JPH07107464B2 - Method for detecting the amount of remaining hot water in the hot water storage tank - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for detecting the amount of residual hot water in a hot water storage tank.

Conventional technology As a conventional method for detecting the amount of remaining hot water in a hot water storage tank, a plurality of temperature sensors such as thermostats and thermistors are installed on the outer wall surface of the hot water storage tank, and the amount of remaining hot water is detected by the temperature of each sensor unit. .

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, since this method is a stepwise measurement,
There was a problem that it could not be measured as a continuous quantity.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and forms hot water having a constant temperature in a hot water storage tank to form temperature stratification of a hot water part, an intermediate temperature part, and a city water temperature part. To store hot water in the hot water storage tank, and provide at least one temperature sensor in the hot water storage tank,
Further, a flow sensor is provided at each of the hot water inflow portion and the hot water outlet portion of the hot water storage tank, and the residual hot water amount is obtained as a relative value from the flow rate values of these flow rate sensors. The boundary is detected and initialized to obtain the absolute value of the amount of remaining hot water.

Action In the present invention, the remaining hot water amount can be detected as a continuous amount by obtaining the remaining hot water amount by the above method.

Example Hereinafter, a method for detecting the amount of remaining hot water in a hot water storage tank according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the hot water supply device. Water discharged from the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1 is sent to a heat source device 3 by a water pump 2, heated and heated, and passes through a hot water inflow portion flow rate sensor 4 to the hot water storage tank. 1, the hot water is stored while forming a temperature stratification having a warm water, a city water temperature part, and an intermediate temperature part therebetween.

At this time, the outlet water temperature of the heat source unit 3 becomes constant by adjusting the capacity of the water pump 2 and changing the water flow rate by the output of the heat source unit outlet temperature sensor 5 provided at the outlet of the heat source unit 3. Hot water is stored in the hot water storage tank 1.

On the other hand, when the hot water tap 6 is opened, city water enters the hot water storage tank 1 bottom through the city water pipe 7, and hot water in the upper part of the direct hot water tank 1 passes through the hot water tap flow sensor 8 and is discharged from the hot water tap 6.

Further, a hot water tank internal temperature sensor 9 is provided in the hot water tank 1.

FIG. 2 shows the temperature distribution in the hot water storage tank 1 in the case of such a water heater. The hot water tank 1 is divided into a hot water part 10, an intermediate temperature part 11 and a city water temperature part 12 according to the water temperature to form a temperature stratification, and the volume of the hot water part 10 is the amount of remaining hot water.

The hot water portion 10 increases due to hot water entering through the hot water inflow portion flow rate sensor 4, and decreases due to inflow of city water from the city water pipe 7.

The height from the bottom of the hot water tank 1 to the boundary between the hot water part 10 and the intermediate temperature part 11 is H1, and the height to the hot water tank temperature sensor 9 is Hs. The temperature in the hot water tank temperature sensor 9 was lower than the temperature of the hot water portion 10 until then, or changed to the temperature of the hot water portion 10 or changed from that which was the temperature of the hot water portion 10 until then to a lower temperature. Hot water part 10 at these times
And the height H1 of the boundary between the intermediate temperature part 11 is H1 = Hs,
If the total volume of hot water tank 1 is Vt and the cross-sectional area is At, the amount of remaining hot water
Vh can be calculated as Vh = Vt−Hs * At. This value is set to the initial value Vh0 (time t
= 0), the remaining hot water amount Vh (t) at any time is
The flow rate of the hot water inflow part flow rate sensor 4 is Fh, and the flow rate of the hot water outflow part flow rate sensor 8 is F1, and Vh (t) = Vh0 + (integrated value of Fh)-(integrated value of F1).

After that, the boundary between the hot water part 10 and the intermediate temperature part 11 is initialized every time the temperature sensor 9 inside the hot water tank passes, so that the residual hot water amount can be accurately detected without accumulating the error of the flow rate sensor. be able to. As a result, it is possible to systematically operate the heat source device according to the hot water supply load, and prevent running out of hot water or take measures such as warning of running out of hot water.

Note that FIG. 3 shows a case where the reversible flow sensor 13 is used.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, according to the present invention, the amount of residual hot water in the hot water tank in which the temperature stratification is formed is detected by the hot water inflow portion flow sensor and the hot water outlet flow sensor, and the hot water tank internal temperature sensor detects the hot water inside the hot water tank. The output of the flow rate sensor is initialized each time the boundary between the hot water portion and the intermediate temperature portion is detected, and the amount of remaining hot water can be detected accurately with a simple configuration, which is extremely useful.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hot water supply apparatus, FIG. 2 is a temperature distribution explanatory view in a hot water storage tank, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another embodiment. 1 ... hot water storage tank, 2 ... water pump, 3 ... heat source machine, 4 ...
… Flow sensor for hot water inflow part, 5 …… Temperature sensor for heat source outlet, 6 …… Outlet tap, 7 …… City water pipe, 8 …… Sensor for outflow part, 9 …… Temperature sensor in hot water tank, 10 …… Warm water part, 11 …… Intermediate temperature part, 12 …… City water temperature part, 13 …… Reversible flow sensor.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Minoru Tagashira 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-60-216145 (JP, A) JP-A-61-289269 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A hot water tank for storing hot water at a constant temperature is formed with temperature stratification of a hot water part, an intermediate temperature part, and a city water temperature part to store hot water in the hot water tank, and a hot water inflow part of the hot water tank, and A flow sensor is provided in the hot water outlet, at least one temperature sensor is provided in the hot water tank, and the value of the flow sensor is initialized when the temperature sensor detects the boundary between the hot water part and the intermediate temperature part. A method for detecting the amount of remaining hot water in a hot water storage tank.