstream side to the downstream side. Further, the tank water circulation path 82 passes through the condenser 105 of the heater 80. Therefore, when the heater 80 is operated (that is, when the fan 103 and the compressor 104 are operated), the water in the tank water circulation path 82 is heated by the heat exchanger of the heater 80. Therefore, when the circulation pump 84 and the heater 80 are operated, the water in the lower part of the tank 10 is heated by the condenser 105, and the heated water is returned to the upper part of the tank 10. That is, the tank water circulation channel 82 is a water channel for storing heat in the tank 10. A thermistor 86 is interposed on the upstream side of the condenser 105 of the tank water circulation path 82. The thermistor 86 is derived from the bottom of the tank 10 and measures the temperature of the water before passing through the condenser 105. A thermistor 88 is also interposed on the downstream side of the condenser 105 of the tank water circulation path 82. The thermistor 88 measures the temperature of the water after passing through the condenser 105.

The HP power supply unit 90 is a supply means for supplying electric power to the heat pump 4 from the power outlet 200 branched from the distribution board 300. The HP power supply unit 90 includes a connection unit 91. The connection portion 91 is an electrical wiring having a plug at the tip. The plug of the connection portion 91 is plugged into the power outlet 200. The HP power supply unit 90 also includes a reactor, a smoothing circuit, and the like (not shown). The reactor suppresses the maximum value of the flowing current by suppressing the harmonics of the current to improve the power factor (ie, approach 1). The smoothing circuit converts the AC voltage into a DC voltage and transforms the converted DC voltage into a value that can be used by the HP control unit 100 or the like. In this way, the HP power supply unit 90 supplies power to the load of the heat pump 4 (HP control unit 100, etc.) after performing processing such as AC-DC conversion and transformation. Since the HP power supply unit 90 of this embodiment basically has the same configuration as the known power supply unit for a heat pump, the description of other detailed configurations will be omitted.

The HP control unit 100 is electrically connected to each component of the heat pump 4 and controls the operation of each component. Further, the HP control unit 100 is provided so as to be able to communicate with the heat source machine control unit 40 of the heat source machine 6. Note that FIG. 1 schematically shows a state in which the HP control unit 100 and the heat source machine control unit 40 are directly connected by wire to execute communication, but in the actual hot water supply system 2, the HP control unit 100 is , A configuration in which communication with the heat source machine control unit 40 may be adopted via a control unit (not shown) provided in the tank unit 8. Further, the communication executed between the HP control unit 100 and the heat source device control unit 40 is not limited to the wired communication, and may be wireless communication. The HP control unit 100 executes a heat pump control process (see FIG. 3) described later. The details of the heat pump control process will be described later.

(Structure of heat source machine 6)
The heat source machine 6 includes a heat source machine power supply unit 20, a voltage monitoring circuit 30, a power outlet 36, a heat source machine control unit 40, and a combustor 70.

The heat source machine power supply unit 20 is a supply means for supplying electric power from the power outlet 200 to the heat source machine 6. The heat source machine power supply unit 20 includes a connection unit 21, an AC circuit 22, a switch 24, a bypass circuit 26, a PFC circuit 28, a switching power supply (hereinafter referred to as “SW power supply”) 32, and a DC-DC converter. With 34.

The connection portion 21 is an electrical wiring having a plug at the tip. The plug of the connection portion 21 is plugged into the power outlet 200. The AC circuit 22 is connected to the connecting portion 21. The AC circuit 22 is a circuit that converts an AC voltage into a DC voltage. The PFC circuit 28 is a power factor improving circuit having a switching element (not shown). The PFC circuit 28 is a circuit for driving a switching element to suppress a harmonic current, suppressing a maximum value of a flowing current to improve the power factor (that is, approaching 1). The bypass circuit 26 is a circuit for connecting the AC circuit 22 and the SW power supply 32 by bypassing the PFC circuit 28.

The switch 24 connects the AC circuit 22 and the bypass circuit 26 in the first state of electrically connecting the AC circuit 22 and the PFC circuit 28, bypasses the PFC circuit 28, and bypasses the PFC circuit 28 to the AC circuit 22 and the SW power supply. It is a switch for switching between the second state of connecting to 32 and the second state. In the following, switching the switch 24 to the first state and driving the PFC circuit 28 to enable the power factor improvement by the PFC circuit 28 is referred to as "turning on the PFC circuit 28", and the switch 24 is referred to as the second switch 24. The process of switching to the above state and preventing the power factor improvement by the PFC circuit 28 without driving the PFC circuit 28 may be referred to as "turning off the PFC circuit 28". Further, the state in which the PFC circuit 28 is turned on may be referred to as an "on state", and the state in which the PFC circuit 28 is turned off may be referred to as an "off state".

The SW power supply 32 is connected to the PFC circuit 28 and the bypass circuit 26. The SW power supply 32 is a circuit for stabilizing the voltage of the power supply. The DC-DC converter 34 is connected to the SW power supply 32. The DC-DC converter 34 is a circuit that transforms the voltage into a value that can be used by the heat source machine control unit 40 and the like. The voltage after being transformed by the DC-DC converter 34 is supplied to the load in the heat source machine 6 (heat source machine control unit 40, etc.) and the power outlet 36.

The voltage monitoring circuit 30 is connected to the PFC circuit 28 of the heat source machine power supply unit 20, and monitors the voltage output by the PFC circuit 28 to monitor the occurrence of an abnormality in the PFC circuit 28. For example, if a problem occurs in the switching element of the PFC circuit 28, the PFC circuit 28 may not function normally. In that case, the voltage output from the PFC circuit 28 shows an abnormal value. When the voltage monitoring circuit 30 detects an abnormal value, it transmits an abnormal signal to the heat source machine control unit 40.

The power outlet 36 is a branch power outlet for supplying the voltage after being transformed by the DC-DC converter 34 to the tank unit 8. An insertion plug provided at the tip of a connection portion 54 of the tank unit 8, which will be described later, is inserted into the power outlet 36.

The heat source machine control unit 40 is electrically connected to each component of the heat source machine 6 and controls the operation of each component. For example, the heat source machine control unit 40 outputs a drive instruction for driving the PFC circuit 28 to the PFC circuit 28, or outputs a switch switching instruction for switching the switch 24 between the first state and the second state to the switch 24. It can be output. Further, as described above, the heat source machine control unit 40 is provided so as to be able to communicate with the HP control unit 100 of the heat pump 4. The heat source machine control unit 40 executes a heat source machine control process (see FIG. 4) described later. The details of the heat source machine control process will be described later. Further, in the present embodiment, the heat source machine control unit 40 is electrically connected to each component (thermistors 12 to 18, mixing valve 62, etc.) of the tank unit 8 via the control unit (not shown) of the tank unit 8. It is connected and the operation of each component of the tank unit 8 can be controlled.

The combustor 70 is an auxiliary heat source machine that heats hot water passing through a supply path 60 (described later) of a tank unit 8 by the heat of burning fuel (for example, fuel gas). A thermistor 64 is interposed in the supply path 60 on the downstream side of the combustor 70. The thermistor 64 measures the temperature of the hot water supplied. The combustor 70 heats the water in the supply path 60 so that the temperature of the hot water measured by the thermistor 64 matches the set temperature of the hot water supply. The downstream end of the supply path 60 is connected to a hot water utilization point (for example, a kitchen, a bathtub, etc.).

(Structure of tank unit 8)
The tank unit 8 includes a tank 10, a supply path 60, and a connecting portion 54.

The tank 10 stores hot water heated by the heater 80 in the heat pump 4. The tank 10 is a closed type, and the outside is covered with a heat insulating material. Water is stored in the tank 10 until it is full. In this embodiment, the capacity of the tank 10 is 100 L. Thermistors 12, 14, 16 and 18 are attached to the tank 10 at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the tank 10. Each thermistor 12, 14, 16 and 18 measures the temperature of water at its mounting position. For example, each thermistor 12, 14, 16 and 18 measures the temperature of water at positions 6L, 12L, 30L and 50L from the top of the tank 10, respectively.

The upstream end of the tap water introduction path 50 is connected to the tap water supply source 51. A thermistor 52 is interposed in the tap water introduction path 50. The thermistor 52 measures the temperature of tap water. The downstream side of the tap water introduction path 50 is branched into a first introduction path 50a and a second introduction path 50b. The downstream end of the first introduction path 50a is connected to the lower part of the tank 10. The downstream end of the second introduction path 50b is connected in the middle of the supply path 60, which will be described later. A mixing valve 62 is provided at a connection portion between the downstream end of the second introduction path 50b and the supply path 60. The mixing valve 62 adjusts the amount of hot water flowing in the supply path 60 to be mixed with the water in the second introduction path 50b.

The upstream end of the supply path 60 is connected to the upper part of the tank 10. As described above, the second introduction passage 50b of the tap water introduction passage 50 is connected in the middle of the supply passage 60, and the mixing valve 62 is provided at the connecting portion. The combustor 70 of the above-mentioned heat source machine 6 is interposed in the supply path 60 on the downstream side of the connection portion with the second introduction path 50b. As described above, the downstream end of the supply path 60 is connected to the hot water utilization point.

The connection portion 54 is an electric wiring having a plug at the tip, and is a supply means for supplying electric power to the tank unit 8. The plug of the connection portion 54 is plugged into the power outlet 36 of the heat source machine 6. That is, the tank unit 8 supplies electric power from the heat source machine 6.

(Composition of distribution board 300 and power outlet 200)
The distribution board 300 is a device connected to a power source and for branching and allocating the electric power supplied from the power source to the power supply connection ports inside and outside the building.

The power outlet 200 is a power supply outlet branched from the distribution board 300. In this embodiment, the power outlet 200 is an outlet having a rated current of 15 A and a rated voltage of 100 V. In this embodiment, the power outlet 200 is an outlet installed outside the building, but in another example, the power outlet 200 may be an outlet installed inside the building. In the example shown in FIG. 1, both the plug of the connection portion 91 and the plug of the connection portion 21 are inserted into the power outlet 200.

Next, the operation of the hot water supply system 2 of this embodiment will be described. The hot water supply system 2 can execute the heat storage operation and the hot water supply operation. Hereinafter, each operation will be described.

(Heat storage operation)
The heat storage operation is an operation in which the water in the tank 10 is heated by the heat generated by the heater 80. When the HP control unit 100 instructs the execution of the heat storage operation, first, the heater 80 prepares for the operation (so-called warm-up operation) to start the operation. When the preparation for operation is completed, the heater 80 starts operation (that is, the compressor 104 and the fan 103 are operated), and the circulation pump 84 rotates. When the circulation pump 84 rotates, the water in the tank 10 circulates in the tank water circulation path 82. That is, the water existing in the lower part of the tank 10 is introduced into the tank water circulation path 82, and when the introduced water passes through the condenser 105 in the heater 80, it is heated and heated by the heat of the heat medium. Water is returned to the top of the tank 10. As a result, hot water is stored in the tank 10. A layer of hot water is formed in the upper part of the tank 10, and a layer of cold water is formed in the lower part.

(Hot water supply operation)
The hot water supply operation is an operation of supplying the water in the tank 10 to the hot water utilization point. The hot water supply operation can also be executed during the above heat storage operation. When the hot water tap at the hot water utilization point is opened, tap water flows from the tap water introduction path 50 (first introduction path 50a) to the lower part of the tank 10 due to the water pressure from the tap water supply source 51. At the same time, the hot water in the upper part of the tank 10 is supplied to the hot water utilization point via the supply path 60.

When the temperature of the water supplied from the tank 10 to the supply path 60 (that is, the measured temperature of the thermistor 12) is higher than the hot water supply set temperature, the heat source machine control unit 40 opens the mixing valve 62 and the second introduction path. Tap water is introduced from 50b into the supply channel 60. Therefore, the water supplied from the tank 10 and the tap water supplied from the second introduction path 50b are mixed in the supply path 60. The heat source machine control unit 40 adjusts the opening degree of the mixing valve 62 so that the temperature of the water supplied to the hot water utilization location matches the hot water supply set temperature. On the other hand, the heat source machine control unit 40 operates the combustor 70 when the temperature of the water supplied from the tank 10 to the supply path 60 is lower than the hot water supply set temperature. Therefore, the water passing through the supply path 60 is heated by the combustor 70. The heat source machine control unit 40 controls the output of the combustor 70 so that the temperature of the water supplied to the hot water utilization location matches the hot water supply set temperature.

(Outline of behavior)
As described above, in the example of FIG. 1, both the plug of the connection portion 21 of the heat source machine 6 and the plug of the connection portion 91 of the heat pump 4 are plugged into the same power outlet 200. That is, both the heat source machine 6 and the heat pump 4 supply electric power from the same power outlet 200. Assuming this connection state, if the heater 80 and the combustor 70 are operated at the same time without performing the power factor improvement process using the PFC circuit 28 on the heat source machine 6, the rated current of the power outlet 200 (this). In the embodiment, it may exceed 15A). Therefore, in the hot water supply system 2 of the present embodiment, the HP control unit 100 executes the heat pump control process (see FIG. 3), and the heat source machine control unit 40 executes the heat source machine control process (see FIG. 4). The heater 80 and the combustor 70 are operated so as not to exceed the rated current of the power outlet 200.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the following behavior is realized by executing the heat pump control process and the heat source machine control process. The behavior is roughly divided into two depending on whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28.

(Outline of behavior when no abnormality occurs in PFC circuit 28)
In this embodiment, when no abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28, the PFC circuit 28 is driven to improve the power factor, thereby suppressing the current value flowing through the heat source machine 6 and burning with the heater 80. Even when the machines 70 are operated at the same time, it is possible to prevent the power outlet 200 from exceeding the rated current. Specifically, the HP control unit 100 indicates the state of the heater 80 each time the state of the heater 80 is switched between "operating", "preparing for operation", and "standby (that is, stopped)". A status signal (that is, any of an operating signal, an operating schedule signal, and a standby signal) is transmitted to the heat source machine control unit 40. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat source machine control unit 40 grasps the state of the heater 80 based on the state signal received from the HP control unit 100, and the combustor 70 and the heater 80 operate at the same time. When a situation to be expected occurs (that is, when the combustor 70 is operating and the heater 80 is operating or preparing to operate), the switch 24 is switched to the first state and the PFC circuit 28 is driven. Then, the heat source machine 6 performs the power factor improvement process (that is, the PFC circuit 28 is turned on). As a result, even if the combustor 70 and the heater 80 operate at the same time, the rated current of the power outlet 200 can be prevented from being exceeded.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat source machine control unit 40 operates when only one of the combustor 70 and the heater 80 operates, and both the combustor 70 and the heater 80 operate. If not, the switch 24 is switched to the second state so that the PFC circuit 28 is not driven and the heat source machine 6 is not subjected to the power factor improvement process (that is, the PFC circuit 28 is turned off). As a result, even if the power factor improving process by the PFC circuit 28 is not performed, the power consumption can be suppressed without unnecessarily driving the PFC circuit 28 under the condition that the rated current of the power outlet 200 is not exceeded.

(Outline of behavior when an abnormality occurs in the PFC circuit 28)
Further, when an abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28, the power factor cannot be improved by the PFC circuit 28 because the PFC circuit 28 does not operate normally. Therefore, the heat source machine control unit 40 turns off the PFC circuit 28. In this case, when the combustor 70 operates (including the case where it intends to operate), the heater 80 is prevented from operating at the same time, thereby suppressing the current from exceeding the rated current of the power outlet 200. When the combustor 70 and the heater 80 try to operate at the same time (that is, when the operation timings of both overlap), the operation of the combustor 70 is prioritized and the operation of the heater 80 is suppressed. It is also possible to adequately supply the heat required to prepare the hot water required in. Specifically, the heat source machine control unit 40 stops the operation of the heater 80 at the HP control unit 100 when the combustor 70 should be operated (if it is already on standby, the standby state is maintained). Send a stop signal requesting that. When the HP control unit 100 receives the stop signal from the heat source machine control unit 40, the HP control unit 100 ends the operation if the heater 80 is in operation. Then, the HP control unit 100 turns on the operation prohibition flag. The operation prohibition flag is a flag stored by the HP control unit 100, and is a flag set to either on or off. After that, the HP control unit 100 does not operate the heater 80 while the operation prohibition flag is on, even if the operation start condition of the heater 80 is satisfied. As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the PFC circuit 28, the combustor 70 and the heater 80 are operated at the same time, so that the occurrence of a situation in which the rated current of the power outlet 200 is exceeded can be suppressed. can.

Then, when the operation of the combustor 70 is completed, the heat source machine control unit 40 transmits a release signal for canceling the operation stop of the heater 80 to the HP control unit 100. When the HP control unit 100 receives the release signal from the heat source machine control unit 40, the HP control unit 100 switches the operation prohibition flag to off. After that, the HP control unit 100 operates the heater 80 when the operation start condition of the heater 80 is satisfied while the operation prohibition flag is off. In this case as well, by operating the combustor 70 and the heater 80 at the same time, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the rated current of the power outlet 200 is exceeded.

Hereinafter, the contents of the heat pump control process (see FIG. 3) and the heat source machine control process (see FIG. 4), which are the processes for realizing the above behavior in the hot water supply system 2, will be described in detail.

(Heat pump control process)
The contents of the heat pump control process executed by the HP control unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. When the power of the heat pump 4 is turned on, the HP control unit 100 starts the process of FIG. At the start of the process of FIG. 3, the heater 80 is not operating.

In S10, the HP control unit 100 sets the operation prohibition flag to off.

In the following S12, the HP control unit 100 transmits a standby signal indicating that the heater 80 is on standby to the heat source machine control unit 40.

In the following S14, the HP control unit 100 determines whether or not a release signal has been received from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this point. As described above, the release signal is a signal transmitted from the heat source machine control unit 40 when the operation of the combustor 70 is completed, and is a signal for releasing the operation stop of the heater 80. When the HP control unit 100 receives the release signal from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this timing, it determines YES in S14 and proceeds to S16. On the other hand, if the HP control unit 100 does not receive the release signal at this timing, it determines NO in S14, skips S16, and proceeds to S18.

In S16, the HP control unit 100 sets the operation prohibition flag to off. If the operation prohibition flag is already set to off at the time of S16, the HP control unit 100 keeps the operation prohibition flag off.

In the following S18, the HP control unit 100 determines whether or not the operation start condition of the heater 80 is satisfied. The operation start condition of the heater 80 is, for example, when a heat storage operation start instruction is input by the user, or when the detection temperature of the thermistor 12 (that is, the temperature of water near the upper part of the tank 10) is lower than a predetermined set temperature ( (When so-called hot water runs out), etc. When the operation start condition of the heater 80 is satisfied, the HP control unit 100 determines YES in S18 and proceeds to S20. On the other hand, when the operation start condition of the heater 80 is not satisfied, the HP control unit 100 determines NO in S18 and returns to S12.

In S20, the HP control unit 100 determines whether or not the operation prohibition flag at this time is on. The HP control unit 100 refers to the stored operation prohibition flag, determines YES in S20 when the operation prohibition flag is on, and returns to S12 without operating the heater 80. On the other hand, when the operation prohibition flag is off, the HP control unit 100 determines NO in S20 and proceeds to S22.

In S22, the HP control unit 100 transmits an operation schedule signal indicating that the heater 80 is preparing for operation to the heat source machine control unit 40.

In the following S24, the HP control unit 100 starts the operation preparation of the heater 80. That is, the HP control unit 100 starts the warm-up operation of the heater 80. If the operation preparation of the heater 80 has already been performed at the time of S24 (S24 after the determination of NO in S28 described later), the HP control unit 100 continues the operation preparation of the heater 80. And execute.

In the following S26, the HP control unit 100 determines whether or not a stop signal has been received from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this point. As described above, the stop signal is a signal transmitted from the heat source machine control unit 40 when the combustor 70 should be operated when an abnormality occurs in the PFC circuit 28 of the heat source machine 6, and is a signal of the heater 80. This is a signal requesting a stop. When the HP control unit 100 receives the stop signal from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this timing, it determines YES in S26 and proceeds to S27. On the other hand, if the HP control unit 100 does not receive the stop signal from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this timing, the HP control unit 100 determines NO in S26 and proceeds to S28.

In S27, the HP control unit 100 sets the operation prohibition flag to ON. After finishing S27, the HP control unit 100 returns to S12 without operating the heater 80.

In S28, the HP control unit 100 determines whether or not the HP control unit 100 has completed the operation preparation of the heater 80. At this point, if the predetermined warm-up operation of the heater 80 is completed and the state is such that the operation can be started, the HP control unit 100 determines YES in S28 and proceeds to S30. On the other hand, if the warm-up operation of the heater 80 is not completed at this point, the HP control unit 100 determines NO in S28 and returns to S22.

In S30, the HP control unit 100 starts the operation of the heater 80. Specifically, the HP control unit 100 operates the compressor 104 and the fan 103. In addition, the HP control unit 100 rotates the circulation pump 84 at the same time. As a result, the water drawn out from the lower part of the tank 10 is heated by the condenser 105 in the heater 80, and the heated hot water is returned to the upper part of the tank 10. If the heater 80 has already been operated at the time of S30 (S30 after the determination of NO in S36 described later), the HP control unit 100 continues the operation of the heater 80. Run.

In the following S32, the HP control unit 100 transmits an operating signal indicating that the heater 80 is operating to the heat source machine control unit 40.

In the following S34, the HP control unit 100 determines whether or not the operation end condition of the operating heater 80 is satisfied. The operation end condition of the heater 80 is, for example, when the user inputs a heat storage operation end instruction, or when the detection temperature of the thermistor 86 (that is, the temperature of the water at the bottom of the tank 10) falls below a predetermined set temperature (so-called). (When it is in a fully stored state), etc. If the operation end condition of the heater 80 is satisfied at this point, the HP control unit 100 determines YES in S34, skips S36 and S38, and proceeds to S40. On the other hand, if the operation end condition of the heater 80 is not satisfied at this point, the HP control unit 100 determines NO in S34 and proceeds to S36.

In S36, the HP control unit 100 determines at this point whether or not the stop signal has been received from the heat source machine control unit 40. When the HP control unit 100 receives the stop signal from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this timing, it determines YES in S36 and proceeds to S38. On the other hand, if the HP control unit 100 does not receive the stop signal from the heat source machine control unit 40 at this timing, the HP control unit 100 determines NO in S36 and returns to S30.

In S38, the HP control unit 100 sets the operation prohibition flag to ON.

In S40, the HP control unit 100 ends (that is, stops) the operation of the heater 80. At the same time, the HP control unit 100 also stops the rotation of the circulation pump 84. After finishing S40, the HP control unit 100 returns to S12 and executes each process after S12 again. While the power of the heat pump 4 is turned on, the HP control unit 100 repeatedly executes each of the above processes S12 to S40.

(Heat source machine control processing)
Subsequently, the contents of the heat source machine control process executed by the heat source machine control unit 40 will be described with reference to FIG. When the power of the heat source machine 6 is turned on, the heat source machine control unit 40 starts the process of FIG. At the start of the process of FIG. 4, the combustor 70 is not operating.

In S50, the heat source machine control unit 40 transmits a release signal to the HP control unit 100 and turns off the PFC circuit 28. That is, in S50, the heat source machine control unit 40 switches the switch 24 to the second state and drives the PFC circuit 28 so that the power factor is not improved by the PFC circuit 28.

In the following S52, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines at this point whether or not the operation start condition of the combustor 70 is satisfied. The operation start condition of the combustor 70 is, for example, a case where the temperature of the water supplied from the tank 10 to the supply path 60 during the hot water supply operation is lower than the hot water supply set temperature. When the operation start condition of the combustor 70 is satisfied, the HP control unit 100 determines YES in S52 and proceeds to S54.

In S54, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not the heater 80 is in operation or in preparation for operation. Specifically, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not the latest state signal received from the HP control unit 100 is either an operating signal or an operating scheduled signal. When the latest status signal received from the HP control unit 100 is an operating signal or an operating scheduled signal, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines YES in S54 and proceeds to S56. On the other hand, when the latest state signal received from the HP control unit 100 is a standby signal, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines NO in S54, skips S56 to S62, and proceeds to S64.

In S56, the heat source machine control unit 40 turns on the PFC circuit 28. That is, the heat source machine control unit 40 switches the switch 24 to the first state and drives the PFC circuit 28 to enable the power factor improvement by the PFC circuit 28.

In the following S58, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not the PFC circuit 28 is normal at this point. After turning on the PFC circuit 28 in S56, when the voltage of the normal value is output from the PFC circuit 28 (that is, when the PFC circuit 28 is normal), the voltage monitoring circuit 30 detects the normal value. Therefore, the voltage monitoring circuit 30 does not transmit a signal to the heat source machine control unit 40. In this case, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines YES in S58, skips S60 and S62, and proceeds to S64. On the other hand, if an abnormal value voltage is output from the PFC circuit 28 after the PFC circuit 28 is turned on in S56 (that is, when an abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28), the voltage monitoring circuit 30 has an abnormal value. Is detected. Therefore, the voltage monitoring circuit 30 transmits an abnormal signal to the heat source machine control unit 40. In this case, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines NO in S58 and proceeds to S60.

In S60, the heat source machine control unit 40 transmits a stop signal to the HP control unit 100, and the heat source machine control unit 40 turns off the PFC circuit 28. As a result, the heater 80 in operation or in preparation for operation can be stopped. Further, it is possible to prevent the switching element from being unnecessarily driven when an abnormality occurs in the PFC circuit 28.

In the following S62, the heat source machine control unit 40 monitors that the standby signal is received from the HP control unit 100. As described above, when the HP control unit 100 receives the stop signal transmitted in S60, the HP control unit 100 stops (or prevents the operation) the heater 80 that is operating or is preparing to operate (in S26 of FIG. 3). YES, S36 and YES, S40). In that case, the HP control unit 100 transmits a standby signal to the heat source machine control unit 40 (S12 in FIG. 3). When the heat source machine control unit 40 receives the standby signal transmitted from the HP control unit 100, it determines YES in S62 (that is, determines that the heater 80 has been stopped by transmitting the stop signal), and proceeds to S64. ..

In S64, the heat source machine control unit 40 starts the operation of the combustor 70. At this time, when the PFC circuit 28 is turned on (YES in S54 and YES in S56 and S58 above), the power factor is improved by the PFC circuit 28. When the PFC circuit 28 is turned off (NO in S54 or NO, S60 in S58), the power factor is not improved by the PFC circuit 28. If the combustor 70 is already operating at the time of S64 (that is, S64 after it is determined to be NO in S78 described later), in S64, the heat source machine control unit 40 operates the combustor 70. Continue to run.

In the following S66, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not the operation schedule signal (S22 in FIG. 3) has been received from the HP control unit 100. When the latest state signal received from the HP control unit 100 is an operation scheduled signal, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines YES in S66 and proceeds to S68. On the other hand, when the latest state signal received from the HP control unit 100 is a signal other than the scheduled operation signal (that is, a standby signal or an operating signal), the heat source machine control unit 40 determines NO in S66. Then, S68 to S72 are skipped and the process proceeds to S74.

In S68, the heat source machine control unit 40 turns on the PFC circuit 28. The content of the process of S68 is the same as that of S56 described above.

In the following S70, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not the PFC circuit 28 is normal at this point. The content of the process of S70 is the same as that of S58 described above. If YES is determined in S70, the heat source machine control unit 40 skips S72 and proceeds to S74. If NO is determined in S70, the heat source machine control unit 40 proceeds to S72.

In S72, the heat source machine control unit 40 transmits a stop signal to the HP control unit 100, and the heat source machine control unit 40 turns off the PFC circuit 28. The content of the process of S72 is the same as that of S60 described above.

In the following S74, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not a standby signal (S12 in FIG. 3) has been received from the HP control unit 100. When the latest status signal received from the HP control unit 100 is a standby signal, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines YES in S74 and proceeds to S76. On the other hand, when the latest state signal received from the HP control unit 100 is not a standby signal (that is, it is an operating signal), the heat source machine control unit 40 determines NO in S74 and determines S76. Skip to S78.

In S76, the heat source machine control unit 40 turns off the PFC circuit 28.

In the following S78, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines whether or not the operation end condition of the combustor 70 in operation is satisfied. The operation end condition of the combustor 70 is, for example, the case where the hot water supply operation ends after the operation of the combustor 70. When the operation end condition of the combustor 70 is satisfied, the heat source machine control unit 40 determines YES in S78 and proceeds to S80. On the other hand, if the operation end condition of the combustor 70 is not satisfied at this point (that is, when the combustor 70 is continuing the operation), the heat source machine control unit 40 determines NO in S78 and returns to S64. .. In S64, which is the return destination, the heat source machine control unit 40 continues the operation of the combustor 70.

In S80, the heat source machine control unit 40 causes the heat source machine control unit 40 to terminate the operation of the combustor 70. After finishing S80, the heat source machine control unit 40 returns to S50 and executes each process after S50 again. While the power of the heat source machine 6 is turned on, the heat source machine control unit 40 repeatedly executes each of the above processes S50 to S80.

The configuration and operation of the hot water supply system 2 of this embodiment have been described above. As described above, in the present embodiment, the heat source machine power supply unit 20 has a switching element and also has a PFC circuit 28 provided between the power outlet 200 and the load (that is, each component of the heat source machine 6). ing. By driving the PFC circuit 28 (that is, driving the switching element of the PFC circuit 28), the current value flowing from the power outlet 200 to the heat source machine 6 can be suppressed to a low level. Therefore, according to this embodiment, as in the example of FIG. 1, the plug of the connection portion 91 of the heat pump 4 and the plug of the connection portion 21 of the heat source machine 6 are connected to the same power outlet 200 and are the same. When power is supplied to each unit from the power outlet 200, even if the heater 80 and the combustor 70 operate at the same time, it is possible to prevent the current flowing through the hot water supply system 2 from exceeding the rated current of the power outlet 200. can. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to connect the plug of the connection portion 91 of the heat pump 4 and the plug of the connection portion 91 of the heat source machine 6 to different power outlets. There is no need to carry out construction work to secure the space. Therefore, the construction load can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the power supply unit of the heat pump and the power supply unit of the heat source machine need to be connected to different power sources.

If the PFC circuit 28 is always operated in the ON state while the hot water supply system 2 is being operated, the power consumption of the entire hot water supply system 2 increases as the switching element is driven. However, in some cases, for example, when only one of the heater 80 and the combustor 70 is operated, the current flowing through the hot water supply system 2 does not exceed the rated current of the power outlet 200. In this regard, in this embodiment, the heat source machine control unit 40 receives a state signal indicating the state of the heater 80 from the HP control unit 100, and sets the power factor improvement state by the PFC circuit 28 into an on state and an off state. Switch to either. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, whether or not to enable the power factor improvement by the PFC circuit 28 (that is, whether or not to turn on the PFC circuit 28) is switched according to the operating state of the heat source machine 6 and the heat pump 4. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a wasteful increase in power consumption.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the heat source machine control unit 40 receives the operation schedule signal from the HP control unit 100 (YES in S54 and YES in S66 in FIG. 4), both the heater 80 and the combustor 70 are used. The PFC circuit 28 is turned on (S56, S68) before the state of simultaneous operation is started. Therefore, in this embodiment, the PFC circuit 28 can be turned on at the time when both the heater 80 and the combustor 70 start to operate at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the start of the state in which both the heater 80 and the combustor 70 operate at the same time when the PFC circuit 28 is not turned on. As a result, even when both the heater 80 and the combustor 70 operate at the same time, it is possible to prevent the current flowing through the hot water supply system 2 from exceeding the rated current of the power outlet 200.

When the heat source machine control unit 40 starts the simultaneous operation state of the heater 80 and the combustor 70 after turning on the PFC circuit 28 (S56, S68 in FIG. 4), and then ends the simultaneous operation state (for example,). When at least one of the operations of the heater 80 and the combustor 70 is completed), the PFC circuit 28 is turned off (S50 and S76 in FIGS. 2 and 4). Therefore, the PFC circuit 28 can be turned off when the simultaneous operation state ends after the simultaneous operation state in which both the heater 80 and the combustor 70 operate at the same time is started (FIG. 2). Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress a useless increase in power consumption when the simultaneous operation state of the heater 80 and the combustor 70 ends.

As described above, when an abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28, the PFC circuit 28 does not function effectively, and the current value flowing from the power outlet 200 to the heat source machine 6 cannot be suppressed to a low level. In that case, if the heater 80 and the combustor 70 are operated at the same time, the flowing current may exceed the rated current of the power outlet 200. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the heat source machine control unit 40 is in the case where the combustor 70 should operate after receiving the abnormal signal from the voltage monitoring circuit 30 (NO in S58 in FIG. 4 or NO in S70). In the case of NO), a stop signal for suppressing the operation of the heater 80 is transmitted to the HP control unit 100 (S60, S72). As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the PFC circuit 28, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the combustor 70 and the heater 80 are operated at the same time and the rated current of the power outlet 200 is exceeded. be able to. Further, by operating the combustor 70 without operating the heater 80, it is possible to sufficiently supply the heat required for preparing the hot water required at the hot water utilization location.

The correspondence between this embodiment and the description of the claims will be described. The power outlet 200 is an example of a “power connection port”. The HP power supply unit 90 is an example of the “first power supply unit”, and the heat source machine power supply unit 20 is an example of the “second power supply unit”. The HP control unit 100 is an example of the “first control unit”, and the heat source machine control unit 40 is an example of the “second control unit”.

Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the specific examples illustrated above.

(Modification 1) In the above embodiment, the HP control unit 100 transmits a state signal to the heat source machine control unit 40 each time the state of the heater 80 is switched (see FIG. 3). Not limited to this, the HP control unit 100 may periodically transmit the state information indicating the state of the heater 80 to the heat source machine control unit 40 regardless of whether or not the state of the heater 80 has changed. good.

(Modification 2) In the above embodiment, when an abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28, when the combustor 70 and the heater 80 try to operate at the same time (that is, when the operation timings of both overlap). ), The operation of the combustor 70 is prioritized and the operation of the heater 80 is suppressed. Not limited to this, when an abnormality has occurred in the PFC circuit 28, when the combustor 70 and the heater 80 try to operate at the same time, the device on the side that started the operation (or preparation for operation) first. The operation may be prioritized.

(Modification 3) Of the heat source machine 6, the heat source machine power supply unit 20, the heat source machine control unit 40, and the combustor 70 are separated from the tank 10 and other accessory elements (supply path 60, mixing valve 62, etc.). It may be configured as a unit. In that case, the unit including the tank 10 and the accessory elements is connected to either the heat source unit or the HP unit, and is configured to receive power from the connected unit. May be good.

The technical elements described herein or in the drawings exhibit their technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the techniques illustrated in the present specification or drawings can achieve a plurality of purposes at the same time, and achieving one of the purposes itself has technical usefulness.

2: Hot water supply system 4: Heat pump 6: Heat source machine 8: Tank unit 10: Tank 12: Thermistor 14: Thermistor 16: Thermistor 18: Thermistor 20: Heat source machine power supply 21: Connection 22: AC circuit 24: Switch 26: Bypass Circuit 28: PFC circuit 30: Voltage monitoring circuit 32: SW power supply 34: DC-DC converter 36: Power outlet 40: Heat source unit control unit 50: Tap water introduction path 50a: First introduction path 50b: Second introduction path 51: Tap water supply source 52: Thermistor 54: Connection part 60: Supply path 62: Mixing valve 64: Thermistor 70: Combustor 80: Heater 82: Tank water circulation path 84: Circulation pump 86: Thermistor 88: Thermistor 90: HP power supply unit 91: Connection unit 100: HP control unit 101: Heat medium circulation path 102: Evaporator 103: Fan 104: Compressor 105: Condenser 106: Expansion valve 107: Bypass path 108: On-off valve 200: Power outlet 300: Power distribution Board

Claims (5)

It is a hot water supply system that operates by being connected to a power supply connection port that is branched from the power supply that supplies power.
Equipped with a heat pump and a heat source machine,
The heat pump
A heater that absorbs heat from the outside air and heats water,
It has a first power supply unit connected to the power supply connection port, and has.
The heat source machine is
A combustor that heats water using the heat generated by burning fuel,
It has a second power supply unit connected to the power supply connection port, and has.
The second power supply unit has a switching element and a power factor improving circuit provided between the power supply connection port and the load.
Hot water supply system. The second power supply unit further includes the first state in which the power factor improving circuit is electrically connected between the power supply connection port and the load, and the power supply connection port and the load. It has a switch to switch between the second state where the power factor improvement circuit is not electrically connected and the second state.
The heat pump further
It has a first control unit that transmits a state signal indicating the operating state of the heater to the heat source machine.
The heat source machine further
The state signal is received from the heat pump, and based on the received state signal, the power factor improvement state by the power factor improvement circuit is changed to (a) the state of the switch is switched to the first state, and the state is changed to the first state. The power factor improvement circuit is driven to drive the power factor improvement circuit, and (b) the switch state is switched to the second state, and the power factor improvement circuit is driven. It has a second control unit that switches between an off state in which the power factor is not improved by the power factor improving circuit and the power factor is not improved.
The hot water supply system according to claim 1. The status signal includes a scheduled operation signal indicating that the heater is making necessary preparations to start operation.
The second control unit
When the operation schedule signal is received from the heat pump, the power factor improvement state is switched to the on state before the simultaneous operation state in which both the heater and the combustor operate at the same time is started.
The hot water supply system according to claim 2. The second control unit
When the simultaneous operation state is started after the power factor improvement state is switched to the on state and then the simultaneous operation state ends, the power factor improvement state is switched from the on state to the off state. ,
The hot water supply system according to claim 3. The heat pump further has a first control unit capable of communicating with the heat source machine.
The heat source machine further has a second control unit capable of communicating with the heat pump.
The second power supply unit further includes a monitoring circuit for detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the power factor improving circuit.
The second control unit suppresses the operation of the heater when the combustor should operate after the monitoring circuit detects that an abnormality has occurred in the power factor improving circuit. To send a stop signal to the heat pump,
The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images