EP4137645B1 - Drinking water installation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drinking water installation comprising a supply line provided downstream of the drinking water transition point, which supplies several drinking water withdrawal points, and a flush valve adapted for flushing the supply line, which is provided downstream of the last drinking water withdrawal point and connects the supply line to a flush line. The flush valve is control-coupled to a flush control, which activates the flush valve to flush the supply line.

Such a drinking water installation is made of EP 1 845 207 B1 known.

When properly operated, the existing drinking water installation produces hygienically safe drinking water. The flush control system monitors, for example, stagnation by detecting a lack of water at a point of use and/or a rise in the temperature of cold water or a drop in the temperature of hot water, and evaluates this to trigger a flushing process. During the flushing process, the flush valve is activated. Drinking water that is or is becoming hygienically unsafe is discharged from the drinking water installation. With current technology, drinking water is usually piped directly to the domestic water supply point.

DE 20 2012 102881 U1 discloses a hygiene flushing device in which a toilet cistern can be supplied from a hygiene water collection tank arranged above it, wherein the hygiene water collection tank can receive flushing water from branch lines.

DE 10 2019 107179 A1 discloses a method for supplying water in which the water used to flush pipes is collected and stored and used to feed the flush of a toilet.

BOGER GA ET AL: "Beuth Commentaries", January 1, 1989 (1989-01-01), 19890101, XP003023649 reveals a drinking water installation.

The present invention is based on the problem of providing a solution that allows a more gentle handling of the foodstuff drinking water.

To solve this problem, the present invention proposes a drinking water installation having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, the features specified in subclaims 2 to 9 are proposed.

In this drinking water installation, the flush line drains into a tank via a free outlet. The tank is equipped with an overflow that communicates with the wastewater outlet, usually via a free outlet. This free outlet Water is fed into the wastewater disposal system. Accordingly, the outflow usually communicates directly via pipes with the wastewater transfer point to the public disposal network.

For further discharging the water contained in the container, a discharging means, such as a pump, is assigned to the container. Downstream of the discharging means, an NPW supply line or supply line for non-potable water with at least one downstream consumer is provided, preferably an FK5 line system. In other words, the discharging means supplies a non-potable water line system.

An FK5 piping system is defined as a piping system for Category 5 liquids according to DIN 1988 Part 100, Application Table A1. This is a piping system that must be separated from a drinking water system, as it is essential to prevent contaminated water or other liquids from being sucked back into the drinking water pipe network of the drinking water installation in the event of unfavorable pressure conditions. Here, the tank, with the flushing line freely draining into the tank, creates a system separation.

The tank is also assigned a level detector and a level controller for admitting water into the tank. The level controller receives information about the tank's fill level from the level detector. If there is significant demand due to pump operation and a drop in the tank level, the level controller ensures that water is admitted into the tank.

With the solution according to the invention, this can be achieved by flushing a supply line and filling the container synchronously. This allows for synergistic use of water to ensure hygienically safe conditions in the drinking water supply network, while also providing a sufficient volume of liquid for the collection of non-potable water in the container.

The flushing control and the fill level control typically communicate with each other via data to ensure the best possible use of the water in the drinking water installation. At least one of the controls can, for example, use artificial intelligence to predict an imminent filling of the tank caused by flushing based on observations of usage and consumption behavior and then suspend filling of the tank despite the low fill level.

The dispensing means is preferably connected to the level control system. If a pump is used as the dispensing means, the level control system can have a relay that supplies the pump with electrical drive power.

The tank is usually assigned an inlet valve that controls the water flow into the tank. This is usually linked to the flush control and/or the fill level control. This inlet valve is usually arranged downstream of the flush valves. This means that a flush valve can remain open. In this case, the flushing function of the corresponding flush valve is initiated by operating the inlet valve. Of course, if several flush valves and their supply lines are supplied in parallel, certain flush valves can be kept open alternately and their flushing function can be temporarily taken over by the inlet valve. To prevent drinking water from flowing back towards the supply line, each flush valve is preferably assigned a backflow preventer, provided upstream or downstream of the flush valve in the direction of flow. The backflow preventer is preferably provided downstream of the flush valve and immediately upstream of a branch into the flush line. This backflow preventer prevents water from flowing back through the corresponding flush valve and into the connected supply line. The backflow preventer is typically located between the flush valve and a flush valve associated with another supply line. The multiple flush valves are typically connected to the same flush line, which leads to one container.

The inlet valve is arranged downstream of at least one flush valve in the direction of flow. The inlet valve is usually also arranged downstream of an inlet valve in the direction of flow, which is provided between a tank supply line and the flush line. The inlet valve blocks the tank supply line from the flush line. The tank supply line is usually laid parallel to the at least one supply line that supplies the points for drawing off drinking water and at the end of which the flush valve is provided. The tank supply line forms a relatively direct connection between the point where drinking water flows out and the free outlet into the tank. The tank supply line is used to fill the tank when sufficient supply pressure cannot be achieved by flushing the supply lines by operating the flush valves to ensure adequate filling of the tank, for example because drinking water is drawn from a point upstream of the flush valve in the direction of flow.

The tank supply line preferably serves no other purpose than the direct connection between the transition point and the inlet valve for filling the tank. To check for sufficient system pressure in the area of the inlet valve, the flushing line leading to the inlet valve can be equipped with a pressure sensor. Its signal is evaluated to control the inlet valve, preferably in the level control system, which is usually adjusted so that a sufficient volume is provided within the container to enable water to be drawn downstream of the agent for application at any time.

The tank level can be determined in any way. The level in the tank can be actually detected by sensors. Alternatively, the incoming and outgoing volume flows can be measured directly or recorded based on the performance curve of, for example, the pump and compared to gain insight into the fill level.

The drinking water installation according to the invention allows the use of water diverted from the drinking water area by flushing. The free outlet systematically separates the pipe system carrying the drinking water from the container containing the diverted water. Contamination of the drinking water is therefore not to be feared. Nevertheless, the water diverted by flushing can be put to further use. The water can be used, for example, for underground irrigation, in cooling towers, for cleaning contaminated areas or animals, or in open livestock watering troughs. The fill level control is usually not only designed to ensure that the container is sufficiently filled. Rather, the fill level control also communicates with the flush control, which receives and evaluates information via sensors installed in the drinking water installation to determine whether and when flushing should be initiated. This information can be taken into account by the fill level control as part of a management system aimed at conserving water resources. For example, water consumption downstream of the means for discharging water from the tank may require the tank to be filled, which is accomplished by opening at least one flush valve and the inlet valve. Thus, at least one supply line is flushed simultaneously when the tank is filled, and a flushing of the supply line that would otherwise be required soon due to water quality monitoring can be postponed. To monitor hygienically clean water at drinking water extraction points, a temperature sensor can be provided. In the case of cold water, this sensor triggers a flush if the water in the drinking water installation is excessively warm. In the case of a hot water system, any signs of hot water cooling can be interpreted as an indication that the water has been standing for too long. Alternatively or additionally, a volume flow sensor can be installed to detect water flow and thus water exchange. If there is no volume flow, stagnant water is assumed, and the system is flushed accordingly. Alternatively or additionally, the flush can also be triggered by a timer.

The timer of the time control for the time-controlled flushing of a supply line can be reset whenever drinking water is drained from the supply line into the container to fill the container due to a low fill level in the container and the supply line is sufficiently flushed in the process.

Regular use downstream of the means for discharging water from the reservoir can maintain the legally required drinking water quality in the supply lines by using the supply lines to fill the reservoir and thus flush it. Therefore, the water quality monitoring system may not need to initiate a flush.

Advantageously, the consumer provided downstream of the means for discharging water from the container is therefore preferably a tap at which water is usually consumed regularly, for example a cattle watering trough, a water playground, a plant watering system or a sink for work shoes, sports shoes or work clothes.

Typically, a sensor associated with the supply line and/or the duration of the flush valve being open is used to determine whether the supply line is being sufficiently flushed when the tank is filled.

The free outlet is preferred for letting water into the container.

The level control can admit water by controlling the flush valve and/or an inlet valve controlling the water flow into the tank. In particular, the level control can admit drinking water from the supply line downstream of the last drinking water withdrawal point and/or from any drinking water withdrawal point from the supply line into the tank, for example, via the tank supply line, which can discharge into the free outlet. In other words, the admitted water may or may not originate from flushing.

The fill level control and/or the flushing control are/are preferably configured for data or digital communication. For this purpose, the fill level control and/or the flushing control preferably have/have an electronic circuit for control, for example, a separate circuit and/or a shared circuit.

The circuit or circuits can be designed to be programmable.

Data or digital communication can be wired or wireless. Mechanical communication is preferably excluded when data communication is used. Therefore, wired or wireless communication is sufficient. Motion or power transmission for mechanical communication is thus generally unnecessary.

This allows for simple, environment-dependent control, for example depending on other parameters such as the presence of people, temperatures, durations, volume flowed, etc.

Preferably, the container is intended for the exclusive storage of drinking water and water from flushing the drinking water supply line. Contaminated wastewater, in particular gray water, for example from a bathtub, a shower, a kitchen, rainwater, etc., is preferably not intended for storage in the container in order to keep the container free of corresponding contamination and to eliminate the need for a separate purification device, in particular a chemical purification device.

In particular, it is proposed that the flushing line drains water into the tank via the free outlet. The tank is provided with an overflow. The tank is assigned the means for discharging the water contained in the tank, and downstream of it in the direction of flow is the supply line for non-potable water or NPW supply line with at least one consumer. Furthermore, the tank is assigned the fill level detection and level control. The fill level control can admit water into the tank depending on the fill level detection. The fill level detection can typically communicate the fill level to the fill level control in data or digital form, for example, wirelessly or via a cable.

Further details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment in conjunction with the drawing, which illustrates a schematic representation of an embodiment of a drinking water installation.

The example only shows pipes that may be exposed in the basement, but otherwise concealed. This is a drinking water installation in accordance with the Drinking Water Ordinance, with a point of transition from water to the drinking water installation, marked with reference symbol 2.

At this point of the transition 2, shut-off valves, a water meter 4 and a filter 6 are installed. Downstream of the filter 6, a supply line in the form of a riser branch is provided as a supply line 8, which merges into floor branches as supply lines 10 across various floors. The riser branch as a supply line 8 passes through several floors and preferably runs in a straight line to avoid pressure losses. Each floor branch as a supply line 10 runs essentially horizontally on a floor and preferably in a straight line to avoid pressure losses. Ring lines 12 branch from each floor branch as a supply line 10, which are provided with at least one point for the withdrawal of drinking water. These withdrawal points are designated by reference numeral 14. The exemplary embodiment shows lines that are located on the floors below are laid in the plaster. At the point of withdrawal 14, a branch line (not shown) branches off from the ring main 12 to the point where the drinking water is released into the environment. The branch line can, for example, be the fluid connection between the outlet of a fitting, such as a sink, a shower, or even a toilet or bathtub, and the drinking water installation. The branch line is not part of the drinking water installation, but is connected to it.

The floor branch runs parallel to each ring main 12 as a supply line 10. Between an outflow opening 16 and an inflow opening 18, at which the ring main 12 branches off from the branch as a supply line 10 and is fed back into the branch as a supply line 10, there is a throttle as a flow resistance element 20 in the floor branch as a supply line 10. This throttle as a flow resistance element 20 increases the flow resistance between the outflow opening 16 and the inflow opening 18 in such a way that when there is flow in the branch, caused for example by the flush valve 22 provided at the end of the branch as a supply line 10, both the branch as a supply line 10 and, parallel to it, the ring main 12 are flowed through. The same results from the withdrawal of drinking water at a point of withdrawal 14 which is downstream of the one or more ring mains 12 in the direction of flow. Such a reference also usually triggers parallel flows in the upstream ring lines 12 and the sections of the floor line provided as supply line 10 parallel to the respective ring lines 12.

The flush valve 22 is an adjustable flush valve, which is connected for control purposes to a flush control 24. The flush valve can be controlled by a motor-driven actuator or by an electrically heatable expansion element. The actuating movement is usually an axial displacement of a valve body toward a valve seat or in the opposite direction away from the valve seat. Immediately downstream of the flush valve 22, a backflow preventer 26 is provided for each of the flush valves 22. Sensors 28 are installed in the floor lines forming the supply lines as supply lines 10. These sensors determine the temperature or volume flow within the respective floor line as supply line 10 and are connected for data purposes to the flush control 24. The signals from these sensors 28 or a time module within the flush control 24 trigger flushing. During flushing, a flush valve 22 or an inlet valve designated by reference numeral 30 at the end of a flush line 32 is actuated.

Between this inlet valve 30 and the backflow preventers 26, a container supply line 34 opens into the flushing line 32. In the area of the outlet, a motor-controlled inlet valve 36 is provided, which can shut off the container supply line 34 in the area of its end and communicates data-wise with a level control 38. The pressure in the flushing line 32 is monitored by a pressure sensor 40, which is also connected to the fill level control 38 in terms of data.

At the end of the flushing line 32 is a free outlet 42, which drains into a tank 44. The tank 44 has an overflow 46, which in turn is fluidly connected via a free outlet 48 to a wastewater line 50, which conveys the water drained from the tank 44 to the municipal wastewater disposal network.

Reference numeral 52 designates a pump adapted to pump out the liquid volume in the container 44. This pump 52 provides a means for discharging water contained in the container and communicates with the non-potable water (NPW) supply line 54. This NPW supply line 54 supplies at least one NPW consumer 56, for example, in the form of a plant irrigation system, a water playground, or a livestock watering trough.

Alternatively or additionally, a switching valve can be provided on the NPW supply line 54, for example at reference numeral 52, which is designed to communicate with the supply line 54 and the container 44. The switching valve can then typically be switched by the fill level control 38.

The container 44 is also assigned a fill level sensor 60, which is connected for data purposes to the fill level controller 38. The fill level controller 38 may be connected to the pump 52. The pump 52 may also be controlled depending on the internal pressure in the NPW supply line 54 and maintain a certain supply pressure in the NPW supply line 54.

The exemplary embodiment serves to maintain hygienically safe water, which can be drawn via the extraction points 14 and thus via the respective lines or supply lines 8, 10. The condition of the water is monitored by the previously described sensors 28.

If these sensors indicate emerging critical hygienic conditions for the drinking water in, for example, the top floor line as supply line 10.1 in the figure, the flush control 24, which processes the signals from the sensors 28, triggers a flush. Flushing can occur by opening the associated flush valve 22.1. Alternatively, the flush valve 22.1 associated with the floor line as supply line 10.1 can also be open, and flushing can be triggered by opening the inlet valve 30. For this purpose, the flush control 24 communicates with the fill level control 38. Both controls 24, 38 can be provided in a common control housing and linked to each other in terms of data. Opening the respective valve 22.1; 30 leads to the flushing of the upper floor line as supply line 10.1 and thus to the exchange of the hygienically questionable water from the upper floor line as supply line 10.1. the drained water flows into the container 44 and increases the level in the container 44. In the embodiment shown, the actual fill level is determined by the fill level sensor 60 and reported to the fill level control 38.

If water is drawn from the tank 44 via an NPW consumer 56 and the tank 44 is in danger of running dry, the fill level sensor 60 causes the inlet valve 30 to open. This opening is coordinated with the opening of the flush valves 22 in order to also meet hygiene requirements when filling the tank 44. The individual flush valves 22 can be opened simultaneously or sequentially as the tank is being filled, with the other flush valves 22 being closed simultaneously in the latter case. The backflow preventers 26 always prevent water from the flush line 32 or another floor branch as supply lines 10.1-10.3 from flowing back into one of the floor branches as supply lines 10.1-10.3.

If, when NPW water is withdrawn from the tank 44, the amount of water delivered via flushing is insufficient to cover the water demand on the NPW side, for example because the operating pressure detected by the pressure sensor 40 is too low and/or because only a limited number of flushing valves can be opened simultaneously to avoid an excessive pressure drop at the withdrawal points 14, the fill level control 38 activates the inflow valve 36. Bypassing branches or supply lines 8, 10, drinking water is thus supplied at a relatively high flow rate via the tank supply line 34. This is ideally laid solely for the inflow of water into the tank 44. This tank supply line 34 can also be equipped with sensors that indicate the need to flush the line 34.

Excessive consumption of liquid from the tank 44 can also be prevented by setting up various flush valves 22 in parallel to drain water from several lines serving as supply lines 10. However, only as many flush valves are opened in parallel as is necessary to prevent the drinking water supply at the extraction points 14 from collapsing due to pressure loss.

Thus, the tank supply line 34 not only serves to fill the tank 44, but also to prevent excessive pressure loss in the drinking water installation when filling the tank 44.

If the flush control 24, based on the sensor signals from the sensors 28, determines in the previously described initial situation, in which the flush valve of the upper floor line as supply line 10.1 is open, that, for example, hygienically questionable conditions exist or are imminent in the lower floor line as supply line 10.3, the upper flush valve 22.1 is closed and the lower flush valve 22.3 is opened. This occurs simultaneously to ensure the supply to the container 44. In this case, The backflow preventer 26 to the respective floor lines as supply lines 10.1 and 10.3 prevents backflow due to a temporarily different pressure at the end of the respective line as supply line 10.1, which are connected to each other via the flushing line 32. As a result, the flushing valve 22.3 is opened. The corresponding floor line as supply line 10.3 is flushed.

In any case, the fill level control 38 controls the inlet valve 30 so that it opens. The inlet valve 30 is therefore not opened due to water draining from the container 44, but is controlled by the flushing process. The water drained during flushing flows from the flushing line 32 into the container 44. A specification stored in the fill level control 38 that the level of the container 44 must not rise so high that water flows from the container 44 and via the overflow 46 into the wastewater line 50 must be deactivated by the flushing control. If the water drained by flushing exceeds the capacity of the container 44 or if no NPW water is consumed in the NPW supply line 54, the water supplied to the container 44 by flushing is drained via the overflow 46 in the manner described above.

Once hygienic conditions are restored in the floor section as supply line 10.3, the corresponding flush valve 22.3 closes. The fill level control 38 receives a corresponding signal, so that the fill level control 38 returns to the normal operating mode, in which the NPW supply line 54 is supplied with water and only ensures that the tank 44 is sufficiently filled and that the flow of water into the tank 44 is stopped before reaching the overflow 46.

As shown, the water extracted by flushing can be used to supply low-pressure water consumers. This conserves water resources. Furthermore, flushing ensures hygienically safe conditions in the drinking water supply lines.

In summary, the figure shows the drinking water installation with the supply line 8, 10 provided downstream of the drinking water transition point 2, wherein the supply line 8, 10 supplies several drinking water extraction points 14. The flushing valve 22 adapted for flushing the supply line 8, 10, which is provided downstream of the last drinking water extraction point 14 and connects the supply line 8, 10 to the flushing line 32, is also shown. It is further shown that the flushing valve 22 is control-coupled to the flushing control 24, which activates the flushing valve 22 for flushing the supply line 8, 10, wherein the flushing line 32 drains via the free outlet 42 into a container 44 provided with the overflow 46 and which is associated with a means 52 for discharging water contained in the container 44, to which The supply line for non-potable water or NPW supply line 54 with at least the consumer 56 is arranged downstream of the flow direction. Finally, it is shown that the tank 44 is assigned the fill level detection with the fill level sensor 60 and the fill level control 38, which admits water into the tank 44 depending on the fill level detection.

List of reference symbols

2

Point of transition

4

water meter

6

filter

8

Riser or supply line

10

Floor line or supply line

12

Ring line

14

Point of withdrawal

16

threading opening

18

Threading opening

20

throttle

22

Flush valve

24

Flush control

26

Backflow preventer

28

sensor

30

Inlet valve

32

Flushing line

34

Container supply line

36

Inlet valve

38

Level control

40

pressure sensor

42

free run

44

container

46

Overflow

48

free run

50

sewer line

52

pump

54

NPW supply line

56

NPW consumer

60

Level sensor

Claims (9)

1. Drinking water installation with a supply line (8, 10) provided downstream of the point of transition (2) of drinking water, which supplies several points of withdrawal (14) of drinking water, and at least one flushing valve (22) adapted to flush the supply pipe (8, 10), which is provided downstream of the last point of withdrawal (14) of drinking water and connects the supply pipe (8, 10) to a flushing pipe (32), wherein the at least one flushing valve (22) is coupled in a control manner to a flushing control (24) which activates the flushing valve (22) to flush the supply pipe (8, 10), wherein the flushing pipe (32) drains into a container (44) via a free flow (42), which is provided with an overflow (46) and is assigned a means (52) for discharging water contained in the container (44), which is followed in the direction of flow by a supply line for non-potable water (54) with at least one consumer (56), characterized in that that the container (44) is assigned a level detection means and a level control means (38) which, depending on information from the level detection means, allows water to enter the container (44) depending on the level of the container (44).
2. Drinking water installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (44) is assigned an inlet valve (30) which controls the inflow of water into the container (44) from at least one pipe (32; 34) of the drinking water installation,
   which is connected in a control-related manner to the flush control (24) and/or the level control means (38).
3. Drinking water installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the inlet valve (30) controls the filling of the container (44) via at least the flushing pipe (32) of the drinking water installation.
4. Drinking water installation according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the inlet valve (30) controls the filling of the container (44) via at least one container supply line (34) which is laid parallel to a supply line (10) communicating with the at least one flushing valve (22).
5. Drinking water installation according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the inlet valve (30) is arranged downstream of the at least one flushing valve (22) and an inlet valve (36) in the direction of flow, which is provided between the tank supply pipe (34) and the flushing pipe (32).
6. Drinking water installation according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that that the supply line (8, 10) runs at least in sections parallel to a ring line (12) which is connected to the supply line (8, 10) via a threading-out opening (16) and a threading-in opening (18) provided downstream thereof and which has at least one point (14) for withdrawing drinking water, wherein a flow resistance element (20) is provided in the supply line (8, 10) between the threading-out opening (16) and the threading-in opening (18).
7. Drinking water installation according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the flush valve (22) or each flush valve (22) is assigned a backflow preventer (26) provided upstream or downstream of the flush valve (22) in the direction of flow.
8. Drinking water installation according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the flushing control (24) and the level control means (38) are connected to each other in terms of data.
9. Drinking water installation according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the means (52) for discharging water contained in the container is connected in a control-related manner to the level control means (38).