JPH03260553A - Centralized control type hot water storing electric water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heat water to a desired temperature within a prescribed time zone even when a fault of a central processing unit and a circuit fault take place, by a system wherein a self-control instruction generating means gives a self-control instruction necessary for electrifying a heater to an electrification control device on the basis of the result of computation of a necessary electrification time computing means. CONSTITUTION:In the case when a control instruction is not transmitted by a limit time due to a fault of a central processing unit 13 or a fault of a communication circuit, a control instruction determining means 102 outputs a start signal to a self-control instruction generating means 104. When the start signal is inputted, the self-control instruction generating means 104 outputs a self-control instruction necessary for electrifying a heater 4 to an electrification control device 103 on the basis of the result of computation of a necessary electrification time computing means 101. Moreover, a residual time computing function of computing a residual time for a midnight service power and a function of judging whether a necessary electrification time computed by the necessary electrification time computing means 101 is equal to or longer than the residual time for the midnight service power are provided. The self-control instruction is output when the necessary electrification time is equal to or longer than the residual time for the midnight discount power.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a centralized control system suitable for use in a hot water storage type electric water heater centralized control system in which a plurality of electric water heaters are controlled by one central processing unit. This relates to a hot water storage type electric water heater.

[Prior art] In recent years, in order to prevent and equalize as much as possible the temporary drop in power load during late-night power hours, electric power companies, etc. have installed energization control arrays for multiple electric water heaters during late-night power hours. A centralized control system for hot water storage type electric water heaters that is controlled by a central processing unit has been developed, and test operations have begun in some areas.

An example of this centralized control system and an example of a hot water storage type electric water heater used in this system are described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-23057. This system calculates the required energization time for multiple hot water storage type electric water heaters and sends the calculation results to a central processing unit. Based on the transmitted required energization time of each electric water heater, the central processing unit energizes each hot water storage type electric water heater so as to prevent and equalize the temporary drop in power load during late-night power hours. The start time is calculated and the necessary control commands are sent to each hot water storage type electric water heater to start energizing. In conventional centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heaters, when a control command regarding the start time of energization is received from the central processing unit, energization to the heater is started at the specified time, and the heater is energized appropriately to provide hot water. It's boiling up.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In conventional centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heaters, energization to the heater is not controlled unless a control command regarding the energization start time is received from the central processing unit. Therefore, with conventional centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heaters, if a situation occurs in which control commands from the central processing unit are not input to the electric water heater due to a failure of the central processing unit or a failure of the communication line, late-night electricity is used to store hot water. The problem arises that it becomes impossible to do so.

An object of the present invention is to provide a centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heater that can boil water at its own discretion even if an accident occurs and a control command is not input from the central processing unit by a predetermined time limit. It's about doing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heater that can quickly recover the system by giving priority to control commands from the central processing unit after recovery from an accident.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heater of the present invention is equipped with a tank and a heater as well as a conventional electric water heater, and is also equipped with a tank and a heater. a necessary energization time calculation means for calculating the required energization time of the heater; an interface section for transmitting the calculation results of the required energization time calculation means to the central processing unit and receiving control commands from the central processing unit; and an energization control device that controls energization. The present invention further includes a control command determining means for determining the presence or absence of a control command from the central processing unit, and, if a control command is not transmitted by the time limit, based on the calculation results of the required energization time calculating means. A self-control command generating means is provided for supplying a self-control command necessary for energizing the heater to the energization control device.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that when the control command is input from the central processing unit after the self-control command is input, the energization control device thereafter controls the energization to the heater in accordance with the control command.

[Function] In the present invention, the control command determining means detects that no control command is input due to a failure of the central processing unit or a failure of the communication line. If the control command is not transmitted by the time limit, the self-control command generation means generates a self-control command necessary to energize the heater based on the calculation result of the required energization time calculation means. give to Therefore, according to the apparatus of the present invention, even if a central processing unit failure or line failure occurs, water can be boiled to a desired temperature within a predetermined time period.

In the invention of claim 2, even if the energization control device is operating according to a self-control command, if a control command is sent from the central processing unit due to recovery from an accident, the power supply control device operates according to the control command from the central processing unit. Control your water heater. Therefore, the system can be recovered quickly after an accident. The invention of claim 2 is especially effective when the central processing unit instructs not only the on time (energization start time) but also the off time (energization stop time) for energizing the heater.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system in which the hot water storage type electric water heater of the present invention is applied to a central control system. In the figure, 1 is a hot water storage type electric water heater, 2 is a hot water tank, 3 is a hot water inlet, 4 is a heater, 5 is a water temperature detection sensor, and 6
7 is a remaining hot water amount detection sensor, and 7 is a water supply port. Electric power is supplied to the heater 4 from a power source 9 via a switch 8 that opens and closes in accordance with control commands. 10 is a water heater control device equipped with a microcomputer inside. Water heater control device 1
0 includes the water supply temperature detected by the water temperature detection sensor 5, the remaining hot water amount detected by the remaining hot water amount detection sensor 6, and the boiling temperature setting device 1.
Tank 2, subject to the boiling temperature etc. set in 1.
A necessary energization time calculation means calculates the energization time of the heater 4 necessary to boil the hot water in the interior to a predetermined temperature, and a means for calculating the energization time of the switch 8 according to a control command transmitted from the central processing unit 13 via the interface section 12. It includes an energization control device that controls opening and closing and energization of the heater 4, a control command determining means to be described later, and a self-control command generating means. The interface section 12 is connected to the water heater control device 10
Send the required energization time calculated in to the central processing unit 13,
It also functions to transmit control commands sent from the central processing unit 13 to the water heater control device 10. The central processing unit 13 is connected to a plurality of water heaters 1 through communication lines.
Data on the required energization time is sent from The central processing unit 13 calculates the start time of energization of each water heater based on these data, and transmits a control command necessary for starting energization to each water heater.

The contents of the control commands and the number of commands transmitted from the central processing unit 13 vary depending on the control mode of the water heater control device 10. For example, in the water heater control device 10 which has an internal clock function, when a predetermined time comes, it calculates the required energization time, transmits the calculation result to the central processing unit 13, and the central processing unit 13 specifies the energization start time. In some cases, a control mode is adopted in which energization to the heater is started at that time, and then the energization is stopped by itself. In this case, the central processing unit 13 basically transmits only a control command instructing the energization start time. On the other hand, the water heater control device 10, which does not have an internal clock function, calculates the necessary energization time according to a data transfer command from the central processing unit 13, and transmits the calculation result. Some devices start energizing the heater 4 in response to an energization start command, and stop energizing the heater 4 in response to an energization stop command. The present invention can be applied to water heaters operated in any control mode.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the substantial frame correspondence of the water heater of the present invention. Here, the required energization time calculation means 101 may use a known calculation method, but for example, the necessary temperature difference between the temperature set by the boiling temperature setting device 11 and the water temperature detected by the water temperature detection sensor 5 is used. The amount of remaining hot water in the tank is calculated from the water temperature detected by the water temperature detection sensor 5 and the water temperature at each part of the tank detected by the remaining amount detection sensor, and the required thermal calories are calculated from the temperature difference and the amount of remaining hot water. The required energization time may be calculated from the capacity and heat calorie. The control command determining means 102 determines the presence or absence of a control command input via the interface section 12, and when a predetermined control command is input, the control command determines whether the command is present in the energization control device 1.
03.

Further, when the control command determining means 102 determines that the predetermined control command is not manually input by the time limit, it activates the self-control command generating means 104. The self-control command generation means 104 generates a self-control command necessary to energize the heater 4 based on the calculation result calculated by the necessary energization time calculation means 101 when there is no control command from the central processing unit 13. It is output to the energization control device 103. Here, "necessary self-control commands" are control commands scheduled to be sent from the central processing unit (data transfer command, midnight power time start command, heater energization start command, heater energization stop command, It means all the commands necessary to control the energization of the heater 4 based on the calculation result calculated by the required energization time calculation means 101 when a late-night power time end command, etc.) is not transmitted. Note that when a control command is input from the central processing unit 13 after the self-control command generating means 104 starts operating, the central processing unit 1
The energization control device 103 may be controlled in accordance with a control command from 3.

FIG. 3 shows that the water heater control device 10 has an internal clock function, and when a predetermined time arrives, calculates the required energization time, sends the calculation result to the central processing unit 13, and starts energizing from the central processing unit 13. Flowchart of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a water heater that is operated in a control mode that starts energizing the heater when a time is specified and stops energizing itself when the temperature of hot water reaches the set temperature. It is. In this embodiment, since the water heater control device 10 has a clock function, when the midnight power time starts (step 5T3-1
), the required energization time calculation means 101 calculates the required energization time to the heater 4 (step 5T3-2).

Then, the calculation results are automatically transmitted to the central processing unit 13 via the interface unit 12 (step 5T3-
3). The central processing unit 13 calculates the energization start time of each electric water heater based on the required energization time transmitted from the plurality of electric water heaters, and issues a control command to instruct each electric water heater to start energization. Send (Step 5T3-4.3-
5). In this example, the control command determining means 102 determines whether a control command has been transmitted by a predetermined time limit (step 5T3-6). In this embodiment, since the control device includes a clock, this clock is used to determine the time limit. During normal operation, a control command is sent by the time limit, and this control command is sent to the energization control device 1.
03. The energization control device 103 in this case is
When the commanded energization start time comes, an on signal is output to the switch 8 to turn it on, and when a self-control command is input from the self-control command generation means 104, which will be described later, the switch 8 is turned on. It has a function of outputting an on signal. When the switch 8 is turned on, the heater 4 is energized (step 5T3-8.3-9). The energization of the heater 4 continues until the temperature sensor detects that the water temperature has reached the set temperature, and when the water temperature reaches the set temperature, the energization control device 103 outputs an off signal to the switch 8 to open/close it. Vessel 8
is turned off, and power supply to the heater 4 is stopped (step 5T3-10.3-1-1.). Note that as a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot water in order to stop energizing the heater 4, a temperature sensor used for the water temperature detection sensor 5 or the remaining hot water amount detection sensor 6 can be used.

If a control command is not transmitted by the time limit due to a failure of the central processing unit 13 or a failure of the communication line, the control command determining means 102 outputs a start signal to the self-control command generating means 104. When the activation signal is input, the self-control command generation means 104 instructs the necessary energization time calculation means 101 to calculate, and based on the calculation result of the required energization time calculation means 101, the self-control command generation means 104 generates the self-control command necessary for energizing the heater 4 based on the calculation result of the required energization time calculation means 101. A control command is output to the energization control device 103. In this case, the self-control command generation means 104 has a remaining time calculation function that calculates the remaining time of late-night power, and the required energization time calculated by the required energization time calculation means 101 is equal to or longer than the remaining time of late-night power. It has a determination function to determine whether or not. The self-control command generating means 104 outputs a self-control command when the required energization time is equal to or longer than the remaining time of late-night power (step 5T3-7).
. When the self-control command is input, the energization control device 103 outputs an on signal to the switch 8, turns the switch 8 on, and energizes the heater 4 (step 5T3-9).

The subsequent operations are the same as in the normal case.

As described above, according to this embodiment, even if a failure occurs in the central processing unit 13 or the communication line, water can be boiled to a predetermined boiling temperature using late-night electricity.

As a modification of this embodiment, when no control command is input from the central processing unit 13, the required energization time is transmitted to the central processing unit 13 as the required energization time used for determination by the self-control command generation means 104. It is also possible to store this in an appropriate memory and use the stored required energization time. In addition, the energization control device 103 includes
An energization control device is added with a function to count the required energization time, starts energizing the heater 4, starts counting the required energization time, and outputs an off signal to the switch 8 when the count ends. 103 may be configured. Furthermore, the self-control command generation means 104 is replaced by the control command determination means 102.
The configuration may be such that the self-control command is output immediately when the activation signal is input from the controller.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control command determining means 102 has a function of determining whether or not a predetermined control command has been input to the self-control command generating means 104 by the time limit by determining only the presence or absence of a control command. You may also have In this case, unlike the above embodiment, the control command determining means 1
02 does not output a start signal, and the control command determining means 102 instructs the self-control command generating means 104 about the input state of the control command.

Next, the water heater control device 10 does not have a clock in its internal functions, and according to commands from the central processing device 13, data is transferred to the central processing device 13, confirmation of the start of the midnight power time, and energization of the heater 4. An embodiment will be described in which the present invention is applied to a centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heater that is operated in a control mode that starts, stops energizing the heater, and confirms the end of the late-night power period. The control commands output from the central processing unit 13 include a data transfer command to calculate and transfer the required energization time, a late-night power time start command to notify that the late-night power time has started, and a command to start energizing the heater. These are a heater energization start command, a heater energization stop command, which commands to stop energization to the heater, and a late night power time end command, which commands that the late night power time has ended.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of this embodiment.

In order to implement this embodiment, the control command determining means 102 in the complaint correspondence diagram shown in FIG.
3 (data transfer command, late-night power time start command, heater energization start command, heater energization stop command, late-night power time end command), and a data transfer command from the central processing unit 13. The required energization time calculation means 101 is provided with a function of giving a data transfer command when inputted. In addition, the required energization time calculation means 1
01 is provided with a function of transferring calculation results to the central processing unit 13 in response to a transfer command from the control command determining means 102. Further, the self-control command generating means 104 is provided with a self-timer. This self-timer is reset by the late-night power time start command and starts counting time with 0 as the initial value.If the late-night power time start command is not input, the self-timer starts counting for 25 hours (24 hours of the previous day). time + 1 hour), it is reset and starts counting time with 1 hour as the initial value. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the self-control command generating means 104 has a function of outputting a self-control command to the energization control device to start energizing the heater when the heater energization start command is not input from the central processing unit 13. Furthermore, when a heater energization stop command is not inputted from the central processing unit 13, a function is provided to output a self-control command for stopping energization to the heater to the energization control device.

This embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. In this example, the required energization time calculation means 101 constantly calculates the required energization time. And control command determination means 10
2 determines whether there is a data transfer command, and the central processing unit 13
When it is determined that a data transfer command has been sent from
is transferred to the central processing unit (step 5T4-1.4-
2.4-3).

If a data transfer command is not received due to the occurrence of a failure, the process proceeds to the next step. Next, the control command determining means 102
When the control command determining means 102 determines that the late-night power time start command has been input, the control command determining means 102 resets the self-timer built in the self-control command generating means 104 to 0 hours (step 5T).
4-4.4-5). In addition, in the current late-night power supply system,
The late night power time start command is sent from the central processing unit at 23:00 (11:00 p.m.). The late-night power time start command is at the limit time (the self-timer that has been counting the time since the previous day is 25
The control command determination means 1
If 02 is not input, step 5T4-1 to 4-
4 is repeated (step 5T4-6). Furthermore, even if the late-night power time start command reaches the limit time, the control command determining means 10
2, the self-timer is reset to start counting with an initial value of 1 hour (step 5T4-6.4-7). This is 23:00 (11:00 p.m.)
This is a contrivance to allow the hour from 12:00 to 12:00 a.m. to be used as time for waiting for the central processing unit 13 or the communication line to recover from the accident. During the past hour, the accident was recovered and the central processing unit 13
When the control command determining means 102 determines that a late-night power time start command has been input from the controller 102, control is thereafter performed according to commands from the central processing unit 13. In this case, the self-timer is reset to 0 hours, but if normal operation is performed, it will return to the normal state upon input of the next day's late-night power time start command, so there is no problem.

In the above operation, if the late-night power time start command is not input by the time limit, the self-control command generating means 104 detects from the built-in self-timer that the late-night power time is within the time limit. You can think that there is.

When the control command determining means 102 determines that the heater energization start command has been input, the energization control device 103 activates the switch 8
Outputs an on signal to turn on (step 5T4
-8).

If the heater energization start command is not input by the time limit, the self-control command generating means 104 outputs a self-control command to start energization (step 5T4-9). The time limit here is determined within the self-control command generation means 104. That is, the self-control command generating means 104 calculates the remaining time of late-night power using the count time of the self-timer as a time, and calculates the remaining time of late-night power when the required energization time calculated by the required energization time calculation means 101 becomes equal to the remaining time of late-night power, or The time when a longer time is detected is determined as the time limit, and if the heater energization start command is not input by that time,
Output a self-control command to start energization (step 5)
T4-9). When this self-control command is input, the energization control device 103 outputs an on signal to the switch 8 to turn the switch 8 on.
is turned on, and the heater 4 is energized (step 5T4-10).

Next, the control command determining means 102 determines whether a heater energization stop command has been input from the central processing unit 13. If the failure in the central processing unit 13 or the communication line has been recovered at this point, the energization control device 103 outputs an off signal to the switch 8 in response to the command from the control command determining means 102, and the switch 8 The heater 4 is turned off and power supply to the heater 4 is stopped (step 5T4-11.4-13). When the control command determining means 102 outputs a signal indicating that there is no heater energization stop command input to the self-control command generating means 104, the self-control command generating means 104 compares the water temperature with the boiling set temperature. When the water temperature reaches the set boiling temperature, a self-control signal is output to the energization control device 103 to stop energizing the heater. When this self-control signal is input, the energization control device 103 outputs an off signal to the switch 8, turns the switch 8 into an OFF state, and stops energizing the heater 4 (step 5T4-12.4-13 ). As a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot water in order to stop energizing the heater 4, a temperature sensor used for the water temperature detection sensor 5 or the remaining hot water amount detection sensor 6 can be used. Of course, if a heater energization stop command is input from the central processing unit 13 before the self-control command for stopping energization to the heater 4 is output, the energization to the heater 4 is stopped in accordance with this command.

Note that when a midnight power time end command is input from the central processing unit (3), the process returns to the start (step 5T4-14).

When the late-night power time end command is not input, the self-timer of the self-control command generating means 104 counts 9 hours (the initial value of the self-timer is 1 hour during 8 hours of the late-night power time), and the process returns to the start (step 5T4-15). . In other words, the self-control command generating means 104 outputs a self-control control command indicating the end of the late-night power time period when the late-night power time end command is not input.

According to the above embodiment that operates according to the flowchart of FIG.
Since the water heater is operated according to the control command from No. 3, it is possible to quickly recover the central control system.

In the above embodiment, the self-control command generating means 104 has a function of outputting a self-control command to stop the power supply to the heater 4 when the boiling temperature reaches the set temperature. A function for counting the required energization time is added to the control command generating means 104, and after starting energization to the heater 4, it starts counting the required energization time, and when the count ends, the energization to the heater 4 is stopped. The self-control command generating means 104 can also be configured to output a self-control command for.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, when the control command determination means detects that the control command cannot be manually transmitted due to a failure of the central processing unit or a line failure, and the control command is not transmitted by the time limit, In this case, the self-control command generation means gives the self-control command necessary to energize the heater to the energization control device based on the calculation result of the required energization time calculation means, so failures of the central processing unit and line failures occur. However, the water can be boiled to the desired temperature within a predetermined time period.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, even if the energization control device is operating according to a self-control command, if a control command is transmitted from the central processing unit due to recovery from an accident, the control from the central processing unit Since the electric water heater is controlled according to the command, there is an advantage that the system can be quickly recovered from an accident.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system when the centrally controlled hot water storage electric water heater of the present invention is applied to a central control system, and Fig. 2 is a complaint response diagram of the centrally controlled hot water storage electric water heater of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of control when implementing the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of control when implementing the second embodiment. 1... Hot water storage type electric water heater, 2... Hot water tank, 3...
... Hot water inlet, 4... Heater, 5... Water temperature detection sensor, 6... Remaining hot water amount detection sensor, 7... Water inlet, 8.
...Switch, 9...Power source, 10...Water heater control device, 11...Boiling temperature setting device 11.12...Interface section, 13...Central processing unit, 101... Required energization time calculation means, 102... control command determination means,
103... Energizing device, 104... Self-control command generation means.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Calculate the time to start energizing each hot water storage type electric water heater based on the required energization time of the heaters transmitted from multiple hot water storage type electric water heaters, and calculate the time required to start energizing each hot water storage type electric water heater. In a centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heater that controls energization of the heater according to the control command from a central processing unit that sends a control command, the necessary energization time calculation that calculates the required energization time of the heater based on water temperature, remaining amount of hot water, etc. means for transmitting the calculation result of the required energization time calculation means to the central processing unit and receiving the control command from the central processing unit; and an energization unit for controlling energization to the heater according to the input command. a control device; a control command determining means for determining the presence or absence of the control command from the central processing unit; and, if the control command is not transmitted by the time limit, a calculation result of the necessary energization time calculation means is used. and self-control command generation means for giving the energization control device a self-control command necessary for energizing the heater based on the energization control device. (2) When the control command is input from the central processing unit after the self-control command is input, the energization control device thereafter controls energization to the heater according to the control command. centrally controlled hot water storage type electric water heater.